Environmental Engineering
I. Alazzam; K. Shatanawi; R. Al-Weshah
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Jordan is among the most water-scarce countries in the world. The scarcity of water resources in Jordan is driving the development and advances of non-conventional water techniques that enable integrated management of water resources in addressing water scarcity challenges ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Jordan is among the most water-scarce countries in the world. The scarcity of water resources in Jordan is driving the development and advances of non-conventional water techniques that enable integrated management of water resources in addressing water scarcity challenges and promoting sustainable water use. Water harvesting of rainwater and fog techniques is one of the viable solutions to mitigate the water scarcity effects in Jordan. This study aimed to evaluate the quantity of rainwater and fog collected through the utilization of solar panels, while also conducting a feasibility analysis on the economic and environmental aspects of employing solar panels for rainwater and fog harvesting in a solar farm situated in Jordan.METHODS: In the present study, an in-situ experiment is conducted to investigate rainwater and fog harvesting from solar panels' surfaces that are widely spread in Jordan. The solar farm situated in Hai Al Sahabah, south of Amman, Jordan, incorporates an experimental arrangement that involves the installation of gutters, pipes, and water tanks beneath two solar panel samples. These panels have a total area of 4 square meters and will be monitored for a duration of 60 days.FINDING: The results of the experiment show that the total quantity of the harvested rainwater using two solar panels was 444 liters ranging from 0.8 liters per day to 117.66 liters per day, and the total harvested fog quantity was 28 liters ranging from 0.25 liters per day to 9.75 liters per day. The multilinear regression technique was employed to establish a correlation between the amount of harvested water and the crucial factors of wind direction, wind speed, relative humidity, and temperature at the solar farm. The analysis of the findings revealed a significant relationship between these variables. These relationships can be generalized to provide an estimation for the quantity of rainwater and fog harvesting in other locations. The quantity of harvested rainwater was primarily influenced by wind speed and direction, the quantity of harvested fog was mainly affected by relative humidity and temperature. The current study aims to analyze and deliberate on the collected amounts of water obtained through rainwater and fog harvesting from solar panels. The viability of implementing the method of rainwater and fog harvesting from solar panels will be examined in terms of economic and environmental factors.CONCLUSIONS: The quantity of rainwater gathered in this research with just two solar panels shows great potential for widespread use as a supplementary water supply. This method of rainwater and fog harvesting can be effectively applied to solar power plants which are widely spread in Jordan for use in solar panel cleaning, agriculture, groundwater recharge, and reducing stormwater discharge to assess and manage the risk of environmental damage. Rainwater and fog harvesting systems offer a higher level of efficiency and cost-effectiveness compared to other methods, especially when seamlessly integrated into the infrastructure of solar power plants. The benefits of solar panels by producing clean energy are not negotiable but combining energy production with water harvesting in solar power plants would offer even more advantages in enhancing the global environmental situation.
Environmental Engineering
J. Nesiba; R. Cuhlova
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This paper focuses on the development of Czech laws of water resource protection. The presented research examines the statistical data of the number and type of legislative acts concerning to water protection issued in the Czech Republic during the period 1990-2019. Several ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This paper focuses on the development of Czech laws of water resource protection. The presented research examines the statistical data of the number and type of legislative acts concerning to water protection issued in the Czech Republic during the period 1990-2019. Several types of legislative acts are followed in administrative law and statistically compared by the development in time and its type. The survey focuses on general water protection acts, water sewage management, agriculture sector, hygiene standards, and the protection of the basins of Czech rivers (e.g., blue water and gray water).METHODS: The analysis firstly concerns to the development of the number of legislative acts during 1990-2019 and secondly discusses a diversification of the legislative acts types (laws, decrees, resolutions, regulations, and strategic plans). A total of 12,272 legislative acts is analyzed during three phases of Czech modern history: 1990-1992 (Czechoslovakia), 1993-2003 (Czech Republic before its accession to the European Union), and 2004-2019 (Czech Republic in the European Union).FINDINGS: Statistical elaboration of legislative acts proves that it is possible to determine different types of water management over time. Protection of water resource management in the Czech Republic was forming from crisis management (1990-1992), via operational management (1993-2003) to strategic management (2004-2019). Current trends after 2020 show a new trend towards integral management.CONCLUSION: Findings provide better understanding of changeable importance of water protection and management attitudes in the Czech Republic in reaction to the development of society.
Environmental Science
L.S. Vanzela; D.C. Pereira; L.D.S.C. Lima; K.U. Khan; C.F.M. Mansano
Abstract
Floating platforms at the hydropower plant reservoirs are attractive sites for aquaculture, fishing and other recreational activities. However, the unregulated construction of these platforms may negatively affect the fauna, flora and water quality of reservoirs. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the ...
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Floating platforms at the hydropower plant reservoirs are attractive sites for aquaculture, fishing and other recreational activities. However, the unregulated construction of these platforms may negatively affect the fauna, flora and water quality of reservoirs. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of floating platforms on the limnological aspects of Nova Ponte hydropower plant reservoirs at the Center-West of Minas Gerais State of Brazil. The obtained data were analyzed using the correlation and regression analysis. Dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, total coliforms and thermotolerant bacteria were plotted against the density of floating platforms. The density of platforms significantly (p-value > 0.05) impacted the analyzed limnological aspects of reservoirs. Based on the present results, 4 floating platforms/km2 (1 platform per 25 hectares) of surface water should be the maximum density in order to avoid the deterioration of water quality of reservoirs. With 4 platforms/km2, the expected values in fishing period were estimated to be 5.4 mg/L for biochemical oxygen demand, 375 most probable number per 100 mL of sample for thermotolerant bacteria and 6.1 mg/L for chemical oxygen demand. In fishing-ban period, the expected values were estimated to be 4.1 mg/L for dissolved oxygen, 3.4 mg/L for biochemical oxygen demand, 379 most probable number per 100 mL of sample for thermotolerant bacteria and 4.2 mg/L for chemical oxygen demand. This finding provides important base-line information which could help policy makers to take effective measurements for the appropriate management of surface water resources.
A. Tahir; P. Taba; M.F. Samawi; S. Werorilangi
Abstract
Plastic pollution has universally known accumulated in all environment compartments and accelerating threat to the sustainability of earth. Field survey to examine the occurrence of microplastics in ancient sea water evaporation technology of ponds at Pallengu-Jeneponto, was conducted. From this sea ...
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Plastic pollution has universally known accumulated in all environment compartments and accelerating threat to the sustainability of earth. Field survey to examine the occurrence of microplastics in ancient sea water evaporation technology of ponds at Pallengu-Jeneponto, was conducted. From this sea salt producing ponds, samples of water, sediment and freshly harvested salts were collected. Sixteen samples each of water and sediments and 12 salts were collected. From 16 water and sediment samples there are 31 microplastics item discovered in 11 water samples (68.75% of total contamination) and 41 microplastics item observed in 10 sediment samples (62.5% total contamination), respectively. Interestingly, sampling points at sedimentation/heating pools were found to be the locations with highest occurrence of microplastics in both water and sediment. There are 7 salt samples positively contaminated with 29 microplastics or 58.3% of total contamination, which predominated by line and fragment forms. Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy analysis has revealed polymers of polyvinyl acetate (41.7%), polyethylene (33.3%) and polystyrene (25%). There was no significant difference found on microplasticss occurrence from 3 kinds of samples collected, although there was a decreasing trend of total microplastics found from water, sediment and salt. Microplasticss abundance were ranged 7-55 items/L water, 14.6-50 items/kg sediments and 6.7-53.3 items/kg salt. With microplastics abundance reached over 53 microplastics items/kg salt, it is believed that continuous consumption by people will end up with possible accumulation of potentially absorbed of various toxic chemical pollutants which present in sea water as salt raw materials. The need for robust and practical strategy in water quality management for reduction of microplasticss contamination in consumed salts is a must.
