• Energy Research

Climate change, urbanization and subsequent environmental changes are depleting freshwater resources around the globe. The reuse of domestic, industrial and agricultural wastewater is an alternative approach to freshwater that can be used for irrigation purposes. However, these wastewaters may contain hazardous and toxic elements, such as heavy metals that are hazardous for human health and the environment. Therefore, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the concentration of macro, micro and heavy metals in cucumber irrigated with different resources (tap water, greywater, dairy water and wastewater). The results showed that the use of different irrigation resources has increased the level of macro (sodium (Na), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg)), microelements (zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn)), and heavy metals (copper (Cu), barium (Ba), lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd)) in cucumber leaves and fruits. However, their levels were in the range that is safe for human health and the environment was as recommended by FAO maximum values of trace elements (Zn, 2.0; Fe 1.0; Mn, 0.2; Cu, 0.2; Pb, 5.0, and Cd, 0.01 mgL−1). Based on observations, it was also revealed that among different irrigation resources, the use of dairy water in cucumber improved its agronomic attributes and maximum plant yield (1191.02 g), while the different irrigation resources showed a non-significant impact on fruit diameter. However, total soluble solid contents (TSS) were more significant in cucumber fruits treated with wastewater (2.26 °brix) followed by dairy water (2.06 °brix), while the least TSS contents (1.57 °brix) were observed in cucumber plants treated with tap water. The significance of non-conventional irrigation water use in agriculture, particularly greenhouse cucumber (Cucumis sativus) production, is discussed.

Most oil wells eventually produce some quantity of reservoir brine (formation water) over their lifetime. Increased water production is usually indicated by a significant increase in the water to oil ratio (WOR) of the well. As the WOR of well increases, it causes costly added water handling, it reduces efficiency of the depletion mechanism, the afflicted well may be abandoned early, there can be loss of the total field overall recovery, and because reservoir brine (formation water) is corrosive its disposal becomes expensive. In this work, a simple Arrhenius type function is presented for estimation of reservoir brine (formation water) properties for temperatures above 30°C and salt contents between 5% and 25% by mass. An Arrhenius type function has been selected because it is easier than existing approaches, less complicated with fewer computations, and suitable for engineers. These expressions can then be incorporated into further calculations that require predictions of reservoir brine (formation wate...