Mushtaque Ahmed | Sultan Qaboos University (original) (raw)
Papers by Mushtaque Ahmed
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION Water movement in the subsurface is one of the most complicated processes... more CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION Water movement in the subsurface is one of the most complicated processes in the hydrologie cycle. Studies of the movement of water through porous material have been documented for the past 130 years (Wells, 1978). At present, the state-of-the-art allows investigation of problems involving saturated and unsaturated flow under a variety of conditions, and there is a greater recognition of the role of unsaturated flow in the moisture dynamics of soil profiles. The understanding of water movement in soils is important in many practical problems. Water management agencies have need of improved estimates of groundwater recharge for defining sustainable withdrawals of water from aquifer systems for use in water permit allocation and review. Environmental quality agencies need knowledge of quantities and direction of flow in saturated-unsaturated flow systems for assessment of rates and timing of transport of nitrate-nitrogen and other agricultural chemicals and movement of contaminants from waste disposal sites or hazardous spills toward groundwater systems. There is also a need for tools for predicting the magnitude and transientness of the unsaturated flow field in order to establish guidelines for lysimeter placement and water sampling points beneath disposal and spill sites. Also, in order to determine irrigation requirements, wastewater land application rates, pumping rates, groundwater recharge rates, agricultural drainage requirements, and others, it is necessary to understand the flow mechanism in the soils both in the saturated and unsaturated zones (Chung, 1985).
Water Environment Research, 2001
... of Crypto sporidium infection in Gambian children less than five years of age was associated ... more ... of Crypto sporidium infection in Gambian children less than five years of age was associated with rains, high relative humidity, and de ... A quantitative risk assessment model indicated that therisk of infection posed by exposure to virus contaminated shellfish is potentially much ...
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION Water movement in the subsurface is one of the most complicated processes... more CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION Water movement in the subsurface is one of the most complicated processes in the hydrologie cycle. Studies of the movement of water through porous material have been documented for the past 130 years (Wells, 1978). At present, the state-of-the-art allows investigation of problems involving saturated and unsaturated flow under a variety of conditions, and there is a greater recognition of the role of unsaturated flow in the moisture dynamics of soil profiles. The understanding of water movement in soils is important in many practical problems. Water management agencies have need of improved estimates of groundwater recharge for defining sustainable withdrawals of water from aquifer systems for use in water permit allocation and review. Environmental quality agencies need knowledge of quantities and direction of flow in saturated-unsaturated flow systems for assessment of rates and timing of transport of nitrate-nitrogen and other agricultural chemicals and movement of contaminants from waste disposal sites or hazardous spills toward groundwater systems. There is also a need for tools for predicting the magnitude and transientness of the unsaturated flow field in order to establish guidelines for lysimeter placement and water sampling points beneath disposal and spill sites. Also, in order to determine irrigation requirements, wastewater land application rates, pumping rates, groundwater recharge rates, agricultural drainage requirements, and others, it is necessary to understand the flow mechanism in the soils both in the saturated and unsaturated zones (Chung, 1985).
Food science and technology, Jul 16, 2007
CRC Press eBooks, Jun 10, 2020
Journal of agricultural and marine sciences, Jun 1, 1999
Wetlands: ecology, conservation and management, 2022
Solar Energy Advancements in Agriculture and Food Production Systems
Climate change and its consequences present one of the most important threats to water resources ... more Climate change and its consequences present one of the most important threats to water resources systems which are vulnerable to such changes due to their limited adaptive capacity. Water resources in arid mountain regions, such as Al Jabal Al Akhdar; northern Sultanate of Oman, are vulnerable to the potential adverse impacts of environmental and climate change. Besides climatic change, current demographic trends, economic development and related land use changes are exerting pressures and have direct impacts on increasing demands for water resources and their vulnerability. In this study, vulnerability assessment was carried out using guidelines prepared by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences [JAMS], 2001
Agriculture may cause nitrate and other chemicals to enter into groundwater systems. Nitrate in d... more Agriculture may cause nitrate and other chemicals to enter into groundwater systems. Nitrate in drinking water is considered a health hazard. A study was conducted to assess the extent of nitrate pollution of groundwater caused by agriculture and to evaluate the possibility of using the LEACHN model to manage nitrate entry into groundwater of agricultural areas of Al-Batinah, which is the most important agricultural region of Oman. Groundwater samples were collected and analyzed to assess the problem and to detect possible trends. Soil sampling and analyses were done to demonstrate the difference in the nitrate concentration in agricultural and non-agricultural soils. A questionnaire survey was conducted to gather information on agricultural practices, fertilizer input, and other possible sources of nitrate pollution. Results from the study show that 23% of groundwater samples have a concentration of nitrate-N concentration of 10 mg/l and 34% samples exceed 8 mg/l. Agricultural soil...
Regional Environmental Change, 2015
Al Jabal Al Akhdar, an arid mountain region in northern Oman, has experienced rapid development o... more Al Jabal Al Akhdar, an arid mountain region in northern Oman, has experienced rapid development over the last decades, resulting in the deterioration of water resources. This paper applies the driving force-pressurestate-impact-response (DPSIR) framework as an integrated environmental assessment tool to illustrate the cause-and-effect relationships for sustainable management of water resources in the area. The research aimed to examine social and ecological aspects of mountain water to explore optimal approaches for sustainable use and management. The water resources are affected by increasing drivers of population growth and socioeconomic development, through agriculture, tourism, and urbanization, exerting pressures through overconsumption of water, coupled with the exogenous pressure of climate change. The decreased rainfall and increased water demand have resulted in the degradation of water quantity and quality. The declining state of the water resources and reduced area of cultivation have resulted in considerable losses in agricultural income. The Omani government has adopted some responses, including water development projects, acting to reduce pressures as well as to improve the state of water resources. The DPSIR analysis indicates that trade-offs should be made between economic development and the continued supply of water for the agro-ecological system; choices could be in the prioritization of drivers. A dependence on desalinated water will introduce a reliance on a non-renewable external energy supply and is unlikely to ensure water supply at the multi-century timescale of the social-ecological system. In addition, tourism is predominantly based around the disappearing agro-ecosystems which in turn are dependent on the supply of water. Therefore, efforts should be directed towards improving water-use efficiency through installing modern irrigation technology, water conservation methods, use of greywater and treated wastewater, and rainwater harvesting as well as integrated water resources management, and climate change mitigation and adaptation measures.
Irrigation Science, 2016
Your article is protected by copyright and all rights are held exclusively by Springer-Verlag Ber... more Your article is protected by copyright and all rights are held exclusively by Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. This e-offprint is for personal use only and shall not be selfarchived in electronic repositories. If you wish to self-archive your article, please use the accepted manuscript version for posting on your own website. You may further deposit the accepted manuscript version in any repository, provided it is only made publicly available 12 months after official publication or later and provided acknowledgement is given to the original source of publication and a link is inserted to the published article on Springer's website. The link must be accompanied by the following text: "The final publication is available at link.springer.com".
Water Environment Research, Oct 1, 2018
The scientific literature review in this paper includes research papers published in 2017 on issu... more The scientific literature review in this paper includes research papers published in 2017 on issues related to pollutants from human activity and its effects on organisms of freshwater reported from the different parts of the world. The fist part of the literature review highlights on two broad sections that are focused on research conducted at the field level as well as surveys based on field experiments. A number of sections categorized in order to reflect the different class of pollutants follows the first part of literature review. Sections in this part of review includes non-point source pollution, stormwater, wastewater, nutrients, sediment cap materials and suspended clays, botanical extracts, surfactants, metals, persistent organic pollutants, pharmaceuticals, endocrine disruptors, pesticides, petroleum hydrocarbons and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nanomaterials and ionic liquids. The final part of the literature review highlights the published research on recent innovations of recent in addressing problem of pollution in the freshwater and its management.
Water Environment Research, Aug 21, 2019
The literature review presented in this paper covers the risk assessment process that is importan... more The literature review presented in this paper covers the risk assessment process that is important to human health as well as the health of ecology in the form of receptors. One of the important objectives of present review is to provide summary of the scientific studies published in the year 2018. The review starts with literature published on the assessment of health risks, which are valuable to human and ecology. Most of the literature in the entire article focuses on techniques used for the analysis of scientific data and methods. In addition, review also highlights data interpretation, uncertainty, policy, and regulatory guidance associated with the management of human and ecological risks. Particularly, the review on the risk assessment related to human health and ecology is divided into two main sections. These sections provide broad state of knowledge on the risk assessment process used to health of human and ecological systems focused on investigation of polluted sites, techniques of remediation, and tools required for natural resource management.
Springer eBooks, 2015
Desalination is the method of removing salts from brackish or sea water in order to produce fresh... more Desalination is the method of removing salts from brackish or sea water in order to produce fresh water. Desalting is a natural and continual process which is an essential part of the water cycle. After rainfall, rain water carries dissolved minerals and other materials along the way to the sea, which makes the water increasingly salty. Through the sun’s energy, the evaporation of water leaves the salts behind and the resulting water vapor forms clouds that produce rain thus continuing the water cycle.
Water Environment Research, Oct 1, 2017
A review of the literature published in 2016 on topics relating to the treatment alternatives for... more A review of the literature published in 2016 on topics relating to the treatment alternatives for wastewater from the textile industries is presented. This review is divided into the following sections: a brief introduction on the implementation of the Best Available Techniques into textile industry, a review of the more promising treatment technologies distinguished into physico-chemical, biological and combined processes.
Water Environment Research, Oct 1, 2018
This paper covers the scientific literature review published in the year 2017 on issues related t... more This paper covers the scientific literature review published in the year 2017 on issues related to health risks associated with public and the general environment on wastewater reuse, disposal and treatment. The entire literature review is divided into many sections such as management of wastewater, wastewater reuse with focus on microbial hazards, chemical hazards. In addition, the review also presents the latest research on wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), disposal of wastewater, and biosolids.
Irrigation Science, Sep 12, 2016
Your article is protected by copyright and all rights are held exclusively by Springer-Verlag Ber... more Your article is protected by copyright and all rights are held exclusively by Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. This e-offprint is for personal use only and shall not be selfarchived in electronic repositories. If you wish to self-archive your article, please use the accepted manuscript version for posting on your own website. You may further deposit the accepted manuscript version in any repository, provided it is only made publicly available 12 months after official publication or later and provided acknowledgement is given to the original source of publication and a link is inserted to the published article on Springer's website. The link must be accompanied by the following text: "The final publication is available at link.springer.com".
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION Water movement in the subsurface is one of the most complicated processes... more CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION Water movement in the subsurface is one of the most complicated processes in the hydrologie cycle. Studies of the movement of water through porous material have been documented for the past 130 years (Wells, 1978). At present, the state-of-the-art allows investigation of problems involving saturated and unsaturated flow under a variety of conditions, and there is a greater recognition of the role of unsaturated flow in the moisture dynamics of soil profiles. The understanding of water movement in soils is important in many practical problems. Water management agencies have need of improved estimates of groundwater recharge for defining sustainable withdrawals of water from aquifer systems for use in water permit allocation and review. Environmental quality agencies need knowledge of quantities and direction of flow in saturated-unsaturated flow systems for assessment of rates and timing of transport of nitrate-nitrogen and other agricultural chemicals and movement of contaminants from waste disposal sites or hazardous spills toward groundwater systems. There is also a need for tools for predicting the magnitude and transientness of the unsaturated flow field in order to establish guidelines for lysimeter placement and water sampling points beneath disposal and spill sites. Also, in order to determine irrigation requirements, wastewater land application rates, pumping rates, groundwater recharge rates, agricultural drainage requirements, and others, it is necessary to understand the flow mechanism in the soils both in the saturated and unsaturated zones (Chung, 1985).
Water Environment Research, 2001
... of Crypto sporidium infection in Gambian children less than five years of age was associated ... more ... of Crypto sporidium infection in Gambian children less than five years of age was associated with rains, high relative humidity, and de ... A quantitative risk assessment model indicated that therisk of infection posed by exposure to virus contaminated shellfish is potentially much ...
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION Water movement in the subsurface is one of the most complicated processes... more CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION Water movement in the subsurface is one of the most complicated processes in the hydrologie cycle. Studies of the movement of water through porous material have been documented for the past 130 years (Wells, 1978). At present, the state-of-the-art allows investigation of problems involving saturated and unsaturated flow under a variety of conditions, and there is a greater recognition of the role of unsaturated flow in the moisture dynamics of soil profiles. The understanding of water movement in soils is important in many practical problems. Water management agencies have need of improved estimates of groundwater recharge for defining sustainable withdrawals of water from aquifer systems for use in water permit allocation and review. Environmental quality agencies need knowledge of quantities and direction of flow in saturated-unsaturated flow systems for assessment of rates and timing of transport of nitrate-nitrogen and other agricultural chemicals and movement of contaminants from waste disposal sites or hazardous spills toward groundwater systems. There is also a need for tools for predicting the magnitude and transientness of the unsaturated flow field in order to establish guidelines for lysimeter placement and water sampling points beneath disposal and spill sites. Also, in order to determine irrigation requirements, wastewater land application rates, pumping rates, groundwater recharge rates, agricultural drainage requirements, and others, it is necessary to understand the flow mechanism in the soils both in the saturated and unsaturated zones (Chung, 1985).
Food science and technology, Jul 16, 2007
CRC Press eBooks, Jun 10, 2020
Journal of agricultural and marine sciences, Jun 1, 1999
Wetlands: ecology, conservation and management, 2022
Solar Energy Advancements in Agriculture and Food Production Systems
Climate change and its consequences present one of the most important threats to water resources ... more Climate change and its consequences present one of the most important threats to water resources systems which are vulnerable to such changes due to their limited adaptive capacity. Water resources in arid mountain regions, such as Al Jabal Al Akhdar; northern Sultanate of Oman, are vulnerable to the potential adverse impacts of environmental and climate change. Besides climatic change, current demographic trends, economic development and related land use changes are exerting pressures and have direct impacts on increasing demands for water resources and their vulnerability. In this study, vulnerability assessment was carried out using guidelines prepared by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences [JAMS], 2001
Agriculture may cause nitrate and other chemicals to enter into groundwater systems. Nitrate in d... more Agriculture may cause nitrate and other chemicals to enter into groundwater systems. Nitrate in drinking water is considered a health hazard. A study was conducted to assess the extent of nitrate pollution of groundwater caused by agriculture and to evaluate the possibility of using the LEACHN model to manage nitrate entry into groundwater of agricultural areas of Al-Batinah, which is the most important agricultural region of Oman. Groundwater samples were collected and analyzed to assess the problem and to detect possible trends. Soil sampling and analyses were done to demonstrate the difference in the nitrate concentration in agricultural and non-agricultural soils. A questionnaire survey was conducted to gather information on agricultural practices, fertilizer input, and other possible sources of nitrate pollution. Results from the study show that 23% of groundwater samples have a concentration of nitrate-N concentration of 10 mg/l and 34% samples exceed 8 mg/l. Agricultural soil...
Regional Environmental Change, 2015
Al Jabal Al Akhdar, an arid mountain region in northern Oman, has experienced rapid development o... more Al Jabal Al Akhdar, an arid mountain region in northern Oman, has experienced rapid development over the last decades, resulting in the deterioration of water resources. This paper applies the driving force-pressurestate-impact-response (DPSIR) framework as an integrated environmental assessment tool to illustrate the cause-and-effect relationships for sustainable management of water resources in the area. The research aimed to examine social and ecological aspects of mountain water to explore optimal approaches for sustainable use and management. The water resources are affected by increasing drivers of population growth and socioeconomic development, through agriculture, tourism, and urbanization, exerting pressures through overconsumption of water, coupled with the exogenous pressure of climate change. The decreased rainfall and increased water demand have resulted in the degradation of water quantity and quality. The declining state of the water resources and reduced area of cultivation have resulted in considerable losses in agricultural income. The Omani government has adopted some responses, including water development projects, acting to reduce pressures as well as to improve the state of water resources. The DPSIR analysis indicates that trade-offs should be made between economic development and the continued supply of water for the agro-ecological system; choices could be in the prioritization of drivers. A dependence on desalinated water will introduce a reliance on a non-renewable external energy supply and is unlikely to ensure water supply at the multi-century timescale of the social-ecological system. In addition, tourism is predominantly based around the disappearing agro-ecosystems which in turn are dependent on the supply of water. Therefore, efforts should be directed towards improving water-use efficiency through installing modern irrigation technology, water conservation methods, use of greywater and treated wastewater, and rainwater harvesting as well as integrated water resources management, and climate change mitigation and adaptation measures.
Irrigation Science, 2016
Your article is protected by copyright and all rights are held exclusively by Springer-Verlag Ber... more Your article is protected by copyright and all rights are held exclusively by Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. This e-offprint is for personal use only and shall not be selfarchived in electronic repositories. If you wish to self-archive your article, please use the accepted manuscript version for posting on your own website. You may further deposit the accepted manuscript version in any repository, provided it is only made publicly available 12 months after official publication or later and provided acknowledgement is given to the original source of publication and a link is inserted to the published article on Springer's website. The link must be accompanied by the following text: "The final publication is available at link.springer.com".
Water Environment Research, Oct 1, 2018
The scientific literature review in this paper includes research papers published in 2017 on issu... more The scientific literature review in this paper includes research papers published in 2017 on issues related to pollutants from human activity and its effects on organisms of freshwater reported from the different parts of the world. The fist part of the literature review highlights on two broad sections that are focused on research conducted at the field level as well as surveys based on field experiments. A number of sections categorized in order to reflect the different class of pollutants follows the first part of literature review. Sections in this part of review includes non-point source pollution, stormwater, wastewater, nutrients, sediment cap materials and suspended clays, botanical extracts, surfactants, metals, persistent organic pollutants, pharmaceuticals, endocrine disruptors, pesticides, petroleum hydrocarbons and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nanomaterials and ionic liquids. The final part of the literature review highlights the published research on recent innovations of recent in addressing problem of pollution in the freshwater and its management.
Water Environment Research, Aug 21, 2019
The literature review presented in this paper covers the risk assessment process that is importan... more The literature review presented in this paper covers the risk assessment process that is important to human health as well as the health of ecology in the form of receptors. One of the important objectives of present review is to provide summary of the scientific studies published in the year 2018. The review starts with literature published on the assessment of health risks, which are valuable to human and ecology. Most of the literature in the entire article focuses on techniques used for the analysis of scientific data and methods. In addition, review also highlights data interpretation, uncertainty, policy, and regulatory guidance associated with the management of human and ecological risks. Particularly, the review on the risk assessment related to human health and ecology is divided into two main sections. These sections provide broad state of knowledge on the risk assessment process used to health of human and ecological systems focused on investigation of polluted sites, techniques of remediation, and tools required for natural resource management.
Springer eBooks, 2015
Desalination is the method of removing salts from brackish or sea water in order to produce fresh... more Desalination is the method of removing salts from brackish or sea water in order to produce fresh water. Desalting is a natural and continual process which is an essential part of the water cycle. After rainfall, rain water carries dissolved minerals and other materials along the way to the sea, which makes the water increasingly salty. Through the sun’s energy, the evaporation of water leaves the salts behind and the resulting water vapor forms clouds that produce rain thus continuing the water cycle.
Water Environment Research, Oct 1, 2017
A review of the literature published in 2016 on topics relating to the treatment alternatives for... more A review of the literature published in 2016 on topics relating to the treatment alternatives for wastewater from the textile industries is presented. This review is divided into the following sections: a brief introduction on the implementation of the Best Available Techniques into textile industry, a review of the more promising treatment technologies distinguished into physico-chemical, biological and combined processes.
Water Environment Research, Oct 1, 2018
This paper covers the scientific literature review published in the year 2017 on issues related t... more This paper covers the scientific literature review published in the year 2017 on issues related to health risks associated with public and the general environment on wastewater reuse, disposal and treatment. The entire literature review is divided into many sections such as management of wastewater, wastewater reuse with focus on microbial hazards, chemical hazards. In addition, the review also presents the latest research on wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), disposal of wastewater, and biosolids.
Irrigation Science, Sep 12, 2016
Your article is protected by copyright and all rights are held exclusively by Springer-Verlag Ber... more Your article is protected by copyright and all rights are held exclusively by Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. This e-offprint is for personal use only and shall not be selfarchived in electronic repositories. If you wish to self-archive your article, please use the accepted manuscript version for posting on your own website. You may further deposit the accepted manuscript version in any repository, provided it is only made publicly available 12 months after official publication or later and provided acknowledgement is given to the original source of publication and a link is inserted to the published article on Springer's website. The link must be accompanied by the following text: "The final publication is available at link.springer.com".
A study is being conducted to assess the extent of nitrate and selected pesticides pollution of g... more A study is being conducted to assess the extent of nitrate and selected pesticides pollution of groundwater caused by agriculture and to explore the possibility of using models to manage nitrate and pesticides entry into groundwater of Northern Oman. Groundwater samples are being collected and analyzed to assess the problem and to detect possible trends. Soil samples were analyzed and a questionnaire survey was conducted. Preliminary results from the study show that 23% of the samples have nitrate exceeding the standard limit for drinking water. Agricultural soils have higher levels of nitrate compared to non-agricultural soils and nitrate levels in groundwater on the average have rising trends. The model 'LEACHN' was found suitable for use as a management tool to reduce nitrate leaching to groundwater.