Fate and biodegradability potential of an emerging micropollutant diclofenac in subsurface environment

The present study deals with the assessment of the fate of an emerging contaminant (diclofenac), present in the subsurface environment at specific concentration levels, and its biodegradation potential under different environmental configurations. Diclofenac is a widely consumed nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug used as a painkiller prescribed as pills or ointments and among the most frequently detected pharmaceuticals in wastewater treatment plants’ effluents. Fermentative/methanogenic cultures were enriched from previously contaminated sediment samples. Although partial biodegradation was achieved in all enrichment cultures, complete degradation was not observed. The results reflected that less than 6% of the diclofenac sorbed on the solid phase and the rest was either biotransformed (25–40%) or remained in the liquid phase (55–70%) at the end of 45-day incubation period. Although partial cometabolic degradation of diclofenac occurred in the presence of glucose, biodegradation was not observed in the presence of readily biodegradable carbon source (i.e., acetate). Diclofenac concentration up to 1000 µg/L did not affect the methanogenic activity of the enriched culture. The results of this study will have a significant impact in the designation of the permitted concentration limits of diclofenac before the discharge through wastewater treatment plants.     

Phenolic endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in Anzali Wetland, Iran: elevated concentrations of 4-nonylphenol, octhylphenol and bisphenol A

We have studied the distribution and value of phenolic endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in surface sediment samples taken from Anzali Wetland, Iran. These samples were collected from 22 stations during the time span of June-May 2010. In each of the sampling stations, we detected 4-nonylphenol (4-NP), octylphenol (OP), and bisphenol A (BPA) with maximal concentrations of 29, 4.3, and 7 μg g(-1) dry weight (dw), respectively. High levels of alkylphenols (APs) and BPA were also found near urban areas. Furthermore there were no significant differences between those stations in terms of the detected levels. One of the important factors in controlling the fate of these compounds in the aquatic environment appeared to be Total Organic Carbon (TOC). Hierarchical cluster analysis showed differences in the biomarker characteristics of EDCs and TOC between the stations. Our findings indicate that EDCs are ubiquitous in sediments from northeast Wetlands of Iran, contaminating the aquatic habitats in this area.     

Influence of large dam on seismic hazard in low seismic region of Ulu Padas Area,Northern Borneo

The seismic hazard assessment of a site that lies in the low seismic region affected by the future existence of a large dam has been given less attention in many studies. Moreover, this condition is not addressed directly in the current seismic codes. This paper explains the importance of such information in mitigating the seismic hazard properly. Ulu Padas Area in Northern Borneo is used as an example for a case study of a site classified as a low seismic region. It is located close to the border of Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, and Indonesia and may have a large dam in the future as the region lies in hilly geography with river flow. This study conducts probabilistic and deterministic seismic hazard analyses, and reservoir-triggered seismicity of a site affected by the future existence of a large dam. The result shows that the spectrum acceleration of the maximum design earthquake for the investigated site in the Ulu Padas Area in Northern Borneo is taken from the reservoir-triggered seismicity earthquake at short periods and from the current condition at longer periods.     

Batch and Continuous Design of a Full‐Scale Treatment Facility for Removing Dissolved Natural Organic Matter

Batch and continuous flow adsorption experiments are carried out and the design of a full‐scale facility for removing dissolved natural organic matter (DNOM) from Catalan Lakewater is demonstrated. The adsorption efficiency is proportional to the temperature and the amount of adsorbent unlike pH increase. The highest DNOM removal rate is obtained at 35 °C, pH 4, and an adsorbent amount of 0.8 g L^?1. Optimum contact time for batch studies is 60 min at equilibrium. Correlation constants (r) of Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms are 0.8905 and 0.9739, respectively. Based on the Freundlich isotherm, the highest adsorption capacity (q_max) obtained is 2.44 and 6.01 mg DNOM/g granulated activated carbon (GAC) for raw and enriched water, respectively. Consequently, the effects of adsorbent amount, bed depth, empty bed contact time, and organic loading on removal performance are investigated in the rapid small‐scale column test (RSSCT) columns. The targeted effluent concentration of 1 mg DNOM/L can easily be achieved in the columns. At the design capacity of the facility, 15 adsorption columns with dimensions of 7 m height, 4.33 m diameter, and 22 days of operation cycle are required to remove DNOM from raw water.     

Ethnic groups’ response to the 26 December 2004 earthquake and tsunami in Aceh, Indonesia

The 26 December 2004 earthquake and tsunami unfairly hit the different ethnic groups of Aceh, Indonesia. About 170,000 Acehnese and Minangkabau people died in the Northern tip of Sumatra while only 44 Simeulue people passed away in the neighbouring Simeulue island located near the earthquake epicentre. Such a difference in the death toll does not lie in the nature of the hazard but in different human behaviours and ethnic contexts. The present study draws on a contextual framework of analysis where people’s behaviour in the face of natural hazards is deeply influenced by the cultural, social, economic and political context. Questionnaire-based surveys among affected communities, key informant interviews and literature reviews show that the people of Simeulue detected the tsunami very early and then escaped to the mountains. On the other hand, Acehnese and Minangkabau people, respectively in the cities of Banda Aceh and Meulaboh, did not anticipate the phenomenon and were thus caught by the waves. The different behaviours of the victims have been commanded by the existence or the absence of a disaster subculture among affected communities as well as by their capacity to protect themselves in facing the tsunami. People’s behaviours and the capacity to protect oneself can be further tracked down to a deep tangle of intricate factors which include the armed conflict that has been affecting the province since the 1970s, the historical and cultural heritage and the national political economy system. This paper finally argues that the uneven impact of the 26 December 2004 earthquake and tsunami in Aceh lies in the different daily life conditions of the ethnic groups struck by the disaster.     

Secondary toppling failure analysis and optimal support design for ignimbrites in the Ihlara Valley (Cappadocia,Turkey) by finite element method (FEM)

Geotechnical and Geological Engineering - Kizilkaya ignimbrite, characterized by a blocky structure in the Ihlara Valley (Cappadocia, Turkey), poses many hazards to visitors and the human-made...     

Three-Dimensional Simulation of Water Circulation in the Java Sea: Influence of Wind Waves on Surface and Bottom Stresses

A one-year simulation of tide- andwind-driven circulation in the Java Sea, which is one ofthe Indonesian seas located in a tropical area, hasbeen carried out using a three-dimensionalhydrodynamic model incorporating the influence of thewind waves generated at the sea surface. This area isinfluenced by the monsoon climate (east- andwest-monsoon). Six hourly-wind fields at 10 m abovethe sea surface were used as a representative windfield. In other respects, the effect of waves on thethree-dimensional hydrodynamic model has beenrepresented by the surface and bottom stresses. Athird-generation wave model called WAM (WAMDI, 1988)was used to calculate the wave parameters and thewave dependence of the drag coefficient. Thetrajectory of water particles induced by thecalculated velocity fields in the Java Sea was then simulated.In dealing with hazardous phenomena, this modelwill be extended to predict suspended sediment fluxes,particularly those relating to catastrophic changes in seabottom topography and beach erosion. It is also animportant tool for the prediction of storm surge events.