Water Resources
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Crop water requirements are not static during the growing season. They vary with crop growth stages and environmental conditions. Advanced irrigation scheduling tools use data collected from or near the field where crops are growing to provide timely information on how much water crops need and when they need it, and generally result in optimizing irrigation water use.
Phillip Edwards, George Vellidis, Wesley Porter, Jason Mallard, David Hall, and Emily Kranz Bedwell
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Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of more than 9,000 manmade chemicals that have been in use worldwide since 1940, primarily in industry and numerous commercial and consumer products. The widespread use of PFAS for the past several decades has raised concerns due to their persistence, bioaccumulative nature, and potential adverse health effects. This resource provides information about the background, uses, and environmental and human health consequences of PFAS chemicals.
Uttam K. Saha and Gary L. Hawkins
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Many buildings and homes have on-site wastewater management systems, commonly called septic systems. Because septic systems are buried, it is easy to forget about them as they quietly, elegantly and efficiently maintain human and environmental health. Septic systems are the norm in rural areas, but they can be quite common in urban areas as well. It is important to know if your building is on a septic system. This publication explains the basics of septic systems.
L. Mark Risse, Gary L. Hawkins, and Mussie Habteselassie
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B 1563
Oxidizing Filters
Private well waters often contain high levels of iron, manganese, and hydrogen-sulfide. While these contaminants are not considered to have any human health consequences, they can cause various issues such as staining, impaired taste, and odor problems once their concentration exceeds certain levels, and homeowners need an appropriate system to remove them—such as an oxidizing filter. Oxidizing filters operate using oxidation, which occurs when a substance comes into contact with oxygen or another oxidizing substance. Everyday examples of oxidation are rust and the brown color that develops on a cut apple. This publication discusses various aspects of oxidizing filtration technique such as applicability, types of filter media, maintenance, etc.
Uttam K. Saha, Gary L. Hawkins, Laurel L. Dunn, Laura Ney, and Brenda Jackson
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Best Management Practices (BMPs) can be described as management and/or structural practices that are designed to reduce pollutants and erosion while increasing the quality of all life. The BMP concept deals specifically with nonpoint source pollution, such as runoff from agricultural fields, forest areas or urban areas. BMPs are also voluntary in nature. Individual practices and applications can vary widely from field to field. Best management practices are typically used in agricultural areas, and forest and urban settings.
Gary L. Hawkins and Rebekah Danielle Wallace
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Storm water is the runoff from land and impervious areas such as paved streets, parking lots and building rooftops during rain events. It often contains pollutants such as nutrients, bacteria, sediment and metals that could adversely affect water quality.
Gary L. Hawkins
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Activated carbon, also called activated charcoal, is usually produced from charcoal in granular or powdered form. It is a form of carbon that has been processed (activated) to make it highly porous, with a very large surface area available for physical adsorption or chemical reactions. Among others, water treatment is an important application of activated carbon. Activated carbon filters treat general taste and odor problems, including chlorine residue, various organic chemicals, and the radioactive gas radon. This publication discusses various types of activated carbon water treatment systems, their usefulness and limitations, along with required maintenance.
Uttam K. Saha, Gary L. Hawkins, and Joel Burnsed
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This publication highlights some of the ongoing research into using SSDI in organic vegetable crop production. SSDI facilitates cultivation without harming drip tubing and limits surface soil wetting, which may also reduce weed pressure. Prior research has shown that SSDI offers some advantages over surface-placed drip tubing in conventionally grown crops (Coolong, 2016).
Timothy Coolong, Nicholas Tuschak Basinger, Kate Cassity-Duffey, and Ted McAvoy
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B 1242-2
Total Maximum Daily Loads in Georgia
A total maximum daily load (TMDL) is a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a water body can receive and still meet water quality standards. This publication contains comprehensive information about total maximum daily loads in Georgia, including their importance and how to establish an implementation plan.
Gary L. Hawkins
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