Iraqi Journal of Science and Technology

The increases or accumulation of aluminum ion (Al) in treated water resulted in problems for human health such as damaging brain cells which causing Alzheimer disease, therefore, most international states have attempted to find coagulants that extracted from friendly natural sources as an alternative coagulant of aluminum. This study comprised using extracted plant of orange peels, Leucaena seeds, Luffa fruit, Conocarpus and Malva leaves in water purification by finding optimum conditions such as coagulant dose, pH to obtain best efficiency through water treatment, these coagulants also were used in cooperation with coagulant for aluminum. Results indicated that the best concentration of coagulants were between 40-60 ppm, these coagulants also gave highest percent of water turbidity removal as suspended clay particles at pH 5, 9, 10, 8 and 10 respectively, the orange peels achieved the maximum significance of turbidity removal compared with others coagulants that attained 83.9%, so the optimal dose of orange peels with half of aluminum dose gave water turbidity removal percent near to aluminum activity to reduce aluminum dose that required in water treatment.

This research aims to study the spectral signature in the regions of the electromagnetic spectrum by using a Spectroradiometer device type FieldSpec3 which produced by American ASD company. Spectroradiometer device was designed to work in ranges similar and close to those ranges adopted by the satellite images. The FieldSpec3 Spectroradiometer device designed to work within ranges (the visible region, near infrared, shortwave infrared 1, shortwave infrared 2). Through this study the Spectroradiometer device will be used to measure the spectral signatures of some of landmarks that represent the major varieties of land cover (e.g., soil, vegetation, cement, asphalt, water). This study showed that many of features of land surface in this research can be recognized depend on its spectral characteristics such as in case of recognition between concrete and asphalt etc. Thus, using spectral curves behavior by Spectroradiometer device need to understand the spectral characteristics of features.

The experiment was conducted to study the effect of growth regulators BA, K, IAA, and NAA at a concentration 5 mg L-1 for each of them on the ability of plantlets with / without shoot tip for two potato cultivars (Emma and Buree) to tuber formation. The numbers of microtubers (Tuber/ Jar), diameter and weight were calculated after incubated at 16-18 ºC with dark for 90 days. The results showed that the significant effect of shoot tip on the production of microtubers, which was reflected in the phenotypic characteristics of the microtubers. Plantlets with shoot tip of Emma cultivar cultured in medium at 5mgL-1 NAA significant superior in the number, diameter, and weight of microtubers (3.50 Microtuber Plantlets-1, 0.77 cm, and 0.66 g Respectively), compared with plantlets without shoot tip of the same cultivar which gave the lowest number of microtubers, diameter and weight (0.58 Microtuber Plantlets -1, 0.17 cm and 0.05 g Respectively) when cultured at 5 mg l-1 BA.

There are many technologies related to clean up various petroleum hydrocarbons. The biological method is one of the efficient and economical methods that depend on the ability of microbes to consume hydrocarbons as sources of carbon. The purpose of this study was to explore and define the efficiency of the fungi Aspergillus niger to degrade aliphatic fraction. Two strains of fungal isolation were used, the first one isolated from soil polluted with hydrocarbon for a long time and the other one isolated from soil polluted with hydrocarbon for short time. Soil of Basrah well represents the long-time exposure hydrocarbon-pollutants and soil of Dora refinery represents the short time exposure hydrocarbon-pollutants. The results show that there was a direct correlation between the efficiency of degradation and fungal-time exposure to the hydrocarbon-pollutants. It was shown that the efficiency of fungal degradation of Basrah was more than that the efficiency of fungal degradation of Dora. Another study was carried depended on the comparison of biodegradation of aliphatic alone and within the complex of hydrocarbons (Crude Oil). GC technique was used to evaluate the biodegradation by study of carbon distribution and the fractions abundance.

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is a geophysical technology primarily designed for underground scanning. Provides a 2D and 3D image to identify buried objects. The detection of the soil layer is complicated by the multiple reflections and high attenuation of electromagnetic waves propagating in the soil. This research has been conducted by choosing different sites. Three antennas (250, 500 and1000) MHZ were used to achieve the survey process, many parameters such as (Point Intervals, Sampling Frequency and Electromagnetic Velocity) were used to get the best data. After data acquisition, the recognition and interpretation of each resultant image has been performed using different image processing software such as (RAD Explorer and Ground Vision2). Where the response and the shape of each buried object can be shown by implementing different filters with the most effective ones (Background Removal and Band Pass) as well as the soil and the buried objects layers have been obtained using GPR program.

The current system is the grid-tied PV solar system. CIGS is the thin film technology (Second Generation). The acronym of CIGS PV solar module comes from: Copper Indium Gallium Selenide. The system which is simulated to find the performance, optimum tilt and orientation angles is 5 kWp CIGS PV Solar system installed at al Mansour Company, Iraq-Baghdad (Latitude 33.3 º N, Longitude 44.4 º E and 34 meters above the Sea level). In this work is determined the amount of electrical energy generated, solar irradiation and performance ratio by PVsyst simulation program through changing the orientation (Azimuth Angle) toward the East, West and South. The optimum tilt angles and performance ratio (PR) when the monthly adjustment is used are (45º-55º) and 87.5% respectively for January, February, November and December, while (30º-33º) and 84.5% respectively for the march, April, September and October, (0º-15º) and 80.8% respectively for May, June, July and august. The optimum tilt angles when the seasonal adjustment is used are 15o for the summer season and 45º for the winter season. In the terms of the optimum fixed angle throughout the year, the optimum fixed tilt angle is 30º. The optimum azimuth angle is (0) where the loss/opt is zero.

Extreme climate conditions represent one of the main challenges in arid and semi-arid regions. Water harvesting applications in various regions of the world have shown a tangible effect in reducing the impact of these climatic changes. The study area is exposed to such circumstances over the years. Wadi Sarkhar watershed-Wasit Governorate / Iraq, represents a transboundary watershed between Iraq and Iran, with an area estimated at 1134 square kilometers, and an elevation ranging between 1501 meters within the mountainous region in Iran and 14 meter in areas of drainage in the Hor Ash Shwaicha. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was used for watershed delineation and assessing the water balance elements. The initial assessment of the suitability of the area for the establishment of water harvesting projects indicated its suitability to implement several forms of water harvesting systems, especially in the Iraqi part in terms of the slope that ranged between 0-2% in most of this part, as well as the quantity and the amount of rain reached 174.1 mm annually. Floodwater and macro- catchments water harvesting Systems showed greater compatibility with the area conditions compared to Rainwater and Micro-catchment water harvesting systems. Some Rainwater harvesting systems may be more preferable for implementation due to their low cost, ease of application at the individual level, with the advantage of combining the catchment area and the application area in the same place.