Socioecology Research Today

A spinning disc reactor was investigated as a process intensification technology for photocatalysis and compared with a conventional annular reactor. It was found that the average photonic efficiency achieved in the SDR was three times larger than the maximum photonic efficiency achieved in the annular reactor, 0.19 ±0.08% versus 0.062 ± 0.009%, indicating that the [...]

This paper conducts a large-scale examination of the extent to which shale gas development activities affect surface water quality. Focusing on the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania, we estimate the effect of shale gas wells and the release of treated shale gas waste by permitted treatment facilities on observed downstream concentrations of chloride (Cl−) and total [...]

Chronic exposure to arsenic (As) by drinking shallow groundwater causes widespread disease in Bangladesh and neighboring countries. The release of As naturally present in sediment to groundwater has been linked to the reductive dissolution of iron oxides coupled to the microbial respiration of organic carbon (OC). The source of OC driving this microbial reduction—carbon deposited [...]

Four alternative cases for water supply were environmentally evaluated and compared based on the standard environmental impact categories from the life-cycle assessment (LCA) methodology extended with a freshwater withdrawal category (FWI). The cases were designed for Copenhagen, a part of Denmark with high population density and relatively low available water resources. FWI was applied at [...]

Here, water-quality data sets from water-treatment facilities in Colorado were analysed to determine whether the municipal water supply has been perturbed by tree mortality. Results demonstrate higher total organic carbon concentrations along with significantly more DBPs at water-treatment facilities using mountain-pine-beetle-infested source waters when contrasted with those using water from control watersheds. In addition to [...]

Geometric mean urinary Cd (ng/mL) declined 20–25% in these subpopulations, and the regressions showed statistically significant declines in later years for teens and adults. While certain covariates were significantly associated with Cd by subpopulation (creatinine; age; BMI; race/ethnicity/origin; education; smokers in the home; serum cotinine; 24-h fat, Mg, Fe intakes; use of dietary supplements), they [...]

In general, damage of (antibiotic resistance genes) ARGs required much greater UV doses (200–400 mJ/cm2 for 3- to 4-log reduction) than (antibiotic-resistant bacteria) ARB inactivation (10–20 mJ/cm2 for 4- to 5-log reduction). The proportion of amplifiable ARGs following UV treatment exhibited a strong negative correlation with the number of adjacent thymines (Pearson r < −0.9; [...]

Here we address one of the most important missing components in the current ecosystem services toolbox: a comprehensive and generalizable framework for describing and valuing water quality-related services. Water quality is often misrepresented as a final ecosystem service. We argue that it is actually an important contributor to many different services, from recreation to human [...]

The Atmospheric air is considered a huge and renewable source of fresh water. The atmosphere contains about 12,900 km3 of fresh water, whereas liquid water resources of inhabited lands is about 12,500 km3.In this paper, atmospheric water vapor processing (AWVP) technology is reviewed. These processors are machines which extract water molecules from the atmosphere, ultimately [...]

The bacterial community structure of a drinking water microbiome was characterized over three seasons using 16S rRNA gene based pyrosequencing of samples obtained from source water (a mix of a groundwater and a surface water), different points in a drinking water plant operated to treat this source water, and in the associated drinking water distribution [...]