Search Results (1,577)

This study evaluated the effects of wine-soaking on cow’s milk pressed cheese properties and developed a standardized cheesemaking procedure. Cheese was soaked in Cabernet Sauvignon and Alicante Bouschet red wines for two soaking periods of four days after the brining process. The physicochemical, microbiological, and volatile composition were evaluated, along with consumer sensory evaluation. After 60 days of ripening, wine-soaked cheeses had statistically lower salt and moisture levels, with higher protein and fat content than the unsoaked cheeses. Alicante Bouschet cheeses have a darker purple-red color than Cabernet Sauvignon. The microbiological analysis found no significant differences across treatments and samplings. The most representative volatile compounds in wine-soaked cheeses were esters and ketones. Principal Components Analysis on the volatile compounds showed a clear separation between the two wine-soaked cheeses and the control cheese. For example, Cabernet-soaked cheese had higher levels of phenylethyl alcohol and 2-phenylethyl acetate (floral aromas), while Alicante-soaked cheese was distinguished by nonanal (fruity and grassy aroma). Sensory results showed preferences for the overall liking, flavor, and rind color for the wine-soaked cheeses over the control. Consequently, a standardized recipe for wine-soaked pressed cheese was developed, along with specific parameters for the soaking process to ensure a well-received product. Full article

Soils in arid regions are characterized by elevated salinity levels. During the process of soil moisture evaporation, salts are transported with water to the surface, resulting in the formation of salt crusts. Although these crusts significantly impact soil moisture evaporation, there is a paucity of systematic quantitative research concerning their formation mechanisms, dynamic evolution patterns, and effects on evaporation. To elucidate the mechanisms by which salt crusts influence soil moisture evaporation, this study conducted evaporation experiments utilizing brine soil columns. Various thicknesses of sand mulching (1 cm, 2 cm, 3 cm, 4 cm, 5 cm, and 6 cm) were applied to the top of the soil columns to generate different forms of NaCl salt crusts. Observations of soil column water evaporation rates, salt crust coverage (SCC), and salt crust morphology were conducted to analyze the effects of salt crust formation on soil water evaporation. The results indicate that the morphology and coverage of NaCl salt crusts significantly influence soil moisture evaporation. A crusty salt crust with high coverage impedes soil moisture evaporation; a patchy salt crust with moderate coverage may promote evaporation; the absence of a crust on the surface has a relatively weak effect on soil moisture evaporation. Nevertheless, the development of ‘salt trees’ within the soil profile can increase soil evaporation. These findings challenge the conventional understanding that “salt inhibits evaporation,” providing essential mechanistic parameters for accurately quantifying evaporation fluxes in saline soils and enhancing regional water cycle models, particularly the module related to atmosphere–soil water vapor exchange. Full article

Reuse of wastewater through brackish water reverse osmosis presents a major challenge due to the generation of brine, which contains organic and inorganic compounds to be removed. This study focuses on analyzing and optimizing coagulation conditions for brackish reverse osmosis brine treatment by evaluating pollutant removal efficiencies under various scenarios and leveraging advanced modeling techniques. Jar tests were performed using polyaluminum chloride and ferric chloride, evaluating the removal of total organic carbon, turbidity, UV₅₂₄, and phosphorus. Models were developed using response surface methodology, support vector machines, and random forest. Although the same data sets were used, the characteristics of these models were found to be different: Response surface methodology delivered high-fidelity, smooth response surfaces (R² > 0.92), support vector machine pinpointed sharp threshold regions, and random forest defined robust operating plateaus. By overlaying model-specific optimum contours, the consensus regions were identified for reliable removal across total organic carbon, turbidity, and phosphate. This ensemble strategy enhanced predictive reliability and provided a comprehensive decision-support tool for multi-objective optimization. The findings underscore the potential of ensemble-based modeling to improve the design and control of brackish reverse osmosis brine treatment processes, offering a data-driven pathway for addressing one of the most critical bottlenecks in wastewater reuse systems. Full article

Wave-powered desalination systems integrate reverse osmosis (RO) with renewable ocean energy, providing a sustainable and environmentally responsible approach to freshwater production. This study aims to investigate wave-powered RO desalination using supervised and deep machine learning (ML) models to predict the effects of variable feed flow on permeate recovery and salt rejection under dynamic hydrodynamic conditions. Multiple ML models, including Gaussian process regression (GPR), support vector machines (SVMs), multi-layer perceptron (MLP), linear regression (LR), and decision trees (DTs) were systematically assessed for the prediction of permeate recovery and salt rejection (%) using three distinct input configurations: limited physicochemical features (M1), flow- and salinity-related parameters (M2), and a comprehensive variable set incorporating temperature (M3). GPR achieved near-perfect predictive accuracy R² values (~1.00) with minimal errors for permeate recovery and salt rejection, attributed to its flexible kernel and probabilistic design. MLP and SVM also performed well, though they showed greater sensitivity to feature complexity. In contrast, DT models exhibited limited generalization and higher error rates, particularly when key features were excluded. Sensitivity analyses revealed that feed pressure (FP) and brine salinity (BS) were dominant positive influencers of permeate recovery and salt rejection. In contrast, brine flow (BF) and permeate salinity (PS) had negative impacts. Full article

Low-Salinity Water Flooding (LSWF) has gained attention for its cost-effectiveness and environmental advantages, yet its underlying mechanisms remain not fully understood. Oil recovery in LSWF is primarily governed by interfacial dynamics and formation wettability. This research investigates the effects of seawater dilution in carbonate reservoirs through laboratory analyses and displacement experiments. Results show that oil recovery efficiency is largely driven by rock–fluid interactions rather than fluid–fluid interactions, with optimal brine concentrations enhancing wettability alteration, boundary flexibility, and mineral leaching. These findings highlight the importance of considering both fluid–rock interactions and mineral reactivity, rather than attributing recovery to a single mechanism. Molecular dynamics simulations further supported the experimental observations. Overall, the study emphasizes that early and well-designed low-salinity injection strategies can maximize LSWF performance. The results elucidate the key interaction mechanisms between surfactants and the various components of heavy oil through atomic-scale precision modeling and dynamic process tracking. These simulations clarify, at the microscopic level, the differences in displacement dynamics and efficiency of organic solvent systems toward different hydrocarbon components. Full article

Sulfate minerals (SMs), such as BaSO₄, SrSO₄, and CaSO₄, precipitate when incompatible solutions from the oil industry, such as seawater (SW) and high-salinity brine solutions (HSBSs), are mixed during the oil production process. To investigate the potentiality to extract SM by mixing three different brine solutions, such as HSBS-1, -2, and -3, with SW, at different temperatures and pressures, a practical simple model was used to predict the saturation index (SI), the quantity of precipitated minerals (Y), and the induction time (t_ind) required for precipitation. From the results, it was found that CaSO₄ hemihydrate and SrSO₄ yield lower amounts of precipitate. BaSO₄ precipitation ranges from 20 to 60 mg/L and 1500 mg/L of CaSO₄ anhydrous under ambient conditions. These findings suggest that recovering low-solubility minerals is technically feasible and environmentally preferable to direct disposal. Full article

Seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination generates a concentrated brine byproduct rich in dissolved salts and minerals. This study presents an extensive economic and technical analysis of recovering all major ions from SWRO brine, which includes Na, Cl, Mg, Ca, SO₄, K, Br, B, Li, Rb, and Sr in comparison to conventional mining and chemical production of these commodities. Data from recent literature and case studies are compiled to quantify the composition of a typical SWRO brine and the potential yield of valuable products. A life-cycle cost framework is applied, incorporating capital expenditure (CAPEX), operational expenditure (OPEX), and total water cost (TWC) impacts. A representative simulation for a large 100,000 m³/day SWRO plant shows that integrated “brine mining” systems could recover on the order of 3.8 million tons of salts per year. At optimistic recovery efficiencies, the gross annual revenue from products (NaCl, Mg(OH)₂/MgO, CaCO₃, KCl, Br₂, Li₂CO₃, etc.) can reach a few hundred million USD. This revenue is comparable to or exceeds the added costs of recovery processes under favorable conditions, potentially offsetting desalination costs by USD 0.5/m³ or more. We compare these projections with the economics of obtaining the same materials through conventional mining and chemical processes worldwide. Major findings indicate that recovery of abundant low-value salts (especially NaCl) can supply bulk revenue to cover processing costs, while extraction of scarce high-value elements (Li, Rb, Sr, etc.) can provide significant additional profit if efficient separation is achieved. The energy requirements and unit costs for brine recovery are analyzed against those of terrestrial or conventional mining; in many cases, brine-derived production is competitive due to avoided raw material extraction and potential use of waste or renewable energy. CAPEX for adding mineral recovery to a desalination plant is significant but can be justified by revenue and by strategic benefits such as reduced brine disposal. Our analysis, drawing on global data and case studies (e.g., projects in Europe and the Middle East), suggests that metals and salts recovery from SWRO brine is technically feasible and, at sufficient scale, economically viable in many regions. We provide detailed comparisons of cost, yield, and market value for each target element, along with empirical models and formulas for profitability. The results offer a roadmap for integrating brine mining into desalination operations and highlight key factors such as commodity prices, scale economies, energy integration, and policy incentives that influence the competitiveness of brine recovery against traditional mining. Full article

Temperature is a key factor in regulating interfacial behaviors and enhancing oil recovery during low-salinity water flooding in tight sandstone reservoirs. This study systematically investigates the synergistic mechanisms of temperature and salinity on ion exchange, wettability alteration, interfacial tension, and crude oil desorption. The experimental results show that elevated temperature significantly strengthens the oil–water–rock interactions induced by low-salinity water, thereby improving oil recovery. At 70 °C, the release of divalent cations such as Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ from the rock surface is notably enhanced. Simultaneously, the increase in interfacial electrostatic repulsion is evidenced by a shift in the rock–brine zeta potential from −3.14 mV to −6.26 mV. This promotes the desorption of polar components, such as asphaltenes, from the rock surface, leading to a significant change in wettability. The wettability alteration index increases to 0.4647, indicating a strong water-wet condition. Additionally, the reduction in oil–water interfacial zeta potential and the enhancement in interfacial viscoelasticity contribute to a further decrease in interfacial tension. Under conditions of 0.6 PW salinity and 70 °C, non-isothermal core flooding experiments demonstrate that rock–fluid interactions are the dominant mechanism responsible for enhanced oil recovery. By applying a staged injection strategy, where 0.6 PW is followed by 0.4 PW, the oil recovery reaches 34.89%, which is significantly higher than that achieved with high-salinity water flooding. This study provides critical mechanistic insights and optimized injection strategies for the development of high-temperature tight sandstone reservoirs using low-temperature waterflooding. Full article

(1) Background: Understanding the evolution of the form–function relationship requires identifying the selection pressures acting on individuals. The paradigm of Arnold provides a useful framework to infer how the natural selection acting on phenotypic traits can modulate individual fitness. Despite the theoretical advance, experimental studies of individual performances that explicitly address form, i.e., the phenotypic integration of functional morphology (body design and mechanics) and of behavior, are still rare. (2) Methods: Slender-billed gull food acquisition behaviors were video recorded in the salt pans of Salin de Giraud, Camargue, where brine shrimp are their main prey. We averaged the food intake rate over 21 individuals. We computed the mean hourly energy intake of an average gull by multiplying the mean hourly prey intake rate by the weight and energy content of a brine shrimp. We used this mean hourly energy intake to investigate the time needed by an average slender-billed gull individual to acquire the energy required to achieve their daily field metabolic rate. We computed the food metabolic rate of slender-billed gulls by using the model of Dunn et al. In addition, using slow-motion video sequences, we perform a functional and integrative analysis of three performances associated with food acquisition behaviors, i.e., locomotion, food capture, and food transport. (3) Results: We demonstrate that the energy assimilated by this performance is sufficient to cover less than 6 h of an adult gull’s metabolic food rate during its breeding season. We show that brine shrimp capture by gulls does not involve the use of specialized morphological structures but rather involves a particular behavioral sequence that invariably associates a mode of locomotion, a mode of capture and a mode of transport of the prey from the beak to the pharynx. The comparison of this sequence to the register of food acquisition behaviors used by other Charadriiformes reveals its similarity with behaviors that are used by two shorebird species (Phalaropus fulicarius and P. lobatus) also feeding on prey captured from saltwater surfaces. (4) Conclusions: Altogether, our study supports (1) a causal chain in which performance results from the interaction between morphological structures and behaviors and (2) the idea that the performance peak of a realized phenotype can be reached by using the best combination of behaviors, either by convergent evolution or by their conservation among those available in a phylogenetically determined register. Full article

This study compared the yield, percentage solids, electrophoretic profile, gelatinolytic activity, and brine shrimp lethality of Bitis arietans venom prepared using freeze-drying and desiccator drying. Bitis arietans venom was collected from snakes at Bioken snake farm, Kenya, whereafter it was pooled and divided into two parts. Part 1 was desiccator dried venom (DDV) while part 2 was freeze-dried venom (FDV). The yield and percentage solids in DDV and FDV were compared using Welch’s Student’s t-test and the dried venoms were subsequently subjected to sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), 2D electrophoresis, gelatin in-gel zymography, and brine shrimp lethality assays. Mean venom yield and percentage solids did not differ between DDV and FDV (p = 0.5647 and p = 0.4676, respectively). SDS-PAGE and two-dimensional (2D) electrophoresis revealed similar protein profiles for DDV and FDV, showing bands and spot clusters within molecular weight ranges of ~16 kDa to >150 kDa and pH ranging from 3.5 to 9.5. Enzyme zymography revealed comparable gelatinolytic activity between DDV and FDV. However, the brine shrimp lethality assay indicated significantly higher toxicity in DDV (LC₅₀: 86.57 μg/mL) compared to FDV (LC₅₀: 460.37 μg/mL). DDV also showed greater lethality than FDV at 100 μg/mL (p = 0.0416) and 1000 μg/mL (p = 0.0008) but not at 10 μg/mL (p = 0.2465). These findings suggest that DDV exhibits higher toxicity in brine shrimp larvae than FDV, although both drying methods result in similar yields, percentage solids, venom profile, and gelatinolytic activity. Further research is necessary to investigate the mechanism behind this difference and its implications for antivenom production and long-term stability of venom. Full article

This study investigates electrodialysis (ED) performance for desalination and concentration of monovalent salts (NaCl, NH₄Cl, KCl, and NaNO₃) at varying mass concentrations. Systematic comparisons of current efficiency (η), energy consumption, water loss, desalination rate η_salt, and other key parameters reveal salt-specific behaviors and process determinants. Experimental results show distinct performance hierarchies across operational phases. In the 1% desalination phase, KCl achieved optimal performance with 95.3% salt removal, a dilute η of 99.96%, a production capacity (Q) of 54.95 L/(h·m²), and a unit energy consumption (E_u) of 3.24 kWh/t. This performance outshone that of NaCl (η_salt = 95.2%) and NaNO₃ (η_salt = 89.5%), with NH₄Cl showing the lowest value (80.6%) in this phase. This trend inversely correlated with cation hydration energies. On the other hand, in the 3% concentration phase, NH₄Cl demonstrated superior performance with a concentrate η of 83.49%, a flux of 35.71 L/(h·m²), and the lowest E_u (5.30 kWh/t), despite a lower concentration factor (5.33) than NaNO₃ (6.48). These findings highlight that KCl is ideal for energy-efficient brine treatment (<3% salinity), while NH₄Cl is better suited to high-purity recovery. Although NaNO₃ has a high E_u during concentration, it is favorable for applications where minimizing energy usage is critical. Full article

Shale gas wastewater from hydraulic fracturing poses significant environmental risks due to its high salinity and complex inorganic composition. This study investigates the behavior of major and trace inorganic constituents across a full-scale treatment train in the Sichuan Basin, China. Despite multi-stage processes including equalization, flocculation, flotation, biological reactors, membrane filtration, and clarification, key inorganic species such as Cl, Na, Br, Sr, Li, and B remained largely persistent in the final effluent with values of 13,760, 8811, 70, 95.9, 26.6, and 60.2 mg/L, respectively. Geochemical tracers including Br/Cl (average: 0.0022 mM/mM), Na/Br (average: 125 mg/mg), and Sr/Ca (average: 0.15 mM/mM) ratios, combined with halide endmember mixing models, revealed that salinity primarily originated from highly evaporated formation brines, with limited evidence for halite dissolution or external contamination. Elevated Sr (average: 89.3 mg/L) and Ca (average: 274 mg/L) levels relative to Mg (average: 32 mg/L) suggest significant water–rock interaction. Environmental risk assessments showed that concentrations of several elements in treated effluent greatly exceeded national and international discharge or reuse standards. These findings underscore the limitations of conventional treatment technologies and highlight the urgent need for advanced processes and regulatory frameworks that address the unique challenges of high-TDS (total dissolved solids) unconventional wastewater. Full article

Direct Contact Membrane Distillation–Crystallization (DCMD-Cr) is a synergistic technology for zero liquid discharge (ZLD) and resource recovery from high-salinity brines. In this study, DCMD-Cr was integrated to desalinate real oilfield-produced water (PW) with an initial salinity of 156,700 mg/L. The PW was concentrated to its saturation point of 28 wt.% via DCMD, and the integrated crystallization increased the overall water recovery from 42.0% to 98.9%, with a decline in water flux and salt rejection, mainly due to vapor pressure lowering and scaling. The precipitated salts in the crystallization unit were recovered and identified using different techniques. The results indicated that 91% of the crystals are sodium chloride, and less than 5% are calcium sulfate. A techno-economic analysis (TEA) was performed to evaluate the economic feasibility of the integrated DCMD-Cr process with a 500,000 gallons per day (GDP) capacity. The results showed that the crystallization operating cost was dominant at USD 0.50 per barrel, while the capital cost was only USD 0.04 per barrel. The economic viability can be enhanced by recovering value-added byproducts and using renewable or waste heat, which can reduce the total cost to USD 0.50 per barrel. Full article

Lithium (Li) ion sieve is considered to have great potential in the selective extraction of Li⁺ from complex Li⁺-containing brine owing to its cost-effectiveness, excellent adsorption performance, and environmental friendliness. Nevertheless, the defects of complex regulation and control of technological parameters in the preparation process of Li ion sieve and poor recycling efficiency limit its application. In this study, spinel-type H₄Ti₅O₁₂ ion sieves (HTO) were successfully prepared through a high-temperature solid-state method for recovering Li⁺ from aqueous resources. Through the experiment of optimizing the key preparation process parameters of HTO, it was found that the optimum preparation conditions were as follows: lithium ion source of CH₃COOLi‧H₂O, calcination temperature of 800 °C, and acid (HCl) washing concentration of 0.3 mol/L. The uptake of Li⁺ by HTO aligned with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, which was a chemical adsorption process controlled by reversible Li–H ion exchange reaction. HTO exhibited extremely high regeneration cycle characteristics, and after five cycles, it retained 96.06% of its initial adsorption capacity. The present work highlighted that spinel-type HTO has high industrial application potential in the field of Li⁺ recovery from oilfield brine. Full article

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of brine enriched with an olive vegetation water (OVW) extract on the physico-chemical, oxidative, and sensory characteristics of cooked ham during storage, as a strategy to partially or totally replace nitrites. Four brines formulated with different concentrations of nitrites in combination with 200 mg of OVW extract/kg product were tested; the cooked ham samples were sliced, placed in trays, packed in a protective atmosphere, and monitored for 30 days at 4 °C. The results showed that phenolic compounds derived from OVW effectively reduced lipid and protein oxidation, limiting the formation of secondary oxidation products such as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, volatile aldehydes, and cholesterol oxides. Sensory analysis confirmed that the extract did not negatively affect the organoleptic properties of the ham, while also helping to preserve color stability. These findings suggest that brine enriched with OVW phenols can be a promising green strategy to reduce nitrites in cooked ham, which also promotes the sustainable valorization of olive oil by-products. Full article