In this paper, there was studied correlation of dielectric predictions for moist soils with the measured values, regarding the well known and prevalent in common usage semiempirical mixing dielectric model (SMDM) proposed by M. C. Dobson et al., on the one hand, and the generalized refractive mixing dielectric model (GRMDM) proposed by V. L. Mironov et al., on the other hand. The analysis is ba...

The dielectric properties of molecular layers of water bound to solid surfaces or to macromolecules are substantially different than those of free water. Consequently, determination of moisture content from dielectric properties of porous mixtures, such as soils and rocks having moderate to substantial surface area and cereal grains, is affected by the amount and energy state of bound water. We...

In order to determine the mechanisms involved in the persistence of extracellular DNA in soils and to monitor whether bacterial transformation could occur in such an environment, we developed artificial models composed of plasmid DNA adsorbed on clay particles. We determined that clay-bound DNA submitted to an increasing range of nuclease concentrations was physically protected. The protection ...

The effect of clay content on the electrical response of steamflooded geologic material is studied using a combination of laboratory experiments and numerical simulations. The presence of clay can increase the conductivity of a steam zone by providing a surface conduction path that is enhanced strongly by temperature increases. Clay also increases the residual water saturation in a steam zone, ...

BACKGROUND Nowadays significant attention is to nanocomposite compounds in water cleaning. In this article the synthesis and characterization of conductive polyaniline/clay (PANI/clay) as a hybrid nanocomposite with extended chain conformation and its application for water purification are presented. METHODS Clay samples were obtained from the central plain of Abhar region, Abhar, Zanjan Prov...

The goal of this study is to investigate and develop a cost-effective procedure for the treatment of contaminated water by sorption technology using an Omani clay mineral. Attapulgite (Palygorskite) is a clay mineral that exists in the Sultanate of Oman in huge reserves in two deposits in the southern part of Oman. In this paper, we present our first findings about this important clay in the re...

The exploitation of thermal water as a heat source in houses and apartments (during winter) is a widely used alternative to natural gas. However, this type of water may contain organic contaminants, which must be removed before releasing the used water into rivers and lakes. Because of the presence of a wide range of pollutants (including phenolic compounds and humates), efficient, cheap remova...

Schistosoma mansoni cercariae were removed from clear and turbid water by flocculation with Sudanese bentonite clays, with Moringa oleifera seeds as well as with pure bentonite. The flocculation technique employed corresponds to that used to clarify Nile water in Sudanese villages. Moringa seeds, pure bentonite and one type of bentonite clay were able to reduce the number of cercariae by more t...

Expansive soils owe their characteristics to the presence of swelling clay minerals. As they get wet, the clay minerals absorb water molecules and expand; conversely, as they dry they shrink, leaving large voids in the soil. Swelling clays can control the behavior of virtually any type of soil if the percentage of clay is more than about 5 percent by weight. Soils with smectite clay minerals, s...