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The major part of the radiation dose that humans receive from natural radioactive sources is due to inhalation of radon and its decay products. The study focuses on radon concentration (CRn) investigation in kindergartens and nurseries in the district of Montana. The influence of building characteristics on CRn was evaluated. The measurement of the CRn was performed using passive detectors. The survey was carried out between December 2019 and May 2020 with a total number of 602 detectors. The average value of CRn in the premises of the studied kindergartens and nurseries in this district is 125 Bq·m−3, and the geometric mean (GM) value is 88 Bq·m−3. The buildings that have built ventilation and sewerage systems have lower CRn. The effective doses of the children and workers were evaluated in order to assess the radon exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The degradation process of printing and dyeing wastewater by traditional treatment methods is briefly described, and the mechanism, advantages and disadvantages of advanced oxidation technologies such as ozone and Fenton in the treatment of printing and dyeing wastewater are expounded, as well as the coupling technology with physical, chemical and biological methods, and the economic benefit of related technology in engineering application are discussed・ The application of advanced oxidation technology in wastewater of reactive dyes, high salt disperse dyes, acid dyes and basic dyes is introduced・ The development trend of advanced oxidation technology in the future is prospected, and it is suggested to conduct further research in engineering application, catalyst preparation and combined technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This note proposes a new formula for predicting the self-cleansing velocity of suspended particles in sewer pipes. Dimensional analysis is carried out to develop a new equation based on sediment and hydraulic characteristics. Model performance is tested using experimental data collected at laboratory scale and benchmarking data from the literature. The accuracy of the developed formula is evaluated with the Coefficient of Determination (R2), the Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) and the Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE). Results demonstrate that the proposed equation is able to predict the particle Froude number and hence the self-cleansing velocity for a wide range of variations of sediment concentration, particle diameter, and hydraulic characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a method for prioritizing sewer cleaning operations in the absence of historical data on failures. The method utilizes the Induced Ordered Weighted Averaging (IOWA) multi-criteria decision-making technique, incorporating experts' opinions to regulate subjective inferences and ascertain uncertainty. The study considers ten parameters categorized into three main focuses: structural, environmental, and operational to analyze sewer pipe conditions. As a case study, four small zones in Tehran city were prioritized using the proposed methodology. The findings reveal that (1) decision-makers' subjective priorities and evaluations do not significantly influence critical cleaning options, (2) pipe diameter is the most effective parameter for prioritizing since it allows pipes to be meaningfully categorized and compared, and (3) slope, age, depth, upstream manhole condition, and the number of connections and laterals are more important than other parameters. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into developing effective prioritization strategies for sewer cleaning operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wastewater surveillance has been widely used to track the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in communities. Although some studies have investigated the decay of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater, understanding about its fate during wastewater transport in real sewers is still limited. This study aims to assess the impact of sewer biofilms on the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentration in naturally contaminated real wastewater (raw influent wastewater without extra SARS-CoV-2 virus/gene seeding) using a simulated laboratory-scale sewer system. The results indicated that, with the sewer biofilms, a 90% concentration reduction of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA was observed within 2 h both in wastewater of gravity (GS, gravity-driven sewers) and rising main (RM, pressurized sewers) sewer reactors. In contrast, the 90% reduction time was 8–26 h in control reactors without biofilms. The concentration reduction of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater was significantly more in the presence of sewer biofilms. In addition, an accumulation of c.a. 260 and 110 genome copies/cm2 of the SARS-CoV-2 E gene was observed in the sewer biofilm samples from RM and GS reactors within 12 h, respectively. These results confirmed that the in-sewer concentration reduction of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater was likely caused by the partition to sewer biofilms. The need to investigate the in-sewer dynamic of SARS-CoV-2 RNA, such as the variation of RNA concentration in influent wastewater caused by biofilm attachment and detachment, was highlighted by the significantly enhanced reduction rate of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater of sewer biofilm reactors and the accumulation of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in sewer biofilms. Further research should be conducted to investigate the in-sewer transportation of SARS-CoV-2 and their RNA and evaluate the role of sewer biofilms in leading to underestimates of COVID-19 prevalence in communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing amount of data and the growing use of them in the information era have raised questions about the quality of data and its impact on the decision-making process. Currently, the importance of high-quality data is widely recognized by researchers and decision-makers. Sewer inspection data have been collected for over three decades, but the reliability of the data was questionable. It was estimated that between 25% and 50% of sewer inspection data is not usable due to data quality problems. In order to address reliability problems, a data quality evaluation framework is developed. Data quality evaluation is a multi-dimensional concept that includes both subjective perceptions and objective measurements. Five data quality metrics were defined to assess different quality dimensions of the sewer inspection data, including Accuracy, Consistency, Completeness, Uniqueness, and Validity. These data quality metrics were calculated for the collected sewer inspection data, and it was found that consistency and uniqueness are the major problems based on the current practices with sewer pipeline inspection. This paper contributes to the overall body of knowledge by providing a robust data quality evaluation framework for sewer system data for the first time, which will result in quality data for sewer asset management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sewer system plays an important role in protecting rainfall and treating urban wastewater. Due to the harsh internal environment and complex structure of the sewer, it is difficult to monitor the sewer system. Researchers are developing different methods, such as the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence, to monitor and detect the faults in the sewer system. Deep learning is a promising artificial intelligence technology that can effectively identify and classify different sewer system defects. However, the existing deep learning based solution does not provide high accuracy prediction and the defect class considered for classification is very small, which can affect the robustness of the model in the constraint environment. As a result, this paper proposes a sewer condition monitoring framework based on deep learning, which can effectively detect and evaluate defects in sewer pipelines with high accuracy. We also introduce a large dataset of sewer defects with 20 different defect classes found in the sewer pipeline. This study modified the original RegNet model by modifying the squeeze excitation (SE) block and adding the dropout layer and Leaky Rectified Linear Units (LeakyReLU) activation function in the Block structure of RegNet model. This study explored different deep learning methods such as RegNet, ResNet50, very deep convolutional networks (VGG), and GoogleNet to train on the sewer defect dataset. The experimental results indicate that the proposed system framework based on the modified-RegNet (RegNet+) model achieves the highest accuracy of 99.5 compared with the commonly used deep learning models. The proposed model provides a robust deep learning model that can effectively classify 20 different sewer defects and be utilized in real-world sewer condition monitoring applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The consumption of pharmaceuticals has rapidly increased on a global scale due to the serious increase in Covid-19, influenza and respiratuar sinsityal virus, which is called "triple epidemic" in the world. The use of non-prescription analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs (AAIDs), especially paracetamol, is higher compared to pre-pandemic. This increased the AAIDs load discharged to the aqueous media through sewerage treatment plant (STP). Therefore, simple and effective treatment options for removing AAIDs from STP effluents are needed. The aim of the study was to remove AAIDs (paracetamol, acetylsalicylic acid, codeine, diclofenac, ibuprofen, indomethacin, ketoprofen, mefenamic acid, naproxen, and phenylbutazone) from STP effluents by nearly pure natural clay Na-montmorillonite. The Na-montmorillonite taken from the Ordu region in the northern part of Turkey. Surface area of the Na-montmorillonite is 99.58 m2/g and CEC is 92.40 meq/100 g. The removal efficiencies of AAIDs using Na-montmorillonite were between 82 ± 5% (ibuprofen) and 94 ± 4% (naproxen). Paracetamol was used as a model compound in kinetic and isotherm model studies. Freundlich isotherm model and the pseudo second order kinetic model were the best-fit using the obtained experimental data. Film diffusion governed its rate mechanism. The paracetamol adsorption capacity was acquired as 244 mg/g at 120 min contact time at pH 6.5 at 25 °C. With this study, it could be shown that montmorillonite can be used effectively to eliminate paracetamol from STP effluent. Natural clay can be used as a simple, inexpensive and effective adsorbent for removing AAIDs from STP effluents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Urban areas are constantly developing and thereby affect the local water cycle. Real‐time control (RTC) strategies are used to operate urban drainage systems optimally during these transitions. This paper aims to develop a methodology to study the impacts of common gradual changes occurring in the urban environment (densification of the urban area and implementation of blue‐green infrastructure), forming cumulative transitions, on the functioning of real‐time optimization procedures. A new generic methodology, relying on a comprehensive evaluation strategy based on three indicators assessing the continued optimal performance of RTC was proposed. This methodology was applied to two urban drainage catchments in Eindhoven and Rotterdam using both probabilistic and projected transitional paths. Based on the results obtained it can be noted that the performances of the RTC procedures were not strongly affected by the modeled transitions although the relative performance compared to the maximum performance potential decreases significantly with the large‐scale implementation of blue‐green infrastructure, indicating that the revision of RTC procedures could improve the sewer system functioning further. The relative performance loss associated with the modeled transitions was higher for model predictive control compared to heuristic RTC procedures for one case study and vice versa for the other. Continuous re‐evaluation of the RTC strategy is, therefore, an important but overlooked part of the implementation of RTC procedures. Key Points: Urban transitions are modeled to assess the effect on optimal control (RTC) efficacyStrong divergence from optimality was associated with SUDS implementationLong‐term implementation of RTC should include a regular re‐evaluation of the strategy [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores issues related to the reconstruction of buildings of the old housing stock. For the first time, an analysis of the physical state of operated buildings of mass series built in the 1970s and 1980s is given, on the basis of which a conclusion was made about the possibility of mass modernization with the addition of additional floors. The article substantiates the possibility of performing work on the compaction of the existing building with the addition of additional floors in 5-storey buildings without increasing the load on the existing engineering networks. The article shows that such an approach to the transformation of the urban environment fully satisfies the principles of sustainable development of the city.

Background: The contribution of community and hospital sources to the transmission of extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-PE) remains elusive. Aim: To investigate the extent of community dissemination and the contribution of hospitals to the spread of ESBL-PE by exploring their spatiotemporal distribution in municipal wastewater of the central European city of Basel. Methods: Wastewater samples were collected monthly for two consecutive years throughout Basel, Switzerland, including 21 sites across 10 postcode areas of the city collecting either community wastewater (urban sites, n = 17) or community and hospital wastewater (mixed sites, n = 4). Presumptive ESBL-PE were recovered by selective culture methods. Standard methodologies were applied for species identification, ESBL-confirmation, and quantification. Results: Ninety-five percent (477/504) of samples were positive for ESBLPE. Among these isolates, Escherichia coli (85%, 1,140/1,334) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (11%, 153/1,334) were most common. They were recovered throughout the sampling period from all postcodes, with E. coli consistently predominating. The proportion of K. pneumoniae isolates was higher in wastewater samples from mixed sites as compared to samples from urban sites, while the proportion of E. coli was higher in samples from urban sites (p = 0.003). Higher numbers of colony forming units (CFUs) were recovered from mixed as compared to urban sites (median 3.2 × 102 vs. 1.6 × 102 CFU/mL). E. coli-counts showed moderate correlation with population size (rho = 0.44), while this correlation was weak for other ESBL-PE (rho = 0.21). Conclusion: ESBL-PE are widely spread in municipal wastewater supporting that community sources are important reservoirs entertaining the spread of ESBL-PE. Hospital-influenced abundance of ESBL-PE appears to be species dependent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial community composition has increasingly emerged as a key determinant of antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) content. However, in activated sludge wastewater treatment plants (AS-WWTPs), a comprehensive understanding of the microbial community assembly process and its impact on the persistence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remains elusive. An important part of this process is the immigration dynamics (or community coalescence) between the influent and activated sludge. While the influent wastewater contains a plethora of ARGs, the persistence of a given ARG depends initially on the immigration success of the carrying population, and the possible horizontal transfer to indigenously resident populations of the WWTP. The current study utilized controlled manipulative experiments that decoupled the influent wastewater composition from the influent microbial populations to reveal the fundamental mechanisms involved in ARG immigration between sewers and AS-WWTP. A novel multiplexed amplicon sequencing approach was used to track different ARG sequence variants across the immigration interface, and droplet digital PCR was used to quantify the impact of immigration on the abundance of the targeted ARGs. Immigration caused an increase in the abundance of over 70 % of the quantified ARGs. However, monitoring of ARG amplicon sequence variants (ARG-ASVs) at the immigration interface revealed various immigration patterns such as (i) suppression of the indigenous mixed liquor ARG-ASV by the immigrant, or conversely (ii) complete immigration failure of the influent ARG-ASV. These immigration profiles are reported for the first time here and highlight the crucial information that can be gained using our novel multiplex amplicon sequencing techniques. Future studies aiming to reduce AMR in WWTPs should consider the impact of influent immigration in process optimisation and design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improper monitoring of sewage networks may raise various issues such as overflows, pipe blockages, theft of manhole covers, leading to flooding and pollution, infrastructure damage, vehicles accidents, injury, and even death from falling into open manholes. The key objective of this research was to examine different elements and create a prototype architecture for a real-time sewer monitoring system. Implementation of the architecture involved constructing a data gathering station and experimenting with various wireless sensing devices to assess the precision of the sensors. In addition, the study sought to design a geographic information system that integrates algorithms capable of identifying sewer overflow, blocked pipes, and the presence of manhole covers. The performance of Sharp GP2Y0A41SK0F infrared, TF-Luna Benewake LiDar, TOF400 VL53L1X laser, JSN-SR04T ultrasonic distance sensors was tested in terms of their ability to monitor water level and manhole cover. Tests revealed the most favorable results in TOF400 VL53L1X at distances between 0.2 and 1.0 m (presumed distance to the manhole cover) with a standard deviation of 0.13–0.24, and in TF-Luna Benewake at distances between 1.0 and 5.0 m (presumed distance to the chamber bottom) with a standard deviation of 0.44–1.15. The deviation analysis has yielded equations that can be utilized to provide rough estimates of the accuracy levels of the aforementioned sensors, based on the measured distance. Additionally, the FC-28 analog and YL-63 infrared sensors were evaluated for detecting pipe blockages, with the YL-63 being more suitable. The outcomes of this study furnish valuable insights that can aid in achieving sustainable resolutions for issues related to sewer monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methane is the main cause of sewer explosion accidents, and the available monitoring methods mainly use portable gas sensors for on-site detection. However, these methods cannot grasp the dynamic changes in methane in a sewer in real time or make good predictions of methane explosion accidents. Here, we present a low-power online monitoring system for sewer methane in order to ensure the safety of urban sewers. A low-power ultrasonic gas sensor was used to monitor the methane content in biogas. Due to the impacts of changes in CO2, temperature, and humidity in the sewer on the ultrasonic methane measurement results, a corresponding compensation method was proposed. The effectiveness of the compensation method was verified through experiments, which measured the methane concentration under different influences, and the methane values measured before and after compensation were compared. The power consumption was only 1.28 mW when the system worked in intermittent operation mode, and it could operate for about 1.5 years using a lithium battery with a capacity of 5 Ah. The experimental results showed that gas detection accuracy could meet commercial requirements and compensated for the impacts of carbon dioxide, temperature, and humidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manholes are vital component of the sewerage system; they are often damaged due to concrete corrosion, hydrogen sulphide (H2S) gas released by sewage effluent and vehicular loading. Due to large number of accidents occurred on the road, there is need for supervision of manholes so that it can be replaced when it is about to damage. In this paper, three different manholes were tested according to Indian standard code IS 12592 (2002). At the same time, using electro mechanical impedance (EMI) technique, the damage quantification was done using root mean square deviation (RMSD) for the obtained signature of the manholes with different damage stages. Three PZT sensors were bonded using epoxy, one each on top and bottom of manhole cover and third at the frame of the manhole. It was found that the PZT bonded at bottom captures the damages well than the PZT bonded on the top of cover, but it shows large variation when the crack line passes through the PZT bonded place, the PZT bonded on the frame shows abrupt variations with the damage. Hence, PZT sensor pasted on top of manhole cover was found to be well correlated to the damage stages. The effective structural parameters were extracted using PZT sensor; moreover, for all the three manhole structures, the structural damping was identified for different damage states. A model was developed including all three manholes with more than 95% confidence level for estimating the remaining life of manhole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a recent increase of interest in sewer network water quality, both for pollutants and wastewater epidemiology. Of particular interest is the ability to perform cost-effective small-scale monitoring to understand the sewer network and perform source localization (the process of identifying the sources of materials of interest within the network), enabling prioritization of combined sewer overflow (CSO) interventions and targeted response to the detection of infectious diseases. Rhodamine WT fluorescent dye tracing was carried out in the combined sewer networks of four UK cities, for which network geometries were available. Over 100 dye concentration profiles were recorded, from which discharge, travel time (velocity), and dispersion were quantified. A simplified hydraulic and water quality (conservative solute transport) modeling approach was used to investigate dispersion further. A theoretical method for calculating dispersion over a reach with nonuniform properties was derived and used with the models and recorded data to develop a method for estimating the dispersion coefficient in sewers. Novel simultaneous injections into multiple manholes within one sewer network were conducted. Modeling of these injections validated the modeling approach and explained the measured concentration profiles, demonstrating both the potential of hydraulic and solute transport modeling and the new dispersion coefficient predictor for source localization. Such modeling can be used to develop sewer network "fingerprints" and source location probability plots based on residence time distribution (RTD) theory to maximize information from limited water quality monitoring. This will aid managers and operators in identifying potential intermittent sources of material within the network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Algiers city frequently experiences significant flooding during rainy weather due to the overflow of its storm sewer network (SSN). Through modeling, simulation, and field studies, vulnerable points of the network have been identified. These points are classified based on a combined assessment of hazard and vulnerability. Hazard is estimated using the Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) method, which considers the return period, overflowing height, slope, elevation, and waterproofing. On the other hand, vulnerability is determined by population density. Risk is determined by multiplying hazard and vulnerability. Additionally, a classification based on the FMECA method's criticality index has been performed to complement the approach. The concordance between the two methods is evaluated using Lin's concordance correlation coefficient (CCC), showing strong agreement. The sensitivity analysis conducted on the models highlights their reliability and robustness, making the obtained results trustworthy and useful for network managers. This analysis aids in effective flood management by allocating resources and interventions to the most vulnerable areas of Algiers city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sewer systems are an essential part of sanitation infrastructure for protecting human and ecosystem health. Initially, they were used to solely convey stormwater, but over time municipal sewage was discharged to these conduits and transformed them into combined sewer systems (CSS). Due to climate change and rapid urbanization, these systems are no longer sufficient and overflow in wet weather conditions. Mechanistic and data‐driven models have been frequently used in research on combined sewer overflow (CSO) management integrating low‐impact development and gray‐green infrastructures. Recent advances in measurement, communication, and computation technologies have simplified data collection methods. As a result, technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), geographic information system, and remote sensing can be integrated into CSO and stormwater management as a part of the smart city and digital twin concepts to build climate‐resilient infrastructures and services. Therefore, smart management of CSS is now both technically and economically feasible to tackle the challenges ahead. This review article explores CSO characteristics and associated impact on receiving waterbodies, evaluates suitable models for CSO management, and presents studies including above‐mentioned technologies in the context of smart CSO and stormwater management. Although integration of all these technologies has a big potential, further research is required to achieve AI‐controlled CSS for robust and agile CSO mitigation. This article is categorized under:Engineering Water > Sustainable Engineering of WaterScience of Water > Water and Environmental Change [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Pipeline Assessment and Certification Program (PACP) was developed by the National Association of Sewer Service Companies, the industry-accepted protocol for condition rating sewer pipes in the US. The PACP method relies exclusively on visual inspections performed using closed-circuit television (CCTV), where certified operators observe existing structural and operation and maintenance (O&M) defects limitation of the PACP method is that it does not use pipe characteristics, depth, soil type, surface conditions, pipe criticality, and capacity, nor the distribution of structural defects or history of preventative maintenance to determine the condition rating of the sewer pipe segment. Therefore, this research addresses the limitations of the PACP with the development of a new wastewater pipe rating system known as the comprehensive rating (CR) system. The CR evaluation system is based on a commonly used decision-making approach known as the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) to analyze problems and issues. The new CR model incorporates pipe characteristics (age, corrosion, diameter, and shape), external characteristics (depth, soil type, traffic loading, waste type, seismic zone), and hydraulic characteristics (structural score, O&M score, and repair history). The results showed a below-average validity percentage because linear regression assumes a linear relationship between the input and output variables but the relationship between the response and the predictor is not linear.The CR methodology can be improved by increasing the number and variability of experts who evaluate the condition of existing sewer pipes, enhancing geospatial data for locational accuracy, and establishing evaluation standards for inspectors to minimize human error. More research is needed to determine a suitable nonlinear relation that can be used to model data from this new comprehensive rating system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of using biological oxidation for hydrogen sulfide (H2S) control. A long-term experiment was conducted using a rod-shaped electrode made of highly conductive concrete, which provided an electron pathway for H2S mitigation. Bacterial flora analysis was conducted using PCR-DGGE and metagenomic analysis by next-generation sequencing to identify electricity-producing bacteria. Results showed that H2S was effectively mitigated, and electricity-producing bacteria, including Geobacter sp. and Pelobacter sp., were found around the inner surface of the anode. The study found that highly conductive concrete can create an electron pathway for biological oxidation of H2S. Oxygen from the air layer near the surface of the water can act as an electron acceptor, even under anaerobic conditions, enabling effective H2S control in sewer systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lincolnshire lowlands owe their existence to a long-term programme of formal and informal drainage, by which the landscape has been managed since the Roman period. The public bodies that have held responsibility for this drainage, namely the Commissions of Sewers followed by the Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs) from 1930, are often perceived as solely aiming to remove water from the land as quickly as possible. Recent water management planning in Lincolnshire has begun to explore the idea of water retention, but, as this article will show, this is not a new idea. Far from keeping water out at all costs, Lincolnshire's drained, farmed landscape is a porous one, which has benefited from a long history of deliberate, managed flooding and small-scale sacrifice of valuable agricultural land to water. This is a lacuna which exists in both the academic literature, and in the stories people involved in the drainage boards tell about themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a distributed model predictive control algorithm including fuzzy negotiation among subsystems and a dynamic setpoint generation method, applied to a simulated sewerage network. The methodology considers WWTP as an additional objective of control. To improve the performance of a DMPC using a hydraulic model for prediction, a more detailed model has been considered including suspended solids concentration (TSS). The results obtained with the proposed methodology have been validated on a benchmark simulation model for sewer systems developed to test and compare methodologies, showing good performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In sewer pipes, haze caused by the humid environment seriously impairs the quality of closed‐circuit television (CCTV) images, which leads to poor performance of subsequent pipe defects detection. Meanwhile, the complexity of sewer images, such as steep depth change and extensive textureless regions, brings great challenges to the performance or application of general dehazing algorithms. Therefore, this study estimates sewer depth maps first with the help of the water–pipewall borderlines to produce the paired dehazing dataset. Then a structure‐aware nonlocal network (SANL‐Net) is proposed with the detected borderlines and the dehazing result as two supervisory signals. SANL‐Net shows its superiority over other state‐of‐the‐art approaches with 147 in mean square error (MSE), 27.28 in peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR), 0.8963 in structural similarity index measure (SSIM), and 15.47M in parameters. Also, the outstanding performance in real image dehazing implies the accuracy of depth estimation. Experimental results indicate that SANL‐Net significantly improves the performance of defects detection tasks, such as an increase of 23.16% in mean intersection over union (mIoU) for semantic segmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper assessed the effects of wastewater on socioeconomic activities of residents in Kano metropolis, Kano State, Nigeria. High population, poor drainage channels and lack of central wastewater sewerage and functional treatment plants have necessitated indiscriminate discharge of wastewater into the environment. Using Krejcie and Morgan (1970) table for determining sample size, a total of 384 population size was sampled and purposefully, systematically and randomly administered questionnaires in Likert Scale Format. Interviews were also conducted with stakeholders and community elders and direct filed observation for elucidation of the socioeconomic effects of wastewater. Results were presented in tables and charts and further expressed in strength of associations using Spearman rho statistics analysis. Findings show that 89.75% of respondents are of the view that wastewater from households and commercial areas is let loose into the environment and affects land-use as well as domestic activities. It also shows that 88.5% reported that wastewater affects the means of livelihood of residents and 92.19% opined that economic cost of construction of drainage channels, embankment and sandbags while 92.5% strongly and agreed that wastewater affects the health of the residents and causes different kinds of diseases. The study further shows that wastewater has effect on businesses and recreations while making some places inaccesible and affectng their economic activities. The study therefore recommends public enlightenment, strong legislations and enforcement of principle of polluter pays, attitudinal change and population decongestion, centralized sewerages system should be implemented among others should strictly be adhered to harness to encourage socioeconomic activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern sewage systems were once a cutting-edge innovation that transformed how people consumed water. This article examines a debate among a group of British engineers involved in a sewage system scheme in late nineteenth-century Cairo, when Egypt was under British colonial rule. Assessing the project's economic feasibility, the engineers came to different conclusions regarding the future users of the system and, by extension, future consumers of water. Reconstructing the debate sets up a dialogue between engineering and economics to show that engineers could be economists too. This debate represents a type of economic analysis that public works engineers pioneered in the mid-nineteenth century. The engineers reached novel conclusions by centering consumers as the foundation for calculating economic realities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to present structural and geotechnical design challenges of the flood relief project "Segundo Emisario del Arroyo Vega", part of Buenos Aires city hydraulic master plan. Works comprised the execution of an 8.4 km‐long tunnel for relief of the existing sewer network. Tunnel alignment develops in a highly populated area, with important interferences such as two metro lines, three railway lines and a main potable water tunnel. All tunnel sections extend mostly within firm, silty soils. Overburden varies between 15 and 25 m. The downstream section was executed with a 6.1 m‐diameter Earth pressure Balance Tunnel Boring Machine (EPB TBM) launched from a 35 m‐diameter shaft with water table pressures up to 200 kPa. Break‐in was performed across a watertight, plastic diaphragm wall cell, which allowed safe shaft wall manual demolition, resulting in a very safe TBM launch. The tunnel upstream section, 2.85 m in diameter, was executed using pipe jacking technology, with the peculiarity of using bidirectional launch shafts along its alignment. To allow water entrance from existing system – through flow diversion chambers – into the new relief tunnel, openings were made in the TBM tunnel, with connection areas of 4 to 7 m2. Its design was particularly challenging, given that unbolted segmental lining was used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital construction on building sites – application settings and improvement potential Digital construction, also known as Building Information Modeling (BIM), has the potential to revolutionize the way we plan, construct, and operate buildings and infrastructure. By using digital methods and tools, we can optimize processes and work more efficiently and cost‐effectively. This is not just limited to the planning and approval stages but can also be applied during the construction phase. At STRABAG, they have already begun to implement these techniques on their construction sites, resulting in improved processes and higher‐quality structures. In this article, the author will explore the practical applications of digital tools and methods in infrastructure construction. She will discuss the impact it has on the construction process and the preconditions needed for its successful implementation. One specific area to be delve into is the use of digital component tracking in sewer construction. The process of ordering, producing, delivering, and installing pipes and manholes is time‐consuming and requires a great deal of logistical planning. Digital component tracking simplifies these steps, making sewer construction more efficient and cost‐effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to water supply and sewerage networks are essential elements of basic sanitation, however, access to these networks is conditioned to exclusionary models and reflects an unequal way of reproducing space. There is a need to critically think about a political ecology that assesses the conditions of this supply and reveals the asymmetries in times marked by neoliberalism, which incorporates, from the new legal framework, new directions for sanitation policy in the country. Thus, the present text aims to present a critical view from the existing realities on the periphery of the outskirts of the metropolis of Rio de Janeiro - extracted from the segment of the Metropolitan Far West - given the current context of privatization (concession) of supply services and wastewater collection. Access data are used based on IBGE and SNIS and a cartography that explains the differences in access to such services in the Far West Metropolitan Fluminense, having its exemplification from the case of the city of Paracambi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although India declared itself "open defecation free" in 2019, critics charge that its national urban sanitation campaign, Swachh Bharat Mission–Urban (SBM-U), has failed. SBM-U provided community toilets in informal settlements where household latrines were unviable, delegating their upkeep to local governments and users. Initially, these community toilets were used. However, the failure to maintain and repair them resulted in a reversion to open defecation, forcing the state to reconsider its decision to withdraw after construction. We use the SBM-U to develop a framework of "sanitation citizenship", which emerges through sanitation infrastructure's use and disuse, and emerges over its life course. We trace how mutual expectations and everyday practices of citizenship by the state and users aligned and fractured during the construction, maintenance and repair phases of community toilets. We argue that the changing material condition of infrastructure is critical to negotiations over mutual obligations and definitions of the citizenship contract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of growing urbanization, sanitation in many cities is in acute crisis with severe social and environmental consequences. The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of sanitation for all by 2030 is increasingly elusive. Municipalities have been experimenting with a range of lower-cost sanitation solutions. Simplified Sewerage Systems (SSS) have emerged in different cities as one response, but with mixed results. This paper evaluates an SSS project in an informal settlement in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Drawing on a combination of a survey and focus group discussions, the paper examines the social and economic impacts of the SSS and identifies a set of key concerns for future urban sanitation interventions: affordability, maintenance and governance. We conclude by considering the implications for future research and practice on urban sanitation, including the limits of technology-based approaches and the necessity to focus on the diverse needs of residents in place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stretching periods between precipitations have been recorded, and an adjustment of the dispersion of rainfall over the long run could be seen. An expanded number of these peculiarities have additionally been affirmed by the international panel on climate change. Due to this adjustment of the reallocation of water and the effect of high urbanization, the sewerage frameworks are affected. The aim of the work was to compare simulations of the rain event on the combined sewer overflow due to the reduced water quality recorded in the Trnávka River. The current state and the proposed building modification were compared because the current hydraulic and construction modification of the combined sewer overflow is absolutely not corresponding to the environmental regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper contains an interpretation of selected industrial and environmental novels of the Positivism and Young Poland. Ideologies of the pieces are defined with the discourses of anthropocene and capitalocene. The dynamic development of capitalism in the second part of the 19th century found its expression in literature. Authors of Polish industrial and environmental novels--Artur Gruszecki, Stefan Żeromski, and Ignacy Maciejowski (Sewer)--represented various ideological stances. In their approach-es to the mechanisms of capitalist industry they most often criticised the economy based on misuse of working force, and on exploitation of nature (deposits of coal and petroleum). Gruszecki in his novels Krety (Moles) and Hutnik (Steelworker) as well as Żeromski in Ludzie bezdomni (Homeless People) disguised the capitalist logic, showing its destructive influence on a man and natural environment. The sharpest criticism of capitalocene and anthropocene is found in Żeromski's novel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computer vision in consideration of automated and robotic systems has come up as a steady and robust platform in sewer maintenance and cleaning tasks. The AI revolution has enhanced the ability of computer vision and is being used to detect problems with underground sewer pipes, such as blockages and damages. A large amount of appropriate, validated, and labeled imagery data is always a key requirement for learning AI-based detection models to generate the desired outcomes. In this paper, a new imagery dataset S-BIRD (Sewer-Blockages Imagery Recognition Dataset) is presented to draw attention to the predominant sewers' blockages issue caused by grease, plastic and tree roots. The need for the S-BIRD dataset and various parameters such as its strength, performance, consistency and feasibility have been considered and analyzed for real-time detection tasks. The YOLOX object detection model has been trained to prove the consistency and viability of the S-BIRD dataset. It also specified how the presented dataset will be used in an embedded vision-based robotic system to detect and remove sewer blockages in real-time. The outcomes of an individual survey conducted at a typical mid-size city in a developing country, Pune, India, give ground for the necessity of the presented work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fiber media filtration for combined sewer overflow (CSO) treatment was evaluated in this work. Pilot-scale experiments of CSO treatment involve seven layers that form radial-type fiber media filters. The fiber media filter was characterized using analysis techniques and exhibited extremely high hydrophobicity and negative charge. The results obtained for a sewer treatment plant at Tancheon in Seoul revealed potential for suspended solid, total organic carbon, and biochemical oxygen demand removal with efficiencies of 89.6%, 56%, and 42%, respectively. The results are consistent with the sieving effects and electrostatic repulsion between fiber media and pollutants. Head loss was induced by organic pollutants and was 10.5 cm after 20 h of operation. To mitigate the head loss induced by organic pollutants on the fiber media filter, sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) was used as a chemical backwashing agent. An NaClO concentration of 2000 mg/L with a soaking time of 24 h yielded an optimal head loss recovery of 96.2% of the initial head loss obtained for the virgin fiber media filter without media filter degradation. The result of the present study will provide practical insight and act as a technical guide for CSO treatment plant engineers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Definition: A sewer system is an important infrastructure of every settlement. A sewer system is a set of construction facilities used for the quick removal of wastewater from the humans' immediate environment and its transport to a wastewater treatment plant or direct discharge into an appropriate recipient. In order for the sewer system to perform its purpose properly, its proper maintenance is required. Maintenance of a sewer system is very demanding since the system is mostly underground which makes it difficult to be accessed and maintained. The maintenance of a sewer system can be preventive (regular) or corrective (reactive). The regular maintenance occurs at certain intervals, whereas the reactive maintenance occurs in the case of some unforeseen event. This paper presents the history of sewer systems, as well as basic and alternative types of sewer systems. Furthermore, challenges that arise during sewer system maintenance and difficulties that maintenance employees face in their work are presented in this paper, as well as the ways in which sewer systems are maintained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biogenic hydrogen sulfide is an odorous, toxic and corrosive gas released from sewage in sewers. To control sulfide generation and emission, nitrate is extensively applied in sewer systems for decades. However, the unexpected sulfide rebound after nitrate addition is being questioned in recent studies. Possible reasons for the sulfide rebounds have been studied, but the mechanism is still unclear, so the countermeasure is not yet proposed. In this study, a lab-scale sewer system was developed for investigating the unexpected sulfide rebounds via the traditional strategy of nitrate addition during 195-days of operation. It was observed that the sulfide pollution was even severe in a sewer receiving nitrate addition. The mechanism for the sulfide rebound can be differentiated into short-term and long-term effects based on the dominant contribution. The accumulation of intermediate elemental sulfur in biofilm resulted in a rapid sulfide rebound via the high-rate sulfur reduction after the depletion of nitrate in a short period. The presence of nitrate in sewer promoted the microorganism proliferation in biofilm, increased the biofilm thickness, re-shaped the microbial community and enhanced biological denitrification and sulfur production, which further weakened the effect of nitrate on sulfide control during the long-term operation. An optimized biofilm-initiated sewer process model demonstrated that neither the intermittent nitrate addition nor the continuous nitrate addition was a sustainable strategy for the sulfide control. To minimize the negative impact from sulfide rebounds, a (bi)monthly routine maintenance (e.g., hydraulic flushing with nitrate spike) to remove the proliferative microorganism in biofilm is necessary. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to analyse the nationwide data on sick leaves (SL) due to work-related musculoskeletal disorders among Slovenian workers in section E "water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities" from NACE Rev2 classification. We report both, SL frequency (ie, number of cases) and SL severity (ie, average SL duration), stratified by body region, gender, age and divisions within the section. In addition, trends in SL data (year 2015–2019 difference) were analyzed. Throughout the analysed years, ∼9,000 workers were employed in the section, with male to female ratio at ∼ 4:1. The major findings are as follows: (i) low back disorders were by far the most prevalent, however, the mean SL duration was the highest for lower limb disorders; (ii) older age was associated with increased SL frequency and duration, irrespective of gender; (iii) male gender was consistently associated with larger SL duration, while the data on SL frequency is inconclusive, as older females had more frequent SL than older males; (iv) the effect of division was relatively minor and the comparisons are limited due to large discrepancies regarding the number of workers across divisions; (v) a slight increasing trend for both SL frequency and duration was observed from 2015 to 2019. In conclusion, particular attention in terms of early diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders should be given to male workers and older workers in general in section E. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flows upstream of a run-of-river dam, commonly utilized as an overflow structure on rivers, are complex due to heterogeneities in both streamwise and spanwise directions. In particular, very-large-scale motions (VLSMs) are greatly influenced by the overflow structure, yet relevant understandings remain limited. Reported as novel coherent structures in turbulent flows, VLSMs are recognized with the scale up to several and tens of the outer-scaled unit, and they contribute significantly to turbulent transport and mixing. To fill the gap, experiments with particle image velocimetry were conducted to investigate the vitality of VLSMs upstream of a model dam. Measurements were designed to cover broad hydraulic scope with flow heterogeneities. The results reveal that VLSMs in the present flow scenario show noticeable characteristics in both streamwise and spanwise directions. Compared to those in uniform flows, the VLSMs in present flows are found to be more energetic and stress-active. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although flush toilets and sewerage are usually considered the height of comfort in 21st-century urban societies and the technical and sanitary culmination of human excreta management, they are increasingly being challenged for their environmental footprint and financial cost. Alternative management methods, broadly termed “source separation”, are being developed to address these issues. However, the widely shared belief in the absolute superiority of sewerage for public health is hindering the development of such systems. In this paper, we briefly re-examine the contribution to public health of sewerage as a means of managing human feces, in both its historical development and current implementation. We suggest that management of feces by sewerage is just one element among others in a systemic change, that it usually occurred much later than the others, and that the epidemiological transition usually attributed to sewerage only was, as a matter of fact, strongly supported by associated improvements in drinking water, health care, hygiene practices and good nutrition. We show that risk control in sewered cities is not based on a barrier between human feces and the environment (what we might call sanitation), but on barriers between a contaminated environment and the different uses of water. We call for a more comprehensive analysis of the effects of sewerage on public health, in present times and historically, not only at the scale of a city but at the broader scale of all impacted communities. We also call for a comparison of these effects with those of other sanitation systems that have much lower environmental footprint.

Reviewing the experience in construction and operation of sewerage networks in areas with deep seasonal ground freezing across different regions of the Russian Federation. Methods: analyzing the sewer pipeline laying, in-situ observations of wastewater temperature regime at sewer outlets from residential buildings. Results: designs of sewer pipelines laid in different regions are presented, as well as their dependence on the depth of seasonal ground freezing in different regions of the Russian Federation. The actual values of sewage water temperature at sewage outlets from residential buildings are established. Practical significance: In a number of regions the laying of sewerage pipes at a depth of 1.5-1.8 m led to normal and stable operation of sewerage pipelines. In terms of capital expenditures, sewer pipelines account for more than 50% of the estimated cost of the entire wastewater disposal system. Their operation claims a significant share of the costs.

This article discusses the results of a scientific research work on the use of various types of small wastewater treatment plants for objects of various purposes in conditions of periodic use. The study was carried out on model and real wastewater with subsequent refinement of the characteristics using the calculation methods of the DWA standard.The results of the operation of laboratory facilities operated in the restart mode after a certain time are presented. As a result, the duration of restoration of the operating mode under periodic operating mode was considered for each plant under study and the effectiveness of biological wastewater treatment was determined. More promising technological solutions for small wastewater treatment plants under intermittent use conditions have been identified. According to the sum of the characteristics, the operation of the flooded biofilter system, which is capable of entering the operating mode within 5 days after a long shutdown, is highlighted. These technologies are recommended for use in resort areas and hotels.

This article addresses the issue of environmental safety as well as the quality of drinking water and wastewater treatment. The problem of supplying clean water and sewage of settlements and cities of the Kyrgyz Republic is raised. Anthropogenic pollution of natural waters. Inadequate wastewater treatment and unsatisfactory condition of sewage treatment plants. This state of affairs in the water supply and sanitation system of the Kyrgyz Republic requires the development and implementation of new advanced technologies for the treatment of natural and waste waters. Also, the results of this article are aimed at the relevance of scientific research in the treatment of natural and wastewater in the Kyrgyz Republic. Creation and development of innovative technologies, optimization of pumps and pumping units in order to save energy, water treatment, wastewater and collector-drainage water treatment, creation of closed water use systems