Field Of Environmental Engineering Research Articles

Preface

The second International Conference on Geotechnical Engineering-Iraq (ICGE-Iraq 2021) had finished its work successfully in Akre/Duhok, Iraq to discuss the challenges, opportunities, and problems in the fields of civil engineering and environmental engineering. The ICGE-Iraq was organized by the Iraqi Scientific Society of Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering (ISSSMFE) with the cooperation of Akre Technical Institute/Duhok Polytechnic University, College of Engineering/University of Baghdad, and Civil Engineering Department/University of Technology. ICGE-Iraq 2021 received about 106 research manuscript. The research manuscripts deal with geotechnical engineering, soil-structure interaction, environmental engineering, and water resources engineering.ICGE-Iraq 2021 is a forum to bring together scientists, researchers, business people, and industry professionals to discuss innovative ideas and diverse topics on the next generation of sustainable geotechnical and environmental engineering. The papers submitted to the conference received from Iraq, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, India, USA, Turkey, Jordan, Japan, Taiwan, China, South Korea, and Nigeria. More than 400 participants attended the conference in the opening ceremony and plenary session.Hundreds of attendees, paper presenters, keynote speakers, exhibitors, and tutorial participants, students have benefited in many ways from this conference. About 72 scientific papers were presented by authors in oral presentations and posters from several countries. Six invited keynote speakers from different countries addressed to the audience and shared knowledge and rich experience of applications of the Iraqi scientific society of soil mechanics and foundation engineering in their universities and companies.Prof. Mahdi KarkushPresident of ISSSMFEConference ChairList of 1) Organization Committee, 2) Scientific Committee, 3) Local Advisory committee, 4) International Advisory Committee are available in the pdf

Preface

Considering the evolving COVID-19 pandemic sweeping across all over the world, most international participants were not able to join conferences physically. After comprehensive consideration, the conference organizing committees decided to change the 3rd International Conference on Advances in Civil and Ecological Engineering Research (ACEER 2021) from a hybrid mode (Online and Offline) to online mode only via Microsoft Teams during July 27-30, 2021Microsoft Teams Meeting opens a door for international participants to exchange latest findings in the field of Civil, Environmental, and Ecological Engineering, discuss recent advances, new techniques and explore avenues to collaborate with top experts from various countries, which is also the aim of ACEER 2021. With the function of sharing Power Point and video presentation, providing chat box for Q&A, and recording presentation, that we choose Microsoft Teams to hold the conference. The shortcoming is that the speakers can not speak fluently sometimes due to internet problems. However, it is in fact a way to hold an international conference online.List of ACEER2021 Scientific Committee Members is available in this pdf.

Nickel (Ni2+) Removal from Water Using Gellan Gum–Sand Mixture as a Filter Material

Microbial biopolymers have been introduced as materials for soil treatment and ground improvement purposes because of their ability to enhance soil strength enhancement and to reduce hydraulic conductivity. Several studies in the field of environmental engineering have reported heavy metal adsorption and removal from contaminated water using common biopolymers. In particular, gellan gum biopolymers have drawn significant attention for use in metal ion adsorption. This study aims to investigate the heavy metal adsorption capacity of a gellan gum biopolymer–sand mixture when nickel-contaminated water is pumped upward through a uniform gellan gum–sand mixture column. The main aims of this study are (1) to clarify the Ni2+ adsorption phenomenon of gellan gum-treated sand, (2) to assess the Ni2+ adsorbability of gellan gum–sand mixtures with different gellan gum content, and (3) to examine the gellan gum–sand filter thickness and flow rate effects on Ni2+ adsorption. The results of this experiment demonstrate the effectiveness of gellan gum in terms of Ni2+ adsorption and water flow rate control, which are essential criteria of a filter material for contaminated water treatment.

Machine Learning: New Ideas and Tools in Environmental Science and Engineering.

The rapid increase in both the quantity and complexity of data that are being generated daily in the field of environmental science and engineering (ESE) demands accompanied advancement in data analytics. Advanced data analysis approaches, such as machine learning (ML), have become indispensable tools for revealing hidden patterns or deducing correlations for which conventional analytical methods face limitations or challenges. However, ML concepts and practices have not been widely utilized by researchers in ESE. This feature explores the potential of ML to revolutionize data analysis and modeling in the ESE field, and covers the essential knowledge needed for such applications. First, we use five examples to illustrate how ML addresses complex ESE problems. We then summarize four major types of applications of ML in ESE: making predictions; extracting feature importance; detecting anomalies; and discovering new materials or chemicals. Next, we introduce the essential knowledge required and current shortcomings in ML applications in ESE, with a focus on three important but often overlooked components when applying ML: correct model development, proper model interpretation, and sound applicability analysis. Finally, we discuss challenges and future opportunities in the application of ML tools in ESE to highlight the potential of ML in this field.

Calcite and Vaterite Biosynthesis by Nitrate Dissimilating Bacteria in Carbonatogenesis Process under Aerobic and Anaerobic Conditions

This study deals with 16S-rDNA identified bacteria, Lysinibacillus sp., Raoultella sp., and Streptomyces sp. capable of precipitating CaCO3 through nitrate reduction aerobically and anaerobically. The produced CaCO3 crystals were analyzed using XRD, EDX, FTIR, TGA and SEM. The results showed that the carbonatogenic bacteria served as nucleation sites for CaCO3 precipitation with distinct variation in polymorph and morphology; reflecting strain-specific property. Notably, the amount of precipitated CaCO3 recorded 3.27 (aerobic), 1.55 (anaerobic), 4.15 (aerobic), 3.75 (aerobic) and 1.87 (anaerobic) g/100 mL of strains Lysinibacillus sp., Streptomyces sp. and Raoultella sp., respectively, after 240 h of incubation. The study of changes in media chemistry during carbonatogenesis process revealed positive correlation between bacterial growth, nitrate reductase activity, pH, EC, Ca2+ depletion, amount of deposited CaCO3 and NO3 − consumption. Therefore, the applications of these bacterial strains, which were employed for the first time in carbonatogenesis process, are promising in the environmental, biomedical and civil engineering fields.

A Champion for Chemistry: Elements of Jim Morgan's Intellectual Legacy.

James (Jim) Morgan was a leading figure in the field of environmental science and engineering. He championed the application of chemistry in the study of the environment and the design and optimization of environmental treatment processes. Jim influenced the field through his classic text Aquatic Chemistry, coauthored with Werner Stumm, his role as founding editor of Environmental Science& Technology, his seminal contribution to computational methods for the calculation of chemical equilibria, and most especially, his mentorship of his extended academic family. Jim transmitted his enthusiasm for research, particularly on the chemistry of manganese and iron, so successfully to his doctoral students and postdoctoral advisees that many of them carried these topics forward in their own careers.

Effect of Scallop Powder Addition on MICP Treatment of Amorphous Peat

Peat is one of the most challenging and problematic soils in the fields of geotechnical and environmental engineering. The most critical problems related to peat soils are extremely low strength and high compressibility, resulting in poor inhabitancy and infrastructural developments in their vicinity. Thus far, peat soils were stabilized using Portland cement; however, the production of Portland cement causes significant emission of greenhouse gases, which is not environmentally desirable. Microbial-induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) is an innovative technique for improving the mechanical properties of soil through potentially environmentally friendly processes. This article presents a laboratory study carried out with the aim of investigating the viability and effect of scallop shell powder (SSP) on enhancing the mechanical properties of the MICP-treated amorphous peat. The hypothesis was that the distribution of SSP (as-derived calcite particles) would (i) provide more nucleation sites to precipitates and (ii) increase the connectivity of MICP bridges to facilitate mineral skeleton to amorphous peat, accompanied by an increase in its compressive strength. Specimens were treated at varying combinations of SSP and MICP reagents, and the improvement was comprehensively assessed through a series of unconfined compression tests and supported by microscale and chemical analyses such as scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, and X-ray diffraction analysis. The outcomes showed that incorporating SSP in MICP treatment would be a promising approach to treat amorphous peat soils. The proposed approach could improve the unconfined compressive strength by over 200% after a 7-day curing period, while the conventional MICP could not exhibit any significant improvements.

Vertical Expansion Stability of an Existing Landfill: A Case Study of a Landfill in Xi’an, China

The vertical expansion of existing landfills can hold significant amounts of domestic waste and solve practical difficulties such as local government site selection. This research topic has become increasingly popular in the field of environmental geotechnical engineering. This study examined vertical expansion stability of landfills considering high leachate water level. The results showed the following. (1) Four slope instability modes for landfill vertical expansion are categorized according to the following slip surface positions: shallow slippage of the existing landfill, shallow slippage of the expanding landfill, interface slip between the existing landfill and expanding landfill, and deep slippage passes through the foundation soil. (2) The factor of safety decreases as the height of leachate level increases. When the height of leachate level rises from 2 m to 20 m, the factor of safety of the landfill is reduced by 13.2–15.4%. (3) As the vertical expansion height increases, the factor of safety of the existing landfill decreases, and when the expansion height increases to 30 m, the stability factor of safety of the old waste landfill is reduced by 4.83%. A landfill in Xi’an is considered as an example for the analysis, which shows that a leachate drainage layer can discharge leachate from the landfill body efficiently, reduce the leachate level height of the landfill body, and improve the stability of vertical expansion of the landfill. This study and its findings can be used as a reference for similar expansion projects.

Preface

It is highly delighted to introduce the 2021 International Conference on Water Conservancy, Energy and Environmental Engineering (WC3E 2021), which held on June 25-27, 2021 in Nanjing, China. WC3E 2021 is to bring together innovative academics and industrial experts in the field of water conservancy, energy and environmental engineering to a common conference. The primary goal of the conference is to promote research and developmental activities in water conservancy, energy and environmental engineering and another goal is to promote scientific information interchange between researchers, developers, engineers, students, and practitioners working all around the world.About 80 participants from academic, high-education institutes and other organizations took part in the conference. The conference model was divided into two sessions, including oral presentations and keynote speeches. In the first part, some scholars, whose submissions were selected as the excellent papers, were given 15 minutes to perform their oral presentations one by one. Then in the second part, keynote speakers were each allocated 30-45 minutes to hold their speeches. We were very honored to have Prof. Michael K. H. LEUNG, from School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong as our Conference Chairman.List of Committee member, Conference Chairman, Program Committees, Technical Program Committees are available in this pdf.

PREFACE: TECHNICAL COMMISSION II

Abstract. ISPRS Technical Commission II focuses, at various scales, on geometric, radiometric and multi-temporal aspects of image- and range-based 3D surveying and modeling. Specifically, Commission II deals with image orientation, point cloud generation and processing, 3D feature extraction, dynamic and static scene analysis, sensor and data fusion, and machine learning for geospatial data analysis and big data techniques for massive data processing. Applications in the fields of mapping, infrastructure monitoring, heritage studies, space exploration, underwater photogrammetry and environmental engineering are also considered.The Volume related to Commission II contains 108 papers published in the ISPRS Archives and 20 published in the ISPRS Annals. The papers in Archives were accepted from among 111 abstract submissions and 59 full papers. Of the 108 Archives papers, 32 were full paper submissions and 76 were abstract submissions. The 20 papers in the Annals were selected from among 59 full paper submissions after going through a peer review process.In the aforementioned areas of research, the papers in this volume discuss the challenges and needs, and introduce novel photogrammetric solutions that depict the latest developments in the field.There has been a wide range of coverage of these topics and point cloud generation and processing has been the most active coverage with close to 38% of the accepted papers. This is followed by machine/deep learning methods with 31.8% that provide solutions to the semantic enrichment of images and 3D data. Research in heritage and underwater studies is represented with 9% and 6%, respectively, of the accepted papers.We believe these volumes nicely recap the state-of-the-art, current trends and possible applications of photogrammetry on a wide range of topics with a nice overview of the future research directions.On behalf of Technical Commission II, we would like to thank the local organizers of the 2021 ISPRS Congress, the members of the international program committee, all Working Group officers and all reviewers for their hard organizational work and efforts in the paper reviewing process.

Research on direct shear strength characteristics of mechanically biologically treated waste.

AbstractMechanically and biologically treated (MBT) waste has significant characteristics such as high stability and low moisture content, which can reduce water, soil, and gas pollution in subsequent treatments. This pre-treatment method is environmentally friendly and sustainable and has become a popular research topic in the field of environmental geotechnical engineering. Using a direct shear test apparatus and five shearing rates (0.25, 1, 5, 10, and 20 mm/min), the shear strength characteristics of MBT waste at the Hangzhou Tianziling Landfill were studied. The results indicate the following: (1) With the increase in horizontal shear displacement, the shear stress of MBT waste gradually increases without a peak stress phenomenon, which is a displacement hardening curve; (2) the shear strength increases with an increase in the shearing displacement rate, and the sensitivity coefficient is 0.64-2.66; (3) a shear strength, shearing rate, and normal stress correlation model is established, and the model has a high degree of fit with the overall experimental data; (4) cohesion (c), internal friction angle (φ), and the logarithm of the shearing rate are linear; (5) the range of c of MBT waste is 22.32-39.51 kPa, and φ is 64.24-68.52°. Meanwhile, the test data are compared with the test data in the literature. The ranges of c and φ of municipal solid waste determined via the shear test are found to be wider than those of MBT waste. The results of this study can provide a reference for the stability calculation of MBT landfills.

PREFACE: TECHNICAL COMMISSION II

Abstract. ISPRS Technical Commission II focuses, at various scales, on geometric, radiometric and multi-temporal aspects of image- and range-based 3D surveying and modeling. Specifically, Commission II deals with image orientation, point cloud generation and processing, 3D feature extraction, dynamic and static scene analysis, sensor and data fusion, and machine learning for geospatial data analysis and big data techniques for massive data processing. Applications in the fields of mapping, infrastructure monitoring, heritage studies, space exploration, underwater photogrammetry and environmental engineering are also considered.The Volume related to Commission II contains 108 papers published in the ISPRS Archives and 20 published in the ISPRS Annals. The papers in Archives were accepted from among 111 abstract submissions and 59 full papers. Of the 108 Archives papers, 32 were full paper submissions and 76 were abstract submissions. The 20 papers in the Annals were selected from among 59 full paper submissions after going through a peer review process.In the aforementioned areas of research, the papers in this volume discuss the challenges and needs, and introduce novel photogrammetric solutions that depict the latest developments in the field.There has been a wide range of coverage of these topics and point cloud generation and processing has been the most active coverage with close to 38% of the accepted papers. This is followed by machine/deep learning methods with 31.8% that provide solutions to the semantic enrichment of images and 3D data. Research in heritage and underwater studies is represented with 9% and 6%, respectively, of the accepted papers.We believe these volumes nicely recap the state-of-the-art, current trends and possible applications of photogrammetry on a wide range of topics with a nice overview of the future research directions.On behalf of Technical Commission II, we would like to thank the local organizers of the 2021 ISPRS Congress, the members of the international program committee, all Working Group officers and all reviewers for their hard organizational work and efforts in the paper reviewing process.

Preface

After successfully held for four consecutive years, 2021 5th International Conference on Civil Engineering, Architectural and Environmental Engineering (CEAEE 2021) was successfully held during April 23-25, 2021 in Chengdu, China. Thank you all for coming to Chengdu City to attend the conference with enthusiasm. CEAEE 2021 is to bring together innovative academics and industrial experts in the field of civil engineering, architectural and environmental engineering to a common forum. The primary goal of the conference is to promote research and developmental activities in civil engineering, architectural and environmental engineering and another goal is to promote scientific information interchange between researchers, developers, engineers, students, and practitioners working all around the world. The conference will be held every year to make it an ideal platform for people to share views and experiences in civil engineering, architectural and environmental engineering and related areas.The conference featured two keynotes (40 minutes each, including Q&A) and oral presentations. The papers in the oral sessions were allotted 15 minutes each for presentation. There were a total of 210 participants, including keynote speakers, invited speaker, committee members, session chairs, authors, presenters and listeners. We were greatly honored to have invited Prof. Xueying Liu, from Zhejiang University of Water Resources and Electric Power, China to serve as our General Conference Chair.In the keynote presentations part, we invited Prof. Xiao-Dong Chen, from Zhejiang University of Water Resources and Electric Power, China to present his talk Thinking and practice on the Construction of Beautiful Rivers in Zhejiang Province. In order to cooperate with the development of the “Great Garden Vision” in Zhejiang Province, the study introduced how the layout of the works for Beautiful Rivers are based on the topographic characteristics of the plains, mountainous areas, and islands in Zhejiang Province, described the detailed tasks of ‘Thousands of Rivers and Ten Thousand Streams Water Beauty Project, and elaborated the main content of Beautiful Rivers Construction Standards. In addition, we had Prof. Qiang Li from Zhejiang University of Water Resources and Electric Power, China to present his latest research on Mechanical Degradation of Reinforced Concrete Columns Corroded Under Sustained Loads. His study presented an experimental investigation on the degradation of mechanical performance of reinforced concrete (RC) columns with the reinforcements corroded under sustained loads. In the last part of the conference, all participants were invited to discuss and explore the academic issues after the presentations. The discussion was lasted for about 30-60 minutes.List of Committee member are available in the pdf.

Multiphase lattice Boltzmann modeling of dielectrophoresis fractionation of soft particles

Dielectrophoresis-field flow fractionation (DEP-FFF) is a promising method of fractionating particles from a continuous flow and has considerable application potential in the fields of biomedical, chemical, and environmental engineering. Particle deformation is an important issue in DEP-FFF, having a critical influence on the fractionation accuracy and viability of bioparticles. However, this problem has been largely ignored in both theoretical and numerical investigations. In the present work, a hybrid lattice Boltzmann scheme is introduced to study the deformation of soft particles subjected to the coupled effects of hydrodynamics and electrokinetics in a DEP-FFF process. The interaction of the particles with the fluid medium is calculated using a multiphase lattice Boltzmann model. The dielectrophoretic effect on the flow is introduced through a DEP force, which is obtained from a finite-element solution of the electric field. The hybrid scheme avoids the need to solve a coupled multiphysics problem, making it very efficient. The proposed simulation framework is validated through a well-known model, and the particle deformation and its influence on DEP-based fractionation are discussed.

Developing low-cost methane gas concentration measuring device

In every aspect of Engineering more advanced, efficient and progressive solutions are required. The modern age of science requires innovative minds. The field of environmental engineering is also advancing with modern science and technology innovations. Measuring of methane concentration and flow rate is nothing new, yet a complicated process. The need for more accurate measurement is a necessity in proper operation of bio digesters for methane generation. The traditional process of the measuring methane content in biogas is time consuming yet complicated. The need for development and application of methane measurement techniques is not only limited to biogas but has other monitoring value as well in other health and safety applications in built environments. Winsen Electronics and Hanwei Electronics are two of the leading sensor-manufactures of China who are providing a wide range of gas detecting sensors that are locally available in Bangladesh and yet has not been applied to methane content measurement in biogas operations. In This paper we are reporting on the application of a purpose-built propane, butane detector for methane gas detection within the range of accuracy for it to be applied in methane detection in a biogas stream. This paper, reports on application and calibration of the methane detecting sensor MQ-4 with promising result. Based on the study we postulate that the sensor can be used to detect methane for an on-line monitoring of many environmental, industrial purposes such as bio digesters, integrated waste management facility. The cost of fabrication of the sensor system is only $18 making it a viable sensor with respect to cost for application in Bangladesh.

Photo-assisted advanced oxidation processes for efficient removal of anionic and cationic dyes using Bentonite/TiO2 nano-photocatalyst immobilized with silver nanoparticles

Azo dyes with high mobility are widely distributed in industrial wastewater and due to the harmful effects of these chemicals, their removals from wastewater draw increasing attention and various technologies have been developed, amongst which photo-assisted advanced oxidation processes are more effective and promising. In this study, surface modification of bentonite as an important geotechnical material in the fields of environmental engineering was performed by sol-gel synthesized titanium dioxide nanoparticles and then different content of silver nanoparticle precipitation. The prepared Bentonite/TiO2/Ag nanocomposites were analysed using different techniques and used to remove poly azo anionic direct red 80 and azo cationic methylene blue dyes under UV photocatalytic degradation, hydrogen peroxide-assisted photocatalytic degradation, catalytic hydrogen peroxide oxidation, and adsorption processes. Moreover, the effect of different parameters affecting the dye removal such as initial pH, dye concentration, and H2O2 concentration was examined. Dye degradation efficiencies of various processes were compared that they were higher in the order: hydrogen peroxide-assisted photocatalytic degradation >UV photocatalytic degradation > adsorption > catalytic hydrogen peroxide oxidation. The highest dye removal efficiencies were obtained 77 and 100% for direct red 80 and methylene blue, respectively, related to 0.03 g of the nanocomposite with 0.25% silver content in the advanced oxidation process.

Advances in Nanofluidics

Recently, a new frontier in fluid science and engineering at the 1 to 1000 nm scale, called nanofluidics, has developed and provided new methodologies and applications to the fields of chemistry, biology, material sciences, bioengineering, medicine, drug discovery, energy, and environmental engineering [...].

Research Progress of Biomass-based Adsorption Materials

Pollution control has always been the core of research in the field of environmental engineering. Adsorption is an important means to remove pollutants. Choosing a suitable adsorbent is of great significance to environmental protection. This article discussed the research of biomass adsorption materials in recent years including the preparation, utilization and regeneration of biomass adsorption materials. The details of the influencing factors, the modification methods during the preparation of adsorption materials and the suggestions for future research were provided.

Video Feature Making in ESP- Based Public Speaking Class: A Student-Centred Learning in Vocational Higher Education Context

In Indonesia, English for Specific Purpose usually offers to students of non-English Department. Actually, it must also be taught to students of English Department, especially who are in vocational higher institutions. By facilitating the learning of English for Specific Purpose by the institution, they will fit in any kinds of work fields later on. Actually, the process of learning English for Specific Purpose could be integrated in various subjects in English Department if the class is using the right learning material, like Digital Video Feature Project. It is a project assignment for Public Speaking class which is developed to improve students’ English for Specific Purpose by applying Gall and Borg Small Scale Model. The steps are need analysis, planning objectives, developing preliminary forms of product, preliminary field testing, and main field testing. This article is only discussing the last phase, which is analysing the effect of Digital Video Feature Project on the student’ English for Specific Purpose. The sample taken was a female English Department student of Politeknik Negeri Padang. She enrolled in Public Speaking class, and chose English for Environmental Engineering for her English for Specific Purpose. She made a video feature about Waste Bank Program which is established by Padang Environmental Services Department. From the analysis on the student’ self assessment form, the results are the student is more competence writing in the context of Environmental Engineering, is more skillfull as a public speaker in a topic related to Environmental Engineering field, her knowledge related to Environmental Engineering increases, and her social life with people related to Environmental Engineering is also built. In conclusion, video feature project of Waste Bank Program does not only influence the student’s ESP and public speaking skill, but also effect their mind and consideration to support the program.

Introduction to a New Journal: International Journal of Environmental Sustainability and Protection

Aims and Scopes The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) aims to enhance peace, security, and sustainable development by fostering international collaboration [1]. The issues related to the environment are important for all countries including market-based environmental policies, global climate change, solid waste, environmental economics, and environmental politics [2,3]. The International Journal of Environmental Sustainability and Protection (IJESP) covers the fields of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Environmental Protection, Environmental Health, Sustainable Development on Environment, and Green Technologies as an interdisciplinary peer-reviewed and open-access journal published online for providing academic and technological solutions for such issues.