Search results for " Groundwater"
showing 10 items of 37 documents
Metal Oxides for Removal of Arsenic Contaminants from Water
2021
Arsenic (As), one of the highest harmful pollutants found in drinking/groundwater, is owing to have unfavourable impacts, for example, skin disease, on human health. The new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) assigned the maximum contaminations of arsenic in groundwater is 10μg/L, and several drinking water plants are needing extra treatment to accomplish this standard. In recent years, several researchers have been attempting to discover practical and expendable adsorbents for some water filtration systems that are utilized in many arsenic endemic territories. Metal oxide-based adsorbents had been proved to be the best strategies for arsenic expulsion/removal. This chapter reviews the r…
Effect of solid waste landfill organic pollutants on groundwater in three areas of Sicily (Italy) characterized by different vulnerability
2017
The aim of this study was to obtain information on the presence and levels of hazardous organic pollutants in groundwater located close to solid waste landfills. Eighty-two environmental contaminants, including 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 20 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), 29 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 7 dioxins (polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, PCDDs) and 10 furans (polychlorinated dibenzofurans, PCDFs) were monitored in areas characterised by different geological environments surrounding three municipal solid waste landfills (Palermo, Siculiana and Ragusa) in Sicily (Italy) in three sampling campaigns. The total concentrations of the 16 PAHs were always below t…
Submarine groundwater discharge investigations in Sicilian and Brazilian coastal waters using an underwater gamma-ray spectrometer
2006
Abstract Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) in coastal zones was monitored using in situ underwater gamma-ray spectrometry of radon decay products ( 214 Bi). Several sites were visited during the IAEA'2002 expedition to south-eastern Sicily, where SGD variations were observed in the Donnalucata boat basin. The continuous monitoring carried out for 3 days at the site closest to the coast revealed an anticorrelation dependence of 222 Rn concentration with tide and salinity. The 222 Rn activity concentrations in seawater varied from 2.3 kBq m −3 (during high tides) to 4.8 kBq m −3 (during low tides). In situ gamma-ray spectrometric measurements were also carried out during the IAEA–UNESCO'2…
Distribution of Volatile Organic Compounds in Sicilian groundwaters analysed by Head Space Solid Phase Micro Extraction coupled with Gas Chromatograp…
2008
This work presents the results of an assessment of the existence and concentration of 13 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in groundwaters from 14 hydrological basins in Sicily (25,710 km2). On the basis of hydrological, hydrogeochemical and geological studies, 324 sampling points were selected. All groundwater sampled were collected twice, from October to December 2004 and from February to May 2005, and were analysed to determine the concentration and spatial distribution of the VOCs in the aquifers. The need to analyze a large number of samples in a short space of time so as to obtain quantitative analyses in trace concentration levels spurred us to create a new analytical method, both si…
Uso del nocciolino di oliva come materiale di riempimento di biotrincee per la denitrificazione biologica in situ di acque di falda
2016
Tra le varie possibilità di intervento per la rimozione dei nitrati dalle acque di falda, notevole interesse suscita il trattamento in situ dei plume contaminati mediante la realizzazione di biotrincee denitrificanti scavate in situ e naturalmente attraversate dalle acque di falda. Tra i materiali di origine organica che sono stati testati per tali applicazioni, il nocciolino di olive è risultato uno dei più idonei alle potenziali applicazioni di pieno campo. Tale tipo di materiale possiede un elevato contenuto di carbonio organico totale, prossimo al 50%, e una percentuale di lignina prossima al 45% in peso. Il lavoro proposto riporta i risultati di una campagna sperimentale eseguita media…
La denitrificazione biologica delle acque di falda: studio di tre differenti substrati organici
2015
L’uso massiccio di fertilizzanti contenenti azoto è causa dei fenomeni di inquinamento diffuso delle acque di falda. In tale ottica, notevole interesse hanno recentemente riscosso i trattamenti biologici in situ, in grado di promuovere la denitrificazione delle acque di falda mediante la realizzazione di interventi che coniugano efficacia di rimozione e costi relativamente contenuti. Nella nota si riportano i risultati di una ricerca sul processo di denitrificazione eterotrofa, condotta utilizzando come fonte di carbonio tre materiali convenzionalmente considerati di scarto: corteccia di pino, sughero e sansa di olive. Lo studio è stato suddiviso in due fasi: la prima condotta in modalità b…
Exposure assessment of a burning ground for chemical ammunition on the Great War battlefields of Verdun
2007
The destruction of arsenical shells from the 1914/18 war in the vicinity of Verdun (France) during the 1920s resulted in a locally limited but severe soil contamination by arsenic and heavy metals. At the study site, the main part of the contaminant inventory occurs in the upper 20 cm of the topsoil which is essentially composed of combustion residues. Besides, some Cu (cmax.=16,877 mg/kg) and Pb (cmax.=26,398 mg/kg) in this layer, As (cmax.=175,907 mg/kg) and Zn (cmax.=133,237 mg/kg) were detected in very high concentrations. The mobilities of Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn in the soil system were derived from ammonium nitrate eluates. They are strongly influenced by the soil pH and can be described by…
Helium isotopes distribution in groundwater and thermal waters of Tunisia: relationship to tectonics and geology
2008
DEEP RESERVOIR TEMPERATURES OF LOW-ENTHALPY GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS IN TUNISIA: NEW CONSTRAINTS FROM CHEMISTRY OF THERMAL WATERS
2012
Tunisia is characterized by hot and warm groundwaters (temperature up to 75 °C) which represent the surface manifestation of geothermal systems hosted in carbonate-evaporite rock sequences. The T-conditions of Tunisia deep thermal reservoirs are here evaluated for the first time at the regional scale. The results here shown clearly highlight the limitations inherent in the application of common geothermometric methods in the estimation of equilibrium temperatures in sedimentary environments. The modeling approach proposed by Chiodini et alii (1995), which makes use of the ratios between dissolved HCO3, SO4 and F, provides the most reliable results, and allows us to derive equilibrium temper…
Regional variations in the chemical and helium–carbon isotope composition of geothermal fluids across Tunisia
2011
Abstract Tunisia has numerous thermo-mineral springs. Previous studies have shown that their chemical composition and occurrence are strongly influenced by the regional geology. However little work has been done so far to study the isotopic composition of volatiles associated with these geothermal manifestations. Here, we report on the results of an extensive survey of both natural hot springs and production wells across Tunisia, aimed at investigating the spatial distribution of thermal fluids' geochemical characteristics and He–C isotopic composition. The chemistry of the analyzed samples highlights the heterogeneity of the water mineralization processes in Tunisia, as a consequence of th…