High Salinity Water Research Articles

Intrusion of Arabian Sea high salinity water and monsoon-associated processes modulate planktic foraminiferal abundance and carbon burial in the southwestern Bay of Bengal.

The unicellular calcareous planktic foraminifera sequester a significant portion of the carbon dioxide dissolved in the ocean, thus burying the carbon in sediments for millions of years. The global warming and associated processes are likely to affect the planktic foraminiferal abundance and diversity. Therefore, their baseline distribution has to be documented and correlated with ambient parameters to assess its fate under different climate change scenarios. Here, we report an exceptionally high abundance of planktic foraminifera and thus large carbon burial in the southwestern Bay of Bengal. The very high absolute abundance of planktic foraminifera in the Cauvery River basin is attributed to biannual productivity, warmer and saline waters. Globigerinita glutinata is the highest abundant species followed by Globigerinoides ruber and Globigerina bulloides. Globigerina bulloides is abundant on the shelf, where the upwelling is more frequent. The relative abundance of Globorotalia menardii is positively correlated with thermocline salinity and negatively correlated with thermocline temperature. Similarly, Neogloboquadrina dutertrei and Globoquadrina conglomerata are negatively correlated with mixed layer as well as thermocline temperature and mixed layer salinity. Both these species are positively correlated with thermocline salinity. Globigerina falconensis is more abundant in the southernmost transect influenced by intense winter monsoon precipitation. We report that G. ruber prefers high saline and warmer waters with the highest abundance in the southernmost transect. From the foraminiferal distribution, it is evident that the temperature and salinity of the mixed layer as well as thermocline, food availability, and monsoon-associated processes affect the planktic foraminiferal abundance and thus carbon burial in the southwestern Bay of Bengal. The changes in influx of southeastern Arabian Sea water will affect the planktic foraminiferal population and subsequent carbon burial in the southwestern Bay of Bengal.

Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Storm Surge-Induced Salinity Augmentation in the Pearl River Estuary, South China

The Pearl River Estuary (PRE) frequently experiences the impacts of typhoons, storm surges, and saltwater intrusion. While previous research has mainly focused on saltwater intrusion during the dry season, there is limited research on saltwater intrusion caused by storm surges in the PRE. In this study, we systematically investigate the effects of ten typical autumnal typhoons and associated storm surges on saltwater intrusion in the Modaomen Waterway using in situ data of water level, river discharge, and chloride concentrations from 2006 to 2022. We introduce the concept of Storm surge-Induced Salinity Augmentation (SISA) and analyze its characteristics and primary influencing factors. Our findings reveal that SISA primarily occurs in autumn, with reduced upstream river discharge and the dominance of high-salinity water in the estuary. SISA occurs immediately after storm surges and grows rapidly and violently, with a time lag of 2–4 h, but rapidly recedes after the typhoon passage due to heavy rainfall and high freshwater discharge. Typhoons with a westward trajectory have a greater influence, and the southeastern winds outside the estuary during typhoon events are the primary factors determining the intensity of SISA. Pre-typhoon river discharge affects the range and duration of saltwater intrusion. Moreover, the coupling effect of extreme river dryness, spring tide, and storm surges significantly enhances saltwater intrusion. Further research is needed to quantify the spatiotemporal characteristics of SISA accurately.

Surface oceanographic changes from ∼ 25,000 to 3500 cal yr BP in the eastern Arabian Sea

Multiproxy data of pteropods and planktic foraminifera from Core SK291/GC17 suggest significant surface paleoceanographic shifts from ∼25,000 to 3500 calibrated years before present (cal yr BP) in the eastern Arabian Sea (EAS). Increased values of the global ice-volume free stable oxygen isotope ratio of seawater (δ18Osw IVF) and stable oxygen isotope ratio in pteropod (δ18OH. inflatus IVF), as well as lower percentages of planktic foraminifer Globigerina bulloides from ∼22,000 to 18,000 cal yr BP, correspond to the weak Indian summer monsoon (ISM) during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). In the early Holocene, the EAS witnessed an increase in upwelling driven by strong summer monsoon winds, and a decrease in salinity corresponding with enhanced precipitation in the Western Ghats region. From ∼4800 to 4000 cal yr BP, including the 4.2 ka event, a prominent increase in the δ18OH. inflatus IVF values suggest an enhanced intrusion of the Arabian Sea High Saline Water (ASHSW) to the relatively deeper part of the mixed layer. In the same interval, the low representations of G. bulloides and thermocline dwelling planktic foraminifera indicate weakening of the coastal upwelling and a reduction in surface productivity due to weak ISM across the Arabian Sea, with more severe conditions in the EAS.

Evidence for Kilometer‐Scale Biophysical Features at the Gulf Stream Front

AbstractUnderstanding the interplay of ocean physics and biology at the submesoscale and below (<30 km) is an ongoing challenge in oceanography. While poorly constrained, these scales may be of critical importance for understanding how changing ocean dynamics will impact marine ecosystems. Fronts in the ocean, regions where two disparate water masses meet and isopycnals become tilted toward vertical, are considered hotspots for biophysical interaction, but there is limited observational evidence at the appropriate scales to assess their importance. Fronts around western boundary currents like the Gulf Stream are of particular interest as these dynamic physical regions are thought to influence both productivity and composition of primary producers; however, how exactly this plays out is not well known. Using satellite data and 2 years of in situ observations across the Gulf Stream front near Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, we investigate how submesoscale frontal dynamics could affect biological communities and generate hotspots of productivity and export. We assess the seasonality and phenology of the region, generalize the kilometer‐scale structure of the front, and analyze 69 transects to assess two physical processes of potential biogeochemical importance: cold shelf filament subduction and high salinity Sargasso Sea obduction. We link these processes observationally to meanders in the Gulf Stream and discuss how cold filament subduction could be exporting carbon and how obduction of high salinity water from depth is connected with high chlorophyll‐a. Finally, we report on phytoplankton community composition in each of these features and integrate these observations into our understanding of frontal submesoscale dynamics.

Long-Term Thermal Stability of Ionic Surfactants for Improving Oil Production at High-Salinity High-Temperature Conditions.

Surfactants with stable chemical structures and robust ability are required to lower interfacial tension and stabilize emulsions for successful chemical injection applications. This work selected six surfactants, dodecyl carboxylic sodium (LAS), dodecyl sulfonate dodecyl sodium (SLS), dodecyl sulfate sodium (SDS), dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB), 3-(N,N-dimethylmyristylammonio) propanesulfonate (SB3-14) and a sulfobetaine formulation (PCT-10), and systematically investigated the ionic-type effects on thermal stability at 95 °C for 150 days in high-salinity water (total dissolved solids (TDS) = 57,600 ppm). With characterizations of aged samples performed through a spinning drop tensiometer, high-performance liquid chromatography, and infrared spectroscopy, it can be seen that the long-term stability sequence of ionic surfactants in solutions is sulfobetaine ≈ quaternary ammonium > sulfonate > sulfate > carboxylate. The carboxylate possibly precipitates out from the solution in the acid form, and the sulfonate and sulfate decompositions are due to the hydrolysis of the anionic head, forming alcohol and NaHSO3/NaHSO4. Obvious decomposition of sulfobetaine and quaternary ammonium was not observed, but these molecules might suffer the elimination of the ionic head, forming the corresponding alkene and amine. The results also show that the dissolved oxygen in the solution preparation significantly sped up the degradation of sulfonates. At last, the emulsion stability tests of crude oil in surfactant solutions showed that sulfobetaine surfactants retained the highest emulsifying ability after thermal aging and thus are promising candidates for long-term chemical injection in high-temperature high-salinity reservoirs.

Superhydrophobic composite membranes for membrane distillation based on CNTs networks: Overcoming the trade-off between water vapor permeability and wetting resistance

Enhancing the wetting resistance of the membrane is crucial for consolidating the stability of the membrane distillation (MD) process, but this generally leads to the decline of water vapor flux. Herein, we developed a superhydrophobic composite membrane composed of a highly hydrophobic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) porous support layer and a functional superhydrophobic carbon nanotubes (CNTs) network. The CNTs network with high thermal conductivity not only reduces the temperature polarization effect, but also increases the effective evaporation area, thereby enhancing the mass transfer driving force of the MD process. Additionally, the CNTs network significantly reduces the maximum pore radius of the composite membrane, and the perfluorination treatment also reduces the surface energy of the CNTs network, thereby synergistically increasing the liquid entry pressure. The results showed that when treating high salinity water containing 3.5 wt% NaCl, the water vapor flux of the composite membrane increased from 20.0 LMH of the original PVDF membrane to 24.4 LMH, an increase of 22 %. Furthermore, the performance of the original PVDF membrane deteriorates rapidly when the concentration of surfactant in the feed exceeds 1.0 mM, while the composite membrane still maintains a stable water vapor permeability and salt rejection. More importantly, the composite membrane exhibits excellent resistance to wetting induced by gypsum scaling when using gypsum solution as the feed, which is attributed to its small surface pore size and high hydrophobicity. This research supplies new insights into the design of membrane structures used in MD processes to overcome the trade-off between water vapor permeability and wetting resistance.

Feasibility of phenolic contaminant removal from high-saline wastewater by chloride-mediated activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and peracetic acid (PAA)

Phenolic pollutants are highly toxic and can affect the growth and reproduction of aquatic organisms, as well as contaminate drinking water resources, posing a significant threat to both ecological and human health. However, conventional biological treatment processes are constrained in treating high salinity organic wastewaters due to the potentially lethal effects of high concentrations of dissolved salts on microorganisms. While advanced oxidation processes have shown promise in removing phenolic contaminants from high-saline wastewater, their widespread application is always limited by the high costs associated with energy and chemical usage. In this study, we explored the potential application of directly introducing peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and peracetic acid (PAA) to high-salinity water for the removal of nine phenolic contaminants. By establishing a correlation between the degradation rate constants in the PMS/Cl– (kPMS) and PAA/Cl– (kPAA) systems and various molecule descriptors, two multiple linear regression models were developed to predict the degradation rate constants under investigation. Additionally, we selected bisphenol A (BPA) as the target contaminant and investigated the impact of common ions found in natural water, such as HCO3–, NO3–, and humic acid, on the removal of BPA using two systems. Finally, we conducted experiments using tap water and sewage water to demonstrate the practical application and performance of the two systems. These experiments aimed to provide valuable insights into the influence of background chloride on PMS and PAA activation, as well as the potential of direct PMS/PAA introduction for eliminating phenolic micropollutants from high-saline wastewaters.

Engineering PVDF omniphobic membranes with flower-like micro-nano structures for robust membrane distillation

Conventional PVDF membranes are easily wetted and contaminated in membrane distillation (MD) process, especially when used in separating high-salinity water and oil-contained saline water. To address these issues, an omniphobic membrane was fabricated in this work. ZnO micro-flowers with a rough structure were successfully deposited onto the PVDF membrane with the assistance of polydopamine assistance. After undergoing a fluorination process, the omniphobic membranes were prepared by the synergistic effect of surface microstructure and free energy. The effects of varying Zn(NO3)2 concentrations and deposition times on morphology, pore size and separation efficiency were comprehensively examined. It was demonstrated that at a Zn(NO3)2 concentration of 50 mM and a deposition time of 0.5 h, the resulting PVDF composite membrane exhibited high liquid repellency towards all the test liquids, such as water, ethanol solution, paraffin oil, and etc. Furthermore, the membrane consistently exhibited impressive salt rejection behavior (99.99%) and maintained an average flux (15.54 kg·m−2·h−1) when exposed to high-salinity solution (up to 20 wt%-NaCl). Meanwhile, during treating an oil-contained saline water emulsion with the oil content of 200 ppm, the membrane also displayed high resistance to wetting and fouling during the continuously 24 h tests. The membrane displayed a rejection rate of 99.99 % with an average vapor flux of 18.60 kg·m−2·h−1. In summary, this omniphobic membranes demonstrated a great potential in MD for practical challenging wastewater treatment.

Response of leaf photosynthesis, chlorophyll content and yield of hydroponic tomatoes to different water salinity levels.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an important vegetable crop that grows easily under controlled conditions, such as in greenhouses and hydroponics. To overcome freshwater scarcity, researchers are searching for alternatives to groundwater sources such as desalinated water (saline water) for irrigation. High salinity in irrigation water alters physiological functions and crop development, thereby reducing the yield. Best management practices and the use of grafted tomato plants on salt-tolerant rootstocks can alleviate salinity stress. The present study was conducted to address the impact of salinity stress on leaf transpiration (Tr), stomatal conductance (gs), photosynthesis (Pn), leaf chlorophyll content, proline content, and yield of hydroponically cultivated tomato plants. Saline (NaCl) water was used for the preparation of nutrient solution with three salinity levels, electrical conductivity (EC, dS m-1) of 2.5 (control), 6.0, and 9.5. Three commercial tomato cultivars (Valouro-RZ, Ghandora-F1, and Feisty-Red) were used. Both self-rooted plants and plants grafted onto Maxifort rootstocks were transplanted onto a perlite substrate. The recorded data revealed that all studied cultivars were critically affected by higher salinity (≈ 9.5 dS m-1) compared to low (≈ 2.5 dS m-1) and medium (≈ 6.0 dS m-1) salinity levels. The Variations in Tr, Pn, gs, chlorophyll content of leaf, and yield between medium and high salinity trials were reported at 3%, 5%, 9%, 5%, and 7.1%, respectively, whereas no significant differences were observed between low and medium salinities. However, at medium salinity levels, grafted plants performed better in photosynthesis than non-grafted plants. This is due to the accumulation of leaf proline, which maintains osmotic regulation and photosynthetic activity by preventing cell damage at medium salinities. Hence, this study confirmed the use of saline water for growing tomatoes under hydroponic conditions up to an EC of 6.0 dS m-1 including the EC of nutrient fertilizers.

Oceanographic Variability in Cumberland Bay, South Georgia, and Its Implications for Glacier Retreat

AbstractSouth Georgia is a heavily glaciated sub‐Antarctic island in the Southern Ocean. Cumberland Bay is the largest fjord on the island, split into two arms, each with a large marine‐terminating glacier at the head. Although these glaciers have shown markedly different retreat rates over the past century, the underlying drivers of such differential retreat are not yet understood. This study uses observations and a new high‐resolution oceanographic model to characterize oceanographic variability in Cumberland Bay and to explore its influence on glacier retreat. While observations indicate a strong seasonal cycle in temperature and salinity, they reveal no clear hydrographic differences that could explain the differential glacier retreat. Model simulations suggest the subglacial outflow plume dynamics and fjord circulation are sensitive to the bathymetry adjacent to the glacier, though this does not provide persuasive reasoning for the asymmetric glacier retreat. The addition of a postulated shallow inner sill in one fjord arm, however, significantly changes the water properties in the resultant inner basin by blocking the intrusion of colder, higher salinity waters at depth. This increase in temperature could significantly increase submarine melting, which is proposed as a possible contribution to the different rates of glacier retreat observed in the two fjord arms. This study represents the first detailed description of the oceanographic variability of a sub‐Antarctic island fjord, highlighting the sensitivity of fjord oceanography to bathymetry. Notably, in fjords systems where temperature decreases with depth, the presence of a shallow sill has the potential to accelerate glacier retreat.

Surfactant-Polymer Composition for Selective Water Shut-Off in Production Wells.

Today, a significant part of production wells' stock has a high water cut percentage of 90% and above. Obviously, for this reason, the need to develop new and improved existing technologies for water shut-off in wells increases every year. Physico-chemical methods of water shut-off are based on the application of special reagents and compositions that plug the pathways of water inflow to the well. Depending on the mechanism and specific features of water barrier formation, isolation methods are divided into selective and non-selective. This article investigates the possibility of using hydrolyzed polyacrylonitrile as a gel-forming and precipitation-forming reagent for water shut-off technologies in production wells. A surfactant-polymer composition for the isolation of water inflow in production wells in objects with high salinity in formation water, possessing physical and chemical selectivity and providing permeability reduction only in water-saturated intervals, is proposed. The developed composition is the invert emulsion, which makes it possible to carry out treatment at a distance from the well and solve the problem of possible premature gel formation directly in the wellbore. The lowest effective concentration of HPAN in an aqueous solution for use as a gel-forming and sedimentation reagent was determined experimentally (5.0 wt% and more). The interaction of the polymer solution with a chromium crosslinker allows obtaining structured gels in the whole volume of the system. The structure of the gels was evaluated using the Sydansk classifier with the assignment of a letter code from A to J. It was experimentally proved that the structure of the obtained gels depends on the temperature and content of the crosslinking agent in the system; the more crosslinking agent in the composition of the system, the stronger the structure of the resulting gel. The optimal ratio of polymer and crosslinking agent to obtain a strong gel was obtained, which amounted to 5:1 by weight of dry polymer powder. For the HPAN concentration of 5 wt% according to the Sydansk classifier, the gel structure had the code "H"-slightly deformable non-flowing gel. The dependence of the volume of gel sediment obtained because of the interaction with mineralized water on the polymer concentration was studied. It was proved that an increase in the concentration of hydrolyzed polyacrylonitrile in the solution, as well as an increase in the concentration of calcium ions in mineralized water, leads to a larger volume of the resulting gel or precipitate and to the strengthening of the gel structure. The results of rheological studies of the developed composition, as well as experiments on thermal stability, are presented. The results of filtration tests on bulk reservoir models demonstrated the selectivity of the developed composition. The obtained value of the residual resistance factor for the oil-saturated low-permeability model was 1.49 units; the value of the residual resistance factor for the water-saturated high-permeability model was 18.04 units. The ratio of the obtained values of the residual resistance factor, equal to 0.08 (much less than 1), can characterize the developed composition as a selective material for water shut-off in producing wells. Existing technologies for water shut-off based on HPAN do not allow for making a treatment at a distance from the well and require the use of technological solutions to prevent premature gel sedimentation in the well. The developed composition makes it possible to solve the problem of premature gelation. In addition, the composition can form a blocking screen in highly permeable water-saturated zones. The development can be useful for deposits with difficult conditions (high mineralization in reservoir waters, boreholes with a horizontal end, elevated temperatures up to 80 °C).

A numerical study of CaCO3 deposition on the membrane surface of direct contact membrane distillation

This numerical study investigates the effect of CaCO3 deposition on the performance of direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD). It is the first numerical study to directly evaluate the deposition and film thickness of CaCO3 on the membrane surface. Therefore, a 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model, which combines momentum, heat, species transport reaction, and the Eulerian wall film model, is used to analyze the CaCO3 mass deposition rate and scaling deposition thickness on the membrane surface. HSC Chemical Software is used to evaluate the ion compositions and reaction kinetics, including the activation energy (Ea) and pre-exponential factor (Ar). The CFD model is validated with experimental results. The results reveal that the CaCO3 deposition rate increases significantly at a high temperature, velocity, and salinity of the solution. The CaCO3 mass deposition increased by 15 times and scaling deposition thickness increased from 0.05 nm to 1 nm when the temperature was raised from 318.15 K to 348.15 K, whereas an increase of approximately 25 % in deposition was observed with an increase in velocity from 0.17 to 1.38 m/s at a concentration of calcium (Ca+2) ions, 0.03 % and bicarbonate (HCO3−) ions 0.004 %. The results also indicate that CaCO3 deposition decreases the flux and efficiency of the DCMD by 2 % with a low concentration of Ca+2 ions, 0.03 %, and HCO3− ions, 0.004 %. The findings indicate that the high feed salinity (75.23 g/l) increases CaCO3 mass deposition and scaling deposition thickness on the membrane surface due to the high concentration of Ca+2 ions, 0.07 %, and HCO3− ions, 0.01 %, significantly reducing the permeate flux by 14 %. The study's model development and implementation can be adjusted to offer guidance for studying the MD process in treating high saline water with fouling issues.

Three-dimensional titanium mesh-based flow electrode capacitive deionization for salt separation and enrichment in high salinity water

Flow electrode capacitive deionization (FCDI) is a highly promising desalination technique known for its exceptional electrosorption capacity, making it suitable for efficient salt separation in high salinity water. However, the unsatisfactory charge transfer process between the flow electrode and current collector severely curtails the salt separation and enrichment performance of the FCDI device. To address this issue, three-dimensional titanium mesh (3D-TM) was proposed as a novel current collector for FCDI device, which significantly amplifies the charge transfer area and exhibits excellent salt separation performance. The 3D-TM current collector promotes the electron transfer, charge percolation, and ion migration processes through the electroconvection generated by the turbulence effect on the flow electrode. In the specific case of the 20-mesh 3D-TM, which is composed of 12 stacking layers of titanium mesh, the remarkable average salt removal rate and charge efficiency were achieved 5.06 μmol cm−2 min−1 and 92.9 % under an appropriate applied voltage of 2.0 V, respectively. Dramatically, the desalination performance maintained above 76.4 % over 100 desalination cycles at 2.0 V, demonstrating the exceptional cyclic stability of the 3D-TM FCDI cell. In the seawater desalination, the 3D-TM FCDI cell exhibited an impressive salt removal efficiency of 97.5 % (from 34.2 g L−1 to 0.84 g L−1) for 1 L East China seawater at 2.0 V for 24 h. For lithium-ion enrichment, the FCDI continuous desalting system achieved an astonishing concentration of 17.3 g L−1 for Li+ ions enrichment from an initial concentration of 1.30 g L−1, obtaining the average salt treating rate of 23.6 g m−2h−1 and charge efficiency of 80.0 %. Moreover, the lithium-sodium ions and lithium-magnesium ions enrichments were both conducted, yielding an enriched concentration of 10.4 g L−1 and 7.30 g L−1 for Li+ ions, respectively. These findings highlight the enormous potential of FCDI technology in industrial engineering applications, further establishing it as a highly viable solution.

Dietary Selenium Nanoparticles Improved Growth and Health Indices in Asian Seabass (Lates calcarifer) Juveniles Reared in High Saline Water.

A 60-day study was carried out to determine the effect of dietary selenium nanoparticles (SeNP) on growth, digestive enzymes, and health status of Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer, 46.5 ± 0.2 g) juveniles reared in high saline water (48 ppt). Five levels of SeNP were added to a basal diet (45% protein, 15% lipid), including control (0), 0.5 (SeNP0.5), 1.0 (SeNP1), 2 (SeNP2), and 4 (SeNP4) mg SeNP kg-1 diet. Fish were stocked into fifteen 2,000 L tanks (50 fish tank-1) filled with 1,800 L sand-filtered seawater (26.5 ± 1.5°C, 48.0 ± 0.2 ppt) in a flow-through system. Each dietary treatment was performed in three replicates. The growth rate positively increased in both linear and quadratic trends with increasing dietary SeNP level (P < 0.05). The liver Se concentration increased with increasing SeNP in diet (P < 0.05). Gut total protease, trypsin, chymotrypsin, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lipase, and α-amylase activities were significantly enhanced in the SeNP4 group compared to the other treatments (P < 0.05). Antioxidant capacity improved in fish-fed SeNP2 and SeNP4 diets regarding catalase and superoxide dismutase activities and the liver glutathione content. Serum lysozyme and hemolytic activities and white blood cells' respiratory burst activity in the control were lower than in fish-fed SeNP-supplemented diets. Serum total protein, globulin, and globulin/albumin ratio in fish-fed SeNP1, SeNP2, and SeNP4 diets were higher than the other groups (P < 0.05). The interleukin-10 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor genes' relative transcription levels in the gut of fish-fed SeNP4 were higher than the other groups. Serum cholesterol, triglycerides, ALP, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase significantly decreased in fish with increasing SeNP content in the diet. In conclusion, supplementing the diet with 4 mg kg-1, SeNP was recommended to improve growth and health indices in L. calcarifer juveniles reared in high saline water (48 ppt).

Multi-functional self-cleaning superhydrophobic cotton fabric as photothermal-reinforced crude oil separator, oil skimmer and underwater oil absorbent

Removing oil pollution from seawater prior to its desalination helps in saving time and cost. In this study, a novel superhydrophobic cotton fabric with photothermal effect and self-cleaning property was prepared via the incorporation of Fe3+-polydopamine (PDA) coating and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the fabric surface (termed as CF@PDA/CNT), followed by the grafting of (3-glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (GPTMS) and octadecylamine (ODA) (termed as the CF@PDA/CNT-GPTMS-ODA). CF@PDA/CNT exhibits good desalination with photothermal conversion capability on the high-salinity water (evaporation rate > 1.11 kg/(m2⋅h)), providing an effective basis for the preparation of the photothermal-assisted oil–water separator (CF@PDA/CNT-GPTMS-ODA), with which the crude oil permeation time was improved from 58 s without light to only 9 s with light, showing the pronounced contribution of the photothermal effect on the oil permeation. In addition, CF@PDA/CNT-GPTMS-ODA used in the form of oil skimmer and underwater oil absorbent demonstrates excellent oil–water separation performance (separation efficiency > 97 %). Notably, the fabric can isolate various oil phases from both pure water and simulated seawater, with separation efficiencies exceeding 97 %. This novel material offers a promising solution for addressing complex water pollution issues and introduces a potential approach for integrating photothermal conversion effect into the field of oil–water separation.

NPK fertilization modulates enzyme activity and mitigates the impacts of salinity on West Indian cherry.

Salt stress causes several physiological and biochemical disorders and impairs plant growth. However, adequate fertilization can improve the nutritional status and may reduce significantly the harmful effects caused by salt stress. From this perspective, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of different combinations of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilization on the antioxidant activity and accumulation of organic and inorganic solutes in West Indian cherry leaves, in the second year of production. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, with treatments distributed in a 10 × 2 factorial arrangement corresponding to ten fertilization combinations (FC) of NPK (FC1: 80-100-100%, FC2:100-100-100%, FC3:120-100-100%, FC4:140-100-100%, FC5:100-80-100%, FC6:100-120-100%, FC7:100-140-100%, FC8:100-100-80%, FC9:100-100-120%, and FC10:100-100-140% of the recommendation) and two levels of electrical conductivity of irrigation water (ECw) (0.6 and 4.0 dS m-1), with three replications. The multivariate analysis showed that irrigation with water of different electrical conductivities (0.6 and 4.0 dS m-1) resulted in different responses concerning the enzyme activity, production of organic compounds, and accumulation of inorganic solutes in the leaves. Under irrigation with low salinity water, there was greater accumulation of K+, soluble carbohydrates, and proline, and lower activity of antioxidative enzymes, especially SOD and APX. Under high salinity water, greater enzyme activity and higher concentrations of Na+ and Cl- were observed. The results indicate that the response of West Indian cherry to salinity was more towards redox homeostasis than osmotic homeostasis through the accumulation of compatible solutes. Fertilization combination FC5 (100-80-100% corresponding to 200, 24 and 80 g plant-1 of NPK) modulates the enzyme activity of SOD and APX attenuating the impacts of salinity, being an efficient combination to preserve redox homeostasis in West Indian cherry plants grown under salt stress.

Rice growth and yield responses to saline water irrigation are related to Na+/K+ratio in plants.

Rice growth and yield response to salinity can be influenced by the duration and the timing of salt stress. The present study tested the effects of saline water irrigation from vegetative growth to maturity on rice growth and yield and ion concentrations in the straw and root and related them to changes in soil salinity and soil solute potential. The treatments consisted of five levels of saline water irrigation (electrical conductivity ~0.25 (control), 4, 6, 8, and 10 dS m-1) with two rice cultivars (BRRI dhan67 and BRRI dhan99) grown in pots in a rain shelter. Grain weight per pot, dry straw weight, and root weight were significantly reduced with increasing water salinity, but BRRI dhan99 was less affected. With prolonged saline water irrigation, salt concentration increased in the soil and lowered the soil solute potential. Increased saline water induced higher concentrations of Na+ in the straw (527-1200 mmol kg-1 at 4-10 dS m-1) relative to the root. By contrast, higher Cl- concentrations accumulated in the root than in the straw. The decrease of K+ in the straw and root for increasing salinity was inconsistent, but the Na+/K+ ratio sharply increased in the straw with higher water salinity. The increased Na+/K+ explained most grain weight loss due to higher salinity (R2 = 0.93) followed by Na+ (R2 = 0.87) and Cl-1 (R2 = 0.53). We conclude that the prolonged saline water irrigation has a cumulative effect on root zone salinity and solute potential that depresses grain yield in rice by increasing the Na+/K+ ratio in plants.

An Integrated Frac Geometry Control Approach To Prevent H2S Production

_ Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) production has in recent years become a mounting issue facing operators and midstream companies in major US basins. At present, H2S production appears to be random and poorly understood. As such, H2S is considered by many to be an unpreventable nuisance and one that is largely addressed by treating the dangerous gas at surface before putting it to a sales line. This article highlights impacts of H2S, possible sources, and a successful case study of a completions operation designed specifically to prevent H2S production in North Dakota’s Williston Basin. H2S and Its Impacts H2S is a colorless gas known for its pungent “rotten egg” odor at low concentrations. It is extremely flammable, highly toxic, poisonous, and corrosive. H2S is commonly encountered during the drilling and production of crude oil and natural gas, as well as in wastewater treatment, utility facilities, and sewers. H2S is well-known for its significant health and safety risks, along with substantial financial implications in the event of an accidental release. The substance ranks as the second leading cause of workplace gas inhalation deaths in the US. This is according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, which concluded that H2S caused 46 worker deaths between 2011 and 2017. Due to its corrosiveness, wells that produce even small volumes of H2S may compromise wellbore integrity and lead to premature failure of production equipment. Sour oil and gas is considered to have about 10% lower profit margin than traditional sweet Bakken crude (SPE 141434). An electrical submersible pump replacement can cost an operator up to $250,000, plus production downtime. Additionally, according to one leading chemical company, it costs $2,250 per day to treat 200 ppm H2S at a typical gas production rate of 2,000 Mcf/D. H2S Sources A recent study, URTeC 3852794, published by the Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) at the University of North Dakota suggests three possible causes of H2S: geo-mechanical, thermochemical, and biogenic. Geo-mechanical: Mission Canyon organic-rich intervals could be a source of H2S for a limited number of the Bakken producing wells via communication between reservoirs caused by out-of-zone stimulation work. This conclusion was evidenced by matching the δ34S isotope between 30 H2S producing wells and formation cores. Thermochemical sulfate reduction (TSR): Another possible mechanism of H2S generation involves the presence of anhydrites and hydrocarbons at a higher reservoir temperature of 110° to 150°C. This mechanism is plausible for wells with the δ34S in the range from +10 to +19‰. The EERC research team is currently investigating the TSR existence in the Williston Basin. Biogenic: This third mechanism of reservoir souring is questionable in the Bakken because of the high reservoir temperatures (110° to 150°C) and elevated salinity of the formation water (TDS 200,000 mg/L) making microbial growth unlikely, especially in the context of the predominance of heavier 34S isotope (δ34S of +2 to +19‰) in produced H2S.

Meiofauna at a tropical sandy beach in the SW Atlantic: the influence of seasonality on diversity.

Sandy beaches are dynamic environments housing a large diversity of organisms and providing important environmental services. Meiofaunal metazoan are small organisms that play a key role in the sediment. Their diversity, distribution and composition are driven by sedimentary and oceanographic parameters. Understanding the diversity patterns of marine meiofauna is critical in a changing world. In this study, we investigate if there is seasonal difference in meiofaunal assemblage composition and diversity along 1 year and if the marine seascapes dynamics (water masses with particular biogeochemical features, characterized by temperature, salinity, absolute dynamic topography, chromophoric dissolved organic material, chlorophyll-a, and normalized fluorescent line height), rainfall, and sediment parameters (total organic matter, carbonate, carbohydrate, protein, lipids, protein-to-carbohydrate, carbohydrate-to-lipids, and biopolymeric carbon) affect significatively meiofaunal diversity at a tropical sandy beach. We tested two hypotheses here: (i) meiofaunal diversity is higher during warmer months and its composition changes significatively among seasons along a year at a tropical sandy beach, and (ii) meiofaunal diversity metrics are significantly explained by marine seascapes characteristics and sediment parameters. We used metabarcoding (V9 hypervariable region from 18S gene) from sediment samples to assess the meiofaunal assemblage composition and diversity (phylogenetic diversity and Shannon's diversity) over a period of 1 year. Meiofauna was dominated by Crustacea (46% of sequence reads), Annelida (28% of sequence reads) and Nematoda (12% of sequence reads) in periods of the year with high temperatures (>25 °C), high salinity (>31.5 ppt), and calm waters. Our data support our initial hypotheses revealing a higher meiofaunal diversity (phylogenetic and Shannon's Diversity) and different composition during warmer periods of the year. Meiofaunal diversity was driven by a set of multiple variables, including biological variables (biopolymeric carbon) and organic matter quality (protein content, lipid content, and carbohydrate-to-lipid ratio).

Challenges of formation damage control technology for ultra-deep tight gas reservoirs: A case study from Tarim Basin

Formation damage mechanisms and the corresponding control technology for the tight gas reservoirs have been reported, whereas few studies have discussed ultra-deep fractured tight gas reservoirs. Ultra-deep fractured tight gas reservoirs were susceptible to be damaged owing to geological conditions and engineering status. Taking the ultra-deep fractured tight gas reservoirs located in the Tarim Basin as an example, ultra-tight, high-pressure, high temperature (HPHT), and high-salinity formation water, ultra-low water saturation and fracture networks were identified as special geological characteristics. High-density oil-based drill-in fluids and serious lost circulation were the special engineering status. Challenges in laboratory experiments to evaluate formation damage include rigorous experimental conditions and unsuitable experimental methods. In addition, improving the formation protection ability of working fluids and minimizing the formation damage induced by the sequential use of different types of working fluids were the main challenges associated with using working fluids. Challenges in lost circulation control include the failure of plugging zone due to the degradation of lost circulation materials and repeated lost circulation due to the strength reduction of the plugging zone soaked in diesel oil. Recommendations for key technologies to improve targeted formation damage control technology have been proposed. The comprehensive analysis of these issues provides a road-map for researching formation damage control technologies.