Search results for " Salinity"

The end of the Messinian Salinity Crisis in the western Mediterranean: insights from the carbonate platforms of south-eastern Spain.

2010

International audience; How the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC) ended is still a matter of intense debate. The Terminal Carbonate Complex (TCC) is a late Messinian carbonate platform system that recorded western Mediterranean hydrological changes from the final stages of evaporite deposition till the advent of Lago-Mare fresh- to brackish water conditions at the very end of Messinian times. A multidisciplinary study has been carried out in three localities in south-eastern Spain to reconstruct the history of TCC platforms and elucidate their significance in the MSC. Overall, this study provides evidence that the TCC formed following a regional 4th order water level rise and fall concomitant…

Membrane bioreactors for treatment of saline wastewater contaminated by hydrocarbons (diesel fuel): An experimental pilot plant case study

2016

Abstract The paper reports the main results of an experimental campaign performed on a membrane bioreactor pilot plant designed to treat synthetic shipboard slops. The experimental campaign was divided into two phases: salinity acclimation up to 20 g NaCl L −1 (Phase I) and hydrocarbon (diesel fuel) dosing (Phase II). The observed results show that the carbon removal was not severely affected by the wastewater features. Conversely, respirometric tests showed that nitrification was strongly affected by the salinity (33% of nitrification efficiency at 20 g NaCl L −1 – Phase I) as a result of the salinity in the autotrophic biomass. Moreover, the sludge viscosity increased during Phase II due …

Sequential batch membrane bio-reactor for wastewater treatment: The effect of increased salinity

2016

In this work, a sequential batch membrane bioreactor pilot plant is investigated to analyze the effect of a gradual increase in salinity on carbon and nutrient removal, membrane fouling and biomass kinetic parameters. The salinity was increased by 2 g NaCl L-1 per week up to 10 g NaCl L-1. The total COD removal efficiency was quite high (93%) throughout the experiment. A gradual biomass acclimation to the salinity level was observed during the experiment, highlighting the good recovery capabilities of the system. Nitrification was also influenced by the increase in salinity, with a slight decrease in nitrification efficiency (the lowest value was obtained at 10 g NaCl L-1 due to lower nitri…

Reconstruction of the paleoenvironmental changes around the Messinian-Pliocene boundary along a W-E transect across the Mediterranean

2004

Clastic vs. primary precipitated evaporites in the Messinian Sicilian basins

2006

Characterization of pressure retarded osmosis lab-scale systems

2016

Power generation from salinity gradient is a viable alternative to produce energy from renewable sources. Pressure Retarded Osmosis (PRO) is one of the technologies proposed so far for the exploitation of such energy source. In the present preliminary work, two different geometry modules were tested under atmospheric pressure (i.e. forward osmosis or depressurized-PRO conditions). The first one is a conventional planar geometry cell. The second is a customized cylindrical membrane module, able to mechanically support the osmotic membrane along with the spacers. The latter, thanks to its design, allows membranes and spacers to be easily changed for testing purposes. A novel simplified proced…

Root vacuolar sequestration and suberization are prominent responses of Pistacia spp. rootstocks during salinity stress

2021

Abstract Understanding the mechanisms of stress tolerance in diverse species is needed to enhance crop performance under conditions such as high salinity. Plant roots, in particular in grafted agricultural crops, can function as a boundary against external stresses in order to maintain plant fitness. However, limited information exists for salinity stress responses of woody species and their rootstocks. Pistachio (Pistacia spp.) is a tree nut crop with relatively high salinity tolerance as well as high genetic heterogeneity. In this study, we used a microscopy‐based approach to investigate the cellular and structural responses to salinity stress in the roots of two pistachio rootstocks, Pis…

Cathodic abatement of Cr(VI) in water by microbial reverse-electrodialysis cells

2015

Abstract For the first time a microbial reverse electrodialysis cell (MRC) was used for the treatment of water contaminated by Cr(VI). It has been recently shown that both inorganic and organic pollutants can be removed by reverse electrodialysis processes (RED) using water with different salinity without the supply of electric energy. However, a high number of membrane pairs is usually necessary for the treatment of wastewater by RED. Here, it was showed that a lower number of membranes can be used by the utilization of a MRC (i.e., a RED cell with a biotic anode) for such purposes. Indeed, the abatement of Cr(VI), chosen as model pollutant, was successfully achieved by cathodic reduction …

Effect of deicing salts on urban soils and health status of roadside trees in the Opole region.

2004

This article reports on a study whose aim was to evaluate the impact of snow removal salts on urban soil properties and the health of roadside trees. The evaluation was done by chemical analyses of soil samples and plant matter combined with toxicity testing, performed with a Protoxkit F, a protozoan microbiotest. Samples were collected at 45 locations on three main roads in the town of Opole (Poland). The roads differed in the snow removal technology and amount of chemical substances (mostly NaCI) used on them during the winter. The study showed that when soil was exposed to a high level of NaCI, it tended to be more alkaline and also exhibited increased content of Na + and Cl - . The toxi…

Comparison between two MBR pilot plants treating synthetic shipboard slops: effect of salinity increase on biological performance, biomass activity a…

2017

The paper reports the main results of an experimental campaign carried out on two bench scale pilot plants for the treatment of synthetic shipboard slops. In particular, two membrane bioreactors (MBRs) with submerged configuration were analyzed. One MBR pilot plant (namely, Line A) was fed with synthetic shipboard slop and was subjected to a gradual increase of salinity. Conversely, the second MBR pilot plant (namely, Line B) was fed with the same synthetic shipboard slop but without salt addition, therefore operating as a “control” unit. Organic carbon, hydrocarbons and ammonium removal, kinetic constants, extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) production and membranes fouling rates…