Minimizing the impacts of contaminant intrusion in small water distribution networks through booster chlorination optimization

Contaminant intrusion in a water distribution network (DN) has three basic pre-conditions: source of contaminant (e.g., leaky sewer), a pathway (e.g., water main leaks), and a driving force (e.g., negative pressure). The impact of intrusion can be catastrophic if residual disinfectant (chlorine) is not present. To avoid microbiological water quality failure, higher levels of secondary chlorination doses can be a possible solution, but they can produce disinfectant by-products which lead to taste and odour complaints. This study presents a methodology to identify potential intrusion points in a DN and optimize booster chlorination based on trade-offs among microbiological risk, chemical risk and life-cycle cost for booster chlorination. A point-scoring scheme was developed to identify the potential intrusion points within a DN. It utilized factors such as pollutant source (e.g., sewer characteristics), pollution pathway (water main diameter, length, age, and surrounding soil properties, etc.), consequence of contamination (e.g., population, and land use), and operational factors (e.g., water pressure) integrated through a geographical information system using advanced ArcMap 10 operations. The contaminant intrusion was modelled for E. Coli O156: H7 (a microbiological indicator) using the EPANET-MSX programmer’s toolkit. The quantitative microbial risk assessment and chemical (human health) risk assessment frameworks were adapted to estimate risk potentials. Booster chlorination locations and dosages were selected using a multi-objective genetic algorithm. The methodology was illustrated through a case study on a portion of a municipal DN.     

Neo-deterministic seismic hazard scenarios for India—a preventive tool for disaster mitigation

Current computational resources and physical knowledge of the seismic wave generation and propagation processes allow for reliable numerical and analytical models of waveform generation and propagation. From the simulation of ground motion, it is easy to extract the desired earthquake hazard parameters. Accordingly, a scenario-based approach to seismic hazard assessment has been developed, namely the neo-deterministic seismic hazard assessment (NDSHA), which allows for a wide range of possible seismic sources to be used in the definition of reliable scenarios by means of realistic waveforms modelling. Such reliable and comprehensive characterization of expected earthquake ground motion is essential to improve building codes, particularly for the protection of critical infrastructures and for land use planning. Parvez et al. (Geophys J Int 155:489–508, 2003) published the first ever neo-deterministic seismic hazard map of India by computing synthetic seismograms with input data set consisting of structural models, seismogenic zones, focal mechanisms and earthquake catalogues. As described in Panza et al. (Adv Geophys 53:93–165, 2012), the NDSHA methodology evolved with respect to the original formulation used by Parvez et al. (Geophys J Int 155:489–508, 2003): the computer codes were improved to better fit the need of producing realistic ground shaking maps and ground shaking scenarios, at different scale levels, exploiting the most significant pertinent progresses in data acquisition and modelling. Accordingly, the present study supplies a revised NDSHA map for India. The seismic hazard, expressed in terms of maximum displacement (Dmax), maximum velocity (Vmax) and design ground acceleration (DGA), has been extracted from the synthetic signals and mapped on a regular grid over the studied territory.     

Mineralogical changes during intense chemical weathering of sedimentary rocks in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is situated in a subtropical to tropical climatic zone. A recently weathered crust has developed on sedimentary bedrock (sandstone, siltstone, shale and claystones) of Tertiary–Quaternary age. Weathered samples were collected from 16 sections totaling 68 samples and were analyzed mineralogically. The main primary minerals identified in the weathered crust of sedimentary rocks are quartz, plagioclase, K-feldspar, biotite, muscovite, sparse carbonate and epidote. The secondary minerals are kaolinite, illite, chlorite, gibbsite and goethite. Weathering initiated along the grain boundaries and cleavage planes of the minerals, forming small cloudy materials which were very difficult to identify. In the advanced stage of weathering, these cloudy materials have turned into secondary minerals. In region 1, high rain fall (7100 mm/yr) and monsoonic climate resulted in a kaolinite–gibbsite–goethite suite through the weathering of feldspars and biotite. The occurrence of gibbsite in the relatively elevated lands of Sylhet and Fe-kaolinite throughout the study areas is indicative of a humid–tropical climate during formation of the weathered crust.     

Analysing the influence of Farakka Barrage Project on channel dynamics and meander geometry of Bhagirathi river of West Bengal,India

Farakka Barrage Project (FBP) constructed in 1975 on the river Ganga in West Bengal, India has largely altered hydro-geomorphic processes inducing a different kind of impetus in channel dynamics especially channel oscillation of the Bhagirathi river. Controlled hydro-geomorphological regime drastically altering natural regime has significantly influenced channel process with resultant change in channel geometry. Geospatial analysis using topographical maps of 1927, 1954 and 1974 along with satellite images of 1990, 2004, and 2014 clearly portrays rapidity in channel evolution in the post-Farakka period which is explicitly proved from four meander cut-offs after 1975. The meander geometry analysis of 66 loops of lower Bhagirathi river during 1927–2014 in terms of four basic parameters (radius of curvature, wavelength, amplitude, and channel length) and four indices (sinuosity index, radius–wavelength ratio, meander shape index and meander form index) depicts telltale pattern of channel straightening with increased number of wide and open loops after the construction of barrage. The average sinuosity of the loops has increased from 2.27 in 1927 to 2.35 in 1974 and dwindles to 1.80 in 2014. This distinct outcome induced by FBP is also found for other indices explained with special reference new hydraulic regime in post-Farakka period.     

Households’ experience of local government during recovery from cyclones in coastal Bangladesh: resilience,equity, and corruption

Households’ links with local Government provide important support for disaster resilience and recovery on the Bangladeshi coast. Few previous studies of disaster resilience and recovery have explored how linking social networks—and in particular local government—contribute. Using household surveys, focus groups, and key informant interviews, we examine strengths and weaknesses of local government’s contribution, using two cyclone-affected coastal villages as case studies. The findings show that local government provides important support, for example relief distribution, livelihood assistance, and reconstruction of major community services. However, patronage relationships (notably favouring political supporters) and bribery play a substantial role in how those responsibilities are discharged. The equity and efficiency of these contributions to recovery are markedly diminished by corruption. Reducing corruption in UP’s contributions to disaster recovery could significantly improve resilience; however, general reform of governance in Bangladesh would needed to bring this about.     

Identification of hydrogeochemical processes and pollution sources of groundwater resources in the Marand plain,northwest of Iran

The main aims of the present study are to identify the major factors affecting hydrogeochemistry of groundwater resources in the Marand plain, NW Iran and to evaluate the potential sources of major and trace elements using multivariate statistical analysis such as hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) and factor analysis (FA). To achieve these goals, groundwater samples were collected in three sampling periods in September 2013, May 2014 and September 2014 and analyzed with regard to ions (e.g., Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺ and K⁺, HCO₃ ^?, SO₄ ^2?, Cl^?, F^? and NO₃ ^?) and trace metals (e.g., Cr, Pb, Cd, Mn, Fe, Al and As). The piper diagrams show that the majority of samples belong to Na–Cl water type and are followed by Ca–HCO₃ and mixed Ca–Na–HCO₃. Cross-plots show that weathering and dissolution of different rocks and minerals, ion exchange, reverse ion exchange and anthropogenic activities, especially agricultural activities, influence the hydrogeochemistry of the study area. The results of the FA demonstrate that 6 factors with 81.7% of total variance are effective in the overall hydrogeochemistry, which are attributed to geogenic and anthropogenic impacts. The HCA categorizes the samples into two clusters. Samples of cluster C1, which appear to have higher values of some trace metals like Pb and As, are spatially located at the eastern and central parts of the plain, while samples of cluster C2, which express the salinization of the groundwater, are situated mainly westward with few local exceptions.     

Hydrocarbon source potential and depositional environment of the Surma Group shales of Bengal basin,Bangladesh

Surma Group is the most important geological unit of Bengal basin, Bangladesh, because petroleum resources occur within this group. It is mainly composed of alternation of shale and sandstone and the shale fraction has long been considered as source rocks and the sandstone fraction as reservoir. These source and reservoir rocks have been studied by different authors by different approach but none of them adopted organic geochemistry and organic petrology as a means of study of source rock and their possible depositional environment. A total of thirty shale core samples have been collected from eight different gas fields to fulfill the short coming. The collected samples have been subjected to Source Rock Analysis (SRA) and/or Rock-Eval (RE) followed by pyrolysis gas chromatography (PyGC), gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS), elemental analysis (EA) and organic petrological study such as vitrinite reflectance measurement and maceral analysis. The analyzed organic matter extracted from the shales of Surma Group consists mainly of Type III along with some Type II kerogen. The studied shales are mostly organically lean (TOC ±1%) and the extracted organic matter is fair to moderate. Based on these results, the analyzed shales have been ranked as poor (mostly) to fair quality source rock. The organic matter of the analyzed shale samples is thermally immature to early mature for hydrocarbon generation considering their T_max and measured mean vitrinite reflectance values. The hopane 22S/(22S + 22R), moretane/hopane ratio and sterane parameters are also in good agreement with these thermal maturity assessments. The predominance of odd carbons over even carbons (most common) and/or even carbons over odd carbon numbered n-alkanes, moderate Pr/Ph ratio, low to high Tm/Ts ratio, comparative abundance of sterane C₂₉ (i.e., C₂₉ >C₂₇>C₂₈), Pr/nC₁₇ — Ph/nC₁₈ values, C/S ratio and dominance of vitrinite macerals group with the presence of liptinite macerals demonstrate that the organic matter has derived mainly from terrestrial inputs with an insignificant contribution from the marine sources. The condition of deposition alternates from oxic to anoxic.     

Wormholes supported by two non-interacting fluids

We provide a new matter source that supplies fuel to construct wormhole spacetime. The exact wormhole solutions are found in the model having, besides real matter, an anisotropic dark energy. We have shown that the exotic matters that are the necessary ingredients for wormhole physics violate null and weak energy conditions but obey strong energy condition marginally. Though the wormhole comprises of exotic matters yet the effective mass remains positive. We have calculated the effective mass of the wormhole up to 8 km from the throat (assuming throat radius as 4 km) as 1.3559M _⊙. Some physical features are briefly discussed.