A Python Script to Compute Isochrones for MODFLOW.

MODFLOW constitutes today the most popular modeling tool in the study of water flow in aquifers and in modeling aquifers. To simplify the interface to MODFLOW various GUI have been developed for the creation of model definition files and for the visualization and interpretation of results. Recently Bakker et al. (2016) developed the FloPy interface to MODFLOW that allows to import and use the produced simulation data using Python. This allows to construct model input files, run the models, read and plot simulations results through Python scripts. In this note, we present a Python program (that uses FloPy) interface that allows us to generate time-related capture zones (isochrones) for confined 2D steady-state groundwater flow in unbounded domains, with one or more wells. As an application, we show a validation of the approach and the results of four basic test cases: a homogenous aquifer with one well, a heterogeneous aquifer with one well, an aquifer with four wells located both longitudinal and perpendicular to the flow direction.

Potential role of Bacillus endospores in soil amended by olive mill wastewater.

The main aim of this work was to know how spread is laccase activity in spores of Bacillus species isolated from a soil where Italian law allows olive mill wastewater (OMW) spreading, and to investigate the potential role of such autochthonous soil microorganisms in degradation of OMW phenols, and prevention of groundwater pollution. Laccase activity was detected for the first time in spores of wild-type Bacillus pumilus, B. cereus sensu lato, and B. amyloliquefaciens strains. Because B. pumilus, B. cereus sensu lato, and B. amyloliquefaciens, together with B. subtilis account for a total of 93% of Bacillus isolates at the study site, the nearly totality of Bacillus spores reveals laccase activity. Thus, taking also into consideration that Bacillus spores are more abundant (about 100-fold) than white-rot fungi (that possess a well known extracellular, radical-based ligninolytic enzyme system capable of degrading OMW phenols) in the studied soil, these spores may contribute to in-situ degradation of OMW phenols. This role is further emphasized by dilution of crude OMW during infiltration of rainwater through soil that allows to minimize the antibacterial activity of phenols. The widespread presence of Bacillus spores in soils indicates a potential detoxifying role of these spores in a broader context.