Low Water Consumption Research Articles

Cool- and Warm-Season Turfgrass Irrigation with Subsurface Drip and Sprinkler Methods Using Different Water Management Strategies and Tools

This study compared the performances of subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) to sprinkler irrigation (SI) of cool-season turf mix (CS) and warm-season (WS) turfgrass species while investigating their response to different irrigation scheduling strategies. Moreover, the suitability of crop water stress index (CWSI) for monitoring water stress and scheduling irrigation was tested. Irrigation was applied up to the field capacity when 30%, 50% and 70% of total available water was consumed. All parameters, including color, quality, fresh yield, dry matter yield, irrigation water productivity, water productivity, vegetation height and mowing, differed significantly for different irrigation methods and water supply strategies for both species. The best visual turf was maintained under non-limiting soil moisture conditions (30%) in all main and sub-treatments. At this irrigation threshold, maximum and minimum amounts of irrigation water were applied in SI CS treatment (523.5 mm) and SDI WS treatment (298.6 mm), respectively. Warm-season turf required up to 40% less water than cool-season turf mix. In the water-scarce regions, 50% treatment for cool-season and 70% treatment for warm-season can be suggested for acceptable visual quality, lower water consumption and less frequent clipping. The mean CWSI before irrigation, representing irrigation threshold, ranged between 0.22–0.70.

Quantitative responses of tomato yield, fruit quality and water use efficiency to soil salinity under different water regimes in Northwest China

Reduced irrigation and high soil salinity are widely recognized to decrease tomato yield, but they can improve fruit quality and water use efficiency (WUE) when imposed appropriately. However, the response of plant to their interaction is still unclear, and the quantitative relationship of WUE and fruit quality with salinity under different water regimes is also lacking. This study investigated the responses of tomatoes in terms of yield, fruit quality, and WUE based on yield (WUEy), biomass (WUEb), and leaf (iWUE) to twelve treatments, consisting of combinations of three water regimes relative to the field capacity (FC) (W0, W1, and W2 refer to 95 % FC, 75 % FC, and 60 % FC, respectively) and four soil salinity levels (0 g, 2 g, 4 g, and 6 g salt mixtures added to 1000 g air-dried soil, respectively). Results showed that WUEy and WUEb had a negative correlation with salinity under different water regimes. Salinity resulted in a greater reduction in yield and biomass than water consumption compared to the control treatment. Therefore, lower water consumption of plants under W2 treatment alleviated the decrease of WUEy induced by salinity to a certain extent. From the leaf scale, iWUE was positively and linearly related with salinity, indicating that stomatal regulation was more prone to reduced stomatal conductance than the net photosynthetic rate under W0 and W1. Whilst it showed a quadratic relationship under W2, the results supported that a highly salinity-induced iWUE was dependent on water supply. In addition, although salinity had a negative correlation with fruit fresh mass (FM), dry matter content, and water content (WC) under W0 and W1, fruit titratable acidity (TA) and total soluble solids (TSS) were proportional to salinity regardless of water regimes. The results also showed that W1 increased the sensitivity of TA and TSS to salinity, but W2 resulted in weak sensitivity of FM and WC to salinity. Thus, we deduced that mildly reduced irrigation was an appropriate strategy to regulate iWUE and fruit quality under high salinity conditions. This study provides a water regime management basis for comprehensive changes in yield, WUE, and fruit quality of tomatoes grown in saline soils.

Eco-Friendly Building Material Innovation: Geopolymer Bricks from Repurposed Plastic Waste

This study compares the ecological footprints of geopolymer and red clay brick prisms, two common building materials for long-lasting masonry structures. The study’s goal is to shed light on the environmental performance of different brick kinds by a thorough review of sustainability indices such as embodied energy, CO2 emissions, water use, and trash creation. The results suggest that geopolymer bricks have better environmental features than red clay bricks, such as lower embodied energy, decreased CO2 emissions, lower water consumption, and less waste creation. These findings underline the promise of geopolymer bricks as an eco-friendlier masonry alternative that may improve green building performance. The report, however, stresses the need to think about more than only environmental damage. The sustainability and feasibility of utilising geopolymer and red clay bricks depend heavily on factors including durability, thermal performance, and cost-effectiveness. In order to make educated selections about brick selection, it is important to evaluate these variables. The results of this study provide the groundwork for more research on sustainable masonry materials and contribute to the development of environmentally aware building practises. Architectural and engineering professionals may encourage environmentally responsible building practises and help create a more sustainable and resilient built environment by taking this study’s findings into account.

Performance, carcass quality and intestinal biometry of feed European quails with seaweed meal (Sargassum sp)

This work aims to evaluate, at different stages, the productive performance, carcass quality, and intestinal biometry of European quails (Coturnix coturnix Coturnix), consuming diets with increasing levels of seaweed bran (Sargassum sp). A total of 240 European quail chicks (Coturnix coturnix Coturnix) were distributed in a completely randomized design, with four levels of bran inclusion (0.0, 2.5, 5.0, and 7.5%), 6 replications with 10 birds in each experimental plot. In the period from 1 to 21 days, the feed intake of the control group was higher, with lower water consumption. In the period from 22 to 42 days, feed and water consumption increased with the inclusion of seaweed, but with a reduction in weight gain. In the total period, water consumption was higher at the level of 2.5 and 7.5%, with lower consumption in the control group, with a small reduction in slaughter and carcass weight with the inclusion of bran. There was no difference (P > 0.05) in carcass quality and intestinal biometry. We recommended the inclusion of up to 7.5% of sargassum meal in the diet of European quails at all stages, without compromising its productive performance, carcass quality, and intestinal biometry.

Use of a Water Filter at Home Reduces Sugary Drink Consumption among Parents and Infants/Toddlers in a Predominantly Hispanic Community: Results from the Water Up!@ Home Intervention Trial.

Water is recommended as an alternative for sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). Low-income, minority groups in the United States continue to exhibit high SSB and low water consumption, and are more likely to exceed 100% fruit juice recommendations. To test the effects of a home-based intervention designed to replace SSBs with tap water and reduce excess juice consumption among parents and their infants/toddlers. Randomized controlled trial. Parents (n= 92) of infants/toddlers who participated in three Early Head Start home-visiting programs that serve predominantly Hispanic, low-income communities during 2019-2021. The 12-week intervention (Water Up!@Home) simultaneously addressed physical barriers to tap water consumption (via a water filter) and sociocultural barriers to replacing SSBs and juice with water (via a curriculum). Comparison group received a water filter only. We hypothesized that the intervention would lead to a reduction of 6 fl oz/d in SSB and juice consumption. Parent-reported self and infant/toddler SSBs, water (filtered, tap, or bottled), and 100% fruit juice consumption. Analysis of covariance to compare changes in consumption between experimental groups was performed. We also conducted t tests to assess changes within groups. Participants in both groups reported significant reductions in SSBs from baseline (parents: intervention [-11.2 fl oz/d; P < 0.01]; comparison [-8.0 fl oz/d; P < 0.01]; children: intervention [-1.50 fl oz/d; P= 0.03]; comparison [-1.56 fl oz/d; P= 0.02]), increased water consumption (parents in both groups [+5.6 fl oz/d]; children: intervention [+3.61 fl oz/d; P= 0.01], comparison [+2.24 fl oz/d; P= 0.05]), mostly from filtered tap water. Differences between groups were not statistically significant. Intervention participants reported significant reductions in 100% fruit juice vs comparison (parents: -3.6 fl oz/d vs -1.0 fl oz/d; P < 0.01; children: -0.73 fl oz/d vs+0.48 fl oz/d; P= .03). The intervention effectively reduced 100% fruit juice consumption. Water security should be examined as a contributor to SSB consumption in this population.

Гигиеническая оценка умственной работоспособности студентов медицинского вуза в зависимости от времени занятий и питьевого режима

Today, the issue of preservation, maintenance and development of mental performance is of great importance due to social transformation and the school and higher education system upgrade. The growing body of information, continuous modernization of the training programmes, the use of various technical training aids that result in intensification of cognitive activity have a negative impact on the students' mental state. The study was aimed to assess the medical students' mental performance indicators in relation to the time of the day and the daily fluid intake. A total of 300 students were enrolled, who had both morning and afternoon (after lunch) classes. Mental performance of medical students was assessed using the Anfimov's table. It was found that the students' mental performance depended not only on the start time, but also on the water consumption regime. The main trends of water consumption in young adults were defined: moderate water consumption (1–2 L per day) prevailed, low water consumption (less than 1 L per day) was ranked second, and high water consumption (more than 2 L per day) was the rearest.

ВЛИЯНИЕ ОБРАБОТКИ ПОЧВЫ НА ЕЁ ЦЕЛЛЮЛОЗОРАЗЛАГАЮЩУЮ АКТИВНОСТЬ И ВЛАГООБЕСПЕЧЕННОСТЬ

The article presents the results of research for 2020-2022. The objectives of the study included determining the effect of methods of basic tillage and mineral fertilizers on the cellulose-decomposing activity of microflora and the water regime of the soil under crops of winter wheat of the Marathon variety. The object of research was chernozem heavy loamy soil typical for most farms in the Ulyanovsk region. Six methods of basic tillage were studied: Moldboard - (plowing at 20-22 cm PLN-4-35) control; 2. Differentiated at different depths - (alternating plowing by 20-22 cm PLN-4-35 and disking by 6-8 cm); 3. Small, mulching - (APK-3 for 10-12cm); 4. Comb-shaped (OP-3C for 13-15cm); 5. Disc - (BDM for 6-8 cm); 6. Flat cutting processing - (KPSh-3 by 13-15 cm). The effectiveness of the main tillage methods was studied against two backgrounds: 1. Without fertilizers (control); 2. Background (N30P30K30 - for pre-sowing cultivation). As a result of the studies carried out in the forest-steppe zone of the Middle Volga region, it was found that the preservation of crop residues in the upper soil layer during small non-moldboard tillage contributed to a greater activity of microorganisms and increased the percentage of tissue decomposition in the 0–30 cm soil layer relative to moldboard cultivation. It was found that the application of mineral fertilizers (containing N30P30K30) had a positive effect on soil activity responsible for the decomposition of cellulose. The introduction of these fertilizers increased this process by 8.6%. In the case of using the reservoir turnover, the processes of fiber decomposition increased by 3.4%, and in the absence of reservoir turnover - by 9.4-10.1% compared to the non-fertilized background. Differentiated and bed-rock tillage showed greater efficiency in the accumulation and preservation of moisture in the soil compared to annual plowing. It is noted that the lowest water consumption was registered when using differentiated processing. The coefficient was 87.7 mm/t against the background of the absence of fertilizers and 67.3 mm/t against the background of the use of N30P30K30, which was 7-12% lower than in the control.

宁夏河东沙区刺槐和丝绵木水分利用策略

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 宁夏河东沙区刺槐和丝绵木水分利用策略 DOI: 10.5846/stxb202202100330 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家自然科学基金项目（31760236，42161013）；宁夏自然科学基金项目（2022AAC03094） Water use strategies of Robinia pseudoacacia and Euonymus bungeanus in the east sandy land of the Yellow River in Ningxia, China Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: The National Natural Science Foundation of China (31760236,42161013);The National Natural Science Foundation of Ningxia,China(2022AAC03094) 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:刺槐和丝绵木混交林是宁夏河东沙区防护林建设的主要模式，了解刺槐和丝绵木的水分利用策略，能为区域植被恢复和防护林林分结构调整提供科学依据。以宁夏河东沙区刺槐（Robinia pseudoacacia）和丝绵木（Euonymus bungeanus）混交林为研究对象，通过监测微气象、树干液流和土壤质量含水量，结合大气降水、土壤水、植物木质部水同位素组成，采用Granier及其校正公式，运用贝叶斯混合模型（MixSIAR）和相似性比例指数（PS）研究2个树种的蒸腾耗水、水分来源和水分利用关系。结果表明：刺槐和丝绵木的蒸腾耗水量在生长季中期较高，前期和后期较小，刺槐的蒸腾耗水量是丝绵木的1.55倍；影响刺槐蒸腾耗水的主要环境因子为饱和水汽压差、太阳辐射、0-40 cm土壤质量含水量和40-120 cm土壤质量含水量；影响丝绵木蒸腾耗水的主要环境因子为饱和水汽压差、太阳辐射、平均气温、0-40 cm土壤质量含水量和40-120 cm土壤质量含水量；蒸腾耗水较高时，刺槐主要吸收利用中层土壤水，丝绵木主要吸收利用浅层土壤水，蒸腾耗水较低时，刺槐主要吸收利用浅层土壤水，丝绵木主要吸收利用中层土壤水；在土壤水分含量较小的月份，刺槐和丝绵木主要通过水分利用空间上的差异来应对干旱，维持自身的蒸腾耗水；土壤水分含量较高的月份，刺槐和丝绵木的相似性比例指数最大，存在较强的水分竞争关系；浅层土壤水分含量较高可能反映了沙区植物根系对土壤水分再分配作用下植物在水分和养分需求之间的平衡。 Abstract:The mixed forest of Robinia pseudoacacia and Euonymus bungeanus is the typical shelterbelt construction mode in the east sandy land of the Yellow River in Ningxia, China. Research on the water use strategies of Robinia pseudoacacia and Euonymus bungeanus could provide scientific basis for restoration regional vegetation and stand structure optimization allocation of shelter forest. In this study, the sap flow of Robinia pseudoacacia and Euonymus bungeanus was monitored continuously to clarify the characteristics of water consumption by transpiration which calculated by Granier and its correction formula, as well as simultaneous records of micro-meteorological factors and gravimetric soil water content. Combined with stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope analysis of rainfall, soil water and plant xylem water, the water source and water use relationship among symbiotic trees were quantitatively analyzed by Bayesian mixture model (MixSIAR) and the proportional similarity index (PS). The results showed that the water consumption of Robinia pseudoacacia and Euonymus bungeanus were higher in the middle growing season, but lower in the early and late growing season. The water consumption of Robinia pseudoacacia was 1.55 times larger than Euonymus bungeanus. The main environmental factors affecting water consumption of Robinia pseudoacacia were vapour pressure deficit, solar radiation, 0-40 cm gravimetric soil water content and 40-120 cm gravimetric soil water content. The main environmental factors affecting water consumption of Euonymus bungeanus were vapour pressure deficit, solar radiation, average temperature, 0-40 cm gravimetric soil water content and 40-120 cm gravimetric soil water content. Robinia pseudoacacia mainly used the middle layer soil water and Euonymus bungeanus mainly used the shallow layer soil water in the season with high water consumption. While the shallow layer soil water and the middle layer soil water were ultilized by Robinia pseudoacacia and Euonymus bungeanus separately in the season with lower tree water consumption. In addition, Robinia pseudoacacia and Euonymus bungeanus was able to deal with drought and maintain their own water consumption mainly through the spatial difference of water use strategy under drought seasons. In the seasons when gravimetric soil water content was higher, the proportional similarity index (PS) of Robinia pseudoacacia and Euonymus bungeanus was the highest, and there was a strong water competition relationship. The higher of shallow layer gravimetric soil water content might reflect a trade-off between water and nutrient requirements of plants under the effect of soil water redistribution by plant roots in the sandy land. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Assessment of water use in the regions of Russia by water supply, efficiency, and sustainable development criteria

Introduction. The 2018-2028 period is proclaimed to be an international Water for Sustainable Development Decade for Action in order to focus more attentionon the SDGs as a part of the Agenda for Sustainable Development. Global trends to lower fresh water consumption rate, as well as unbiased evaluation of the 2020 Russian Federation Water Strategy determine the relevance of the efficient and sustainable development of water use in the country’s regions.Purpose. The article refers to the criteria of water availability, efficiency, and sustainable development and compares the water use in federal districts.Materials and Methods. The authors examined the data of Rosstat and the NIA-Prirоda. The data characterize water use and the economy in federal districts in 2007–2020. The study exploited the methods of statistical and comparative analysis, decoupling analysis based on the Diamond Decoupling model.Results.The assessment of water availability by a water withdrawal share in renewable water resources (water stress index) shows a low level of water pressure in all districts. Unlike the Falkenmark index, specific water supply reveals no water tension factor holding back the economy growth. The study identifies a trend towards lower absolute and specific indicators of water intake and use. The changes in the structure of total water consumption are in line with the principles of rational use of resources. The study finds the indicators of productivity (in accordance with SDG 6.4.1) and intensity (GRP water intensity) of water intake, which are significantly affected by the development of circulating systems increasing the efficiency of water use. The article notes that in some regions, the target indicator of the Water Strategy was not reached due to a high decrease rate in water intake intensity. Decoupling analysis revealed a strong decoupling of economic growth from the use of water resources in all federal districts.Conclusion. The criteria for reasonable, efficient and sustainable development, which supplement the integral indicator of the gross water capacity, have been developed and tested. This helps reveal that federal districts are highly differentiated by their water supply and the nature of water use. New findings should be taken into account when planning water management activities and may be useful in updating the 2035 Water Strategy of the Russian Federation.

ECOLOGICAL JUSTIFICATION OF WASTE-FREE TECHNOLOGIES FOR URBAN WASTEWATER DISPOSAL

The article deals with the issues of waste-free technology of wastewater disposal. Analysis of information on water quality and the state of the ecosystem of Kazakhstan's water bodies shows that most of them are unable to perform their main function – to maintain the geosystem structure formed as a result of prolonged anthropogenic human activity. The reason for the current environmental situation is the management of the economy in accordance with the previously adopted and practically valid technocratic concept of economic development, which does not actually include the thesis of taking into account possible negative consequences for the environment as a result of extensive consumption of resources. In this regard, the consequence for the water resources of Kazakhstan was the loss of water content and the formation of polluted wastewater, the discharge of which has become the norm in the practice of modern wastewater disposal. The ever-increasing flow of pollution, which includes more and more new ingredients, leads to a change in the intensity and direction of the water-body processes in the drainless basins of Kazakhstan. As a result of economic activity, foci of secondary pollution with completely unpredictable properties were formed, which are included in the scope of action of intra-reservoir processes. Currently, scientists are persistently searching for specific innovations or technological schemes for the functioning of enterprises or industrial complex, which will significantly reduce and completely eliminate emissions of harmful anthropogenic substances. In this regard, engineering developments of closed and semi-closed technological cycles, circular water supply systems of enterprises, technical systems with low water and energy consumption, low-waste and non-waste technologies for waste disposal of urban and industrial facilities are considered the most promising

INFLUENCE OF IRRIGATION SYSTEMS AND COVER CROP ON WATER PRODUCTIVITY, AND MAIZE GROWTH

A field experiment was carried out to assess the effect of different irrigation systems, which included surface drip irrigation, sub-surface drip irrigation, surface irrigation in basins and cover crop on water productivity, growth and yield of maize in a silty clay loam soil in the Nile sub-district of Babil Governorate, in the fall season 2020. The experiment was designed using the split plot arrangement according to a complete randomized block design (RCBD) with three replications. The experiment treatments included two factors: cover crop (C) includes cover crop (C1) and without the cover crop (C0), and irrigation systems (I): includes surface drip irrigation (I1) subsurface drip irrigation (I2) and surface irrigation in basins (I3). Scheduling Irrigation was applied after 50% depletion of the plant available water. The water balance equation was used to determine the water consumption of maize. The results showed that C1I3 treatment was highest mean of plant height 235 cm, grain yield 11236 kg ha-1, leaf area 6076 cm2 plant-1, and leaf area index 4.05. Whereas, C0I1 was the lowest values for the previous traits, 183 cm, 5200 kg ha-1, 3997 cm2 plants-1, and 2.67 respectively. Treatment C1I2 was superior in the value of field water use efficiency and crop water use efficiency, which reached 3.49 kg m-3 and 3.05 kg m-3, respectively. Whereas, treatment C0I1 gave the lowest value for field and crop water use efficiency, which was 1.11 kg m-3 and 1.05 kg m-3, respectively. The highest water consumption of maize was 709 mm season-1 was for treatment C0I3, and the lowest water consumption was 362 mm season-1 for the treatment C1I2. It is clear that surface drip irrigation in the presence of cover crop contributed to saving irrigation water by reducing water consumption of maize.

WATER INJECTION INTO THE UNDEGROUND AQUIFER OF THE WELL FROM PULVERIZED AND MEDIUM-FINE-GRAINED SAND AT LOW WATER CONSUMPTION

The article describes the main operations for water injecting into the underground aquifer of the well. The authors assessed and evaluated the process of water injection into the aquifer from pulverized and fine-grained sand with low water consumption of the settlement in the Vitebsk region.

WATER REGIME AND EFFICIENCY OF GROWING SUNFLOWER HYBRIDS DEPENDING ON THE ELEMENTS OF DRIP IRRIGATION TECHNOLOGY

The article presents the results of experimental research on the influence of micro-irrigation system designs on the water regime, productivity, and efficiency of sunflower cultivation. Based on this, the main economic parameters of agrotechnologies of sunflower cultivation were calculated. Short-term field research was carried out in the period 2020-2022 on the lands of the Brylivske experimental field of the Institute of Water Problems and Reclamation of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences (Kherson Region, Dry Steppe subzone). Analytical and statistical methods were used to process experimental data. The scheme of field experiments provided different options for laying irrigation pipelines of micro-irrigation systems (in the horizontal and vertical planes) and the implementation of a pulsed water supply mode (standard). The control was the variant without irrigation. According to the results of experimental studies, it was proved that the method of laying irrigation pipelines of micro-irrigation systems significantly affects the parameters of the formation of the soil water regime and the yield of sunflower hybrids in the conditions of the Dry Steppe. It has been established that the introduction of subsurface drip irrigation is more appropriate than the cultivation of sunflower hybrids, which is explained by the drought resistance of this crop. When growing sunflowers, the variant with the subsurface laying of drip irrigation pipelines provided almost identical yield parameters at lower plant water consumption coefficients. &#x0D; The minimum water consumption coefficient (1077,8 m3/t) was obtained by implementing the pulse water supply mode. The highest economic parameters of agricultural technology for growing sunflower hybrids were obtained with the subsurface drip irrigation: conditionally net profit (17,11-18,17 thousand UAH/ha), lower cost (11,03-10,90 thousand UAH/ton), and also a higher level of production profitability (31,10-32,62%) (laying irrigation pipelines every 1,0 m, regardless of the sunflower hybrid). Due to the higher grain yield and specific savings of irrigation water in the pulse mode of water supply, the highest economic parameters were achieved: gross income amounted to 80,51 thousand UAH/ha, conditionally net profit – 21,24 thousand UAH/ha, cost of 1 ton of grain - UAH 10,6 thousand and the level of profitability of production – 35,8%.

Water consumption and wastewater generation from small-scale crude palm oil extraction in Ghana

Abstract Crude palm oil extraction is one of the sources of livelihood in Ghana's Central Region. However, the water use and wastewater generation associated with the industry have not been given adequate attention. This study assessed the water consumption and wastewater generation by small-scale crude palm oil extraction mills in the region. Twenty-five (25) mills were selected from four palm oil-processing local government areas in the region. An interview guide was used to obtain information about the operations of the mills and corroborated through structured observations. Water consumption and wastewater generation were measured using a graduated plastic bucket. Water for processing was found to be sourced from hand-dug wells (56%), treated piped water (20%), boreholes with handpumps (16%) and rivers (8%). Water was bought at US$1.93 (boreholes) and US$2.89 (piped water) per cubic metre. The recurrent cost of water was the same as that paid for domestic use. For a litre of palm oil produced, 0.760-2.391 litres of water were consumed and 68-82% returned as wastewater. Sixty-eight percent of the water was used for boiling. The distance to water source influenced the consumption, with higher water consumption recorded for mills with on-plot water sources. Higher recurrent costs of water did not necessarily lead to lower water consumption. There was no significant difference in the water consumption and wastewater production between the wet and dry processing methods. The small-scale palm oil processing industry requires attention to manage a potential competition between commercial and domestic water use in rural and small towns.

Perspectives for Expansion of Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) Generation Technologies in Brazil

The world is moving towards a low-carbon economy through renewable energy sources. In this context, concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies can exploit the rich solar resource in Brazil, diversifying the national electricity mix. The aim of this paper is to support the insertion of CSP generation in the Brazilian bottom-up model MATRIZ by analyzing the environmental performance of three CSP technologies: (i) solar tower power (STP) with a thermal storage system (TSS) of 7.5 h; (ii) solar thermal parabolic trough (STPT) with a TSS of 6 h; and (iii) STPT without TSS. From a life cycle perspective, their freshwater consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are addressed by employing the software SimaPro, the Ecoinvent database, and the ReCiPe 2016 method, as well as information from the system advisory model (SAM) and the literature. As a result, STP is the most environmentally sound CSP alternative, presenting lower GHG emissions and water consumption than the two STPT technologies. In general, CSP generation proves to be more environmentally attractive than some fossil-fired power plants and renewable energy sources. Moreover, moving the manufacturing of CSP technologies to Brazil has the potential to reduce GHG emissions from the upstream processes of their value chain.

High-efficiency Low-cost Smart IoT Agriculture Irrigation, Soil's Fertility and Moisture Controlling System

The world's population increased exponentially and more food is required to support the growing population. However, the existing agriculture solutions are too costly for small-scale farmers. This has motivated us to design a Smart IoT Agriculture System (SIAS) to monitor and control the soil's moisture and fertility levels. SIAS is a low-cost Internet of Things (IoT) solution that used an online app to monitor and control water consumption and the soil's fertility level. ESP8266 microcontroller is used in SIAS to automatically control the irrigation system that consists of a soil moisture sensor, thermal probe, and water pump. The pH sensor is used to monitor the soil's fertility level. The data collected from the IoT sensors are uploaded to the ThingSpeak cloud database through WiFi. Blynk app is used to control the SIAS on the smartphone. The prototype development, implementation details and the optimal operation condition of SIAS are reported in this paper. SIAS with a total cost of USD46 is proven to have lower water consumption (85% lower), real-time monitoring of the soil's fertility and a better crop growth rate compared to the existing conventional watering timer system.

Study on Three-Stage Counter-Current Water Washing Desalination Characteristics and Mechanism of High Chlorine Waste Incineration Fly Ash

The high chloride content of municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash and hazardous waste incineration (HWI) fly ash has considerably affected their disposal. This study focused on investigating the three-stage counter-current (TSC) water-washing process to reduce the chlorine content efficiently under the premise of low water consumption. The liquid–solid ratio (LSR) and washing time were investigated, a chloride migration model was established, and the characteristics of the water-washing solution (WWS) and washed fly ash were investigated. The results showed that the dechlorination effect of TSC washing could reach more than 99% in a low liquid–solid ratio (LSR) of 2–4 kg/L. The most appropriate LSR and washing time were found to be around 3:1 L/kg and 15 min per stage, respectively. The concentration of Cl− in WWS reached over 90 g/L, which is very high among industrial saline wastewater. Some heavy metals were also contained in the WWS, and lead was the main heavy metal, followed by zinc, copper, and arsenic. The concentration of WWS of different stages was calculated by a model, and the transfer characteristic of chloride was strongly related to the mass balance between the liquid contained in the solid–liquid separation residue (SR) and the separated liquid. After washing, due to the dissolution of soluble salt, the specific surface area of fly ash increased, and thus the absorption ability of the washed fly ash was greater than the raw one. This study provides a washing condition reference for highly chlorinated fly ash, the basic data of WWS, and the chloride migration model that is a preliminary calculation method to improve the water-washing process.

The impact of irrigation modes on agricultural water-energy‑carbon nexus

Despite the tremendous contribution of irrigated agriculture in addressing global food security, there is still confusion for farmers and governments about the choice of irrigation mode owing to the drastic environmental impacts of irrigation, including water shortage, energy crisis, and global warming. Exploring the agricultural water-energy‑carbon (WEC) nexus under different irrigation modes helps to accomplish the multi-objective of water & energy saving and carbon emission reduction. In this paper, a conceptual framework was nominated to evaluate the water & energy consumption and carbon emissions for winter wheat irrigation at township level and quantitatively discuss the complex interaction by the coupling coordination degree (CCD) of the WEC system under different irrigation modes in Henan Province, China. We discovered that irrigation modes profoundly affect water and energy consumption and carbon emissions in agriculture, as well as the spatial distribution of CCD from WEC system. Townships under irrigation mode with diversion and irrigation projects as the primary method (WDI) clustered together in the north and east with highest water consumption and carbon emissions, while townships under irrigation mode with rain-fed agriculture as the primary method (PI) accumulated in the west and south with lower water consumption and carbon emissions. Meanwhile, the CCD of the WEC nexus system was in basic coordination (0.40) and showed an unbalanced spatial distribution pattern with high in the southeast and low in the northwest. By comparing four irrigation modes, the coupling level of the WEC nexus system under irrigation mode with groundwater irrigation as the primary method (GI) was better and PI mode was the least ideal. This study helps to further understand agricultural WEC nexus under different irrigation modes and provide references for local governments in selecting appropriate irrigation modes to realize water-energy saving and carbon emission reduction in agricultural activities.

Application of water-energy-food nexus approach for optimal tillage and irrigation management in intensive wheat-maize double cropping system

Demand for water, energy and food is increasing driven by a rising global population, changing diets, warming climate and economic growth. Wheat-maize double cropping system, as one of the best trials in ensuring sustainable food security, is experiencing various optimizing irrigation management and tillage practices in the North China Plain. However, previous studies mainly focused on their influences on crop yield and water use efficiency. Comprehensive analysis of water-energy-food for the practices was limited. Therefore, a life cycle assessments based water–energy–food (WEF) nexus analysis was conducted using data from a 7-year two-factor split-plot field experiments with four tillage (NT, no-tillage; RT, rotary tillage; PT, plow tillage; CT, local current tillage) and three irrigation managements (W1, pre-planting irrigation for wheat + pre-planting irrigation for maize; W2, pre-planting + jointing irrigation for wheat + pre-planting irrigation for maize; and W3, pre-planting + jointing + anthesis irrigation for wheat + pre-planting irrigation for maize; 75 mm each time). The results indicated that irrigation, fertilizer and diesels input were the top three items for water and energy consumption. Irrigation managements significantly altered wheat and annual yield but not for maize yield. Tillage practices primarily altered diesel input to affect energy mass and energy economic productivity. During wheat season, W3PT obtained the highest yield at 8.69 t ha−1 and highest net income at 8.27 ¥ ha−1. With the same tillage practice, W1 had the best performance in water and energy consumption and mass productivity, while W2 had the highest water and energy economic productivity. In terms of different tillage practices with the same irrigation amount, NT consumed lowest energy, but its lowest wheat yield offset its benefits as well. During maize season, the yields were insensitive for irrigation and tillage practices. NT and CT were substantially beneficial regarding energy input, which further resulted in good performance in terms of energy mass and economic productivity under the same irrigation treatment. Throughout the year, lower water and energy consumption and higher resource productivity offset the yield and income loss under W1CT to accomplish highest value of WEF nexus index. Thus it is the optimal tillage and irrigation management pattern in the wheat-maize double cropping system of the North China Plain achieving cleaner production. This study contributed a new case to using WEF nexus analysis and offered new reference data and effective suggestions for selecting proper filed management in the double cropping system to achieve sustainable development goals with carbon peaking and carbon neutrality.

Investigation on the control mechanism of spray pre-cooling the inlet air of natural draft dry cooling tower

• A 3-D model of spray pre-cooled NDDCT was developed. • The control mechanism of nozzle spray was investigated from three aspects. • The highest modified cooling efficiency of 73.2% occurs in spray scheme 18. • The heat rejection rate of the NDDCT increases from 123.67 MW to 176.08 MW. • The regional regulation principle of spray water flowrate is proposed. Spray pre-cooling the inlet air can improve the thermal performance of natural draft dry cooling towers (NDDCTs). To achieve the purpose of good performance improvement with minor water consumption, it is necessary to investigate the control mechanism of spray pre-cooling system for NDDCT performance improvement. This paper developed a 3-D model of spray pre-cooled NDDCT using Fluent 16.2. The NDDCT was 120 m high and 1/12 NDDCT was simulated due to the symmetry. The control mechanism of nozzle spray was investigated from three aspects, i.e., the spray angles, arrangement of nozzles, and spray water flowrates. Simulation finds that: (1) To achieve the goal of maximal cooling performance improvement with benchmark spray water flowrate, the recommended scheme is 18, which consists of 1 upward nozzle at height of 3 m, 3 co-flow nozzles at height of 5 m, 3 nozzles with the spray angle of 45° at height of 5 m, 3 upward nozzles at height of 8 m, 3 nozzles with the spray angle of 45° at height of 11 m and 3 nozzles with the spray angle of 45° at height of 13 m. The heat rejection rate of the whole cooling tower increases from 123.67 MW to 176.08 MW because the natural convection is enhanced; (2) The highest modified cooling efficiency at the heat exchanger surface is 65.0 % when the spray water flowrate reduced to 75 % of benchmark spray water flowrate while it is 47.1 % with 50 % of benchmark spray water flowrate; (3) To achieve more uniform cooling, it is suggested that the nozzles should be arranged at the tower inner region in low-height zone while the nozzles should be arranged at the tower outer region in high-height zone. Besides, large spray water flowrate at high-height zone is recommended to achieve maximal cooling effect with low water consumption.