Search results for "Science and technology"
showing 10 items of 1592 documents
Analysis of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Their Oxygen-Containing Derivatives and Metabolites in Soils
2010
Although polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been extensively studied, the knowledge of their oxygen-containing derivatives and metabolites (OPAHs) in soils is limited. We modified and tested an existing analytical protocol involving pressurized liquid extraction of soil followed by fractionation of target compounds into PAHs and OPAHs on a silica gel column and gas chromatography/ mass spectrometry-based separation and quantification. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and carbonyl-OPAHs were quantified directly after separation on silica gel columns, and hydroxyl/carboxyl-OPAHs were quantified after silylation with N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide. Recoveries between 78 an…
The PAH composition of surface sediments from Stagnone coastal lagoon, Marsala (Italy)
2006
Abstract This paper examines the presence, distribution, nature and sources of 22 Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are important environmentally and toxicologically, in sediments from the Stagnone coastal lagoon at Marsala (Italy). Analysis was performed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) with selected ion monitoring (SIM). The total concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons ranged from 72 to 18381 μg/kg of dry matrix. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of the replicates on the concentrations of individual compounds ranged from 5% to 20%. The accuracy of method was estimated by analyzing “blank” samples added of known quantities of analytes and the recover percent…
Combined proton NMR wideline and NMR relaxometry to study SOM-water interactions of cation-treated soils
2013
Abstract Focusing on the idea that multivalent cations affect SOM matrix and surface, we treated peat and soil samples by solutions of NaCl, CaCl2 or AlCl3. Water binding was characterized with low field 1H-NMR-relaxometry (20 MHz) and 1H wideline NMR spectroscopy (400 MHz) and compared to contact angles. From 1H wideline, we distinguished mobile water and water involved in water molecule bridges (WaMB). Large part of cation bridges (CaB) between SOM functional groups are associated with WaMB. Unexpectedly, 1H NMRrelaxometry relaxation rates suggest that cross-linking in the Al-containing peat is not stronger than that by Ca. The relation between percentage of mobile water and WaMB water in…
Development of a new peat-based oil sorbent using peat pyrolysis
2013
The growing use and transport of crude oil and oil products has led to increasing numbers of oil spillages of various scales. Oil sorbents have been extensively used for remediation of the consequences of such accidents. The aim of this study is to investigate the possible use of peat and its thermal treatment products for oil sorption. Peat as an oil sorbent has poor buoyancy characteristics, relatively low oil sorption capacity and low hydrophobicity. However, thermal treatment (low-temperature pyrolysis and synthesis of peat-based activated coal) helps to significantly improve its sorptive characteristics. Peat is a potential material for oil sorption because it has such advantages as lo…
X-ray diffraction line-broadening study on two vibrating, dry-milling procedures in kaolinites
2009
Due to the great technological importance of the microstructure of kaolinite, characterizing its evolution during dry milling of kaolin and analyzing the microstructural information obtained from different methods were the main aims of this work. The microstructural alteration of kaolinite is evaluated by X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy methods, comparing the results obtained and analyzing the correlations between them. The Warren-Averbach and Voigt-function methods of X-ray diffraction microstructural analysis have been applied successfully to the study of the effects of two different, vibrating-cup dry-milling configurations in the microstructure of kaolinite from the reflection…
X-ray diffraction line broadening on vibrating dry-milled Two Crows sepiolite
2006
A reference sample of sepiolite and products of its comminution by vibrating dry-milling have been studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) line-broadening analysis, complementary field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images and surface area measurements. The apparent crystallite sizes determined via XRD are in agreement with observations on FESEM images. The sepiolite aggregates consist of lath-shaped agglutinations of prisms and pinacoids elongated along [001], each lath including several crystallites in that direction. The surface area magnitudes are in the range of previous experimental measurements of other sepiolites. The results obtained show the effectiveness of vibro-mil…
Diffuse UV erythemal radiation experimental values
2007
[1] Measurements of diffuse UV erythemal radiation (UVER) using a shadowband have been corrected using the models proposed by Drummond (1956), LeBaron et al. (1990), and Batlles et al. (1995). Two different methods were used to validate these models: intercomparison with an Optronic OL754 spectroradiometer and comparison with the values simulated by two radiative transfer codes, SMARTS and SBDART. For this comparison only clear days have been used. The corrected experimental values were analyzed in order to study the average values of the diffuse UVER fraction in relation to the clearness index kt. These varied between 62%, for kt close to 0.8, and 93% for kt of 0.2–0.3. Finally, a study of…
ASSESMENT OF TEMPERATURE POLARIZATION IN MEMBRANE DISTILLATION CHANNELS BY LIQUID CRYSTAL THERMOGRAPHY
2014
AbstractThe measurement of local temperature distributions within a membrane distillation (MD) channel is a crucial step for the optimization of the channel and spacer geometry. This information allows the estimation of temperature polarization phenomena, which can dramatically influence the thermal efficiency of the process and the optimal choice of the geometric configuration (net spacer features, channel size, etc.). In the present work, a recently presented experimental technique, based on the use of thermochromic liquid crystals and digital image analysis, has been employed in order to assess the temperature polarization phenomena. The local heat transfer coefficient distribution on th…
Testing the USLE-M family of models at the Sparacia experimental site in south Italy
2017
The modified Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE-M) was empirically deduced by a statistical analysis of the original data set of soil loss measurements used to derive the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE). The USLE-M, including the effect of runoffin the event rainfall-runofferosivity factor, is characterized by a better capacity to predict event soil loss. At first, in this paper, using the soil erosion representative variables of USLE-M and the reference condition adopted in the USLE, the dimensional analysis and the self-similarity theory are applied to theoretically deduce a multiplicative equation similar to the USLE-M. Then using the database of the Sparacia experimental site, the a…
Evaluating the Effects of Sediment Transport on Pipe Flow Resistance
2021
In this paper, the applicability of a theoretical flow resistance law to sediment-laden flow in pipes is tested. At first, the incomplete self-similarity (ISS) theory is applied to deduce the velocity profile and the corresponding flow resistance law. Then the available database of measurements carried out by clear water and sediment-laden flows with sediments having a quasi-uniform sediment size and three different values of the mean particle diameter Dm (0.88 mm, 0.41 mm and 0.30 mm) are used to calibrate the Γ parameter of the power-velocity profile. The fitting of the measured local velocity to the power distribution demonstrates that (i) for clear flow the exponent δ can be estimated b…