Search Results (3)

Preventing the rebound of black and odorous water bodies is critical for improving the ecological environment of water bodies. This study examined the effect and underlying mechanism of in-situ improvement of the sediment microenvironment by nitrate in the tailwater of wastewater treatment plants combined with aerobic denitrifying bacteria under low-DO regulation (TailN + CFM + LDO). On the 60th day of remediation, the levels of dissolved oxygen and oxidation–reduction potential in the overlying water rose to 5.6 mg/L and 300 mV, respectively, the concentration of acid volatile sulfide within the sediment significantly decreased by 70.4%, and the organic matter content in the sediment was reduced by 62.7%, in which the heavy fraction organic matter was degraded from 105 g/kg to 56 g/kg, and the potential risk of water reverting to black and odorous conditions significantly decreased. Amplicon sequencing analysis revealed that the relative abundance of the electroactive bacteria Thiobacillus and Pseudomonas with denitrification capacity was found to be significantly higher in the TailN + CFM + LDO group than in the other remediation groups. Functional prediction of the 16S sequencing results indicated that both the quantity and activity of critical microbial enzymes involved in nitrification and denitrification processes could be enhanced in the TailN + CFM + LDO group. These results improved our understanding of the improvement of the sediment microenvironment and could thus facilitate its application. Full article

Over the years, Bucharest’s Henri Coandă International Airport has registered a constant and high increase in air traffic, in terms of both passengers and aircraft movements. This paper presents a traffic diversion solution for the Otopeni RO airport, which aims to alleviate air traffic congestion by redirecting a proportion of the planes to the nearby airport at Băneasa. The primary challenge faced by diversion to Băneasa Airport is the proximity of residential areas to the runway at distances of less than 300 m, resulting in significant noise pollution issues. At Otopeni Airport, the main operators use aircraft equipped with CFM 56 turbo engines; therefore, this study begins with an evaluation of the noise directivity of a CFM aircraft engine via measurement. The data thus collected enabled the identification of the dominant frequencies in the acoustic spectrum of the engine noise. A resonant screen solution has been proposed as a solution for Băneasa Airport, emphasizing the importance of implementing solutions to address the noise pollution faced by those living near Băneasa Airport, due to its proximity to the residential area. Various configurations of perforated metal sheets with different perforation patterns were compared to the test performance of solid sheets to optimize noise absorption. Using the impedance tube tests to achieve the highest absorption coefficient, it was determined that the optimal distance between the perforated metal sheets and the resonant screen was 30 mm. Based on the CFM 56 turbo engine noise directivity and the impedance tube tests, a multitude of numerical simulations were conducted using the IMMI software (IMMI 2011). The simulations were performed for two scenarios with and without an acoustic barrier, accounting for the typical configuration of two engines on an aircraft. The results indicate a reduction of 15 dBA with the implementation of a 4-m-high acoustic barrier, in the case of a CFM 56 engine operating at full throttle while the aircraft is on the ground. Through numerical simulations, the optimized resonant screen demonstrated its potential to significantly reduce noise levels, thereby enhancing the overall acoustic environment and quality of life for the communities surrounding Băneasa Airport. The identified findings could serve as a basis for further research and the implementation of innovative solutions to manage air traffic and reduce the impact of aircraft noise in surrounding areas. Full article

The hydraulic fracturing technique remains essential to unlock fossil fuel from shale oil reservoirs. However, water imbibed by shale during hydraulic fracturing triggers environmental and technical challenges due to the low flowback water recovery. While it appears that the imbibition of fracturing fluid is a complex function of physico-chemical processes in particular capillary force which is associated with wettability of oil-brine-shale, the controlling factor(s) to govern the wettability is incomplete and the literature data in this context is missing. We thus measured the adsorption/desorption of asphaltenes on silica surface in the presence of brines using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D). We detected zeta potential of asphaltene-brine and brine-silica systems and calculated the disjoining pressures of the asphaltene-brine-silica system in the case of different salinity. Moreover, we performed a geochemical study to quantify the variation of surface chemical species at asphaltene and silica surfaces with different pH values and used the chemical force microscope (CFM) method to quantify the effect of pH on intermolecular forces. Our results show that lowering salinity or raising pH reduced the adhesion force between asphaltene and silica surface. For example, at a pH value of 6.5, when the concentration of injected water is reduced from 1000 mM to 100 mM and 10 mM, the adhesion force decreased by approximately 58% and 66%, respectively. In addition, for the 100 mM NaCl solution, when the pH value increased from 4.5 to 6.5 and 9, the adhesion force decreased by approximately 56% and 87%, respectively. Decreased adhesion forces between asphaltene and the silica surface could promote the desorption of asphaltene from the silica surface, resulting in a negative zeta potential for both asphaltene-silica and brine-silica interfaces and a shift of wettability towards water-wet characteristic. During such a process, -NH⁺ number at asphaltene surfaces decreases and the bonds between -NH⁺ and >SiO⁻ break down, to further interpret the formation of a thinner asphaltene adlayer on the rock surface. This study proposes a reliable theoretical basis for the application of hydraulic fracturing technology, and a facile and possible manipulation strategy to increase flowback water from unconventional reservoirs. Full article