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At least 721 records · Page 40

Use of ERTS-1 DCS in the management and control of water resources systems

The ERTS-1 experimental hydrologic Data Collection Platform System that has been established at the New England Division (NED), the reasons for getting involved with the experiment, some of the initial problems associated with the data collection hardware, and a preliminary conclusion based on operating experiences are reviewed. The New England Region includes the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. The entire area consists of approximately 97,000 sq. km. (60,000 square miles), half of which is in the state of Maine. The limits of the NED are all of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont to the western limits of the Connecticut River basin, Massachusetts, Connecticut to the western edge of the Housatonic River basin and Rhode Island. All reservoirs have flood control as a primary purpose. Other uses include water supply, recreation and low flow augmentation. However, none of the reservoirs are presently operated for hydroelectric power, navigation, or irrigation purposes. Basically then, flood control regulation is NED's primary concern.

Finegan, J. W., Jr.↗

In-situ subaqueous capping of mercury-contaminated sediments in a fresh-water aquatic system, Part II-evaluation of sorption materials

The function and longevity of traditional, passive, isolation caps can be augmented through the use of more chemically active capping materials which have higher sorptive capacities, ideally rendering metals non-bioavailable. In the case of Hg, active caps also mitigate the rate and extent of methylation. This research examined low cost, readily available, capping materials for their ability to sequester Hg and MeHg. Furthermore, selected capping materials were evaluated to inhibit the methylation of Hg in an incubation study as well as the capacity of a selected capping material to inhibit translocation of Hg and MeHg with respect to ebullition-facilitated contaminant transport in a column study. Results indicated that bauxite had a better capacity for mercury sorption than the other test materials. However, bauxite as well as soil capping materials did not decrease methylation to a significant extent. Materials with larger surface areas, higher organic matter and acid volatile sulfide (AVS) content displayed a larger partitioning coefficient. In the incubation experiments, the presence of a carbon source (lactate), electron acceptor (sulfate) and the appropriate strains of SRB provided the necessary conditions for Hg methylation to occur. The column study showed effectiveness in sequestering Hg and MeHg and retarding transport to the overlying water column; however, disturbances to the soil capping material resulting from gas ebullition negated its effectiveness.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

In-situ subaqueous capping of mercury-contaminated sediments in a fresh-water aquatic system, Part I—Bench-scale microcosm study to assess methylmercury production

Bench-scale microcosm experiments were designed to provide a better understanding of the potential for Hg methylation in sediments from an aquatic environment. Experiments were conducted to examine the function of sulfate concentration, lactate concentration, the presence/absence of an aqueous inorganic Hg spike, and the presence/absence of inoculums of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans, a strain of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) commonly found in the natural sediments of aquatic environments. Incubations were analyzed for both the rate and extent of (methylmercury) MeHg production. Methylation rates were estimated by analyzing MeHg and Hg after 2, 7, 14, 28, and 42 days. The production of metabolic byproducts, including dissolved gases as a proxy for metabolic utilization of carbon substrate, was also monitored. In all treatments amended with lactate, sulfate, Hg, and SRB, MeHg was produced (37 ng/g-sediment dry weight) after only 48 h of incubation and reached a maximum sediment concentration of 127 ng/g-sediment dry weight after the 42 day incubation period. Aqueous phase production of MeHg was observed to be 10 ng/L after 2 day, reaching a maximum observed concentration of 32.8 ng/L after 14 days, and declining to 10.8 ng/L at the end of the incubation period (42 day). The results of this study further demonstrates that, in the presence of an organic carbon substrate, sulfate, and the appropriate consortia of microorganisms, sedimentary Hg will be transformed into MeHg through bacterial metabolism. Further, this study provided the basis for evaluation of an in-situ subaqueous capping strategy that may limit (or potentially enhance) MeHg production. -- Highlights: • Hg methylation by SRB is limited by the depletion of sulfate and carbon. • Hg methylation is sensitive to competition by methanogens for carbon substrate. • In high lactate environment, all lactate was utilized in the microcosms within seven days. • In the absence of adequate metabolic fuel, MeHg levels decreased on the time scale of days to weeks. • Capping materials should sequester MeHg produced and not contribute to the production of MeHg.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Perspective: Interfacial materials at the interface of energy and water

Energy and water are deeply interconnected, and each sector is both central to society and under increasing stress. Innovations in materials will be a powerful tool in efforts to overcome these challenges by providing sustainable solutions to treating water and rendering it fit-for-purpose with minimal expenditure of energy and other resources. Interfaces between components of water systems and the water-based fluids themselves govern the performance of the vast majority of water treatment and conveyance processes. This work examines many of these interfaces, ranging from those in sorbents and sensors to membranes and catalysts, and surveys opportunities for scientists and engineers to reveal new insights into their function and, thereby, to design novel technologies for next-generation solutions to our collective energy-water challenges.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗