Qatar Foundation Annual Research Conference Proceedings Volume 2014 Issue 1

Food security is field of major research and investigation to improve and find new resource production systems for a continuously growing world population. The State of Qatar, being arid and with limited arable lands, is increasingly reliant on imported food products and has recently engaged in extensive efforts to advance its challenging strategy to sustainably enhance its food security. Microalgae, found in the local environment and adapted to a wide range of environmental conditions, are considered promising candidates to play a central role in this food security strategy since neither arable land nor freshwater are needed for its cultivation. We aim in this study to identify the species and culture conditions for obtaining microalgal biomass as a source for feedstock production. Tetraselmis and Nannochloris isolates were selected from the Qatar University Culture Collection of Cyanobacteria and Microalgae (QUCCCM) based on preliminary results and extensive available literature review. Salinity and CO2 enrichment experiments were conducted at several levels (i.e. 35, 40 and 45 psu salinities and 3%, 5% and 10% CO2 enrichment), using a photobioreactor cultivation system. Results suggest that 35 psu salinity and 5% CO2 enrichment cultivation conditions are favorable for the protein hyper-producer Tetraselmis strain, while 40 psu salinity and 3% CO2 enrichment are more suitable for the lipid hyper-producer Nannochloris strain. Mineral uptake differed between the two species and between different salinities and CO2 enrichment culture conditions. Tetraselmis contains a higher amount of calcium, while Nannochloris contains a higher amount of potassium. Mineral profiles of the two species responded differently to salinity and CO2 enrichment culture conditions. Biochemical characterization of the obtained biomass suggests that a feed blend using both Tetraselmis and Nannochloris biomasses would provide high quality products with high protein contents, while supplying animals with essential fatty acids (i.e. PUFAs) and mineral ingredients. Recommendations for future research and development efforts are discussed.

Micro algae are a single celled biomass with a very high potential in the biobased economy. In algal biomass cultivation, the harvesting step (i.e., separation of the dilute single cell algae from the growth medium) is a considerable part of the capital and operational cost. These processes typically require the use of high amounts of chemicals and/or a significant energy input. A second important point of attention in algae cultivation is water recycle. Due to the low concentration of the algae in the cultivation (ca. 0,2 g/l dry algae in open ponds and 2 g/l in photobioreactors), large amounts of water need to be processed to produce algae paste. For example in open pond cultivation a production installation of 1000 ton dry algae per year requires about 700 m³/h water to be processed. Thus for large scale installation medium recycle is a sine qua non. A solution that tackles both issues simultaneously is the submerged flat panel membrane system. The membrane system is used as the first dewatering step in a hybrid system of algae harvesting with centrifugation as final concentration. This technology has the potential to lower energy and investment costs compared to centrifugation alone. The technology furthermore has major advantages on water recycling as > 95 % of the water needs to be removed to produce a 20 % paste of algae. As the membranes don't add any chemicals and remove all suspended solids and bacteria, the technology is very promising toward medium recycle. Submerged membrane filtration is preferred over other membrane filtration technologies (e.g. crossflow filtration), due to its low energy demand and low shearing forces. Membrane fouling is controlled by the cleaning effect of coarse bubbling aeration. Additionally, the flat panel membranes used in this study are backwashable (patented flat sheet membrane envelopes with an integrated permeate channel, IPC). The algae filtration experiments were performed on both lab and pilot-scale submerged reactors with different membranes (MF and UF), algae species (Nannochloropsis, Pavlova, Isochrysis, Phaeodactylum), algae concentration, filtration regimes and filtration cycle times and aeration flows. The results show that membrane operation with backwashing results in higher stable fluxes than operation with only relaxation which is the normal operating mode for submerged membranes. Moreover the flux of UF membranes is more stable than MF membranes and that shorter filtration times result in higher stable fluxes (in the backwashing regime). Aeration flow turned out to be critical towards achievable flux levels and the characteristics of the algae suspension. VITO will further develop and optimize the technology for harvesting and water recycle on pilot scale and demonstration scale. The latest information on the developments of this technology will be presented.

MICROBIAL DESALINATION CELL: A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH FOR BRACKISH WATER DESALINATION AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT WITH BIOELECTRICITY GENERATION Surajbhan Sevda1, Zhen He2, Ibrahim M. Abu-Reesh*1 1Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, Qatar University P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar 2Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA *Corresponding author: [email protected] Abstract The shortage of the fresh water has become a more and more serious issue because of the rapid increase in human population and resource consumption. Although water is an abundant natural resource available in the earth, only 3% of the water is potable and the other 97 % (seawater) is not potable. To meet the demand for fresh water, desalination processes are used for removing salt from seawater. The major limitation with current desalination processes (membrane or thermal) is the high energy requirement. Therefore, new technologies are required to reduce energy consumption by desalination. Among the new developments, microbial desalination cell (MDC) has a great potential as a low-energy desalination process with significant benefits such as simultaneous wastewater treatment. MDC is a new technology in which salt water can be desalinated without using any external energy source (except that for pumping water). The exoelectrogenic-bacteria in the anode of an MDC oxidize biodegradable substrate in wastewater and transfer the electrons to the anode electrode. Those electrons flow through an external circuit to the cathode electrode where they are used to reduce external electron acceptors such as oxygen. Unlike microbial fuel cell (MFC) from which an MDC is derived, an MDC contains a middle chamber between the anodic and cathodic chambers formed by a pair of anion exchange membrane and cation exchange membranes. This middle chamber works as a desalination chamber like that in an electrodialysis (ED). The potential difference between the anode and cathode electrodes drives the migration of ions out of the desalination chamber, with cations (Na+) migrating to the cathodic chamber and anion (Cl-) moves to the anodic chamber. As a result, salts are removed from the saltwater. MDC technology could be attractive in Qatar and the region because of strong demand for cost effective desalination technologies for desalination of seawater through linking to conventional desalination process, or of brackish water. This paper will introduce the fundamentals and future prospects of MDC technology.

Improved Acid Stimulation in Carbonates: impact of acid types and flow rate on reactive transport mechanisms Oussama Gharbi1, Stefan Goedeke2, Mohammed Al-Sammarraie2, Nour El Cheikh Ali1, Saqer Al-Shahwani2, Pascal Chenevière1, Dominique Guérillot2 and Philippe Julien1 1 TOTAL E&P Golfe ltd - Qatar branch , 2 Qatar Petroleum Research & Technology Centre Acid stimulation in carbonates is a reactive transport mechanism where transport dynamics are coupled with reaction kinetics. Accurate description of reactive transport in heterogeneous porous media still represents a scientific challenge. One of the main objectives of acid stimulation treatments in carbonate reservoirs is to achieve a good zonal coverage with the acid, especially to unlock low permeability hydrocarbon regions. However, field applications show that acid stimulation leads to a poor increase of permeability in the targeted region as well as an increase in water production. In this joint research program between Qatar Petroleum and TOTAL, we aim to develop and test novel pumping sequences of fluids in order to improve acid stimulation efficiency in mature carbonate reservoirs. We performed high pressure and temperature single and dual core flooding experiments over a range of four different carbonate samples with different permeabilities and pore structures. Live and emulsified acids were used as well as Relative Permeability Modifiers (RPMs) and particle-laden diverters. Changes in permeability were measured in real time during the injection across the length of the cores. In addition, pre and post-injection micro-CT scanning allowed the visualization of different dissolution patterns (mainly dominant wormholing). Changes in porosity induced by the chemical reactions were also deduced based on image analysis. We compared the response of different acid types and assess the impact of RPMs on brine and oil flow. Results show the impact of flowrate and acid type on reactive transport mechanisms. The measurements of pore volume to breakthrough are discussed. The insights into different pumping strategies can be used to different other applications such as carbon storage in heterogeneous carbonates.

The Al Shaheen oil field is located approximately 80 km north-east of Qatar in the Arabian Gulf. The area hosts a highly productive marine environment due to a combination of complex currents and high temperatures. The diverse marine fauna is exemplified by one of the world largest aggregations of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) that return to this area every summer. The research has demonstrated that whale sharks come here to feed on the high concentration of tuna mackerel spawn (Euthynnus affinis). Over the past four years the Qatar Whale Shark Research project (www.qatarwhalesharkproject.com) has used novel acoustic and telemetric technologies to describe the demography and behaviour of the Arabian Gulf whale shark population. More than 70 whale sharks have been fitted with acoustic tags to be able to identify their main aggregation sites within the Al Shaheen oil field. Photo identification of more than 300 individuals and satellite telemetry tracking has confirmed the Arabian Gulf as a highly important habitat. Detailed hydrological modelling has been initiated in order to better describe the currents that influence the spawning location of the tuna mackerel and if they influence the movements of the whale sharks in the Arabian Gulf. Acoustic data loggers have also been deployed for monitoring the diurnal and seasonal presence of marine mammals based on their vocalisation. Several species of dolphins have already been identified including Indo-pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus), Long-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus capensis), and Dwarf spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris roseiventris). The high concentration of these species in the Al Shaheen field might be a result of the reef-effect associated with offshore platforms. Images taken by Remote Operated Vehicles demonstrate extensive marine growth on the subsea structures that again attracts numerous pelagic species. More than 30 fish species have been identified so far including top predators such as Scalloped hammerhead(Sphyrna lewini), Blacktip shark (Carcharhinus limbatus), and Zebra shark (Stegostoma fasciatum). The research is based on collaboration with both international and Qatar based researchers representing universities, government and the oil industry. The data will make it possible for relevant authorities and industry operators to take appropriate action in order to secure the protection of biodiversity in the Arabian Gulf.

The purpose of this study is to better understand the geochemical behavior of Re and Os in petroleum in the context of the Re-Os radiometric age dating of petroleum. Rhenium (Re) and osmium (Os) are organophile elements. For this reason, the 187Re-187Os radiogenic system is well adapted to date organic-rich rocks such as source rocks. Absolute datation of source rocks is more particularly important for Petroleum Systems knowledge. Recently, it was suggested that the Re-Os system could also be used to date hydrocarbon generation (Selby and Creaser, 2005). However, the meaning of the obtained age is ambiguous. This is mainly due to the lack of knowledge about the geochemical behavior and the speciation of Re and Os in oils. Specifically, using the Re-Os geochronometer requires a complete system reset (corresponding to an age of 0) during the hydrocarbon generation and the system to remain closed through geological times and events. Moreover, additional conditions are necessary as the isotopic homogenization of oils at the scale of a basin and the chemical fractionation of Re from Os to obtain samples with various Re/Os ratios. If one of these steps is not fulfilled, no age can be measured, that why it is essential to develop a better understanding of the geochemical behavior of these elements. Several key events may have a significant influence on Re and Os partitioning such as the formation, primary and secondary migration or alteration of petroleum in reservoirs. Formation was already studied through artificial maturation (Rooney et al., 2012). However, the other aspects have to be investigated. To try to better understand Re-Os chemical behavior in hydrocarbons, we performed experiments to simulate possible events occurring during migration and reservoir storage such as asphaltenes partial deposition (Mahdaoui et al., 2013) and contact with an aquifer (Mahdaoui et al., submitted). After chemical treatment of samples, Re and Os concentrations were determined by isotope dilution. Re and Os isotopic compositions used for concentration calculations were determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and by Negative Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry (N-TIMS), respectively. Results of our experiments enable us to constrain the processes which control most likely Re and Os content in oil and thus they provide a firm basis to characterise Petroleum System events that are actually dated by the Re-Os geochronometer, e.g.: genesis, migration or reservoir filling. REFERENCES Mahdaoui, F., Reisberg, L., Magali, P., Poirier, Y. Behavior of Re and Os during contact between an aqueous solution and oil. Submitted Mahdaoui, F., Reisberg, L., Michels, R., Hautevelle, Y., Poirier, Y. and Girard, J.-P., 2013. Effect of the progressive precipitation of petroleum asphaltenes on the Re-Os radioisotope system. Chemical Geology, 358, 90-100. Selby, D., Creaser, R.A., 2005. Direct radiometric dating of hydrocarbon deposits using Rhenium-Osmium isotopes. Science, 308, 1293-1295. Rooney, A.D., Selby, D., Lewan, M.D., Lillis, P.G., Houzay, J.P., 2012. Evaluating Re-Os systematics in organic-rich sedimentary rocks in response to petroleum generation using hydrous pyrolysis experiments. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 77, 275-291.

Sawda Nathil is one of a series of inland depressions that extend nearly continuously from Umm Bab along the Saudi Arabia-Qatar border to Khor Al Adid. Six to eight thousand years ago, these depressions were marine embayments that separated the peninsula of Qatar from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Narrow land bridges connected Qatar, restricting the migration of people and animals. These embayments infilled rapidly with dune sands blown southward from Qatar. Since then, they have become progressively more evaporitic. Inland depressions like Sawda Nathil represent unique environments of Qatar. Most depressions are close to or below sea level. This brings groundwater to the surface in the driest parts of Qatar. Evaporation to salt saturation creates thick gypsum and salt crusts (sabkhas), as well as shallow hypersaline ponds (salinas) with spectacular microbial gypsum stromatolites. The present ground surface is a mosaic of relict marine facies, deflated dune sands, inland sabkhas, and salinas. The study area is located along the eastern margin of the Sawda Nathil depression. Four shallow cores were taken at the sabkha area surrounding the salina. A total of 30 sediment samples and an additional 5 samples from the stromatolitic salina deposits were collected for thin section and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. Radiocarbon (AMS) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) age-dating were carried out on three samples. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analyses was carried out on samples from a gypsum stromatolite. Radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence dates for marine shells and the enclosing sediment provide ages of approximately 6,000 years before present (yr BP) and coincide with a well-documented highstand, when sea level was 2 to 4 meters higher than present. These beach deposits are interpreted to represent remnants of the post-glacial Holocene transgression which began about 18,000 years ago and reached its highest level during the Late Holocene about 6,000 years ago. The sabkhas (gypsum and salt flats) and salinas (saline ponds) are younger, associated with infilling of the embayments, related to a drop of sea level to present day. SEM examination of gypsum stromatolite samples show gypsum crystals developing in close spatial association with microbial biofilms (filamentous structures). Whether this is a purely passive microbially-influenced gypsum mineralization process or whether the microorganisms actively control the mineralization process in order to obtain ecological advantages, remains to be evaluated. Studying and documenting different types of microbial sedimentary structures preserved in gypsum is of particular interest, not only in the field of petroleum geology, but also in the field of exobiology. Whereas carbonate minerals are quantitatively the most important sediment for preserving morphological biosignatures on Earth, the most relevant chemical sediments on Mars are likely sulfate minerals. Gypsum has been widely detected on Mars and is interpreted to have formed under evaporitic conditions broadly similar to those characterizing terrestrial sabkha and salina environments of Qatar.

Dolomite is an important constituent of many economically important gas and oil reservoir rocks. Studies conducted in modern environments combined with microbiological laboratory experiments have shown that microbes and their extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) play an important role for the formation of primary dolomite at Earth's surface conditions. These studies showed that, at low temperature, Mg is incorporated into the carbonate mineral exclusively in the presence of specific organic molecules. However, because the organic molecules involved in the mineralization process rarely survive metamorphism and are usually not preserved in the carbonate mineral, identifying microbial dolomite in ancient rocks represents a challenging task. It remains, as yet, unclear what percentage of sedimentary dolomite is a primary microbially mediated precipitate vs. a secondary replacement product that formed during diagenesis or at high temperatures during metamorphism. A useful approach for evaluating the microbial origin of ancient dolomite is that of searching for microfossils and other microstructures of biological origin associated with the dolomite crystals. Here, we present the results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigations of various ancient sedimentary dolomites. Several investigated samples include abundant filamentous microstructures that we interpret to be mineralized EPS. In some cases, these filaments form a well-structured alveolar pattern, whose architecture appears too complex to be the result of an abiotic process. In order to reinforce our interpretation, we also investigated modern biofilms, which include microstructures of EPS that are morphologically identical to the mineralized and preserved EPS in ancient dolomites. In some rare cases, we also found microfossils (i.e. mineralized cells) in close spatial association with the dolomite crystals. These occurrences are remarkable, considering that it is commonly thought that only chert has the potential of preserving the soft tissues constituting microbial cells. Although we cannot prove conclusively that the fossilized cells and EPS mediated the formation of the adjacent dolomite crystals, our results indicate that dolomite formation took place in environments where microorganisms and biofilms were an important component of the depositional setting. The "microbial factor", which has been proven to be essential for the precipitation of dolomite at low temperature in modern environments, may, therefore, have also been active during the formation of these ancient carbonates.

The United Nations 2010 Climate Change Conference in Cancun (The Cancun Agreements) reached a verdict on climate change as one of the greatest challenges of our time and that deep cuts in emissions are required to prevent its potentially devastating effects. Energy is currently a vital global issue given the likely depletion of current resources (fossil fuels) coupled with the demand for higher-performance energy systems. Today the world face an urgent need for renewable energy technologies; solar power—the direct exploitation of the ultimate energy source for nature and our planet—should be one of these. Organic electronics has made enormous scientific and commercial progress over the last 10 years, mainly driven by the potential of applications such as light-emitting diodes(OLEDS) for display and large area lighting, field effect transistors (OFETs) for flexible backplanes and e-paper and solar cells (OPV) for large area energy generation. Much of this work has been motivated by the fact that organic semiconductors can combine the superb mechanical and processing characteristics of plastics with a variety of printing techniques, enabling large-area, low-cost manufacturing. Bulk-heterojunction organic photovoltaic (BHJ OPV) cells are a potential competitor to amorphous silicon-based technologies. Because of the ready availability of carbon feedstocks and numerous and flexible synthetic pathways, organic compounds are attractive materials for solar cell applications. OPV cells have experienced tremendous progress in performance during the last three years, with power conversion efficiency (PCE) now routinely surpassing 9%, attracting industries to commercialize these high-tech devices. A promising strategy to improve the performance in FETs and OPVs has been the inclusion of fused aromatic heterocycles into the conjugated polymer backbone. One such fused heterocycle of considerable recent interest and promise, is dithienopyrrole (DTP). Low band gap co-polymers of N-alkylated or N-arylated DTPs show promise as the active components in OPV and FETs. However their device performance has been limited by the propensity for the DTP to be readily oxidised. In addition to limiting the ambient stability of FETs under operating conditions, the low ionisation potential of DTP containing polymers limits the available open circuit voltage available in bulk heterojunction OPV devices, thus limiting efficiency. In the light of this we were interested in developing analogues of DTP which would demonstrate improved oxidative stability, by replacement of the flanking thiophene groups with more electron deficient thiazole groups to produce a fused dithiazolopyrrole (DTzP). We have developed a route to novel dithiazolopyrrole monomers and incorporated them in donor acceptor co-polymers, they have been successfully co-polymerised with thiophene, selenophene, thienothiophene and bithiophene by microwave assisted Stille polycondensation. The resulting polymers exhibited small optical band gaps combined with low lying HOMO energy levels, high ionization potential and good solubility in most common organic solvents and show promise for use in optoelectronic devices. Further investigations into their photovoltaic performance are ongoing which would be coupled with industrial partners in Qatar.

DNA barcoding, as a fast and reliable technique, has already gained tremendous popularity among the biologists for identification of animals. Like other animal groups, an international consortium named Fish Barcode of Life (FISH-BOL) has been initiated with a target of barcoding all the fish species. DNA barcoding is a molecular approach to identifying species by comparing sequences of a short DNA fragment of an unknown sample derived by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) against the sequence of known species through alignment and phylogenetic tree construction. As a barcode, approximately 650 bp from the 5' end of Cytochrome oxidase 1 (CO1) gene of the mitochondrial genome has been found to be most effective in identifying fish and other animals with a high discrimination power. The objective of the study was to identify Sheirii (Lethrinus nebulosus) based on mitochondrial CO1 gene sequence-based DNA barcode. Sheirii samples were collected from Al Khor by the Department of Fisheries. Total DNA was extracted from the fin tissue using QIAGEN tissue/blood DNA extraction kit. PCR was conducted using universal primer pairs designed for the mitochondrial CO1 barcode region of animals. Both strands of the PCR-derived fragment of approximately 650bp were sequenced using a Big Dye Terminator kit (Applied Biosystems) and an ABI 3130 Genetic Analyzer. The molecular identification of the species was performed by comparing 601 nucleotide sequences of sheirii CO1 gene with those of relevant species collected from the GenBank using basic local alignment search tool (BLAST). The BLAST alignment of the sequence obtained in the present study showed 100% identity with the CO1 gene sequence of Lethrinus nebulosus available in the gene bank. Thus, the sheirii sample from Qatar has been correctly identified by the DNA barcoding technique. The findings of this study will be included in the databank of the FISH-BOL that are available for molecular identification of fish eggs, larvae and stomach contents of other predator fishes, processed fish and fish products in Qatar and worldwide. Molecular identification and assessing biodiversity would help implementing the national plan for sustainable utilization and conservation of local fish species.

The Holy Quran and Hadith mentioned more than 50 plants, include wild plants, cultivated plants, annual plants, perennial plants, shrubs and trees. Qatari plant genetic resources facing with many challenges and risks, human activity, desertification, overgrazing, Climate change and global warming. Conservation of plant genetic resources has become the biggest challenge today, this paper focuses initially on ex-situ conservation of the Qur'anic plants is the method of conservation of all stages of biodiversity outside their natural habitats using different methods. The genetic resources department collection missions 2012, 2013 and 2014 in Qatar Peninsula, following the principals and guidelines of Plant genetic resources collections set by Biodiversity International, in this case we selected Zizyphus spina-christi, Acacia tortilis, Salvadora persica, and Citrullus colocynthis to conduct some ecophysiological studies. According the standard gene banks management and the international conservation rules, the staff of genetic resources department make a survey, collect plant genetic resources materials, characterization, documentation and preservation process, cleaning, drying, seed germination, viability test, packaging and storing were applied for seeds of some Qatari wild plants mentioned in the Holy Quran and Hadith they conserved in genetic resources department, ministry of environment for environmental sustainability for genetic resources. The final results reported the need to preserve these important Qur'anic plants species in the gene bank and it has been conserved the seeds of those species in storage units short-term, medium-term and long-term conservation. The herbarium specimens were conserving in the appropriate herbarium units, under international standards, and we have been sent a copy of the herbarium specimens to Kew Herbarium - Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK to be Gift and confirm the scientific classification and DNA was extracted and stored in units equipped for this purpose.

In Flanders, households, industry, energy and agriculture consume significant amounts of water. As a consequence of the high population density, the water availability is rather low. This causes an imbalance between water demand and water availability. To protect groundwater resources for public water and to prepare for prospective water shortages in relation to changing climate scenarios, De Watergroep, a Flemish water company, aims to improve its water management. To evaluate the possibility for the application of Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) techniques in Flanders, a literature study on existing MAR applications in Flanders was carried out, followed by a detailed screening of 1) potential aquifers and 2) water production sites of De Watergroep. According to the literature study, only at 2 waterproduction facilities in Flanders (i.e. St. André1 and Grobbendonk2) MAR techniques have been implemented by means of infiltration ponds. Rapid screening of the potential for MAR for existing water production facilities indicates that MAR techniques using temporary water storage in a riverbed (e.g. percolation tanks, underground dams, sand dams, recharge releases) are not relevant. In Flanders rivers drain the water table which is connected to the surface water level and, in contrast to arid regions, the rivers contain water permanently. The only feasible MAR techniques for Flanders are infiltration basins, riverbank infiltration and injection techniques. According to the geohydrological context of aquifers at water production facilities, the geochemical composition of the raw water, the presence of an industrial water softening plant, and additional water resources, it was concluded that: *infiltration or injection, in unconfined aquifers is in general not a plausible option, because of the high groundwater level, the low storage capacity and the limited aquifer thickness (<25 m). *deep infiltration or injection in unconfined aquifers can be considered at locations characterised by positive relief forms. These areas however, are characterised by iron-bearing deposits enhancing the risk of iron precipitation and well clogging. *the aquifers characterised by optimum geohydrologic conditions with respect to aquifer thickness (50 m), hydraulic conductivities (30 - 40 m/d) and specific yield (40 - 60 m³/h/m) are not considered, because in the respective area there is no need for additional water storage. Finally, out of 78 water production facilities, for 2 sites with favorable conditions a conceptual model for the application of AS(T)R has been worked out (Table 1). Depending on further modelling results a pilot test will be worked out. Since Qatar faces significant increases in peak water demand due to its growth in population, industrial activities and the organization of sport events such as the 2022 FIFA World Cup Football, the evaluation and implementation of MAR techniques is essential to assure the required drinking water production. A similar approach as applied for Flanders, i.e. evaluation of applicable MAR techniques, screening of potential aquifers and design of a conceptual model is recommended. References 1.Van Houtte E. et al. (2012) 2.Feyen J. (2001)

Rare earth elements (REEs) are a group of fifteen chemical elements in the periodic table. They are 15 lanthanides besides (scandium and yttrium). These elements are commonly found in the same mineral assemblages because of similar physical and chemical properties. REEs are critical for several high technologically industries such as hybrid cars, batteries, electronics, clean energy (wind turbines). The presence of REEs in Jordanian phosphate waste which currently dumped to the desert may have an economic value since large amount of phosphate rock are used in fertilizers industry annually. REE extraction from phosphate mine waste will not only improve the profitability of phosphate mine but conserve the natural resources. Furthermore, REEs extraction from phosphate tailings and slime will reduce the cost of mining and beneficiation as well as reduces the environmental impact of these effluents. In this work, we digested dried and finely ground phosphate slime and tailings by diluted phosphoric acid and sodium carbonate in specially designed reactor at temperature 72 Co for 3 hours. Then the leachate was filtered and TBP solvent was used to extract REE. Finally phosphoric acid was produced from the raffinate by conventional method i.e. addition of concentrated sulfuric acid. It was found that that Jordanian phosphate have 59.8 ppm TREE (Ce, La, Y, Eu). HREE (Y, Eu ) represents 83% while 17 % are LREE( Ce, La) . A linear relationship was also found between phosphate and REE which may be due to isomorphism of REE- ions with other ions in apatite / Francolite crystal, most likely Ca+2. The results also showed that Slime contain 28% of the phosphate REE while Tailings contain 50 % of REE. Therefore, mixing slime and tailings for REE leaching and extraction may be justified. However, it was found that in high phosphate medium it is better to precipitate REE by oxalic acid instead of TBP solvent. REE recovery was 35% by oxalate precipitation compared to 7 % by TBP extraction.

Solar energy conversion in oxygen evolving organisms occurs in two separate reaction center protein complexes called photosystems I and II. In each, light induces the transfer of electrons, via a series of protein bound pigment acceptors, across a biological membrane. The very high efficiency of light induced electron transfer is related to the electronic and structural organization of these protein bound electron acceptors. To study the electronic and structural organization of these acceptors in the protein binding site we have used time-resolved visible and infrared difference spectroscopy. In photosystem I a highly reducing phylloquinone functions as an intermediary in electron transfer. Phylloquinone is bound to the protein in the, so called, A1 binding site, and it is the nature of this binding that makes phylloquinone so reducing. To probe the properties of the A1 binding site we have made use of a mutant cyanobacterial strain that allows different quinones to be easily incorporated into the A1 binding site. To verify the extent of quinone incorporation into the A1 binding site we have used nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy in the visible spectral region. To probe the molecular properties of the introduced quinones in both the neutral and anion states, we have used microsecond time-resolved FTIR difference spectroscopy at 77 K. The time resolved FTIR difference spectra display a multitude of bands that are associated with both the quinone and the protein binding site. The convoluted nature of the spectra makes interpretation difficult. However, by comparing spectra obtained for photosystem I particles with four different quinones incorporated (phylloquinone, 2-methyl naphthoquinone, plastoquinone and dichloro naphthoquinone) we have been able to distinguish quinone infrared absorption bands from protein bands. To complement the experimental work and to aid in FTIR difference band assignment we have used quantum mechanical/molecular mechanics computational methods to simulate the infrared difference spectra associated with the different quinones in the protein binding site.

With proper treatment to remove organics and inorganics, the produced water (PW) generated during oil and gas extraction can be reused as process water. Biotreatment is generally regarded as the most cost-effective method for organics removal and although widely used in industrial wastewater treatment, PW biotreatment installations are limited. The research described in this paper focused on the aerobic biotreatment of PW from the Qatari "North Shore" gas field supplemented with either 1.5% kinetic hydrate inhibitor (KHI) or 1.5% thermodynamic hydrate inhibitor (monoethylene glycol, MEG). KHI and MEG are "field chemicals" added off-shore during the winter months. This research was part of a larger project assessing the biotreatability of produced water from both summer and winter seasons. Although the feed pH was 4.5 and the biomass used as seed was cultured at pH 5.5, the bioreactor pH stabilized at 2.6 when KHI or MEG were added. Active biological oxidation was demonstrated in our tests for a period of 7 months through COD tests and in-situ dissolved oxygen (DO) and oxygen uptake rate (OUR) measurements. When 1.5% KHI in PW was added to the bioreactor, the DO decreased sharply and the OUR increased quickly from 0.2 to 1.9 mg O2/L.min. The COD results indicated that 43% and 81% of the organics present were removed through biotreatment of PW dosed with 1.5% KHI or MEG respectively. The concentration of 2-butoxyethanol (one of the two main components in KHI) was reduced from >5,000 mg/l to <10 mg/L indicating effective biodegradation of these chemicals even under the acidic conditions of our reactor. Removal of KHI and MEG by simple stripping was also investigated and results indicated that stripping was not responsible for significant COD removal. Literature references on aerobic biological activity at pH 2.6 are scarce. We postulate that the biological activity in our reactor is producing acids that resulted in the pH depression. One possible mechanism by which the acid production could have occurred through the bio-oxidation of either KHI and MEG has been developed and will be included in this presentation. A discussion of the specific fungus believed to be responsible for this unexpected biological activity is also included. The results are aligned with the Qatar National Vision (QNV) 2030 and fall directly within "Energy and Environment" Research Theme of the QNRS in two areas: i) water security, and ii) energy security. With the recent announcement that Qatargas is building a water reuse system incorporating membrane bioreactor and reverse osmosis technologies, the research results are particularly relevant.

More than 50% of the world's hydrocarbons reserves are contained in carbonate reservoirs. Carbonate rocks have a very complicated and heterogeneous porous structure in comparison with sandstone reservoir rock [1]. To understand the transport processes in any porous medium, we need to enhance our knowledge of the geometry and topology of the porous media [2]. Our understanding of porous carbonate rocks in this respect is still very limited in comparison with sandstones. In the last few years, pore scale studies have revolutionised the fundamental understanding of complex fluid flow processes in the field of groundwater remediation, oil industry and environmental issues related to carbon storage and capture. Therefore, in this work we present advances in several multi-scale imaging techniques to obtain 2D and 3D images at pore scale (voxel size 1- 10µm) using Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM)and Micro CT imaging as shown in Figure 1 . We will also discuss a novel technique of CLSM to obtain 2D images with a large field of view, including advantages and limitations for scanning porous carbonate rocks. We then describe approaches to extract statistical information about total, macro and micro-porosity from 2D large field of view CLSM and validate the results using Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry (MICP). In this work, using the image processing techniques for different phase segmentation, we study the effect of scanned resolution images on porosity and permeability using Lattice Boltzmann simulation and pore network modelling. Finally, we describe the recent development of lattice-Boltzmann (LB) simulations for the prediction of multi-phase flow properties in complex carbonate pore space images; as potential element of Special Core Analysis (SCAL); and for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) operations. We introduce a GPU algorithm for large scale LB calculations, offering greatly enhanced computing performance in comparison with CPU calculations. References [1] Knackstedt, M., Arns, C., Ghous, A., Sakellariou, A., Senden, T., Sheppard, A., Sok, R., Averdunk, H., Val Pinczewski, W., Padhy, G.S., Ioannidis, M.A., 3D Imaging and flow characterization of the pore space of carbonate rock samples, International Symposium of the society of Core Analysts., SCA2006-23, Norway [2] Baldwin, C.A., Sederman, A.J., Mantle, M.D., Alexander, P., Gladden, L.F., Determination and characterization of the structure of a pore space from 3D volume images, Journal of Colloid and Interface Sciences., 181 (79-92), 1996.

The urban heat island, in which air temperatures in urban environments tend to be higher than in rural areas, is a well-known and widely studied phenomenon. During heat waves, the urban heat island is known to exacerbate the impact on population health. Including urban heat island effects in the formulation of heat warnings, climate change adaptation plans is therefore essential and part of a sustainable urban development in general. Given the extreme climate of Qatar, heat stress is a prime concern, not only from health perspective, but also e.g. from an energy consumption perspective (cooling demand). Few studies have however been performed for arid or tropical cities. Results indicate that in desert city areas, the typical pattern of a hot urban core is often inverted, with downtown areas appearing cooler compared to the suburbs , which obviously adds to the complexity of understanding the urban climate dynamics in such cities. An important difficulty often encountered with typical numerical climate models is the limited resolution and long integration time, making them difficult to use when studying urban and intra-urban variations especially in the context of climate change. In this contribution, we will present a new urban climate model, further referred to as UrbClim , designed to cover agglomeration-scale domains at a spatial resolution of a few hundred metres. This model is composed of a land surface scheme containing simple urban physics, coupled to a 3-D atmospheric boundary layer module. In the land surface scheme, urban terrain is represented as an impermeable slab with appropriate parameter values for albedo, emissivity, and aerodynamic and thermal roughness length, and accounting for anthropogenic heat fluxes. Despite its simplicity, UrbClim is found to be of the same level of accuracy than more sophisticated models. At the same time, the urban boundary layer climate model is faster than high-resolution mesoscale climate models by at least two orders of magnitude. Because of that, the model is well suited for long time integrations, in particular for applications in urban climate projections. Within the EU RAMSES (Reconciling Adaptation, Mitigation and Sustainable Development for citiES, http://www.ramses-cities.eu) and NACLIM (North Atlantic Climate, http://www.naclim.eu ) projects, the UrbClim model has been set up for a large number of cities : Antwerp, London, Bilbao, Berlin, Hyderabad, New York, Rio De Janeiro and Skopje. We will present results and comparisons for these cities as well as detailed validations against air temperature measurements. Furthermore, a coupling was established between UrbClim and CMIP5 ensemble climate projections employed by the IPCC taking full advantage of the fast integration time of the model and allowing assessment of the urban heat island effects under future climate conditions. In addition, we will present an application of the UrbClim model on the city of Doha, Qatar, assessing it's applicability for very arid climatic conditions.

A radio-analytical technique for determination of plutonium (Pu) isotopes in soil samples is tested against NIST and IAEA standard reference materials to determine its accuracy and precision for reliable results. The technique is then used in the investigation of 132 topsoil samples, collected from the natural environment of Qatar, to assess the effect of global fallout accumulation of these radionuclides in the region. Plutonium was sequentially leached form 1000 g of each soil sample using nitric and hydrochloric acids. The residual fine particles were separated by filtration and centrifuge. The solution was reduced to 1 ml by evaporation in dry oven and measured directly by CRC-ICP-MS/MS without prior chemical separation of Pu. The concentrations of 238Pu in the collected soil samples vary from < 0.026 - 0.058 fg/g (< 0.0160 - 0.0266 Bq/kg) with a mean value of 0.034 fg/g (0.0195 Bq/kg) and a median value of 0.032 fg/g (0.0195 Bq/kg). The concentrations of 239Pu fall in the range 5.67 - 166.09 fg/g (0.014 - 0.381 Bq/kg) with a mean value of 67.33 fg/g (0.154 Bq/kg) and a median value of 63.21 fg/g (0.145 Bq/kg). The concentrations of 240Pu fall in the range 1.48 - 28.21 fg/g (0.013 - 0.240 Bq/kg) with a mean value of 11.46 fg/g (0.098 Bq/kg) and a median value of 10.835 fg/g (0.093 Bq/kg). The isotopic and activity concentrations ratios of 238Pu/239Pu, 240Pu/239Pu, and 238Pu/239+240Pu can be used to identify the source. The main isotope ratios of 238Pu/239Pu in Qatari soils is (3.33 ± 1.02) x 10-4. A reported global and Chernobyl fallouts isotope ratio of 238Pu/239Pu are 1.77 x 10-4 and 4.3 x 10-3, respectively. The main isotope ratio of 240Pu/239Pu in Qatari soils is 0.1749 ± 0.0211. A reported global and Chernobyl fallouts isotope ratios of 240Pu/239Pu are 0.18-0.19 and 0.34-0.57, respectively. The average isotopic and activity ratios of 238Pu/239,240Pu in Qatari soils are (2.856 ± 0.881) x 10-4 and 0.0505 ± 0.0032, respectively. The activity ratio 238Pu/239+240Pu in releases from nuclear fuel reprocessing plants, nuclear tests, weapons grade, and Chernobyl fallout are about 0.25, 0.026, 0.014 and 0.47, respectively. Accordingly, it is difficult to identify the source, but it may be due to the contribution of more than one source. The most probable sources are both Chernobyl fallout of Pu isotopes and several decades of fallout Pu accumulation due to nuclear weapons testing. Novel Aspect New data base was established for the concentration and isotope ratios of Pu isotopes (238Pu, 239Pu, and 240Pu) in Qatar topsoil.

European Union's energy goals for 2020, inclusion of aviation in EU ETS since 2012 and the important increase of CO2 emissions in Southern Mediterranean countries, all justify to pay careful attention to the challenges of the carbon constraint at the Euro-Mediterranean scale. The notion of "carbon constraint" stems from the application of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and from the Kyoto Protocol that resulted in the implementation of the EU ETS in European Union countries. Contrary to European countries that committed to emissions reductions goals ("Annex I countries" of UNFCCC and "Annex B countries" of Kyoto Protocol), Southern and Eastern Mediterranean countries (SEMC), like other emergent countries, apply the principle of "common but differentiated responsibility" that exempt them from adopting any binding emission reductions goals. The extension of the EU ETS, with the auctioning of emission credits as of 2013, and the evolution, even though difficult, of international climate negotiations might nevertheless modify the situation of unbalanced commitments that prevails between Northern countries and Southern countries (section 1). Moreover, if the carbon constraint for European countries remains today soft, it might on a short or medium term generate several economic and social impacts, and potentially on the regional trade (section 2). Several green initiatives undertaken on the Southern shore to develop environmental policies and new carbon market mechanisms have to be supported so as to limit these negative impacts and to implement a virtuous regional momentum (section 3).

This work presents a recent progress on the polyanionic phosphate family that functions as cathode materials in sodium ion batteries (SIBs). Firstly, this study will cover vanadium-containing frameworks that show very stable voltage curves in different potential regimes with advantageous behaviors such as single flat voltage plateaus and the presence of intermediate phases that are beneficial for cell kinetics. In the second part of our study, some anomalous manganese activation in the SIBs pyrophosphate family that overcomes the chronic Jahn-Teller distortion, in contrast to the Li counterparts will be introduced. By employing density functional theory (DFT) calculations, it is figured out that such anomalous activation is originated from its unique crystal structure where corner-sharing is the main structural change during the phase transformation in the charge-discharge processes. In addition, unique SIBs properties will be compared to the lithium ion batteries (LIBs) analogues even for the same chemical formulae.

Background Marine phytoplankton form the basis of the marine food chain and are essential for the normal functioning of ecosystems. Any disturbance to this component, due to the release and accumulation of toxic compounds can have an impact on higher trophic levels. In this study, we investigate the impact of toxicants on the microalgae isolated from Qatari seawater and cultured under controlled laboratory conditions. Objectives * Develop a toxicity test for Synechococcus sp that can be added to the suite of tests currently available for marine invertebrates and fish. * Perform chronic toxicity tests of three reference toxicants (DCA, SDS and Zn) * Evaluate the sensitivity of Synechococcus sp to three reference toxicants and compare sensitivity to other species used in toxicity tests. Methodology Chronic toxicity tests were carried out in 24-well microplate for a period of 3 days for the DCA and Zn tests and 7 days for SDS test. Algal cultures in logarithmic growth phase (cell density of about 3.105 cells mL−1) were used as inoculum. Each test consisted of at least five test concentrations and a control, in triplicate. A different range of concentrations were used to estimate the range findings for each toxicant. * Cell counting using an hemocytometer was conducted to evaluate the inhibition of microalgal growth * The average specific growth rate and the percent inhibition of growth rate were calculated, the lowest observed effect concentration (LOEC) and the no observed effect concentration (NOEC) were statistically determined. Results A growth inhibition toxicity test was successfully developed for Synechococcus sp, which was isolated from Qatari coastal waters. Prior to conducting the toxicity testing, key environmental parameters including light, temperature and nutrients were optimized to obtain acceptable algal growth rates over 72 hours. Results showed that Synechococcus sp was more sensitive to DCA than SDS and Zn. The growth of Synechococcus sp was found to be stimulated by the SDS at the beginning of the test. The growth inhibition by the SDS on Synechococcus sp was shown by day 3 of the experiment. At a longer exposure time, significant values of the percent inhibition of growth rate were reached compared to the control. Conclusion and Discussion Controlled experiments on microalgae under laboratory conditions provide an opportunity to understand the action of these toxicants in the ecosystem. The growth stimulation in the Synechococcus sp test sample seems to be related to the ability of the microalgae to use the SDS as a source of carbon. Inhibition of cell growth under the influence of high concentrations of SDS may result from the destruction of cellular structures and disruptions of metabolism. The findings in this study showed that Synechococcus sp possess a number of desirable characteristics for use in toxicity assessment. In particular, the algae's high sensitivity to environmentally relevant toxicants makes it a suitable choice for site-specific testing. Therefore, we recommend that they be considered, along with other local organisms, as part toxicity tests in the region.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to sequence and annotate the genomes of the entire spix's macaw population "the world's most endangered parrot" at AWWP (of Al Wabara Wildlife Preservation). This data would be used to identify Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNPs) that would later be used in population studies of this species. The results would be used to guide future breeding programs to increase the genetic diversity of the spix's macaw, which will lead to the ultimate objective of the reestablishment of a self-sustaining population of Spix's Macaws in its native Caatinga habitat. Methods: DNA samples, thus far, were provided from 40 males and females at the AWWP. The spix's macaw whole genome was sequenced using Next-Generation sequencing approach. For the genome assembly, we utilized a 63bp kmer and ~1.1 billion paired 100bp reads (~66x coverage) from Illumina HiSeq 2500 instruments. These reads were distributed across libraries ranging in size from 300-1000bp for paired-end and 2000-15000bp for matepair. SNPs were detected on scaffolds >1000bp. Results: The predicted genome size is ~1.5Gb, which is similar to the parrot genome, the closest sequenced species. Scaffold N50 of 3.1Mb (longest scaffold of ~16.5Mb) and an assembly spanning >92% of the genome. The sequence is distributed across ~6500 scaffolds >500bp. Heterozygous SNPs with coverage of >20x were considered to analyze the survival rates of offspring. We noticed that the average percentage of unique heterozygous SNPs in a bird drastically dropped to below 50% when compared to a second bird. This percentage further dipped exponentially each time another bird was added to the comparison. The average percentage of unique heterozygous SNPs fell to below 10% when 8 birds were compared for unique heterozygous SNPs. This shows that random mating combinations increase the chance of generating offspring with decreased survival rates due to loss of heterozygosity. Conclusion: The initial analysis of polymorphisms confirms the existence of a very high level of inbreeding, in which a random recombination of birds could result in offspring with very high levels of homozygous SNPs by the 4th generation. Further study will be needed to identify detrimental SNP combinations. This information will be used to better understand the genetic pool and to promote better breeding results with higher offspring survival rates.

In this study sandwich-walled cylindrical shells with aluminum pyramidal truss core of constant curvature suitable for functional applications were fabricated employing an interlocking fabrication technique for the metallic core. The skins were made of carbon-fiber reinforced composites and co-cured with the metallic truss core. Thereafter, axial compression tests on some representative samples were carried out to investigate the failure modes of these structures and compared with an analytical failure map developed to account for Euler buckling, shell buckling, local buckling between reinforcements and face-crushing. The experimental data closely matched the analytically predicted behavior of the cylinders. In particular, it was found that local buckling and face crushing modes can exist together and are the most important modes of failure of the fabricated structure. In addition, a study on the bending response of semi-cylindrical samples is also presented using a combination of analytical modeling, three-point bending experiments and finite element (FE) based simulations. The aluminum pyramidal cores of these samples were also constructed using the novel interlocking method before curing them with composite face sheets to fabricate the final structure. A theoretical model was developed to analyze the experiments and develop failure criteria. Three failure modes: i) Face wrinkling, ii) Face crushing, and iii) Debonding between face sheet and truss cores, were considered and theoretical relationships for predicting the collapse load associated with each mode were developed. The experiments were carried out on two sets of specimens with differing face sheet thickness which clearly indicated the important role played by core debonding in determining the peak load of the structure. Localized buckling instabilities were also reported for samples with thinner face sheets. The role of debonding in determining strength was further highlighted by a comparison with FE simulations with suppressed debonding. This study highlighted the superior structural performance and failure properties of these structures thus demonstrating their suitability for their integration into the next generation of ultralight multifunctional systems.

Oxide semiconductors have been widely used in the area of sensors, energy conversion, and environmental cleanup technologies; because of their high multifunctional photo-activities. However, the overall performance of oxide semiconductors is influenced by their photocatalytic activities which are highly dependent on physical properties such as crystallinity, surface area, morphology (e.g., shape and porosity), etc. Thus, understanding the shape-dependent photocatalytic reactions is important for energy or environmental cleanup applications. Herein, two different types of ZnO, rods and plates, were synthesized using solvothermal technique and the shape-dependent photo-activities were evaluated for degradation of methylene blue and phenol and for hydrogen evolution. Experimental results showed that the surface area and bandgap (E=3.26 eV) of rods and plates were found to be nearly identical, but charge transfer varied. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and photoluminescence (PL) analysis revealed that the rods have more pronounced structural oxygen vacancies (Vox, Vo●, and Vo●●) close to the conduction band which lead to electrons trap. On the other hand, the plates relatively have more interstitial oxygen (Oi, Oi', and Oi'') close to the valence band which facilitate hole trapping, reversely increasing the availability of photogenerated electrons and thus resulting in multi-electron transfer reactions. Accordingly, the rods achieved higher degradation efficiency of both methylene blue and phenol than the plates while the opposite was observed for hydrogen evolution. Therefore, ZnO rods can be a relatively good material for production of OH radicals that require degradation of environmental pollutants, whereas ZnO plates can be used for the system that require multiple electron transfer reaction such as energy production via hydrogen evolution.

Background Increasing renewable electricity leads to moments of overproduction coupled to points in time for which not enough production is available to fulfill the needs. In a scenario of 100% renewable energy, about 20% of the yearly production will need to be stored to keep the system in balance. Since the Antwerp-Rotterdam-Rhine-Ruhr (ARRR) cluster is the European region where the highest CO2-emissions are measured (highest production, but also highest population density and energy supply), this region is well positioned to focus on CO2 and 'peak shaving' of renewable energy. Since it is also one of the biggest chemical clusters, the conversion of CO2 into new molecules makes sense guaranteeing that the final balance on energy use and CO2-emissions are lower than in the classical production. We have started an initiative to explore technologies for converting CO2, preferentially coupled to 'peak shaving', to building blocks for the chemical sector. Microbial Electrosynthesis Generation of electric current from the metabolism of organic substrates in microbial fuel cells (MFCs), using bacteria as electrocatalysts was reported. By converting the chemical energy stored in organic substrates to electricity, MFCs can reduce the operational cost of wastewater treatment plants. Recently, a new concept of microbial electrosynthesis has evolved where similar setups, generally known as bioelectrochemical systems (BES), are being used for the production of chemicals. Already the bioelectrochemical reduction of CO2 to acetate has been achieved, as well as the reduction of CO2 to methane and multi-carbon compounds. Efforts are underway to utilize a wide variety of substrates for production of an array of compounds. The key advantage here is the use of excess electricity that is often generated renewably, from solar cells and wind mills, all of which cannot be utilized immediately and can be fed into BES to produce chemicals. We will report our first results with specific bacteria towards bioelectrochemical conversion of CO2 to organic compounds. Acetogens like Sporomusa and Clostridium sps. were experimented for their CO2 reduction capacity at -0.6 V vs Ag/AgCl cathode potential. Adjustment of reduction potential and optimization of cell conditions were carried out in a fed batch reactor with an activated carbon cathode. Production of 67 mg/L ethanol with mixed culture as biocatalyst was the most remarkable achievement. Enzymatic Electrosynthesis Enzymes can also be used for chemical transformations including both the reduction and oxidation reactions. We are using CO2 as substrate for the production of methanol which will have a significant positive impact on environment as well as energy crisis. Electrosynthesis of formic acid was higher at an operational voltage of -1 V vs. Ag/AgCl (9.37 mg L-1 CO2) compared to operation at -0.8 V (4.73 mg L-1 CO2) which was strongly supported by the reduction catalytic current. Voltammograms also depicted a reversible redox peak throughout operation at -1 V, indicating NAD+ recycling for proton transfer from the source to CO2. Product saturation was observed after 45 minutes of enzyme addition and then reversibility commenced, depicting a lower and stable formic acid concentration throughout the subsequent time of operation.

Educational buildings form a major part of public buildings in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) as is true for many Middle Eastern countries in the region. As a result of the rapid growth in the KSA, prototype educational buildings are designed with little or no effort towards standards of energy efficient design, and therefore are considered to be one of the highest energy consumers in the country. Educational buildings are unique facilities accommodating a large number of people and services for the purpose of learning, propagation of knowledge and the development of skills for life. Hence, the energy efficiency of educational buildings has now become a priority for educational organisations, design professionals and particularly governments with visions for sustainable development. The main objective of this study is to assess the energy consumption of typical Higher Technical Institutes (HTIs) buildings in five different cities representing different climatic zones of the KSA. The investigation will evaluate the total energy consumption of a prototype building design and its response to the climate conditions in each region. In this study, a whole building energy simulation was used to investigate the sensitivity of various factors affecting energy use and a detailed computer model of a prototype building in five different cities in the KSA have been constructed using EnergyPlus thermal analysis engine through DesignBuilder software package. The results revealed that the energy consumption in investigated prototype educational building differed significantly because of each city location of the project. Moreover, it was found that the variations in the total energy consumption between the five selected cities were a result of the consumption of the cooling and heating systems. The study emphasised on the total energy consumption of educational buildings demonstrating a prototype HTIs building as a case study and concluded that the KSA would require its own building energy benchmarking classification system if it is to develop best or good practice energy standards for buildings within the country. Moreover, to optimise the energy consumption in educational buildings, each region should have its own guidelines according to the climatic conditions within the KSA, which is also applicable to other types of buildings.

The role of using Forward Osmosis (FO) or Nano filtration (NF) as a pre-treated method to the existing MSF desalination plants is to reduce divalent ions which cause hard scale deposition at elevated temperature. The separation of divalent ion enables to increase the desalination process temperature greater than 110 0C which consequently increases the plant performance, increase the productivity as well as reduce the chemical consumption. Integration of NF system to existing MSF desalination plant and treatment of only 30% of make-up enable to increase the TBT up to 130°C, the production can be increased to 20%. The cost analysis showed the unit product cost is 5.4% higher than that conventional MSF (at 110°C) due to the additional capital cost of NF system. Integrating NF system to novel configuration (NF-MSF-DM) desalination plant at the TBT = 130°C, the gain output ratio could be as high as 16, i.e. double the convention MSF-BR. The new NF-MSFDM configuration significantly reduces the unit's input thermal energy to suit the use of (the relatively expensive) solar energy as a desalination plant driver. Integrating FO to existing MSF and use the brine of the last stage as a draw solution at a recovery ratio of 35 % reduces the Ca+ ions in the seawater feed by 20 % which enables to increase the TBT up to 130 0C safely. The simulation results show at TBT = 130 0C, the production of the existing MSF plant increases by 20 %. The OPEX analysis showed an amount of 2.3 M$/Year of chemical cost can be saved if the FO deployed to the existing MSF plant in Qatar. The trade off point between the additional CAPEX of FO membrane system and saving in OPEX will be considered under different operating condition in the present work.

A great challenge for this century lies in cleaning-up the wastewater generated during industrial, domestic and agricultural activities before being released, into the aquatic environment, or reused for another purpose e.g. irrigation. Phenolic compounds among the various organic contaminates found in wastewater require special attention because of their toxic effect on humans and the environment. Their presence has been confirmed in many different industrial wastewaters. These phenolic compounds are refractory ones and the efficiency of their traditional treatment techniques is low. Therefore, the use of an effective and economic elimination technique for phenolic compounds in wastewater becomes an urgent demand. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) represents the most recent technology in wastewater treatment. TiO2 is known to be an excellent photocatalyst. However, there are some challenges regarding using TiO2 in the industrial scale. Significant attention is directed towards using carbonaceous nanomaterials as support to enhance photocatalytic behavior of TiO2 due to their unique and controllable structural and electrical properties. In this work, low percentage of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and graphene oxide (GO) were supported on TiO2 seeking a better catalytic performances. These composites were tested for degrading some phenolic compounds using UV as photoexcitation source in presence of some oxidants e.g. H2O2. It was found that small loadings of GO and RGO decreased the band gap energy for TiO2 and increased the efficiency and decreased the time needed for the photodegradation of phenolic compounds.

Desalinated seawater is the primary source of drinking water in Qatar. Among all present desalination technologies, reverse osmosis (RO) has been demonstrated as one of the most feasible processes. However, the main limitation with RO and other membrane-based techniques is costly operation and maintenance associated with membrane scaling, fouling, and degradation. Advanced membranes that enable ultrafast permeation while maintaining good mechanical properties, are very important to facilitate both water purification and desalination technologies. Low-dimensional nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes, cellulose nanocrystals and graphene oxide (GO) have been tested in membranes due to their good mechanical properties and amenable surface functionalization. Specifically, GO nanosheets have recently emerged as a new material for ultrathin, high-flux and energy-efficient sieving membranes due to GO's unique two-dimensional atomically thin structure, outstanding mechanical strength and good flexibility, as well as good dispersion in aqueous solutions. However, selectivity and stability of fully wetted GO membranes in cross-flow conditions has remained challenging and solubility of GO can also lead to membrane disintegration under operation conditions. Herein we present MXenes [1], a new class of 2D carbides, as new promising membrane materials for water desalination applications. For this purpose, Ti3C2-based MXene membranes have been prepared by a vacuum-assisted filtration technique. In order to detect the permeated ions and molecules, we have performed electrical conductivity measurements and UV-Vis analyses. The results have shown that MXene membranes are selective towards ions of different size/charge, such as Cu2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, SO42-, and Cl-. The permeation data have also shown a cut-off trend around 4 Å, and species of a larger size have been sieved out. The transport mechanism through MXene membrane films has been therefore size and charge selective due to the presence of the interlayer slit pores and the negative charges on the hydrophilic Ti3C2-based MXene film surfaces. In this study, we compare MXene membranes with GO membranes to better understand differences in their water desalination performance. Indeed these novel membrane composites are expected to improve the flux, increase the salt rejection efficiency and decrease adhesion of the adsorbed particulates and organic molecules, thus mitigating fouling. Reference: 1.M. Naguib, V.N. Mochalin, M.W. Barsoum, Y. Gogotsi, MXenes: A New Family of Two-Dimensional Materials, Advanced Materials, 26, 992-1005 (2014)

Dispersed water droplets in organic liquids are commonly encountered in the oil, chemical and biochemical industries. A typical example is the separation of dispersed water drops in crude oil, in order to prevent catalyst fouling, viscosity and volume increase, and to meet quality specifications of the crude oil. Water drops can be removed from a continuous oil phase by various techniques, such as chemical demulsification, gravity or centrifugal separation, pH adjustment, filtration, heat treatment, membrane separation and electrostatic-enhanced coalescence. Compared to other methods, electrical demulsification is considered to be superior in terms of energy efficiency. The electrostatic effects arise from the much higher values of dielectric permittivity and conductivity of water in comparison to oil. However, the mechanism of electrocoalescence is still not fully understood and most of the conventional electro-separators are rather bulky. There is, therefore, a compelling need to optimize the design and operation of these separators by means of a better fundamental understanding of the underlying physics. This study aims at investigating the coalescence behaviour of water droplets in sunflower oil when the aqueous phase is present in the form of a chain of droplets. Chains easily form in an emulsion, since droplets tend to align themselves with the direction of the electric field. A pair of ladder-wise electrodes was implemented to set up an electric field almost parallel to the flow direction of the droplets. This design ensures that adjacent droplets in a chain experience the maximum attractive force and does not significantly disturb the hydrodynamics of the continuous phase. The effect of the electric field strength, frequency and waveform on the process performance has been investigated. Both constant and pulsed dc fields have been applied to the dispersion. Sinusoidal, sawtooth and square waves have been employed as pulsed dc waveforms. Droplet size distributions at the outlet of the device were measured by image analysis. The outcomes of the research suggest that it is possible to find a combination of electrical field intensity, frequency and waveform to maximize the separation efficiency.

The Arabian Gulf, surrounded by deserts, is an ideal marine basin to study the effects of nutrient input from dust on primary productivity. We studied the microbial community composition of the water column and sediment using 16S r-RNA gene sequencing, and the activity of photosynthetic microorganisms using pigment analysis and microsensors measurements in February and October 2013 and February 2014. We collected samples from three stations (1CD, 2CD & 3CD) along an inshore-offshore transect extending from Doha to the middle of the gulf. Our results showed that although the water column had more pigment diversity than that of the sediment, the latter had higher pigment concentrations. This applies to all the samples collected from different locations during the 3 cruises. In October the pigment content in the water column was ~2 times higher than in February. This indicates higher primary productivity in October than in February, which might have resulted from the nutritive effect of dust after the intensive dust storms during the summer season. The microbial community structure (on class level) of the water column was determined on samples from the 3 sites collected in the two cruises in 2013. The highest contribution of the surface water samples came from members of phyla cyanobacteria and proteobacteria. At deep water, the Proteobacteria dominated over the cyanobacteria. The microbial community structure in the sediment is strongly dominated by members of Proteobacteria (70-78%), while the relative abundance of cyanobacteria dropped to <1%.

Since children spend a considerable part of the day at school, classroom indoor air quality (IAQ) is a major contributor to their personal exposure. The geographical location of the school, the proximity of outdoor sources (industry or traffic), construction characteristics (including ventilation/heating system), as well as decorations and consumer products, all contribute to classroom IAQ. Considering the potential health impact of a poor IAQ on this susceptible population, suitable measures to assess and mitigate indoor air pollutants (IAP) in school buildings are taken. The last 4 years, several studies on classroom IAQ and source control were organized in Belgium. The use of new, innovative sampling techniques, designed for indoor air monitoring (Lazarov et al. 2013), led to novel insights into classroom environments. In 90 non-mechanically ventilated classrooms, indoor and outdoor levels of traffic-related volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were closely associated. Resuspension by room occupancy caused increased indoor PM2.5 during teaching periods. Indoor CO2 was elevated (reaching 5000ppm) and significantly correlated to indoor VOCs, formaldehyde and PM2.5. Mechanical ventilation in 26 newly built classrooms in low-energy and certified passive buildings (annual energy demand <15kWh/m²) led to higher ventilation rates and air filtration removed outdoor PM2.5 in the air supply. The total air supply per pupil (i.e. summed ventilation rate and air infiltration rate: <3l/s.pp to >15l/s.pp) was inversely associated with indoor toluene, formaldehyde, PM2.5 and CO2. Most abundant phthalates were di-ethylphthalate, di-n-butylphthtalate, and to lesser extent benzylbutylphthtalate. Concentrations up to 8μg/m³ were quantified, resulting from synthetic classroom decorations and products. Following the IAQ assessments, three strategies to optimize/enhance classroom environments were explored (www.vito.be/indoor_air; www.sinphonie.eu): (1) identification and quantification of classroom IAP sources, (2) validation of building materials that enhance IAQ, and (3) improved filter efficiency in the air supply of ventilation systems. The first measure was explored by quantifying emissions of classroom products in test chambers, respecting ISO 16000-9 whilst simulating representative classroom climates. A wooden kindergarten chair emitted 16 different VOCs and aldehydes, including formaldehyde at an emission rate of 4.5μg/h.chair, 6 days after installation. Dry-erase markers emitted 16 VOCs and aldehydes, including benzene, and couch textile emitted tri(2-chloroethyl)phosphate at a rate of 3.5μg/h.m² 60 days after installation. The second measure was explored by exposing a plaster board with IAQ enhancing characteristics to a controlled atmosphere of formaldehyde, toluene, benzene and limonene in a test chamber. The treated board selectively reduced formaldehyde with an efficiency of 79% (loading factor 0.38m²/m³). To explore the third measure, long-term experiments are organised in 4 classrooms to quantify the impact of filter efficiency upgrades on the occurrence of outdoor air pollutants indoors (PMx and soot). The use of innovative indoor sampling methods leads to the identification of critical aspects of school environments. This research illustrates that to create better IAQ at school, risks of IAQ can be tackled by dedicated source control and reduction. B. Lazarov, R. Swinnen, M. Spruyt, E. Goelen, M. Stranger, G. Desmet, E. Wauters. Optimisation steps of an innovative air sampling method for semi-volatile organic compounds. Atmospheric Environment 79(2013); 780-786.

Atomic nanoclusters exhibit large surface to volume ratio which enhances their ability to interact with external materials, thus, they can be utilized efficiently for catalysts and gas sensing applications. Copper (Cu) nanoclusters are a promising system for gas sensing applications, mainly because of its sensitivity and selectivity for H2S [1,2]. In this work, Cu nanoclusters were synthesized using the dc magnetron sputtering and gas-condensation technique [3,4]. The dependence of nanoclusters' size on various source parameters such as the inert gas flow rate, and aggregation length has been investigated in detail. The results show that as the inert gas flow rate increases, the nanocluster size decreases. These results could be understood as a result of nanocluster production by three-body collision mechanism. This work demonstrates the ability of tuning the nanoclusters' size and yield by a proper optimization of the source operation conditions. Keywords: Cu nanoclusters, sputtering, nanocluster size selection, inert gas condensation, nanocluster formation mechanism References: [1] V. Kumar, S. Sen, K. P. Muthe, N. K. Gaur, S. K. Gupta, and J. V. Yakhmi: Copper doped SnO2 nanowires as highly sensitive H2S gas sensor. Sensors and Actuators B 138, 587 (2009). [2] X. Kong, and Y. Li: High sensitivity of CuO modified SnO2 nanoribbons to H2S at room temperature. Sens. Actuators B 105, 449 (2005). [3] A. I. Ayesh, N. Qamhieh, H. Ghamlouche, S. Thaker, and M. EL-Shaer: Fabrication of size-selected Pd nanoclusters using a magnetron plasma sputtering source. J. Appl. Phys. 107, 2010, p. 034317. [4] A. I. Ayesh, S. Thaker, N. Qamhieh, and H. Ghamlouche: Size-controlled Pd nanocluster grown by plasma gas-condensation method. J. Nanopart. Res. 13, 2011, p. 1125.

Little is known to what extent conditions within hyper-arid mobile dunes are permissive of microbial activity. To inform this question, we report measurements of temperature and humidity from probes initially sunk below the avalanche face of a mobile barchan dune in the Qatar desert, emerging windward after 15 months of deep burial. The observations reveal how random precipitation produces widely diverse humidity within the dune. They confirm that dunes provide stable temperatures sheltered from hyper-arid environmental conditions at the surface. In this research, we also evaluate the internal stratigraphy of mobile dunes with ground-penetrating microwaves. The presentation will report preliminary measurements conducted in the same Qatar barchan and discuss consequences for water retention after rare precipitation.

There is mounting evidence that the global warming and, consequently, the climate changes are anthropogenic and attributed to fossil fuel consumption. Therefore, it is mandatory to find alternative solutions that can replace current resources. One of those resources is solar energy, and specifically Photovoltaic solar panels. Qatar is a sun-belt country with daily average solar radiation in the range of 5.1 kWh/m2. Namely, in such hot and dry region, solar energy seems to be the most important source of renewable energy. The local government has been aware of this fact and planning to generate 200 MW of electricity in 2020 from solar power. In hot country like Qatar air conditioning systems account for more than 65% energy consumption. This provides the challenge to study the possibility of utilizing renewable energy in air conditioning sector. In the light of the improvements achieving in the performance of photovoltaic systems beside the reduction in its price, the combination between the photovoltaic and air conditioning systems is becoming more practical. Unlike other renewable energy resources, the maximum available solar energy corresponds with the peak cooling demand. This increases the viability of utilizing solar energy in air conditioning applications. The current work demonstrates the technical and economic potential of utilizing solar energy at the working conditions of Qatar. For this aim a most common mosque design in Doha, Qatar, was selected as a case study. Among the different solar module brands available in the market, Solar Leading module brand was considered. Two simulation models including hourly analysis program and system advice model were used in order to carry out the technical and economic analysis. From technical viewpoint, current study resulted in determination of required number of a considered PV module which has been found to be 77 panels. These panels can provide the air conditioning system of the considered mosque with annual electricity demand the A/C system, see Figure 1. The objective of the economic analysis is to determine the costs and the benefits of investment and to quantify with the determination of appropriate financial indicators the economic convenience of PV systems. In particular the economic analysis resulted in determination of different figures of merit including net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), the payback time (PBT), and levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). The NPV, IRR, PBT, and LCOE were found to be $3700, 3.8%, 22 years, and 0.070 $/KWh, respectively, see Figure 2. The obtained results show that utilization of solar energy for air conditioning purposes has big potential for saving economic and environment at working conditions of Qatar.

A double stage, low volume particle sampler was used to collect PM10 and PM2.5 aerosol particles, both indoor and outdoor. XRF, SEM/EDS, Micro-Raman and XRD techniques were used to identify both the elemental composition and chemical speciation of particulate matter (PM) of both size fractions. The integration of the above techniques has enabled us to identify the constituents of both the coarse and fine fractions of PM. We have also found that the large amounts of ammonium sulfates ((NH4)2SO4) form in the atmosphere as a result of interaction of natural (coarse) fraction of pollutants with anthropogenic emissions such as SO2, NOx, ammonia(NH3) and ammonium compounds, originating from fossil fuel burning mainly for energy generation. Such interactions of PM during transport in the atmosphere, in the presence of humidity, also modify the properties and toxicity of PM, especially for the fine and ultra-fine fractions. EDS elemental maps, XRD and RAMAN spectroscopy have enabled us to identify several secondary pollutants that form in the atmosphere as a result of such interactions, such as (CaMg(CO)3) and ((Fe,Mg)2SiO4). Anthropogenic emissions therefore have drastic consequences in forming new compounds with fine particulate sizes as a result of interaction with natural coarse emissions originating from dust storms, sea salts and crustal materials. These secondary fine pollutants may have severe health consequences. Our results suggest that reducing emissions of power plants will drastically reduce these undesired reactions and the formation of these fine-sized secondary pollutants. Moving towards renewable and clean energy sources such as solar and nuclear sources will lead to reducing secondary pollutants emissions. The UAE has recently initiated several projects both related to both solar and nuclear power plants. These projects will lead to tremendous reduction of fine particulate pollutants originating from primary anthropogenic sources and from interaction of natural coarse pollutants with these anthropogenic emissions.

Background: Microsatellite (Simple Sequence Repeat) markers are very powerful tool especially in plant genome analysis because they are locus-specific, co-dominant, highly polymorphic and highly reproducible. However, in date palm only few microsatellite markers are available worldwide so far. Fortunately, more than 1000 new microsatellite markers were developed recently by a research group in ICARDA based on the date palm genome sequence generated by next generation DNA sequencing that is published by Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar. Objectives: The aim of this work was to analyze the genetic diversity among most common cultivars of Qatari date palm and the genetic variation within each cultivar using simple sequence repeat markers. In addition, the study aimed to develop a detailed understanding of the genetic and molecular relationships of Qatari date Palm cultivars Methods: A new set of hundred genomic DNA microsatellite primer pairs was used to assess the genetic diversity of the 47 collected Date palm samples that are representing 17 genotypes from two genetic resource fields (Rodat Alfaras Germplasm field and Qatar University Experimental Farm). Bands were precisely measured by Gel documentation System software and scored for each genotype. Each reproducible polymorphic DNA band at particular position on the gel was treated as a separate character and scored as present (1) or absent (0) to generate a binary data matrix. Results: The results revealed that out of 100 SSR primers 27 primers showed exact expected size band and 62 primers showed clear polymorphism. In addition 11 over 100 did not show clear bands.in the whole set of 47 Date palm samples. Total of 538 bands were generated using the 100 SSR primers for the 15 Date palm date palm cultivars. On average, each primer generated 5 bands per genotype. The number of amplified bands varied from cultivar to cultivar and primer to primer. Band pattern data was converted into a binary data in excel work sheet and was analyzed using Power-maker program to calculate similarity coefficient values according to Jaccard (1908). A similarity matrix between Qatari date palm cultivars (Figure 5) showed an average genetic distance range from 0.000 to 0.4769. The cultivars studied here were highly divergent at the DNA level. The highest genetic distance value was observed between Lulu -3 and both Khadrawy-2and Khadrawy-3 cultivars (0.4769) which seem to be the most far three varieties.. Conclusions: In this study, SSR markers have been used to assess the molecular characterization and the phylogenic relationships of Qatari date palm cultivars. Our results provide evidence of a genetic diversity among the studied Qatari date genotypes and the ability of SSR markers to detect the genetic diversity in date palm. We may conclude that all date-palm genotypes are interrelated in spite of their agronomic divergence.

Graphene Oxide (GO) is a promising material for various applications. The team prepared GO from graphite and studied the interaction with different microorganisms. Anti-microbial properties were detected for the prepared GO. Anti-microbial activities of GO was tested against one eukaryotic fungi (Candida albicans) two prokaryotic bacteria Gram-negative bacilli (Escherichia coli ATCC 41570 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 25619) and two prokaryotic bacteria Gram-positive cocci (Streptococcus feacalis 19433 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 11632). Spectrophotometer was used to measure the growth as an indirect method, viable cell counting was used as direct method. Readings were taken at successive incubated times. Results revealed that GO exhibited stronger antibacterial and anti-fungal activity against the used bacteria and fungi species. Acknowledgements: This research was made possible by NPRP grant (NPRP5-039-2-014) from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation). The statement made herein are solely the responsibility of the author.

Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) nanosensor for ultrasensitive detection of bromate in drinking water: State-of-the-art and prospective Khaled A. Mahmoud Qatar Environment & Energy Research Institute (QEERI), [email protected] Sergey V. Gaponenko B. I. Stepanov Institute of Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Minsk 220072 Belarus, [email protected] The advances in Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) offer highly sensitive detection methods for monitoring drinking and potable water. The main experimental obstacle is the selective evaluation of a target pollutant in presence of the other pollutants. While single molecule detection is feasible in ultra-pure solutions with the known target molecules the trace detection of common pollutants in drinking and potable water remains a serious challenge. We consider the molecular recognition as the principal approach towards reliable development of plasmonic nanosensors for trace contaminations monitoring in water at the World Health Organization (WHO) prescribed levels. The molecular recognition approach has been recently shown to offer efficient selective analysis of certain target organic molecules in complex mixtures [4]. It is based on using specific binding of an additional agent (molecular compound) to the target molecules on complex solutions with the subsequent deposition of resulting conjugates on nanoplasmonic substrates and its Raman analysis. Specific binding can be tested additionally by predetermined modification of certain vibrational modes in conjugates as compared to free molecules. Desalinated water used in many countries including Qatar contains certain contaminants which does not present in ground water. Therefore analysts in these countries face the problem to develop affordable and reliable techniques for routine analysis of these contaminants in desalinated drinking and potable water. The representative examples are bromate, chlorate, and iodate anions. Bromate is supposed to possess carcinogenic properties with respect to humans and its content should thoroughly meet the WHO recommendation. We consider possible approaches to SERS sensor for trace level of bromate detection in desalinated drinking water. Herein we present novel analytical technique to trace bromate in drinking water based on novel molecular recognition and SERS sensor with detectability level improved by many orders of the magnitude. The novel and affordable technique for bromate detection in drinking water is expected to replace existing costly and bulky devices. This technique will offer bromate nanosensor test kit(s) to be used with the existing commercial Raman spectrometer and also will open an avenue towards portable desktop or even handheld bromate detection devices. The novel approach can be potentially foreseen to bromate extraction from drinking water. [1] S. V. Gaponenko, Introduction to Nanophotonics, Cambridge University, 2010. [2] K. Kneipp, M. Moskovits, H. Kneipp (Eds.) Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering, Springer, 2006. [3] S. V. Gaponenko, D. V. Guzatov, Chem. Phys. Lett. 2009, 477, 411-414. [4] Kh. A. Mahmoud and M. Zourob, Analyst, 2013, 138, 2712-2719. [5] Bromate in Drinking-water, World Health Organization 2005.

Control of carbon dioxide emissions without significant penalties requires effective CO2 scrubbing from point sources, such as fossil fuel burning power plants, cement factories and steel making. Capturing process is the most costly; hence the research is directed to finding solutions to it. Efficient CO2 scrubbing without a significant energy penalty remains an outstanding challenge for fossil fuel-burning industry where aqueous amine solutions are still widely used. Porous materials have long been evaluated for next generation CO2 adsorbents. Porous polymers, robust and inexpensive, show promise as feasible materials for the capture of CO2 from warm exhaust fumes. Nanoporous polymeric materials show considerable CO2 uptakes and are likely to replace monoethanol amine (MEA) solutions for industrial CO2 capture. We report recently developed nanoporous covalent organic polymers (COPs), which show significant capacities and selectivities for CO2. To name a few, COP-1 shows 5.6 g/g CO2 uptake at 200 bar and 45 °C, COP-2 shows a CO2/H2 selectivity of over 10:1 and COP-33 1.8 g/g at CO2 uptake at 200 bar 50 °C with a CO2/H2 selectivity of 3:1. These results point to an ideal nanoporous structure to be made from a highly porous, inexpensive, physisorptive solid, which is chemically modified with amine functionalities.

Few topics are more relevant in current times than energy management. Fast depleting reserves and record-high prices of fossil fuels and global climatic change are forcing a strategic rethink towards the way we deal with our energy needs, across the globe. Better energy management and energy consumption reduction could help Qatar's economy better achieve its sustainability targets. With buildings consuming over 40% of national energy consumption, reducing in-building energy consumption represent a huge opportunity to achieve energy and corresponding Green House Gas (GHG) emissions reduction. Buildings consume massive amount of Energy, resulting from heavy electrical loads from lighting, cooling and appliance usage. Thus, reducing the consumption of energy in residential and commercial buildings will have a huge impact on total energy savings. The majority of buildings which will be standing in 2050 have already been built, so building owners need to retrofit their buildings in such a way as to optimize greenhouse gases emissions and energy consumption reduction. This research presents a framework to yield optimal energy reduction, to help decided spending of energy retrofit budget in most cost-effective and result oriented manner, by identifying existing building stock with a potential of maximum energy reduction. Existing approaches for building energy performance analysis are either prohibitively expensive (e.g. detailed energy audits by certified experts) or inadequately granular (not providing enough energy feedback; e.g. carbon calculators, energy benchmarks, ROI curves). Also, existing energy modelling processes require weeks or months to construct, before useful information can be provided to guide retrofit decisions. Thus, there is need to complement existing approaches with innovative approaches to building energy modelling. The presented research aims to address technical and cost challenges associated with energy consumption feedback and retrofit decision making. Research aim is to develop a technology driven framework to provide a quick and cost-effective method of undertaking building energy audits using Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Energy Simulation technologies. Implementation of such an framework will provide a relatively accurate and inexpensive decision support tool to provide useful energy consumption related information to building users and decision makers. Presented research builds on previous pilot conducted by authors, which demonstrated that BIM/IFC based approaches provide a feasible alternative to conduct energy analysis of existing buildings, provided various correlations are built into the model. The approach does not require specialist energy assessor, auditor or a software expert. After initial calibration, results were obtained within a 5% margin of accuracy. The results could be used for preliminary energy analysis, for exploring different what-if scenarios, providing interactive feedback to building users and for exploring various alternatives to enhance building performance using renewable energy.

Problem Statement The soils of the Arabian Peninsula in general and the GCC countries in specific are coarse textured. These soils have low water and nutrient holding capacity and high leaching. There is a need for innovative technology that enhances water and nutrient use efficiency and increase crop production. A number of organic and inorganic amendments have been used by various researchers in this regards. However, little has been done in this respect on UAE soils, and hence forms the focus of this study. Objectives To assess the performance of organic and inorganic amendments to enhanced crop production (maize). Methodology A green house experiment (pot) was conducted (June-September 2013) on maize crop using different amendments and rates (0, 1.5%, 3.0% and 6.0%). Four inorganic and one organic amendment were used. The pots were irrigated with fresh water (EC = 2.07 dSm-1) at 100% ET0, 75% ET0 and 50% ET0. The treatments were triplicated in split plot design. Nitrogen was applied at 115 kg/ha in three dozes (50%, 25% and 25%); while potash (30 kg/ha K2O) and phosphorus (60 kg/ha P2O5) were applied at sowing. Five seeds (variety Sahiwal from Pakistan) were sown in the pots and when geminated thinning was done to three plants. Data on plant height, biomass (fresh and dry), root length and weight, germination was collected. Results Two inorganic amendments (Zeoplant and Zeoplant pellets) have shown promising results in terms of plant height and biomass. At 75% ETo the performance of both amendments was comparable to 100% ET0; however, the biomass was increased more than double and even triple compared to the control treatment by Zeoplant. These are the preliminary results which needs further confirmation under field conditions. Follow up to this study we have conducted green house (pot experiment) and field trials (barley crop) to further test these amendments before solid conclusions can be drawn and recommendation formulated. Based on the preliminary pot experiments following conclusions are drawn. Conclusions The organic and inorganic amendments in general improved the water use efficiency as well as enhanced the biomass production to a significant extent compared to the treatment where amendments were not used. Recommendations These are preliminary results from sandy soil representing the main soil type in UAE. These amendments may behave differently in other types of soils hence further test are needed. Key words Agriculture production, Sandy soils, Soil amendments, Soil properties improvement, UAE

An initial generic framework for steel industry supply chain sustainability is proposed and enhanced later to reflect the reality of supply chain operations. The Green Supply Chain (GL-SC) framework is based on a simultaneous implementation of environmental and green practices across the supply chain. It also involves methods to recover the product from customer or scrap and to re-use it or re-use part of it through recycling, repair, remanufacturing, or refurbishment. Recovered items can be sent to customer or to another customer (second grade) or even returned to supplier. The framework covers the key supply chain components and operations, specifies their environmental impacts, and assigns potential green practices. The Framework specifies green SC practices that can mainly contribute to the sustainability of the steel supply chain. This is expected to result in a green focus across the supply chain and establishes for a green assessment of various SC functions. A set of green supply chain (G-SC) metrics will be developed to assess the sustainability of steel supply chain. These metrics will be used to assess the effectiveness of current and proposed green practices within the supply chain while revealing the effects of these initiatives and their potential opportunities. The proposed framework includes both qualitative and quantitative performance measurements. As green initiatives are evaluated for adoption and a set of sustainable supply chain performance measures (KPIs) will be developed then a DES simulation model of steel supply chain will be built, validated, and verified. Conflict amongst the multiple objectives and KPIs is often expected. The assessment of such initiatives/alternatives translates into a multi-objective optimization problem that could be modeled and potentially solved using heuristics and simulation models, and randomized search engines (e.g., Genetic Algorithms, Tabu Search, and Simulated Annealing). Practically, it is difficult and in some cases impossible to include all aspects of SC green practices in the solution achieved with such methods. The proposed framework recommends managerial decision support tools, namely Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), for selecting an applicable strategy for attaining a green and lean supply chain. To this end, AHP is utilized to determine an overall score of combined green proposals based on the ratings and relative importance of the selected green KPIs. This is essential in order to arrive at realistic and comprehensive assessment of the proposed strategies.

Dates constitute the primary exportable agricultural product in Qatar and current efforts are being made to improve its production. Varieties with desirable morphological traits are usually maintained using clonal propagation leading to the establishment of uniform palm plantations. This practice reduces the genetic diversity among palm orchards and makes them more vulnerable to pests and diseases. The biggest limitation in date palm propagation from seeds is that half of the planted offspring are expected to be male individuals with no agricultural value. Previous cytological studies indicated the presence of heteromorphic sex chromosomes in date palm, but enzymatic approaches intended to anticipate gender determination have been unsuccessful. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis of female and male individuals from the commercial varieties Khalas, Deglet Noor and Medjool, allowed the identification of a sex-linked region that segregates with gender, and extends to 24 scaffolds. This sex locus was genetically mapped to the lower arm of linkage group 12, and was estimated to extend up to 13 Mb, or 2% of the genome. Our objective was to physically map the male/female determination region in date palm using a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library. This library represents 12x genome coverage and clones have an average insert size of 125 kb. A first round of PCR screening of this library was developed using the sequence information from the 24 SNP-enriched scaffolds to generate PCR-based primers around gender segregating markers. Plasmid DNA from multiple BACs was barcoded, pooled and sequenced using Illumina MiSeq and 150 paired-end reads were then assembled and compared to the existing date palm reference genomes from Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Next generation sequencing of eighty-two BACs has allowed the mapping of nineteen markers to six large assembled contigs with an estimated average size of 496.4 kb spanning approximately 2.9 Mb. Preliminary analysis of the assembled sequences indicated that we have positively identified a genomic region highly enriched in gender-linked SNPs, with male and female alleles segregating in a 1:1 ratio. This is what we would have expected from an XY sex chromosome system. Multiple sequence gaps still exist within and between the sequenced region, and further analysis has indicated that many BAC end sequences correspond to repetitive elements that likely constitute a big portion of the unassembled DNA sequences. During the second phase of this study, we have designed and tested twenty-one new PCR markers that we expect will help to close the gaps, determine the minimum tilling path and obtain a complete sequence and physical map of the sex-determination region. Our ultimate goal is to detect the critical mutation that gave rise to male and female separation. This is the first time such level of detail in a dioecious plant will be achieved. Furthermore, standardization of a reliable sequencing and screening procedure will allow us to characterize other genomic regions associated with desirable commercial properties in date fruits. This in turn will provide a valuable tool for the development of marker-assisted selection programs and ultimately for the improvement of date palm production.

With the development of practices towards green pavements, many agencies are shifting from the use of the conventional hot mix asphalt (HMA) towards new technologies of warm mix asphalt (WMA). The different techniques of WMA are recently developed to improve many aspects of asphalt works of which to reduce the mixing and compaction temperature, reduce the required energy for production, lessen the emissions and fumes, and extend the construction seasons. Thus, WMA is becoming commonly used in critical paving projects at cold weather or projects with short time-windows where the roadway cannot be closed from traffic for a long period of time. Based on this, it is important to know the cooling characteristics of freshly paved asphalt mats for these projects. The cooling time is a critical factor affecting the completion time of the paving operations where enough time needs to be given for the asphalt layer to cool down and gain the required stiffness to carry the traffic load. Lowering the cooling time will reduce user delays and interruption of services which decreases the accompanied financial and environmental costs. This requires the accurate estimation of the cooling time prior to construction to set more efficient rehabilitation paving operations. To achieve this, a predictive finite element model (FEM) using the ADINA (Automated Dynamic Incremental Nonlinear Analysis) package, is developed to simulate the actual cooling of newly paved asphalt layers. The model is founded on principles of thermodynamics and heat transfer to simulate the effects of conduction, convection, and radiation to predict the cooling rates of pavements. This study provides an accurate and mechanistic prediction tool for asphalt cooling that incorporates the various factors influencing the cooling rate such as layer thickness, air temperature, solar flux, wind speed, time of the day, time of the year, and properties of the paving material. The model is validated using measured data and used to assess the effect of certain critical parameters on cooling rates and impact on paving operations. This tool allows its user to simulate cooling of different types of asphalt concrete of which HMA and WMA are two options. Also, WMA has a time-dependent curing at a relatively short period of time after construction where the asphalt binder regains its original viscosity and/or a certain amount of entrapped moisture is evaporated from the WMA where insufficient curing time can lead to the deterioration of WMA at early stages. So, this tool will be used to predict the cooling time of WMA at different conditions where it will be compared with WMA curing time and thus decide whether the cooling or curing time determines the time to open to traffic for WMA projects.

Qataris are increasingly becoming interested in sport shooting at indoor and outdoor areas where lead (Pb) contamination can become an environmental health hazard, especially since high salinity and low organic matter content in the desert environment limit natural Pb weathering. Up to date, no information is available as to the impacts of Pb pellets on the environment in Qatar. Therefore, there is a need to determine Pb contamination levels at shooting ranges in Qatar. In this study, the concentrations of Pb in soils and dust collected from indoor, semi-outdoor, and outdoor ranges were assessed. Lead was extracted from soil and dust samples using the open acid digestion method, then its concentrations were determined by an ICP-MS. A baseline data on the health status of shooters was carried out using a 12-questions survey questionnaire. Results showed that indoor ranges were the most contaminated, having the highest Pb levels (619,309 ppb) at 25 m indoor firing ranges. The Pb levels in outdoor shooting ranges were also found to be relatively high, especially at 76 m site (148,557 ppb). Overall, the concentrations of Pb were determined to be significantly (p˂0.05) higher in indoor ranges than those of outdoor and semi-outdoor ranges. The results of the survey data indicated that 25% and 15% of participants suffer from anemia and reduction in their mental capacity, respectively, based on self-report. This might be associated with their recreational exposure to Pb; however, the cause and effect can only be established through controlled clinical studies. Overall, these results indicate that there is a clear need for improving the situation in especially indoor shooting ranges by using lead-free ammunition, wearing personal protective equipment or installing better ventilation in indoor facilities.

Solar cells based on the hybrid halide perovskite, CH3NH3PbI3, have now reached a confirmed efficiency of 18%, demonstrating a pace for improvements with no precedents in the solar energy arena. Despite such explosive progress, the microscopic origin behind the success of such material is still debated and in particular it is not clear what role the organic component play in the light-harvesting process. We will show using electronic structure calculations that the organic molecules do contribute to the band structure close to the bandgap and they play a fundamental role in determining the crystal geometry. The high-temperature cubic phase of CH3NH3PbI3 allows the molecules CH3NH3 to rotate, thus causing the octahedral PbI6 cage to distort. Such distortion is the direct result of van der Waals interactions that once we include in our calculation reveal drastic consequences on the electronic structure. Charge transport properties of hybrid halide perovskites are also investigated with a combination of density functional theory including van der Waals interaction and the Boltzmann theory for diffusive transport in the relaxation time approximation. Our analysis suggests that the mobility is probably not a key factor in determining the high solar-harvesting efficiency of this class of materials.

The increase of soil and water contamination, caused by oil leakages during transportation and storage of petroleum components, present serious threat to human health and the environment. Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) is a commonly used gross parameter for quantifying environmental contamination that is originated by various petroleum hydrocarbons. The characterization of the petroleum contaminated soils will enable the selection of the most appropriate methods for bioremediation and rehabilitation of theses soils. Qatar's economic boom, based on the hydrocarbon industry, is putting a strain on other scarce resources. Due to the increase of industrial activates; several environmental issues arose in the recent years, putting at risk the natural and cultural resources of Qatar. Soil in Qatar is in general shallow sandy calcareous, overlying rocky bedrock. The available nutrition is poor with salty soil; they are adapted and tolerate different physical and chemical factors. In areas with long history of oil spells, it's important to conduct large-scale study in which oil weathering in the sediments is evaluated in terms of toxicity to the environment. Rehabilitation of lands should be further developed to preserve agricultural soils, and to prevent the spread of harmful molecules and their infiltration into the groundwater and in the food chain. Solvent extraction is a promising technology for degrading polluted soil. Consequently, several solvent has been researched; namely methanol, hexane, dichloromethane and acetone. The solvent mixture [hexane: dichloromethane (50:50)] efficiently extracts the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) compounds. The solvent extraction methods are useful to identify the composition of soil contamination which would assist in the treatment and remediation. Accelerated solvent extraction has been applied to extract of wide range of petroleum hydrocarbons, including aliphatic, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phenols, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), while gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is used to quantify the hydrocarbon compound in environmental samples. In this study, Total petroleum hydrocarbons was extracted and quantified in several samples collected from aged contaminated sites. The analytical results, indicated that the quantitative determination of the PAH was depended strongly on the sample preparation, and solvents The data collected in this baseline study should be further validated and incorporated with other studies that would guide the future remediation strategies.

Background & Objectives The anti-phase currents and the propagation of surface waves on the conventional metallic ground plane placed underneath a radio frequency (RF) coil for high field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), represent the reasons for the reduction in RF magnetic flux density above this coil (inside the phantom). The objective of this paper is to overcome on the aforementioned problems by replacing this metallic reflector with a high impedance surface electromagnetic band gap (EBG) structure to improve the efficiency of a well-established meander dipole for 7Tesla MRI. A novel multilayer offset stacked polarization dependent EBG structure has been designed to work as an artificial ground plane (in particular as a soft surface) for 7Tesla MRI RF coils. The performance of a meander dipole element when it is backed by our proposed soft surface is compared in a fair manner to the performance of the design using the metallic ground plane by simulating the distribution of magnetic field, electric field, and the energy specific absorption rate (SAR) 1cm inside a homogeneous phantom. Materials and Methods A multilayer EBG structure is introduced, which consists of two arrays of metal patches diagonally offset from each other. The top layer consists of 4x3 patches each of 8% of λ300MHz in length and 3% of λ300MHz in width. These patches are connected to the metal backed dielectric substrate by vertical pins. The lower layer consists of solid patches and is floating. The HFSS full wave simulator (based on FEM) and the FDTD simulator EMPIRE XCcel were used to characterize and analyze the EBG structure. A homogeneous phantom is placed 2cm above the coil in order to emulate the human body at the MRI operating frequency of 300MHz. Results and Conclusions The FDTD results showed that the normalized total electric field for the meander dipole backed by a metallic reflector 1cm inside the phantom was 54 V/m/√W compared to 40 V/m/√W for the case when the RF coil backed by the proposed surface. Thereby, the peak localized specific absorption rate SAR values (hot spots), which is a dominant restriction for MRI of high field strengths, is also reduced. The 10g-SAR and 1g-SAR values for the conventional metallic and the proposed EBG ground planes are reduced from 2.612 W/kg to 1.478 W/kg and from 3.45 W/kg to 1.91 W/kg respectively, a significant reduction (by around 43%) in the local SAR is observed.

The use of alternative energy is becoming an environmentally friendly option for many countries to reduce the energy bill. Because of its huge generated waste amounts, waste tires are being a good source for alternative energy in some industries that provide safe operation conditions such as cement industry. The study took Jordan as an example to show the advantage of using the waste tires in cement industry. Results about Jordan showed that if 20, 40 or 60 % of waste tires are used as supplementary fuel; the savings could reach 6.29, 12.57 or 18.86 million dollars respectively. The impact of using waste tire depends strongly on the price of crude oil in each country. Also results showed that there is a positive correlation between the savings and the price of crude oil.