Nitrogen Release Kinetics and Nitrification-Denitrification on Surface Sediments under Aerating Disturbance Condition

[Objective] This study aimed to investigate the nitrogen release kinetics and nitrification-denitrification on surface sediments under aerating disturbance condition, with the purpose to solve the sediment nitrogen release and secondary pollution problems. [Method] The effect of in situ sediments aeration on the release of nitrogen pollutants was investigated, and the nitrogen release kinetics parameters were analyzed. The process of nitrification and denitrification under sediments aeration condition was investigated in laboratory. [Result] The nitrogen released from sediments was enhanced by aeration disturbance. The concentration of NH4＋-N and TN reached the maximum value in 30 min, and release rates were proportional to the disturbance strength. In this study, with the distance of aerator to the sediments surface of 0, 1, 2 and 3 cm, the suspended sediments concentrations were 3.52, 3.41, 3.26 and 3.01 g/L, respectively. Maximum release concentration of NH4＋-N and TN were 14.3, 13.8, 13.2, 12.2 mg/L and 33.21, 30.98, 29.83, 27.30 mg/L, respec- tively. In addition, both NH4＋-N and TN release kinetics could be described by Double Constant Equation as InC=A＋Blnt. Nitrification reaction occurred and was promoted by continued aerating to sediments.The concentration of NH4＋-N dropped down from 12.4 mg/L to 0.2 mg/L in 8 d, with the concentration of NO3--N increased to the maximum value of 10.8 mg/L. In addition, concentration of NO3--N and TN decreased from 10.8 mg/L and 37.4 mg/L to 0.36 mg/L and 23.2 mg/L after the stop of aeration for 12 d, indicating the occurrence of denitdfication reaction. Therefore, sediment aeration could accelerate nitrogen release and nitrification reaction, and with intermittent aeration, nitrogen could be removed from sediments in-situ by nitrification and denitrification. [Conclusion] The results provided technical reference for the in situ sediment remediation for the black-odor rivers in cities.

Effect of bubble morphology and behavior on power consumption in non-Newtonian fluids’aeration process

Due to a prolonged operation time and low mass transfer efficiency, the primary challenge in the aeration process of non-Newtonian fluids is the high energy consumption, which is closely related to the form and rate of impeller, ventilation, rheological properties and bubble morphology in the reactor. In this perspective, through optimal computational fluid dynamics models and experiments, the relationship between power consumption, volumetric mass transfer rate(kLa) and initial bubble size(d0) was constructed to establish an efficient operation mode for the aeration process of non-Newtonian fluids. It was found that reducing the d0could significantly increase the oxygen mass transfer rate, resulting in an obvious decrease in the ventilation volume and impeller speed. When d0was regulated within 2-5 mm,an optimal kLa could be achieved, and 21% of power consumption could be saved, compared to the case of bubbles with a diameter of 10 mm.

Assessment of Retention Ponds and Its Impacts on Health of Residents in Mogadishu, Somalia: Mixed Methods

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of retention ponds on the environment and population health by analyzing water samples from various ponds in Mogadishu, to determine the prevalence of waterborne illnesses that occur during the rainy season in Mogadishu, and to find out what experts thought about the effects of retention ponds on the environment as well as population health in Mogadishu. Methods: Mixed designs were used in the study. The first design is an exploratory study where samples are taken from different retention ponds in Mogadishu. The second design involves gathering secondary data from the online FSNAU Dashboard regarding the incidence of rainfall and waterborne illnesses including malaria and cholera. Additionally, a cross-sectional survey of expert opinions using questionnaires was the third design. The 10 water samples were taken from retention ponds in Mogadishu as part of the sample size. Data on the fourth month was also gathered using the FNSAU dashboard, and seventy sample sizes were used for the expert self-administered questionnaire for the third design. Excel was used for data analysis in the initial design. While BMI SPSS versions 22 were used to analyze the data from the Self-administered Questionnaire, additional methods were utilized to compute descriptive statistics, such as mean and standard deviation, and to analyze demographic data in a frequency table. Findings: The results show that three samples had unsatisfactory scores (Grade D): Yaqshid (Warshadda Bastada) had a WQI of 80.85, Boondheer (Bondher Pond) had a WQI of 80.64, and Wartanabad (Xamar Jadiid Pond) had a WQI of 80.89. The remaining samples were all rated as fair (grade), which indicates that they ranged from 50 to 75. The months with the largest rainfall already occurred in December, November, and October, when the prevalence of diseases during the rainy season was highest for cholera cases. Although October and December saw a significant number of malaria cases, November did not. Retention ponds’ overall effects on residential environments were evaluated, and the results showed that the standard deviation was 0.802 and the cumulative average mean scores were 4.41 overall. This indicates that the respondents were in agreement that retention ponds in Mogadishu, Somalia, had an effect on residential areas. Recommendation: The study suggested that in order to identify retention pond contamination and create treatment units for its management, the Ministry of Health forms a district-level public health committee. All districts must have a sewer system installed by the local government, and retention ponds must be made easier in order to move waste outside of the city.

Effect of surfactant frequently used in soil flushing on oxygen mass transfer in micro-nano-bubble aeration system

In-site soil flushing and aeration are the typical synergetic remediation technology for contaminated sites.The surfactant present in flushing solutions is bound to affect the aeration efficiency.The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of surfactant frequently used in soil flushing on the oxygen mass transfer in micro-nano-bubble(MNB)aeration system.Firstly,bio-surfactants and chemical surfactants were used to investigate their effects on Sauter mean diameter of bubble(dBS),gas holdup(ε),volumetric mass-transfer coefficient(kLa)and liquid-side mass-transfer coefficient(kL)in the MNB aeration system.Then,based upon the experimental results,the Sardeing's and Frossling's models were modified to describe the effect of surfactant on kL in the MNB aeration.The results showed that,for the twenty aqueous surfactant solutions,with the increase in surfactant concentration,the value of dBS,kLa and kL decreased,while the value ofεand gas-liquid interfacial area(a)increased.These phenomena were mainly attributed to the synergistic effects of immobile bubble surface and the suppression of coalescence in the surfactant solutions.In addition,with the presence of electric charge,MNBs in anionic surfactant solutions were smaller and higher in number than in non-ionic surfactant solutions.Furthermore,the accumulation of surfactant on the gas-liquid interface was more conspicuous for small MNB,so the reduction of kL in anionic surfactant solutions was larger than that in non-ionic surfactant solutions.Besides,the modified Frossling's model predicted the effect of surfactant on kL in MNB aeration system with reasonable accuracy.

Multimodal Machine Learning Guides Low Carbon Aeration Strategies in Urban Wastewater Treatment

The potential for reducing greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions and energy consumption in wastewater treatment can be realized through intelligent control,with machine learning(ML)and multimodality emerging as a promising solution.Here,we introduce an ML technique based on multimodal strategies,focusing specifically on intelligent aeration control in wastewater treatment plants(WWTPs).The generalization of the multimodal strategy is demonstrated on eight ML models.The results demonstrate that this multimodal strategy significantly enhances model indicators for ML in environmental science and the efficiency of aeration control,exhibiting exceptional performance and interpretability.Integrating random forest with visual models achieves the highest accuracy in forecasting aeration quantity in multimodal models,with a mean absolute percentage error of 4.4%and a coefficient of determination of 0.948.Practical testing in a full-scale plant reveals that the multimodal model can reduce operation costs by 19.8%compared to traditional fuzzy control methods.The potential application of these strategies in critical water science domains is discussed.To foster accessibility and promote widespread adoption,the multimodal ML models are freely available on GitHub,thereby eliminating technical barriers and encouraging the application of artificial intelligence in urban wastewater treatment.

Evaluation of Human Impacts on Bartlett Pond Ecosystem, Laredo, Southern Texas, USA, through Empirical Modeling

The trace elements chemistry of Bartlett Pond, a small shallow wetland pond in Laredo, Southern Texas, was sampled to evaluate the dynamics of trace elements impacts on water quality and ecosystems ecology of the pond. Two types of fish (bass and tilapia) were also sampled to see the trace element accumulation in different parts of their body. The concentrations of trace elements in water samples were found in the following order: Fe ≫Sb > Pb > As ≫Co > Tl > Cr > Cd within Bartlett Pond. Overall, the water quality of the pond is unacceptable for drinking and any other purposes as trace element concentrations (e.g. As, Cd, Co, Cr, Pb, Fe, Sb and Tl) are exceedingly higher (several fold) than the WHO and US EPA guidelines. Predictive and correlation analysis shows that most trace elements exhibit a strong positive correlation among them indicating the same anthropogenic sources and biogeochemical processes regulate these trace elements within the pond. Distributions of the trace elements in water exhibit different shapes mostly as positively skewed distribution for As, Cd, Co, Cr, and Tl, symmetrical distribution for Fe and almost symmetrical distribution for Pb and Sb. Concentrations of As, Co and Tl accumulated much higher in different parts of the Bass than Tilapia fish. The concentrations of As, Tl, Co, and Sb appeared significantly higher in different parts of the body of both Bass and Tilapia than the maximum SRM certified values. Accumulation of these contaminants in fish tissues pose increased health risks to humans who consume these contaminated fish although fishing is prohibited. Anthropogenic activities in the region primarily degrade the whole pond ecosystem ecology of the Bartlett Pond and waters of this pond to be not recommended for any use. These findings may be useful for the scientific community and concerned authorities to improve understanding about these precious natural resources and conservation of the ecosystem ecology.

Experimental Investigation of a Phase-ChangeMaterial’s Stabilizing Role in a Pilot of Smart Salt-Gradient Solar Ponds

Faced with the world’s environmental and energy-related challenges,researchers are turning to innovative,sustainable and intelligent solutions to produce,store,and distribute energy.This work explores the trend of using a smart sensor to monitor the stability and efficiency of a salt-gradient solar pond.Several studies have been conducted to improve the thermal efficiency of salt-gradient solar ponds by introducing other materials.This study investigates the thermal and salinity behaviors of a pilot of smart salt-gradient solar ponds with(SGSP)and without(SGSPP)paraffin wax(PW)as a phase-change material(PCM).Temperature and salinity were measured experimentally using a smart sensor,with the measurements being used to investigate the stabilizing effects of placing the PCM in the solar pond’s lower convective zone.The experimental results show that the pond with the PCM(SGSPP)achieved greater thermal and salinity stability,with there being a lesser temperature and salinity gradient between the different layers when compared to a solar pond without thePCM(SGSP).The use of the PCM,therefore,helped control the maximum and minimum temperature of the pond’s storage zone.The UCZ has been found to operate approximately 4 degrees above the average ambient temperature of the day in the SGSPP and 7 degrees in SGSP.Moreover,an unstable situation is generated after 5 days from starting the operation and at 1.9 m from the bottom,and certain points have the tendency to be neutral from the upper depths in 1,3 m of the bottom.

Microscopic analysis on eukaryotic algae and cyanobacteria in nine seasonal lakes and ponds in Vestfjella,Dronning Maud Land,Antarctica

Antarctic continental lakes and ponds are among the most impoverished aquatic environments on earth but many of them support flourishing populations of cyanobacteria,eukaryotic algae,protozoans,and some multicellular animals.In this study,we present results of a microscopic analysis of cyanobacteria and eukaryotic algae from nine diverse types of Antarctic continental water bodies during one austral summer.The results supplement and enlarge our previous studies on the limnological characteristics of the epiglacial and supraglacial lakes and ponds in Dronning Maud Land,an area that has received little attention from limnologists.The taxon with highest frequency among the samples(n=79)was Mesotaenium cf.berggrenii,a eukaryotic Zygnematophyceae,which occurred in 82%of the samples with a maximum cell density of 68 cells·mL^(-1).The taxa with second and third highest frequency were the prokaryotes Gloeocapsopsis(60%)and Leptolyngbya(41%),followed by Chlamydomonas(34%)and Cyanothece(29%).The number of taxa varied between 7-21 among the lakes and ponds,being highest in a supraglacial lake,and lowest in an epiglacial lake.The results did not reveal any obvious correlation between the abundance of any taxa and the water chemistry,but water bodies with inorganic sediments had higher cell densities and biomasses than those without sediment.This suggests the importance of sediment in supporting biological diversity in these ultraoligotrophic lakes and ponds.

Ecological Remediation Technologies of Freshwater Aquiculture Ponds Environment

The environmental issues confronted by traditional freshwater aquaculture are increasingly sedous, promoting development of ecological remediation technolo- gies. The in-situ remediation represented by fish-vegetable mutualism mode （FVMM） and ex-situ remediation represented by recirculating aquaculture system （RAS） are highlights of related researches. In the paper, the advantages and disadvantages of FVMM and RAS were analyzed and area allocation was discussed in terms of eu- trophication and pond nitrogen cycle. The results showed that the FVMM could re- duce pollutant-discharge coefficient of fish ponds, but the ecological balance would still be hard to be achieved nationwide. In contrast, although the extra cost and land resources would produce inevitably, the application is of great significance in small regions, especially for eutrophication areas thanks for zero-discharge.

Prediction Model of Dissolved Oxygen Fuzzy System in Aquaculture Pond Based on Neural Network

A dissolved oxygen fuzzy system predicting model based on neural network was put forward in this study. 106 groups of data were used to confirm the fitness of the predicting model. The first 80 groups of data were acted as training input and the other 26 groups of data were acted as the confirmed data in the system. The result showed that the testing data was approximately the same as the predicted data. So it gave a new way to solve the problem that the status of the water quality couldn＇t be predicted in time and it＇s hard to watching and measuring the factors dynamic.

The Relationship between the Area of Aquaculture Pond and Purification Pond in Water Circulation Aquaculture System

The establishment of water circulation aquaculture system realized the hi- erarchical use of nitrogen, phosphorus and other eutrophic substances in aquaculture wastewater and the recirculation use of water resource. However, no research has been reported on the detailed calculation of the relationship between the area of aquaculture pond and purification pond. In this study, referring to the absorption ability of aquatic plants to pollutants in aquaculture wastewater and pollutant generation and discharge coefficient in aquaculture pond, based on the general rules of water quality management in freshwater aquaculture system, a calculation mode was es- tablished to investigate the relationship between the area of aquaculture pond and purification pond in freshwater recirculation aquaculture system, which was feasible to explain related cases and would provide theoretical basis to reduce the economic costs in the construction of water circulation aquaculture system and realize the bal- ance between the ecological benefits and the economic benefits.

Metabolic Characteristics and Functional Diversity of Carbon Source in Microflora of Ponds with Recirculating Aquaculture System

With Biolog Eco microplate, metabolic characteristics and functional diver-sity of carbon source in microflora of ponds were researched based on recitculating ponds and control ponds in order to explore effects of eco-adjustments on microflo-ra in ponds. The results indicate that total number of bacterium, microbial metabolism activity, and diversity index in P7, P8, P1 and P2 kept higher, fol owed by P3, P4, P5 and P6. The utilization rate of microbes on sugars achieved the highest （31.0%-48.7%）, fol owed by carboxylic acid （13.4%-18.0%）, amino acid （10.1%-20.5%）, polymers （9.4%-17.0%）, biopolymer （5.7%-9.7%） and phenol （4.95%-7.50%）. Principal component analysis divided microflora in different ponds, suggesting that microbial community has varied carbon source characteristics and nitrogen-containing compound and biopolymer metabolisms are most affected.

Design and Implementation of Aquaculture Pond Water Quality Assessment System Based on Fuzzy Mathematics

The aquaculture pond water quality was taken as research objects,based on the general analysis of factors influencing the pond water quality,the system of index estimation and assessment standard were established after sorting by importance of the factors by means of Delphi and expert investigation.In this study,index weight was confirmed according to the importance of the factors and relative membership grade of the measured values,thus and the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model of aquaculture pond water quality was constructed,and the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation system of freshwater aquaculture pond water quality was designed and implemented.The application of this system in the assessment of aquaculture pond water quality by a company had achieved better result.

Application of Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation Method Based on Entropy Weight to Evaluate Pond Water Quality

[Objective] This study was to provide references for the evaluation of water quality in aquaculture ponds by evaluating the pond water quality using fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method based on entropy weight. [Method] The fuzzy compre- hensive evaluation method based on entropy weight was used to evaluate the water quality in the ponds with Ukraine scale carp （Cyprinus carpio） as the main cultivated fish. The average size of the fish was 71.4 g/ind, and totally three groups of pond were set with the population density of 6 000, 9 000, 12 000 ind/hm2. [Result] According to the GB3838-2002 Environmental Quality Standards for Surface Water of China, the water quality of 6 000 ind/hm2 group was Grade I, and the water quality of 9 000 and 12 000 ind/hm2 were Grade V. [Conclusion] With the increasing of feeding density, the pond water quality would worsen, however, there is no difference on water quality between 9 000 and 12 000 ind/hm2 groups.

Research on Rural Idle Ponds in the Perspective of Human Asset Specificity

A thorough investigation was carried out to the pond resources of a county, and Grossman-Hart-Moore （GHM） incomplete contract theory was used to do the economic analysis on the idle pond resources. The result indicated that with the deepening of market-oriented economy, the human asset specificity under the incomplete contract had distorted the investment incentives to the governance of ponds that corresponding policies were required to govern the idle ponds.

PCR-DGGE Analysis of Bacterial Communities Structure in Babylonia areolata Culture Systems of The Subtidal Zone and The Pond Mulched Plastic Film and Sand in Bottom

To know the bacterial communities structure in Babylonia areolata culture systems and to research and optimize the management pattem of Babylonia areola-ta culture systems of the pond mulched plastic film and sand in bottom, the bacte- rial communities in Babylonia areolata culture systems of the sub-tidal zone and the pond mulched plastic film and sand in bottom were analyzed at molecular level by adopting the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis （DGGE）. The results indicated that the dominant bacterial communities in Babylonia areolata culture systems of the sub-tidal zone and the pond mulched plastic film and sand in bottom, which were built on the basis of the seawater in East-island of Zhanjiang, included Proteobac- teda Chloroflexi, Cyanobacteria and Actinobacteria. The dominant bacterial groups in the above pond culture system were Garnmaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Deltaprotecbacteda, Epsilonproteobacteda, Anaerolineae, Cyanobacteria and Acti- nobacteda. The dominant bacterial communities in the subtidal zone culture system were Gammaprotecbacteda, Alphaproteobacteria, Deltaproteobacteria, Anaerolineae and Cyanobacteda, and there were less Epsilonproteobacteria and Actinobacteria in the culture system. The higher diversity was detected in the above two culture sys- tems. The results of unweighted pair group method with arithmetic average （UPG- MA） showed that the bacterial communities of the sediment samples S1 and S2 in the above two culture systems were a cluster, the similarity of bacterial communities was 54.5%. The bacterial communities of seawater samples S3 and S4 in the above culture systems were in clusters, and the similarity of the bacterial communi- ties was 84.0%. The results showed that the microorganism ecological level in the Babylonia areolata culture systems of the pond mulched plastic film and sand in bottom could be similar to the sub-tidal zone culture systems through changing the pond seawater and monitoring the microbial population.

Effects of Aeration on Root Physiology and Nitrogen Metabolism in Rice

In order to clarify the effects of aeration on root nitrogen metabolism in rice seedlings,rice cultivars Guodao 6 （indica） and Xiushui 09 （japonica） were investigated for root growth,the activities of glutamine synthetase （GS）,glutamic acid-pyruvic acid transaminase （GPT） and glutamic acid oxaloacetate transaminase （GOT）,the nitrate （NO 3-N） concertration,the contents of free amino acids and soluble sugar in root under hydroponics with continuous aeration treatment.The results showed that rice seedlings grown in oxygenation solutions had higher root dry matter,longer root length,stronger root activity and larger root absorption area compared with the control.In addition,the contents of soluble sugar,root vigor and the activities of GS,GOT and GPT in the aeration solutions were higher than those in the control.The results also indicated that the activities of enzymes involved in root nitrogen metabolism of Xiushui 09 were enhanced by aeration,however,there was no significant influence on root nitrogen metabolism of Guodao 6,which suggested that effect of oxygenation on rice root nitrogen metabolism might be genotype-specific.

The effects of aerated irrigation on soil respiration, oxygen, and porosity

To ameliorate soil oxygen deficiencies around subsurface drip irrigation(SDI) drippers, aerated irrigation(AI) was introduced to supply aerated water to the soil through venturi installed in the SDI pipeline. The objectives of this study were to assess the effects of AI on soil respiration(SR), air-filled porosity(AFP), soil temperature(ST), and oxygen concentrations(OCC). Total soil respiration(TSR), biological activity temperature index(BAT), and soil oxygen consumption(OCS) based on SR, ST, and OCC, respectively, were subsequently calculated to explore the relationships between TSR, BAT, OCS, OCC, and AFP. Greenhouse-based experiments included two treatments: AI and unaerated SDI(CK), during the tomato growing season in the fall of 2015. The results showed that compared with CK, AI treatment significantly increased OCC and AFP(by 16 and 7.4%, respectively), as well as TSR and OCS(by 24.21 and 22.91%, respectively)(P<0.05). Mean fruit yield with AI treatment was also 23% higher(P<0.05) than that with CK. When BAT was controlled, partial correlations between TSR, OCS, OCC, and AFP were all significant in the AI treatment but not in the CK treatment. TSR was more sensitive to the interaction effects of OCC, OCS, AFP, and BAT under the AI treatment. Thus, the significantly increased TSR with AI appeared to be due to the favorable soil aeration conditi ons(higher OCC and AFP). Furthermore, the improvements in soil aeration conditions and respiration with AI appeared to facilitate the improvement in fruit yields, which also suggests the economic benefits of AI.

Effects of Aerated Irrigation on Leaf Senescence at Late Growth Stage and Grain Yield of Rice

With the japonica inbred cultivar Xiushui 09, indica hybrid combinations Guodao 6 and Liangyoupeijiu as materials, field experiments were conducted in 2007 and 2008 to study the effects of aerated irrigation on leaf senescence at late growth stage and grain yield of rice. The dissolved oxygen concentration of aerated water evidently increased and decreased at a slow rate. The soil oxidation-reduction potential under aerated irrigation treatment was significantly higher than that of the CK, contributing to significant increases in effective panicles, seed setting rate and grain yield. In addition, the aerated irrigation improved root function, increased superoxide dismutase activity and decreased malondialdehyde content in flag leaves at post-flowering, which delayed leaf senescence process, prolonged leaf functional activity and led to enhanced grain filling.

Phosphorus removal by the multipond system sediments receiving agricultural drainage in a headstream watershed

Wetland systems in headstream watersheds are important to control the nonpoint source pollutant phosphorus. Experiments were conducted using intact sediment-water columns obtained from the multipond system in Liuchahe watershed of Chaohu Lake to determine its capacity to retain P. It was found that pond sediments had strong P retention ability. For the Hill pond, Village pond and Rice pond, their retention coefficient(A) were 288.3, 279.2 and 260.8 L/m2, respectively. The equilibrium P concentration(EPC_w) were 0.016, 0.028 and 0.018 mg/L, respectively. The Hill pond indicated the highest P retention ability. P retained in the pond sediments indicated high stable degree. P removal from the overlying water column into the pond sediments followed a first-order kinetic model. Under the experimental hydrological conditions, the retention time had a positive correlation with the P loading. The multipond system could provide enough retention time to retain P in drainage runoffs. At the P levels evaluated, the sediments of the multipond system are effective sinks to retain P from nonpoint source runoffs.