Hydrogen peroxide interference in chemical oxygen demand during ozone based advanced oxidation of anaerobically digested livestock wastewater

It is known that hydrogen peroxide interferes with chemical oxygen demand analysis by consuming oxidation agents such as potassium dichromate, thus leading to overestimation of the chemical oxygen demand measurements. The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of hydrogen peroxide interference and to determine true chemical oxygen demand values on interpreting treatment performance during ozone-based advanced oxidation of livestock wastewater in which hydrogen peroxide concentration and chemical oxygen demand values are dynamically changing. According to the chemical oxygen demand monitoring data, chemical oxygen demand values were always higher than the initial chemical oxygen demand load when hydrogen peroxide was involved and the treatment performance with ozone alone or ozone/ultraviolet was better than with coupled hydrogen peroxide. The extent of overestimation was proportional to the remaining hydrogen peroxide concentration and the average overestimation ratio in livestock wastewater was in the range of 0.50～0.58 mg per 1 mg of hydrogen peroxide, depending upon the quality of the wastewater treated. True chemical oxygen demand values were estimated by correlating the extent of overestimation with the remaining hydrogen peroxide concentration during treatment. The extent of overestimation decreased to zero gradually as the amount of hydrogen peroxide also approached zero as oxidation proceeded. The corrected chemical oxygen demand values indicated underlying tendency of oxidation, which could not be seen in the original chemical oxygen demand monitoring data. Application of ozone/hydrogen peroxide was more efficient for reducing chemical oxygen demand than ozone alone, as was ozone/hydrogen peroxide/ultraviolet compared to ozone/ultraviolet. When coupled with ozone, ultraviolet irradiation was more efficient than hydrogen peroxide for decreasing chemical oxygen demand during treatment of livestock wastewater.     

A dynamical study of the frequency of merging galaxies

A study of the expected frequency of merging galaxies, for mergers taking place in several orbital periods, is conducted on the basis of the collisional theory of their formation, using galaxy models without halos. The results indicate that the expected frequency of such mergers is an order of magnitude below the observed value for the present epoch. The need for halos to hasten mergers is highlighted. In the light of current observational evidence and the results obtained, the formation of ellipticals by dissipative collapse followed by secular evolution by the mergers is favoured.     

How weather impacts the forced climate response

The new interactive ensemble modeling strategy is used to diagnose how noise due to internal atmospheric dynamics impacts the forced climate response during the twentieth century (i.e., 1870?C1999). The interactive ensemble uses multiple realizations of the atmospheric component model coupled to a single realization of the land, ocean and ice component models in order to reduce the noise due to internal atmospheric dynamics in the flux exchange at the interface of the component models. A control ensemble of so-called climate of the twentieth century simulations of the Community Climate Simulation Model version 3 (CCSM3) are compared with a similar simulation with the interactive ensemble version of CCSM3. Despite substantial differences in the overall mean climate, the global mean trends in surface temperature, 500?mb geopotential and precipitation are largely indistinguishable between the control ensemble and the interactive ensemble. Large differences in the forced response; however, are detected particularly in the surface temperature of the North Atlantic. Associated with the forced North Atlantic surface temperature differences are local differences in the forced precipitation and a substantial remote rainfall response in the deep tropical Pacific. We also introduce a simple variance analysis to separately compare the variance due to noise and the forced response. We find that the noise variance is decreased when external forcing is included. In terms of the forced variance, we find that the interactive ensemble increases this variance relative to the control.     

Soldier crab (Dotilla myctiroides) distribution,food resources and subsequent role in organic matter fate in Ao Tang Khen,Phuket, Thailand

This study aimed to elucidate Dotilla myctiroides (H. Milne-Edwards) food resources and how the soldier crab influences the organic matter composition on the intertidal flat. A preliminary assessment of D. myctiroides size, sex, and population distribution was conducted to clarify the characteristics of the inhabiting population. Overall, D. myctiroides size and abundance was normal across the tidal flat area. Comparison of different sediment types from the soldier crab habitat (surface sediments, igloos, burrow lining, burrow pellets, feeding pellets, and feces) using the fatty acid (FA) analysis technique revealed D. myctiroides removes organic matter via the significantly lower contributions of polyunsaturated FAs, essential FAs, and dinoflagellates in the feeding pellets. Dotilla myctiroides tissue analysis of the hepatopancreas and hindgut in individuals that had been starved for 24 h confirmed not only the consumption of dinoflagellates, but diatoms and macroalgae as well. In addition, the FA metabolism within the digestive system implied the ability of the soldier crab to synthesize highly unsaturated FAs (HUFAs) such as 20:4n–6, 20:5n–3 and 22:6n–3.     

Simulation of flow geometry in a riffle-pool stream

The nature of the flow in most natural streams is gradually varied rather than uniform. This is particularly true of streams with coarse gravel bed material organized into relatively stable riffle and pool features. In spite of this, there are few applications of the gradually varied flow models (e.g. the Bernoulli equation) to such streams. This paper presents some initial results of a simulation of flow patterns in two riffle-pool reaches, using an open channel flow profile computation method based on an equation defining an energy balance between successive cross-sections separated by an incremental distance.     

Wave climate in a groin field

Wave records at seven different locations within a groin field have been analysed by both statistical and spectral approaches to study the general wave climate. The wave heights and periods from the wave records were obtained by both upcross and downcross methods for the statistical approach. The variation of different wave height and wave period parameters with respect to the time of measurement at a particular location and its variation at different locations within the groin field at a particular instant of time are presented and discussed in detail in this paper. It is generally found that the wave heights follow the Weibull distribution.     

A framework for sourcing of evaporation between saturated and unsaturated zone in bare soil condition

ABSTRACT

Sourcing subsurface evaporation (E_ss) into groundwater (E_g) and unsaturated zone (E_u) components has received little scientific attention so far, despite its importance in water management and agriculture. We propose a novel sourcing framework, with its implementation in dedicated post-processing software called SOURCE (used along with the HYDRUS1D model), to study evaporation sourcing dynamics, define quantitatively “shallow” and “deep” water table conditions and test the applicability of water table fluctuation (WTF) and “bucket” methods for estimation of E_g and E_u separately.

For the “shallow” and “deep” water table we propose E_g?>?0.95E_ss and E_g = 0 criteria, respectively. Assessment of the WTF method allowed sourcing of very small fluxes otherwise neglected by standard hydrological methods. Sourcing with SOURCE software was more accurate than the standard “bucket” method mainly because of greater flexibility in spatio-temporal discretization. This study emphasized the dry condition relevance of groundwater evaporation which should be analysed by applying coupled flow of heat, vapour and liquid water.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Associate editor S. Kanae     

Organic contaminants and characteristics of sediments from Oso Bay,south Texas,USA

The Oso Bay, Texas, sediments from nine sites were analyzed by GC-MS for organics to measure contamination in the bay. In most of the sites sediments contained tetrachloroethene (87–1433 g/kg), bis (2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (40–193 g/kg), and aliphatic hydrocarbons, C₈-C₁₃ (720–2491 g/kg). Sources of these contaminants include a landfill, military facilities, and municipal and industrial discharges. Size analysis of the sediments indicates they contain a high percentage of muddy sand (50–75 percent), which suggests that Oso Bay consists of common bay margin sediments.