Removal of polar organic micropollutants by pilot-scale reverse osmosis drinking water treatment

The robustness of reverse osmosis (RO) against polar organic micropollutants (MPs) was investigated in pilot-scale drinking water treatment. Experiments were carried in hypoxic conditions to treat a raw anaerobic riverbank filtrate spiked with a mixture of thirty model compounds. The chemicals were selected from scientific literature data based on their relevance for the quality of freshwater systems, RO permeate and drinking water. MPs passage and the influence of permeate flux were evaluated with a typical low-pressure RO membrane and quantified by liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry. A strong inverse correlation between size and passage of neutral hydrophilic compounds was observed. This correlation was weaker for moderately hydrophobic MPs. Anionic MPs displayed nearly no passage due to electrostatic repulsion with the negatively charged membrane surface, whereas breakthrough of small cationic MPs could be observed. The passage figures observed for the investigated set of MPs ranged from less than 1%-25%. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between physicochemical properties and passage. The effects of permeate flux were more pronounced for small neutral MPs, which displayed a higher passage after a pressure drop

Micro-coagulation effects on direct ultrafiltration of challenging raw river water

Background The feasibility and competitiveness of substituting the conventional pre-treatment of drinking water treatment plants (dioxichlorination, coagulation/flocculation, settling, sand filtration) by raw river water direct ultrafiltration (UF) was addressed. Results A full scale UF module was operated continuously for 2 years, treating highly variable surface water. The sustainable hydraulic conditions leading to a greater water yield from the direct UF treatment scheme under different scenarios were defined. Summer periods enabled the attainment of higher filtration fluxes, although raw river water showed greater turbidity and total suspended solids content. Winter periods presented higher dissolved organic carbon concentration, with greater biopolymers content, which have been claimed as main membrane foulants. A preliminary micro-coagulation of FeCl3 (<1.5 mg Fe(III) L-1) enabled supporting harsher hydraulic conditions and thus, implementing similar conditions throughout the year. Impacts of micro-coagulation were more pronounced on filtration, particularly in winter, but a positive effect was also noticed in hydraulic and chemical cleaning stages, increasing the efficiency of the former and decreasing by half the frequency of the latter. Conclusion Direct UF proved to be competitive with the current conventional pre-treatment, leading to a significant reduction in reagents needs and sludge production and an increased and more stable product water quality. © 2016 Society of Chemical IndustryPeer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Die Dritte Welt in den niederländischen Schulbüchern

Die Dritte Welt erfreut sich in den Niederlanden einer beachtlichen Aufmerksamkeit. Neben einem Ministerium für Entwicklungszusammenarbeit gibt es eine aktive Dritte-Welt-Bewegung, die sich u.a. mit einem Netz Dritte-Welt-Läden und diverser Periodika zum Thema Dritte Welt darstellt; ferner existiert es ein großes Angebot an ergänzendem Unterrichtsmaterial. Es ist hierbei wichtig, zu untersuchen, inwieweit das Thema die Öffentlichkeit berührt und welche Bedeutung die Dritte Welt für die Mehrheit der Bevölkerung hat. Der Inhalt der Schulbücher gibt darüber Auskunft. Dabei ist notwendig, einen Blick in die Schulbücher der fernen und nahen Vergangenheit zu werfen. Dabei zeigt sich, daß die zunehmende Bedeutung der Dritten Welt sich auch in den Schulbüchern widerspiegelt. Für den Verfasser dieses Artikels sind vor allem die Bücher für die Unterstufe wichtig, da diese alle Schüler erreichen. (DIPF/Orig.

Hvorfor slutter personellkategorien løytnant/kaptein i Luftforsvarets fagfelt Kommando & Kontroll?

Gjennom 17 år i Luftforsvarets fagfelt Kommando & Kontroll (LKK), har utfordringen med å beholde krigsskoleutdannet personell, særlig i aldersgruppen 27–35 år, vært gjennomgående. Denne masteroppgaven undersøker årsakene til at løytnanter og kapteiner i LKK velger å forlate stillingene sine, med problemstillingen: "Hvorfor slutter personellkategorien løytnant/kaptein i LKK?" Studien har Herzbergs to-faktor teori som rammeverk, og utforsker faktorer som manglende karrieremuligheter, misvisende forventninger før utdanning, faglige utfordringer og balanse mellom jobb og fritid. I tillegg undersøkes hvilke faktorer har bidratt til at personellet velger å bli værende etter plikttiden etter Luftkrigsskolen, og hvilke tiltak som kan forlenge stå-tiden. I tillegg har jeg, uten å gjøre en dyptgående dokumentanalyse, utforsket om det finnes en korrelasjon mellom årsaker til avgang i LKK og årsaker rapportert i Forsvarets Forskningsinstitutts (FFI) rapporter om hvorfor personell forlater Forsvaret generelt. Formålet er å identifisere om det er et mønster eller samsvar mellom de kvalitative funnene i min studie og de kvantitative dataene fra FFI. Både FFI- og LKK-analysen identifiserer manglende karrieremuligheter som en hovedårsak til at personell slutter. Lønn ble også fremhevet i begge analysene, hvor lav grunnlønn og ikke pensjonsgivende tillegg bidro til frustrasjon. Begge analysene pekte også på arbeid-fritid balanse som en viktig hygienefaktor, særlig for personell med familier. LKK-analysen la større vekt på dårlige arbeidsforhold og dårlig vedlikehold, noe som skapte misnøye. Anerkjennelse ble også fremhevet som en sentral motivasjonsfaktor i LKK, der operativt arbeid ofte ble verdsatt mer enn administrativt arbeid. Dette var mindre fremtredende i FFI-analysen. Analysen viser at Herzbergs to-faktorteori ikke skiller klart mellom motivasjons- og hygienefaktorer i denne konteksten. Fravær av motivasjonsfaktorer som karriereutvikling, som vanligvis ikke skaper misnøye, førte til betydelig frustrasjon blant respondentene. Samtidig bidro tilfredsstillelse av hygienefaktorer som arbeidsmiljø og geografisk fleksibilitet ikke bare til å fjerne misnøye, men også til økt motivasjon. Dette antyder at faktorene kan bytte roller basert på kontekst og forventninger, særlig i LKK der høye forventninger til enkelte hygienefaktorer økte deres betydning for motivasjon. Gjennom de kvalitative intervjuene kom det frem at motivasjonsfaktorer som karrieremuligheter, støtte fra leder, og arbeid-fritid balanse var avgjørende for å øke jobbtilfredsheten og tilknytningen til stillingen. Samtidig har hygienefaktorer som lønn, geografisk lokasjon, arbeidsforhold og stabilitet vist seg å være nødvendige for å forhindre misnøye. For å fremme ståtid blant personell i løytnant/kaptein kategorien er det derfor nødvendig å styrke motivasjonsfaktorene, samtidig som hygienefaktorene opprettholdes på et høyt nivå for å sikre et tilfredsstillende arbeidsmiljø.Over 17 years in the Royal Norwegian Air Force's Command & Control (LKK) field, the challenge of retaining officer school graduates, particularly those aged 27–35, has been a persistent issue. This master's thesis investigates the reasons why lieutenants and captains in LKK choose to leave their positions, addressing the research question: "Why do lieutenants and captains in LKK resign?" The study employs Herzberg's two-factor theory as its framework and explores factors such as limited career opportunities, misleading expectations prior to education, professional challenges, and work life balance. It also examines what factors have encouraged personnel to remain beyond their obligated service time after officer school and identifies potential measures to extend retention. Additionally, without conducting an in-depth document analysis, I have investigated whether there is a correlation between the reasons for leaving in LKK and those reported in the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment's (FFI) reports on why personnel leave the Armed Forces in general. The aim is to identify patterns or similarities between the qualitative findings of this study and the quantitative data from FFI. Both the FFI and LKK analyses highlight limited career opportunities as a primary reason for personnel resigning. Low base salaries and non-pensionable allowances also emerged as sources of frustration in both analyses. Work-life balance was identified as a crucial hygiene factor, especially for personnel with families. The LKK analysis placed greater emphasis on poor working conditions and inadequate maintenance, which caused dissatisfaction. Recognition was also highlighted as a key motivational factor in LKK, where operational work was often valued more than administrative tasks, a less prominent issue in the FFI analysis. The analysis reveals that Herzberg's two-factor theory does not clearly distinguish between motivational and hygiene factors in this context. The absence of motivational factors, such as career development—which typically does not cause dissatisfaction—led to significant frustration among respondents. Meanwhile, the fulfillment of hygiene factors, such as work environment and geographic flexibility, not only eliminated dissatisfaction but also increased motivation. This suggests that these factors can interchange roles depending on context and expectations, particularly in LKK, where high expectations for specific hygiene factors amplified their motivational importance. The qualitative interviews revealed that motivational factors such as career opportunities, managerial support, and work-life balance were crucial for enhancing job satisfaction and attachment to the role. At the same time, hygiene factors such as salary, geographic location, working conditions, and stability proved necessary for preventing dissatisfaction. To promote retention among lieutenants and captains, it is essential to strengthen motivational factors while maintaining hygiene factors at a high level to ensure a satisfactory working environmen