Large Amounts Of Water Research Articles

Numerical investigation of the multiphase flow and loading state of underwater semiclosed initial interrupted bubbles

The pulsation of bubbles and the impact load from reverse flow, generated by the evolution of semiclosed initial intermittent bubble multiphase flow during underwater launches, are crucial factors affecting launch safety. This paper employs the mixture multiphase flow model and the interphase heat and mass transfer model to simulate the interaction between the gas inside a partially enclosed cylinder and the water medium outside the cylinder, combined with simulation and piggybacking experiments, to analyze the flow process and load state. The numerical model is further utilized to study the evolution of the multiphase flow field of the semienclosed initial intermittent bubble, the pulsating load of the bubble, the impact load of the inverted water flow, and the influence of structural dimensions on the load. The results show that the initial intermittent bubble in the mouth of the cylinder experiences an expansion–contraction–expansion pulsation process, and as the migration of the interface between the phases results in significant pressure pulsation, the peak pulsation can exceed twice the pressure difference between the initial gas pressure inside the cylinder and the hydrostatic pressure at the mouth of the cylinder. At the late stage of bubble pulsation, a large amount of water with pulsating bubbles flows into the semiclosed cylinder, and the pulsation-induced velocity and gravity are used to form a high-speed inverted water flow. The interaction between the inverted water and the gas inside the cylinder generates an oscillating shock load where the maximum shock load is significantly greater than the ambient pressure load. Additionally, the effect of structural dimensions on the load state under the same intermittent conditions is examined.

Retrospective study of ureteral stenosis after holmium laser lithotripsy.

To identify the factors influencing postoperative ureteral stenosis following holmium laser lithotripsy. A retrospective study was conducted of 106 patients who underwent ureteroscopic holmium laser lithotripsy. The effects of variables including stone location, stone size, the duration of surgery, water intake, disease duration, and stone-associated polyps were investigated. Logistic regression analysis revealed significant associations of ureteral stenosis with stone location, stone size, duration of surgery, water intake, disease duration, and stone-associated polyps. Patients with proximal stones, with large stones, who underwent long surgical procedures, who drank a large amount of water, who had long-term disease, and who had stone-related polyps were more likely to develop postoperative ureteral stenosis. Significant perioperative complications of holmium laser lithotripsy are associated with prolonged disease, large ureteral stones, long incarceration periods, and the presence of polyps. Surgeons should consider these risk factors during the preoperative evaluation of patients and surgical planning to minimize the risk of postoperative ureteral stenosis.

Improved coloration of hemp fabrics via low-pressure argon plasma assisted surface modification

Interest in hemp as a viable cellulosic fibre for clothing has increased, driven partly by its economic benefits and the importance of natural renewable materials in emerging circular economies. However, the coloration and chemical finishing of lignocellulosic fibres such as hemp typically require large quantities of water and chemicals. Argon plasma pretreatment provides a way of modulating the physical properties of hemp fibres to improve the coloration process without compromising other bulk properties such as tensile strength. Such plasma treatments may contribute to alleviating the negative environmental impacts associated with liquid pretreatments, heating, or the use of auxiliary chemicals. Dyeing of hemp fibres is particularly challenging due to its crystalline chemical structure. In this study, low-pressure argon plasma-assisted surface modification of woven hemp fabrics up to 600 s at 40 and 80 Hz was explored for enhanced dyeability, resulting in enhanced dye-fibre bonding. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy of argon plasma pretreated hemp fabrics produced no noticeable changes in the functional groups of the fibres, but a physiochemical modification was observed in terms of the density of polar groups. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images revealed marked morphological changes including nano-etching of the fibre surface at certain argon plasma process conditions. The pretreatment process increased fibre hydrophilicity, and enhanced reactivity of the surficial –OH groups towards fibre-reactive and vat dyes, resulting in higher colour strength in dyed woven hemp fabrics. Overall, we envisage such plasma pretreatments may impact positively on the material and energy efficiency of the hemp fabric dyeing process.

Utilizing Nano-Adsorbents and Electrostatic Field Treatment for Sustainable Refinement of Crude Canola Oil.

Removal of polar impurities, such as phospholipids, free fatty acids (FFA), and peroxides, can be challenging during the refining of crude canola oil. Current conventional refining methods are energy-intensive (e.g., hot water washes) and can generate significant waste (e.g., wastewater effluent) and neutral oil loss. This study investigated the joint use of nano-adsorbents and electrostatic field (E-field) treatment as a potential and sustainable alternative in removing these impurities during the oil refining process. Specifically, aluminum oxide (Al2O3) nanoparticles were employed to neutralize FFAs, achieving a 62.4% reduction in acid value while preserving the fatty acid profile of the oil. After refining, E-field treatment was successful in removing the spent nano-adsorbent from solution (up to 72.3% by weight), demonstrating enhanced efficiency compared to conventional methods (e.g., gravitational settling, filtration, and centrifugation). The neutral oil loss using Al2O3 nano-adsorbents was also comparable to conventional refining methods, with a 4.38% (by weight) loss. After E-field treatment, the Al2O3 nano-adsorbent was then calcined to assess reusability. The Al2O3 nano-adsorbent was effectively recycled for three refining cycles. the methods do not use of large amounts of water and generate minimal waste byproducts (e.g., effluent). Nonetheless, while the nano-adsorbents demonstrated promising results in FFA removal, they were less effective in eliminating peroxides and pigments. E-field techniques were also effective in removing spent nano-adsorbent; although, optimization of E-field parameters could further improve its binding capacity. Finally, future studies could potentially focus on the physicochemical modifications of the nano-adsorbent material to enhance their refining capacity and reusability. Overall, this study presents a sustainable alternative or addition to conventional refining methods and lays the groundwork for future research.

Reducing nitrogen fertilizer applications mitigates N2O emissions and maintains sugarcane yields in South China

Fertilizer N application combined with crop residue retention and a warm and humid climate increases nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from sugarcane systems. However, the effects of high fertilizer N application rates on N2O emissions from sugarcane fields in China and the N2O reduction potential are still unclear. This study measured N2O emissions, the δ15N values for N2O and soil mineral N (NH4+ and NO3–), and yields during three continuous growing seasons in a sugarcane field in subtropical South China when four fertilizer N application rates: 0 (N0), 300 (N300), 400 (N400), and the local conventional rate of 500 kg N ha–1 (N500), were applied. The results showed that N2O emissions peaked in the first 4 weeks after fertilizer N application and the peak amplitude was highest after applying the N500 rate. The greatest soil N2O fluxes occurred when soil NH4+ and NO3– contents were high, the soil pore spaces contained large amounts of water (around 60 %), and there was a high soil surface temperature (around 35°C). The cumulative N2O emissions over the whole season (1.3–64.8 kg N ha–1) and emission factor values (2.6–11.1 %) both strongly increased with fertilizer N rate. The δ15N values for N2O and soil NH4+ and NO3– indicated that N2O production after N fertilization was dominated by denitrification and the microbial types varied with time and N fertilization rate. The principal component analysis showed that the factors associated with denitrification and nitrification explained 53.53 % and 30.53 % of the variation in N2O fluxes, respectively. Sugarcane yields, N uptake, and sugar contents were not affected by the reduced fertilizer N rates (N400 and N300) compared to that of N500. A reasonable N fertilizer rate of around 340 kg N ha–1 could reduce N2O emissions by more than 65 % compared to the conventional N500 rates while maintaining sugarcane yields. This study quantified the N2O emissions induced by different fertilizer N rates in a sugarcane system in China and highlighted the considerable potential for reducing N2O emissions through optimization of the fertilizer N application rate.

DISSOLVED OXYGEN CONCENTRATION WATER DYNAMICS WITH DISCHARGE OF THE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE EFFECT

This article presents the results of studies on the dynamics of changes in the concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO) in the river in the zone of influence of water discharge from a nuclear power plant (NPP). Water is use in the power generation cycle of a NPP, mainly for cooling to remove heat. Moreover, the operation of the cooling system of a NPP requires a large amount of water, and meanwhile, the removal of heat from the systems and components of a NPP results in the discharge of cooling system effluent with an increased temperature, which can affect the chemical quality of the water body. One of the main chemical quality indicators used to determine the ecological status of a water body is DO concentration, but this indicator is highly dependent on temperature. Аfter all, the discharge of water from a NPP with a temperature effect is highly susceptible to affect DO concentration. The popuse of this study is to determine the spatial and temporal changes in the concentration of DO with the establishment of variability factors and correlations between the concentration of DO and water temperature of the Styr River in the area affected by the temperature effect of the Rivne NPP. Overall, the studies conducted indicate that there is no negative impact of the nuclear power plant wastewater discharge.

Hydrogel in Drylands: A Review

Significant amounts of water and nutrients are held in reserve by hydrogels due to their three-dimensional polymeric network. The capacity of hydrogels to absorb water lowers the frequency of irrigation, which is beneficial for agricultural application. When applied to soil, it functions well as a nutrient mobilizer and a reservoir for water. Applying hydrogel will be a profitable and advantageous way to boost agricultural crop yield and sustainability in settings where moisture is scarce. Because of their three-dimensional polymeric network, hydrogels can store large amounts of water and nutrients. Because hydrogels can absorb water, less irrigation is required, which is advantageous for agricultural use. It works well as a water reservoir and nutrient mobilizer when added to soil. In environments where moisture is limited, applying hydrogel will be a profitable and beneficial strategy to increase agricultural crop productivity and sustainability.

An interpretable machine learning-based pitting corrosion depth prediction model for steel drinking water pipelines

Steel pipes are a crucial element of the water supply system and are necessary for safely delivering large quantities of water from purification plants to consumers. Corrosion is a significant factor that deteriorates the interior and exterior of the steel pipes. Although the effectiveness of machine learning has been demonstrated in various fields, machine learning has rarely been used to identify corrosion mechanisms in buried steel pipes. A hybrid machine-learning–based corrosion depth prediction model was developed by integrating a corrosion depth trend prediction model based only on elapsed years with machine-learning algorithms. Shapley additive explanation (SHAP) was used to analyze the hybrid machine-learning–based corrosion depth prediction models, revealing corrosion mechanisms and explaining the interactions among influencing factors through global and local interpretations. The SHAP local interpretation showed that the hybrid machine-learning–based corrosion depth prediction models can effectively capture the interrelationship between soil and water corrosiveness.

Bringing GDE Half-Cell and MEA Single Cell Testing Closer Together

In the context of the energy transition, the fuel cell represents a key technology. On the way to higher performance and efficiency, the development and testing of catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is crucial [1]. Over the past years, the gas diffusion electrode (GDE) half-cell setup has been introduced as a bridging tool between RDE half-cell testing and MEA single cell testing for catalyst characterization [2,3]. Compared to the MEA testing, the GDE proved to be pronounced faster and cheaper, while still reaching relevant current densities (3 A cm-2) other than RDE setups. In recent studies the potential and reliability of this technique has been proven. It was shown, that the GDE can correctly predict trends of catalytic activity in the MEA until the mass transport limitation in the MEA appears. Furthermore, the mass transport influence of ionic liquid modifications of the catalyst layer could also be deduced in the GDE half-cell, without the tedious ink development needed for MEA preparation [4]. Proton transport is not limited in the GDE half-cell, if the catalyst layer is directly immersed within the liquid electrolyte. Depending on if the intrinsic activity of the catalyst or the proton resistance wants to be studied this is an advantage or disadvantage. This opens the question, whether proton mass transport resistance can also be studied in the GDE setup, when separating the catalyst layer from the liquid electrolyte through a membrane. Adding a membrane will change the mass transport of the system by two aspects: First, the protons must be transported through the membrane to reach the catalyst layer and second, the formed water during the reaction can no longer be flushed away from the liquid electrolyte but must leave through the gas diffusion layer (GDL). Developing such a manufacturing procedure and measurement protocol to gain valid, reproducible, and reliable results is scope of this study.In the first step the membrane (Nafion™ NR211) was spray coated via an ultra-sonic spray coater with a commercial Pt/C catalyst (HiSPEC®3000, 20 wt% Pt). Afterwards the catalyst coated membrane (CCM) was hot-pressed to the GDL (Toray™ TP-090-T5). Different pressing times and pressures were examined. The resulting electrode was characterized using a commercial GDE half-cell (Flexcell® PTFE, Gaskatel GmbH) and the measurement protocol according to Schmitt et al. [5].On the way towards the final manufacturing procedure many challenges have been overcome. The biggest was how to deal with membrane swelling and detachment when measuring at high current densities where large quantities of water are produced. To cope this issue a GDL without a microporous layer was chosen to support the water transport. Furthermore, the application of a membrane in a GDE half-cell brings up - yet unsolved – challenges, when using impedance spectroscopy for iR-correction.With our final manufacturing procedure and measurement protocol additional mass transport resistances and limitations can be captured in the ohmic region and at high current densities in the GDE half-cell-setup.In summary we showed a working proof of concept for the membrane application in GDE half-cell setups, which give comparable results to actual MEA measurements and remaining the advantages of GDE testing.Literature:[1] Banhamet al. ACS Energy Lett. 2017, 2, 629. [2] Ehelebe et al. ACS Energy Lett. 2022, 7, 816. [3] Schmitt et al. Journal of Power Sources 2022, 539, 231530. [4] Schmitt et al. Energy Adv. 2023, 2, 854. [5] Schmitt et al. Electrochemistry Communications 2022, 141, 107362.

Impact of the partial substitution of cement and sand by ash from several types of wood species in cementitious materials manufacture: valorization in the industrial field

The main objective of this article is to evaluate the potential use of wood ash as a substitute for cement and sand in mortars. Three types of wood were selected: Ayous, Sapelli and Fraké, all of which were sourced from carpentry in Cameroon. The sawdust was dried and combusted to obtain ash, then ground and sieved. Six types of mortar were produced, with cement substitution at 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25%. The physico-mechanical properties of these substitutions were determined after 7, 28 and 56 days. The results of the cement paste consistency show that it increases with the addition of ash, due to the fact that sawdust ash requires a large quantity of water. The addition of ash caused an increase in setting time due to the fact that sawdust ash is less reactive than Ordinary Portland cement, resulting in a delay in the rate of cement hydration. Apparent density values decreased with the addition of sawdust ash, probably due to the hygroscopic behavior of type of ash in mortar specimens. The highest pozzolanic index is that of 5% replacement by ash and almost identical absorption for all mortars at this substitution percentage. Acid attack results revealed a higher durability of mortar specimens with the higher percentage of ash substitution. Optimum compressive strengths for the different substitution percentages were observed at 5%, 15% and 10% respectively for Ayous, Sapelli and Fraké. The best wood ash is Sapelli because of its chemical composition and resistance to compression in mortars. At 56 days, compressive strength values exceed those of the reference composition. This may be due to pozzolanic reactions in the mortars of ash.

Effect of a dense inflow on the stratification of a steep‐sided lake

AbstractWe detail the effect of a small stream of dense inflow that significantly altered the stratification and water quality in a constructed water body in northern British Columbia, Canada. As the dense inflow passed through the epilimnion of the steep‐sided lake, it entrained relatively large quantities of water. The resulting mixture of dense inflow and entrained epilimnetic water sank to the bottom of the lake. The removal of water from the epilimnion due to entrainment reduced the epilimnetic thickness. This opposes the normal process of epilimnetic deepening due to wind and convective cooling. The flux of fluid entrained into the dense inflow was calculated to be between 4 and 14 times the inflow, depending primarily on the thickness of the epilimnion. The entrainment had four major effects: (1) it reduced the residence time of the epilimnion from half a year to less than a month; (2) it removed the freshwater cap that resulted from spring ice melt; (3) it enabled fall turnover, which further enhanced deep oxygen content and helped to prevent meromixis from developing in the lake; and (4) it produced a rapid decline in contaminant (i.e., zinc) concentrations in the epilimnion, which received dissolved metals inputs from oxidized sulfide minerals exposed in the subaerial walls of the lake. Given the wide variety of inflows to inland water bodies, some of which are at least seasonally dense, an understanding of the mechanisms detailed here can inform lake management in general, and more specifically, management of water quality in mine‐impacted water bodies.

Rheological Properties of Fish and Mammalian Gelatin Hydrogels as Bases for Potential Practical Formulations.

Hydrogels have the ability to retain large amounts of water within their three-dimensional polymer matrices. These attractive materials are used in medicine and the food industry; they can serve as the basis for structured food products, additives, and various ingredients. Gelatin is one of widely used biopolymers to create hydrogels that exhibit biocompatibility and tunable rheological properties. In this study, we offer a comparative analysis of rheological properties of gelatin-based hydrogels (C = 6.67%), including mammalian gelatins from bovine and porcine skins and fish gelatins from commercial samples and samples extracted from Atlantic cod skin. Mammalian gelatins provide high strength and elasticity to hydrogels. Their melting point lies in the range from 22 to 34 °C. Fish gelatin from cod skin also provides a high strength to hydrogels. Commercial fish gelatin forms weak gels exhibiting low viscoelastic properties and strength, as well as low thermal stability with a melting point of 7 °C. Gelatins were characterized basing on the analysis of amino acid composition, molecular weight distribution, and biopolymer secondary structure in gels. Our research provides a unique rheological comparison of mammalian and fish gelatin hydrogels as a tool for the re-evaluation of fish skin gelatin produced through circular processes.

Inhibition of Microbial Growth and Biofilm Formation in Pure and Mixed Bacterial Samples.

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, requires large amounts of water to extract fossil fuel from rock formations. As a result of hydraulic fracturing, the briny wastewater, often termed back-produced fracturing or fracking water (FW), is pumped into holding ponds. One of the biggest challenges with produced water management is controlling microbial activity that could reduce the pond water's reusable layer and pose a significant environmental hazard. This study focuses on the characterization of back-produced water that has been hydraulically fractured using chemical and biological analysis and the development of a high-throughput screening method to evaluate and predict the antimicrobial effect of four naturally and commercially available acidic inhibitors (edetic acid, boric acid, tannic acid, and lactic acid) on the growth of the FW microbiome. Liquid cultures and biofilms of two laboratory model strains, the vegetative Escherichia coli MG1655, and the spore-forming Bacillus atrophaeus (also known as Bacillus globigii, BG) bacteria, were used as reference microorganisms. Planktonic bacteria in FW were more sensitive to antimicrobials than sessile bacteria in biofilms. Spore-forming BG bacteria exhibited more sensitivity to acidic inhibitors than the vegetative E. coli cells. Organic acids were the most effective bacterial growth inhibitors in liquid culture and biofilm.

The food security risks in the Yangtze River Delta of China associated with water scarcity, grain production, and grain trade

Grain production consumes a large amount of water and is affected by the degree of water scarcity and participation in the grain trade in various regions. The grain trade has changed the food security risks in regions where grain exports and imports. Therefore, it is crucial to consider regional water scarcity to understand food security risks from the grain trade network. Here, we construct a new framework for measuring regional food security risks associated with water scarcity, grain production, and grain trade based on a cross-city grain trade network combined with virtual water flows to evaluate the regional food security risks in the Yangtze River Delta region (YRD) of China in 2017. The results show that under the current domestic grain trade pattern in China, the YRD and its four provincial-level administrative regions are in a net grain import state. The grain trade within the YRD is concentrated in exports from the two major grain-producing areas of Anhui and Jiangsu to Zhejiang and Shanghai, especially from northern Jiangsu to southeastern Zhejiang. The net import results of virtual blue water in most cities indicate that the YRD has shifted its water resource pressure to other grain exporting regions in China, with Shanghai and Zhejiang being the greatest beneficiaries. Extreme risk only exists in Shanghai, and severe and moderate risks are concentrated in Jiangsu. The current grain trade has reduced the overall food security risk in the YRD by 1.3 % but increased the risks in Shanghai and Zhejiang by 2.1 % and 0.8 % respectively. This study highlights the potential risks that excessive production of food in water-scarce areas in the grain trade system may bring to a stable food supply, providing useful information for a comprehensive understanding of the food and water security situation and for future trade-offs.

Do DOM quality and origin affect the uptake and accumulation of a lipid-soluble contaminant in a filter feeding ascidian species (Ciona) that can target small particle size classes?

The widely reported increase of terrestrial dissolved organic matter (terrDOM) in northern latitude coastal areas (“coastal darkening”) can impact contaminant dynamics in affected systems. One potential impact is based on differences in chemical adsorption processes of the molecularly larger terrDOM compared to marine DOM (marDOM) that leads to increased emulsification of lipophilic contaminants with terrDOM. Filter feeders filter large amounts of water and DOM daily and thus are directly exposed to associated contaminants through both respiration and feeding activity. Thus, increased exposure to terrDOM could potentially lead to an increase in bioaccumulation of lipid soluble contaminants in filter feeders. To assess the effect of DOM on bioaccumulation in filter feeders, we exposed the mucous based filter feeding ascidian Ciona intestinalis (formerly known as Ciona intestinalis Type B), to the lipophilic veterinary drug teflubenzuron (log KOW: 5.39) in combination with four DOM treatments: TerrDOM, marDOM, a mix of the two called mixDOM, and seawater without DOM addition. The exposure lasted for 15 days, after which the individuals in all DOM treatments showed a trend towards higher bioaccumulation of Teflubenzuron than those in the seawater control. However, there was considerable overlap in posterior distributions. Against our expectations, marDOM resulted in the highest bioaccumulation factor (BAF), followed by mixDOM, with terrDOM resulting in the lowest BAF except for seawater (kinetic BAF L/kg median, 2.5 %–97.5 % percentile marDOM 94, 74–118; mixDOM 82, 63–104; terrDOM 79; 61-99; seawater 61, 44–79). All BAFs were below the level of concern according to the EU REACH regulation (BAF < 2000 L / kg) and, therefore, likely not environmentally problematic in the examined context. However, the results show that DOM can act as a dietary vector; thus, different combinations of contaminants, DOM, and filter feeding organisms should be tested further.

Groundwater Recharge Potential Index and artificial groundwater recharge in the alluvial soils of the middle Ganga Basin

Recent studies prove the faster depletion of groundwater is a cause of concern in the middle Ganga basin. Most of the groundwater-related studies in the middle Ganga basin deal with groundwater levels and quality aspects. The past studies on groundwater potential are confined to arid and humid zones of India, which leaves ample space for semi-humid to semi-arid, frost-prone, and alluvial region. The basin has alluvial soil due to sediments deposited by the river Ganga. In this study, eight thematic maps were prepared for the assessment of the groundwater recharge potential. These maps are; rainfall, geomorphology, slope, drainage density, lineament density, lithology, Land Use/Land Cover (LULC), and Groundwater Fluctuation (GWF). The weighted overlay of these thematic maps gave the Groundwater Recharge Potential Zone (GWRPZ) map representing the spatial variation of the Groundwater Recharge Potential Index (GWRPI) in the basin, whose value varies from 0.071 to 0.309. A total of 92 artificial groundwater recharge sites have been identified using specialized GIS processes taking into account stream network. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) based weights classification offers a robust framework for prioritizing and understanding the relative significance of factors affecting groundwater recharge. Alluvial soils are capable of holding large amount of water, and are overlaid by large aquifers. A large number of wells and tube wells have led to the over-extraction of groundwater in the region. This is the reason of the study being carried out despite being a region infested with large aquifers.

Hydraulic Expansion Techniques for Fracture-Cavity Carbonate Rock with Field Applications

Fracture-cavity carbonate reservoirs provide a large area, fracture development, high productivity, long stable production time, and other characteristics. However, after long-term exploitation, the lack of energy in the formation leads to a rapid decrease in production, and the water content in crude oil steadily increases, thereby disrupting normal production. To recover normal production, it is necessary to connect the cracks and pores that have not been affected during the original production, so as to allow the crude oil inside to enter the production cracks and replenish energy through methods such as hydraulic expansion of fracture-cavity carbonate rock. Accordingly, we propose hydraulic expansion techniques based on the following four processes for implementation: (1) applying high pressure to prevent a nearby fracture network from opening the seam, (2) connecting a distant fracture-cavity body, (3) breaking through the clay filling section of a natural fracture network, and (4) constructing an injection production well pattern for accelerating injection and producing diversion. Hydraulic fracturing involves closing or partially closing the original high-permeability channels, which usually produce a large amount of water, while opening previously unaffected areas through high pressure to increase crude oil production. We also introduce two composite techniques: (1) temporary plugging of the main deep fractures, followed by hydraulic expansion; and (2) capacity expansion and acidification/pressure processes. Hydraulic expansion allowed us to recover and supplement the formation energy and efficiently increase production. We tested various wells, achieving an effective hydraulic expansion rate of up to 85%. In addition, the productivity of conventional water injection and hydraulic expansion after on-site construction was compared for one well, clearly indicating the effectiveness of water injection and the remarkable crude oil increase after hydraulic expansion.

Overview of Dynamic Bond Based Hydrogels for Reversible Adhesion Processes.

Polymeric hydrogels are soft materials with a three-dimensional (3D) hydrophilic network capable of retaining and absorbing large amounts of water or biological fluids. Due to their customizable properties, these materials are extensively studied for developing matrices for 3D cell culture scaffolds, drug delivery systems, and tissue engineering. However, conventional hydrogels still exhibit many drawbacks; thus, significant efforts have been directed towards developing dynamic hydrogels that draw inspiration from organisms' natural self-repair abilities after injury. The self-healing properties of these hydrogels are closely associated with their ability to form, break, and heal dynamic bonds in response to various stimuli. The primary objective of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of dynamic hydrogels by examining the types of chemical bonds associated with them and the biopolymers utilized, and to elucidate the chemical nature of dynamic bonds that enable the modulation of hydrogels' properties. While dynamic bonds ensure the self-healing behavior of hydrogels, they do not inherently confer adhesive properties. Therefore, we also highlight emerging approaches that enable dynamic hydrogels to acquire adhesive properties.

Environmental Footprints in Food Services: A Scoping Review.

The collective meals market generates significant revenue for the world economy. Food services are responsible for consuming large amounts of water and energy, as well as generating a substantial volume of waste, which is often improperly disposed of. Given the unchecked expansion of food services, the lack of proper management of environmental resources can undermine sustainability principles, posing a threat to future generations. This scoping review aimed to synthesize the existing scientific literature on carbon and water footprints in food services, describing the main methods and tools used and what strategies have been proposed to mitigate the high values of these footprints. The search for articles was performed on 6 June 2024 in seven electronic databases, using MeSH Terms and adaptations for each database from database inception. The search for local studies was complemented by a manual search in the list of references of the studies selected to compose this review. It included quantitative studies assessing footprints (water or carbon) in food services and excluded reviews, studies that reported footprints for diets, and protocols. A total of 2642 studies were identified, and among these, 29 were selected for this review. According to the findings, it was observed that meats, especially beef, contribute more to water and carbon footprint compared to other proteins. Mitigation strategies for the water footprint include promoting plant-based diets, menu changes, and awareness.

Defluoridation of drinking water by using low cost point of use treatment technologies: A review

Fluoride is an anionic pollutant found in surface or ground water in large quantities due to various human activities, for examples, disposal of industrial wastewater or geochemical reactions. The presence of fluoride in drinking water above certain limits has intense effects on human health. It strengthens the tooth enamel to a small level (1.0-1.5 mg/L). In drinking water, the presence of fluoride in the range of 1.5 to 4.0 mg/L may give rise to dental fluorosis at initial the stage, while the continuous exposure to high fluoride concentrations (4.0-10.0 mg/L) leads to skeletal fluorosis. In many countries of the world, including Pakistan, fluoride exists in ground water in high concentration, reaching above 30.0 mg/L on a large scale. The objective of writing this article is to offer accurate information on the efforts of a number of scholars who worked on fluoride removal from drinking water. The fluoride removal techniques have been categorized into two parts dealing with coagulation/precipitation and adsorption. Lime and alum (Nalgonda technique) and chitin have been discussed under coagulation technologies, while adsorption deals with a number of adsorbents, i.e., activated carbon, activated alumina, saw dust, bone char, rice husk ash, bauxite, tea-ash, and kaolin. Each technique discussed can remove fluoride under certain conditions. Each treatment technology has its limitations, and since there is no technology that can achieve its purpose in diverse conditions, the choice of fluoride removal techniques should be according to a specific site, depending on fundamental conditions and the needs of the local area.