Common Water Issues

A magnitude 5.8 (Mw) earthquake occurred at 1:51 pm EDT (17:51 UTC) on August 23, 2011, at a depth of about 3.7 miles (6 kilometers) beneath the town of Mineral, Virginia, located approximately 27 miles (45 kilometers) east of Charlottesville. The event is among the largest earthquakes recorded in the eastern United States.

For the past 50 years, the USGS has been conducting research in the San Francisco Bay and Delta, California and beyond. This research would not have been possible without the Research Vessel (R/V) Polaris. Many scientists who have been fortunate to work on the Polaris have come and gone, but the Polaris sailed from the South San Francisco Bay continuously from 1968 until her retirement in 2015.

An evaporation sleeve is placed within a solar distillation loop apparatus to increase the amount of water evaporated by the apparatus. (Full details provided by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website.)

A solar distillation loop apparatus includes a first pipe section disposed on a ground surface, the first pipe section including a substantially straight portion and elevated portions on each end of the substantially straight portion, an impure water inflow coupling and an impure water outflow coupling. (Full details provided by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website.)

Methyl halide contaminants are oxidized in a reaction chamber containing a methylotrophic bacterium through direct oxidation of the methyl halide contaminant. (Full details provided by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website.)

A method for treating nitrate-contaminated water comprising treating said water with hydrogen-oxidizing denitrifying bacteria in the presence of hydrogen. (Full details provided by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website.)

A matrix for water decontamination has an amended sorbant cellulose substrate with an iron (ferric) oxyhydroxide component and a component to sorb dissolved organic compounds retained by the cellulose substrate. (Full details provided by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website.)

A groundwater decontamination system includes a decontamination unit adapted to be lowered down through a non-pumping well into an aquifer containing contaminated water. (Full details provided by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website.)

A permeable barrier for decontaminating groundwater having two distinct components for increasing contaminant removal. Preferably, the barrier material is a mixture or distinct layers of bone-char phosphate material and iron oxide pellets. (Full details provided by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website.)

A method is provided for the manufacture of mineral power crystals having a uniform mean size. The method includes forming a solution which is highly supersaturated with respect to the crystals. (Full details provided by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website.)

A method is provided for enhancing oxidation of methyl bromide during agricultural fumigations of fields using a fumigant containing methyl bromide. The method comprises adding a methylotrophic bacterium to the soil in an amount effective to provide bacterial oxidation of the methyl bromide. (Full details provided by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website.)

A method and apparatus for removing selenate from waste water through the use of selenate respiring microorganisms under substantially anoxic conditions is described. The method includes a first zone for removing nitrate by assimilation into biomass. (Full details available at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website for patents 5,271,831 and 5,009,786.)