Effect Of Water Type Research Articles

Effect of water type and proofing method on the perceived taste/mouthfeel properties of distilled spirits

AbstractWater is a key ingredient used in proofing of distilled spirits; however, its impact on the sensory perception of distilled spirits after proofing is scarcely reported. In this study, we diluted both aged and unaged spirits from high proof (>55%, alcohol by volume, ABV) down to 40% ABV and used a trained panel to determine if the choice of water type (spring water, distilled water, or limestone water) and proofing method (fast‐ vs. slow‐proofing) affected the perceived taste/mouthfeel characteristics of the final diluted spirits. Results showed that water type and proofing method did not have a significant effect on aged spirits. However, proofing method but not water type had a significant effect on the sensory perception of unaged spirits. Further characterization on the dynamic sensory profiles of fast‐ vs slow‐proofed unaged spirits showed that the slow‐proofed unaged spirits were characterized as sweeter at the beginning, with less burn throughout the entire evaluation period.Practical ApplicationTo our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of using A‐Not A test method to determine whether a perceived difference exists between two confusable high alcohol containing beverages. Our findings are of particularly relevance to producers of unaged spirits (i.e., vodkas), as it illustrates the importance of proofing strategies and how they can help to reduce the ethanol related burn sensation in unaged spirits when no other influential congeners are present.

Production of microalgae using pilot-scale thin-layer cascade photobioreactors: Effect of water type on biomass composition

The microalga Tetradesmus almeriensis was produced in a 63 m2 thin-layer cascade photobioreactor using either freshwater supplemented with fertilisers, primary urban wastewater, secondary urban wastewater, or diluted fresh pig slurry. The reactors were operated in semi-continuous mode at dilution rate of 0.3 day−1 for over a month. Overall, the biomass productivity was highly influenced by the type of water used, the highest being that produced using freshwater (30.3 g m−2·day−1) given its greater nutrient content. The composition of the produced biomass was also significantly influenced by the type of water used. The protein and lipid contents were higher when the biomass was produced using wastewater. These differences were not only attributed to the microalgal cells’ response to the different nutrient availabilities but also to the microbial diversity of the biomasses themselves. Indeed, Illumina sequencing revealed that the inoculated strain was only the most abundant in the culture produced using freshwater (44.6%) and diluted pig slurry (52.9%). When produced using primary or secondary wastewater the genus Tetradesmus represented only 1.6 and 4.9% of the total eukaryotic populations, respectively. Several algal predators were identified in the cultures including parasites of the genus Amoeboaphelidium and rotifers from the genus Adineta. The results highlighted the importance of characterising microalgal cultures to identify potential pathogens and predators, and to implement contingency actions.

Effects of Different Factors on Methane Hydrate Formation Using a Visual Wellbore Simulator.

During hydrate exploitation, the formation and decomposition of hydrate in the wellbore are affected by many factors such as salinity, temperature, pressure, gas–liquid ratio, and so on. In the drilling process, inhibitors will be added into the drilling fluid, to prevent the formation of hydrates in the wellbore to form blockages. In order to explore the influence of these factors on the formation and decomposition of hydrates, a visual wellbore simulator was used to study the formation, inhibition, and decomposition of hydrates in the wellbore, which affected these factors. First, the accuracy of device was verified, and then the effects of water type, pressure, inhibitor, and gas–liquid ratios (GLR) on methane hydrate (MH) formation were studied. The results show that (1) In fresh water, after the formation of methane hydrate, the pressure of methane gas in the container drops by 6.73 MPa, while in 10% NaCl brine, the pressure of methane gas in the container only drops by 1.24 MPa, since the NaCl is a thermodynamic inhibitor, which inhibits the formation of MH, the amount of dissolved gas in the brine is less, resulting in less pressure drop within the container. (2) Compared with fresh water, the kinetic inhibitor GID3 can better inhibit the generation of MH, but when the dosage of GID3 is 1.0 and 2.0 wt %, the pressure drop of MH in the container is 0.71 and 2.18 MPa, respectively. Therefore, excess inhibitor will reduce its inhibitory effect. (3) When the pressure and GLR increase, the hydrate can absorb more methane after it is formed. However, when there are inhibitors in the fluid, the law of dissolved methane becomes complicated. (4) Appropriate decomposition solution helps to accelerate the decomposition of MH and reduce hydrate blockage in the wellbore during drilling. This article provides a reference for the formation of hydrate in the wellbore during hydrate exploitation.

Synthesis of Polymer-Based Magnetic Nanocomposite for Multi-Pollutants Removal from Water.

A magnetic polymer-based nanocomposite was fabricated by the modification of an Fe3O4/SiO2 magnetic composite with polypyrrole (PPy) via co-precipitation polymerization to form PPy/Fe3O4/SiO2 for the removal of Congo red dye (CR) and hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) ions from water. The nanocomposite was characterized using various techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), vibration sample magnetometer, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results confirm the successful fabrication of the nanocomposite in the size of nanometers. The effect of different conditions such as the contact time, adsorbent dosage, solution pH, and initial concentration on the adsorption process was investigated. The adsorption isotherm suggested monolayer adsorption of both contaminants over the PPy/Fe3O4/SiO2 nanocomposite following a Langmuir isotherm, with maximum adsorption of 361 and 298 mg.g−1 for CR dye and Cr(VI), respectively. Furthermore, the effect of water type on the adsorption process was examined, indicating the applicability of the PPy/Fe3O4/SiO2 nanocomposite for real sample treatment. Interestingly, the reusability of the nanocomposite for the removal of the studied contaminants was investigated with good results even after six successive cycles. All results make this nanocomposite a promising material for water treatment.

Carcass decay deteriorates water quality and modifies the nirS denitrifying communities in different degradation stages

Corpse degradation may release amounts of hazardous materials (e.g., cadaverine, putrescine and ammonia) into surrounding areas, which deteriorate environments and result in nitrogen contamination. Nitrate or nitrite can be reduced to nitrogen gas by denitrifying bacteria, thus alleviating nitrogen contamination and purifying aquatic environments. However, the reaction of nirS-encoding denitrifiers to carcass degradation is less studied. Therefore, water physiochemical analysis and high-throughput sequencing were applied to explore the successional pattern of nirS denitrifying communities in the Yellow River water and tap water during three stages of animal cadaver decay (submerged fresh, advanced floating decay as well as sunken remains) and relevant control group. Nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) and ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) concentration in corpse groups were highly elevated compared with control groups. The dominant phylum for nirS denitrifying communities was Proteobacteria. Abundant denitrifying genera Paracoccus, Alicycliphilus and Diaphorobacter were detected, and these genera have been reported to participate in the degradation of organic pollutants. Particularly, nirS-type community structures were remarkably influenced by corpse decay and became similar with succession. Water total dissolved solids (TDS), salinity, conductivity (CON) and phosphate were primary impacting factors driving the community structures, but the effect of water type was almost negligible. Notably, denitrifying community assembly was dominated by deterministic processes rather than stochastic processes, and the relative importance of deterministic processes among most corpse groups was higher than that in control groups, indicating that environmental filtering regulates the denitrifying communities. Our results provide new insight into environmental purification for hazardous materials produced by corpse degradation, thereby providing valuable advice to environmental administration.

Assessment of evaporative cooling system potential for short-term storage management of vegetables during transportation

A system based on direct evaporative cooling principle for short-term storage management of vegetables during transportation was designed, developed and assessed its performance. The evaporative cooling applies the principle of water evaporation to achieve temperature reduction and relative humidity increment. The system comprises evaporative cooler, power supply (battery, battery charger and power inverter), control panel, storage unit and real-time data monitoring (of temperature, T and relative humidity, RH). The evaporative cooler consists water reservoir, pump, cooling pad, extraction fan, connecting pipe and control panel. The system (that applies alternating current (AC)) can be powered by two-12 V serial truck batteries (direct current, DC) via power inverter. In this research, the effect of water type towards cooling process inside storage unit was studied too. The use of icy water as an evaporation media exhibited higher temperature reduction, T (6.11 ± 2.30 C) as compared to ambient water (4.06 ± 1.91 C). RH for both cases achieved 99 %. The quality of selected leafy vegetables (green amaranth, water spinach and choysum) for fresh market that underwent evaporative cooling storage treatment (T1) was assessed. Post four-hour storage, leafy vegetables stored under T1 exhibited the least weight loss as compared to ambient storage treatment (T2) and cold storage treatment (T3). However, post two-week storage, the vegetables quality that underwent T1 was comparable to T2, but slightly lower than T3. The system exhibited potential to maintain vegetables quality during the short-term storage in transportation.

The effect of water type on the absorption and desorption of carbon dioxide in bubble columns

This study investigates the effect of alkalinity and salinity on the transfer rate of carbon dioxide, CO2, from/to several aqueous phases. The CO2 absorption and desorption experiments were performed for several water types including distilled, reverse osmosis, brackish, and brackish reject waters in addition to seawater, inside a bubble column contactor. Findings indicated that the direction of transfer (i.e. absorption or desorption) had a strong influence on the rate of mass transfer with higher values recorded for the absorption experiments. The results also showed that for the absorption and desorption experiments the volumetric mass transfer coefficient, kLa, values always decreased with increased salinity until a “threshold” value was attained, above which kLa increased again. The effect of alkalinity on kLa values was not as conclusive where the experimental results indicated that for adsorption kLa values decreases almost linearly with the increase in water alkalinity while no discernible trends were observed for the effect of alkalinity in the desorption experiments.

Comparing grey water versus tap water and coal ash versus perlite on growth of two plant species on green roofs

Green roofs provide important ecosystem services in urban areas. In Mediterranean and other semi-arid climate regions, most perennial plants on green roofs need to be irrigated during the dry season. However, the use of freshwater in such regions is scarce. Therefore, the possibility of using grey water should be examined. Coal ash, produced primarily from the burning of coal in power plants, constitutes an environmental contaminant that should be disposed. One option is to use ash as a growing substrate for plants. Here, we compare the effects of irrigating with grey- versus tap-water and using ash versus perlite as growing substrates in green roofs. The study was conducted in northern Israel in a Mediterranean climate. The design was full factorial with three factors: water-type (grey or tap-water)×substrate-type (coal ash vs perlite)×plant species (Phyla nodiflora, Convolvulus mauritanicus or no-plant). The development of plants and the quality of drainage water along the season, as well as quality of the used substrates were monitored. Both plant species developed well under all the experimental conditions with no effect of water type or substrate type. Under all treatments, both plant species enhanced electrical conductivity (EC) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the drainage water. In the summer, EC and COD reached levels that are unacceptable in water and are intended to be reused for irrigation. We conclude that irrigating with grey water and using coal ash as a growth substrate can both be implemented in green roofs. The drainage from tap water as well as from grey water can be further used for irrigating the roof, but for that, COD and EC levels must be lowered by adding a sufficient amount of tap water before reusing.

Effects of Water Type (River and Well) on Hematological Parameters in Juvenile Siberian Sturgeon (Acipenser baeri)

Effects of Water Type (River and Well) on Hematological Parameters in Juvenile Siberian Sturgeon (Acipenser baeri)

Pharmaceuticals, personal care products and endocrine-disrupting chemicals in U.S. surface and finished drinking waters: A proposed ranking system

This study developed a comprehensive ranking system, for the first time as per authors' knowledge, for prioritizing the monitoring of pharmaceuticals and personal care products and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (together termed as EOCs, hereafter; a total of 100 EOCs considered) in U.S. stream water/source water and finished drinking water (termed as “EOCRank,” hereafter). The EOCRank system was developed using a total of 4 criteria: (1) occurrence, (2) treatment in drinking water treatment plants, (3) ecological effects, and (4) health effects and characterized using 7 attributes: prevalence, frequency of detection, removal, bioaccumulation, ecotoxicity (for fish, daphnid, and algae aquatic indicator species), pregnancy effects, and health effects. The health effects attribute was characterized using 7 sub-attributes: carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, impairment of fertility, central nervous system acting, endocrine effects, immunotoxicity, and developmental effects. Rank scores of EOCs were calculated as summations of multiplications of importance weights and utility functions of multiple criteria and were arranged to highlight EOCs needing immediate attention. Two different ranking lists of EOCs were developed for U.S. finished drinking water and stream water/source water and observed to differ with each other, indicating the effect of water type on ranking of EOCs. A ranking list of priority EOCs, developed using a particular criterion, was observed to differ with that, developed using multiple criteria. Health effects and treatment criteria were observed to be important criteria influencing overall data gap rank scores and need further data collection. The generalized nature of the system could be customized for specific geographical locations (occurrence information and importance weights of different components). The developed database of the EOCRank system is available on: http://www.egr.msu.edu/~xagorara/research.html).

Mechanical Performances of Wood Polypropylene Composite due to Extended Moisture Immersion

Mechanical properties of an extruded wood polypropylene composite that was soaked in both osmotic water and artificial seawater were tested and compared in dry, wet, and redried states. Water did influence the material's flexural, compressive, and tensile strength and chord modulus after 13 months immersion. Flexural and compressive properties of the unsaturated specimens soaked in seawater were degraded slower than those of the specimens soaked in osmotic water. There was a significant effect of water type on tensile modulus of elasticity. Both nonreversible damage and recoverable portion of the material from dry to wet and then to redried state were observed for most of the mechanical properties. Results also indicated that impact strength was not affected by water immersion and redrying.

INFILTRATION OF WASTEWATER AND SIMULATED RAINWATER AS AFFECTED BY POLYACRYLAMIDE1

ABSTRACT: Irrigation reduces infiltration rates for subsequent irrigations or rains, thus decreasing the efficiency of water use and impacting watersheds in agricultural areas. Reduced infiltration causes greater runoff with its accompanying erosion, pollution, and sedimentation. Small rates of polyacrylamide (PAM) improve infiltration and reduce erosion on irrigated fields. The effects of PAM on infiltration of rainwater, the longevity of the effects of various rates of PAM, and the effects of repeated or intermittent PAM applications are not understood. This study measured the effects of four PAM application rates (0, 10, 25, and 40 ppm) on the subsequent infiltration of wastewater or simulated rainwater for seven weeks following the initial treatments. Also, effects of repeated and intermittent PAM applications on infiltration were determined. Hydraulic conductivity was determined for each soil column using the falling head method. Two soil types from the coastal plain of south Texas were tested — a soil high in clay (Victoria) and a sandy loam (Willacy). Effects of PAM rates were significant, but effects of water type were not (P > 0.05). Benefits from single PAM applications disappeared within two weeks. Water enriched with PAM is so viscous and infiltrates so slowly that applying PAM in every irrigation event may not be feasible. However, repeating PAM applications every two weeks maintained high infiltration rates on the alternate weeks. This intermittent application of PAM may be a practical approach for improving infiltration rates on irrigated lands.

The stability of dieldrin, aldrin, lindane, chlorpyrifos and prothiofos in stored roof water

Abstract The stability of dieldrin, aldrin, lindane, chlorpyrifos and prothiofos was determined in distilled water and in roof water from either galvanised or concrete tanks. Samples were stored in the dark at 23°C. Dieldrin and lindane were stable for the 36 week period. Aldrin dissipated rapidly with a half‐life of 4–5 weeks, with no dieldrin being formed. Chlorpyrifos and prothiofos also broke down, with half‐lives ranging 12–18 weeks and 11–14 weeks respectively. No significant effect of water type was found. For the purpose of domestic usage, an activated carbon filter would be essential otherwise all contaminated water would have to be disposed of safely.