1. |
- Al-Bahrani, Hussein Shakir, et al.
(author)
-
Groundwater detection and classification using remote sensing and GIS in Najaf, Iraq
- 2022
-
In: Groundwater for Sustainable Development. - : Elsevier. - 2352-801X. ; 19
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Due to the shortage of fresh surface water caused by climate change, groundwater has become a vital water supply for household, agricultural, and industrial use. Alternative methods for determining groundwater depth, amount, and quality at a lower cost and less effort are critical. This study aims to determine the depth and kind of groundwater in Najaf City, Iraq, using Aqua detector remote sensing device. Thirty-nine sample locations were chosen in rural and urban regions to cover the city’s 441.23 square kilometres. Five geographic models of groundwater depth and type were created using the Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) interpolation method in ArcGIS software. The results indicate that groundwater is available across the study region, beginning at 100â¯m and lower depths. Additionally, it has been found that the nature of groundwater fluctuates with the location and depth. The findings of this study aid in selecting wells locations and depths in the study region that generate maximum quality and quantity of groundwater.
|
|
2. |
- Ahmadlou, Mohammad, et al.
(author)
-
Flood susceptibility mapping and assessment using a novel deep learning model combining multilayer perceptron and autoencoder neural networks
- 2021
-
In: Journal of Flood Risk Management. - UK : John Wiley & Sons. - 1753-318X. ; 14:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Floods are one of the most destructive natural disasters causing financial dam-ages and casualties every year worldwide. Recently, the combination of data-driven techniques with remote sensing (RS) and geographical information sys-tems (GIS) has been widely used by researchers for flood susceptibility map-ping. This study presents a novel hybrid model combining the multilayerperceptron (MLP) and autoencoder models to produce the susceptibility mapsfor two study areas located in Iran and India. For two cases, nine, and twelvefactors were considered as the predictor variables for flood susceptibility map-ping, respectively. The prediction capability of the proposed hybrid model wascompared with that of the traditional MLP model through the area under thereceiver operating characteristic (AUROC) criterion. The AUROC curve for theMLP and autoencoder-MLP models were, respectively, 75 and 90, 74 and 93%in the training phase and 60 and 91, 81 and 97% in the testing phase, for Iranand India cases, respectively. The results suggested that the hybridautoencoder-MLP model outperformed the MLP model and, therefore, can beused as a powerful model in other studies for flood susceptibility mapping.
|
|
3. |
- Al-Ani, Ibrahim Abdulrazak, et al.
(author)
-
Multi criteria decision making to optimize the best runoff control measures for the Haditha Dam Reservoir, Iraq
- 2020
-
In: Journal of Environmental Hydrology. - : International Association for Environmental Hydrology. - 1058-3912 .- 1996-7918. ; 28
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In Iraq, the two dominating surface water sources are Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in which some dams constructed on both of them forming reservoirs. The Haditha Dam reservoir is one of the most essential sources of drinking, irrigation, flood control and hydropower generation in Anbar State, Western Iraq. Besides, the reservoir is a unique habitat with a wide spectrum of biodiversity. The objective of this study is to investigate and monitor the water quality in Haditha Dam reservoir and introduce Multi Criteria Analysis (MCA) as a means to highlight the best runoff control measures depending on selected criteria and criteria weights. Experts were interviewed for the selection of criteria and for the assignment of the weight factor and scores. Four criteria from three categories such as technical, economic and environmental aspects were selected. Results from this study indicated that a the difference in TSS and Turbidity between the dry and wet seasons necessitates the installation of runoff control measures. It was found that the soil binders, sediment basin and diversion channel are the best alternatives for controlling erosion, sediment and drainage respectively. The sensitivity analysis showed very strong decisions made by the experts for the technical, economic and environmental criteria.
|
|
4. |
- Al-Fawzy, Ali Mekki, et al.
(author)
-
Detention and Release in Stepped Gabion Weir: Case of Four Steps
- 2024
-
In: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Recent Innovation in Engineering ICRIE 2023, University of Duhok, College of Engineering, 13th – 14th September 2023. - : University of Garmian. ; , s. 439-452
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The problem of water scarcity can be noticed clearly in the lined canals which provide the irrigation networks. Using porous structures like gabion weirs contributes as a part solution to this problem. In the current study, a laboratory flume was used to calculate the water depths upstream and downstream of the stepped gabion weir that is to be put inside it at a certain distance, and this flume comes with dimensions of 10 m long by 0.30 m wide and 0.50 m height. While the tested hydraulic model of the weir was built with dimensions of 0.30 m width by 0.40 m maximum height, and five lengths with different total distance of 0.88, 0.96, 1.08, 1.12, and 1.20 m respectively. The used gravel samples to fill the gabions were of monosize query gravel with diameters ranging between 0.0095-0.0140, 0.0140-0.0190, 0.0190-0.0250, 0.0250-0.0375, and 0.0375-0.0500 m in a respective way. While the values of discharge, measured during the experiments were in the range of 0.0007-0.0150 m3/s, and a total of 175 trial tests. This study achieved that the detention depth value decreases by increasing the diameter of the gravel sample used, but there is no effect of the gravel sample on the value of release depth, the different illustrated formulas for the detention and release depths maybe can be used usefully for design and scheduling actions in the field where it gave a reasonable matching between the measured and the calculated values of the studied depths, and finally, the errors percentage in an average value for both detention and release tested values were 5.278% and -0.265% respectively
|
|
5. |
- Al-Mamoori, Sohaib Kareem, et al.
(author)
-
Horizontal and Vertical Geotechnical Variations of Soils According to USCS Classification for the City of An-Najaf, Iraq Using GIS
- 2020
-
In: Geotechnical and Geological Engineering. - Switzerland : Springer. - 0960-3182 .- 1573-1529. ; 38:2, s. 1919-1938
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The unified soil classification system (USCS) first proposed by Casagrande and subsequently developed by the Army Corps of Engineers. It widely used in many building codes and books. An-Najaf city is the most important city in Iraq due to its religious and spiritual value in the Muslim world, so it is fast expanding and continuous developing city in Iraq. The data from 464 boreholes in the study area for depths of 0–26 m have been used. 13 Soil samples were collected from each borehole with 13 depths level (0–26) m with 2 m intervals. The USCS was applied to the soil samples from 13 depth levels borehole. This research aims to create a geodatabase for soil properties for An-Najaf. The ArcGIS 10.5 software was used to interpolate the spatial data to produce 33 geotechnical maps for fine soil, coarse soil and USCS for 13 depth levels. For numerical soil data, Ordinary Kriging has been used for interpolation mapping of Fine and Coarse percentage data for each depth. For non-numerical (nominal) soil data (USCS class), the Indicator Kriging method is used. The results show that the coarse soil occupied 85–95% for depth 0–16 m and consist of (SP, SP-SM, SM) while fine soil occupied 5–15% consisting of (OL, CH, ML) subsequently, this soil when compacted has a permeability of pervious to semi impervious, good shearing strength, low to very low compressibility and acceptable workability as a construction material. The results also show that after 16 m depths until 26 m, the fine soil percentage increased to 40% with a coarse soil percentage of 60%, indicating changes in soil characteristics as the permeability became semi-pervious to impervious, fair shearing strength, medium compressibility and fair workability as a construction material. The study results will provide help and saving time, efforts and money in preliminary engineering designs.
|
|
6. |
- Hani Al-Tamimi, Ahmed, et al.
(author)
-
Urban uses change an analytical study using geographic information systems/Kufa city as a model
- 2022
-
In: Cogent Engineering. - : Taylor & Francis. - 2331-1916. ; 9:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Change is considered a prominent feature of urban areas because of the various services and functions in cities, with complex functional relations. The study aims to build an informational foundation for urban planners and designers on the effects resulting from the imbalance in the organization and proportions of urban land uses, which in turn affects the performance of its functions in the city and its changes, and thus the necessity of using modern technologies to identify and define urban problems in cities, especially those related to land uses. An analytical approach to the research was taken, adopting geographic information systems as a tool for research by studying the reality of the region and determining the changes occurring from the functional side for the periods of 2,003,200,820,132,018. These periods witnessed substantial development and changes at the city and country levels. Through the results of the study, the changes were identified, remedies suggested, positive aspects were strengthened, and negative phenomena were reduced. The conclusions reached by the study indicate that planning for the use of the land is a very important practical aspect of achieving the needs of the population and limiting the noncultural aspects of expansion. Deliberate and planned change can generate positive results and vice versa.
|
|
7. |
- Jasim, Ihsan Abbas, et al.
(author)
-
Do the population density and coverage rate of transit affect the public transport contribution?
- 2022
-
In: Cogent Engineering. - : Taylor & Francis. - 2331-1916. ; 9:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The article tried to study the public transport role as one of the means that contribute to sustainable urban development by investigating the effect of the coverage rate for public transport on the number of those who use public transport in the neighbourhoods of Kut city. This article investigates the link between public transportation and supportive urban design trends. The research spatial and temporal limits are represented by the municipal boundaries Al-Kut city, which are shown in the master plan of the city for the period 2008–2012. The results showed a positive but weak relationship between public transport (variable factor) and the proportion of public transport coverage and population density (independent factors). These factors do not explain the apparent, which is confirmed by the high Bo value and its great reliability, and this result is inconsistent with the hypothesis that states a positive effect between public transport and the coverage rate. However, this relationship is abnormal and indicates an imbalance in the distribution of land uses and the provision of services in the structure of Kut city. Furthermore, it is a negative indicator of the city’s structure, where a good and efficient structure requires a strong relationship. As for public transport passengers, they seem to be restricted by this for poor services.
|
|
8. |
- Kareem, Sabreen L., et al.
(author)
-
Optimum location for landfills landfill site selection using GIS technique: Al-Naja city as a case study
- 2021
-
In: Cogent Engineering. - : Taylor & Francis. - 2331-1916. ; 8:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Solid waste is one of the leading environmental problems affecting human lives. Selecting a landfill where waste is disposed of is a complicated issue that related to many factors and regulations. In this study, the optimal sanitary landfill site for An-Najaf city was assessed using the GIS and weight criteria method. Eight appropriate criteria were selected, which are: urban area, rivers, roads, soil types, elevation, wind, slope, and archaeological, historical and religious sites. Moreover, the weighting of the criteria by using experts’ opinion and previous similar literature. The “weighted overlay tool” is then applied to get a map of the significance index for selected landfill sites. Seven suitable sites with an area of 177,762,986 m2 and form 0.62% from the total city area can accommodate the solid waste generated for a period, not less than ten years10 years.
|
|
9. |
- Kareem, Sabreen L., et al.
(author)
-
Water quality assessment and phosphorus effect using water quality indices : Euphrates River- Iraq as a case study
- 2021
-
In: Groundwater for Sustainable Development. - : Elsevier. - 2352-801X. ; 14
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Most rivers in developing countries are facing water contamination problem. Therefore, saving water quality by complying with the industrial, drinking, and agricultural allowable standard limits has been difficult. This study aims to assess Shatt Al-Kufa water quality as one branch of the Euphrates River by calculating three types of water quality indices in two cases, excluding and including the phosphate (PO4) consentration, as it was the parameter that most met the standard. The used water quality indices are the Weight Arithmetic Water Quality Index (WAWQI), the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Index (CCMEWQI) and the Oregon Water Quality Index (OWQI). Fifteen parameters were analyzed, including pH value, Biological Oxygen Demand, Turbidity, Total Hardness, Orthophosphate, Sulphate, Nitrate, Alkalinity, Potassium, Sodium, Magnesium, Chloride, Dissolved Oxygen, Calcium and Total Dissolved Solids. The results show that the average WAWQI for three stations, including PO4, were 33.79, 43.75 and 37.62, which is good water. However, in excluding PO4, the water quality was characterized as very poor depending on the resulting values (86.62, 88.86 and 91.91, respectively). The CCMEWQI values for three stations were 63.83, 60.40 and 55.69, including PO4, so the water quality was fair and marginal. According to OWQI, the water quality for three stations was very poor in two cases since the OWQI value less than 59. Pearson correlation shows a good link, especially total hardness and total dissolved solids with salt.
|
|
10. |
- Name, Ihsan Abbas Jasim, et al.
(author)
-
Spatial analyses model for the public transportation and the urban form relationship
- 2023
-
In: AIP Conference Proceedings. - : American Institute of Physics (AIP). - 0094-243X .- 1551-7616. ; 2651:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The lack of analys is tools that respond to spatial heterogeneity and the failure to adopt them as tools to assess problems, and the low life quality of Iraqi c ities represent this study's problem. Hence, this study aims to analyze the relationship b etween public transportation and urban form patterns using spatial analys is and shed light on the contribution of spatial analysis as practical planning tools to increase the public transport contribution. The importance of the study can be summarised in the following two reasons; the first is the adoption of a new model for spatial analyzes, which is weighted geographical regression. The second reason is the attempt to activate public transport. Therefore, it should be known that makes public transportation more attractive to the user, both for new areas and future development. The study hypothesis includes that spatial analyzes are more appropriate tools for studying spatial phenomena and are compatible with postmodernity. Finally, the current study introduced a demographic and good urban design that fac ilitates the residents' access to public transport services.
|
|
11. |
- Al-Ansari, Nadhir, 1947-, et al.
(author)
-
Mosul Dam Problem and Stability
- 2021
-
In: Engineering. - USA : Scientific Research Publishing. - 1947-3931 .- 1947-394X. ; 13:3, s. 105-124
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mosul Dam is located on the River Tigris about 60 km northwest Mosul in Iraq. It is the biggest dam where its storage capacity reaches 11.11 billion cubic meters at normal operational level (330 m. above sea level). The dam was constructed on alternating beds of karistified limestone, gypsum and marl. This dam suffered from water seepage under its foundation since its operation in 1986. Grouting operations were implemented since that time to overcome this problem. This seepage is believed to be due to dissolution of gypsum beds under the foundation, which was not carefully considered by the designers. It was recommended by the international board of experts that the water level should be kept at or below 319 m.a.s.l. to minimize damages in case of the failure of the dam. ISIS occupied the dam site on 8 August 2014 and it was seized back from the hands of ISIS on the 16th of the same month. They did plenty of damage despite the short period they occupied the area. After that, the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources rebuilt the damaged parts and used new grouting and maintenance program. Now, the dam looks very safe at 319 m water level at its reservoir. In addition, the impounding was raised 325 m.a.s.l. for few days and nothing abnormal was noticed.
|
|
12. |
- Al Bayaty, Majd, et al.
(author)
-
Riparian Management and Nutrients Distribution in Different Zones of Euphrates Riverbanks
- 2023
-
In: International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics. - : International Information and Engineering Technology Association. - 1755-7437 .- 1755-7445. ; 18:1, s. 1-10
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The dynamic of nutrient cycling is a critical factor in riparian regions. It is essential to understand the behaviour of riparian areas in the maintenance and management river ecosystem. Sediment load, nutrients, and pathogens are transported to water bodies through land drainage and riverside flow. The classification of environmental agencies was poor for them. In this study, a qualitative investigation was implemented to determine the relationship between these practices and variations in nutrient retention for several types of riverbank soil. Also, the riverbank soils were including soil covered by wild reed plants. All the field works were along the Euphrates River in three locations. Moreover, study the variation in the content of vegetation riverbank soils from nitrogen, organic matter (OM), potassium (K), phosphorus (P), and PH. The results presented that riverbanks consider important locations for nutrient retention. Whilst agricultural activities have minimized the content of soil of OM (30%), N (49%), and K (3%), in subsurface soil but not so great lowering in surface layers. In contrast, management practices and human activities such as burning caused an apparent increase of OM (4%), N (77%), and a clear reduction in P (12%) content at both surface and subsurface layers of soil. Under all circumstances, riverbank soils showed a relative increase of nutrients at wet toe-slopes. Furthermore, it is noted that riparian vegetation and aquatic plants played a significant role by causing critical changes in riparian sides or even contrary effects on riverbank management practices and destruction of natural soil nutrient conditions. Thus, it should be carefully considered when evaluating the ecological impacts of riparian disturbances.
|
|
13. |
- Al-Maliki, Laheab A, et al.
(author)
-
Climate change impact on water resources of Iraq (a review of literature)
- 2022
-
In: Water Resources in Iraq: Perspectives and Prognosis (ICWRPP 2022). - : Institute of Physics (IOP).
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Maintaining natural processes and supporting social and economic growth depend heavily on water supplies. However, Future climate is predicted to bring higher temperatures, which will increase evapotranspiration; lower precipitation totals; and changes in the seasonal pattern of precipitation. Iraq is more vulnerable to climate change than other nations due to the underdeveloped and fragile water management systems there, as well as the country's desert and warmer environment and increasing sensitivity to extreme weather events. The present work aims to analyse the literature dealing with climate change's effects on water resources in Iraq. The Scopus database was searched using the keywords (Iraq, models of climate change, and water resources). Most models study the effect of high temperatures and evaporation on water resources using different tools, the most important of which are SWAT, LARS-WG, and HEC-HM. The analysis of previous studies shows that the results of all the literature concordant that Iraq is on the verge of severe water scarcity due to high temperatures and the resulting decrease in rainfall, increase in evaporation, decrease in vegetation cover and increase in desertification.
|
|
14. |
- Al-Maliki, Laheab Abbas, et al.
(author)
-
Optimization of Reservoir Operation for Irrigation
- 2023. - 1
-
In: Handbook of Irrigation Hydrology and Management: Irrigation Fundamentals. - : Taylor & Francis. - 9780367258191 - 9780429290114 ; , s. 347-360
-
Book chapter (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Water used for irrigation is accounted for 70%–80% of the total water used worldwide. Thus, efficient management of the water resources is the key point to the sustainable water use. The difference between the inflow and water needs is one of the reasons for constructing a reservoir. Many studies were conducted regarding optimizing reservoir operation for irrigation to achieve the desired goals and objectives of the reservoir system. Significant and increasing scientific efforts were conducted to develop and implement the optimization techniques to operate the reservoirs for irrigation. All of the literature aims to minimize the gap between the water release policy and water demands determine release and transfer decisions that maximize water management objectives, and they all confirmed that using mathematical models to optimize and simulate the reservoir operation can enhance the performance of the reservoirs, as well as improve the crop yield. It is expected that this direction continues to evolve, and hopefully, the results of these models would encourage water managers to put them into practice to upgrade the agricultural sector.
|
|
15. |
- Al-Maliki, Laheab A., et al.
(author)
-
Perception of climate change effects on water resources : Iraqi undergraduates as a case study
- 2022
-
In: Arabian Journal of Geosciences. - : Springer. - 1866-7511 .- 1866-7538. ; 15:6
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Developing countries suffer from the effects of climate change on water resources more than other countries. This paper aims to specify the undergraduates’ knowledge about climate change effects on water resources. This study was conducted through a questionnaire distributed using Google form in May 2021. Descriptive analysis was used to display the level of awareness, and then the correlation between the respondents’ gender, stage, and scientific specialization were analyzed. The results showed that the general knowledge for all questionaries ranged between 40 and 50 %. Moreover, a weak positive correlation with the highest Spearman’s rho of 0.15 was shown for the students’ gender with their understanding of climate change main cause by 0.06 for the academic stage versus knowledge of climate change causes. Moreover, the results indicated a weak role for university education in exchange for a prominent role for television and social media in raising awareness. The research recommends integrating the Environmental Education (EE) programs into the Iraqi educational systems as it proposes a systematic educational method through which climate change and other environmental problems may be addressed holistically at all educational levels.
|
|
16. |
- Al-Maliki, Laheab A., et al.
(author)
-
Perceptions about water pollution among university students : A case study from Iraq
- 2021
-
In: Cogent Engineering. - UK : Taylor & Francis. - 2331-1916. ; 8:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study intends to evaluate university students’ awareness regarding water pollution in Iraq to show the environmental education contribution in reducing water pollution. The study was conducted in Wasit university, Wasit province, Iraq by field questionnaire survey with 388 students from the civil engineering department and engineering college. The questionnaires were divided according to the pollution causes into industrial, agricultural and sewage water pollutants. The data were analyzed utilizing the thematic analysis to assess environmental knowledge and awareness of water pollution risks. The results show that most students have high interest in environmental conservation, yet, a lack of education in general environmental education, as the educational curriculum focuses on theoretical aspects more than the practical ones. The results also show that the media role is inactive concerning environmental awareness of water pollution. This study provides a scientific view of policymakers for potential future conditions to find solutions that achieve sustainability goals.
|
|
17. |
- Al-Samarrai, Shatha Y., et al.
(author)
-
Minimizing the Fluoride Load in Water Using the Electrocoagulation Method: An Experimental Approach
- 2022
-
In: Environments. - : MDPI. - 2076-3298. ; 9:3
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The abundant presence of fluoride (F-) in surface water bodies is an environmental concern because of its effects on human health; medical reports confirmed that fluoride intake above 1.5 mg/L leads to many health complications, including but not limited to weak bones and enamel fluorosis. Thus, the World Health Organisation (WHO) defines 1.20 mg/L as the maximum permissible F concentration in drinking water. The electrocoagulation method (EC) is globally practised to remove many pollutants from water due to its cost-effectiveness, safety, and ease of use. However, EC has some drawbacks, such as the lack of reactors’ design. In this study, a new EC reactor, which uses four drilled aluminium electrodes and a variant cross-section section container, was designed and used to remove F- from water. The design of the new EC eliminated the need for water mixers. The ability of the new EC unit to remove F- from synthetic water was evaluated at different current densities (CD) (1-3 mA/cm2), electrode distances (ELD) (5-15 mm), pH of the solution (pHoS) (4-10), and initial F- concentrations (IFC) (5-20 mg/L). The outcomes of this study prove that the new reactor could remove as much as 98.3% of 20 mg/l of F- at CD, ELD, pHoS, and IFC of 2 mA/cm2, 5 mm, and 4 and 10 mg/L, respectively.
|
|
18. |
- Ali, Asma Mahdi, et al.
(author)
-
Nonlinear Simulation Analysis of Mechanical Behaviour of Rubberized Concrete
- 2022
-
In: International Journal of GEOMATE. - : GEOMATE International Society. - 2186-2982 .- 2186-2990. ; 22:90, s. 125-137
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The main objective is to simulate the representation of rubber concrete with different percentages (0, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100%) of rubber using a finite element approach with ANSYS V.15 software to evaluate the behavior of concrete under the influence of mechanical force by using a standard cylinder to calculate its compressive strength, elasticity modulus and displacements for comparison with the previous experimental study, which showed a very close agreement of 5 to 12% when compared between them. The results showed that when the percentage of rubber increases, it leads to a decrease in the compressive strength, that is, its resistance, and an increase in the corresponding displacements and deformations that occur in them, as a result of the concentration of these stresses in the rubber limits. The results also showed that the meshing distribution of the analyzed elements by the ANSYS gave higher values of compressive strength and a decrease in the corresponding displacements when they were regular i.e. homogeneous compared to the irregular ones. Finally, through statistical analysis, it was found that the mean and arithmetic mean were acceptable and close when comparing the theoretical and practical results.
|
|
19. |
- Alsaffar, Abdul Kareem K., et al.
(author)
-
Development of eco-friendly wall insulation layer utilising the wastes of the packing industry
- 2023
-
In: Heliyon. - : Elsevier. - 2405-8440. ; 9:11
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Efficient thermal insulation materials considerably lower power consumption for heating and cooling of buildings, which in turn minimises CO2 emissions and improves indoor comfort conditions. However, the selection of suitable insulation materials is governed by several factors, such as the environmental impact, health impact, cost and durability. Additionally, the disposal of used insulation materials is a major factor that affects the selection of materials because some materials could be very toxic for humans and the environment, such as asbestos-containing materials. Therefore, there is a continuous research effort, in both industry and academia, to develop sustainable and affordable insulation materials. In this context, this work aims at utilising the packing industry wastes (cardboard) to develop an eco-friendly insulation layer, which is a biodegradable material that can be disposed of safely after use. Experimentally, wasted cardboard was collected, cleaned, and soaked in water for 24 h. Then, the wet cardboard was minced and converted into past papers, then cast in square moulds and left in a ventilated oven at 75 °C to dry before de-moulding them. The produced layers were subjected to a wide range of tests, including thermal conductivity, acoustic insulation, infrared imaging and bending resistance. The obtained results showed the developed material has a good thermal and acoustic insulation performance. Thermally, the developed material had the lowest thermal conductivity (λ) (0.039 W/m.K) compared to the studied traditional materials. Additionally, it successfully decreased the noise level from 80 to about 58 dB, which was better than the efficiency of the commercial polyisocyanurate layer. However, the bending strength of the developed material was a major drawback because the material did not resist more than 0.6 MPa compared to 2.0 MPa for the commercial polyisocyanurate and 70.0 MPa for the wood boards. Therefore, it is recommended to investigate the possibility of strengthening the new material by adding fibres or cementitious materials.
|
|
20. |
- Chabuk, Ali, et al.
(author)
-
Application ArcGIS on Modified-WQI Method to Evaluate Water Quality of the Euphrates River, Iraq, Using Physicochemical Parameters
- 2021
-
In: Proceedings of Sixth International Congress on Information and Communication Technology. - Singapore : Springer. ; , s. 657-675
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The global interest of the water bodies due to the water scarcity crisis encourages researchers to study the details water environment in different aspects. Consequently, this study objective to evaluate the water quality in the Euphrates River through adopted 11 physicochemical parameters measured at 16 locations during the 3 years (2009–2011) for both seasons (dry and wet). In this study, the water quality index model (WQIM) was calculated after modifying the weighted arithmetic method to define as MWQI. The chosen parameters were comprised of Cl, SO4, HCO3, NO3, Na, K, Ca, Mg, TH, TDS, and EC. For the river section of locations (L.1–L.10), all readings of the selected parameters (expected HCO3) were increased more and more. Then, all concentrations of parameters were recorded the high increasing after location (L.10) at locations (L.11–L.14). The concentrations situation of HCO3 were verse vice at all locations. For the average values of 3 years (wet, dry, total), the MWQI of section length of the Euphrates River at locations (L.1–L.10) were classified as good water quality (class, C-II). The river section at locations (L.11–L.16, excepted L.13) was classified as poor water quality (class, C-III), while the location (L.13) was classified as very poor (class, C-IV). The interpolation prediction maps of the average readings (total, dry, and wet) of the Euphrates River were output in GIS using the interpolation model of IDWM.
|
|
21. |
- Chabuk, Ali, et al.
(author)
-
Water quality assessment along Tigris River (Iraq) using water quality index (WQI) and GIS software
- 2020
-
In: Arabian Journal of Geosciences. - Switzerland : Springer. - 1866-7511 .- 1866-7538. ; 13:14
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Most of the third world countries having rivers passing through them suffer from the water contaminant problem. This problem is considered so difficult to get the water quality within the standard allowable limits for drinking, as well as for industrial and agricultural purposes. This research aims to assess the water quality of the Tigris River using the water quality index method and GIS software. Twelve parameters (Ca, Mg, Na, K, Cl, SO4, HCO3, TH, TDS, BOD5, NO3, and EC) were taken from 14 stations along the river. The weighted arithmetic method was applied to compute the water quality index (WQI). The interpolation method (IDW) was applied in ArcGIS 10.5 to produce the prediction maps for 12 parameters at 11 stations along the Tigris River during the wet and dry seasons in 2016. The regression prediction was applied on three stations in the Tigris River between observed values and predicted values, from the prediction maps, in both seasons. The results showed that the regression prediction for all parameters was given the acceptable values of the determination coefficient (R2). Furthermore, the state of water quality for the Tigris River was degraded downstream of the Tigris River, especially at the station (8) in Aziziyah in the wet and dry seasons and increase degradation clearly at Qurnah (Basrah province) in the south of Iraq. This paper considers the whole length of the Tigris River for the study. This is important to give comprehensive knowledge about the contamination reality of the river. Such that it becomes easier to understand the problem of contamination, analyze it, and then find the suitable treatments and solutions.
|
|
22. |
- Faisal, Ayad A. H, et al.
(author)
-
Controlling metal ion migration in contaminated groundwater with Iraqi clay barriers for water resource protection
- 2023
-
In: RSC Advances. - : Royal Society of Chemistry. - 2046-2069. ; 13:24, s. 16196-16205
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study investigates the effectiveness of using Iraqi clay as a low-permeability layer to prevent the migration of lead and nickel ions in groundwater-aquifers. Tests of batch operation have been conducted to determine the optimal conditions for removing Pb2+ ions, which were found to be 120 minutes of contact time, a pH of 5, 0.12 g of clay per 100 mL of solution, and an agitation of 250 rpm. These conditions resulted in a 90% removal efficiency for a 50 mg L−1 initial concentration of lead ions. To remove nickel ions with an efficiency of 80%, the optimal conditions were 60 minutes of contact time, a pH of 6, 12 g of clay per 100 mL of solution, and an agitation of 250 rpm. Several sorption models were evaluated, and the Langmuir formula was found to be the most effective. The highest sorption capacities were 1.75 and 137 mg g−1 for nickel and lead ions, respectively. The spread of metal ions was simulated using finite element analysis in the COMSOL multiphysics simulation software, taking into account the presence of a clay barrier. The results showed that the barrier creates low-discharge zones along the down-gradient of the barrier, reducing the rate of pollutant migration to protect the water sources.
|
|
23. |
- Falih, Ali Hasan, et al.
(author)
-
Comparative study on salinity removal methods: an evaluation-based stable isotopes signatures in ground and sea water
- 2023
-
In: Applied water science. - : Springer. - 2190-5487 .- 2190-5495. ; 13
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This research aims to attain the optimal method of removing the high salinity concentrations without its effect on the balance or accuracy of stable isotopes measurement of deuterium and oxygen-18 (δ18O, δ2H). Four treatment methods (i.e., distillation, vacuum distillation, electro dialysis and ion exchange) were applied for nine samples, which were obtained from different water sources (sea, groundwater, river).l Worth to notice that the samples have Electrical Conductivity (EC) ranged (1000–60,000 µs/cm). Liquid–Water Isotope Analyzer used to measure the isotope concentration of δ18O, δ2H. The research findings of the four applied methods revealed their effectiveness with various percentages (normal distillation: 92.37%; vacuum distillation: 88.31%; electro dialysis: 94.85%; ion exchange: 99.62%). In addition, the investigation was conducted a clear correspondence measurement of (δ18O, δ2H) isotopes before and after treatment. The four methods results indicated that samples with EC ranged (1000–5000 µs/cm) have no effect on stable isotope readings. Whereas, samples with EC higher than 10,000, have substantial influence on the stable isotope readings. Finally, vacuum distillation method attained the best results among the treatment methods for EC ranged (10,000–60,000 µs/cm) without affecting the isotopic content of (δ18O, δ2H). There is a clear correspondence of the stable isotopic measurements before and after treatment, for all the selected samples.
|
|
24. |
- Grmasha, Ruqayah Ali, et al.
(author)
-
Temporal and spatial distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the Danube River in Hungary
- 2024
-
In: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Nature. - 2045-2322. ; 14
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Danube is a significant transboundary river on a global scale, with several tributaries. The effluents from industrial operations and wastewater treatment plants have an impact on the river's aquatic ecosystem. These discharges provide a significant threat to aquatic life by deteriorating the quality of water and sediment. Hence, a total of 16 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) compounds were analyzed at six locations along the river, covering a period of 12 months. The objective was to explore the temporal and spatial fluctuations of these chemicals in both water and sediment. The study revealed a significant fluctuation in the concentration of PAHs in water throughout the year, with levels ranging from 224.8 ng/L during the summer to 365.8 ng/L during the winter. Similarly, the concentration of PAHs in sediment samples varied from 316.7 ng/g in dry weight during the summer to 422.9 ng/g in dry weight during the winter. According to the Europe Drinking Water Directive, the levels of PAHs exceeded the permitted limit of 100 ng/L, resulting in a 124.8% rise in summer and a 265.8% increase in winter. The results suggest that the potential human-caused sources of PAHs were mostly derived from pyrolytic and pyrogenic processes, with pyrogenic sources being more dominant. Assessment of sediment quality standards (SQGs) showed that the levels of PAHs in sediments were below the Effect Range Low (ERL), except for acenaphthylene (Acy) and fluorene (Fl) concentrations. This suggests that there could be occasional biological consequences. The cumulative Individual Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILCR) exceeds 1/104 for both adults and children in all sites.
|
|
25. |
- Hashim, Bassim Mohammed, et al.
(author)
-
Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on NO2, O3, PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations and assessing air quality changes in Baghdad, Iraq
- 2021
-
In: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier. - 0048-9697 .- 1879-1026. ; 754
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Covid-19 was first reported in Iraq on February 24, 2020. Since then, to prevent its propagation, the Iraqi government declared a state of health emergency. A set of rapid and strict countermeasures have taken, including locking down cities and limiting population's mobility. In this study, concentrations of four criteria pollutants, NO2, O3, PM2.5 and PM10 before the lockdown from January 16 to February 29, 2020, and during four periods of partial and total lockdown from March 1 to July 24, 2020, in Baghdad were analysed. Overall, 6, 8 and 15% decreases in NO2, PM2.5, and PM10 concentrations, respectively in Baghdad during the 1st partial and total lockdown from March 1 to April 21, compared to the period before the lockdown. While, there were 13% increase in O3 for same period. During the 2nd partial lockdown from June 14 to July 24, NO2 and PM2.5 decreases 20 and 2.5%, respectively. While, there were 525 and 56% increase in O3 and PM10, respectively for same period. The air quality index (AQI) improved by 13% in Baghdad during the 1st partial lockdown from March 1 to April 21, compared to its pre-lockdown. The results of NO2 tropospheric column extracted from the Sentinel-5P satellite shown the NO2 emissions reduced up to 35 to 40% across Iraq, due to lockdown measures, between January and July 2020, especially across the major cities such as Baghdad, Basra and Erbil. The lockdown due to COVID-19 has drastic effects on social and economic aspects. However, the lockdown also has some positive effect on natural environment and air quality improvement.
|
|
26. |
- Hommadi, Ali H., et al.
(author)
-
Scheduling the Laterals of Shattulhilla River by Utilizing the Genetic Algorithm as Water Sustainability Technique
- 2024
-
In: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Recent Innovation in Engineering ICRIE 2023, University of Duhok, College of Engineering, 13th – 14th September 2023. - : University of Garmian. ; , s. 84-93
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Open channels are very important to deliver water from main sources to laterals especially for developing countries. Production is subjective by the way that the water is scheduled, and this scheduling is subject to several irrigation constraints. In open channel projects, for instance, maximum discharge of the laterals and main channels, depending on the size of their dimensions and the water requirements for fields. The current paper shows how efficient water scheduling, regarding the delivering water from the main channel to laterals in consequent time slots, can be done by utilizing a genetic algorithm optimisation technique. This research is intended to be applied for scheduling the Shattulhilla River in Babylon City and has broad applications for open channel projects in Iraq. The obtained results clarify how the genetic algorithm optimisation modelling is a sophisticated tool which operators of irrigation projects could now utilize to timetable open channels of irrigation systems.
|
|
27. |
- Jasim, Ihsan Abbas, et al.
(author)
-
Geographically weighted regression model for physical, social, and economic factors affecting the COVID-19 pandemic spreading
- 2022
-
In: Environmental Science and Pollution Research. - : Springer Nature. - 0944-1344 .- 1614-7499. ; 29:34, s. 51507-51520
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study aims to analyze the spatial distribution of the epidemic spread and the role of the physical, social, and economic characteristics in this spreading. A geographically weighted regression (GWR) model was built within a GIS environment using infection data monitored by the Iraqi Ministry of Health records for 10 months from March to December 2020. The factors adopted in this model are the size of urban interaction areas and human gatherings, movement level and accessibil-ity, and the volume of public services and facilities that attract people. The results show that it would be possible to deal with each administrative unit in proportion to its circumstances in light of the factors that appear in it. So, there will not be a single treatment for all areas with different urban characteristics, which sometimes helps not to stop social and economic life due to the imposition of a comprehensive ban on movement and activities. Therefore, there will be other supportive policies other than the ban, depending on the urban indicators for each region, such as reducing external movement from it or relying on preventing public activities only.
|
|
28. |
- Kadhim Al-lami, Ahmed, et al.
(author)
-
Using Vegetation Indices for monitoring the spread of Nile Rose plant in the Tigris River within Wasit province, Iraq
- 2021
-
In: Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment. - : Elsevier. - 2352-9385. ; 22
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Nile rose or water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is an aquatic species threaten socio-economic and ecological systems, by invading freshwater ecosystems, affecting their productivity and functionality, as well as causing unfixable damage to key hydrological processes. Spectral signature differences can play a common role through using remote identification for these invasive plants, by using hyperspectral data, while many other studies showed that textural and phrenological differences are also can be considered as an effective strategy in this critical problem. New generation sensors like Sentinel 2 and Landsat 8 sensors of recently launched crop with improved sensing characteristics, unlike the previous broadband multispectral sensors has been provided untapped prospective alternatives. New insights were introduced in the detecting, mapping, and monitoring the spread of Nile Rose aquatic plant in the Tigris River at Wasit province in Iraq which has caused damage to fishing nets and make it difficult for fishermen to paddle on the river. Vegetation indices have been used to assess the impacts on major socio-economic activities in the study area. Spectral reflectance of Landsat 8 operational land imager OLI (acquired at 6 Oct 2016) was used to differentiate the spectral signature of the water hyacinth from other plants. These indices recorded the highest reflection of the Nile Rose plant relative to the rest of the plants. The result showed that the green Chlorophyll Index (CL Green) with overall accuracy of 89% which proved that this study has established a promising method for monitoring the invasion of the Nile Rose in the Tigris River to insure the availability of safe drinking water as a main source for the people such as in the study area nearby the part of Tigris River.
|
|
29. |
- Rasool, Mohammed Hamid, et al.
(author)
-
Estimation of Uplift Pressure Equation at Key Points under Floor of Hydraulic Structures
- 2021
-
In: Cogent Engineering. - : Taylor & Francis. - 2331-1916. ; 8:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Most of the hydraulic structures rest on an impervious foundation to reserve water at the upstream side. The water heads difference leads to water movement from the higher to the lower head through the porous soil layer beneath the foundation, generating an uplift pressure under the structure floor. In this study, a new method is presented to estimate the uplift pressures at key points by performing sub-surface flow analysis using the Analysis SYStem (ANSYS) software. Then a statistical analysis to validate the proposed equations is conducted using the SPSS software. The case study for this research is a barrage in Kufa city-Iraq. The used data to implement this study was water levels, soil permeability, and length of imperious foundation. The obtained results show good outcomes from using the proposed method to develop uplift pressure equations. The comparison of the current study results with Khosla’s equation showed good agreement where the coefficient of determination (R2) and the standard error of estimation (SEE) for the equations were between (99.9–97.8) and (0.024–0.11), respectively.
|
|
30. |
- Zubaidi, Salah L., et al.
(author)
-
Assessing the Benefits of Nature-Inspired Algorithms for the Parameterization of ANN in the Prediction of Water Demand
- 2023
-
In: Journal of water resources planning and management. - : American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). - 0733-9496 .- 1943-5452. ; 149:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Accurate forecasting techniques for a stochastic pattern of water demand are essential for any city that faces high variability in climate factors and a shortage of water resources. This study was the first research to assess the impact of climatic factors on urban water demand in Iraq, which is one of the hottest countries in the world. We developed a novel forecasting methodology that includes data preprocessing and an artificial neural network (ANN) model, which we integrated with a recent nature-inspired metaheuristic algorithm [marine predators algorithm (MPA)]. The MPA-ANN algorithm was compared with four nature-inspired metaheuristic algorithms. Nine climatic factors were examined with different scenarios to simulate the monthly stochastic urban water demand over 11 years for Baghdad City, Iraq. The results revealed that (1) precipitation, solar radiation, and dew point temperature are the most relevant factors; (2) the ANN model becomes more accurate when it is used in combination with the MPA; and (3) this methodology can accurately forecast water demand considering the variability in climatic factors. These findings are of considerable significance to water utilities in planning, reviewing, and comparing the availability of freshwater resources and increasing water requests (i.e., adaptation variability of climatic factors).
|
|
31. |
- Abdulredha, Muhammad, et al.
(author)
-
Electrochemical defluorination of water: an experimental and morphological study
- 2022
-
In: Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development. - : IWA Publishing. - 2043-9083 .- 2408-9362. ; 12:4, s. 394-404
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This experimental study concerns the elimination of fluoride from water using an electrocoagulation reactor having a variable flow direction in favour of increasing the electrolysing time, saving the reactor area, and water mixing. The detention time of the space-saver EC reactor (S-SECR) was measured and compared to the traditional reactors using an inert dye (red drain dye). Then, the influence of electrical current (1.5 ≤ δ ≤ 3.5 mA cm−2), pH of water (4 ≤ pH ≤ 10), and distance between electrodes (5 ≤ ϕ ≤ 15) on the defluoridation of water was analysed. The effect of the electrolysing activity on the electrodes' morphology was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Additionally, the operational cost was calculated. The results confirmed the removal of fluoride using S-SECR met the guideline of the World Health Organization (WHO) for fluoride levels in drinking water of ≤1.5 mg/L. S-SECR abated fluoride concentration from 20 mg/L to the WHO's guideline at δ, ϕ, pH, operational cost, and power consumption of 2.5 mA cm−2, 5 mm, 7, 0.346 USD m−3, and 5.03 kWh m−3, respectively. It was also found the S-SECR enhanced the detention time by 190% compared to the traditional reactors. The appearance of dents and irregularities on the surface of anodes in the SEM images proves the electrolysing process.
|
|
32. |
- Adamo, Nasrat, et al.
(author)
-
Virtual Water Trade and Food Security for Iraq
- 2023
-
In: Engineering. - : Scientific Research Publishing. - 1947-3931 .- 1947-394X. ; 15:7, s. 417-430
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Iraq depends on its water resources from the water of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and their tributaries. Now, the flow of these rivers is decreasing, and Iraq is experiencing a water shortage problem. The situation is expected to be graver in the future if no action is considered. It is expected that the population will be about 70 million in 2050 and about 90 million in 2070. In such a case, thus, the quantities of water available in the future will not besufficient to produce most of the requirements of food security, whether that be from agricultural or animal products. To overcome this problem, water management planning should be based on scientific background to overcome the present and expected problems. One of the main factors to be considered should be based on scientific studies of the virtual water footprint of different food crops to provide the largest possible amount of virtual water and avoid the acute shortage of its national water from surface and ground irrigation water (blue water) and rainwater (green water), in addition to working hard to provide the largest possible amount of desalinated water and refined sewage (gray water). In addition, any strategic plan for sustainable development in the country must be comprehensive so that it is not satisfied with improving the situation in the field of food security related to water security, but rather among its other elements is community development that directly affects food security, including setting policies to reduce consumption by reducing the steady increase in population where the population rate is 2.97% now. Collective awareness and guidance programs in all the fields of water and food security are very important to be adopted, so that everyone knows that the issue of food security and what derives from it are an existential issue related to the survival of Iraq as a state and people. In this research, facts are stated so that action is to be considered to minimize the water shortage problem. The new strategic water resources management plan is to be adopted that considers existing and future expected problems.
|
|
33. |
- Al Amli, Ali Sabah, et al.
(author)
-
Numerical simulation of behaviour of reinforced concrete bars in saturated soil using theoretical models
- 2020
-
In: Journal of Engineering Science and Technology. - Malaysia : School of Engineering. Taylor’s University. - 1823-4690. ; 15:1, s. 392-405
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study presents a nonlinear analysis for square reinforced concrete (RC) foundation slab with bars used with both unsaturated and saturated soils in order to investigate, which response is affected by loading. Different parametric studies are undertaken in this study to determine the effect of load-displacement relationships for RC member or foundation with different cases such as (the distance of bars, diameters of bars reinforcement, types of reinforcement bars steel bars and geogrid reinforcement, yield stress for reinforcement and modulus of elasticity with compressive strength for concrete). A finite element model by ABAQUS software program is used to predict the load versus vertical displacement response of the tested RC foundations with soil by using other researchers´ experimental results. The present finite element models account for the constituent load-displacement behaviour between the RC foundations with soil and the effective load. The numerical results were compared with the experimental results obtained from other research, and good correlations were obtained. The models developed in this study can accurately capture the behaviour and predict the load-displacement of RC foundation with soil. This study shows that geogrid reinforcement enhanced the capacity of the foundation or member when used with different ratios of steel bars in soil and this provides a sustainable solution by reducing steel reinforcement. This geogrid ratio the reinforcement, while the member in saturated soilis less strong than it when in unsaturated soil.
|
|
34. |
- Al Amli, Ali Sabah, et al.
(author)
-
Seismic Behavior of Reinforced Normal Strength Concrete and Reactive powder Concrete Eccentrically Loaded Frames
- 2020
-
In: Technology Reports of Kansai University. - Japan : Faculty of Engineering, Kansai University. - 0453-2198. ; 62:3, s. 199-210
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The purpose of this investigation is to study the effect of repeated load on reinforced concrete beam-column connections. Eight specimens were adopted in this investigation; four specimens were poured with normal strength concrete, and other four specimens were poured with reactive powder concrete. The frames dimensions are constant; 280 mm and 200mm of beam height and width respectively with 1000mm beam length and 200mm square column with 700mm height. The load was applied at mid-span and at a distance 150mm from the mid-span of beam. The reduction in frame capacity reached to 53.3% due to eccentricity. All tested specimens were failed at cycle 5 with different load level; . the decrease in stiffness of cyclically loaded frames of normal strength concrete was higher than that of reactive powder concrete frames. The deflections of cyclically loaded frames higher than that of statically loaded frames. In brief, the frames with eccentrically and cyclically loading give lowest ultimate strength, first crack load and stiffness with highest deflections.
|
|
35. |
- Al-Ani, Ibrahim Abdulrazak, et al.
(author)
-
Development of Lightweight Concrete Using Industrial Waste Palm Oil Clinker
- 2020
-
In: Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture. - USA : David Publishing Company. - 1934-7359 .- 1934-7367. ; 14:6, s. 293-307
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Concrete is a major material used in the construction of buildings and structures in the world. Gravel and sand are the major ingredients of concrete but are non-renewable natural materials. Therefore, the utilisation of palm oil clinker (POC), a solid waste generated from palm oil industry is proposed to replace natural aggregate in this research to reduce the demand for natural aggregates. One mix of ordinary concrete as control concrete; while four mix proportions of oil palm clinker concrete were obtained by replacing 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of gravel and sand of control concrete with coarse and fine oil palm clinker respectively by volume, with same cement content and water cement ratio. Compressive strength test was carried out of concretes with different percentages of oil palm clinker; whereas water absorption tests according to respective standard, were carried out to determine the durability properties of various mixes. Based on the results obtained, the study on the effect of percentage of clinker on strength and durability properties was drawn. According to ACI classification of light weight concrete only the 100 percentage replacement can achieve the definition of light weight concrete since its density is less than 1,900 kg/m3 and strength larger than 17 MPa. Eventually the 25% replacement of the normal aggregate by the OPC will improve the strength and durability of the concrete.
|
|
36. |
- Al-Hashimi, Osamah, et al.
(author)
-
A Comprehensive Review for Groundwater Contamination and Remediation: Occurrence, Migration and Adsorption Modelling
- 2021
-
In: Molecules. - Switzerland : MDPI. - 1431-5157 .- 1420-3049. ; 26:19, s. 5913-5913
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The provision of safe water for people is a human right; historically, a major number of people depend on groundwater as a source of water for their needs, such as agricultural, industrial or human activities. Water resources have recently been affected by organic and/or inorganic contaminants as a result of population growth and increased anthropogenic activity, soil leaching and pollution. Water resource remediation has become a serious environmental concern, since it has a direct impact on many aspects of people’s lives. For decades, the pump-and-treat method has been considered the predominant treatment process for the remediation of contaminated groundwater with organic and inorganic contaminants. On the other side, this technique missed sustainability and the new concept of using renewable energy. Permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) have been implemented as an alternative to conventional pump-and-treat systems for remediating polluted groundwater because of their effectiveness and ease of implementation. In this paper, a review of the importance of groundwater, contamination and biological, physical as well as chemical remediation techniques have been discussed. In this review, the principles of the permeable reactive barrier’s use as a remediation technique have been introduced along with commonly used reactive materials and the recent applications of the permeable reactive barrier in the remediation of different contaminants, such as heavy metals, chlorinated solvents and pesticides. This paper also discusses the characteristics of reactive media and contaminants’ uptake mechanisms. Finally, remediation isotherms, the breakthrough curves and kinetic sorption models are also being presented. It has been found that groundwater could be contaminated by different pollutants and must be remediated to fit human, agricultural and industrial needs. The PRB technique is an efficient treatment process that is an inexpensive alternative for the pump-and-treat procedure and represents a promising technique to treat groundwater pollution.
|
|
37. |
- Al-Jabban, Wathiq, et al.
(author)
-
Briefing : Common laboratory procedures to prepare and cure stabilised soil specimens: a short review
- 2020
-
In: Geotechnical Research. - UK : Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). - 2052-6156. ; 7:1, s. 3-10
-
Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Soil stabilisation is used extensively to improve the physical and mechanical properties of soils to achieve the desired strength and durability properties. During the design process, laboratory investigation is conducted firstly to obtain an enhancement in soil strength and stiffness, in addition to the type and amount of binder required. The methods of preparing and curing specimens of soil–binder mixtures directly influence the properties of the stabilised soils. The most common laboratory protocols used for preparing and curing the specimens of stabilised soil are presented in this short review. The review focuses on several aspects such as homogenisation of the natural soil, mixing type and duration, mould type, moulding techniques and curing time and condition. This review can assist various construction projects that deal with soil improvement to choose an appropriate method for preparing and curing a soil–binder mixture to simulate the field conditions as much as possible and obtain uniform soil–binder mixtures.
|
|
38. |
- Al-Janabi, Ahmed Mohammed Sami, et al.
(author)
-
Experimental and Numerical Analysis for Earth-Fill Dam Seepage
- 2020
-
In: Sustainability. - Switzerland : MDPI. - 2071-1050. ; 12:6, s. 1-14
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Earth-fill dams are the most common types of dam and the most economical choice. However, they are more vulnerable to internal erosion and piping due to seepage problems that are the main causes of dam failure. In this study, the seepage through earth-fill dams was investigated using physical, mathematical, and numerical models. Results from the three methods revealed that both mathematical calculations using L. Casagrande solutions and the SEEP /Wnumerical model have a plotted seepage line compatible with the observed seepage line in the physical model. However,when the seepage flow intersected the downstream slope and when piping took place, the use of SEEP /Wto calculate the flow rate became useless as it was unable to calculate the volume of water flow in pipes. This was revealed by the big dierence in results between physical and numerical models in the first physical model, while the results were compatible in the second physical model when the seepage line stayed within the body of the dam and low compacted soil was adopted. Seepage analysis for seven dierent configurations of an earth-fill dam was conducted using the SEEP /W model at normal and maximum water levels to find the most appropriate configuration among them. The seven dam configurations consisted of four homogenous dams and three zoned dams. Seepage analysis revealed that if sucient quantity of silty sand soil is available around the proposed dam location, a homogenous earth-fill dam with a medium drain length of 0.5 m thickness is the best design configuration. Otherwise, a zoned earth-fill dam with a central core and 1:0.5 Horizontal to Vertical ratio (H:V) is preferred.
|
|
39. |
- Al-Janabi, Ahmed Mohammed Sami, et al.
(author)
-
Optimizing Height and Spacing of Check Dam Systems for Better Grassed Channel Infiltration Capacity
- 2020
-
In: Applied Sciences. - Switzerland : MDPI. - 2076-3417. ; 10:11
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The check dams in grassed stormwater channels enhance infiltration capacity by temporarily blocking water flow. However, the design properties of check dams, such as their height and spacing, have a significant influence on the flow regime in grassed stormwater channels and thus channel infiltration capacity. In this study, a mass-balance method was applied to a grassed channel model to investigate the effects of height and spacing of check dams on channel infiltration capacity. Moreover, an empirical infiltration model was derived by improving the modified Kostiakov model for reliable estimation of infiltration capacity of a grassed stormwater channel due to check dams from four hydraulic parameters of channels, namely, the water level, channel base width, channel side slope, and flow velocity. The result revealed that channel infiltration was increased from 12% to 20% with the increase of check dam height from 10 to 20 cm. However, the infiltration was found to decrease from 20% to 19% when a 20 cm height check dam spacing was increased from 10 to 30 m. These results indicate the effectiveness of increasing height of check dams for maximizing the infiltration capacity of grassed stormwater channels and reduction of runoff volume.
|
|
40. |
|
|
41. |
- Al-Khafaji, Mahmoud, et al.
(author)
-
The Interactive Impact of Land Cover and DEM Resolution on the Accuracy of Computed Streamflow Using the SWAT Model
- 2020
-
In: Water, Air and Soil Pollution. - Germany : Springer. - 0049-6979 .- 1573-2932. ; 231:8
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Twenty daily time step–based SWAT simulation models for the Duhok, Adhaim and Dokan dam watersheds, in Iraq, were implemented using five land cover (LC) and digital elevation model (DEM) of different resolutions. The optimal LC and DEM for computing the most accurate streamflow for each watershed were specified. Results indicated that delineation of the flat watersheds is significantly affected by the DEM resolution and there was no evident trend on the computation of watersheds’ total areas, boundaries, number of subbasins and stream networks. Moreover, there is no significant trend between the increase in LC and DEM resolutions and accuracy of the computed streamflow. The most accurate streamflows for the Duhok, Adhaim and Dokan watersheds were computed using LC (DEM) of 30 m, 1000 m and 1000 m.
|
|
42. |
- Al-Khuzaie, Marwah M., et al.
(author)
-
Assessment model of water harvesting and storage location using GIS and remote sensing in Al-Qadisiyah, Iraq
- 2020
-
In: Arabian Journal of Geosciences. - USA : Springer. - 1866-7511 .- 1866-7538. ; 13:21
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- One of the important steps towards optimizing land productivity and water availability for the semi-arid and arid areas is the identification of potential sites for water harvesting. Therefore, this paper uses the Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques to select the optimized sites for water harvesting in Al-Qadisiyah Governorate, Iraq. Geographic water management capabilities are applied as a spatial analysis model. Data from global data repositories are retrieved followed by rescaling them to a spatial resolution to acquire a manageable input data set. The Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN) model is used to calculate the potential runoff as an intermediate input. Multi-Criteria Evaluation techniques are adopted to identify the relative importance and suitability levels of the input parameters set to manage the water supply. The suitability for identifying irrigation pond and dam location(s) was considered in this study. To achieve this goal, the criteria for eligibility for water harvesting areas have been completed on the basis of the conditions in the study methods. Based on the hydrological and geomorphological standards of the study area, suitable sites for harvest areas were identified and it was divided into four classes in terms of their suitability for water harvesting, namely very low, low, moderate, and high suitable for water harvesting. It can be concluded that the findings of this research can be used to assist in water resources management as an efficient planning tool to ensure sustainable development of the water in Iraq who suffers from water shortages.
|
|
43. |
- Al-Madhlom, Qais
(author)
-
Potential Use of Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage System in Arid Regions
- 2021
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- After the Oil Crises in 1973, which meant higher energy costs, the world started to look for other sources of energy. This led to the development of renewable energy techniques. Because of the intermittent nature of renewable energy, storage systems were also developed. Underground Thermal Energy Storage (UTES) systems spread and are now globally well known. In these systems, excess thermal energy (heat or cold) is stored (short term and/or long term) from the surplus period to periods of higher demand. The storage media in such systems are underground materials, e.g. rock, soil, and/or groundwater. The current study aims to examine the use of underground thermal energy storage systems in arid regions, in order to increase the efficiency of both cooling and heating systems in these regions, such that CO2 emissions and consumed electricity for these purposes are reduced. Three main parameters determine which type of Underground Thermal Energy Storage (UTES) systemis most suitable. These are site, design, and operation parameters. The site-specific parametersinclude soil properties and all geo-hydrological, environmental, geological, metrologicalconditions. Therefore, the site parameters cannot be changed after installing the storage system,since they majorly depend on the location, while the other parameters (design and operation) canbe changed after construction. The first primary goal of this study is to find how and what site parameters involved to specify the most suitable type of UTES systems in arid regions. Thus, the suitable type of UTES systems can be decided. The second primary goal is to answer how and where to select the best location to install the adopted system. To achieve the goals of the study, two arid regions within Iraq were used as case studies. They are Babylon and Karbala, where the former is characterized by its shallow aquifer, while the latter is characterized by a relatively deeper aquifer. The ArcMap-GIS software was used to prepare the relevant digital maps, e.g. maps of hydraulic conductivity, population, type of soil, aquifers, groundwater elevation, transmissivity, and slope. Then, the vulnerability (readiness for being polluted by the surface contaminants) maps of the available aquifers were determined, followed by finding the seepage velocity of the groundwater. Depending on the outputs of the vulnerability and the seepage velocity, the most suitable type of Underground Thermal Energy Storage (UTES) systems can be decided. This study, also, includes developing/inventing a general methodology that can be used to determine the best location to install Underground Thermal Energy Storage (UTES) systems, including Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) systems. The last part of this study includes applying the suggested methodology to determine the best location to install the suitable type of Underground Thermal Energy Storage (UTES) system in the study area. The first study was in the Babylon Province. Here, groundwater table is very shallow (less than 2 m depth in some regions). The crystalline bedrock is at a depth of 9-12 km below the ground surface, overlaid by 9-12 km of sedimentary rocks on which there is a 2-50 m thick layer of alluvial silty clay sediments. The groundwater moves slowly in this aquifer (2.12*10-6 - 1.85*10-1) m/d, and it is brackish having salinity of 5000-10000 mg/l. The susceptibility (vulnerability) of the aquifer in northern part of Babylon province is low to very low having ranges from 80 to 120 on Drastic model scale, which has the overall range of 26 – 226 (i.e. 0.27- 0.47 on normalized vulnerability). The second study area was a part of Karbala Province. This area can be divided into two regions based on the geology and geo-hydrological conditions. An eastern part is located on the Mesopotamian plain, and a western part is located in Western Desert. In both parts, the groundwater table is relatively deeper than the Babylon province. In the eastern part, it is generally more than 4 mbgs (meter below ground surface). While, in the western part it is deeper and reaches to 48 mbgs in depth. The soil in the eastern part is alluvial silty clay, while the western part consists of gypcrete sandy deposits. The groundwater, which flows towards the east, has a seepage velocity range from 0 to 0.27 m/d. The salinity of the groundwater changes from slightly brackish (1000-3000) mg/l in the western parts to highly brackish (5000-10000) mg/l in the Mesopotamian parts of the province. By comparing the site parameters of each province with the different UTES systems, the type of thermal energy storage system was decided. The most important site parameters are the depth of the water table and the aquifer characteristics. For Babylon Province, the expected suitable underground thermal energy storage system is an aquifer thermal energy storage system in silty clay. For Karbala Province, two systems are suggested: for the eastern part, aquifer thermal energy storage system in silty clay is recommended, while for the western part, a deep (10-30 m depth) sandy aquifer thermal energy storage system is recommended. After that, a methodology was developed and used to determine the suitable location in which to install the Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) system. For Babylon province, the site selection index ranges between 2.9 and 5.3 on 1 to 10 scale. About 71% of the region has a site selection index ranges between 4.71 and 5.3. Concerning Karbala study area, the site selection index ranges between 3.1 and 9.1. About 15% of the region has a site selection index between 8.1 and 9.1.The energy saving in neighboring countries to Iraq by using the Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) system ranges from 55% to 72%. It is also expected that using a ground sink heat pump instead of a conventional air-to-air heat pump increases the COP (Coefficient Of Performance) of roughly (10) to (-17). The negative sign means that the heat is injected into the ground. More theoretical and field studies are required to cover the different aspects of the subject of potential use of Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) system in an arid region, and to verify the improvement of COP (Coefficient Of Performance) due to using these systems.
|
|
44. |
- Al-Madhlom, Qais, et al.
(author)
-
Potential use of UTES in Babylon Governorate, Iraq
- 2020
-
In: Groundwater for Sustainable Development. - : Elsevier. - 2352-801X. ; 10
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- There is a global attention that the future energy systems will be based on renewable energy like solar and wind. The large-scale utilization of renewables in space heating and cooling requires large Thermal Energy Storage TES to overcome the varying supply and demand. The process of producing the best Underground Thermal Energy Storage UTES system pass through two steps: first, finding the best type of UTES system, second, finding the best locations to install UTES system. Both of these two steps depend extremely on the site specific parameters such that the depth to the groundwater, transmissivity, type of soil, the depth to the bedrock, and seepage velocity. The purpose of this paper is to explain some of the site specific parameters that the type of UTES-system depends on and explain the suitable type of UTES systems. This study considers Babylon province (Iraq) as study area. This province has electricity deficiency due to Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning HVAC applications. The methodology of this study includes reviewing the literature that consider the study area, and using Arc Map/GIS to visualize some of the in-site parameters. The results indicate that the best type of UTES system for the considered region is either aquifer or pit type, due to the type of the soil and the depth to the crystalline bedrock. The hydraulic conductivity and the seepage velocity in the considered region are (0.0023–2.5) m/d and (1.3 × 10−6 – 3.45 × 10−3) m/d respectively. These conditions satisfy the standards which regard aquifer type.
|
|
45. |
- Al-Madhlom, Qais, et al.
(author)
-
Seepage Velocity : Large Scale Mapping and the Evaluation of Two Different Aquifer Conditions (Silty Clayey and Sandy)
- 2020
-
In: Hydrology. - Switzerland : MDPI. - 2306-5338 .- 2306-5338. ; 7:3
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Seepage velocity is a very important criterion in infrastructure construction. The planning of numerous large infrastructure projects requires the mapping of seepage velocity at a large scale. To date, however, no reliable approach exists to determine seepage velocity at such a scale. This paper presents a tool within ArcMap/Geographic Information System (GIS) software that can be used to map the seepage velocity at a large scale. The resultant maps include both direction and magnitude mapping of the seepage velocity. To verify the GIS tool, this study considered two types of aquifer conditions in two regions in Iraq: silty clayey (Babylon province) and sandy (Dibdibba in Karbala province). The results indicate that, for Babylon province, the groundwater flows from the northwest to southeast with a seepage velocity no more than 0.19 m/d; for the Dibdibba region, the groundwater flows from the west to the east with a seepage velocity not exceeding 0.27 m/d. The effectiveness of the presented tool in depicting the seepage velocity was thus demonstrated. The accuracy of the resultant maps depends on the resolution of the four essential maps (groundwater elevation head, effective porosity, saturated thickness, and transmissivity) and locations of wells that are used to collect the data.
|
|
46. |
- Al-Madhlom, Qais, et al.
(author)
-
Seepage Velocity Mapping Using ArcMap/GIS Software
- 2021
-
In: Recent Advances in Environmental Science from the Euro-Mediterranean and Surrounding Regions (2nd Edition). - Cham : Springer. ; , s. 1689-1695
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Groundwater flows from high to low hydraulic head regions. This flow is controlled by Darcy velocity equation. Darcy velocity represents the flow velocity within the cross-sectional area of the soil. Actually, however, groundwater flows at a higher velocity than that of Darcy’s, called seepage velocity. Seepage velocity considers the real area (pores area) that is available for groundwater flow in calculations. There are many applications which are affected by the seepage/Darcy velocity, e.g., underground thermal energy storage systems and contaminants transfer in soil. In spite of the importance of Darcy/seepage velocity in many applications, there is no specific method to depict these velocities on a large-scale map. This paper proposed a tool that can be used to depict the seepage velocity on a large scale. The considered tool is offered by ArcMap/GIS software. To explain how this tool works, Babylon (Iraq) was considered as a study area.
|
|
47. |
- Al Maliki, Ali A., et al.
(author)
-
Assessment of the groundwater suitability for irrigation near Al Kufa City and preparing the final water quality maps using spatial distribution tools
- 2020
-
In: Environmental Earth Sciences. - Germany : Springer. - 1866-6280 .- 1866-6299. ; 79:13, s. 1-12
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In many parts of the world, groundwater quality is decreasing due to urbanization industrialization and use of agricultures in rural areas. This subject has formed an urgent need to determine the suitability of groundwater for various purposes. The aim of this study is to determine a groundwater index for groundwater use for irrigation in agriculture. The study is carried out in an agricultural area; near Al Kufa city, North of Al Najaf province, Iraq. Many chemical variables are used in this model, including (total dissolved solids TDS, electrical conductivity EC, sodium Na, potassium K and iron Fe), in addition to some of the heavy metals (cadmium Cd, lead Pb, chromium Cr, and nickel Ni), that also added to the index. The weight’s parameters are determined using analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and classified into five groups based on the human health significance of these parameters and negative effect on agriculture. The result of this study indicates that the water quality index (WQI) records values between (0 and 4.33), and in which the value of (2.16) represents the limit between unpolluted and polluted groundwater. This study confirms that all groundwater samples over the study area are suitable for agriculture. The final WQI values are exported to ArcMap environment to prepare the final WQI maps of study area.
|
|
48. |
- Al-Mohamed, M., et al.
(author)
-
Development of a Multi-Aspects Groundwater Vulnerability Index in the Transboundary Aquifer between Syria, Iraq, and Turkey in light of the water conflict and climate change
- 2022
-
In: Journal of Irrigation Sciences and Engineering. - : Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Iran. - 2588-5952 .- 2588-5960. ; 45:2, s. 1-18
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Groundwater vulnerability assessment is an effective tool in the joint management of transboundary groundwater, especially in developing countries where data is scarce, monitoring networks are insufficient, and water is both a cause and a target of conflicts. The Jezira Tertiary Limestone Aquifer Transboundary System (JTLATS) region, which Syria, Iraq, and Turkey share, gives a clear description of the shared water problem in developing countries with arid and semiarid environments. In this study, a comprehensive multidisciplinary Groundwater Vulnerability Index (GVI) was developed as a distributed composite index to assess the groundwater vulnerability in JTLATS by combining different environmental and political socioeconomic datasets and models for three periods between 2003 and 2017. The JTLATS was categorized into five zones: very low, low, moderate, high, and very high vulnerability. The results showed a low vulnerability in the southern regions of the aquifer. In comparison, the areas with high vulnerability are primarily spread in the northern and western parts of the JTLATS and along the Euphrates river. The results showed an increase in the percentage of areas with high vulnerability from 10.45% in (2003-2007) to 13.42% and 20.57% of the aquifer area in (2007-2011) and (2011-2017), respectively. The groundwater vulnerability in the aquifer increased with the spread of political instability in both Syria and Iraq and the increase in cultivated areas in Turkey.
|
|
49. |
- Al Mousawi, Eman, et al.
(author)
-
Applying Different Water Quality Indices and GIS to Assess the Water Quality, Case Study: Euphrates River in Qadisiyah Province
- 2023
-
In: Polish Journal of Environmental Studies. - : HARD. - 1230-1485 .- 2083-5906. ; 32:5, s. 4201-4217
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A well-known tool for assessing the quality of surface water is the water quality index (WQI) model. In this study, the WQI was generated to classify the water flowing in the Euphrates River in Qadisiyah Province. To develop analytical models, a connection between the findings and satellite images was developed. It is possible to determine what category a river’s water quality for domestic use will fall into. The Weighted Arithmetic Water Quality Index (WWQI), Canadian Water Quality Index (CWQI),and Bascarón Water Quality Index (BWQI) were used to evaluate and examine the suitability of the Euphrates River in the city by analysing the water quality of samples taken from the five locations (Muhanawia (L1), Salahia (L2), Shamiyah (L3), Shamiyah (L4), Gammas (L5)). The hydrogen ionspH, temperature T, dissolved oxygen DO, nitrate NO3, calcium Ca, magnesium Mg, total hardness TH, potassium K, sodium Na, sulfate SO4, chlorine Cl, total dissolved solids TDS, and electrical conductivity ECvalues are provided for 2020 and 2021. Results showed the Euphrates River was deemed severely contaminated at location Gammas (L5) but acceptable at location Muhanawia (L1). During the research phase, the water quality for the Euphrates achieved a maximum of 87.43 using the CWQI for Muhanawia (L1) in 2021 and a minimum of 15.6 using the BWQI for Gammas (L5) in 2021. The excessive sulphate, total dissolved solids, calcium, and total hardness concentrations led to the low WQI. The results are analysed using a GIS, and a network database connected to the GIS is required to utilize its analytical capabilities and the geographically scattered data throughout the study region. The Water Quality Index (WQI) is not suitable for drinking, as it is below the average of the World Health Organization (WHO) suggestions.
|
|
50. |
- Al Mousawi, Eman, et al.
(author)
-
Implementation of the Quality and Creating GIS Maps for Groundwater in Babylon, Iraq
- 2023
-
In: Journal of Ecological Engineering. - : Polish Society of Ecological Engineering (PTIE). - 2299-8993. ; 24:8, s. 310-321
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In times of water scarcity, groundwater is a vital resource that provides an alternate source of water for human consumption. In Iraq, the quality of rivers has been greatly affected by climate change and the dwindling availability of surface water. Examining and classifying the groundwater in this region is now vital. The present study sought to incorporate the groundwater property data (drinking purpose) with a geographic information system (GIS). Eleven variables were measured in 25 wells to investigate the physio-chemical properties around the Babylon province of Iraq. Based on the acceptability of groundwater for drinking, the GWQI was categorized into four primary groups in the results. Approximately 28% of the twenty-five wells (1811.04 km2) are of excellent quality, 24% are of good quality (1552.3 km2), 44% are of low quality (2845.9 km2), and 4% are extremely contaminated. (2587.2 km2). The average GWQI for the entire study region was 110.7, making it inappropriate for human consumption. It has been determined that approximately 52% of the groundwater from the examined wells can be deemed safe for consumption, although certain measurements surpass the permissible limits. To guarantee residents in these areas are supplied with water of superior quality and safety, treatment of the tested groundwater is recommended before use.
|
|