Mechanisms of microplastic generation from polymer-coated controlled-release fertilizers (PC-CRFs).

Polymer-coated controlled-release fertilizers (PC-CRFs) are valued for nutrient efficiency, but concerns remain about the long-term impacts of their plastic coatings on soil health. This study investigates the physicochemical characteristics of two commercially available PC-CRFs, type A and B, and their changes during nutrient release. Accelerated nutrient release experiments were conducted for 25 d in ultrapure water (free water) and saturated soil with five wet-dry cycles.

Numerical analysis of surface hydrogeological water budget to estimate unconfined aquifers recharge.

Under changing climate, groundwater resources are the main drivers of socioeconomic development and ecosystem sustainability. This study assessed the contribution of two adjacent watersheds, Muse Street (MS) and West Wood (WW), with low and high urban development, to the Memphis aquifer recharge process in central Jackson, Tennessee, USA. The numerical MODFLOW model was created using data from 2017 to 2019 and calibrated using reported water budget components derived from in-situ data.

Assessing the effects of increased impervious surface on the aquifer recharge through river flow network, case study of Jackson, Tennessee, USA.

Understanding pathways connecting urbanization to the recharge process across the land surface and river environment is of great significance in achieving low-impact development. Accordingly, the contribution of an urbanized region with a low and high development rate, along with the expected overflow into the river network resulting from increased impervious surfaces, was assessed in the recharge rate at Jackson, Tennessee. To this end, first, the losses were calculated using the standard and modified SCS-CN methods for the maximum probable flood condition.

Groundwater well optimization to minimize contaminant movement from a surficial shallow aquifer to a lower water supply aquifer using stochastic simulation-optimization modeling techniques: Strategy formulation.

The interaction between surficial shallow aquifers of poorer quality and semi-confined water-supply aquifers poses a potential risk for degradation of the water supply. Groundwater engineers and hydrogeologists use groundwater models to synthesize field data, conceptualize hydrological processes, and improve understanding of the groundwater system to support informed decision-making. Models for decision-making, called management models, aid in the efficient planning and sustainable management of groundwater systems.

Impacts of stratigraphic heterogeneity and release pathway on the transport of bacterial cells in porous media.

In order to manage and control the pathogen release from waste streams of various municipal, industrial, and agricultural pollution sources, it is crucial to investigate the impact of release pathways of such contaminants on their fate and transport in groundwater, especially in respect to natural heterogeneities encountered in aquifers. In this laboratory scale study, we investigate the impacts of different release scenarios of Escherichia coli bacteria, including spatially distributed surface recharge and single-point deep injection, as well as mono-pulse and continuous injection on the transport of Escherichia coli within both single-layered and multilayer aquifers. The results demonstrate earlier arrival of bacteria breakthrough curve (BTC) than conservative solute within a single-layer system with textural and continuum scale heterogeneities, attributed to size exclusion mechanism and preferential flow paths.