Elucidation of the Mechanism of Blockage in Sewer Pipes by Fatty Acid Deposition and Suspended Solid

The objective of this study is to elucidate the mechanism by which blockages occur in sewer pipes following the deposition of fat, oil, and grease (FOG) and suspended solids (SS). In this study, a simulated wastewater flow experiment was conducted to elucidate the mechanism of sewer pipe blockage using lauric acid as fatty acid and florisil to simulate FOG and SS blockages, respectively. Unplasticized polyvinyl chloride pipes (ϕ = 50 mm) with a flow speed of 2 L/min and 1% inclination were used in this experiment. In “Case L & F (lauric acid florisil),” the deposition of florisil and adhesion of solids increased at the bottom of the sewer pipe over a set period. After seven days, decreases in lauric acid concentration from 1000 to 57 mg/L and in Ca2+ concentration from 18 to 0.8 mg/L were observed. FOG deposits formed solids by the saponification of lauric acid and Ca2+ from tap water. In the simulated kitchen wastewater, either lauric acid or florisil exhibited solid deposition and adhesion. Based on these findings, the blockage mechanism was elucidated to confirm FOG deposition of and SS influenced by the combination of lauric acid, Ca2+, and florisil.

Probing the Fog Life Cycles in the Namib Desert

An intensive observation period was conducted in September 2017 in the central Namib, Namibia, as part of the project Namib Fog Life Cycle Analysis (NaFoLiCA). The purpose of the field campaign was to investigate the spatial and temporal patterns of the coastal fog that occurs regularly during nighttime and morning hours. The fog is often linked to advection of a marine stratus that intercepts with the terrain up to 100 km inland. Meteorological data, including cloud base height, fog deposition, liquid water path, and vertical profiles of wind speed/direction and temperature, were measured continuously during the campaign. Additionally, profiles of temperature and relative humidity were sampled during five selected nights with stratus/fog at both coastal and inland sites using tethered balloon soundings, drone profiling, and radiosondes. This paper presents an overview of the scientific goals of the field campaign; describes the experimental setup, the measurements carried out, and the meteorological conditions during the intensive observation period; and presents first results with a focus on a single fog event.

Siliceous-sulphate rock coatings at Zhenzhu Spring, Tengchong, China: the integrated product of acid-fog deposition, spring water capillary action, and dissolution

Siliceous-sulphate rock coatings were observed at Zhenzhu Spring, an acid sulphate hot spring in the Tengchong volcanic field, China. These rock coatings are mainly formed of gypsum and amorphous silica. Some alum-(K), voltaite, α-quartz and muscovite were also found. Four different laminae are developed in the rock coatings: gypsum layer, tight siliceous layer, tabular siliceous layer and siliceous debris layer. The gypsum layer is located at the top of the rock coatings, while other siliceous layers appear below the gypsum layer. Geochemical modelling of the fluids was performed to identify the mechanisms responsible for the formation of gypsum and amorphous silica. The results indicated that the occurrence of gypsum is related to the acid-fog deposition and amorphous silica mainly originates from spring water. Fog deposition provided the rock coatings with abundant SO42− and Ca, and the subsequent complete evaporation of the condensed fluids produced gypsum. Seasonal climate change (especially variation in rainfall) determines the fluctuations of capillary action and dissolution. Rainfall events in the wet season led to periods of non-precipitating gypsum and promoted the capillary rise of the spring water. Slightly diluted capillary water (a small amount of rainwater) covered the rock coatings, formed a tight siliceous layer on the rock-coating surface and/or filled the pores among the gypsum crystals forming many tabular siliceous aggregates. Heavy rainfall (high dilution), however, resulted in non-precipitating amorphous silica and accelerated the gypsum dissolution, leaving tabular pores around tabular siliceous aggregates and forming a tabular siliceous layer.

Fog and live fuel moisture in coastal California shrublands

Across most Mediterranean-type climate regions, seasonal drought desiccates plants, facilitating ignition and the spread of wildfires. Along the California coast, summertime fog has the potential to ameliorate drought conditions and thus reduce plant flammability during a critical time of elevated fire risk. This study investigated the uptake of dry season fog and how it affects live fuel moisture in six dominant shrub species from chaparral and sage scrub plant associations. Fog water uptake was evaluated using stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen at several field sites in Santa Barbara County, California. Clear evidence of fog water uptake was identified only in Baccharis pilularis, from the sage scrub association. To determine the effects of fog on live fuel moisture, meteorological variables and indices including fog deposition were combined into principal components and the scores regressed against the live fuel moisture loss rate during the summer drought. Fog deposition slowed rates of live fuel moisture loss for all three sage scrub species tested, but it did not affect the chaparral species. Fog is a more regular occurrence in the sage scrub association and thus it is likely that fog ameliorates drought for species that experience consistent fog during the summer months. In coastal California, summer fog can be essential to plant water relations and reduce live fuel moisture loss rates during the summer drought. Understanding these effects is important in the context of changing climate in southern California and Mediterranean-type climate regions around the world.