Emparanza, A. R., Kampmann, R., Caso, F. D., Morales, C., & Nanni, A. (2022). Durability assessment of GFRP rebars in marine environments. Construction and Building Materials, 329, 127028.
Abstract: Technologies developed over the last two decades have facilitated the use of glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars as internal reinforcement for concrete structures, specially in coastal environments, mainly due to their corrosion resistance. To-date, most durability studies have focused on a single mechanical parameter (tensile strength) and a single aging environment (exposure to high alkalinity). However, knowledge gaps exists in understanding how other mechanical parameters and relevant conditioning environments may affect the durability of GFRP bars. To this end, this study assesses the durability for different physio-mechanical properties of GFRP rebars, post exposure to accelerated conditioning in seawater. Six different GFRP rebar types were submerged in seawater tanks, at various temperatures (23°C, 40°C and 60°C) for different time periods (60, 120, 210 and 365 days). In total six different physio-mechanical properties were assessed, including: tensile strength, E-modulus, transverse and horizontal shear strength, micro-structural composition and lastly, bond strength. It was inferred that rebars with high moisture absorption resulted in poor durability, in that it affected mainly the tensile strength. Based on the Arrhenius model, at 23°C all the rebars that met the acceptance criteria by ASTM D7957 are expected to retain 85% of the tensile strength capacity.
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Eliades, M., Bruggeman, A., Djuma, H., Christofi, C., & Kuells, C. (2022). Quantifying Evapotranspiration and Drainage Losses in a Semi-Arid Nectarine (Prunus persica var. nucipersica) Field with a Dynamic Crop Coefficient (Kc) Derived from Leaf Area Index Measurements. Water, 14(5).
Abstract: Quantifying evapotranspiration and drainage losses is essential for improving irrigation efficiency. The FAO-56 is the most popular method for computing crop evapotranspiration. There is, however, a need for locally derived crop coefficients (Kc) with a high temporal resolution to reduce errors in the water balance. The aim of this paper is to introduce a dynamic Kc approach, based on Leaf Area Index (LAI) observations, for improving water balance computations. Soil moisture and meteorological data were collected in a terraced nectarine (Prunus persica var. nucipersica) orchard in Cyprus, from 22 March 2019 to 18 November 2021. The Kc was derived as a function of the canopy cover fraction (c), from biweekly in situ LAI measurements. The use of a dynamic Kc resulted in Kc estimates with a bias of 17 mm and a mean absolute error of 0.8 mm. Evapotranspiration (ET) ranged from 41% of the rainfall (P) and irrigation (I) in the wet year (2019) to 57% of P + I in the dry year (2021). Drainage losses from irrigation (DR_I) were 44% of the total irrigation. The irrigation efficiency in the nectarine field could be improved by reducing irrigation amounts and increasing the irrigation frequency. Future studies should focus on improving the dynamic Kc approach by linking LAI field observations with remote sensing observations and by adding ground cover observations.
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Eliades, M., Bruggeman, A., Djuma, H., Christofi, C., & Kuells, C. (2022). Quantifying Evapotranspiration and Drainage Losses in a Semi-Arid Nectarine (Prunus persica var. nucipersica) Field with a Dynamic Crop Coefficient (Kc) Derived from Leaf Area Index Measurements. Water, 14(5).
Abstract: Quantifying evapotranspiration and drainage losses is essential for improving irrigation efficiency. The FAO-56 is the most popular method for computing crop evapotranspiration. There is, however, a need for locally derived crop coefficients (Kc) with a high temporal resolution to reduce errors in the water balance. The aim of this paper is to introduce a dynamic Kc approach, based on Leaf Area Index (LAI) observations, for improving water balance computations. Soil moisture and meteorological data were collected in a terraced nectarine (Prunus persica var. nucipersica) orchard in Cyprus, from 22 March 2019 to 18 November 2021. The Kc was derived as a function of the canopy cover fraction (c), from biweekly in situ LAI measurements. The use of a dynamic Kc resulted in Kc estimates with a bias of 17 mm and a mean absolute error of 0.8 mm. Evapotranspiration (ET) ranged from 41% of the rainfall (P) and irrigation (I) in the wet year (2019) to 57% of P + I in the dry year (2021). Drainage losses from irrigation (DR_I) were 44% of the total irrigation. The irrigation efficiency in the nectarine field could be improved by reducing irrigation amounts and increasing the irrigation frequency. Future studies should focus on improving the dynamic Kc approach by linking LAI field observations with remote sensing observations and by adding ground cover observations.
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Paradis, C. J., Hoss, K. N., Meurer, C. E., Hatami, J. L., Dangelmayr, M. A., Tigar, A. D., et al. (2022). Elucidating mobilization mechanisms of uranium during recharge of river water to contaminated groundwater. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 251, 104076.
Abstract: The recharge of stream water below the baseflow water table can mobilize groundwater contaminants, particularly redox-sensitive and sorptive metals such as uranium. However, in-situ tracer experiments that simulate the recharge of stream water to uranium-contaminated groundwater are lacking, thus limiting the understanding of the potential mechanisms that control the mobility of uranium at the field scale. In this study, a field tracer test was conducted by injecting 100 gal (379 l) of oxic river water into a nearby suboxic and uranium-contaminated aquifer. The traced river water was monitored for 18 days in the single injection well and in the twelve surrounding observation wells. Mobilization of uranium from the solid to the aqueous phase was not observed during the tracer test despite its pre-test presence being confirmed on the aquifer sediments from lab-based acid leaching. However, strong evidence of oxidative immobilization of iron and manganese was observed during the tracer test and suggested that immobile uranium was likely in its oxidized state as U(VI) on the aquifer sediments; these observations ruled out oxidation of U(IV) to U(VI) as a potential mobilization mechanism. Therefore, desorption of U(VI) appeared to be the predominant potential mobilization mechanism, yet it was clearly not solely dependent on concentration as evident when considering that uranium-poor river water (\textless0.015 mg/L) was recharged to uranium-rich groundwater (≈1 mg/L). It was possible that uranium desorption was limited by the relatively higher pH and lower alkalinity of the river water as compared to the groundwater; both factors favor immobilization. However, it was likely that the immobile uranium was associated with a mineral phase, as opposed to a sorbed phase, thus desorption may not have been possible. The results of this field tracer study successfully ruled out two common mobilization mechanisms of uranium: (1) oxidative dissolution and (2) concentration-dependent desorption and ruled in the importance of advection, dispersion, and the mineral phase of uranium.
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Ola, I., Drebenstedt, C., Burgess, R. M., Mensah, M., Hoth, N., Okoroafor, P., et al. (2024). Assessing petroleum contamination in parts of the Niger Delta based on a sub-catchment delineated field assessment. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 196(6), 585.
Abstract: The Niger Delta in Nigeria is a complex and heavily contaminated area with over 150,000 interconnected contaminated sites. This intricate issue is compounded by the region’s strong hydrological processes and high-energy environment, necessitating a science-based approach for effective contamination assessment and management. This study introduces the concept of sub-catchment contamination assessment and management, providing an overarching perspective rather than addressing each site individually. A description of the sub-catchment delineation process using the digital elevation model data from an impacted area within the Delta is provided. Additionally, the contamination status from the delineated sub-catchment is reported. Sediment, surface water and groundwater samples from the sub-catchment were analyzed for total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), respectively. Surface sediment TPH concentrations ranged from 129 to 20,600 mg/kg, with subsurface (2-m depth) concentrations from 15.5 to 729 mg/kg. PAHs in surface and subsurface sediment reached 9.55 mg/kg and 0.46 mg/kg, respectively. Surface water exhibited TPH concentrations from 10 to 620 mg/L, while PAHs ranged from below detection limits to 1 mg/L. Groundwater TPH concentrations spanned 3 to 473 mg/L, with total PAHs varying from below detection limits to 0.28 mg/L. These elevated TPH and PAH levels indicate extensive petroleum contamination in the investigated sediment and water environment. Along with severe impacts on large areas of mangroves and wetlands, comparison of TPH and PAH concentrations with sediment and water quality criteria found 54 to 100% of stations demonstrated exceedances, suggesting adverse biological effects on aquatic and sediment biota are likely occurring.
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