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Groundwater vulnerability and protection in County Tipperary (South Riding), Ireland
Full text linkThe aim of the project was to determine the extent and quality of the
groundwater in Tipperary South Riding with a view to developing a groundwater
protection plan which would allow the Local Authority to manage, protect and develop
the groundwater as efficiently as possible.
The geology of the area varies with topography. The low-lying areas of the
county comprise mainly Carboniferous limestones while the elevated regions consist
of sandstones and shales of Upper Carboniferous, Devonian and Silurian ages.
Deformation of these rocks decreases in magnitude moving northwards over the area;
the Southern Synclines having suffered the effects of the Hercynian orogeny and the
northern region exhibiting Caledonian orogenic trends. Quaternary (subsoil) deposits
are found throughout the area and are of variable thickness and permeability. Till is
the most widespread deposit with discontinuous pockets of sand and gravel in various
proportions, and some marl, alluvium and peat in places.
The principal aquifers of the area are the Kiltorcan sandstone formation and
various limestone units within the Carboniferous succession. 50 % of south Tipperary
constitutes either regionally or locally important aquifers. Secondary permeabilities
created by structural deformation, dolomitisation, karstification and weathering
processes create high transmissivities and often have large well yields. Specific
baseflow analysis highlighted the complexity of the aquifers and proved that the lower
part of the Suir river system is a major groundwater resource region.
The hydrochemistry and water quality of the local authority groundwater
sources was examined briefly. The majority of south Tipperary is underlain by
limestone or Quaternary deposits derived from limestone and, consequently,
calcium/magnesium bicarbonate waters predominate. The quality of the groundwater
in south Tipperary demonstrates that the main concern originates from the presence
of E.coli, and Total coliforms. The primary sources of contamination are from
farmyard wastes and septic tanks.
The vulnerability of groundwater to diffuse and point sources of pollution has
been found to be dependent on the overlying soil, subsoil and the thickness of the
unsaturated zone. A conceptual rather than quantitative approach is used and it is
found that approximately 60% of south Tipperary is designated as being extremely or
highly vulnerable.
The groundwater protection plan was devised subsequent to an understanding
of the aquifer systems, an assessment of the vulnerability, and a review of the Irish
planning system and environmental law. It is recommended that the plan be integrated
into the county development plan for legislative purposes. A series of acceptability
matrices were devised to restrict potentially polluting activities in vulnerable areas
while maintaining a balance between protection of the groundwater resource and the
need to site essential developments
Third level qualifications by alternative modes of study
Full text linkChapter One follows the progress of technological education in
Ireland from the Autumn of 1961 when the OECD asked for a survey of the educational systems of each of its member countries, so that there would be a well educated and well trained
pool of graduates to take Ireland into the technological age.
Chapter Two follows the history of Sligo RTC from its intake of
38 technician students in the summer of 1971 to an application
from over 6,000 prospective students,in the Summer of 1990 to
fill the 600 approximate first year technician places on offer, at
Certificate, Diploma, Degree and Post Degree level.
Chapter Three addresses the educational progress of students
through third level education in a mode other than the norm. It is
an analysis of a number of different experiments that have taken
place at Sligo RTC and covers courses at Certificate, Diploma and
Degree level. It shows how this can be a cost effective method of
bringing education to many who have missed the main-stream
mode. This is termed "Second Chance Education" in the thesis.
Chapter Four develops the idea of using outcentres as a means of
taking third level education out to the people, with the resultant
benefits of reducing the cost to the student and utilising space
now coming available at second level centres, due to a drop in
second level student numbers.
Chapter Five developes the ideas expressed in Chapter Four by
placing them in a national setting. Further ideas are incorporated
which could deal with a large cross-section of the population, e.g.
from prisoners to pensioners
Microbiological degradation of pesticides in yard waste composting.
Full text linkChanges in public opinion and legislation have led to the general recognition that solid waste treatment practices must be changed. Solid-waste disposal by landfill is becoming increasingly expensive and regulated and no longer represents a long-term option in view of limited land space and environmental problems. Yard waste, a significant component of municipal solid waste, has previously not been separated from the municipal solid-waste stream. The treatment of municipal solid waste including yard waste must urgently be addressed because disposal via landfill will be prohibited by legislation. Separation of yard waste from municipal solid waste will be mandated in many localities, thus stressing the importance of scrutinizing current composting practices in treating grass clippings, leaves, and other yard residues. Yard waste poses a potential environmental health problem as a result of the widespread use of pesticides in lawn and tree care and the persistence of the residues of these chemicals in plant tissue. Yard waste containing pesticides may present a problem due to the recalcitrant and toxic nature of the pesticide molecules. Current composting processes are based on various modifications of either window systems or in-vessel systems. Both types of processes are ultimately dependent on microbial bioconversions of organic material to innocuous end products. The critical stage of the composting process is the thermophilic phase. The fate and mechanism of removal of pesticides in composting processes is largely unknown and in need of comprehensive analysis.ye
An evaluation of septic tank effluent movement in soil and groundwater systems
Full text linkRecent studies have shown that septic tank systems are a major source of
groundwater pollution. Many public health workers feel that the most cri^cal aspect of
the use of septic tanks as a means of sewage disposal is the contamination of private
water wells with attendant human health hazards.
In this study the movement and attenuation of septic tank effluents in a range
of soil/overburden types and hydrogeological situations was investigated. The
suitability of a number of chemical and biological tracer materials to monitor the
movement of septic tank effluent constituents to groundwater sources was also
examined. The investigation was divided into three separate but inteiTelated sections.
In the first section of the study the movement of septic tank effluent from two
soil treatment systems was investigated by direct measurements of soil nutrient
concentrations and enteric bacterial numbers in the soil beneath and downgradient of the
test systems. Two sites with different soil types and hydrogeological characteristics
were used. The results indicated that the attenuation of the effluent in both of the
treatment systems was incomplete. Migration of nitrate, ammonium, phosphate and
fecal bacteria to a depth of 50 cm beneath the inverts of the distribution tiles was
demonstrated on all sampling occasions. The lateral migration of the pollutants was
less pronounced, although on occasions high nutrients levels and fecal bacterial
numbers were detected at a lateral distance of 4.0 m downgradient of the test systems.
There was evidence that the degree and extent of effluent migration was increased after
periods of heavy or prolonged rainfall when the attenuating properties of the treatment
systems were reduced as a result of saturation of the soil.
The second part of the study examined the contamination of groundwaters
downgradient of septic tank soil treatment systems. Three test sites were used in the
investigation. The sites were chosen because of differences in the thicknesses and
nature of the unsaturated zone available for effluent attenuation at each of the locations.
A series of groundwater monitoring boreholes were installed downgradient of the test
systems at each of the sites and these were sampled regularly to assess the efficiency of
the overburden material in reducing the polluting potential of the wastewater. Effluent
attenuation in the septic tank treatment systems was shown to be incomplete, resulting
in chemical and microbiological contamination of the groundwaters downgradient of the
systems. The nature and severity of groundwater contamination was dependent on the
composition and thickness of the unsaturated zone and the extent of weathering in the
underlying saturated bedrock.
The movement of septic tank effluent through soil/overburdens to
groundwater sources was investigated by adding a range of chemical and biological
tracer materials to the three septic tank systems used in section two of the study. The
results demonstrated that a single tracer type cannot be used to accurately monitor the
movement of all effluent constituents through soils to groundwater. The combined use
of lithium bromide and endospores of Bacillus globigii was found to give an accurate
indication of the movement of both the chemical and biological effluent constituents
User-profile-based olfactory and visual media synchronization.
No full textAs a step towards enhancing users’ perceived multimedia quality levels, the authors present the results of a study which looked at
user’s perception of inter-stream synchronization between scent and video. The ability to detect, the perception of and impact of skew
on user’s quality of experience is analyzed considering user’s age, sex and culture (user profile). The results indicate that skews
beyond a certain level between olfaction and video have a negative impact on user perceived experience. Olfaction before video is
more noticeable to users than olfaction after video and assessors are more tolerable of olfactory data presented after video.ye
An investigation into the effects of climate change on baleen whale distribution in the British Isles
Full text linkClimate change is predicted to impact the distribution of many marine species. In the North-East Atlantic and
elsewhere in the world, studies indicate that climate change is leading to poleward shifts in cetacean distribution. Here, strandings data collected in the British Isles from 1990 to 2020 were used to assess whether there is evidence of a shift in baleen whale distribution. Linear regression models were used to compare the number of strandings over time between six regions of the British Isles and, whilst the results indicate no significant change in the number of strandings in the most southerly region of the British Isles, there have been significant increases in more northern regions. Data related to stranded minke whales is the primary driver of these increases, with a number of potential variables affecting this trend, including observer effort. These variables are discussed and further research to explore this potential association is suggested.ye
Persistent pollutants in fresh and abandoned eggs of Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) and Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea) in Ireland
No full textHigher levels of persistent pollutants (Σ16PCB, Σ6PBDE, ΣHCH, ΣDDT, ΣCHL) were detected in fresh eggs of Common Terns Sterna hirundo from Rockabill Island near Dublin (Ireland's industrialised capital city) compared to Common and Arctic Terns S. paradisaea from Ireland's west coast. Intra-clutch variation of pollutant levels in Common Terns was shown to be low, providing further evidence that random sampling of one egg may be an appropriate sampling strategy. Significant differences in pollutant concentrations were detected between fresh and abandoned eggs on Rockabill. However, abandoned eggs can still provide a useful approximation of pollutants in bird eggs if non-destructive sampling is preferred. Levels of p,p’ –DDE in tern eggs have decreased over time according to this study, in concurrence with worldwide trends. Results in this study fall below toxicological thresholds for birds and OSPARs EcoQO thresholds set for Common Tern eggs, except for mercury and HCH in the west coast.ye