Search results for "Earth"
showing 10 items of 12204 documents
A method for reclaiming nutrients from aquacultural waste for use in soilless growth systems
2020
Abstract The aim of this work was to develop a method that allows the recovery of nutrients from aquaculture sludge, not only to alleviate the disposal problem, but also to address the future scarcity of non-renewable fertilizers. This method includes two steps: Nutrient mobilization using aerobic digestion followed by solids precipitation using chitosan as the flocculant. The aerobic digestion experiments were conducted in aerated batch reactors, while a jar test apparatus was used to assess the capacity of chitosan to remove total suspended solids (TSS) and turbidity. During aerobic digestion, the concentration of soluble N (sum of NH4-N, NO2-N, NO3-N) increased from 181 mg/L at the start…
Exploring relationships between grid cell size and accuracy for debris-flow susceptibility models: a test in the Giampilieri catchment (Sicily, Italy)
2016
Debris flows are among the most hazardous phenomena in nature, requiring the preparation of suscep- tibility models in order to cope with this severe threat. The aim of this research was to verify whether a grid cell-based susceptibility model was capable of predicting the debris- flow initiation sites in the Giampilieri catchment (10 km2), which was hit by a storm on the 1st October 2009, resulting in more than one thousand landslides. This kind of event is to be considered as recurrent in the area as attested by historical data. Therefore, predictive models have been prepared by using forward stepwise binary logistic regression (BLR), a landslide inventory and a set of geo- environmental …
The role of social perception in disaster risk reduction: Beliefs, perception, and attitudes regarding flood disasters in communities along the Volta…
2017
Abstract People's perceptions of natural, spiritual, and social phenomena are socially constructed. Social perception is important because it helps people to make sense of the physical and social world and therein interact with it. Earlier research specializing in the study of human behaviour has emphasized a linkage between people's perceptions and their behaviour. In this article, the authors employ a similar theory with the intent of proposing a theoretical framework that examines the factors that influence people's perception and attitude (mitigation and response) towards the hazards they face. This discussion is done on the premise of “culture”, “experiences” and “disaster risk reducti…
2018
Abstract Disaster diplomacy investigates how and why disaster-related activities do and do not influence conflict and cooperation. Studies into the topic so far have tended to develop the theory, analyse a specific case study in space and time, or connect both. Explorations of disaster diplomacy case studies over the long-term are so far absent from the literature. This paper explores Jammu and Kashmir in the Himalaya as a long-term case study for disaster diplomacy. Jammu and Kashmir has a long history of conflicts, multiple environmental hazards, and significant vulnerabilities yielding major disasters, with each topic generally addressed separately in the literature. This paper explores …
Helices of disaster memory: How forgetting and remembering influence tropical cyclone response in Mauritius
2020
Abstract Tropical cyclones have had a considerable impact on Mauritius. Large cyclones are relatively rare, and in popular imagination are thought to hit Mauritius every 15 years. Yet it has been over 25 years since the last cyclone widely considered as ‘significant’. Critically, there is little known about the role of memory in responses to cyclones and details regarding responses to past cyclones in Mauritian history are scant. This article examines past experiences and impacts of cyclones in Mauritius, as well as contemporary perceptions of cyclone vulnerability and memories of historical cyclones. The analysis draws on both community interviews and archival research conducted in Mauriti…
The application of electroanalytical methods to determine affinity series of metal cations for functional biosorbent groups
2018
Abstract The affinity of the selected heavy metal cations: Mn 2 + , Ni 2 + , Cu 2 + , Zn 2 + , Cd 2 + , Pb 2 + and Na + , K + , Mg 2 + , Ca 2 + was determined for the functional groups located on the surface of leached barley middlings, so called Brewer's spent grain (BSG) – a by-product of the brewing industry. A simple method for determining the affinity series, with the use of a conductivity meter and a pH-meter, was described. It was demonstrated that the affinity of cations for the functional groups located on the surface of the BSG increases in the series: Na + + 2 + 2 + ≈ Zn 2 + 2 + ≈ Ca 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + , and the series was determined by comparing concentrations expressed in gram e…
A scenario-based assessment of the tsunami hazard in Palermo, northern Sicily, and the southern Tyrrhenian Sea
2020
Selection of time windows in the horizontal-to-vertical noise spectral ratio by means of cluster analysis
2016
The selection of the elementary analysis windows in continuous noise recordings for optimal estimation of the mean horizontal‐to‐vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) curve is generally performed by visual inspection of HVSR curves considered as functions of time. Starting from full‐length records, HVSR curves are determined in consecutive time windows of appropriate lengths. Time windows with HVSR curves that are anomalous on the basis of a simple visual inspection are generally ignored in the computation of the average HVSR curve. It is often very difficult to optimize the selection of time windows to be used for the calculation of the HVSR curve representative of a site. The use of nonobjective…
Evaluation of Glyphosate Ecotoxicity and Biodegradability in the Municipal Wastewaters
2018
Glyphosate (G) is a broad-spectrum systemic organophosphate herbicide being widely used to control weeds in agricultural fields and urban areas. Its safety for both human health and aquatic biomes is a subject of wide debate. This study was aimed at evaluating the removal efficiency and ecotoxicity of G based herbicide (GBH) Klinik® (Nufarm, Austria) added to the raw municipal wastewater (WW) in a lab-scale model column system. The effect of oxide ceramics as a filtering medium (treatment „B”), as well as activated sludge and nutrients (treatment „C”) was compared with the control columns, which contained only WW (treatment „A”). After 72h treatment of WW spiked with 100 mg/L G, the lowest …
Evaluation of Sewage Sludge for Further Nutrient Conservation
2020
Conversion of organic-containing sludges to a high value fertilizer is considered to be a rational solution from a recycling point of view. Aerobic respiration could serve as an indicator of stability and maturity of the treated sewage sludge (SS). The aim of this study was to characterize two SS samples, obtained from different wastewater treatment plants („D” and „J”), i.e, at the initial stage of treatment, alone and with amendments. Two methods for estimation of microbial respiration, as well as dehydrogenase activity were used. The SS-J demonstrated the higher microbial biodegradation activity, as compared to SS-D. In experiments with OxiTop® device, statistically significant (p<0.0…