The technology of subsurface soil water retention (SWRT) uses a polyethylene trough that is fixed under the root zone of the plant. It is a modern technology to increase the values of water use efficiency, plant productivity and saving irrigation water by applying as little irrigation water as possible. This study work aims at improving the crop yield and water use efficiency of a cucumber plant with less applied irrigation water by installing membrane trough below the soil surface. The field experiment was conducted in the Hawr Rajab District of Baghdad Governorate in Winter 2018 for testing various trickle irrigation systems. Two agricultural treatment plots were utilized in a greenhouse for the comparison. Plot T1 has used a subsurface trickle irrigation together with membrane trough. Plot T2 has used only surface trickle irrigation system without using SWRT. The total area of the plots T1and T2 was 13.2 m2 and 6.66 m2, respectively. The obtained results of the study confirmed that the plot T1 satisfies values greater than plot T2 in terms of crop yield, field water use efficiency and in saving the applied irrigation water. The increase rate of field water use efficiency and crop yield in plot T1 compared with plot T2 was 103 %, and 24 %, respectively. Additionally, the increase rate in saving the applied irrigation water in plot T1 comparing with plot T2 was 64 %. The installation of the membrane trough below the plant’s root zone together with subsurface trickle irrigation system assisted in keeping the water, nutrients, and fertilizers during the root zone profile, improving the field water use efficiency and then the parameter of water productivity.
Sediment samples were collected from main water processing and supply plants in Baghdad, and tested for radioactivity from both natural and artificial sources. These stations are: East Dijla (Tigris), Al-Kadisia, Al-Karama, Al-Rasheed, Al-Sader, Al-Wathba, and Al-Wihda supply stations. Qualitative measurements were made, and the results showed that most sediments exhibited natural radioactive level and sometimes less than the international regular standards. Specially, K-40 and Ra-226 results were much less than the standards for radioactive concentrations. Ac-228 concentration was found rather than Th-232 (in Al-Sader and Al-Wihda samples) but with low concentrations of about 10-15 Bg/kg and detection confidence ~45% , and Ce-141 and Be
... Show MoreTwo different polyvinyl alcohol/polyvinyl chloride (PVA/PVC) hollow fiber composite nanofiltration membranes were prepared after PVC hollow fiber membranes were coated using dip-coating method with PVA aqueous solution, which was composed of PVA, fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether (AEO9), and water [PVA/AEO9/water (4:0.5:95.5) wt%]. Effect of two different PVC hollow fiber immersion times in coating solution were studied. Cross-section, internal and external surfaces of the PVC hollow fibers and PVA/PVC composite nanofiltration membranes structures were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), pure water permeation flux and solutes rejection. It was found that, the coating layer thickness on the outer surface of the 19 wt% P
... Show MoreThe present work reports the performance of three types of polyethersulfone (PES) membrane in the removal of highly polluting and toxic lead Pb2+ and cadmium Cd2+ ions from a single salt. This study investigated the effect of operating variables, including pH, types of PES membrane, and feed concentration, on the separation process. The transport parameters and mass transfer coefficient (k) of the membranes were estimated using the combined film theory-solution-diffusion (CFSD), combined film theory-Spiegler-Kedem (CFSK), and combined film theory-finely-porous (CFFP) membrane transport models. Various parameters were used to estimate the enrichment factors, concentration polarization modulus, and Péclet number. The pH values signif
... Show MoreThe Disi water samples were collected from different Disi aquifer wells in Jordan using a clean polyethylene container of 10-liter size. A hyper-pure germanium (HPGe) detector with high- resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy and a low background counting system was used for the identification of unknown gamma-rays emitting from radionuclides in the environmental samples. The ranges of specific activity concentrations of 226Ra and 228Ra in the Disi aquifer water were found to be from 0.302 ± 0.085 to 0.723 ± 0.207 and from 0.047 ± 0.010 to 0.525 ± 0.138 Bq L−1, with average values of 0.516 ± 0.090 and 0.287 ± 0.091 Bq L−1, respectively. The average combined radium (226Ra + 228Ra) activity and radium activity ratio (228Ra/226Ra) in Disi
... Show Morethe study covered theoretical concering parial molal volume the applicability of jones-dole equation
Jet grouting is one of the most widely applied soil improvement techniques. It is suitable for most geotechnical problems, including improving bearing capacity, decreasing settlement, forming seals, and stabilizing slopes. One of the difficulties faced by designers is determining the strength and geometry of elements created using this method. Jet grouted soil-cement columns in soil are a complicated issue because they are dependent on a number of parameters such as soil type, grout and water flow rate, rotation and lifting speed of monitor, nozzle jetting force, and water to cement ratio of slurry. This paper discusses the effect of the water-cement ratio on the physical and mechanical characteristics of soilcrete. In t
... Show MoreSafe drinking water is essential for the present and future generations' health. This study aims to assess drinking water quality in Baghdad's Al-Rusafa neighborhood. Water samples were taken from 32 neighborhoods on this side. The quality of the examined potable water samples differed depending on the water source. This investigation's pH, chlorine, EC, TDS, TSS, Cd, and Pb levels were below acceptable ranges. TDS levels in Al-Mada'in are more significant than acceptable (>600ppm) water levels. Bacteria have polluted six communities (Shigella, Salmonella, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella). Bacterial quality of drinking water and gram-negative bacteria resistant to chlorine in Baghdad's municipal water supply. Regarding pH, the w
... Show MoreUnsaturated soil can raise many geotechnical problems upon wetting and drying resulting in swelling upon wetting and collapsing (shrinkage) in drying and changing in the soil shear strength. The classical principles of saturated soil are often not suitable in explaining these phenomena. In this study, expansive soil (bentonite and sand) were tested in different water contents and dry unit weight chosen from the compaction curve to examine the effect of water content change on soil properties (swelling pressure, expansion index, shear strength (soil cohesion) and soil suction by the filter paper method). The physical properties of these soils were studied by conducting series of tests in laboratory. Fitting methods
... Show MoreThe alteration in the hydrological regime in Iraq and the anthropogenic increasing effect on water quality of a lotic ecosystems needs to continuous monitoring. This work is done to assess the water quality of Tigris River within Baghdad City. Five sites were selected along the river and ten physicochemical parameters and Overall Index of Pollution (OIP) were applied to assess the water quality for the period between November 2020 and May 2021, the studied period were divided into dry and wet seasons. These parameters were water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), biological oxygen demand (BOD), total hardness, alkalinity, turbidity, total phosphorus, total nitrogen, electrical co