Publications

Beylier, MR, Balaguer, MD, Colprim, J, Pellicer-Nàcher, C, Ni, B-J, Smets, BF, Sun, S-P & Wang, R-C 2011, 'Biological Nitrogen Removal From Domestic Wastewater' in Comprehensive Biotechnology, Elsevier, pp. 285-296.
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Nitrogen (N) removal from domestic wastewater is widely performed by nitrification coupled to heterotrophic denitrification. However, the organic carbon (C)-to-N ratio (C/N) in the wastewater is frequently too low to achieve proper N-removal efficiencies and external organic C sources are often necessary to support the process and meet the discharge standards for total N (TN), increasing the process cost. The main cost, however, remains the high energy demand to provide the aeration necessary for nitrification. Alternatives have been developed to reduce the need for organic C source. The anaerobic/anoxic/aerobic process (A2/O), simultaneous nitrification/denitrification, shortcut nitrification, or nitrifier bioaugmentation are feasible solutions to upgrade wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The combined and simultaneous use of autotrophic aerobic and anaerobic microbialammonium (NH4+) conversions (i.e., anaerobic ammonium oxidation; anammox) provide the most cost-effective solutions, as they obviate the need for an organic C source and reduce the aeration costs by more than 40%, compared to the traditional nitrification/denitrification paradigm. The first full-scale applications that take advantage of combined aerobic/anaerobic ammonium oxidation have been implemented to remove N from sludge digester effluent streams. In this way, the N load to the main liquid treatment train of the WWTP can be reduced by 10-30% with important cost savings. A current challenge involves control of gaseous N-oxide emissions (NO and N2O) from N-removal processes. New technologies, such as microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are developed aiming at energy-balanced WWTPs. This chapter reviews the existing technologies for effective biological N removal, with attention to anaerobic processes.

Johir, MA, Orem, Y, Messalem, R, Ben-David, E, Herzberg, M, Kushmaro, A, Ji, X, Di Profio, G, Curcio, E, Drioli, E, Laroche, JF, Remize, P, Leparc, J, Vigneswaran, S, Chinu, KJ, Lee, J, Shon, H, Kandasamy, JK, Ye, Y, Sim, LN, Herulah, B, Chen, V, Fane, AC, Tansakul, C, Laborie, S & Cabassud, C 2011, 'Evaluation and comparison of seawater and brackish water pre-treatment' in Drioli, E, Criscuoli, A & Macedonio, F (eds), Membrane-Based Desalination: An Integrated Approach (MEDINA), IWA Publishing, UK, pp. 33-70.

Ruscalleda Beylier, M, Balaguer, MD, Colprim, J, Pellicer-Nàcher, C, Ni, B-J, Smets, BF, Sun, S-P & Wang, R-C 2011, 'Biological Nitrogen Removal from Domestic Wastewater' in Comprehensive Biotechnology, Elsevier, pp. 329-340.
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Nitrogen (N) removal from domestic wastewater is widely performed by nitrification coupled to heterotrophic denitrification. However, the organic carbon (C)-to-N ratio (C/N) in the wastewater is frequently too low to achieve proper N-removal efficiencies and external organic C sources are often necessary to support the process and meet the discharge standards for total N (TN), increasing the process cost. The main cost, however, remains the high energy demand to provide the aeration necessary for nitrification. Alternatives have been developed to reduce the need for organic C source. The anaerobic/anoxic/aerobic process (A2/O), simultaneous nitrification/denitrification, shortcut nitrification, or nitrifier bioaugmentation are feasible solutions to upgrade wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The combined and simultaneous use of autotrophic aerobic and anaerobic microbial ammonium (NH4+) conversions (i.e., anaerobic ammonium oxidation; anammox) provide the most cost-effective solutions, as they obviate the need for an organic C source and reduce the aeration costs by more than 40%, compared to the traditional nitrification/denitrification paradigm. The first full-scale applications that take advantage of combined aerobic/anaerobic ammonium oxidation have been implemented to remove N from sludge digester effluent streams. In this way, the N load to the main liquid treatment train of the WWTP can be reduced by 10-30% with important cost savings. A current challenge involves control of gaseous N-oxide emissions (NO and N2O) from N-removal processes. New technologies, such as microbial fuel cells (MFCs), are developed aiming at energy-balanced WWTPs. This article reviews the existing technologies for effective biological N removal, with attention to anaerobic processes.

Vigneswaran, S, Shon, H & Kandasamy, J 2011, 'Chapter 6Treatment of Kraft Black Liquor Using Membrane-Based Separation Process' in Membrane Technologies and Applications, CRC Press, USA, pp. 125-138.
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Membrane technology has been increasingly applied in water and wastewater treatment. Membrane filtration involves separation of dissolved, colloidal, and particulate constituents from a pressurized fluid using microporous materials. Membranes are categorized into four main groups based on the size of their pores, namely, reverse osmosis (RO), nanofiltration (NF), ultrafiltration (UF), and microfiltration (MF). Microfiltration with the largest pore size of 0.1–10 μm is commonly used to separate suspended particulates, large colloids, and bacteria; hence, it is suitable for the treatment of water that has high turbidity and low color or organics content (Schafer, 2001). Similarly, ultrafiltration (0.001–0.1 μm) can exclude macromolecules and fine colloidal suspensions such as proteins, dyes, and bacteria, but the removal of dissolved organics is limited. MF and UF can also be used as pretreatment for NF and RO processes (Schafer, 2001). Nanofiltration with smaller pore sizes of between 15 and 30 Å is employed for water softening and the removal of disinfection by-products (DBPs). NF can reduce 60%–80% of the hardness and more than 90% of color-causing substances (Cheryan, 1998).

Abul Kalam, M & Hj Hassan, M 2011, 'Design, Modification and Testing of a Catalytic Converter for Natural Gas Fueled Engines', Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering, vol. 36, no. 5, pp. 677-688.
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Adnan, R, Masjuki, HH & Mahlia, TMI 2011, 'Mathematical modeling on the effect of equivalence ratio in emission characteristics of compression ignition engine with hydrogen substitution', Applied Mathematics and Computation, vol. 217, no. 13, pp. 6144-6158.
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Ahmad, RT, Nguyen, TV, Vigneswaran, S & Ho, DP 2011, 'Removal of effluent organic matter by purolite fluidised bed and submerged membrane hybrid system', Desalination and Water Treatment, vol. 32, no. 1-3, pp. 194-200.
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In this study, Purolite® A500PS was used to remove effluent organic matter in a fluidised bed and submerged membrane hybrid system (SMHS). It was found that the fluidised bed purolite column can effectively remove 73% of dissolved organic compound (DOC) from synthetic biologically treated sewage effluent (BTSE). DOC removal can be reduced further, by up to 95% when the fluidised bed purolite column was combined with a treatment by granular activated carbon column. Purolite® was also used as an adsorbent in the SMHS. The results showed that critical flux of the SMHS depend on the purolite size. Critical fluxes of SMHS were 30 and 35 L/m2.h where 0.1 g/L of purolite of sizes below 150 μm and 150-300 μm were used respectively. The removal efficiency of natural organic matter from synthetic BTSE by SMHS was a function of purolite dose. The removal efficiency increased from less than 60% to more than 70% when the purolite dose increased from 0.05g/L to 0.1g/L. © 2011 Desalination Publications. All rights reserved.

Altaee, A 2011, 'A conceptual membrane arrangement design in the high pressure vessel for seawater desalination', WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment, vol. 145, pp. 659-670.
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The wide applications of Reverse Osmosis (RO) membranes in seawater desalination and various industrial processes have encouraged researchers and scientists to investigate the phenomena of water and salt diffusion through the membrane. Typically, the high pressure RO membrane vessel is loaded with membrane elements having the same flux and salt rejection rate. It has been conceived that when different types of RO elements are loaded into the pressure vessel in a special arrangement according to their permeability and salt rejection rate, this arrangement has the potential for reducing the energy consumption of the RO plant. A conceptual design is introduced here to describe this new idea. The effects of feed salinity and temperature were investigated in this paper using the ROSA Filmtec membrane design software. A two pass membrane treatment process was designed for desalting seawater at different salinities varied from 35000 ppm to 43000 ppm. The results showed a net energy saving from 2.5% to 3% (depending on the feed salinity) could be achieved. The effect of the feed temperature was also investigated and the new design was found to be more energy efficient. © 2011 WIT Press.

AlTaee, A & Sharif, AO 2011, 'Alternative design to dual stage NF seawater desalination using high rejection brackish water membranes', Desalination, vol. 273, no. 2-3, pp. 391-397.
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Dual stage NF membrane desalination process was proposed as an alternative approach to RO seawater desalination. Despite of being cheaper than RO desalination, dual stage NF process is not commercially applied yet due to the low overall recovery rate. In an attempt to increase the process recovery rate and to reduce the operation complicity, brackish water RO membrane was used instead of NF in the second stage. ROSA software was used in this study to verify the applicability and cost-effectiveness of the NF-BW dual stage desalination process. Similarly to dual stage NF desalination process, an NF membrane was used in the first stage and BW membrane in the second stage. Permeate from NF membrane was used as a feed into the BW membranes. The effect of membrane type and seawater salinity on the process performance was investigated. For any given recovery rate and seawater salinity, the simulation results showed that the overall cost of NF-NF was slightly lower than the NF-BW process but that was on the cost of higher permeate TDS. For instance, at 43,000mg/l feed salinity the difference in the specific power consumption between NF-NF and NF-BW process was 0.38kWh/m3. The permeate TDS was 125mg/l for NF-BW and 1030mg/l for NF-NF process. The difference in the permeate TDS between NF-NF and NF-BW process increased with increasing the feed salinity. In dual stage NF process, a low permeate was achieved at low recovery rate. For example, at 43,000mg/l feed salinity the permeate TDS from dual stage NF process was 359mg/l when the overall recovery rate was 22%. It was also found that the effect of BW membrane type on the process efficiency was insignificant. Finally, the energy requirements of NF-NF and NF-BW were compared to a single stage RO desalination process. The specific power consumption at 43,000mg/l feed salinity was 4.58kWh/m3, 4.2kWh/m3 and 3.86kWh/m3 for RO, NF-BW and NF-NF process respectively. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

Amarjargal, A, Tijing, LD & Kim, CS 2011, 'One-pot synthesis of silver-titanium dioxide nanocomposites using ethylene glycol medium and their antibacterial properties', Digest Journal of Nanomaterials and Biostructures, vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 1957-1965.
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We report here for the first time a one-pot simultaneous synthesis and antibacterial properties of Ag-TiO2 nanocomposites via ethylene glycol medium. The salient features of this method include simple operation, large scale production and one medium (solvent) to produce two different nanoparticles. Clusters of Ag and TiO2 nanoparticles with an average size of 20 - 30 nm and narrow size distribution are formed after annealing at 400 and 500 oC. The annealed Ag-TiO2 nanoparticles show excellent antibacterial properties under visible-light irradiation.

Aryal, R, Baral, B, Vigneswaran, S, Naidu, R & Loganathan, P 2011, 'Seasonal influence on urban dust PAH profile and toxicity in Sydney, Australia', WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, vol. 63, no. 10, pp. 2238-2243.
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Road dust is one of the major threats to the urban environment due to wash-off of dust to the surrounding catchments during wet weather period. The dust contains wide range of toxic contaminants such as heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and endocrine disrupting chemicals. Among the toxic contaminants, PAHs are of environmental concern due to their potential carcinogenic and mutagenic effect besides endocrine disruptive behaviour. Eighteen road dust samples from Sydney were collected in different time periods for a year and analysed for 16 US EPA PAHs. Total PAHs content range in the dust was 9-105 μg/g. Total and individual PAH contents were highest in the finest size fraction (<75 μm) and in winter compared to the other seasons. The PAH profiles in the different particle sizes were similar but different between the four seasons. The concentrations of higher molecular weight PAHs (4- and 5-rings) were much greater than the concentrations of lower molecular weight PAHs (2- and 3-rings). Toxicity equivalency factor application showed that the longer the dry weather period the higher the total PAHs content and toxicity in the dust. © IWA Publishing 2011.

Aryal, R, Kandasamy, J, Vigneswaran, S, Naidu, R & Lee, SH 2011, 'Review of stormwater quality, quantity and treatment methods part 1: Stormwater quantity modelling', Environmental Engineering Research, vol. 16, no. 4, pp. 71-78.
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A review of stormwater quantity and quality in the urban environment is presented. The review is presented in three parts. The first part reviews the mathematical methods for stormwater quantity and has been undertaken by examining a number of stormwater models that are in current use. The important feature of models, their applications, and management has been discussed. Different types of stormwater management models are presented in the literatures. Generally, all the models are simplified as conceptual or empirical depending on whether the model is based on physical laws or not. In both cases if any of the variables in the model are regarded as random variables having a probability distribution, then the model is stochastic model. Otherwise the model is deterministic (based on process descriptions). The analytical techniques are presented in this paper.

Aryal, R, Vigneswaran, S & Kandasamy, J 2011, 'Application of Ultraviolet (UV) Spectrophotometry in the Assessment of Membrane Bioreactor Performance for Monitoring Water and Wastewater Treatment', Applied Spectroscopy, vol. 65, no. 2, pp. 227-232.
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Ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy has been widely used in monitoring water and wastewater treatment. In this study UV spectroscopy was used to investigate fouling development on the membrane surface of membrane bioreactors. The chemistry of mixed liquor present in the membrane bioreactor and the foulant deposited on the membrane surface was compared by analyzing the UV spectra. The mixed liquor showed different spectra than did the foulant. The foulant spectra showed a shift in absorbance peaks with operation time. The particle size distribution (<450 nm) was also examined to explain the UV fingerprints.

Aryal, R, Vigneswaran, S, Loganathan, P, Kandasamy, J & Mohammed, T 2011, 'Hydrous iron oxide for removal of inorganic contaminants in simulated stormwater: A batch sorption kinetics study', KOREAN JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, vol. 28, no. 8, pp. 1706-1712.
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Urban stormwater runoff, which consists of inorganic and organic contaminants, is a major source of pollutants to receiving waters and therefore they need to be removed. Simultaneous removal of contaminants, Cd2+, Cu2+, Ni2+, Zn2+ (heavy metal cations), and SeO42- (oxyanion) from a simulated stormwater by a hydrous ferric oxide (HFO) was studied in batch and column sorption experiments. In the batch experiment the rate of sorption of the ions was rapid at the beginning and reached equilibrium in approximately 300 min. The amounts of ions sorbed were proportionate to the respective initial concentration of the ions added to the HFO. Cluster analysis showed that all heavy metals had similar sorption behavior, whereas Se had a distinctly different sorption process. Of the three different kinetic models tested the pseudo-first order kinetic model fitted the data the best. The column experimental results beyond 180 min were consistent with those of the batch experiment that the removal efficiencies of the ions were in proportion to the ion concentration in the feed. Below 180 min, Cu appeared to be preferentially removed than Zn. © 2011 Korean Institute of Chemical Engineers, Seoul, Korea.

Atabani, AE, Badruddin, IA, Mekhilef, S & Silitonga, AS 2011, 'A review on global fuel economy standards, labels and technologies in the transportation sector', Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 15, no. 9, pp. 4586-4610.
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Baird, ME, Suthers, IM, Griffin, DA, Hollings, B, Pattiaratchi, C, Everett, JD, Roughan, M, Oubelkheir, K & Doblin, M 2011, 'The effect of surface flooding on the physical-biogeochemical dynamics of a warm-core eddy off southeast Australia', DEEP-SEA RESEARCH PART II-TOPICAL STUDIES IN OCEANOGRAPHY, vol. 58, no. 5, pp. 592-605.
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Warm core eddies (WCEs) formed from the East Australian Current (EAC) play an important role in the heat, mass and biogeochemical budgets of the western Tasman Sea. The development and separation of an EAC WCE during July-December 2008 was observed using remotely-sensed temperature, ocean colour and sea-level elevation, three Argo floats, a shipboard CTD, a shelf mooring array and a 15-day deployment of a Slocum glider.

Behrendt, L, Larkum, AWD, Norman, A, Qvortrup, K, Chen, M, Ralph, P, Sorensen, SJ, Trampe, E & Kuehl, M 2011, 'Endolithic chlorophyll d-containing phototrophs', ISME JOURNAL, vol. 5, no. 6, pp. 1072-1076.
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Cyanobacteria in the genus Acaryochloris are the only known oxyphototrophs that have exchanged chlorophyll a (Chl a) with Chl d as their primary photopigment, facilitating oxygenic photosynthesis with near infrared (NIR) light. Yet their ecology and natural habitats are largely unknown. We used hyperspectral and variable chlorophyll fluorescence imaging, scanning electron microscopy, photopigment analysis and DNA sequencing to show that Acaryochloris-like cyanobacteria thrive underneath crustose coralline algae in a widespread endolithic habitat on coral reefs. This finding suggests an important role of Chl d-containing cyanobacteria in a range of hitherto unexplored endolithic habitats, where NIR light-driven oxygenic photosynthesis may be significant. © 2011 International Society for Microbial Ecology. All rights reserved.

Bourouni, K, Ben M’Barek, T & Al Taee, A 2011, 'Design and optimization of desalination reverse osmosis plants driven by renewable energies using genetic algorithms', Renewable Energy, vol. 36, no. 3, pp. 936-950.
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Renewable energy sources (RES) for powering desalination processes is a promising option especially in remote and arid regions where the use of conventional energy is costly or unavailable. Reverse Osmosis (RO) is one of the most suitable desalination processes to be coupled with different renewable energy sources such as solar and wind. If RES/RO systems are optimally designed, some combinations can be cost effective and reliable. However, the design of such systems is complex because of uncertain renewable energy supplies, load demands and the non-linear characteristics of some components. In such system, different scenarios can be suggested; i.e combinations of PV panels, type and number of batteries, type and number of turbines, etc. Therefore, it is difficult to determine the optimal configuration with classical techniques. The development of a tool to integrate all parameters involved and compare between the possible scenarios is very important. This paper presents a new model based on the Genetic Algorithms allowing the generation of several individuals (possible solutions) for coupling small RO unit to RES. A particular interest is focused on the hybrid systems (PV/WIND/Batteries/RO). The objective function to minimize corresponds to the total water cost (Capital cost plus Operational costs). Finally, a case study of PV/RO unit, installed since 2007 in Ksar Ghilène village in southern Tunisia, is presented.

Chanan, AP, Kandasamy, J & Vigneswaran, S 2011, 'Role of case study research in training the renaissance water engineer', Global Journal of Engineering Education, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 110-116.
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Contemporary water management challenges around Australia highlight water engineers' inability to understand the community's needs. Developing new technologies is not enough. Implementation of these technologies can only take place if the engineers understand the motives and desires of people that are related to the new technology and the effects on the community as a whole. Renaissance water engineers who are able to go beyond their own technical specialty and understand the broader implications of the technological solutions they develop, are needed to solve Australia's water problems. Our ability to produce such engineers depends on our ability to first prepare renaissance engineering academics within our higher education institutions. It is, therefore, imperative to re-examine current practices in engineering PhDs. The engineering discipline is urged to embrace the case study research approach as a vital means of training renaissance water engineers. © WIETE 2011.

Chanan, AP, Vigneswaran, S, Kandasamy, J & Simmons, B 2011, 'Lessons for a viable water recycling industry', PROCEEDINGS OF THE INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS-WATER MANAGEMENT, vol. 164, no. 5, pp. 213-219.
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The platform on which the labour government came to power in Australia in November 2007 included a policy of setting a national wastewater recycling target of 30% by the year 2015. A similar target-based approach was followed by the solid waste recycling industry in Australia the policy of which focused on supply and did not adequately acknowledge the price competitiveness of the product and its demand. This paper highlights the lessons from the solid waste recycling industry and applies them to the water recycling sector. A sound water pricing regime that reflects the true costs of water and a competitive water industry is offered as a better policy alternative to setting recycling targets.

Chang, C-Y, Tanong, K, Chiemchaisri, C & Vigneswaran, S 2011, 'Feasibility study of a cyclic anoxic/aerobic two-stage MBR for treating ABS resin manufacturing wastewater', Bioresource Technology, vol. 102, no. 9, pp. 5325-5330.
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This study investigated the feasibility and the treatment efficiency of a cyclic anoxic/aerobic two-stage MBR for treating polymeric industrial wastewater. The anoxic/aerobic hybrid MBR was operated without sludge withdrawal except sampling during the st

Chang, C-Y, Tanong, K, Xu, J & Shon, H 2011, 'Microbial community analysis of an aerobic nitrifying-denitrifying MBR treating ABS resin wastewater', BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY, vol. 102, no. 9, pp. 5337-5344.
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A two-stage aerobic membrane bioreactor (MBR) system for treating acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resin wastewater was carried out in this study to evaluate the system performance on nitrification. The results showed that nitrification of the aerobic MBR system was significant and the highest TKN removal of approximately 90% was obtained at hydraulic retention time (HRT) 18 h. In addition, the result of nitrogen mass balance revealed that the percentage of TN removal due to denitrification was in the range of 8.7â19.8%. Microbial community analysis based on 16s rDNA molecular approach indicated that the dominant ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) group in the system was a b-class ammonia oxidizer which was identified as uncultured sludge bacterium (AF234732). A heterotrophic aerobic denitrifier identified as Thauera mechernichensis was found in the system. The results indicated that a sole aerobic MBR system for simultaneous removals of carbon and nitrogen can be designed and operated for neglect with an anaerobic unit.

Chen, Z, Ngo, H, Guo, W, Wang, XC & Luo, L 2011, 'Probabilistic Assessment of Recycled Water Schemes in Australia Using MATLAB Toolbox', Journal of Water Sustainability, vol. 1, no. 3, pp. 333-344.
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Hundreds of recycled water schemes have been successfully established in Australia. However, water quality and risks on human health and the environment associated with particular end uses (e.g. irrigation, industrial uses, non-potable urban uses, groundwater recharges, indirect and direct potable reuses) are still of great concern which can limit the application and extension of recycled water. This study analyses representative recycled water schemes in Australia with regard to the sources and corresponding risks of recycled water, risk assessment approaches as well as practical risk control methods towards various end uses. To quantify the risks, this study proposes a probabilistic assessment approach for existing and future water recycling schemes. With the assistance of MATLAB toolbox, the model was able to fit observed data to probability distribution functions (PDFs) and express the percent removal in PDF rather than point values. This approach could be helpful in quantifying risk or percent removal of potential hazards which involve a degree of variability and randomness. The analytical results, when couple with other environmental assessment tools are convinced to be useful for integrated water planning and management in Australia.

Chiemchaisri, W, Chiemchaisri, C, Dumrongsukit, C, Threedeach, S, Ngo, HH & Vigneswaran, S 2011, 'Removal of water-borne microorganisms in floating media filter-microfiltration system for water treatment', BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY, vol. 102, no. 9, pp. 5438-5443.
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Floating plastic media pre-filter (PP) in combination with microfiltration membrane (MF) was applied to the removal of water-borne microorganism from surface water. The system was operated with and with-out coagulant addition. Jar-test results suggested

Ching, YC, Ching, YC, Kalam, A & Iskandar, IY 2011, 'Comparison Use of Suspended Cell System and Polyurethane Base Immobilized Cell System in Biological Treatment of Wastewater', RESEARCH JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY AND ENVIRONMENT, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 849-855.

Chong, WT, Naghavi, MS, Poh, SC, Mahlia, TMI & Pan, KC 2011, 'Techno-economic analysis of a wind–solar hybrid renewable energy system with rainwater collection feature for urban high-rise application', Applied Energy, vol. 88, no. 11, pp. 4067-4077.
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Doblin, MA, Petrou, KL, Shelly, K, Westwood, K, van den Enden, R, Wright, S, Griffiths, B & Ralph, PJ 2011, 'Diel variation of chlorophyll-a fluorescence, phytoplankton pigments and productivity in the Sub-Antarctic and Polar Front Zones south of Tasmania, Australia', DEEP-SEA RESEARCH PART II-TOPICAL STUDIES IN OCEANOGRAPHY, vol. 58, no. 21-22, pp. 2189-2199.
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Marine primary production is a fundamental measure of the ocean's capacity to convert carbon dioxide to particulate organic carbon for the marine foodweb, and as such is an essential variable used in ecosystem and biogeochemical models to assess trophic dynamics and carbon cycling. The Sub-Antarctic Zone (SAZ) is a major sink for atmospheric carbon and exhibits large gradients in ocean conditions on both temporal and spatial scales. In this dynamic system, an understanding of small-scale temporal changes is critical for modelling primary production at larger scales. Thus, we investigated diel effects on maximum quantum yield of PSII (FV/FM), photosynthetic pigment pools and primary productivity in the western (Diel 1) and eastern SAZ region (Diel 3) south of Tasmania, Australia, and compared this to a station at the polar front (Diel 2). Phytoplankton in the eastern SAZ had the greatest diel response, with cells showing decreased FV/FM and increased biosynthesis and transformation of xanthophyll and other photoprotective pigments during the day, but only in the surface waters (0 and 10m). Diel responses diminished by 30m. Cells in the western SAZ had similar responses across the depths sampled, increasing their FV/FM during the night and increasing their xanthophyll pigment content during the day. Phytoplankton at the polar front (Diel 2) showed intermediate diel-related variations in photophysiology, with xanthophyll conversion and increases in photoprotective pigments during the day but constant FV/FM. These diel changes at all sampling stations had little impact on carbon fixation rates, although cells sampled from the deep chlorophyll maximum at the polar front had significantly lower maximum carbon fixation and minimum saturating irradiance (Ek) compared to the other depths and stations. Considering the oceanographic context, cells at Diel 1 and 2 received less light and were more deeply mixed than cells at Diel 3, causing a dampening of the diel r...

Earp, A, Hanson, CE, Ralph, PJ, Brando, VE, Allen, S, Baird, M, Clementson, L, Daniel, P, Dekker, AG, Fearns, PRCS, Parslow, J, Strutton, PG, Thompson, PA, Underwood, M, Weeks, S & Doblin, MA 2011, 'Review of fluorescent standards for calibration of in situ fluorometers: Recommendations applied in coastal and ocean observing programs', OPTICS EXPRESS, vol. 19, no. 27, pp. 26768-26782.
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Fluorometers are widely used in ecosystem observing to monitor fluorescence signals from organic compounds, as well as to infer geophysical parameters such as chlorophyll or CDOM concentration, but measurements are susceptible to variation caused by biofouling, instrument design, sensor drift, operating environment, and calibration rigor. To collect high quality data, such sensors need frequent checking and regular calibration. In this study, a wide variety of both liquid and solid fluorescent materials were trialed to assess their suitability as reference standards for performance assessment of in situ fluorometers. Criteria used to evaluate the standards included the spectral excitation/emission responses of the materials relative to fluorescence sensors and to targeted ocean properties, the linearity of the fluorometer's optical response with increasing concentration, stability and consistency, availability and ease of use, as well as cost. Findings are summarized as a series of recommended reference standards for sensors deployed on stationary and mobile platforms, to suit a variety of in situ coastal to ocean sensor configurations. Repeated determinations of chlorophyll scale factor using the recommended liquid standard, Fluorescein, achieved an accuracy of 2.5%. Repeated measurements with the recommended solid standard, Plexiglas Satinice® plum 4H01 DC (polymethylmethacrylate), over an 18 day period varied from the mean value by 1.0% for chlorophyll sensors and 3.3% for CDOM sensors. © 2011 Optical Society of America.

El Saliby, I, Erdei, L, Shon, HK & Kim, J-H 2011, 'Development of visible light sensitive titania photocatalysts by combined nitrogen and silver doping', JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY, vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 358-363.
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In this study we present the effects of non-metal (nitrogen) and metal/non-metal (silver/nitrogen) dopants on titanium dioxide (TiO2) in synthesising visible-light reactive photocatalysts. Nanopowders of TiO2-N and TiO2-NâAg were synthesised using a simple procedure at room temperature. For nitrogen doping, a dispersion of Degussa P-25 was treated with ammonium hydroxide. The obtained modified catalyst was further treated with silver nitrate powder to facilitate silver-nitrogen co-doping. The produced catalysts were characterised using X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and specific surface area measurements. Scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray and transmission electron microscopy were adapted to detect changes in the morphology and in the chemical composition of synthesised catalysts. The results show that both the morphology and appearance of catalysts were modified to yield nanopowders of yellowish color and relatively high specific surface area. Methylene blue (MB) dye was used as a model aquatic contaminant in 23 mg/L concentration to study the performance of these novel photocatalysts in an aerobic mixed batch reactor system under white light irradiation. Both nitrogen and nitrogen-silver co-doping lead to visible light sensitivity and the new catalysts showed remarkable activities in the decolorisation of MB.

El Saliby, I, Shon, HK, Kandasamy, J & Kim, J-H 2011, 'Synthesis, characterisation and separation of photoreactive Hydrogen-titanate nanofibrous channel', Separation and Purification Technology, vol. 77, no. 2, pp. 202-207.
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Australia is the world's largest wool producing country, accounting for about 25â30% of world production. As a biotemplate, we explored the possibility of using wool to produce micro-channel of Hydrogentitanate nanofibres through morphology transcription of wool microfibres. Hydrothermal method was adopted to synthesise titanate nanofibres. A facile method of impregnation followed by incineration at 600 â¦C was utilised to prepare the nanofibrous channel. Anatase undoped nanofibrous (average nanofibre diameter = 44 nm) channel of around 50min length and an average diameter of 9.5mwere obtained. The photocatalytic activity of nanofibrous channel was monitored under UV irradiation for the decomposition of humic acid in aqueous solution using an aerobic batch reactor system. The photodegradation results showed that UV254 absorbing moeities and DOC were respectively reduced by 82% and 66% after 3 h of photoreaction at 1 g/L catalyst load. The novel nanofibrous channel could be easily separated from the aqueous suspension by sedimentation after the end of the photocatalytic reaction.

Fang, F, Ni, B, Li, W, Sheng, G & Yu, H 2011, 'A simulation-based integrated approach to optimize the biological nutrient removal process in a full-scale wastewater treatment plant', Chemical Engineering Journal, vol. 174, no. 2-3, pp. 635-643.
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Fatahi, B, Engelbert, D, Mujic, S & Khabbaz, H 2011, 'Effects of preloading on soft clay improvement using Deep Soil Mixing', Australian Geomechanics Journal, vol. 46, no. 3, pp. 63-71.
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Poor performing soils, particularly soft clays, are more prevalent around lakes and coastal environments, where demand for construction is generally higher. It is therefore critical that suitable ground improvement techniques be developed and refined to ensure these sites perform satisfactorily under applied structural loads. There is a clear trend in geotechnical construction to further develop technologies such as Deep Soil Mixing (DSM), using cement, lime, fly ash or bottom ash, with an aim to improve the mechanical properties of problematic soils. In this study, the influence of surcharge (10 kPa to 120 kPa) applied during curing on soil-cement columns is investigated using two different clay types, namely kaolinite and bentonite. Preload provides confinement and pre-compression during curing, which in turn increases the bearing capacity of the treated ground. The results of unconfined compressive strength tests are analysed to illustrate how the mechanical properties of the clays composed of differing cement content are influenced under varying surcharges applied instantly after mixing. The results indicate that mechanical properties of cement treated soft clays, including strength and stiffness can be enhanced through the application of surcharge immediately after construction, during the curing phase. This could potentially provide a cost effective and environmentally friendly alternative by reducing the required cement content being added to soil to achieve a given strength.

Fatahi, B, Khabbaz, H & Ho, HL 2011, 'Effects of geotextiles on drainage performance of ballasted rail tracks', Australian Geomechanics Journal, vol. 46, no. 4, pp. 91-102.
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Naturally soft soils are mostly found around coastal regions, where the construction of ballasted rail tracks is required to have a more thorough consideration regarding filtration. Any poor filter design on weak ground inevitably leads to a critical change in ballast characteristics. It is noticeable that such a change results in several issues including significant migration of finer particles about the subballast-subgrade interface and the deficiency of subballast filtration. These problems eventually reduce the drainage ability of the rail sub-system and may cause severe damage which can only be remedied by frequent and costly track maintenance. It is therefore important that geosynthetics such as geotextiles are introduced to the rail track system as an additional filter layer, which is able to retain the desirable filtering characteristics. This paper investigates the impact of non-woven geotextiles on filtration behaviour of subballast in the laboratory, while adopting different granular filter (subballast) thicknesses varying from 0 mm to 50 mm. The research findings demonstrate a notable difference in the cumulative fine loss per unit volume within a given period of time between two distinctive tests - with and without geotextiles, thus emphasising the beneficial application of this geosynthetic material. Empirical estimation of permeability and properties of subballast, including grading curves after testing, are carefully carried out and the results are presented in this paper. The results indicate that the thickness of granular subballast can be significantly reduced by including geotextiles. This paper, in turn, evaluates the potential combination of the track substructure and geotextiles to achieve the optimum filter design and more importantly, alleviate the cost of track maintenance.

Fatahi, B, Khabbaz, SH & Basack, S 2011, 'Effects of salinity and sand content on liquid limit and hydraulic conductivity', Australian Geomechanics Journal, vol. 46, no. 1, pp. 67-76.
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Soil conditions of construction sites have become worse than ever due to the overpopulation in the metropolitan areas throughout the world. Likewise, the prevention of environmental risks due to individual activities is one of the most important subjects in the geo-environmental problems. Saline soils may induce several problems in geotechnical engineering projects such as infrastructure embankments, road construction and clay liners. Effect of the various concentrations of sodium chloride (NaCl) on several different soils including bentonite, kaolinite and fine sand mixtures has been evaluated. In addition, influence of salinity and the period of submergence on the hydraulic conductivity of soil samples collected from a certain area of east coast of India was investigated. The results show that the liquid limit of the mixtures generally decreases with an increase in the salt concentration. Liquid limit decreased significantly with an increase in NaCl concentration up to a certain level. However, a further increase in the concentration does not induce any significant decrease in liquid limit. Furthermore, the soil hydraulic conductivity increase with the salt concentration and with increase in the period of submergence, the hydraulic conductivity of the soil increases asymptotically.

Grover, DP, Balaam, J, Pacitto, S, Readman, JW, White, S & Zhou, JL 2011, 'Endocrine disrupting activities in sewage effluent and river water determined by chemical analysis and in vitro assay in the context of granular activated carbon upgrade', Chemosphere, vol. 84, no. 10, pp. 1512-1520.
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As part of endocrine disruption in catchments (EDCAT) programme, this work aims to assess the temporal and spatial variations of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in River Ray, before and after the commissioning of a full-scale granular activated carbon (GAC) plant at a sewage treatment works (STW). Through spot and passive sampling from effluent and river sites, estrogenic and anti-androgenic activities were determined by chemical analysis and in vitro bio-assay. A correlation was found between chemical analyses of the most potent estrogens (estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2)) and yeast estrogen screen (YES) measurement, both showing clearly a reduction in estrogenic activity after the commissioning of the GAC plant at the STW. During the study period, the annual average concentrations of E1, E2 and EE2 had decreased from 3.5ngL -1, 3.1ngL -1 and 0.5ngL -1 to below their limit of detection (LOD), respectively, with a concentration reduction of at least 91%, 81% and 60%. Annual mean estrogenic activity measured by YES of spot samples varied from 1.9ngL -1 to 0.4ngL -1 E2 equivalent between 2006 and 2008 representing a 79% reduction. Similarly, anti-androgenic activity measured by yeast anti-androgen screen (anti-YAS) of spot samples was reduced from 148.8 to 22.4μgflutamideL -1, or by 85%. YES and anti-YAS values were related to each other, suggesting co-existence of both types of activities from chemical mixtures in environmental samples. The findings confirm the effectiveness of a full-scale GAC in removing both estrogenic and anti-androgenic activities from sewage effluent. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

Grover, DP, Zhou, JL, Frickers, PE & Readman, JW 2011, 'Improved removal of estrogenic and pharmaceutical compounds in sewage effluent by full scale granular activated carbon: Impact on receiving river water', Journal of Hazardous Materials, vol. 185, no. 2-3, pp. 1005-1011.
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Sewage effluents are widely recognised as the main source of emerging contaminants, such as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and pharmaceuticals in surface waters. A full-scale granular activated carbon (GAC) plant has been installed as an advanced technology for the removal of these contaminants, in a major sewage treatment works (STW) in South-West England as part of the UK National Demonstration Programme for EDCs. This study presented for the first time, an assessment of the impact of a recently commissioned, post-tertiary GAC plant in the removal of emerging contaminants in a working STW. Through regular sampling followed by solid-phase extraction and analysis by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), a significant reduction in the concentrations of steroidal estrogens was observed (>43-64%). In addition, significant reductions were observed for many of the pharmaceutical compounds such as mebeverine (84-99%), although the reduction was less dramatic for some of the more widely used pharmaceuticals analysed, including carbamazepine and propranolol (17-23%). © 2010 Elsevier B.V.

Guo, W, Ngo, HH, Wu, Z, Hu, AYJ & Listowski, A 2011, 'Application of bioflocculant and nonwoven supporting media for better biological nutrient removal and fouling control in a submerged MBR', Sustainable Environment Research, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 53-58.
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The study aims at modifying a submerged membrane bioreactor (SMBR) with attached-growth nonwoven media and a new green bioflocculant (GBF) (developed at Environmental Engineering R & D laboratory, University of Technology, Sydney) addition to treat a high strength domestic wastewater for reuse. The performance of the SMBR was evaluated in terms of organic and nutrient removal as well as membrane fouling control. The results indicated that the integrated SMBR system could eliminate more than 95% dissolved organic carbon and chemical oxygen demand from the influent. The system achieved 100% of nitrification during 60 d of operation. The denitrification was primarily based on conventional nitrification-denitrification process occurring in the anoxic zone. The total nitrogen removal efficiency and simultaneous nitrification and denitrification were 93 ± 3 and 96 ± 1% respectively. Although a relatively long solids retention time (50 d) were adopted, over 98% of total phosphorus in the influent was removed through biological phosphorus removal. The results also show that the addition of GBF could improve microbial activity and reduce membrane fouling. During the experiment, the transmembrane pressure developed marginally (4.5 kPa).

Hai, FI, Li, X, Price, WE & Nghiem, LD 2011, 'Removal of carbamazepine and sulfamethoxazole by MBR under anoxic and aerobic conditions', Bioresource Technology, vol. 102, no. 22, pp. 10386-10390.
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Hai, FI, Tessmer, K, Nguyen, LN, Kang, J, Price, WE & Nghiem, LD 2011, 'Removal of micropollutants by membrane bioreactor under temperature variation', Journal of Membrane Science, vol. 383, no. 1-2, pp. 144-151.
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Hao, X, Wang, Q, Cao, Y & van Loosdrecht, MCM 2011, 'Evaluating sludge minimization caused by predation and viral infection based on the extended activated sludge model No. 2d', Water Research, vol. 45, no. 16, pp. 5130-5140.
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Hashim, NH, Nghiem, LD, Stuetz, RM & Khan, SJ 2011, 'Enantiospecific fate of ibuprofen, ketoprofen and naproxen in a laboratory-scale membrane bioreactor', Water Research, vol. 45, no. 18, pp. 6249-6258.
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Hassler, CS, Djajadikarta, JR, Doblin, MA, Everett, JD & Thompson, PA 2011, 'Characterisation of water masses and phytoplankton nutrient limitation in the East Australian Current separation zone during spring 2008', DEEP-SEA RESEARCH PART II-TOPICAL STUDIES IN OCEANOGRAPHY, vol. 58, no. 5, pp. 664-677.
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This study focuses on the comparison of oceanic and coastal cold-core eddies with inner-shelf and East Australian Current (EAC) waters at the time of the spring bloom (October 2008).

Hill, R, Brown, CM, DeZeeuw, K, Campbell, DA & Ralph, PJ 2011, 'Increased rate of D1 repair in coral symbionts during bleaching is insufficient to counter accelerated photo-inactivation', LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY, vol. 56, no. 1, pp. 139-146.
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We dissect the primary photo-inactivation and the counteracting metabolic repair rates in fragments of the scleractinian coral, Pocillopora damicornis, subjected to a combined stress of a shift to elevated temperature (from 26°C to 32°C) and increased light (from 200 μmol photons m-2 s-1 to 400 μmol photons m-2 s-1) to induce bleaching. During the bleaching treatment the dinoflagellate symbionts showed a 5.5-fold acceleration in their photosystem II (PSII) repair rate constant, demonstrating that they maintain strong metabolic capacity to clear and replace photo-damaged D1 protein at the elevated temperature and light conditions. Nevertheless, the symbionts concurrently suffered a seven-fold increase in the rate constant for PSII photo-inactivation. This rapid photo-inactivation exceeded the PSII repair capacity, therefore tipping the symbionts, and by implication the symbiosis, into net photo-inhibition. Increased photo-inactivation in hospite, rather than an inhibition of PSII repair, is the principle trigger for net photo-inhibition under bleaching conditions. © 2011, by the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, Inc.

Ho, D, Vigneswaran, S, Ngo, HH, Shon, HK, Kandasamy, J, Chang, CY & Chang, JS 2011, 'Photocatalysis of trimethoprim (TRI) in water', Sustainable Environment Research, vol. 21, no. 3, pp. 149-154.
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The advantage of the use of photocatalysts to treat persistent organic pollutants (POP) was demonstrated with the decomposition of trimethoprim (TRI), an antibiotic most frequently detected in municipal wastewaters and surface waters. In this study, the oxidation process by UV/TiO2 was employed as an alternative to advanced oxidation process (AOP) to remove residual antibiotics from water. High concentrations of TRI were used to study the efficiency of photocatalysis. Both batch and continuous photoreactors were used. The decomposition of TRI by TiO2/UV photooxidation occurred gradually over time. On the other hand, with UV irradiation alone, the reduction of TRI mineralization was relatively small. The effect of light intensity showed there was no significant impact of UV light intensity on the degradation of TRI in the range of increasing intensities studied. The simulation using first-order kinetics provided a good fit with the experimental data. In the continuous system, the feed flow rate was adjusted to maximize the percentage of mineralization of targeted compounds inside the photoreactor. A lower flow rate, i.e., higher detention time, achieved higher percentage of TRI mineralization. The results indicated that TiO2/UV irradiation was effective in removing TRI.

Hokmabadi, AS, Fakher, A & Fatahi, B 2011, 'Seismic Strain Wedge Model for analysis of single piles under lateral seismic loading', Australian Geomechanics Journal, vol. 46, no. 1, pp. 31-41.
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One of the most effective methods of analysing a single pile and pile groups under lateral loading is Strain Wedge Model (SWM). SWM has a number of advantages in comparison with traditional p-y curves, but this model could traditionally only be used to analyse piles under monotonie loads. In the present paper, SWM has been modified to consider dynamic lateral loading. Based on this new method, called Seismic Strain Wedge Model (SSWM), a computer code has been developed for lateral analysis of piles. Using this computer code, some case studies have been analysed and the results show good agreement with test data. This paper introduces SSWM as a simple and powerful solution to analyse piles under lateral seismic loading.

Huang, Z, Chen, X, Yisgedu, T, Meyers, EA, Shore, SG & Zhao, J-C 2011, 'Ammonium Octahydrotriborate (NH₄B₃H₈): New Synthesis, Structure, and Hydrolytic Hydrogen Release', Inorganic Chemistry, vol. 50, no. 8, pp. 3738-3742.
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Huang, Z, Chen, X, Yisgedu, T, Zhao, J-C & Shore, SG 2011, 'High-capacity hydrogen release through hydrolysis of NaB3H8', International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, vol. 36, no. 12, pp. 7038-7042.
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Husnawan, M, Masjuki, HH & Mahlia, TMI 2011, 'The interest of combining two additives with palm olein as selected lubricant components', Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, vol. 63, no. 3, pp. 203-209.
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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study the effect of palm olein, amine phosphate and 4‐nonyl phenoxy acetic acid (NPAA) added to a commercial lubricant in terms of tribological properties such as wear and coefficient of friction.Design/methodology/approachA tribological study on the lubrication performance of a lubricant‐based palm oil (PO) containing anti‐wear and antioxidant combined corrosion inhibitor additive was carried out using a universal sliding wear machine. In this experiment, amine phosphate and NPAA were selected as additive to be mixed with PO (palm olein) in several concentrations and commercial lubricant 20W‐50 for the tests. Various PO blended samples with additional 1 and 3 percent additive were used in this study. The experiments were performed under 252 rpm sliding speed for 2 h where the oil temperature reached 100°C.FindingsThe analysis showed that the average wear coefficient and the mean wear scar diameter (MWSD) which is normalized to the 1.4 KPa water pressure generates lower values for the PO containing additives than 100 percent PO, commercial lubricant and their blended. The coefficients of friction and wear were also lower for the samples with additives compared to other. To consolidate the result, viscosity of used samples is checked and shows the additives improved the viscosity stability. Finally, the overall study concluded that PO‐added additives have the potential to be one of the ingredients in effective lubricant oil.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper is limited to findings based on a Universal Sliding Machine Test under certain conditions. The tes...

Jayed, MH, Masjuki, HH, Kalam, MA, Mahlia, TMI, Husnawan, M & Liaquat, AM 2011, 'Prospects of dedicated biodiesel engine vehicles in Malaysia and Indonesia', Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 220-235.
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Jegatheesan, V, Shu, L, Nghiem, LD, Shon, HK & Chang, C-Y 2011, 'Challenges in Environmental Science and Engineering CESE-2010 26 September-1 October 2010, The Sebel, Cairns, Queensland, Australia Total Water Management for the Sustainability of Freshwater in the Future', DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENT, vol. 32, no. 1-3, pp. 1-3.
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Jeong, S, Nateghi, F, Nguyen, TV, Vigneswaran, S & Tu, TA 2011, 'Pretreatment for seawater desalination by flocculation: Performance of modified poly ferric silicate (PFSi-delta) and ferric chloride as flocculants', DESALINATION, vol. 283, pp. 106-110.
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Submerged microfiltration system coupled with in-line flocculation as pretreatment for seawater reverse osmosis has the potential to remove organic compounds and mitigate fouling. The effect of flocculation on the performance of microfiltration (MF) was investigated using two flocculants, namely, modified poly ferric silicate (PFSi-δ) and ferric chloride (FeCl3). The experimental results were analysed in terms of organic removal efficiency and critical flux. Both PFSi-δ and FeCl3 were found to be suitable as pretreatment because of their capacity in removing organic compounds. The results show that PFSi-δ was better than FeCl3 in terms of removing turbidity and dissolved organic carbon (DOC), particularly in removing hydrophilic compounds. The highest DOC removals of 68% and 57% were obtained when PFSi-δ at a dose of 1.2 mg Fe3+/L and FeCl3 at 3 mg Fe3+/L were used, respectively. It was observed that PFSi-δ (1.2 mg Fe3+/L) and FeCl3 (3 mg Fe3+/L) led to an increase of critical flux from 20 L/m2 h to 35 L/m2 h and 55 L/m2 h, respectively. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Jeong, S, Nguyen, TV & Vigneswaran, S 2011, 'Submerged membrane coagulation hybrid system as pretreatment to organic matter removal from seawater', Water Supply, vol. 11, no. 3, pp. 352-357.
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In this study, a commonly used ferric chloride was utilised as coagulant for removing organic compounds from seawater. More than 57% of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was removed at optimum dosage of 3 mg Fe+3/L. The coagulation by FeCl3 at optimum dosage could remove a majority (95%) of hydrophobic compounds. The results from Liquid Chromatography – Organic Carbon Detector showed that only &lt;0.02 mg/L of hydrophobic compounds was found after coagulation. In addition, the modified fouling index decreased considerably from 15,848 s/L2 with raw seawater to 3,025 s/L2 with seawater after coagulation. In-line coagulation coupled with submerged membrane system (ICSMS) was also trialled. It is observed that critical flux was increased from 20 L/m2·h in the conventional submerged membrane system to 55 L/m2 h in ICSMS. The ICSMS could remain the high DOC removal efficiency (more than 70%) at filtration rate of 20 L/m2 h when keeping the development of trans-membrane pressure was significant lower than that of conventional submerged membrane system.

Jimenez, IM, Kuhl, M, Larkum, AWD & Ralph, PJ 2011, 'Effects of flow and colony morphology on the thermal boundary layer of corals', JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE, vol. 8, no. 65, pp. 1785-1795.
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The thermal microenvironment of corals and the thermal effects of changing flow and radiation are critical to understanding heat-induced coral bleaching, a stress response resulting from the destruction of the symbiosis between corals and their photosynt

Johir, MAH, Aryal, R, Vigneswaran, S, Kandasamy, J & Grasmick, A 2011, 'Influence of supporting media in suspension on membrane fouling reduction in submerged membrane bioreactor (SMBR)', Journal of Membrane Science, vol. 374, no. 1-2, pp. 121-128.
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In this study, the SMBR was compared in terms of membrane fouling with and without the addition of suspended medium in the membrane reactor. The effectiveness of medium in suspension in submerged membrane bioreactor (SMBR) was evaluated at different filtration flux. The SMBR was operated at a flux of 5-30L/m2h (corresponding hydraulic retention time of 10-1.7h) with and without suspended medium. The suspended medium used in this study was granular activated carbon (GAC; particle size 300-600mm) at air scouring (aeration) rates of 0.5-1.5m3m-2 membrane areah-1. At higher aeration rate of 1.5m3/m2 membrane areah, the effect of flux on membrane resistance was found to be negligible. The reduction of aeration rate from 1.5 to 1.0m3m-2 membrane areah-1 resulted in a sudden rise of TMP. The addition of suspended medium prevented a sudden rise of TMP (total membrane resistance reduced from 51×1011 to 20×1011m-1). The organic removal efficiency remained high irrespective of flux. The molecular weight distribution (MWD) and excitation emission matrix (EEM) analysis of SMBR effluent showed a range of organic (composed of amino acids, biopolymers, humics and fulvic acids type substances) removed by the GAC both by scouring and adsorption mechanisms. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

Johir, MAH, George, J, Vigneswaran, S, Kandasamy, J & Grasmick, A 2011, 'Removal and recovery of nutrients by ion exchange from high rate membrane bio-reactor (MBR) effluent', Desalination, vol. 275, no. 1-3, pp. 197-202.
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In this study a membrane bioreactor (MBR) with ion-exchange as post-treatment was investigated for organic removal and nutrient recovery. The MBR was operated at a short HRT of 4h in order to mainly remove organic carbon. This was followed by an ion-exchange process to remove and later recover the nitrogen and phosphorus from the MBR effluent. The increase in membrane resistance was reduced by 90% (from 0.061 to 0.006m-1d-1) when the air scouring rate was increased from 0.5 to 1.5m3/m2membrane areah. The organic removal rate in terms of DOC was 85-90%. The bio-polymer in the molecular weight range of 24,500Da was retained by the membrane of the MBR while humic type substances and lower molecular organic matter (molecular weight of 360-60Da) were not effectively removed by the membrane. The ion-exchange process effectively removed the nutrients from the effluent of the MBR. The retention of PO43- and NO3- by the two ion-exchange columns in series was 85% and 95% respectively. Over 95-98% phosphate and nitrate recovery was obtained during regeneration of columns with 1% NaCl of 20 bed volumes. This integrated process can remove pollutants and at the same time recover nutrients and thus open a new source for nitrogen and phosphorous. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

Kalam, MA & Masjuki, HH 2011, 'An experimental investigation of high performance natural gas engine with direct injection', Energy, vol. 36, no. 5, pp. 3563-3571.
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Kalam, MA, Masjuki, HH, Jayed, MH & Liaquat, AM 2011, 'Emission and performance characteristics of an indirect ignition diesel engine fuelled with waste cooking oil', Energy, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 397-402.
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Khorshed, C, Vigneswaran, S, Kandasamy, J, Aryal, R & Dharmapalan, D 2011, 'Assessment of water treatment processes: detailed organic matter characterisation and membrane fouling indices at the Loddon Water Treatment Plant, Victoria, Australia', Water Supply, vol. 11, no. 3, pp. 274-280.
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Recent advances in membrane technology have led to its broad application, and reverse osmosis (RO) systems now represent the fastest growing segment of the desalination market. Its performance is hindered by membrane fouling. In this study pre-treatment methods to reduce RO fouling were investigated including flocculation, adsorption and ion exchange. Detailed organic characterisations were made in terms of florescence spectroscopy excitation emission matrix (EEM), UV254 absorbance and liquid chromatography-organic carbon detection (LCOCD). The different pre-treatment methods were assessed in terms of the fouling potential. This was quantified in terms of the modified fouling index measured using a dead-end cell micro-filtration (MF) unit. The existing pre-treatment of granular activated carbon (GAC) filter led to a good organic removal. Among the pre-treatment methods tested in the laboratory, purolite ion exchange/adsorption was found to be better than FeCl3 flocculation in terms of the amount as well as the wide range of organics removal. A pre-treatment of flocculation with Poly-ferric-silicate (PFSi) as flocculent gave a higher removal of organic matter compared to other pre-treatments tested. DOC was reduced from 11.5 to 4.25 mg/L, and it removed mostly the humic type substances.

Kim, J-H, Cho, DL, Kim, G-J, Gao, B & Shon, HK 2011, 'Titania Nanomaterials Produced from Ti-Salt Flocculated Sludge in Water Treatment', Catalysis Surveys from Asia, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 117-126.
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Titania is the most widely used metal oxide for the applications of pigments, paper, solar cells and environmental purification. In order to meet the demand of a large amount of titania, our group has developed a novel process which could significantly lower the cost of waste disposal in water treatment, protect the environment and public health and yield economically valuable titania. Titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) or titanium sulfate (Ti(SO4)2) as an alternative coagulant in water treatment has been explored for the removal of various pollutants from contaminated water or wastewater. Flocculation efficiencies of the Ti-salts were superior to those of Al- and Fe- salts with additional benefits in that a large amount of titania can be produced by calcinating the flocculated floc. The produced titania showed high photocatalytic activity for the removal of volatile organic compounds. The large amount of titania can be applied to pigments, environment and construction materials which require a lot of titania usages. This review paper presents an historical progress from fundamental to application in terms of the detailed production process, characterization, photoactivity of titania produced from Ti-salt flocculated sludge, and its various applications.

Kim, J-H, Okour, Y, Yang, HS, Kim, JB & Shon, HK 2011, 'Preparation and Characterisation of TiO2 Nanoparticle and Titanate Nanotube Obtained from Ti-Salt Flocculated Sludge with Drinking Water and Seawater', JOURNAL OF NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 1640-1643.
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This study aimed to prepare and characterise titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanopartictes and lilanate nanolubes produced from Ti-sat flocculated sludge with drinking water (DW) and seawater (SW). The Ti-salt flocculated sludge from DW and SW was incinerated at 600 °C to produce TiO2 nanoparticles. XRD results showed that the anatase TiO2 structure was predominant for TiO2 from DW (TiO2-DW) and TiO2 from SW (TiO2-SW), which were mainly doped with carbon atoms. Titanate nanotubes (tiNT) were obtained when TiO2-DW and TiO2-SW were hydrothermally treated wilh NaOH solution. Structure phase, shape, crystalisation and photocatalylic activity of tiNT were affected by the incineration temperature and the amount of sodium present in different tiNT. The tiNT doped with thiourea incinerated at 600 °C presented anatase phase, showing a high increase of the degree of crystallisation with nanotube-like structures. The photocatalylic activity of these photocatalysts was evaluated using photooxldation of gaseous acetaldehyde. Thiourea doped tiNT-DW and tiNT-SW showed similar photocatalytic activity compared to commercially available TiO2-P25 under UV light and indicated a photocatalytic activity under visible light.

Kus, B, Kandasamy, J, Vigneswaran, S, Shon, HK & Areerachakul, N 2011, 'Water quality of membrane filtered rainwater', DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENT, vol. 32, no. 1-3, pp. 208-213.
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Although most Australians receive their domestic supply from reticulated mains or town water, there are vast areas with very low population densities and few reticulated supplies. In many of these areas rainwater collected in tanks is the primary source of drinking water. Heavy metals are a concern as their concentration in rainwater tanks was found to exceed recommended levels suitable for human consumption. This paper reports on experimental investigations where rainwater collected from a typical domestic roof in Sydney, Australia was treated in two stages of filtration including granular activated carbon (GAC) as a pre-treatment adsorption filter media and a metallic membrane from Steri-flow Filtration Systems Pty. Ltd. The quality of the treated rainwater was compared against the drinking water standards to determine its suitability as a supplement for potable water supply. The pollutants analysed were heavy metals, total coliform and faecal coliforms, total organic carbon, total suspended solids and turbidity. The results indicate that before treatment, the rainwater already complied with many of the parameters specified in drinking water standards. The metallic membrane performed well in removing suspended particles and heavy metals from the rainwater. The performance of the metallic membrane is greatly improved by the use of pre-treatment such as GAC which was used in this experiment.

Kus, BG, Kandasamy, JK, Vigneswaran, S & Shon, H 2011, 'Water Quality in Rainwater Tanks in Rural and Metropolitan Areas of New South Wales, Australia', Journal of Water Sustainability, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 33-43.
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This paper compares the water quality of rainwater tanks throughout the Sydney metropolitan area to that in rural New South Wales, Australia. The water quality is compared against the Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling (AGWR) to determine if the untreated rainwater from both areas can be considered suitable for non-potable water supply without filtration. Additionally this paper reports on a set of experiments where rainwater collected from a typical domestic roof in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia was treated by a pre-treatment of granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption filter followed by micro-filtration. The GAC column removed the pollutants through an adsorption mechanism. GAC is a macroporous solid with a very large surface area providing many sites for adsorption and it is this property that makes it an efficient adsorbent. The parameters analysed were ammonia, anions and cations, heavy metals, nitrate and nitrite, pH, total hardness, total organic carbon, total suspended solids and turbidity. The results indicate that before treatment, the rainwater already complied to many of the parameters specified in the AGWR, certain pollutants have the potential at times to exceed the AGWR. The water quality was within the AGWR limits after the treatment. The micro- filtration flux values demonstrate that rainwater was able to be filtered through the membranes under low gravitational heads that are typically available in a rainwater tank while still producing sufficient membrane flux and pollutant removal rates.

Lee, JH, Zhou, JL & Kim, SD 2011, 'Effects of biodegradation and sorption by humic acid on the estrogenicity of 17β-estradiol', Chemosphere, vol. 85, no. 8, pp. 1383-1389.
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The removal of 17β-estradiol (E2) by biodegradation and sorption onto humic acid (HA) was examined at various HA concentrations. Subsequently, estrogenicity associated with E2 removal was estimated using E-screen bioassay. Results showed that E2 biodegradation and its subsequent transformation to estrone (E1) were significantly reduced with increasing HA concentration. In addition, the presence of nutrients enhanced the biodegradation of E2. Overall, E2 biodegradation was the dominating contributor to its removal, which demonstrated a significantly negative correlation with E2 sorption at various HA concentrations. The sorption of E2 by HA was significantly enhanced with increasing HA concentration. Estrogenicity associated with residual E2 showed that there existed a significant difference among various HA concentrations, with the lowest value in the absence of HA. The findings suggest that the presence of HA and nutrients in natural waters should be considered in assessing estrogenicity of environmental samples due to complex sorption and biodegradation processes. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

Lee, S, Kim, K, Shon, HK, Kim, SD & Cho, J 2011, 'Biotoxicity of nanoparticles: effect of natural organic matter', JOURNAL OF NANOPARTICLE RESEARCH, vol. 13, no. 7, pp. 3051-3061.
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Various natural organic matters (NOM) with different characteristics in aquatic environment may affect toxicity of leased nanoparticles, owing to interactions between NOM and nanoparticles. This study investigated the effect of NOM and physical characteristics of the effluent organic matter (EfOM) on the ecotoxicity of quantum dots (QD) using Daphnia magna. Organic matter samples were obtained from: Yeongsan River (YR-NOM), Dongbuk Lake (DL-NOM), Damyang wastewater treatment plant (EfOM), and Suwannee River NOM (SR-NOM). The QD was composed of a CdSe core, ZnS shell, and polyethylene glycol coating. The average size of the investigated QD was 4.8, 56.5, and 25.0 nm determined by transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation, respectively. The relative hydrophobicity of NOM was investigated using both specific UV absorbance at 254 nm and XAD-8/4 resins. The sorption of NOM on the QD was measured using a fluorescence quenching method. The highest hydrophobicity was exhibited by the SR-NOM, while the lowest was recorded for the DL-NOM. All tested NOMs significantly reduced the acute toxicity of D. magna when adsorbed to QD, and the order of effectiveness for each NOM was as follows: SR-NOM>EfOM>YS-NOM>DL-NOM. The sorption of NOM on the QD surface caused a decrease in the fluorescence intensity of QD at increasing NOM concentration. This suggests that the NOM coating influenced the physicochemical characteristics ofQDin the internal organs of D. magna by inducing a reduced bioavailability. Results from this study revealed that NOM with relatively high hydrophobicity had a greater capability of inducing toxicity mitigation.

Leung, A, Wiltshire, J, Blencowe, A, Fu, Q, Solomon, DH & Qiao, GG 2011, 'The effect of acrylamide-co-vinylpyrrolidinone copolymer on the depression of talc in mixed nickel mineral flotation', Minerals Engineering, vol. 24, no. 5, pp. 449-454.
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Li, X, Hai, FI, Tadkaew, N, Gilbertson, S & Nghiem, LD 2011, 'Strategies to enhance the removal of the persistent pharmaceutically active compound carbamazepine by membrane bioreactors', Desalination and Water Treatment, vol. 34, no. 1-3, pp. 402-407.
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Li, X, Hai, FI, Tadkaew, N, Gilbertson, S & Nghiem, LD 2011, 'Strategies to enhance the removal of the persistent pharmaceutically active compound carbamazepine by membrane bioreactors', Desalination and Water Treatment, vol. 34, no. 1-3, pp. 402-407.
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Carbamazepine, which is an anti-epileptic drug, is ubiquitously present in municipal wastewater. Owing to its recalcitrant chemical structure, carbamazepine is not significantly removed during conventional biological treatment or even by membrane bioreactor (MBR). With the ultimate aim of providing insights into the strategies to enhance carbamazepine removal, the effect of key operational parameters, namely, loading rate (2–750 μg/L• d), pH (5–9), mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentration (1–15 g/L) and dissolved oxygen (DO) (<0.5–5 mg/L) on the removal of carabamazepine by MBR was systematically studied. Results obtained in this study revealed negligible influence of pH and of MLSS concentration (beyond 5 g/L) on the removal of carbamazepine. The removal rate, however, was significantly enhanced under a DO concentration of less than 0.5 mg/L, suggesting that an alternating anoxic-oxic environment in MBR would achieve high removal. Significantly enhanced (287 mg/g vs. 0.02 mg/g) adsorption of carbamazepine on powdered activated carbon (PAC) as compared to MBR sludge indicated that simultaneous PAC adsorption in MBR may achieve enhanced removal. © 2011 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Listowski, A, Ngo, H, Guo, W, Vigneswaran, S, Shin, H & Moon, H 2011, 'Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions from Urban Wastewater System: Future Assessment Framework and Methodology', Journal of Water Sustainability, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 113-125.
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Over the last two decades much scientific effort has been expended on the radiative gaseous emissions in the atmosphere. Although there are no regulatory requirements for managing gaseous emissions at present, the long term indications are, that impact relater to air pollution must embrace the broad diversity and challenges associated with urban wastewater cycle management. This study has been considered as a precursor to development of a comprehensive impact assessment of gaseous emission from urban wastewater infrastructure and treatment facilities. It has been carried out in consideration of the future climate change scientific projections, including socio-economic and environmental impacts. Major progress could be gained from systemic approaches in relation to factors influencing emission and the collected data demonstrates correlation between wastewater quality, treatment and energy used with the level of emission. An early attempt was made to attribute environmental impact and costs on per capita basis, as the weight of responsibility to take action is shifting to the community and individuals. The presented framework and methodology offers reliable evaluation of gaseous emissions is an integrated context comprising technology, environment, social and economic factors.

Listowski, A, Ngo, HH, Guo, WS & Vigneswaran, S 2011, 'A novel integrated assessment methodology of urban water reuse', WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, vol. 64, no. 8, pp. 1642-1651.
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Wastewater is no longer considered a waste product and water reuse needs to play a stronger part in securing urban water supply. Although treatment technologies for water reclamation have significantly improved the question that deserves further analysis is, how selection of a particular wastewater treatment technology relates to performance and sustainabiiity? The proposed assessment model integrates; (i) technology, characterised by selected quantity and quality performance parameters; (ii) productivity, efficiency and reliability criteria; (iii) quantitative performance indicators; (iv) development of evaluation model. The challenges related to hierarchy and selections of performance indicators have been resolved through the case study analysis. The goal of this study is to validate a new assessment methodology in relation to performance of the microfiltration (MF) technology, a key element of the treatment process. Specific performance data and measurements were obtained at specific Control and Data Acquisition Points (CP) to satisfy the input-output inventory in relation to water resources, products, materiai flows, energy requirements, chemicals use, etc. Performance assessment process contains analysis and necessary linking across important parametric functions leading to reliable outcomes and results.

Liu, H, Shon, HK, Okour, Y, Song, W & Vigneswaran, S 2011, 'Photocatalytic Degradation of Acid Red G by Bismuth Titanate in Three-phase Fluidized Bed Photoreactor', Journal of Advanced Oxidation Technologies, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 116-121.
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AbstractThe objectives of this study were to prepare a high-performance bismuth titanate photocatalyst and to develop a novel photocatalytic reactor with three-phase internal circulating fluidized bed photoreactor (TPICFBP). Bismuth titanate photocatalyst was hydrothermally prepared under optimum operating parameters such as hydrothermal temperature, reaction time and molar ratio of Bi to Ti. The photocatalytic activity of bismuth titanate using TPICFBP was evaluated for the photocatalytic degradation of Acid Red G (ARG). The photodegradation of ARG over Bi

Liu, H, Shon, HK, Sun, X, Vigneswaran, S & Nan, H 2011, 'Preparation and characterization of visible light responsive Fe2O3-TiO2 composites', APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE, vol. 257, no. 13, pp. 5813-5819.
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In this studywepresent the effects of iron oxide (Fe2O3) on titanium dioxide (TiO2) in synthesising visiblelight reactive photocatalysts. A Fe2O3âTiO2 composite photocatalyst was synthesized from Fe2(SO4)3 and Ti(SO4)2 by a ethanol-assisted hydrothermal method. The preparation conditions were optimized through the investigation of the effects of hydrothermal temperature and time as well as molar ratio of Ti to Fe on the photocatalytic activity. The visual, physical and chemical properties of the Fe2O3âTiO2 composites were investigated. The results showed that -Fe2O3 and anatase TiO2 were present in the composites. The Fe2O3âTiO2 synthesized under optimum condition consisted of mesoporous structure with an average pore size of 4 nm and a surface area of 43m2/g. Under visible and solar light irradiation, the photocatalytic activity of optimized sample was significantly higher than that of pure TiO2. This sample led to a photodegradation efficiency of 90% and 40% of auramine under visible light and solar light, respectively.

Liu, H, Xia, T, Shon, HK & Vigneswaran, S 2011, 'Preparation of titania-containing photocatalysts from metallurgical slag waste and photodegradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol', JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY, vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 461-467.
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A low cost, high performance titania-containing metallurgical slag photocatalysts (TCMSPx, x = H2SO4, HNO3, HCl) were prepared using a hydrothermal method. The prepared TCMSPx were characterized in terms of visual, physical and chemical properties. The photocatalytic activity of the TCMSPx was evaluated via the photodegradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-D) in aqueous solution. The results showed that the characteristics and photocatalytic activity of TCMSPx were strongly affected by acidic solutions used during the acidolysis. TCMSPH2SO4 exhibited better characteristics and higher photocatalytic activity than TCMSPHNO3 and TCMSPHCl. OH radicals from TCMSPH2SO4 were produced under UV, visible and solar light irradiation. The degree of photodegradation of 2,4-D by TCMSPH2SO4 was 80.1%, 50.0% and 61.5% under UV, visible and solar light irradiation respectively. In addition, the removal of chlorine functional group on the 2,4-D benzene ring and the production of intermediates during 2,4-D photodegradation were monitored using ion chromatography, UVâvis spectra and high performance liquid chromatography of 2,4-D before and after photodegradation.

Liu, S-G, Ni, B-J, Li, W-W, Sheng, G-P, Tang, Y & Yu, H-Q 2011, 'Modeling of the Contact–Adsorption–Regeneration (CAR) activated sludge process', Bioresource Technology, vol. 102, no. 3, pp. 2199-2205.
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Luo, L, Wang, XC, Guo, W & Ngo, H 2011, 'Novel conceptual models for thermodynamic analysis of urban water systems', Journal of Water Sustainability, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 13-23.
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Urban water system (UWS) can be thermodynamically analysed by calculating the entropy budget based on the increase of entropy due to internal and/or external contributions. From different internal and external parts, two novel conceptual models of thermodynamic analysis for an UWS were proposed. For conceptual model 1, natural UWS as a pseudo-reversible process is internal contribution, while the external part of the UWS is artificial water cycle. When the entropy change of the natural UWS is equal to zero, the entropy change of the UWS is considered as the entropy change by the artificial water cycle. The calculations of entropy change for artificial water cycle are based on water balance and purification reactions of selected kinds of typical pollutants in the UWS. For conceptual model 2, the internal entropy change of the UWS is water body, and it is assumed to be zero due to dynamically equilibrium of the water body. The calculation of external entropy change caused by the natural water cycle was proposed to be dependent on meteorological and hydrological data whilst the external entropy change caused by the artificial water cycle could be obtained from mass balance and treatment process analysis.

Mahlia, TMI & Chan, PL 2011, 'Life cycle cost analysis of fuel cell based cogeneration system for residential application in Malaysia', Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 416-426.
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Mahlia, TMI, Razak, HA & Nursahida, MA 2011, 'Life cycle cost analysis and payback period of lighting retrofit at the University of Malaya', Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 1125-1132.
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Mahlia, TMI, Saidur, R, Yanti, PAA & Masjuki, HH 2011, 'Role of energy guide labels in consumers purchase decision for household electrical appliances', Energy Education Science and Technology Part A: Energy Science and Research, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 95-104.
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Due to the rapid economic growth in the past, the usage of electrical products for the last three decades has increased rapidly in Malaysia. To reduce energy consumption, Malaysian Energy Commission has implemented energy labels for electrical appliances. The purpose of the energy labels is to provide the consumers a guideline to compare the size, features, price and efficiency of the product. Research on consumer understanding and use of the label has been limited. This paper discusses the important aspects in consumers purchasing decision and consumers view on energy labels in Malaysia. The study includes the investigation of familiarity, awareness and understanding of the proposed energy labeling by Malaysian respondents. The study found that 65% of respondent were not familiar with the label, however 78% of respondents were understand the label and 79% of respondents are aware about the labels. The undesirable finding was that the efficiency of the product ranked sixth by the respondents in purchasing electrical products. © Sila Science.

Mahlia, TMI, Taufiq, BN, Ong, KP & Saidur, R 2011, 'Exergy analysis for day lighting, electric lighting and space cooling systems for a room space in a tropical climate', Energy and Buildings, vol. 43, no. 7, pp. 1676-1684.
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Mainali, B, Ngo, HH, Guo, W, Pham, TTN & Johnston, A 2011, 'Feasibility assessment of recycled water use for washing machines in Australia through SWOT analysis', RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING, vol. 56, no. 1, pp. 87-91.
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Sustainable urban water consumption has become a critical issue in Australia due to increasing urbanization, the countryâs dry climate and its increasingly variable rainfall. Water recycling is considered vital to alleviate the demand on limited water supplies. The demands on water utilities to develop water recycling capacity and supplies are therefore expected to intensify in Australia. Dual reticulation systems have already been introduced in many cities in Australia and this is likely to expand to many other cities in the future. Developed and proposed dual reticulation schemes in Australia demand the substantial replacement of tap water with recycled water to ensure system optimisation and the sustainability of water supplies. This study successfully applies Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis as a research tool to assess the feasibility of use of recycled water in washing machine applications. Through the identification of the reuse schemes' strengths (elements to leverage and build on) and weaknesses (areas to seek assistance and support) in addition to community opportunities (areas to leverage for program advantages) and threats (elements that could hinder the scheme), the positive aspects for the use of recycled water in washing machines is observed. Further study to address the specific concerns of the general public and the development of guidelines for this new end use is however essential to guide the implementation of recycled water schemes.

Mainali, B, Ngo, HH, Guo, WS, Pham, TTN, Wang, XC & Johnston, A 2011, 'SWOT analysis to assist identification of the critical factors for the successful implementation of water reuse schemes', DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENT, vol. 32, no. 1-3, pp. 297-306.
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The reuse of urban wastewater has been recognised as an important alternative source of water and is a key aspect of sustainable water policy. As it is a promising innovation, a number of direct and indirect water reuse projects have been instigated and proposed, both nationally and internationally. However there is some uncertainty regarding the effectiveness and impact of these water reuse schemes (WRS). This study investigates the applicability of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) as an analysis tool for formulating the critical factors in terms of the implementation of water reuse schemes. Basically, this work adopts an existing multiple case study design method and makes use of SWOT to analyse all critical factors for each selected water reuse scheme. The strengths and weaknesses of successful and unsuccessful WRS are analysed followed by an assessment of the corresponding external opportunities and threats. On this basis, the critical factors considered for the successful implementation of the WRS are identified. A qualitative investigation using SWOT analysis has therefore been successfully implemented. © 2011 Desalination Publications. All rights reserved.

Manzouri, M & Shon, HK 2011, 'Rectification methods for the fouling of ultrafiltration hollow-fibre membranes as a result of excessive soluble iron', DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENT, vol. 32, no. 1-3, pp. 437-444.
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The aim of this study is to analyse process design parameters relating to a membrane bioreactor (MBR) membrane and chemical dosing systems as well as the characteristics of membrane foulant so as to identify a remedy for implementation. A qualitative research undertaken included electron microscopy analysis of the fouled membranes through a membrane autopsy which showed major inorganic deposits to the membrane surface, mainly comprising of iron. As it currently remains, the membrane system utilises citric acid for chemical in-place cleaning of the membranes. Analysis of results identifies the impact of membrane foulant to the operational performance of the treatment works and the impairment to effluent quality discharged to local waterways. Furthermore, an assessment into economic impacts is expected to show significant opportunities for improvements to operating costs as a direct result of cleaner membranes returning transmembrane pressures to normal levels during the permeate production cycle. The study also proposes optimisation strategies of the current cleaning process that is adequate for the level of ferric chloride dosed for phosphorous removal and odour control. Consideration is given to two types of strategies for rectification.

Mazandarani, A, Mahlia, TMI, Chong, WT & Moghavvemi, M 2011, 'Fuel consumption and emission prediction by Iranian power plants until 2025', Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 1575-1592.
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Meng, F, Zhou, Z, Ni, B-J, Zheng, X, Huang, G, Jia, X, Li, S, Xiong, Y & Kraume, M 2011, 'Characterization of the size-fractionated biomacromolecules: Tracking their role and fate in a membrane bioreactor', Water Research, vol. 45, no. 15, pp. 4661-4671.
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Mohammadnejad, M, Ghazvini, M, Mahlia, TMI & Andriyana, A 2011, 'A review on energy scenario and sustainable energy in Iran', Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 15, no. 9, pp. 4652-4658.
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Mohammed, T, Vigneswaran, S & Kandasamy, J 2011, 'Biofiltration as pre-treatment to water harvesting and recycling', Water Science and Technology, vol. 63, no. 10, pp. 2097-2105.
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This paper presents the results of the long term biofilter experiments conducted with raw stormwater collected from a canal at Carlton, in Sydney. Anthracite and granular activated carbon (GAC) were used as a single filter media in biofilter columns. Media heights of 75 and 40 cm were used. The filter columns were operated at filtration velocities of 0.12 and 0.25 m/h. The removal efficiency for turbidity and DOC for the GAC filter media were found to be 75% and almost 100% respectively. The removal efficiency for the anthracite filter was much lower. Molecular weight distribution analysis showed an almost similar trend to the DOC removal. Compared with anthracite filter media, the GAC biofilter removed a much larger range of organic compounds present in the stormwater. The GAC biofilter removes organic matter earlier as compared to anthracite. Based on a limited sample of stormwater, the removal efficiency for phosphorus was upto 74% and that of nitrogen was up to 30%. In general GAC filter shows higher heavy metal removal efficiency than anthracite. The removal of zinc, iron, lead and nickel were good. However the concentration of heavy metal in the raw surface water sample was low.

Mullai, P, Arulselvi, S, Ngo, H-H & Sabarathinam, PL 2011, 'Experiments and ANFIS modelling for the biodegradation of penicillin-G wastewater using anaerobic hybrid reactor', BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY, vol. 102, no. 9, pp. 5492-5497.
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The performance of an anaerobic hybrid reactor (AHR) for treating penicillin-G wastewater was investigated at the ambient temperatures of 30-35 degrees C for 245 days in three phases. The experimental data were analysed by adopting an adaptive network-ba

Na, S-H, Shon, H-K & Kim, J-H 2011, 'Minimization of excess sludge and cryptic growth of microorganisms by alkaline treatment of activated sludge', Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering, vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 164-169.
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Sludge solubilization was induced by the alkaline-thermal treatment to investigate the cryptic growth and reduction of a large amount of activated sludge produced from wastewater treatment. Activated sludge was divided into lysate, supernatant fraction and particulate fraction for a biodegradability test by cryptic growth. Sludge was reduced up to 78% at pH 13 and 44% at pH 10 using the single alkaline-thermal treatment. Also, it was found that alkalinethermal treatment at pH 13 increased the quantity of intracellular components generated by cell lysis and promoted the power of significant cell destruction. The neutralization of pH after the solubilized activated sludge led to high biodegradability of organic carbon sources generated by cell lysis. This can be utilized in minimizing activated sludge.

Nghiem, LD & Cath, T 2011, 'A scaling mitigation approach during direct contact membrane distillation', Separation and Purification Technology, vol. 80, no. 2, pp. 315-322.
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Nguyen, TT, Ngo, HH, Guo, W, Phuntsho, S & Li, J 2011, 'A new sponge tray bioreactor in primary treated sewage effluent treatment', BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY, vol. 102, no. 9, pp. 5444-5447.
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The new attached growth sponge tray bioreactor (STB) was evaluated at different operating conditions for removing organics and nutrients from primary treated sewage effluent. This STB was also assessed when using as a pre-treatment prior to micro-filtration (MF) for reducing membrane fouling. At a short hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 40min, the STB could remove up to 92% of DOC and 40-56% of T-N and T-P at an organic loading rate (OLR) of 2.4kg COD/m3 spongeday. This OLR is the best for the STB as compared to the OLRs of 0.6, 1.2 and 3.6kg COD/m3 spongeday. At 28mL/min of flow velocity (FV), STB achieved the highest efficiencies with 92% of DOC, 87.4% of T-P, and 54.8% of T-N removal. Finally, at the optimal OLR and FV, the STB could remove almost 90% of organic and nutrient, significantly reduce membrane fouling with HRT of only 120min. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

Nguyen, TV, Zhang, R, Vigneswaran, S, Ngo, HH, Kandasamy, J & Mathes, P 2011, 'Removal of organic matter from effluents by Magnetic Ion Exchange (MIEX (R))', DESALINATION, vol. 276, no. 1-3, pp. 96-102.
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Magnetic Ion Exchange Resin (MIEX®) is effective in removing the majority of organic carbon from biologically treated wastewater. It removed 77% of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from synthetic wastewater when operated in batch mode using a MIEX® concentration of 10. mL/L. A pseudo second-order reaction rate model namely the Ho model was used for the kinetic study and it was found that it provided a realistic description of the adsorption kinetics of DOC. A fluidised bed MIEX® contactor effectively removed organic matter from synthetic biologically treated sewage effluent with more than 60% DOC removal even after 172 bed volumes. The regenerated MIEX® resin did not display any significant reduction in its ability to remove organic matter. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

Ni, B, Liu, H, Nie, Y, Zeng, RJ, Du, G, Chen, J & Yu, H 2011, 'Coupling glucose fermentation and homoacetogenesis for elevated acetate production: Experimental and mathematical approaches', Biotechnology and Bioengineering, vol. 108, no. 2, pp. 345-353.
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AbstractHomoacetogenesis is an important potential hydrogen sink in acetogenesis, in which hydrogen is used to reduce carbon dioxide to acetate. So far the acetate production from homoacetogenesis, especially its kinetics, has not been given sufficient attention. In this work, enhanced production of acetate from anaerobic conversion of glucose through coupling glucose fermentation and homoacetogenesis is investigated with both experimental and mathematical approaches. Experiments are conducted to explore elevated acetate production in a coupled anaerobic system. Acetate production could be achieved by homoacetogenesis with a relative high acetate yield under mixed fermentation conditions. With the experimental observations, a kinetic model is formulated to describe such a homoacetogenic process. The maximum homoacetogenic rate (km,homo) is estimated to be 28.5 ± 1.7 kg COD kg−1 COD day−1 with an uptake affinity constant of 3.7 × 10−5 ± 3.1 × 10−6 kg COD m−3. The improved calculation of homoacetogenic kinetics by our approach could correct the underestimation of homoacetogenesis in anaerobic fermentation processes, as it often occurs in these systems supported by literature analysis. The model predictions match the experimental results in different cases well and provide insights into the dynamics of anaerobic glucose conversion and acetate production. Furthermore, acetate production via homoacetogenesis increases by about 40% through utilizing the fed‐batch coupling system, attributed to a balance between the hydrogen production in the acetogenesis phase and the hydrogen consumption in the homoacetogenesis phase. This work provides an effective way for increased anaerobic acetate production, and gives us a better understanding about the homoacetogenic kinetics in the ana...

Ni, B, Xie, W, Chen, Y, Fang, F, Liu, S, Ren, T, Sheng, G, Yu, H, Liu, G & Tian, Y 2011, 'Heterotrophs grown on the soluble microbial products (SMP) released by autotrophs are responsible for the nitrogen loss in nitrifying granular sludge', Biotechnology and Bioengineering, vol. 108, no. 12, pp. 2844-2852.
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AbstractIn this work, nitrogen loss in the nitrite oxidation step of the nitrification process in an aerobic‐granule‐based reactor was characterized with both experimental and modeling approaches. Experimental results showed that soluble microbial products (SMP) were released from the nitrite‐oxidizing granules and were utilized as a carbon source by the heterotrophs for denitrification. This was verified by the fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis. Microelectrode tests showed that oxygen diffusion limitation did result in an anoxic micro‐zone in the granules and allowed sequential utilization of nitrate as an electron acceptor for heterotrophic denitrification with SMP as a carbon source. To further elucidate the nitrogen loss mechanisms, a mathematic model was formulated to describe the growth of nitrite oxidizers, the formation and consumption of SMP, the anoxic heterotrophic growth on SMP and nitrate, as well as the oxygen transfer and the substrate diffusion in the granules. The results clearly indicate that the heterotrophs grown on the SMP released by the autotrophs are responsible for the nitrogen loss in the nitrifying granules, and give us a better understanding of the aerobic granules for nitrogen removal. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2011;108: 2844–2852. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Ni, B, Zeng, RJ, Fang, F, Xie, W, Xu, J, Sheng, G, Sun, Y & Yu, H 2011, 'Evaluation on factors influencing the heterotrophic growth on the soluble microbial products of autotrophs', Biotechnology and Bioengineering, vol. 108, no. 4, pp. 804-812.
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AbstractIn this work, the heterotrophic growth on the microbial products of autotrophs and the effecting factors were evaluated with both experimental and modeling approaches. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis illustrated that ammonia oxidizers (AOB), nitrite oxidizers (NOB), and heterotrophs accounted for about 65%, 20%, and 15% of the total bacteria, respectively. The mathematical evaluation of experimental data reported in literature indicated that heterotrophic growth in nitrifying biofilm (30–50%) and granules (30%) was significantly higher than that of nitrifying sludge (15%). It was found that low influent ammonium resulted in a lower availability of soluble microbial products (SMP) and a slower heterotrophic growth, but high ammonium (>150 mg N L−1) feeding would lead to purely AOB dominated sludge with high biomass‐associated products contained effluent, although the absolute heterotrophic growth increased. Meanwhile, the total active biomass concentration increased gradually with the increasing solids retention time, whereas the factions of active AOB, NOB, and heterotrophs varied a lot at different solids retention times. This work could be useful for better understanding of the autotrophic wastewater treatment systems. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2011; 108:804–812. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Ni, B-J, Rittmann, BE & Yu, H-Q 2011, 'Soluble microbial products and their implications in mixed culture biotechnology', Trends in Biotechnology, vol. 29, no. 9, pp. 454-463.
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Ni, B-J, Ruscalleda, M, Pellicer-Nàcher, C & Smets, BF 2011, 'Modeling Nitrous Oxide Production during Biological Nitrogen Removal via Nitrification and Denitrification: Extensions to the General ASM Models', Environmental Science & Technology, vol. 45, no. 18, pp. 7768-7776.
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Ni, B-J, Sheng, G-P & Yu, H-Q 2011, 'Model-based characterization of endogenous maintenance, cell death and predation processes of activated sludge in sequencing batch reactors', Chemical Engineering Science, vol. 66, no. 4, pp. 747-754.
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Okour, Y, Shon, HK, Liu, H, Kim, JB & Kim, JH 2011, 'Seasonal variation in the properties of titania photocatalysts produced from Ti-salt flocculated bioresource sludge', BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY, vol. 102, no. 9, pp. 5545-5549.
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Ti-salt flocculation of biologically treated sewage effluent (BTSE) was carried out on monthly basis during one year to trace the seasonal variation in the properties of BTSE, Ti-salt flocculated BTSE and titania photocatalysts. Titania photocatalysts were produced from incineration of Ti-salt flocculated sludge at 600 °C. The physio-chemical properties of BTSE, Ti-salt flocculated BTSE and titania photocatalysts were investigated. The photocatalytic activity of titania was examined using different substrates of rhodamine B and humic acid under UV light irradiation. Results indicated that the flocculation performance of Ti-salt was not affected by the seasonal variation of BTSE. BTSE characteristics resulted in marginal effect in titania characterisation and photocatalytic activity. Titania photocatalysts produced from Ti-salt flocculated sludge in different seasons showed constant anatase phase, high BET surface area and high photocatalytic activity.

Ong, HC, Mahlia, TMI & Masjuki, HH 2011, 'A review on emissions and mitigation strategies for road transport in Malaysia', Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 15, no. 8, pp. 3516-3522.
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Ong, HC, Mahlia, TMI & Masjuki, HH 2011, 'A review on energy scenario and sustainable energy in Malaysia', Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 639-647.
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Ong, HC, Mahlia, TMI, Masjuki, HH & Norhasyima, RS 2011, 'Comparison of palm oil, Jatropha curcas and Calophyllum inophyllum for biodiesel: A review', Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 15, no. 8, pp. 3501-3515.
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Park, C-H, Tijing, LD, Yun, Y & Kim, CS 2011, 'A novel electrical potential sensing method for in vitro stent fracture monitoring and detection', Bio-Medical Materials and Engineering, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 213-222.
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This article describes a preliminary investigation and prototype fabrication of a novel potential sensing method to continuously monitor vascular stent fractures. A potential measurement system consisting of Wheatstone bridge circuit and signal conditioning circuit was designed for the cardiovascular stent durability and fatigue test. Each end of a bare and polyurethane-covered Nitinol vascular stent was electrically connected to the potential measurement system and then immersed either in simulated body fluid (SBF) media or distilled water at 36.4 ± 1 °C. When the stent experienced fracture (i.e., a cut), its electrical potential decreased with an increase in electrical resistance. This method successfully measured fractures in the stent regardless of location. Furthermore, the number of cycles at the onset of stent fracture was accurately detected and continuously monitored using this technique. Thus, the present fracture detection method, which to our knowledge is the first ever report to use electrical potential measurement for stent durability test, gives a fast, real-time, accurate and efficient detection of fractures in stent during in vitro fatigue and durability test.

Petrou, K & Ralph, PJ 2011, 'Photosynthesis and net primary productivity in three Antarctic diatoms: possible significance for their distribution in the Antarctic marine ecosystem', MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES, vol. 437, pp. 27-40.
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Photosynthesis and net primary productivity were measured in 3 Antarctic diatoms, Fragilariopsis cylindrus, Pseudo-nitzschia subcurvata and Chaetoceros sp., exposed to rapid changes in temperature and salinity representing a range of conditions found during a seasonal cycle. Measured differences in fluorescence-derived photosynthetic activity and oxygen evolution suggested that some alternative electron cycling activity was present under high irradiances. F. cylindrus displayed the highest rates of relative electron transport and net primary productivity under all salinity and temperature combinations and showed adaptive traits towards the sea-icelike environment. P. subcurvata displayed a preference for low saline conditions where production rates were greatest. However, there was evidence of photosynthetic sensitivity to the lowest temperatures and highest salinities, suggesting a lack of adaptation for dealing with sea-ice-like conditions. Chaetoceros sp. showed high plasticity, acclimating well to all conditions but performing best under pelagic conditions. The study shows species-specific sensitivities to environmental change, highlighting photosynthetic capacity as a potentially important mechanism in ecological niche adaptation. When these data were modelled over different seasons, integrated daily net primary production was greatest under summer pelagic conditions. The findings from this study support the general observations of light control and seasonal development of net primary productivity and species succession in the Antarctic marine ecosystem. © Inter-Research 2011.

Petrou, K, Doblin, MA & Ralph, PJ 2011, 'Heterogeneity in the photoprotective capacity of three Antarctic diatoms during short-term changes in salinity and temperature', MARINE BIOLOGY, vol. 158, no. 5, pp. 1029-1041.
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The Antarctic marine ecosystem changes seasonally, forming a temporal continuum of specialised niche habitats including open ocean, sea ice and meltwater environments. The ability for phytoplankton to acclimate rapidly to the changed conditions of these environments depends on the species' physiology and photosynthetic plasticity and may ultimately determine their long-term ecological niche adaptation. This study investigated the photophysiological plasticity and rapid acclimation response of three Antarctic diatoms-Fragilariopsis cylindrus, Pseudo-nitzschia subcurvata and Chaetoceros sp.-to a selected range of temperatures and salinities representative of the sea ice, meltwater and pelagic habitats in the Antarctic. Fragilariopsis cylindrus displayed physiological traits typical of adaptation to the sea ice environment. Equally, this species showed photosynthetic plasticity, acclimating to the range of environmental conditions, explaining the prevalence of this species in all Antarctic habitats. Pseudo-nitzschia subcurvata displayed a preference for the meltwater environment, but unlike F. cylindrus, photoprotective capacity was low and regulated via changes in PSII antenna size. Chaetoceros sp. had high plasticity in non-photochemical quenching, suggesting adaptation to variable light conditions experienced in the wind-mixed pelagic environment. While only capturing short-term responses, this study highlights the diversity in photoprotective capacity that exists amongst three dominant Antarctic diatom species and provides insight into links between ecological niche adaptation and species' distribution. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.

Petrou, K, Hassler, CS, Doblin, MA, Shelly, K, Schoemann, V, van den Enden, R, Wright, S & Ralph, PJ 2011, 'Iron-limitation and high light stress on phytoplankton populations from the Australian Sub-Antarctic Zone (SAZ)', DEEP-SEA RESEARCH PART II-TOPICAL STUDIES IN OCEANOGRAPHY, vol. 58, no. 21-22, pp. 2200-2211.
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The high nutrient low chlorophyll (HNLC) surface waters of the Southern Ocean are characterised by high concentrations of nitrate and phosphate, low concentrations of dissolved iron and deep vertical mixing. Future climate scenarios predict increased surface temperatures and ocean stratification in the region. These changes to vertical mixing will result in a slowdown of nutrient supply to surface waters and an increase in the integrated irradiance in the upper mixed layer. To investigate the influence of iron-limitation and high irradiance on phytoplankton growth and physiology, a 6-day shipboard incubation experiment was conducted during the Sub-Antarctic Zone Sensitivity to Environmental Change (SAZ Sense) voyage using phytoplankton populations from the upper mixed layer in the north-eastern SAZ region. Iron-limitation was induced with an organic siderophore and was compared with a 1nM iron-enriched incubation and an unamended treatment (under silicate replete conditions). As expected, iron enrichment led to dominance by large diatoms and enhanced photosynthetic performance, while the iron-limited community showed a decline in total chl a and photochemical efficiency. Under the added stress of high light, the iron-limited community was able to cope with the shift from in situ (<150μmolphotonsm-2s-1) to incubation (mean=765μmolphotonsm-2s-1) irradiance by increasing the proportion of photoprotective pigments and diverting excess light energy via energy-dependent quenching (qE). The responses to iron-limitation under high light showed that the phytoplankton community was able to acclimate to these conditions, but exhibited an overall decline in photosynthetic activity. Data presented here suggest the community shifts, in particular the decrease in diatoms, and the decline in photosynthetic performance of phytoplankton under low iron-high irradiance conditions has the potential to impact future ocean productivity and biogeochemical cycling. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

Petrou, K, Hill, R, Doblin, MA, McMinn, A, Johnson, R, Wright, SW & Ralph, PJ 2011, 'PHOTOPROTECTION OF SEA-ICE MICROALGAL COMMUNITIES FROM THE EAST ANTARCTIC PACK ICE', JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, vol. 47, no. 1, pp. 77-86.
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All photosynthetic organisms endeavor to balance energy supply with demand. For sea-ice diatoms, as with all marine photoautotrophs, light is the most important factor for determining growth and carbon-fixation rates. Light varies from extremely low to often relatively high irradiances within the sea-ice environment, meaning that sea-ice algae require moderate physiological plasticity that is necessary for rapid light acclimation and photoprotection. This study investigated photoprotective mechanisms employed by bottom Antarctic sea-ice algae in response to relatively high irradiances to understand how they acclimate to the environmental conditions presented during early spring, as the light climate begins to intensify and snow and sea-ice thinning commences. The sea-ice microalgae displayed high photosynthetic plasticity to increased irradiance, with a rapid decline in photochemical efficiency that was completely reversible when placed under low light. Similarly, the photoprotective xanthophyll pigment diatoxanthin (Dt) was immediately activated but reversed during recovery under low light. The xanthophyll inhibitor dithiothreitol (DTT) and state transition inhibitor sodium fluoride (NaF) were used in under-ice in situ incubations and revealed that nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) via xanthophyll-cycle activation was the preferred method for light acclimation and photoprotection by bottom sea-ice algae. This study showed that bottom sea-ice algae from the east Antarctic possess a high level of plasticity in their light-acclimation capabilities and identified the xanthophyll cycle as a critical mechanism in photoprotection and the preferred means by which sea-ice diatoms regulate energy flow to PSII. © 2011 Phycological Society of America.

Pham, TTN, Ngo, HH, Guo, W, Dang, HPD, Mainali, B, Johnston, A & Listowski, A 2011, 'Responses of community to the possible use of recycled water for washing machines: A case study in Sydney, Australia', RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING, vol. 55, no. 5, pp. 535-540.
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Recycled water is a valuable resource that has potential to free up potable water supplies and recharge systems while improving the environment. Recycled water for washing machine could be one of the options as new end use of recycled water to alleviate the demand on existing and limited water supplies. This paper summarizes the findings of a research survey in Sydney, Australia to explore the attitudes and opinions of community towards the use of recycled water for different purposes, especially for the washing machine. The survey showed that 97% of the respondents were aware of the persisting water shortage problem while more than 60% of the respondents supported the use of recycled water for washing clothes. This paper exposes the basic concern of participants for using recycled water in washing machine. Health issue was found as the most concerns of the community. The survey also presents the further conditions to be considered for using recycled water for washing machine according to the participants' opinions. Correlation between knowledge and attitudes of respondents was also found in this survey.

Phuntsho, S, Listowski, A, Shon, HK, Le-Clech, P & Vigneswaran, S 2011, 'Membrane autopsy of a 10 year old hollow fibre membrane from Sydney Olympic Park water reclamation plant', DESALINATION, vol. 271, no. 1-3, pp. 241-247.
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Membrane autopsy was performed for a 10. year old polypropylene (PP) hollow fibre microfiltration membrane from Sydney Olympic Park water reclamation plant. The properties of the membrane were studied using scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging, contact angle, bubble test, thermogravimetric analysis, tensile strength test and functional group. The old and fouled membrane exhibited a significant difference in surface properties and material strength in comparison to the virgin membrane. The old and fouled membrane surface is less hydrophilic and less negatively charged indicating that aged membrane is more vulnerable to fouling than virgin membrane. The fibre material of the old fouled membrane appears less flexible and brittle. Foulant analysis indicated that major components of the metallic elements were silicon and calcium. The dissolved organic matter was mainly composed of biopolymers (hydrophilic) and humic substances (hydrophobic). © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

Phuntsho, S, Shon, HK, Hong, S, Lee, S & Vigneswaran, S 2011, 'A novel low energy fertilizer driven forward osmosis desalination for direct fertigation: Evaluating the performance of fertilizer draw solutions', JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE, vol. 375, no. 1-2, pp. 172-181.
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Forward osmosis (FO) is a novel and emerging low energy technology for desalination. It will be particularly more attractive, if the draw solution separation and recovery are not necessary after FO process. The application of this new concept is briefly described here in this paper for the desalination of saline water for irrigation, using fertilizer as a draw agent. Instead of separating the draw solution from desalinated water, the diluted fertilizer draw solution can be directly applied for fertigation. We report the results on the commonly used chemical fertilizers as FO draw solution. Based on the currently available FO technology, about nine different commonly used fertilizers were finally screened from a comprehensive list of fertilizers and, their performances were assessed in terms of pure water flux and reverse draw solute flux. These results indicate that, most soluble fertilizers can generate osmotic potential much higher than the sea water. The draw solutions of KCl, NaNO3 and KNO3 performed best in terms of water flux while NH4H2PO4, (NH4)2HPO4, Ca(NO3)2 and (NH4)2SO4 had the lowest reverse solute flux. Initial estimation indicates that, 1kg of fertilizer can extract water ranging from 11 to 29L from sea water. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

Phuntsho, S, Shon, HK, Vigneswaran, S & Cho, J 2011, 'Assessing membrane fouling potential of humic acid using flow field-flow fractionation', JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE, vol. 373, no. 1-2, pp. 64-73.
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Flow field-flow fractionation (FlFFF), although a separation technique, has many similarities with the crossflow membrane filtration system, thereby making it an ideal tool for studying membrane fouling. This study reports the assessment of the fouling potential of humic acid on ultrafiltration membrane using asymmetrical FlFFF. The fouling potential of organic matter was assessed by quantifying the reversible and irreversible adsorption of humic acid on the membrane through analysis of FlFFF fractogram. A strong correlation was observed between the reversible/irreversible adsorption data analysed and the membrane fouling potential. This assessment was further complimented by moment analysis results in order to interpret the fouling potential of humic acid. However, further researches are necessary before this approach can serve as an alternative index for measuring membrane fouling propensity. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

Pradhan, M, Aryal, R, Vigneswaran, S & Kandasamy, J 2011, 'Application of air flow for mitigation of particle deposition in submerged membrane microfiltration', Desalination and Water Treatment, vol. 32, no. 1-3, pp. 201-207.
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This study investigates the effect of microfiltration operating conditions on membrane fouling of colloidal particles of kaolin clay. Experiments were conducted with a flat sheet membrane submerged in a suspension prepared from kaolin clay powder of size varying from 0.1 to 4 mm (Sigma) with a mean particle size 2.10 mm. The particle size distribution of clay was unimodal and the concentration of kaolin clay was similar to the biomass concentration in a membrane bioreactor (10 g/L). The effects of scouring and permeate flux rates were studied in terms of the membrane fouling rate. A linear relationship between the transmembrane pressure (TMP) and particle deposition was established for different air flow rates and permeate flow rates. Air scouring was more effective at a low permeate flux. There was only a minor change in the mean particle size of deposited colloidal particles on the membrane at a given flux under varying air flows and at the beginning all had a similar rise in TMP. However, at the later stages as particles accumulated on the membrane surface there was a significant rise in TMP. 15 LMH flux was observed as critical flux beyond which a rise in the permeate flux showed a sharp rise in the TMP which varied with air flow rates and particle deposition. The sharp TMP rise that occurred during the initial few hours of operation indicated that air flow for fouling mitigation strategies should target this period to optimise the membrane process. The study showed that air flow and flux rates are the two major governing factors for particle deposition on the membrane surface.

Rahman, MM, Billah, MM, Rahman, ATMM, Kalam, MA & Ahsan, A 2011, 'Numerical investigation of heat transfer enhancement of nanofluids in an inclined lid-driven triangular enclosure', International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer, vol. 38, no. 10, pp. 1360-1367.
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Saidur, R & Mahlia, TMI 2011, 'Impacts of energy efficiency standard on motor energy savings and emission reductions', Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 103-109.
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Saidur, R, Hasanuzzaman, M, Mahlia, TMI, Rahim, NA & Mohammed, HA 2011, 'Chillers energy consumption, energy savings and emission analysis in an institutional buildings', Energy, vol. 36, no. 8, pp. 5233-5238.
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Saidur, R, Mahlia, TMI & Hasanuzzaman, M 2011, 'Developing energy performance standard, label and test procedures and impacts analysis for commercial chillers', Energy Education Science and Technology Part A: Energy Science and Research, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 175-190.
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Chillers consume a major share of total air conditioning energy use in commercial and industrial buildings for space conditioning to get thermal comfort for a country. Experiences from other countries show that government intervention in the form of regulations such as mandatory and voluntary approaches can save huge amount of energy along with the reduction of emissions associated with energy savings. In this paper, use of high efficient chillers to replace existing chillers to save energy have been quantified and presented. Emission reductions associated with the energy savings has been estimated and presented as well. Study also estimated the amount of avoided emissions along with the cost of avoided carbon. From the data analysis, it has been observed that energy efficient chillers can save huge amount of energy and utility bills. Based on review of international test standards, it has been found that ARI550/590 can be used for testing and rating of chillers energy performance. However, energy guide label is not suitable for information dissemination for chillers. Study estimated that 1688 MWh of energy and US$108,040 bill can be saved for using energy efficient chillers. © Sila Science.

Saminathan, S, Liu, H, Nguyen, TV & Vigneswaran, S 2011, 'Organic matter removal from biologically treated sewage effluent by flocculation and oxidation coupled with flocculation', Desalination and Water Treatment, vol. 32, no. 1-3, pp. 133-137.
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Flocculation alone and flocculation coupled with oxidation process were used for removing organic matter from biologically treated sewage effluent. The performances of different flocculants such as ferric sulphate, ferric nitrate, ferric chloride, and aluminium sulphate were experimentally evaluated. Among the flocculants tested, ferric chloride was selected because of its highest dissolved organic carbon (DOC) removal efficiency (67%) and the large size of the floc (mean size d(0.5) = 53.04 μm). The optimum dosage of FeCl3 was determined as 16 mg (Fe3+)/L. Different fractionation of organic matter before and after the flocculation process was analyzed. It was observed that FeCl3 could remove 90% of hydrophobic compounds and 61% of hydrophilic compounds. Oxidation process by Fenton reagent coupled with flocculation was also trialed. It is observed that DOC removal efficiency of Fenton reagent coupled with flocculation could reach 86%. The combination of flocculation and Fenton reagent increased the hydrophilic removal to 85%.

Shafie, SM, Mahlia, TMI, Masjuki, HH & Andriyana, A 2011, 'Current energy usage and sustainable energy in Malaysia: A review', Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 15, no. 9, pp. 4370-4377.
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Shane, DT, Rayhel, LH, Huang, Z, Zhao, J-C, Tang, X, Stavila, V & Conradi, MS 2011, 'Comprehensive NMR Study of Magnesium Borohydride', The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, vol. 115, no. 7, pp. 3172-3177.
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Sharma, G, Choi, J, Shon, HK & Phuntsho, S 2011, 'Solar-powered electrocoagulation system for water and wastewater treatment', DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENT, vol. 32, no. 1-3, pp. 381-388.
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The objective of this study is to investigate the feasibility of solar powered electrocoagulation (SPEC) for wastewater treatment using aluminium electrodes. Optimisation of various operating parameters such as pH, voltage/current, electrodes gap, pollutant concentration etc. were first performed using direct electrical current. SPEC reactor was designed by connecting with photovoltaic panel (PV) either directly or through a set of batteries and charge control system. SPEC process system was sensitive to variation of solar radiation when connected directly with PV panels. SPEC reactor operated for five different times in a day (4 April 2010) yielded highest organics removal of 85% for UV abs and turbidity removal of 87% at midday (10:00 AM-2:00 PM) under optimum operating conditions. Use of batteries and charge controller with PV panels provided more consistent and efficient performance for the SPEC reactor. The variation in organics and turbidity removal was within the range of 10% for experiments conducted on three different times in a day (9 April 2010) with highest removals at 10:30 AM in the morning. This study indicates that, SPEC is a potential alternative for small scale decentralised water and wastewater purification system. © 2011 Desalination Publications. All rights reserved.

Sharma, G, Shon, HK, Aryal, R & Phuntsho, S 2011, 'Performance evaluation of microfiltration with electrocoagulation and chemical coagulation pretreatment', DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENT, vol. 34, no. 1-3, pp. 141-149.
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One of the significant parameters to be considered for evaluating the process and economic viability of crosssflow microfiltration (MF) is flux stability. The MF economics are dependent on the flux decay through the membrane caused by membrane fouling. This work aims to evaluate the performance of MF by electro and chemical coagulation as pretreatments. The performance of MF was found to be sensitive to pH of feed solution, coagulant dosing and generation time. Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) MF membrane of pore size 0.4 μm was used in this study. Without pretreatment normalised flux declined by 94% after 160 min of MF operation using model wastewater. However with pretreatments, the MF flux was significantly improved. The optimum performance for MF with both electro and chemical coagulation pretreatments occurred at isoelectric point where the highest removal of organic and turbidity was observed. With chemical coagulation under optimum conditions (30 mg/l alum dose and pH 6.5), MF did not experience any flux decline. MF performed better with chemical coagulation compared to electrocoagulation (EC). Also organic matter removal was found to be more for chemical coagulation than for EC. © 2011 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Shekarchian, M, Moghavvemi, M, Mahlia, TMI & Mazandarani, A 2011, 'A review on the pattern of electricity generation and emission in Malaysia from 1976 to 2008', Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 15, no. 6, pp. 2629-2642.
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Shekarchian, M, Moghavvemi, M, Motasemi, F & Mahlia, TMI 2011, 'Energy savings and cost–benefit analysis of using compression and absorption chillers for air conditioners in Iran', Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 15, no. 4, pp. 1950-1960.
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Shon, HK, Vigneswaran, S, Kandasamy, J, Kim, JB & Kim, JH 2011, 'Advanced characterization techniques of organic matter in aqueous solutions', Applied Chemistry for Engineering, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 1-14.
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Water is the most precious resource to human being, but it is polluted by different organic compounds. Organic matter (OM) in aqeous solutions is one of the important parameters of concern for human and environmental impact, and thus, it is essential to better characterize specifically targeted organic matter in aggregated and individual level of concentrations. This review presents different analytical tools and protocols to investigate detailed properties and characterization. Physical, chemical and biological aspects of OM are envisaged in terms of traditional and advanced measurement methods.

Silitonga, AS, Atabani, AE, Mahlia, TMI & Sebayang, AH 2011, 'Techno-economic analysis and environmental impact of fuel economy labels for passenger cars in Indonesia', Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 15, no. 9, pp. 5212-5217.
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Silitonga, AS, Atabani, AE, Mahlia, TMI, Masjuki, HH, Badruddin, IA & Mekhilef, S 2011, 'A review on prospect of Jatropha curcas for biodiesel in Indonesia', Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 15, no. 8, pp. 3733-3756.
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Singh, G, Kandasamy, J, Shon, HK & Cho, J 2011, 'Measuring treatment effectiveness of urban wetland using hybrid water quality - Artificial neural network (ANN) model', DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENT, vol. 32, no. 1-3, pp. 284-290.
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Constructed wetlands are now commonly used as tertiary treatment for urban stormwater. The wetlands have primary advantage over other forms of treatment as they remove dissolved organics and heavy metals in conjunction with other pollutants. The effectiveness of a wetland is a primary concern for validating its compliance with design objectives and regulatory requirements. The treatment in a wetland is however complex and is dependent on input pollutants, hydraulics, physicochemical balance and biota within the wetland. Several models are available for wetlands but have limitations in simulating the physico-chemical and biological processes within the wetland. The aim of this paper is to introduce a hybrid modelling approach that involves both a deterministic model and artificial neural network (ANN) for testing the effectiveness of a constructed wetland at Olympic Park, Homebush, Sydney, Australia. This novel approach allows a combination of calibrated water quality and neural based models to predict the water quality from the wetland. The models were calibrated and validated using water quality monitoring data measured for eight months in both influent and effluent streams of the wetland. The calibrated hybrid models were then tested for treatment effectiveness for range of wet, dry and median flows conditions within the catchments. A water quality index was developed and used to quantify the effectiveness of the wetland.

Sinutok, S, Hill, R, Doblin, MA, Wuhrer, R & Ralph, PJ 2011, 'Warmer more acidic conditions cause decreased productivity and calcification in subtropical coral reef sediment-dwelling calcifiers', LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY, vol. 56, no. 4, pp. 1200-1212.
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The effects of elevated CO(2) and temperature on photosynthesis and calcification in the calcifying algae Halimeda macroloba and Halimeda cylindracea and the symbiont-bearing benthic foraminifera Marginopora vertebralis were investigated through exposure to a combination of four temperatures (28 degrees C, 30 degrees C, 32 degrees C, and 34 degrees C) and four CO(2) levels (39, 61, 101, and 203 Pa; pH 8.1, 7.9, 7.7, and 7.4, respectively). Elevated CO(2) caused a profound decline in photosynthetic efficiency (F(V) : F(M)), calcification, and growth in all species. After five weeks at 34 degrees C under all CO(2) levels, all species died. Chlorophyll (Chl) a and b concentration in Halimeda spp. significantly decreased in 203 Pa, 32 degrees C and 34 degrees C treatments, but Chl a and Chl c(2) concentration in M. vertebralis was not affected by temperature alone, with significant declines in the 61, 101, and 203 Pa treatments at 28 degrees C. Significant decreases in F(V) : F(M) in all species were found after 5 weeks of exposure to elevated CO(2) (203 Pa in all temperature treatments) and temperature (32 degrees C and 34 degrees C in all pH treatments). The rate of oxygen production declined at 61, 101, and 203 Pa in all temperature treatments for all species. The elevated CO(2) and temperature treatments greatly reduced calcification (growth and crystal size) in M. vertebralis and, to a lesser extent, in Halimeda spp. These findings indicate that 32 degrees C and 101 Pa CO(2), are the upper limits for survival of these species on Heron Island reef, and we conclude that these species will be highly vulnerable to the predicted future climate change scenarios of elevated temperature and ocean acidification.

Tadkaew, N, Hai, FI, McDonald, JA, Khan, SJ & Nghiem, LD 2011, 'Removal of trace organics by MBR treatment: The role of molecular properties', Water Research, vol. 45, no. 8, pp. 2439-2451.
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Thompson, PA, Bonham, P, Waite, AM, Clementson, LA, Cherukuru, N, Hassler, C & Doblin, MA 2011, 'Contrasting oceanographic conditions and phytoplankton communities on the east and west coasts of Australia', DEEP-SEA RESEARCH PART II-TOPICAL STUDIES IN OCEANOGRAPHY, vol. 58, no. 5, pp. 645-663.
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The composition and dynamics of the phytoplankton communities and hydrographic factors that control them are described for eastern and western Australia with a focus on the Eastern Australian Current (EAC) and Leeuwin Current (LC) between 27.5 degrees and 34.51S latitude.

Tijing, LD, Jung, MY, Kim, D-W & Kim, CS 2011, 'Deposition Behavior of Self-Assembled Monolayers and Bacteria on Metallic Surfaces Using an Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Nanobalance', Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 1354-1358.
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This paper presents an investigation on the deposition behavior of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and bacteria on titanium and gold surfaces using an electrochemical quartz crystal nanobalance (EQCN). The tests included alkanethiol and alkanesilane and three bacteria, namely: E. coli, P. fluorescens and K. aerogenes. The mass change with respect to immersion time was measured by EQCN. The results showed SAM formation on both titanium and gold surfaces, but SAM formation on gold was generally higher by 26–74% as compared to that of titanium. On the other hand, bacteria also adhered well on the two metal surfaces. E. coliand P. fluorescens had high affinity on gold and titanium surfaces, respectively, while K. aerogenes was more adherent to titanium. The results showed that titanium and gold are good metals for biomaterials yet at the same time, their bioinert property provide excellent condition for bacterial adhesion. Therefore, there is a need for proper surface preparation to optimize the use of titanium and gold as biomaterials

Tijing, LD, Lee, D-H, Kim, D-W, Cho, YI & Kim, CS 2011, 'Effect of high-frequency electric fields on calcium carbonate scaling', Desalination, vol. 279, no. 1-3, pp. 47-53.
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The present study conducted an investigation on the effect of high-frequency electric fields (HFEF) in calcium carbonate (CaCO3) scale formation on heated copper tube surfaces. Artificial hard water at varying CaCO3 hardness was used. Calcium carbonate scales were formed on a heated copper tube surface, the fouling thermal resistance was calculated, and the calcium content of the deposited CaCO3 scale was measured by an inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS), and the cooling water was analyzed during the scaling process. No-treatment and HFEF-treatment cases were conducted and compared. The calcium content of the deposited scale dropped by 4–49% in HFEF-treatment case. The lower calcium content of the deposit corresponded to thinner deposits. Water analyses showed consistently lesser percentage drop in HFEF-treatment case primarily due to less fouling deposition. The asymptotic fouling thermal resistance in HFEF-treatment case had a maximum decrease of 88% (i.e., from 4.5 × 10− 4 to 5.4 × 10− 5 m2K/W).

Tijing, LD, Yu, M-H, Kim, C-H, Amarjargal, A, Lee, YC, Lee, D-H, Kim, D-W & Kim, CS 2011, 'Mitigation of scaling in heat exchangers by physical water treatment using zinc and tourmaline', Applied Thermal Engineering, vol. 31, no. 11-12, pp. 2025-2031.
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Ulstrup, KE, Kuhl, M, van Oppen, MJH, Cooper, TF & Ralph, PJ 2011, 'Variation in photosynthesis and respiration in geographically distinct populations of two reef-building coral species', AQUATIC BIOLOGY, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 241-248.
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Studies of the regulation and importance of physiological processes such as coral photosynthesis and respiration on coral reefs require knowledge of spatio-temporal patterns of variability at different scales. Oxygen microelectrodes were used to measure photosynthesis and dark respiration of 2 corals, Pocillopora damicornis and Turbinaria reniformis, in the northern (Lizard Island) and central (Davies and Broadhurst Reefs) regions of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) in winter and summer. Genetic characterisation of Symbiodinium revealed that P. damicornis hosted a single symbiont type (Symbiodinium C1) in both regions, whereas T. reniformis harboured 2 types, dependent on location. Colonies at Lizard Island harboured Symbiodinium D, whereas colonies at Davies Reef harboured Symbiodinium C2. Rates of gross photosynthesis were greater in the central than in the northern GBR in summer. A similar pattern was detected for dark respiration rates in T. reniformis. No seasonal change in either photosynthesis or dark respiration was evident in the northern GBR, possibly due to less annual variability in light conditions, and for T. reniformis, additionally the presence of Symbiodinium D. These results highlight that environmental conditions coupled with regional-scale distribution of Symbiodinium are likely to exert important influences on respiration and photosynthetic performance of reef-building corals. & copy Inter-Research 2011.

Wang, Q-L, Hao, X-D & Cao, Y-L 2011, '[Enriched experiment and endogenous processes of glycogen-accumulating organisms (GAOs)].', Huan Jing Ke Xue, vol. 32, no. 4, pp. 1034-1041.
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Cell decay is an important part of microbiological endogenous processes, which consists of cell death (reduction in the amount of active bacteria) and activity decay (reduction in the specific activity of active bacteria). By means of measuring maximal anaerobic volatile fatty acid (VFA) uptake rates (VFAUR), analyzing 16S rRNA with fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) and observing membrane integrity by live/dead staining, the aerobic decay characteristics of glycogen-accumulating organisms (GAOs) in an enriched GAOs sequencing batch reactor (SBR) system were investigated. It was experimentally identified that a highly enriched culture of GAOs (94%) was obtained by maintaining the temperature at 30 degrees C in the SBR and a high m (COD): m (P) at 100 in the feed. The experimental results and calculations revealed that the decay and death rates of GAOs were 0.132 d(-1) and 0.034 d(-1) respectively, which demonstrated that cell death and activity decay accounted for respective 26% and 74% of the total GAOs cell decay. For this reason, cell death was only a minor factor causing the cell decay of GAOs, and activity decay was mostly responsible for this process.

Wang, XC, Luo, L, Chen, R & Ngo, HH 2011, 'Thermodynamic analysis of an urban water system with reclaimed water as supplemental water resource', DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENT, vol. 32, no. 1-3, pp. 307-315.
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The natural water system maintains its dynamic equilibrium through a hydrological cycle that involves a series of natural processes. Such a natural water cycle has been much disturbed by human activities in the process of water use. An urban water system was thus modeled in this paper as a series of artificial water cycles overlaid upon the natural water cycle. The system was thermodynamically analyzed by calculating the entropy budget as ÎS = ÎiS + ÎeS where ÎiS and ÎeS are the entropy increases due to natural and artificial contributions, respectively. The natural water cycle free from human disturbance should possess the nature of self maintenance of water and materials balance and could be assumed as a pseudo-reversible process with ÎiS 0. ÎeS was then supposed as to be contributed by artificial disturbances on water quantity such as by water withdrawal, and on water quality such as by pollutant discharge. A series of models were developed for calculating ÎeS. As a result of scenario analysis of urban water system in Xi'an, a metropolitan in northwestern China, using these models, it was indicated that under the current condition of water supply and wastewater treatment, if 20% of the treated wastewater could be reused, ÎeS would be decreased by 15.22% from the current level, while if the percent of treated wastewater reuse could be increased to 40%, ÎeS would be decreased by 29.93%. Thermodynamic analysis thus provided a tool for quantitative evaluation of the effect of urban wastewater reclamation and reuse.

Xie, W-M, Zhang, R, Li, W-W, Ni, B-J, Fang, F, Sheng, G-P, Yu, H-Q, Song, J, Le, D-Z, Bi, X-J, Liu, C-Q & Yang, M 2011, 'Simulation and optimization of a full-scale Carrousel oxidation ditch plant for municipal wastewater treatment', Biochemical Engineering Journal, vol. 56, no. 1-2, pp. 9-16.
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Xing, W, Ngo, HH, Guo, WS, Listowski, A & Cullum, P 2011, 'Evaluation of an integrated sponge - Granular activated carbon fluidized bed bioreactor for treating primary treated sewage effluent', BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY, vol. 102, no. 9, pp. 5448-5453.
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An integrated fluidized bed bioreactor (iFBBR) was designed to incorporate an aerobic sponge FBBR (ASB-FBBR) into an anoxic granular activated carbon FBBR (GAC-FBBR). This iFBBR was operated with and without adding a new starch based flocculant (NSBF) to treat synthetic primary treated sewage effluent (PTSE). The NSBF contains starch based cationic flocculants and trace nutrients. The results indicate that the iFBBR with NSBF addition could remove more than 93% dissolved organic carbon (DOC), 61% total nitrogen (T-N) and 60% total phosphorus (T-P) at just a very short hydraulic retention time of 50min. The optimum frequency of adding NSBF to the iFFBR is four times per day. As a pretreatment to microfiltration, the iFFBR could increase 5L/m2h of critical flux thus reducing the membrane fouling. In addition, better microbial activity was also observed with high DO consumption (>66%) and specific oxygen uptake rate (>35mg O2/gVSSh). © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

Yang, B, Ying, G-G, Zhao, J-L, Zhang, L-J, Fang, Y-X & Nghiem, LD 2011, 'Oxidation of triclosan by ferrate: Reaction kinetics, products identification and toxicity evaluation', Journal of Hazardous Materials, vol. 186, no. 1, pp. 227-235.
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Yang, Y, Fu, J, Peng, H, Hou, L, Liu, M & Zhou, JL 2011, 'Occurrence and phase distribution of selected pharmaceuticals in the Yangtze Estuary and its coastal zone', Journal of Hazardous Materials, vol. 190, no. 1-3, pp. 588-596.
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The occurrence and geochemical behavior of nine pharmaceutical compounds were investigated along the Yangtze River Estuary and its coastal area, by sampling and analysis of pharmaceuticals in sediment, suspended particulate matter (SPM), colloidal and soluble phases. In addition, the impact of sewage input was examined by sampling from sewage treatment plants (STP) effluent and its upstream and downstream in the Yangtze River. Although at relatively low concentrations in SPM and sediments, several pharmaceuticals were found at elevated concentration in filtered water samples from STP-affected sites. STP is therefore an important input of pharmaceuticals in the study area. Colloidal phase was further separated from bulk water samples using cross-flow ultrafiltration (CFUF), confirming it being an effective sorbent for pharmaceuticals with high sorption capacity which are 2-4 orders of magnitude higher than SPM. Moreover, mass balance calculations showed that significant percentages of selected pharmaceutical compounds were associated with aquatic colloids, indicating colloids as a reservoir for these contaminants in the Yangtze estuarine system. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

Yang, Y, Li, J, Wang, H, Song, X, Wang, T, He, B, Liang, X & Ngo, HH 2011, 'An Electrocatalytic Membrane Reactor with Self‐Cleaning Function for Industrial Wastewater Treatment', Angewandte Chemie, vol. 123, no. 9, pp. 2196-2198.
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Industrial wastewater has become a global issue due to its high concentration of pollutants, especially refractory organic compounds.[1] Membrane technology has attracted considerable attention in industrial wastewater purification over the past decades owing to its high flexibility regarding water quality and low investment costs. However, inherent membrane fouling caused by concentration polarization and pore blocking leads to low plant reliability and limits wide industrial application in wastewater treatment.[2] Controlling and mitigating membrane fouling has become the most critical problem in the field of membrane technology for water and wastewater treatment.

Yang, Y, Li, J, Wang, H, Song, X, Wang, T, He, B, Liang, X & Ngo, HH 2011, 'An Electrocatalytic Membrane Reactor with Self‐Cleaning Function for Industrial Wastewater Treatment', Angewandte Chemie International Edition, vol. 50, no. 9, pp. 2148-2150.
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Yisgedu, TB, Chen, X, Lingam, HK, Huang, Z, Highley, A, Maharrey, S, Behrens, R, Shore, SG & Zhao, J-C 2011, 'Synthesis, Structural Characterization, and Thermal Decomposition Study of Mg(H₂O)₆B₁₀H₁₀·4H₂O', The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, vol. 115, no. 23, pp. 11793-11802.
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Zhao, YX, Gao, BY, Cao, BC, Yang, ZL, Yue, QV, Shon, HK & Kim, J-H 2011, 'Comparison of coagulation behavior and floc characteristics of titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) and polyaluminum chloride (PACl) with surface water treatment', CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL, vol. 166, no. 2, pp. 544-550.
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Coagulation behavior of Titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) and polyaluminum chloride (PACl) was comparatively investigated in terms of the removal of turbidity and natural organic matter (NOM) with surface water. The growth, breakage and re-growth nature of flocs were also compared. The results show that the removals of chemical oxidation demand (CODMn) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were 51.5% and 78.4% at optimal dosage for TiCl4 and 29.8% and 41.0% for PACl, respectively. The floc breakage and re-growth indicated that TiCl4 and PACl coagulation occurred not only by charge neutralization but also by a form of sweep flocculation. Besides, flocs formed by PACl had better recoverability than the flocs formed by TiCl4. Sludge produced from TiCl4 flocculation was calcined at 600 â¦C to produce TiO2, and the photocatalytic activity in removing reactive brilliant red (K-2BP) was evaluated in comparison with commercially available TiO2 (P-25). The photocatalytic oxidation rates of K-2BP after 2 h photocatalytic reaction were 91.4% and 92.9% for as-prepared TiO2 and P-25, respectively.

Zhao, YX, Gao, BY, Rong, HY, Shon, HK, Kim, J-H, Yue, QY & Wang, Y 2011, 'The impacts of coagulant aid-polydimethyldiallylammonium chloride on coagulation performances and floc characteristics in humic acid-kaolin synthetic water treatment with titanium tetrachloride', CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL, vol. 173, no. 2, pp. 376-384.
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Coagulation of humic acidâkaolin synthetic water was conducted with Titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) and/or polydimethyldiallylammonium chloride (PD) to assess the effect of coagulant aid PD on coagulation behavior and floc characteristics. Coagulation behavior was investigated in terms of the reduction of turbidity and the removal of natural organic matter (NOM). The results show that the humic acid (HA) removal increased with the addition of PD depending on the doses of it and TiCl4, and the HA removal was more enhanced by PD at low TiCl4 doses than at higher ones. In addition, PD-TiCl4 (PD dosed firstly, followed by TiCl4 addition) gave better turbidity and HA removal than TiCl4-PD (TiCl4 dosed firstly, followed by PD addition) in this investigation. The growth, breakage, regrowth and fractal nature of flocs was investigated by use of Mastersizer 2000. TiCl4 plus cationic polymer PD exhibited an apparent improvement on floc size and floc grow rate, and they were both in the following order: PD-TiCl4 > TiCl4-PD > TiCl4. Compared with TiCl4, the dual-coagulants significantly improved the floc recoverability. Besides, the dual-coagulants gave more compact floc structure than TiCl4 coagulant at each coagulant dose under investigation and the values of fractal dimension (Df) were in the order of TiCl4-PD > PD-TiCl4 > TiCl4.

Zhao, YX, Gao, BY, Shon, HK, Cao, BC & Kim, J-H 2011, 'Coagulation characteristics of titanium (Ti) salt coagulant compared with aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe) salts', JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, vol. 185, no. 2-3, pp. 1536-1542.
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In this study, the performance of titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) coagulation and flocculation is compared with commonly used coagulants such as aluminum sulfate (Al2(SO4)3), polyaluminum chloride (PACl), iron chloride (FeCl3), and polyferric sulfate (PFS) in terms of water quality parameters and floc properties. TiCl4 flocculation achieved higher removal of UV254 (98%), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) (84%) and turbidity (93%) than other conventional coagulants. Charge neutralization and physical entrapment of colloids within coagulant precipitates and adsorption, seemed to play a significant role during TiCl4 flocculation, while the main mechanism for conventional coagulants was bridge-aggregation and adsorption. The aggregated flocs after TiCl4 flocculation showed the fastest growth rate compared to the other coagulants, with the largest floc size (801m) occurring within 8 min. The floc strength factor of PACl, Al2(SO4)3, PFS, FeCl3 and TiCl4 was 34, 30, 29, 26 and 29, respectively, while the floc recovery factor of the TiCl4 coagulant was the lowest. Based on the results of the above study, it is concluded that the TiCl4 flocculation can reduce the hydraulic retention time of slow and rapid mixing, however, careful handling of sludge is required due to the low recoverability of the aggregated floc.

Zhao, YX, Gao, BY, Shon, HK, Kim, J-H & Yue, QY 2011, 'Effect of shear force, solution pH and breakage period on characteristics of flocs formed by Titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) and Polyaluminum chloride (PACl) with surface water treatment', JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, vol. 187, no. 1-3, pp. 495-501.
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The growth, breakage and regrowth nature of flocs formed by Titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) and polyaluminum chloride (PACl) was comparatively evaluated with surface water treatment. A series of jar experiments were conducted to investigate the impacts of different operating parameters such as shear force, solution pH and a breakage period on floc strength and re-aggregation potential. Results indicated that the responses of flocs to different operating parameters depend on the coagulant used. The ability of floc to resist breakage decreased with the increase of shear force and breakage period. Floc strength properties were also measured in response to increasing shear force, with the results suggesting that the order of floc strength was TiCl4 > PACl. Floc regrowth of the two coagulants after exposure to high shear was limited, and flocs formed by TiCl4 displayed weaker recoverability. The flocs generated in acid conditions were more recoverable than those generated in alkaline conditions no matter which coagulant was used.

Zhao, YX, Gao, BY, Shon, HK, Kim, J-H, Yue, QY & Wang, Y 2011, 'Floc characteristics of titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) compared with aluminum and iron salts in humic acid-kaolin synthetic water treatment', SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY, vol. 81, no. 3, pp. 332-338.
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The floc strength and regrowth properties of TiCl4, FeCl3, and Al2 SO4)3 were comparatively evaluated using humic acidâkaolin synthetic water sample. At the given optimum dosage (20 mg/L as Ti, 8 mg/L as Fe, and 2 mg/L as Al, respectively), the floc growth, breakage and regrowth of TiCl4, FeCl3, and Al2(SO4)3 were investigated by use of a laser diffraction particle sizing device. Jar tests were conducted to investigate the impact of shear force and breakage period on floc breakage and re-aggregation potential. Results indicated that the responses of flocs to increasing shear force and breakage period depend on the coagulant used. The ability of floc to resist breakage decreased with the increase of shear force. Floc strength properties were also measured in response to increasing shear force, with the results suggesting that the order of floc strength was TiCl4 > FeCl3 > Al2(SO4)3. Floc regrowth of these three coagulants after exposure to high shear was limited, and flocs formed by TiCl4 displayed the weakest recoverability. Similar results were obtained when breakage period was different.

Zhao, YX, Gao, BY, Shon, HK, Wang, Y, Kim, J-H & Yue, QY 2011, 'The effect of second coagulant dose on the regrowth of flocs formed by charge neutralization and sweep coagulation using titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4)', JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, vol. 198, pp. 70-77.
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Characteristics of flocs formed by charge neutralization and sweep coagulation using titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) were investigated with humic acidâkaolin suspension by continuous optical monitoring. This paper focused on the regrowth ability of broken flocs after addition of second TiCl4 dose. Variation of floc size and the fractal dimension of flocs versus second TiCl4 dose after regrowth were investigated. Second TiCl4 dose was added during the floc breakage period, and addition time of second TiCl4 dose was also investigated. The results showed that, when coagulated by charge neutralization at pH 6, an appropriate second TiCl4 dose improved regrowth ability of broken flocs at low initial TiCl4 doses. While for high initial TiCl4 doses, second TiCl4 dose lowered floc re-growth ability. When coagulated by sweep coagulation at pH 10, second TiCl4 dose made regrown flocs larger than those without second TiCl4 dose. Floc structure analysis showed that it was determined by not only the fractal dimension of flocs, but also the chemical characteristics of floc surface. Addition time of second TiCl4 dose had a great effect on floc regrowth ability, suggesting that the broken flocs had better regrowth when second TiCl4 dose was added at the end of the breakage period.

Altaee 1970, 'Forward Osmosis: Potential use in Desalination and Water Reuse', Journal of Membrane and Separation Technology, AIChE Annual Meeting, Lifescience Global.
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There has been a recurring interest in using Forward Osmosis (FO) process in water treatment and desalination. The recent advance in membrane technology has encouraged further investment in the process technology. Despite the promising results from pilot and bench scale experiments the technology is still not commercialized yet. Obviously, this is due to the complicated nature of the process which usually involves multiple stages of treatment in addition to the FO membrane process. Unfortunately, most of the recent studies were focused on studying the FO process alone and didn't provide enough data about the actual cost of the process as whole which includes the osmotic agent regeneration stage/s. This issue resulted in some uncertainties about the total cost of the water treatment by the process. Furthermore, more data are required to evaluate the impact of the osmotic agent losses on the overall cost and efficiency. More data are required to evaluate the effect of salt diffusion from seawater to the draw solution on the product water quality. This is particularly important due to the salt accumulation in the system when the draw solution is recycled and reused. In case if the draw solution is regenerated by membrane treatment, a suitable membrane should be selected to ensure an optimal salt rejection. For power generation by Pressure Retarded Osmosis (PRO) process, there was an evident progress. However, the process is site specific; i.e. it is dependent of the availability of the draw and donor solution. This suggested that the process is applicable to certain areas but can't be generalized. A quick review on the FO processes applications in water treatment and power generation is covered here to assess its potential use based on the recent development that have been made so far.

Altaee, A 1970, 'Alternative design to dual stage NF seawater desalination using high rejection brackish water membranes', Separations Division - Core Programming Topic at the 2011 AIChE Annual Meeting, pp. 23-39.
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Dual stage NF membrane desalination process was proposed as an alternative approach to RO seawater desalination. Despite of being cheaper than RO desalination, dual stage NF process is not commercially applied yet due to the low overall recovery rate. In an attempt to increase the process recovery rate and reducing the operation complicity, Brackish Water RO membrane was used instead of NF in the second stage. ROSA software was used in this study to verify the applicability and cost-effectiveness of the NF-BW dual stage desalination process. Similarly to dual stage NF desalination process, an NF membrane was used in the first stage and BW membrane in the second stage. Permeate from NF membrane was used as a feed into the BW membranes. The effect of membrane type and seawater salinity on the process performance was investigated. For any given recovery rate and seawater salinity, the simulation results showed that the overall cost of NF-NF was slightly lower than the NF-BW process but that was on the cost of higher permeate TDS. For instance, at 43000 mg/l feed salinity the difference in the specific power consumption between NF-NF and NF-BW process was 0.38 kWh/m3. The permeate TDS was 125 mg/l for NF-BW and 1030 mg/l for NF-NF process. The difference in the permeate TDS between NF-NF and NF-BW process increased with increasing the feed salinity. In dual stage NF process, a low permeate was achieved at low recovery rate. For example, at 43000 mg/l feed salinity the permeate TDS from dual stage NF process was 359 mg/l when the overall recovery rate was 22%. It was also found that the effect of BW membrane type on the process efficiency was insignificant. Finally, the energy requirements of NF-NF and NF-BW were compared to a single stage RO desalination process. The specific power consumption at 43000 mg/l feed salinity was 4.58 kWh/m3, 4.2 kWh/m3 and 3.86 kWh/m3 for RO, NF-BW and NF-NF process respectively.

Altaee, A 1970, 'Forward osmosis: Potential use in desalination and water treatment', Separations Division - Core Programming Topic at the 2011 AIChE Annual Meeting, pp. 787-807.
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There has been a recurring interest in using Forward Osmosis (FO) process in water treatment and desalination. The recent advance in membrane technology has encouraged further investment in the process technology. Despite the promising results from pilot and bench scale experiments the technology is still not commercialized yet. Obviously, this is due to the complicated nature of the process which usually involves multiple stages of treatment in addition to the FO membrane process. Unfortunately, most of the recent studies were focused on studying the FO process alone and didn't provide enough data about the actual cost of the process as whole which includes the osmotic agent regeneration stage/s. This issue resulted in some uncertainties about the total cost of the water treatment by the process. Furthermore, more data are required to evaluate the impact of the osmotic agent losses on the overall cost and efficiency. More data are required to evaluate the effect of salt diffusion from seawater to the draw solution on the product water quality. This is particularly important due to the salt accumulation in the system when the draw solution is recycled and reused. In case if the draw solution is regenerated by membrane treatment, a suitable membrane should be selected to ensure an optimal salt rejection. For power generation by Pressure Retarded Osmosis (PRO) process, there was an evident progress. However, the process is site specific; i.e. It is dependent of the availability of the draw and donor solution. This suggested that the process is applicable to certain areas but can't be generalized. A quick review on the FO processes applications in water treatment and power generation is covered here to assess its potential use based on the recent development that have been made so far.

Altaee, A 1970, 'Forward osmosis: Potential use in desalination and water treatment', International Congress on Energy 2011 - Topical Conference at the 2011 AIChE Annual Meeting, pp. 79-99.
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There has been a recurring interest in using Forward Osmosis (FO) process in water treatment and desalination. The recent advance in membrane technology has encouraged further investment in the process technology. Despite the promising results from pilot and bench scale experiments the technology is still not commercialized yet. Obviously, this is due to the complicated nature of the process which usually involves multiple stages of treatment in addition to the FO membrane process. Unfortunately, most of the recent studies were focused on studying the FO process alone and didn't provide enough data about the actual cost of the process as whole which includes the osmotic agent regeneration stage/s. This issue resulted in some uncertainties about the total cost of the water treatment by the process. Furthermore, more data are required to evaluate the impact of the osmotic agent losses on the overall cost and efficiency. More data are required to evaluate the effect of salt diffusion from seawater to the draw solution on the product water quality. This is particularly important due to the salt accumulation in the system when the draw solution is recycled and reused. In case if the draw solution is regenerated by membrane treatment, a suitable membrane should be selected to ensure an optimal salt rejection. For power generation by Pressure Retarded Osmosis (PRO) process, there was an evident progress. However, the process is site specific; i.e. it is dependent of the availability of the draw and donor solution. This suggested that the process is applicable to certain areas but can't be generalized. A quick review on the FO processes applications in water treatment and power generation is covered here to assess its potential use based on the recent development that have been made so far.

Altaee, A 1970, 'Forward osmosis: Potential use in desalination and water treatment', Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Division - Core Programming Topic at the 2011 AIChE Annual Meeting, pp. 100-120.
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There has been a recurring interest in using Forward Osmosis (FO) process in water treatment and desalination. The recent advance in membrane technology has encouraged further investment in the process technology. Despite the promising results from pilot and bench scale experiments the technology is still not commercialized yet. Obviously, this is due to the complicated nature of the process which usually involves multiple stages of treatment in addition to the FO membrane process. Unfortunately, most of the recent studies were focused on studying the FO process alone and didnt provide enough data about the actual cost of the process as whole which includes the osmotic agent regeneration stage/s. This issue resulted in some uncertainties about the total cost of the water treatment by the process. Furthermore, more data are required to evaluate the impact of the osmotic agent losses on the overall cost and efficiency. More data are required to evaluate the effect of salt diffusion from seawater to the draw solution on the product water quality. This is particularly important due to the salt accumulation in the system when the draw solution is recycled and reused. In case if the draw solution is regenerated by membrane treatment, a suitable membrane should be selected to ensure an optimal salt rejection. For power generation by Pressure Retarded Osmosis (PRO) process, there was an evident progress. However, the process is site specific; i.e. it is dependent of the availability of the draw and donor solution. This suggested that the process is applicable to certain areas but cant be generalized. A quick review on the FO processes applications in water treatment and power generation is covered here to assess its potential use based on the recent development that have been made so far.

AlTaee, A & Sharif, AO 1970, 'Alternative design to dual stage NF seawater desalination using high rejection brackish water membranes', Desalination, Elsevier BV, pp. 391-397.
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Dual stage NF membrane desalination process was proposed as an alternative approach to RO seawater desalination. Despite of being cheaper than RO desalination, dual stage NF process is not commercially applied yet due to the low overall recovery rate. In an attempt to increase the process recovery rate and reducing the operation complicity, Brackish Water RO membrane was used instead of NF in the second stage. ROSA software was used in this study to verify the applicability and cost-effectiveness of the NF-BW dual stage desalination process. Similarly to dual stage NF desalination process, an NF membrane was used in the first stage and BW membrane in the second stage. Permeate from NF membrane was used as a feed into the BW membranes. The effect of membrane type and seawater salinity on the process performance was investigated. For any given recovery rate and seawater salinity, the simulation results showed that the overall cost of NF-NF was slightly lower than the NF-BW process but that was on the cost of higher permeate TDS. For instance, at 43000 mg/l feed salinity the difference in the specific power consumption between NF-NF and NF-BW process was 0.38 kWh/m 3. The permeate TDS was 125 mg/l for NF-BW and 1030 mg/l for NF-NF process. The difference in the permeate TDS between NF-NF and NF-BW process increased with increasing the feed salinity. In dual stage NF process, a low permeate was achieved at low recovery rate. For example, at 43000 mg/l feed salinity the permeate TDS from dual stage NF process was 359 mg/l when the overall recovery rate was 22%. It was also found that the effect of BW membrane type on the process efficiency was insignificant. Finally, the energy requirements of NF-NF and NF-BW were compared to a single stage RO desalination process. The specific power consumption at 43000 mg/l feed salinity was 4.58 kWh/m 3, 4.2 kWh/m 3 and 3.86 kWh/m 3 for RO, NF-BW and NF-NF process respectively.

Azari, B, Fatahi, B & Khabbaz, H 1970, 'Application of Creep Ratio Concept for Estimating Post-Constriction Settlement of Deep Soft Clay Deposits', ICAGE 2011 - Proceedings of the International Conference on Advances in Geotechnical Engineering, International Conference on Advances in Geotechnical Engineering, Curtin University, Perth, Australia, pp. 127-133.
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Two main different approaches have been previously proposed to predict time dependent behaviour of soft soils. (I) end of primary consolidation is unique although creep starts simultaneously with primary consolidation (Hypothesis A); (II) As creep and primary consolidation commence at the same time and creep is a time dependant phenomenon, then end of primary consolidation cannot be unique (Hypothesis B). In Hypothesis A, soil settlement is divided into two parts: primary consolidation and secondary compression which follows by primary consolidation. In Hypothesis B, soil settlement is estimated based on elasto-viscoplastic constitutive model simulating soil creep and consolidation settlement simultaneously. In this study, details of first approach based on creep ratio ( ) concept is discussed with a worked example to be used by practicing geotechnical engineers.

Diao, C, Zhou, Q & Zhou, JL 1970, 'Growth Responses and Phytoremediation Characteristics of Mirabilis Jalapa L. in Benzo[a]pyrene and Pyrene Co-contaminated Soils', Advances in Intelligent and Soft Computing, Conference on Advances in Computer Science, Intelligent System and Environment, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, Guangzhou, PEOPLES R CHINA, pp. 397-403.
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Pot culture experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of Benzo[a]pyrene(B[a]P) and pyrene on seed germination and growth factors of Mirabilis Jalapa L. and their uptake, accumulation and dissipation. The results showed that B[a]P and pyrene at the lower concentrations could accelerate seed germination and photosynthesis rate. There weren't significant relationships between shoot height, root length, or biomass and the concentrations of B[a]P and pyrene in soil. The relative absorptivity of B[a]P and pyrene in roots of M. Jalapa was less than 11%. But the amount of B[a]P and pyrene in shoots was close to zero. The relative removal rate of B[a]P and pyrene was up to 83-99% and 5-98%, respectively. Therefore, Plant-promoted rhizomorph biodegradation is the dominant contribution to remove B[a]P and pyrene. M. Jalapa might be useful for phytoremediation of B[a]P and pyrene co-contaminated sites. © 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Far, H, Fatahi, B & Samali, B 1970, 'Effects of Dynamic Soil-Structure Interaction on Performance Level of Moment Resisting Buildings Resting on Different Types of Soil', Proceedings of the 2011 Pacific Conference on Earthquake Engineering (PCEE), Pacific Conference on Earthquake Engineering (PCEE) - 'Building an Earthquake Resilient Society', New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering Inc., New Zealand, pp. 1-8.
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In this study, two structural models comprising five and fifteen storey moment resisting building frames are selected in conjunction with three different soil deposits with shear wave velocity less than 600m/s. The design sections are defined after applying dynamic nonlinear time history analysis based on inelastic design procedure using elastic-perfectly plastic behaviour of structural elements. These frames are modelled and analysed employing Finite Difference approach using FLAC 2D software under two different boundary conditions namely fixed-base (no soil-structure interaction), and considering soil-structure interaction. Fully nonlinear dynamic analyses under the influence of different earthquake records are conducted and the results of inelastic behaviour of the structural models are compared. The results indicate that the inter-storey drifts of the structural models resting on soil types De and Ee (according to the Australian standard) substantially increase when soil-structure interaction is considered for the above mentioned soil types. Performance levels of the structures change from life safe to near collapse when dynamic soil-structure interaction is incorporated. Therefore, the conventional inelastic design procedure excluding SSI is no longer adequate to guarantee the structural safety for the building frames resting on soft soil deposits.

Fatahi, B & Khabbaz, H 1970, 'Enhancement of Ballasted Rail Track Performance Using Geosynthetics', Advances in Pile Foundations, Geosynthetics, Geoinvestigations, and Foundation Failure Analysis and Repairs, GeoHunan International Conference 2011, American Society of Civil Engineers, Hunan, China, pp. 222-230.
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The requirement of keeping a competitive edge against other means of transportation has increased the pressure on the railway industry to improve its efficiency and decrease the maintenance costs. In this paper, several solutions are presented to improve rail track foundations including optimum particle ballast grading and confining pressure as well as stabilising tracks overlying soft soils employing different techniques. This study specifically assesses the influence of shoulder ballast and its combination with geosynthetics to reduce the track settlement due to train load. Two dimensional plane strain finite element model is adopted to simulate the track deformation. Furthermore, the potential use of geosynthetics combined with recycled and blended ballast for reduction of rail displacement is addressed. The different location of geosynthetics in rail track substructure is examined. Rail track performance can be improved by including wider shoulder ballast with geosynthetic layer, and recycled and blended ballast reinforced with geosynthetics can be used during maintenance operation to curtail future track deformation. © 2011 ASCE.

Fatahi, B, Tabatabaiefar, HR & Samali, B 1970, 'Performance Based Assessment of Dynamic Soil-Structure Interaction Effects on Seismic Response of Building Frames', GeoRisk 2011, Georisk 2011, American Society of Civil Engineers, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, pp. 344-351.
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Soil-Structure Interaction (SSI) has progressed rapidly in the second half of 20th century stimulated mainly by requirements of the nuclear power and offshore industries to improve the seismic safety. In this study, a fifteen storey moment resisting building frame is selected in conjunction with three different soil deposits with shear wave velocity less than 600m/s. The design sections are defined after applying dynamic nonlinear time history analysis based on inelastic design procedure using elastic-perfectly plastic behaviour of structural elements. These frames are modelled and analysed employing Finite Difference approach using FLAC 2D software under two different boundary conditions, namely fixed-base (no soil-structure interaction), and considering soil-structure interaction. Fully nonlinear dynamic analyses under the influence of different earthquake records are conducted and the results of inelastic behaviour of the structural model are compared. Variations of the shear modulus ratio with the shear strain are included in the nonlinear dynamic analysis. The results indicate that the inter-storey drifts of the structural model resting on soil types De and Ee (according to the Australian standard) substantially increase when soil-structure interaction is considered for the above mentioned soil types. Performance levels of the structures change from life safe to near collapse when dynamic soil-structure interaction is incorporated. Therefore, the conventional inelastic design procedure excluding SSI is no longer adequate to guarantee the structural safety for the building frames resting on soft soil deposits. Design engineers need to address the effects of dynamic SSI precisely in their design especially for construction projects on soft soils.

Guo, W 1970, 'Impact assessment of extra discharges of organics and nutrients into aquatic systems by entropy calculation', CESE 2011, The Fourth Annual Conference on the Challenges in Environmental Science and Engineering, CESE Conference Committee, Tainan City, Taiwan, pp. 13-94.

Guo, W 1970, 'Optimisation of an integrate sponge - granular activated carbon fluidized bed bioreactor in secondary sewage treatment', CESE 2011, The Fourth Annual Conference on the Challenges in Environmental Science and Engineering, CESE Conference Committee, Tainan City, Taiwan, pp. 75-76.

Guo, W 1970, 'Risk control and environment based assessment of recycled water schemes in australia', CESE 2011, The Fourth Annual Conference on the Challenges in Environmental Science adn Engineering, CESE Conference Committee, Tainan, Taiwan, pp. 4-85.

Le, T, Fatahi, B & Khabbaz, H 1970, 'Soil Creep Mechanisms and Inducing Factors', ICAGE 2011 - Proceedings of the International Conference on Advances in Geotechnical Engineering, International Conference on Advances in Geotechnical Engineering, Curtin University, Perth, Australia, pp. 241-246.
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Soft soils have been utilised intensively for urbanisation and civil infrastructural development due to the scarcity of proper soils for construction. Soft soils themselves exhibit many engineering problems, such as large settlement which occurs in long time after construction. There are a large number of studies carried out to analyze that time dependent behaviour of soft soils, resulting in the variety of theories and models. The mechanism of creep deformation is the background to propose a model for predicting the long term settlement. However, there has been no unique explanation for the behavior of soils, leading to different theories of settlement analysis and prediction. There exist two main hypotheses for settlement calculation, Hypotheses A and B, distinguished based on different elucidation about creep mechanisms. From the existing research studies, this paper aims to discuss five mechanisms of creep including (i) the breakdown of interparticle bonds, (ii) the jumping of bonds of molecules, (iii) sliding movement among particles, (iv) the water drainage in double pore system, and (v) the structural viscosity. In this study, according to the explanation of creep mechanisms, the difference of the two hypotheses will be provided. This paper also suggests a creep mechanism based on the combinations of the explained mechanisms.

Liaquat, AM, Kalam, MA, Masjuki, HH & Jayed, MH 1970, 'Engine Performance and Emissions Analysis using 'Envo Diesel' and Coconut Biodiesel Blended Fuel as Alternative Fuels', Environmental Science and Technology, Pt 1, 2nd International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology (ICEST 2011), INT ASSOC COMPUTER SCIENCE & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PRESS-IACSIT PRESS, Singapore, SINGAPORE, pp. VI168-VI172.

Masjuki, HH, Kalam, MA, Nurul, MF, Jayed, MH, Liaquat, AM & Varman, M 1970, 'Environmentally friendly bio-lubricant lubricity testing', 2011 IEEE Conference on Clean Energy and Technology (CET), 2011 IEEE Conference on Clean Energy and Technology (CET), IEEE.
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Nghiem, LD, Ren, T, Aziz, N, Porter, I & Regmi, G 1970, 'Treatment of coal seam gas produced water for beneficial use in Australia: A review of best practices', DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENT, 3rd International Conference on the Challenges in Environmental Science and Engineering (CESE), DESALINATION PUBL, Cairns, AUSTRALIA, pp. 316-323.
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Pang, SC, Masjuki, HH, Hazrat, MA & Kalam, MA 1970, 'Integration of 1D and 3D Simulations of Engine Cooling System: After Keyed-Off', 2011 10th International Symposium on Distributed Computing and Applications to Business, Engineering and Science, 2011 Tenth International Symposium on Distributed Computing and Applications to Business, Engineering and Science (DCABES), IEEE.
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Parsa Pajouh, A, Fatahi, B & Khabbaz, H 1970, 'Numerical Back Analysis of Smear Zone Properties for Vertical Drain Assisted Preloading in Soft Soils', ICAGE 2011 - Proceedings of the International Conference on Advances in Geotechnical Engineering, International Conference on Advances in Geotechnical Engineering, Curtin University, Perth, Australia, pp. 561-566.
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Installation of prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs) using a mandrel causes disturbance of the clay surrounding the drain, resulting in a smear zone of reduced permeability, which adversely affects consolidation process. There are two important parameters to characterize the smear effects, namely, the smear zone diameter and the permeability ratio. In this study, FLAC finites difference software has been employed to investigate the effects of smear zone characteristics on required time for preloading. The results of a fully instrumented trial embankment in Sunshine Motorway, Queensland, have been used to verify the model, and parametric studies have been conducted on the predicted ground settlement and pore water pressure. According to the results, changes in smear zone parameters can significantly affect the consolidation period. It is observed that the characteristics of smear zone namely size and permeability have a substantial impact on the preloading design to achieve a certain soil strength and stiffness satisfying both bearing capacity and settlement design criteria.

Samali, B, Fatahi, B & Tabatabaiefar, HR 1970, 'Seismic behaviour of concrete moment resisting buildings on soft soil considering soil-structure interaction', Incorporating Sustainable Practice in Mechanics of Structures and Materials - Proceedings of the 21st Australian Conference on the Mechanics of Structures and Materials, Australasian Conference on the Mechanics of Structures and Materials, CRC Press/Balkema, Melbourne, Australia, pp. 407-412.
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In this study, the effects of soil-structure interaction (SSI) on the seismic behaviour of reinforced concrete moment resisting building frames are studied using finite difference method. Two types of mid-rise structures, consisting of 5 and 15 stories on soft soil, are selected and analysed. The above mentioned frames are analysed under two different boundary conditions: (i) fixed-base (no soil-structure interaction), and (ii) considering soil-structure interaction. To model soil-structure interaction, the soil medium considering soil's non-linear damping and plasticity with interface elements between soil and structure is included. The results of the analyses in terms of structural forces and lateral displacements for the above mentioned boundary conditions for different earthquakes are compared. It is observed that lateral deflections and drifts of the structures increase when SSI is included. © 2011 Taylor & Francis Group, London.

Shrestha, B, Khabbaz, H & Fatahi, B 1970, 'Experimental Evaluation of Seismic Deformation Characteristics of Vertical-Horizontal Reinforced Soil Walls', ICAGE 2011 - Proceedings of the International Conference on Advances in Geotechnical Engineering, International Conference on Advances in Geotechnical Engineering, Curtin University, Perth, Australia, pp. 797-802.
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Reinforced soils have been widely used in different construction applications including retaining walls. The performance of retaining walls employing vertical reinforcement in conjunction with horizontal reinforcement is investigated experimentally. This paper presents an experimental study of the seismic performance of vertical-horizontal reinforced soil wall on the simulated earthquake using reducedscale shake table tests. Construction of model retaining walls, instrumentation and results from shaking table tests are described in detail. Two types of reinforced walls, conventional horizontal reinforcement and vertical-horizontal reinforcement, were subjected to large shake of the earthquake motions. The geometry of the model, soil properties and reinforcement characteristics has been kept identical in all tests. The reinforcements used were polymeric geogrids, which were connected to the wrap-facing. Each consecutive horizontal reinforcement layers were connected in tension to each other with the help of vertical connections. The walls were instrumented using transducers to measure wall facing displacement, and accelerations within the soil. The magnitude of lateral displacement under base excitation significantly reduced when vertical reinforcement was included to the wall system.

Shrestha, B, Khabbaz, H & Fatahi, B 1970, 'PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF REINFORCED SOIL FOUNDATION STRUCTURES WITH VERTICAL REINFORCEMENT', GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING FOR DISASTER MITIGATION AND REHABILITATION 2011/GEOTECHNICAL AND HIGHWAY ENGINEERING - PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES, 3rd Int Conf on Geotechnical Engn for Disaster Mitigation and Rehabilitation/5th Int Conf on Geotechnical and Highway Engn - Practical Applications, Challenges and Opportunities, WORLD SCIENTIFIC PUBL CO PTE LTD, Semarang, INDONESIA, pp. 443-448.
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This study examines the performance of geosynthetic reinforced wall inserting vertical elements in conjunction with conventional horizontal reinforcements. In this system, similar to normal reinforcement, the selected granular material is compacted over the horizontal reinforcement up to the designed height and then another layer of horizontal reinforcement is laid down. Numerical investigations have been carried out using finite element software, PLAXIS. Geosynthetic reinforced soil foundation performance and its characteristics have been simulated with and without vertical reinforcement under static and dynamic loads. Numerical results show that the total settlement decreases by inserting inclined reinforcement in both static and dynamic loading in general, and particularly under seismic loading. A new bearing capacity formula incorporating the contribution of both vertical and horizontal reinforcements is also introduced based on the previously published studies and the outputs of this numerical simulation.

Shrestha, B, Khabbaz, H & Fatahi, B 1970, 'Performance Comparison of Vertical-Horizontal with Conventional Reinforced Soil Walls Using Numerical Modelling', PROCEEDINGS OF THE 15TH AFRICAN REGIONAL CONFERENCE ON SOIL MECHANICS AND GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING: RESOURCE AND INFRASTRUCTURE GEOTECHNICS IN AFRICA: PUTTING THEORY INTO PRACTICE, 15th African Regional Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ARCSMGE), IOS PRESS, Maputo, MOZAMBIQUE, pp. 237-242.
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Conventional reinforced soil walls have demonstrated acceptable performance during earthquake occurrences. Nevertheless, there is still some potential for enhancing the performance of these walls without increasing the cost significantly. This paper presents an overview on the application of vertical components to the reinforced soil in addition to the horizontal reinforcement. The performance of conventional and the modified reinforced soil walls are evaluated and compared to each other. In this study, a series of 2D models is carried out using PLAXTS, finite element software, to investigate behaviour of these walls. The performance of reinforced walls is evaluated under the seismic loads of Kobe earthquake. The results indicate that the proposed wall with vertical reinforcement has superior performance compared with the conventional method and can reduce the risk of failure during earthquakes.

Sleap, SB, Turner, BD & Sloan, SW 1970, 'Fluoride remediation with calcite as a function CO2 partial pressure', Computer Methods for Geomechanics: Frontiers and New Applications, pp. 751-756.
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At Hydro Aluminium located in the Hunter Valley, NSW, Australia, spent potliner (SPL) waste has contaminated the local ground water aquifer with concentrations of fl uoride up to 2,000 mg/L. The ability of calcite (CaCO 3) to remove this fl uoride was studied in a batch reactor as a function of CO2 partial pressure and fraction size. Results show that fl uoride removal at equilibrium is independent of fraction size, but the rate at which equilibrium is achieved is faster for smaller sized fractions (larger surface area). The optimum partial pressure of CO2 was between 7% and 15% with ~95% & 98% F removal achieved respectively in experiments using pure fl uoride solutions. Results using actual SPL contaminated groundwater indicate removal by calcite is dependent on at least two different chemical pathways (mechanisms) that can adversely affect defl uoridation and that geochemical models require rigorously defi ned kinetic data before they can be used to accurately predict results in this system.

Petrou, K, Jimenez Denness, IM, Chartrand, KM, Ralph, PJ & Rasheed, A DEEDI Publication 2011, Seagrass Health Study - Phase II August Update, pp. 1-54, Cairns.