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Item Open Access Chemical fingerprint database of bioaerosols(Cranfield University, 2017-04-21 11:08) Garcia Alcega, Sonia; Coulon, Frederic; Tyrrel, SeanThe impact of emissions from urban, agricultural and industrial scenarios on local air quality is of growing policy concern. Deleterious health effects can arise following exposure to infective microbes and the exposure risk to bioaerosols are difficult to quantify in real time. Current monitoring methods are labour intensive and a standardised protocol does not exist yet. Additionally, capturing sufficient amounts of material to generate distinguishable and reproducible patterns for bioaerosols identification and classification is still difficult. To overcome the inherent limitations of culturing, chemical fingerprint analysis of microbial biomarkers such as phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) and microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) is proposed. Different air samples collection devices are currently being tested (Coriolis, Tenax® cartridges and polycarbonate filters) and each method will be evaluated depending on the complexity of the sampling, laboratory procedure, compounds identified and the limit of detection of the equipment.Item Open Access Sustainable reuse of oil wastewater for irrigation in drylands(Cranfield University, 2018-10-22 10:11) Echchelh, Alban3 Minute Thesis presented at the Cranfield Doctoral Network Annual Event 2018.The oil and gas industry generates significant volumes of wastewater termed 'produced water'. Produced water is usually managed through disposal and discharging techniques which are environmentally and economically costly. A significant share of oil and gas production takes place in water-scarce drylands. Produced water reuse for irrigation offers an alternative to current disposal practices while providing water to farming in drylands. However, the quality of produced water is a limiting factor for the reuse in irrigation as it can lead to soil degradation. The aim of this research is to find out the environmental conditions that determine the level of sustainability of irrigation with produced water in dry areas. A modelling framework combining irrigation simulations with a cost analysis was developed. A soil-water model is used to simulate irrigation in different environments occurring in drylands to assess the impact of irrigation with produced water. Mitigation techniques improving the level of sustainability are also simulated and their costs calculated and compared to conventional disposal techniques. Finally, the framework was applied in a case study to find out the most sustainable irrigation strategies for long-term produced water reuse in a hyper-arid desert. The research revealed that irrigation sustainability mainly depends on produced water quality, soil type and climate aridity. Mitigation strategies such as produced water blending, desalination and soil amendments improve irrigation sustainability at a competitive cost compared to conventional disposal practices. This research identified the boundaries of irrigation sustainability. The modelling framework developed could be used as a decision support tool for stakeholders involved in projects of produced water reuse in irrigation.Item Open Access Trade-offs and reconciling competing demands for water - integrating agriculture into a robust decision-making framework (data)(Cranfield University, 2018-02-22 10:55) Knox, Jerry; Hess, Tim; Morris, Joe; Haro, DavidSupporting information for paper from Anglian Water funded Water Resources East projectItem Open Access What makes us good inventors?(Cranfield University, 2018-10-22 10:37) Kentrotis, Konstantinos3 Minute Thesis presented at the Cranfield Doctoral Network Annual Event 2018.Contemporary western-style toilets require a large quantity of clean water and an integrated sewage system to operate, but 2.3 billion people remain without access to improved sanitation. For this part of the globe’s population, a waterless and energy-neutral toilet would constitute a solution with high potential. An important piece of this toilet is a technology which dewaters and dries human faeces so that it can be further processed by the system. At the moment, such a technology with low requirements in terms of size, energy and power demands does not exist. This research work concerns the design and development of a technology, which aims at filling this gap. It also deals with the analysis and dissemination of any insights that derived throughout the invention process. These insights can constitute a significant contribution to knowledge for the design community and the concerned development teams, as most of the data of similar nature remain anecdotal or lack of systematic description and explanation. The first part of the PhD focuses on the design, development and testing of a novel drying technology ('dryer') for in situ, small-scale faecal sludge treatment. The contribution to knowledge of this first part lies on a novel technology (patent pending) of significant value to the operation of the Nano membrane toilet. The second part of the research aims at providing a better understanding of the cognitive processes behind design and scientific discoveries, relying on modern design theory and using the development of the dryer as a case study. More precisely, the invention described in the first part is classified using contemporary design theory and the findings are then linked to other patented designs. The third and last part of the research concerns the design and execution of the first 'Generativity test', which aims at the identification of important characteristics regarding a certain design technique which has been found to be present at many patented technologies, including the dryer. In summary, the research gaps that this work aspires to fill is the lack of suitable drying technology for a waterless and energy-neutral toilet and the lack of theoretical framework to better understand and describe how design can complement science when developing breakthrough innovations.