Search Results (744)

Hydrolates are aromatic aqueous solutions saturated with volatile water-soluble compounds of essential oil. Despite their potential, hydrolates remain less explored than essential oils. In this work, the hydrolate of Pelargonium odoratissimum (L.) L’Hér. has been analyzed by multiple analytical techniques in order to describe its chemical composition. Headspace (HS-) and Direct Immersion-Solid Phase Microextraction-Gas Chromatography/Mass spectrometry (DI-SPME-GC/MS) and Proton Transfer Reaction Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (PTR-ToF-MS) were employed to reveal the VOC emission from the hydrolate. Further, a direct injection of the pure hydrolate and of the hydrolate after extraction with hexane was performed by Large-Volume Injection Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (LVI-GC/MS) and GC/MS. The results obtained by HS- and DI-SPME-GC/MS highlighted a nearly overlapping chemical profile with linalool, isomenthone, and α-terpineol as the main volatiles. On the other hand, analysis of the hydrolate by GC/MS after solvent extraction revealed a lower overall number of compounds but allowed the detection of thujone and cis-linalool oxide. In comparison, LVI-GC/MS was the technique that allowed the identification of a higher number of volatiles with citronellol, linalool, and α-terpineol as the principal compounds. Finally, PTR-ToF-MS was a fundamental approach to quantify and evaluate total terpene emissions from this complex matrix starting from low-molecular-weight compounds such as acetylene, methanol, acetaldehyde, acetone, and ethanol, which were the most abundant. Among the detected compounds, dimethyl sulfide and small amounts of dimethyl-furan and 2-butylfuran were also identified. Overall, the findings showed that the hydrolate was rich in monoterpene compounds while sesquiterpene compounds were missing. A very low intensity relating to sesquiterpenes was recorded only by PTR-ToF-MS technique. Full article

This study investigates the effects of different photovoltaic (PV) panel types on soil and biological soil crusts (BSCs) under vegetation restoration in sandy areas. A 150 MW PV power plant in Huanghuatan, located in the Tengger Desert, was selected as the research site. Soil and BSC properties, as well as carbon sequestration, were evaluated under three PV panel types: fixed-axis (FA); horizontal single-axis (HSA); and tilted single-axis (TSA). The objective was to clarify how these panel types influence soil quality and carbon storage during Artemisia ordosica Krasch. restoration in sandy environments and to explore the underlying mechanisms. The results showed that, compared with the surrounding pristine desert (PD), PV development significantly altered soil water content (WC), saturated water content (SWC), soil organic matter (SOM), and carbonate levels in soil and BSCs. Specifically: (1) FA and HSA panels increased WC in the BSCs and sub-crust soil, although water-holding capacity decreased in the HSA area; (2) SOM in the BSCs was notably lower under HSA and TSA panels; (3) HSA and TSA panels enhanced carbonate accumulation in non-crusted soil, while the lowest carbonate content in BSCs occurred under FA panels. The sub-crust soil in all PV areas had lower carbonate content than PD; and (4) Estimated carbon storage effectiveness was ranked as follows: HSA > TSA > PD > FA. This study provides theoretical support for ecological restoration in desert PV power plants. Full article

Soil erosion in granite-derived weathering mantles poses serious threats to slope stability and ecological sustainability in subtropical regions. While polyacrylamide (PAM) is widely used to improve soil structure, its concentration-dependent effects on multiple soil functions remain unclear. This study developed a multifunctional Soil Function Index (SFI) framework integrating erosion resistance (SFI₁), water regulation (SFI₂), and ecological function (SFI₃) to evaluate the effects of PAM application (0‰, 1‰, 3‰, 5‰, 7‰) on gully-prone sandy material. Herein, SFI₁ was quantified through shear strength (τ) and soil erodibility (K_r); SFI₂ was assessed using soil hydraulic parameters (saturated hydraulic conductivity and water retention curves) and SFI₃ was derived from the grass root system analysis. The results showed that SFI₁ and SFI₂ increased nonlinearly with PAM concentration, reaching maximum values of 0.983 and 0.980 at 7‰, with K_r reduced by 77.3% and non-capillary porosity (NAP) increased by 8.1%. In contrast, SFI₃ peaked at 0.858 under 3‰ and declined sharply to 0.000 at 7‰, due to micropore over-compaction, reduced aeration, and limited plant-available water. The total SFI exhibited a unimodal trend, with a maximum of 0.755 at 3‰, beyond which ecological suppression offset physical improvements. These findings demonstrate that PAM modifies soil multifunctionality through pore-scale restructuring, inducing function-specific thresholds and trade-offs. A PAM concentration of 3‰ is identified as optimal, achieving a balance between erosion control, hydrological performance, and ecological viability in the management of subtropical granite-derived sandy slopes. Full article

Assessing soil deformation leading to collapse is often conducted through a suction-controlled method, which can be time-intensive. In this study, the collapse deformation of compacted clay was investigated by conducting time-saving and convenient water content-controlled tests. The compacted clay specimens, each with a unique initial void ratio, were subjected to water retention experiments. The water content-controlled oedometer apparatus performed tests involving compression, wetting, and subsequent recompression. Observed experimental results indicate that water content has an inverse relationship with suction, with suction increasing as water content decreases, suggesting an inverse relationship between the two variables. In compression tests performed at a constant water content, water saturation increases and suction decreases as the void ratio decreases. Wetting leads to a decrease in void ratio as the saturation level rises, gradually declining along the wetting path until it aligns with the compression line of fully saturated soil. The compression lines at varying suction levels are established through theoretical analysis of water retention and water content-controlled compression test results. In addition, the collapse deformation is well predicted with a concise formula related to pore gas saturation. In this way, this study provides a quick and effective method for evaluating the hydro-mechanical properties of unsaturated soils. Full article

Spilled hydrocarbons released from oil pipeline accidents can result in long-term environmental contamination and significant damage to habitats. In this regard, evaluating actions in response to vulnerability scenarios is fundamental to emergency management and groundwater integrity. To this end, understanding the trajectories and their influence on the various parameters and characteristics of the contaminant’s fate through accurate numerical simulations can aid in developing a rapid remediation strategy. This paper develops a numerical model using the CactusHydro code, which is based on a high-resolution shock-capturing (HRSC) conservative method that accurately follows sharp discontinuities and temporal dynamics for a three-phase fluid flow. We analyze nine different emergency scenarios that represent the breaking of a diesel oil onshore pipeline in a porous medium. These scenarios encompass conditions such as dry season rupture, rainfall-induced saturation, and varying pipeline failure pressures. The influence of the spilled oil pressure and water saturation in the unsaturated zone is analyzed by following the saturation contour profiles of the three-phase fluid flow. We follow with the high-accuracy formation of shock fronts of the advective part of the migration. Additionally, the mass distribution of the expelled contaminant along the porous medium during the emergency is analyzed and quantified for the various scenarios. The results obtained indicate that the aquifer contamination strongly depends on the pressure outflow in the vertical flow. For a fixed pressure value, as water saturation increases, the mass of contaminant decreases, while the contamination speed increases, allowing the contaminant to reach extended areas. This study suggests that, even for LNAPLs, the distribution of leaked oil depends strongly on the spill pressure. If the pressure reaches 20 atm at the time of pipeline failure, then contamination may extend as deep as two meters below the water table. Additionally, different seasonal conditions can influence the spread of contaminants. This insight could directly inform guidelines and remediation measures for spill accidents. The CactusHydro code is a valuable tool for such applications. Full article

Shallow gas reservoirs exhibit low formation pressure and gas injection levels, leading to low-resistivity contrast between gas-bearing reservoirs and fully water-saturated layers. Gas-bearing formation identification and water saturation estimation face great challenges. To improve the accuracy of shallow gas reservoir identification and logging evaluation, it is essential to analyze the genesis mechanisms underlying the low-resistivity contrast. This study used the HJ Formation, a typical shallow gas reservoir located in the BY Sag of the eastern South China Sea Basin as an example. Combining the results of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), full rock mineral analysis and X-ray diffraction of clay minerals in the laboratory, it was determined that the genesis mechanism for the low-resistivity contrast in the gas-bearing reservoir was due to the high irreducible water saturation (S_wi) and the cation-induced supplementary conductivity. Afterwards, we integrated three methods, density–neutron correlation, calculation of the apparent formation water resistivity, and cross-plots of conventional and gas-logging curves, to identify shallow gas reservoirs. In addition, we also established a Waxman–Smits-based model to estimate water saturation. Compared with the typical Archie’s equation, the predicted water saturation curve using the Waxman–Smits-based model was more reasonable. The established methods and models can be used in target shallow gas reservoir evaluations, and it also has reference value for other types of oilfields with similar physical characteristics. Full article

The rock strata traversed by frozen shafts in coal mines located in western regions are predominantly composed of weakly cemented, water-rich sandstones of the Cretaceous system. Investigating the rheological damage behavior of saturated sandstone under frozen conditions is essential for evaluating the safety and stability of these frozen shafts. To explore the damage evolution and creep characteristics of Cretaceous sandstone under the coupled influence of low temperature and in situ stress, a series of triaxial creep tests were conducted at a constant temperature of −10 °C, under varying confining pressures (0, 2, 4, and 6 MPa). Simultaneously, acoustic emission (AE) energy monitoring was employed to characterize the damage behavior of saturated frozen sandstone under stepwise loading conditions. Based on the experimental findings, a fractional-order creep constitutive model incorporating damage evolution was developed to capture the time-dependent deformation behavior. The sensitivity of model parameters to temperature and confining pressure was also analyzed. The main findings are as follows: (1) Creep deformation progressively increases with higher confining pressure, and nonlinear accelerated creep is observed during the final loading stage. (2) A fractional-order nonlinear creep model accounting for the coupled effects of low temperature, stress, and damage was successfully established based on the test data. (3) Model parameters were identified using the least squares fitting method across different temperature and pressure conditions. The predicted curves closely match the experimental results, validating the accuracy and applicability of the proposed model. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for understanding deformation mechanisms and ensuring the structural integrity of frozen shafts in Cretaceous sandstone formations of western coal mines. Full article

This article presents experimental studies on the characterization of geopolymer composites intended for applications in aquatic environments, with particular emphasis on underwater infrastructure. The motivation for conducting the research was the growing need to develop durable and ecological building materials that will be resistant to long-term exposure to moisture and aggressive chemical agents, typical for the underwater environment, where traditional cement concretes undergo gradual degradation due to long-term water impact, including hydrotechnical and underwater infrastructure. Geopolymer binders were produced based on metakaolin activated by alkaline solutions containing sodium hydroxide. Several series of mixtures with additives such as blast furnace slag, amphibolite and carbon fibers were developed to evaluate the effect of these components on mechanical strength, water absorption and chemical durability. The conducted studies showed that slag additions improved mechanical properties, for the best composition it across 50 MPa. In contrast, the addition of amphibolite had an unfavorable effect, which probably results from introducing inhomogeneity into the material structure. The presence of carbon fibers promoted matrix cohesion, but their uneven distribution could lead to local strength differences. Water absorption tests have shown that geopolymers reach full water saturation within 24 to 48 h, which indicates rapid establishment of capillary equilibrium and limited further water penetration. The conclusions from the work indicate that geopolymer composites with a moderate amount of blast furnace slag and subjected to appropriate curing conditions. High strength, water and chemical resistance make them suitable for, among others, the construction of marine foundations, protection and structural shields of submerged applications. Full article

Bivalves such as oysters rely on aragonite and calcite for shell formation via the biomineralization of calcium carbonate. Ocean acidification reduces carbonate ion availability, compromising shell growth and inducing dissolution under undersaturated conditions ($\Omega$ < 1). This study assessed the aragonite and calcite saturation state ($\Omega$) as a proxy for evaluating habitat suitability for oyster aquaculture and restoration. Temperature, salinity, pH, and total alkalinity were monitored across multiple sites and used to calculate the aragonite and calcite saturation state via the Seacarb package. Calcium hardness and dissolved oxygen were also measured to evaluate compliance with hatchery water quality standards. Results indicated temporal and spatial fluctuations in saturation states, with frequent undersaturation during cooler months. Spearman correlation analyses demonstrated significant positive relationships between temperature and salinity (p = 0.46), between pH and aragonite saturation state (p = 0.72), and between alkalinity and aragonite saturation state (p = 0.51). These findings highlight the importance of carbonate chemistry variability and seasonal drivers in determining the suitability of sites for oyster cultivation and restoration under changing environmental conditions. Full article

In the coal pillar dam of underground water reservoirs, groundwater exerts a certain degree of dissolution and erosion on the coal body, inducing the development of internal cracks and the deterioration of its mechanical properties. To this end, coal samples with varying moisture contents were prepared through a water-absorption experiment; the changes in the mechanical strength of coal samples with five moisture contents (0%, 3.62%, 4.93%, 5.52%, and 6.11%) were tested via uniaxial compression tests, uniaxial tension tests, and variable-angle shear tests; and the degradation in mechanical performance in water-immersed coal samples and their sensitivity to moisture content were evaluated. The experiment yielded the following results: (1) The moisture content of coal samples increases with the increase in immersion time, and the water-absorption rate first rises, then decelerates and gradually becomes stable. When the immersion time is about 72 h, the coal sample reaches a saturated state. (2) As the samples transition from a dried state to full saturation, the uniaxial compressive strength of coal samples decreases from 29.17 MPa to 7.38 MPa, and the uniaxial tensile strength decreases from 0.78 MPa to 0.33 MPa. The peak shear strength also decreases with an increase in immersion time and the increase in shear angle, while the deterioration degree gradually increases with the increase in immersion time and tends to be stable. (3) Based on a sensitivity analysis, the mechanical performance evolution of water-immersed coal samples can be divided into four stages based on the moisture content: tensile-dominated stage, shear-dominated stage, compression catching-up stage, and compression-dominated stage. Full article

Tight oil reservoirs are characterized by low porosity, low permeability, and low saturation, making it difficult to achieve economic development through conventional water injection. This study experimentally evaluated different injection media and oil displacement methods and used nuclear magnetic resonance methods to explain the micro mechanisms of oil displacement during different oil displacement processes. The experiments showed that supercritical CO₂ flooding and supercritical CO₂ and active water alternating flooding were much more useful for low-permeability reservoirs compared with conventional water flooding. This technology can increase the recovery rate by more than 12.0%, which is 33.24% higher than the rate achieved with conventional water injection. In addition, it can effectively improve the rapid increase in water content caused by the rapid advance in the water front during the water injection process. The NMR results indicated good consistency for the recovery efficiency of pores under different oil displacement conditions. When the aperture varied between 0.1 µm and 1 µm (type III), the utilization rate was highest, followed by type IV (1–10 µm), type II (0.01–0.1 µm), and type I (0.001–0.01 µm). By comparison, conventional water and CO₂ alternating flooding was more effective for type III pores, increasing oil recovery by 12.58%, while active water + CO₂ alternating flooding can further drive oil, increasing oil recovery by 33.24% and greatly displacing oil in micro-pores and macro-pores. Full article

Levee failures caused by prolonged flooding and elevated upstream water levels pose a significant risk to floodplain communities, especially as the number of extreme hydrological events increases under climate change. Understanding seepage-induced weakening and failure mechanisms is essential for improving levee design and resilience. This study develops a numerical framework that integrates unsaturated and saturated seepage analysis with slope stability evaluation to simulate seepage front progression and predict failure initiation. The model employs van Genuchten-based soil water retention properties and experimentally derived hydraulic conductivities, with results validated against five experimental cases with varying hydraulic conductivity contrasts between the levee body and foundation soils. The simulations reproduced seepage front evolution and slope deformation patterns with good agreement with experimental observations. In cases with high permeability contrasts, the model captured foundation-dominant seepage behavior, while moderate- and low-contrast scenarios showed close alignment with observed phreatic line development. Slight deviations were noted in failure timing, but the framework demonstrated potential for reproducing seepage-induced instability in levees. The findings contribute to understanding how the internal soil composition governs levee performance under flooding and provide a basis for developing seepage countermeasures and early warning tools. This approach offers practical value for risk-informed levee design and flood management. Full article

This paper presents a detailed thermodynamic and mathematical modeling study of the oxygenation processes in stationary water bodies, focusing on improving oxygen transfer efficiency, an essential factor in sustaining aquatic ecosystem health. The study employed mathematical models implemented in MATLAB R2024a to simulate the influence of temperature, bubble size, and mass transfer parameters. Key parameters, such as dissolved oxygen concentration, volumetric mass transfer coefficient (ak_L), and water temperature, were evaluated under different operational scenarios. The oxygenation system was powered by solar energy and included rotating fine-bubble generators mounted on a floating platform. Mathematical modeling carried out in MATLAB validated the theoretical models, showing how environmental factors such as temperature and bubble size influence oxygen dissolution. Initial experimental data, including dissolved oxygen levels (C₀ = 3.12 mg/dm³), saturation concentrations at various temperatures (Cs = 8.3 mg/dm³ at 24 °C; Cs = 7.3 mg/dm³ at 30 °C), and a mass transfer coefficient of ak_L = 0.09 s⁻¹, were used to support the model accuracy. The results highlight the potential of digitally controlled energy-efficient aeration technologies for applications in lake restoration, aquaculture, and sustainable water management. This paper introduces a coupled approach to oxygen transfer and temperature evolution validated experimentally, which has rarely been detailed in the literature. The novelty of this study lies in the combined thermodynamic modeling and exergy–entropy analysis along with real-time tracking, showing the relevance of energy-optimized, digitally monitored oxygenation platforms powered by solar energy. Full article

Floods stand as one of the most harmful natural disasters, which have become more dangerous because of climate change effects on urban structures and agricultural fields. This research presents a comprehensive flood mapping approach that combines multi-sensor satellite data with a machine learning method to evaluate the July 2021 flood in the Netherlands. The research developed 25 different feature scenarios through the combination of Sentinel-1, Landsat-8, and Radarsat-2 imagery data by using backscattering coefficients together with optical Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) and Hue, Saturation, and Value (HSV) images and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)-derived Grey Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM) texture features. The Random Forest (RF) classifier was optimized before its application based on two different flood-prone regions, which included Zutphen’s urban area and Heijen’s agricultural land. Results demonstrated that the multi-sensor fusion scenarios (S18, S20, and S25) achieved the highest classification performance, with overall accuracy reaching 96.4% (Kappa = 0.906–0.949) in Zutphen and 87.5% (Kappa = 0.754–0.833) in Heijen. For the flood class F1 scores of all scenarios, they varied from 0.742 to 0.969 in Zutphen and from 0.626 to 0.969 in Heijen. Eventually, the addition of SAR texture metrics enhanced flood boundary identification throughout both urban and agricultural settings. Radarsat-2 provided limited benefits to the overall results, since Sentinel-1 and Landsat-8 data proved more effective despite being freely available. This study demonstrates that using SAR and optical features together with texture information creates a powerful and expandable flood mapping system, and RF classification performs well in diverse landscape settings. Full article

The preparation and use of iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles for water remediation is a widely investigated research field. To improve the efficacy of such nanomaterials, different synthetic processes and functionalization methods have been developed in the framework of green chemistry to exploit their magnetic properties and adsorption capacity in a sustainable way. In this work, iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles embedded in cross-linked sodium alginate beads designed to clean water from metal ions were magnetically characterized. In particular, the effect of copper adsorption on their magnetic properties was investigated. The magnetic characterization in a DC field of the beads before adsorption showed the presence of a superparamagnetic state at 300 K—a state that was also preserved after copper adsorption. The main differences in terms of magnetic properties before and after Cu²⁺ adsorption were the reduction of the magnetic signal (observed by comparing the saturation magnetization) and a different shape of the blocking temperature distribution obtained by magnetization versus temperature measurements. The evaluation of the reduction in magnetization can be important from the application perspective since it can affect the efficiency of the beads’ removal from the water medium after treatment. Full article