Advances in the characterization of the polarity of DOM under ambient water quality conditions using the polarity rapid assessment method

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 725-733 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Philibert ◽  
Steve Bush ◽  
Fernando L. Rosario-Ortiz ◽  
I. H. (Mel) Suffet

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a mixture of compounds that are found ubiquitously in natural waters. The characterization of DOM is important in order to understand its effect on environmental processes and during treatment systems. Of all the properties usually measured with relation to DOM, the polarity is of critical importance since it will directly influence different processes. Recently, a new method has been developed for the characterization of DOM under ambient conditions, called the Polar Rapid Assessment Method (PRAM). The PRAM allows characterization and temporal and spatial comparisons under environmentally relevant conditions of pH and ionic strength. This study first modifies the PRAM method to 3 probes for high sample throughput by using a subset of the SPE sorbents to interpret DOM polarity by DOC and UV detection. Then the modified PRAM is compared to the XAD resin polarity method and finds a similarity in hydrophobic assessment but different results for the hydrophilic DOM. This study then evaluates the use of PRAM as a tool to evaluate water treatment processes and the character of size fractions of DOM. The PRAM is shown to be a very useful tool to evaluate and thus optimize treatment efficiency and removal of DOM.

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 46
Author(s):  
Abdul Hamid Mar Iman ◽  
Edlic Sathiamurthy

Attention to damage assessment is always a priority especially in cases of natural disaster. The state of Kelantan is known to be one of a few Malaysian states with noticeable natural disaster, in particular, flood. In December 2014, an extraordinary magnitude of flood – nicknamed as yellow flood – struck the state causing hundreds of million ringgit of damage to properties. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate a spatial approach to estimating property damage incurred by flood. By selecting a badly affected area, GIS was used to map geo-referenced flood-hit location in Kuala Krai, Kelantan. Flood hazard was modelled and superimposed on estimated property damage. GIS spatial technique was then employed to estimate the flood damage incurred. This study, however, did not make a complete damage assessment of the properties but rather focusing on the methodology of damage assessment to show how it can be implemented. In conclusion, GIS spatial technique can generally be used to provide flood damage rapid assessment method.


2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Albert ◽  
Alifereti Tawake ◽  
Ron Vave ◽  
Paul Fisher ◽  
Alistair Grinham

There has been a resurgence in community-based management of coral reef resources in the developing world over the last two decades. However, many of the threats to reef ecosystems are increasing at a rate beyond local knowledge acquisition. Consequently, there is a continuing need for management tools and monitoring to support community-based approaches. Using algal, fish and reef indicators we provide a rapid assessment method of herbivorous fishes in Locally Managed Marine Areas in Fiji. The algal indicator technique provided a time-integrated assessment of the process of herbivory within Locally Managed Marine Areas and could be used by untrained community members to quantify management responses. Generally, reefs with higher herbivore biomass had a diverse low biomass of algae typical of healthy reefs. Reefs with fewer herbivores had a higher biomass of turf or leathery algae typical of degraded reefs. These results show that simple ecological indicators can be a useful addition to the existing local knowledge that underpins community-based management.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Spreitzer ◽  
Isabella Schalko ◽  
Robert M. Boes ◽  
Volker Weitbrecht

<p>Large wood (LW) and logjams are common and important elements in rivers, yet knowledge about composition, volume and porosity of wooden structures in streams is still limited. Most studies apply a rectangular approach (manually measuring a rough bounding-box of the logjam) to estimate LW accumulation volume and porosity. However, this method cannot capture the complex dimensions of LW accumulations and may introduce an additional human-made estimation error. Furthermore, there is a risk of accidents involved when obtaining manual measurements on logjams in the field. Drones represent a powerful tool in geosciences, yet their potential has not been fully exploited to date. The application of non-intrusive quantification methods is widely available in geosciences and recently also increasing for research related to LW in rivers. Recent studies demonstrated that drone imagery and Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry provide true replicates of prototype logjams in form of 3D-models. In the present study we used video footage of a LW accumulation, obtained via standard drone (DJI Phantom 4 Pro+), to evaluate its potential for a rapid assessment of geometric measures (e.g. length, width, height, volume) of the LW accumulation. The gained results from the 4k drone video footage (4,096 x 2,160 pixels) were scaled solely from the obtained video georeferencing data and verified with a properly scaled 3D-accumulation-model that has been generated from high resolution drone imagery (5,472 x 3,648 pixels). We are interested in the level of detail and accuracy, that can be obtained from georeferenced drone footage, and aim to introduce a practical and more reliable assessment method as a state-of-the-art alternative to the traditionally applied rectangular approach. Our study may be of interest for river managers and engineers to rapidly and safely assess LW accumulation volume and porosity in the field.</p>


Author(s):  
Fedele Cuculo ◽  
Alberto di Ludovico ◽  
Annunziata di Niro ◽  
Maria Pina Izzo ◽  
Maria Eugenia Mobbili ◽  
...  

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