Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Concrete Grinding Residue: Its Effect On Roadside Vegetation And Soil Properties, Halil Ceylan, Yang Zhang, Bora Cetin, Sunghwan Kim, Bo Yang, Chenyi Luo, Robert Horton, Kasthurirangan Gopalakrishnan

Halil Ceylan

Concrete grinding residue (CGR) is a slurry waste consisting of water and concrete fines generated from diamond grinding operations that is used to smooth a concrete pavement surface. During this process, CGRs are mostly disposed along the roadside, which can influence soils and plant communities along the roadways. To understand the effects of CGR on soil physical and chemical properties and plant growth, a controlled field site at the Kelly Farm in Iowa was used with CGR application rates of 0, 10, 20, and 40 dry ton/acre to test properties of soils and plants before the application and one ...

Large-Scale Performance Testing Of Temporary Sediment Basin Treatments And High-Rate Lamella Settlers, Michael A. Perez, Wesley C. Zech, Jose C. Vasconcelos, Xing Fang

Michael Perez

Sediment basins are temporary practices commonly used to detain stormwater runoff and capture suspended sediment on construction sites. A 79.0 m3 (2790 ft3) sediment basin testing apparatus at the Auburn University—Erosion and Sediment Control Testing Facility was used to provide a series of controlled and repeatable, large-scale tests to understand the performance of sediment basins and provide improvements. This research evaluated five sediment basin configurations over the course of 27 individual tests, including: (1) a standard configuration, (2) the addition of an excavated sump upstream of a ditch check, (3) the modification of the first baffle, (4) a ...

Performance Evaluations Of Three Silt Fence Practices Using A Full-Scale Testing Apparatus, R. Alan Bugg, Wesley Donald, Wesley Zech, Michael A. Perez

Michael Perez

Erosion and sediment controls on construction sites minimize environmental impacts from sediment-laden stormwater runoff. Silt fence, a widely specified perimeter control practice on construction projects used to retain sediment on-site, has limited performance-based testing data. Silt fence failures and resultant sediment losses are often the result of structural failure. To better understand silt fence performance, researchers at the Auburn University-Erosion and Sediment Control Testing Facility (AU-ESCTF) have evaluated three silt fence options to determine possible shortcomings using standardized full-scale testing methods. These methods subject silt fence practices to simulated, in-field conditions typically experienced on-site without the variability of field testing ...

Improving Access To Clean Water Through Service Learning, Rachel E. Gehr, Tolu Odimayomi, Carolina Tornesi Mackinnon

Engagement & Service-Learning Summit: Connecting Through Listening & Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Studies On Use Of Carbon Slurry, A Waste From Fertilizer Plant, In Treatment Of Waste Water, Sanjay Tewari

Dr. Sanjay Tewari

"Non biodegradable materials like heavy metals, refractory organics are not removed during the conventional treatment process. In order to meet the regulatory standards and for safe disposal, it is necessary to go for tertiary treatment. Various tertiary treatment methods include adsorption, membrane separation process, ultra filtration, reverse osmosis etc. Adsorption has been found to be efficient for the removal of most of heavy metals in waste water at lower concentrations. Activated carbon is commonly used adsorbents, however, due to its high cost and loss in regeneration, various low cost adsorbents have been investigated during recent years.

The aim of the ...

Characterization, Source Apportionment And Health Analysis Of Air Pollutants In India, Hao Guo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In recent years, severe pollution events occurred frequently in India, which are of significant concern of the public. However, limited studies have been conducted to understand the formation, sources and health effects of high pollution levels and the information for design of effective control strategies is urgently needed. First, criteria air pollutants data at 10 sites for 2017 in Delhi were analyzed to understand the current pollution status. The results show that annual fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) concentrations exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), India of 60 µg/m³ at all sites. Source-oriented versions of ...

Data Evidencing Slow Anaerobic Digestion In Emergency Treatment And Disposal Of Infectious Animal Carcasses, Jacek A. Koziel, Heekwon Ahn, Thomas D. Glanville, Timothy S. Frana, J. (Hans) Van Leeuwen, Lam T. Nguyen

Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Publications

Burial of infectious and potentially infectious livestock and poultry animals is the most common response to an emergency situation. The data set summarizes 22-week-long experiment that simulates the environment found within conventional burial trenches for emergency disposal of animal carcasses, worldwide, sometimes with a topical application of quicklime as it is required in the Republic of Korea. This data set shows the rarely presented evidence of the extremely slow decay of animal carcasses. Besides visual evidence of no visible breakdown of carcass material, i.e., carcass (or carcass quarters and coarse cuts) still resembled the initial material at the end ...

Design And Construction Of Full-Scale Testing Apparatus For Evaluating Performance Of Catch Basin Inserts, D. L. Basham, W. C. Zech, W. N. Donald, Michael A. Perez

Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering Publications

As stormwater runoff flows over impervious surfaces, it suspends and transports various pollutants from their original locations and often conveys them into municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s). Most municipalities and state highway agencies in the United States have developed stormwater management guidelines to ensure compliance with the EPA’s MS4 standards, including allowable methods and practices to remove pollutants from stormwater influent flowing into MS4s. Catch basin inserts (CBIs) have become an increasingly popular option for pollutant removal from stormwater. However, limited data are available to ensure that these practices meet required treatment standards. This study details the design ...

Low-Density Static Granular Media Filter Bed Turbidity Removal Model, Matthew Louque

LSU Master's Theses

The scattering of light within a fluid, referred to as its turbidity, was investigated against the presence of suspended solids. A linear regression analysis was conduced against turbidity and the total count, combined surface area, and combined volume of the suspended particles for various surface water sources (lakes, rivers, indoor aquaculture systems). It was found that the total combined surface area of suspended particles had the best linear correlation to turbidity, with an adjusted R² of 81.79%. This correlation was integrated with a current theoretical model for predicting solids removal across a granular bed to yield an Integrated ...

Observational Time Series For Lakes Azuei And Enriquillo: Surface Area, Volume, And Elevation, Mahrokh Moknatian, Michael Piasecki

Publications and Research

In this report, we present historical time series of surface area, volume, and elevation for lakes Azuei (Haiti) and Enriquillo (Dominican Republic). The intention is to present a history of the lakes’ levels for both bodies of water as derived from Landsat imagery that is augmented by reports and narratives that reach further back in time. We also summarize lake level time series data collected and developed through various other efforts and compare these data sets to our time series. The time series contains 45 years’ worth of data ranging from 1972 to 2017 which we developed from Landsat imagery ...

An Airlifted Tidal Mesocosm For Oil Degradation Studies, Daniel Christopher Alt

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Mesocosms were constructed to allow scientists to isolate variables in a microtidal marsh environment, mimicking the natural conditions found in Terrebonne Bay. The control offered by these mesocosms is given by a process control system that takes user inputs and automates water movement. Twelve mesocosms were constructed, each holding 4.02 m³ (142 ft³) of marsh soil and 3.88 m³ (137 ft³) of water to give 3 experimental levels and a control, all in triplicate.

Each mesocosms that was constructed contained marsh plants in soil plugs 9 feet in diameter and 3 feet deep. These ...

Commercial Water Claims: City Of London Assessment Of Claims Made By London Residents, Jonathan Abbruzzese, Yousir Aldin, Christine Eagles, Karen Lemon, Alexander Watson

Community Engaged Learning Final Projects

The City of London has a mandate to provide its residents with high grade water and yet there have been complaints concerning the impurities, otherwise known as residuals, and the overall quality. This paper delves into the truth about the contents of the municipal water system and what the effects of its components are to the London populace. A public survey asked residents questions about their concerns and water drinking habits. The survey pointed to concerns about fluoride, residual chlorine and overall taste of water among others. Fluoride is known to reduce tooth decay (CDC, 2018) and any negative consequences ...

Perceptions Of Vulnerability To Flooding, Hurricanes, And Climate Change On Grand Isle, Louisiana’S Only Inhabited Barrier Island, Lauren Miller

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study used in-depth interviews of permanent residents on Grand Isle, Louisiana, a remote barrier island, to better understand their perceptions of structural flood measures, non-structural responses to flooding and hurricanes, and perceptions of vulnerability to flooding, hurricanes, and climate change on a remote barrier island-Grand Isle, Louisiana. Residents' perceptions regarding the various structural measures implemented by the federal, state, and local government appeared mixed. Non-structural responses to flooding risks implemented at the household, community, state, and federal level continue to strengthen resiliency on Grand Isle. According to interviewees, aspects of environmental, rural, and economic vulnerability on Grand Isle impact ...

Concrete Grinding Residue: Its Effect On Roadside Vegetation And Soil Properties, Halil Ceylan, Yang Zhang, Bora Cetin, Sunghwan Kim, Bo Yang, Chenyi Luo, Robert Horton, Kasthurirangan Gopalakrishnan

Reports and White Papers

Concrete grinding residue (CGR) is a slurry waste consisting of water and concrete fines generated from diamond grinding operations that is used to smooth a concrete pavement surface. During this process, CGRs are mostly disposed along the roadside, which can influence soils and plant communities along the roadways. To understand the effects of CGR on soil physical and chemical properties and plant growth, a controlled field site at the Kelly Farm in Iowa was used with CGR application rates of 0, 10, 20, and 40 dry ton/acre to test properties of soils and plants before the application and one ...

Design Of Plant Protection Uav Variable Spray System Based On Neural Networks, Sheng Wen, Quanyong Zhang, Xuanchun Yin, Yubin Lan, Jiantao Zhang, Yufeng Ge

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Recently, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have rapidly emerged as a new technology in the fields of plant protection and pest control in China. Based on existing variable spray research, a plant protection UAV variable spray system integrating neural network based decision making is designed. Using the existing data on plant protection UAV operations, combined with artificial neural network (ANN) technology, an error back propagation (BP) neural network model between the factors affecting droplet deposition is trained. The factors affecting droplet deposition include ambient temperature, ambient humidity, wind speed, flight speed, flight altitude, propeller pitch, nozzles pitch and prescription value. Subsequently ...

Free Polyethylenimine Enhances Substrate-Mediated Gene Delivery On Titanium Substrates Modified With Rgd-Functionalized Poly(Acrylic Acid) Brushes, Amy Mantz, Alice Rosenthal, Eric Farris, Tyler Kozisek, Eva Bittrich, Saghar Nazari, Eva Schubert, Mathias Schubert, Manfred Stamm, Petra Uhlmann, Angela K. Pannier

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Substrate mediated gene delivery (SMD) is a method of immobilizing DNA complexes to a substrate via covalent attachment or nonspecific adsorption, which allows for increased transgene expression with less DNA compared to traditional bolus delivery. It may also increase cells receptivity to transfection via cell-material interactions. Substrate modifications with poly(acrylic) acid (PAA) brushes may improve SMD by enhancing substrate interactions with DNA complexes via tailored surface chemistry and increasing cellular adhesion via moieties covalently bound to the brushes. Previously, we described a simple method to graft PAA brushes to Ti and further demonstrated conjugation of cell adhesion peptides (i ...

Genetic Diversity And Population Structure Of A Camelina Sativa Spring Panel, Zinan Luo, Jordan Brock, John M. Dyer, Toni Kutchan, Daniel P. Schachtman, Megan Augustin, Yufeng Ge, Noah Fahlgren, Hussein Abdel-Haleem

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

There is a need to explore renewable alternatives (e.g., biofuels) that can produce energy sources to help reduce the reliance on fossil oils. In addition, the consumption of fossil oils adversely affects the environment and human health via the generation of waste water, greenhouse gases, and waste solids. Camelina sativa, originated from southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia, is being re-embraced as an industrial oilseed crop due to its high seed oil content (36–47%) and high unsaturated fatty acid composition (>90%), which are suitable for jet fuel, biodiesel, high-value lubricants and animal feed. C. sativa’s agronomic advantages include ...

Nucleic Acid Delivery To Mesenchymal Stem Cells: A Review Of Nonviral Methods And Applications, Andrew Hamann, Albert Nguyen, Angela K. Pannier

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent stem cells that can be isolated and expanded from many tissues, and are being investigated for use in cell therapies. Though MSC therapies have demonstrated some success, none have been FDA approved for clinical use. MSCs lose stemness ex vivo, decreasing therapeutic potential, and face additional barriers in vivo, decreasing therapeutic efficacy. Culture optimization and genetic modification of MSCs can overcome these barriers. Viral transduction is efficient, but limited by safety concerns related to mutagenicity of integrating viral vectors and potential immunogenicity of viral antigens. Nonviral delivery methods are safer, though limited by ...

Actual Evapotranspiration And Crop Coefficients Of Irrigated Lowland Rice (Oryza Sativa L.) Under Semiarid Climate, Koffi Djaman, Daran R. Rudnick, Yonnelle D. Moukoumbi, Abdoulaye Sow, Suat Irmak

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Lowland irrigated rice is the predominant crop produced in the Senegal River Valley characterized by very low annual rainfall, high temperatures, and low relative humidity. The Senegal River is shared by Senegal, Mali, Mauritania, and Guinea, and serves as the main source of irrigation water for the adopted double rice cropping system. Developing appropriate resource management strategies might be the key factor for the sustainability of rice production in the region. This study aims to estimate rice seasonal evapotranspiration (ETa), irrigation water requirement, and to develop rice growth stage specific crop coefficients (Kc) to improve rice water productivity. Field experiments ...

Large-Scale Performance Testing Of Temporary Sediment Basin Treatments And High-Rate Lamella Settlers, Michael A. Perez, Wesley C. Zech, Jose C. Vasconcelos, Xing Fang

Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering Publications

Sediment basins are temporary practices commonly used to detain stormwater runoff and capture suspended sediment on construction sites. A 79.0 m3 (2790 ft3) sediment basin testing apparatus at the Auburn University—Erosion and Sediment Control Testing Facility was used to provide a series of controlled and repeatable, large-scale tests to understand the performance of sediment basins and provide improvements. This research evaluated five sediment basin configurations over the course of 27 individual tests, including: (1) a standard configuration, (2) the addition of an excavated sump upstream of a ditch check, (3) the modification of the first baffle, (4) a ...