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Environmental Testing Of An Open Water Maritime Security Barrier, Jackson Stacy Coyle

Master's Theses and Capstones

ABSTRACT

ENVIRONMENTAL TESTING OF AN OPEN

WATER MARITIME SECURITY BARRIER

by

Jackson S. Coyle

University of New Hampshire, September, 2019

A 60 m long Halo Triton floating security barrier, made up of four 15 m segments, was deployed at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) offshore research site from January to May 2018. The barrier was constructed with High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), allowing it to be robust, yet compliant, in order to function in high seas. Computer models of the Triton system’s sea keeping response and mooring system had been developed, yet required field testing for validation. The project entailed …

Perception Of Disease Risk And Vulnerability As A Function Of Proximity To National Park Boundaries In East Africa, Irene Bridget Feretti

Honors Theses and Capstones

Studies suggest households closest to parks and protected areas (PAs) are more likely to sustain park-related losses, but the relationship between human sickness and PAs has not been fully explored. Existing literature primarily focuses on human-wildlife conflicts (i.e. crop raiding) and the potential for zoonotic disease spillover and emergence at the human-livestock-wildlife interface at PA boundaries. Understanding local perceptions of disease risk and vulnerability is essential for assessing human health relative to conservation areas. This understanding will promote better-informed consideration of human health impacts in decision making for conservation. Data from surveys taken at 301 households around Kibale National Park …

Evaluation And Optimization Of Bioretention Design For Nitrogen And Phosphorus Removal, Robin M. Stone

Master's Theses and Capstones

Laboratory and field investigations were conducted into the performance of modified bioretention system designs to reduce nutrient loads from stormwater runoff. Bioretention design characteristics of particular interest were filter media composition and structural configuration. A filter media admixture of raw aluminum-based water treatment residuals (WTR) in bioretention soil mix effectively adsorbed orthophosphate in laboratory tests (90-99% median removal efficiencies). WTR dewatered to 33% solids demonstrated consistently higher removal efficiencies (>99%). A bioretention system constructed in Durham, NH in 2011 includes a bioretention soil mix with raw WTR admixture (9% solids) and a structural design modeled after the UNHSC subsurface …

Approaches To Modeling Pathogen And Natural Organic Matter Removals In Slow-Rate Biofilters, Jeffrey Dale Senders

Doctoral Dissertations

There are limited expressions capable of estimating removals in one of the world's oldest and most sustainable water treatment systems: slow-rate biofilters. This research addresses the problem by deriving semi-empirical models that predict pathogen and natural organic matter removals within these natural and engineered sand filters. The more complex pathogen model, or phenomenological colloidal filtration theory (pCFT), applies the 1937 Iwasaki solution to New England pilot scale E. coli observations. The derived pCFT was then calibrated through a series of experimental bench scale phases. Further pCFT validation came by way of a seamless application to multiple microorganisms. Viruses (MS2 as …

Examining Social Climate And Youth Social Goals On Extended Wilderness Courses: A Path Toward Improving Participant Experiences, Benjamin J. Mirkin

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examined participants' expectations of the social climate on extended wilderness courses, how students' actually experienced the social climate during their course, and how these expectations, perceptions and the influence of environmental characteristics, impacted their goals for peer interactions. Pre and posttest surveys were used to assess students' expectations and perceptions of their experience and multi level modeling was used to better understand the relationship of social climate to peer interaction. The research was undertaken to improve the practical and theoretical understanding of organizations' and leaders' ability to facilitate a social climate that promotes adaptive forms of social motivation. …

Essays On Current Use Property Taxation, Darshana Udayanganie

Doctoral Dissertations

Conservation of agricultural and forestry land has taken on a new urgency as development patterns have exploded over the past few decades, due to demand for residential, industrial and commercial land uses in the U.S. As a result, numerous land conservation programs have been implemented over the years. Current Use Property Taxation is one of the land conservation programs that was initiated in the 1960s, introducing some property tax relief for landowners who wished to keep undeveloped productive land in current use without developing it for more urbanized uses.

The substantial property tax relief landowners receive by enrolling land in …

Essays On Valuing Non-Market Goods In Imperfectly Competitive Markets, Laura Beaudin

Doctoral Dissertations

Debates on climate change have conceded to most parties acknowledging the existence of negative impacts of changing weather patterns. However, these impacts have not fully been assessed. One way which changing climates can negatively impact an economy is by changing the market structures of its most influential industries; making these markets more imperfectly competitive and taking value away from consumers. This dissertation draws on this fact and suggests accurate ways to both identify and quantify the costs of climate change.

In the first chapter of this dissertation, the ski industry is used as a case study. A unique data set …

An Examination Of The Reduction Of Effective Impervious Cover And Ecosystem And Watershed Response, Viktor Hlas

Master's Theses and Capstones

This study examined the reduction of effective impervious cover (EIC) and watershed response by Low Impact Development (LID) and stream restoration efforts. The Berry Brook Watershed Renewal Project consisted of day lighting approximately 1,100 feet of stream and installation of 13 LID systems for a combined impervious area treatment of 20.7 acres on a 185 acre watershed. Watershed response was measured and modeled by hydrologic and water quality parameters.

Hydrologic daily flow analysis revealed that there was a significant decrease in average, maximum and minimum flows between preuo and postuo LID implementation and stream restoration improvements periods in the direction …

Essays On The Economics Of Municipal And Household Solid Waste Disposal And Recycling, Christopher Wright

Doctoral Dissertations

The sustained increase of municipal solid waste generation is an ongoing management and environmental challenge confronting many local governmental units in the United States. The management problems associated with municipal solid waste generation are attributed to rising levels of solid waste, and the real costs to collect, transport, and dispose solid waste is increasing. The increase in landfill disposal costs, referred to as "tipping-fees", is partially attributed to the regulatory and technological requirements of landfill operations designed to reduce pollution from landfills. In response to these challenges, municipal solid waste managers are evaluating the benefits and costs of alternative programs …

Investigating The Effect Of System Pressure On Trihalomethane Post-Treatment Diffused Aeration, John M. Zwerneman

Master's Theses and Capstones

The current study has obtained removal data for the four major trihalomethanes (chloroform, bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethane, and bromoform) in a bench-scale, batch diffused aeration reactor under system pressures of 0-, 25-, 50-, and 70-psig. The removal data for each pressure was compared, and it is clear that trihalomethane air-stripping removals decrease with increasing system pressure.

Trihalomethane removal data was also collected for a bench-scale, continuous-flow diffused aeration reactor at pressures of 25-psi and 50-psi. A similar decrease in removals was observed at higher pressures for the continuous-flow system.

A model was formulated that predicts Henry's Law Constant for each trihalomethane at …

Valuation Of Ecosystem Services: The Case Of Orseg National Park, Hungary, Ildiko Losonci

Master's Theses and Capstones

A chronic lack of sufficient financial resources has prevented many protected area professionals from achieving adequate ecosystem protection. Using a case study of O&huml;rseg National Park in Hungary and the contingent valuation technique, we examined the relative importance of various ecosystem services to respondents, their WTP for these services, and the oath of honesty's effect on hypothetical bias.

Results from the intercept survey that was administered in the park in the summer of 2011 and filled out by 212 respondents show that visitors prefer the protection of the park's cultural monuments, and ecosystems services like local natural food, climate regulation …

1,4 Dioxane Removal From Groundwater Using Point-Of-Entry Water Treatment Techniques, Michael A. Curry

Master's Theses and Capstones

This feasibility study investigated the removal of an emerging organic contaminant, 1,4 dioxane, from groundwater using point-of-entry (POE) treatment techniques in response to its discovery in some small New Hampshire groundwater-based private drinking water systems. The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) is evaluating future treatment options for dioxane contamination of these small, groundwater-based private systems. Treatment technologies assessed for dioxane removal included: air stripping, carbon adsorption, direct UV photolysis, and UV-peroxide (H2O2) oxidation. Criteria used to assess the suitability of these technologies for POE application included: dioxane removal efficiency, capital and operations and maintenance (O & M) cost, …

Analysis Of The Geomorphic Characteristics Of Streams With Large Wood Hydraulic Controls In Coastal New Hampshire, Matthew A. Hergott

Master's Theses and Capstones

Wood is an integral part of stream health. Large woody debris (LWD) creates habitat and refuge for both fish and invertebrates. Knowing the effects of LWD on stream geomorphology is helpful for stream restoration projects so that the placement of wood mimics the natural condition. This study compares conventional-sediment riffles to wood-dominated riffles in southeastern, coastal New Hampshire. Wood riffles are fast-moving sections of the stream where the presence of LWD creates a local change in stream slope. Past studies have found that log steps are wider, shallower, steeper, more closely spaced, have finer bed sediments than conventional riffles on …

Evaluating The Adsorption And Desorption Kinetics Of Suspended Ion Exchangertm (Sixrtm) System, Mark R. Gordon

Master's Theses and Capstones

This research focuses on four primary components of the Suspended Ion eXchangeRTM (SIXRTM) system. The first component was to evaluate the hydraulics of the SIX contactor. It was determined that no matter the flow regime and the paddle speed, the system had the same hydraulic patterns. The second component was to determine the best adsorption kinetics of the system. The best conditions that reached the optimum rate-constant was with a flow rate of 35m3/hr at a paddle speed of 50 Hz (G-value of 482s-1). The third component was to determine the best desorption rate of Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) in …

A Geo-Database For Potentially Polluting Marine Sites And Associated Risk Index, Giuseppe Masetti

Master's Theses and Capstones

The increasing availability of geospatial marine data provides an opportunity for hydrographic offices to contribute to the identification of "Potentially Polluting Marine Sites" (PPMS).

To adequately manage these sites, a PPMS Geospatial Database (GeoDB) application was developed to collect and store relevant information suitable for site inventory and geo-spatial analysis. The benefits of structuring the data to conform to the Universal Hydrographic Data Model (IHO S-100) and to use the Geographic Mark-Up Language (GML) for encoding are presented. A storage solution is proposed using a GML-enabled spatial relational database management system (RDBMS). In addition, an example of a risk index …

Regional Harmonization Procedure For Prioritization Of Recycled Material Specifications, Courtney Goldstein

Master's Theses and Capstones

Widely varying recycled material requirements across state lines has been perceived as a significant barrier to greater use of recycled materials in highway construction by state contractors and industry. The goal of this thesis is to create a procedure to compile, compare, contrast and finally synthesize documents that support a priority list of recycled materials and applications for which material specifications can be harmonized among regional states in the US.

This work compiled background research on selected materials and related regulations into standardized templates. The information analyzed was communicated with EPA, FHWA, and state representatives to approve a breakdown priority …

Comparing The Sustainability Of Two Surface Water Treatment Alternatives Using Life Cycle Assessment (Lca), Michaela L. Bogosh

Master's Theses and Capstones

A sustainability assessment which combines the academic strengths of university research modeling with the practical inputs and needs of an operating utility is presented to compare two water treatment alternatives. PWN Water Supply Company is evaluating an upgrade from their current conventional coagulation and sand filtration (CSF) treatment process at WTP Andijk to Suspended Ion Exchange with Ceramic Microfiltration (SIX/CeraMac). An initial LCA was performed to determine which pretreatment is more sustainable in terms of energy consumption and carbon footprint.

The initial LCA indicated that treatment with SIX/CeraMac exhibits a lower impact as measured by kg of carbon dioxide equivalents …

Assessing Innovative Zero-Valent Iron Separation Processes In An Arsenic Treatment Scheme, Nathan H. Little

Master's Theses and Capstones

Arsenic contamination in drinking water is a worldwide public health concern associated with serious acute and chronic health effects. Listed as a "Group A" human carcinogen, arsenic is regulated in drinking water at 0.010 mg/L by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Arsenic contamination stems from both natural and anthropogenic sources, and areas with high levels of arsenic can be found in countries throughout the world, including the United States (Smedley and Kinniburgh 2002). In the past decade, interest in iron-based sorbents, particularly zero-valent iron (ZVI), has developed for their use as an arsenic-removal technique due to the lack of …

An Ethnographic Investigation Of The Process Of Change In Students' Environmental Identity And Pro-Environmental Behavior In An Environmental Science Course, Erica N. Blatt

Doctoral Dissertations

In recent years, the Environmental Science course has become increasingly integrated into the high school curriculum as a component of the core curriculum, an AP course, or as an elective (Edelson, 2007); however, little research has been conducted to evaluate the course's effectiveness in developing students' understanding of their relationship with the environment (Zelezny, 1999). Therefore, this ethnographic study at a public high school in the Northeastern United States focuses on the teacher's goals for the Environmental Science course, how students respond to the enactment of these objectives during activities in the classroom, and how the class impacts students' views …

From Biosphere To Noosphere: Vladimir Vernadsky's Theoretical System As A Conceptual Framework For Universal Sustainability Education, Irina L. Trubetskova

Doctoral Dissertations

In light of accelerating global warming and climate change, the importance of sustainability education is unquestionable. It is a requirement of our time that sustainability education must become a part of any professional curriculum in higher education because today's college students are tomorrow's decision makers and the key players at local, national, and international levels.

Although the importance of education for a sustainable future has been recognized by the global community and we are now living through the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014), a common conceptual approach to teaching sustainability does not exist. We face a …

Evaluation Of Remediation Agents For Ddt- And Pcb-Contaminated Wetlands, Scott Cloutier

Master's Theses and Capstones

Wetland sediments that are contaminated with hydrophobic organic compounds, such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can be remediated via in-situ methods. Four different amendment agents, activated carbon, zero valent iron, organoclay and seaweed were assessed. Activated carbon provided the greatest reduction in both PCB and DDx porewater concentrations: an average of 90% or greater reduction of the six congeners detected. Two amendment delivery technologies were evaluated in a microcosm experiment: a granular activated carbon slurry and Aquablok containing powdered activated carbon. The addition of activated carbon via both delivery techniques was found to significantly decrease PCB porewater concentrations …

Impact Of Advanced Pretreatment On The Feasibility Of Uv/Hydrogen Peroxide Treatment For Degradation Of Organic Micropollutants, Ashlee L. Fuller

Master's Theses and Capstones

Research was performed to show the impact of several types of pretreatment at Water Treatment Plant, Andijk, on the Advanced Oxidation Process. The objective was to compare the effect of Ion Exchange with Ultra Filtration (IX-UF) pretreatment to the existing Coagulation, Sedimentation, Filtration (CSF) pretreatment on the effectiveness of the UV/H2O2 process. The micro-pollutants chosen for this study are NDMA, atrazine, 1,4-dioxane and bromacil.

Characterization of the water matrixes for the pretreated waters was completed to determine the impact of background absorption (DOC and nitrate) on micro pollutant degradation and OH· radical production. Collimated beam studies (MP UV) were performed …

Improving Efficiencies And Modeling A Cyclic Suspended Ion Exchange (Six(C)) Drinking Water Pre-Treatment Systems, Owen P. Friend-Gray

Master's Theses and Capstones

This research focused on three primary components of the Suspended Ion eXchange (SIX(c)) process developed by PWN Water Supply Company North Holland. The first step focused on the resin regeneration procedure. It was shown that the current system could be improved and that reducing the complexity of the system simplified the process and increased the regeneration efficiency. The second step focused on the resin tank contactor hydraulics. It was determined that for the sequential completely mixed reactor design at PWN, high flows with low mixing speed of the overhead paddle mixers led to the most efficient hydraulic regime. The third …

Sustainable Management Of Industrial Capital: Lca And Spatial Analysis In Decision Making For Beneficial Use Of Industrial By -Products, Alberta C. Carpenter

Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of this research was to broaden understanding of multiple impacts in assessing materials for construction. Life cycle assessment was used to this effect to understand the impacts from the use of industrial by-products for different applications on different spatial scales. The first two studies looked at applications in highway construction for a single project scenario and for a regional management scenario. The third study considered life cycle impacts for the management of construction and demolition (C&D) wood debris to include combustion for energy recovery. The fourth chapter reviews the literature for life cycle energy impact for building materials. …

Treatment Of Contaminated Sediments Using Reactive Cap Technology: Characterization And Modeling Of Geotechnical, Hydraulic And Contaminant Transport Behavior Of Cap-Sediment Systems, Rafael Antonio Prieto Piedrahita

Doctoral Dissertations

Reactive cap technology is a promising in-situ remediation solution for contaminated sediment, mainly because it has the potential to reduce costs and environmental impacts when compared to solutions that rely solely on dredging and disposal. Reactive capping mats have been recently used in demonstration projects as a passive remediation technology for contaminated sediment. The mats used in this research were comprised of two geosynthetic fabrics bound to a fibrous core filled with a reactive material. The type of geotextiles and reactive material are selected based on the characteristics of the contaminated material and the contaminants on site. The mat is …

Electricity Production From The Management Of Municipal Solid Waste Leachate With Microbial Fuel Cells, Lisa Damiano

Master's Theses and Capstones

Microbial fuel cells are a new technology that can be used for treating landfill leachate and simultaneously producing electricity. Three designs were tested in batch cycles using landfill leachate (908-3200 mg/L COD): a Square (995 mL), Circle (934 mL) and a Large Scale MFC (18.3 L). A total of seven cycles were completed for each the Square MFC and Circle MFC and two cycles for the Larger Scale MFC. Maximum power densities of 24-31 mW/m2 (653 mW/m3-824 mW/m3) were achieved using the Circle MFC and a maximum voltage of 635 mV was produced using the Larger Scale MFC. BOD, TOC, …

Assessing The Role Of Protists In Removing E Coli In Slow Sand Filters, Ethan C. Gyles

Master's Theses and Capstones

The organic layer that forms on top of the sand bed in slow sand filters, known as the schmutzdecke, is vital for bacterial removal. The schmutzdecke consists of abundant bacteria and protists, and is where suspended particles can be strained, organic matter compounds broken down, and microorganisms are entrapped.

Some varieties of protists prey upon bacteria. Their role in bacterial removal is not well quantified. The goal of this study was to confirm the relationship between filter run time and protistan abundance, to determine the significance of protistan predation on E. coli, and whether protists can be "seeded" onto filters …

Sampling Techniques For Sediment Pore Water In Evaluation Of Reactive Capping Efficacy, Donald E. Wise

Master's Theses and Capstones

Contaminated sediments are a significant problem that has adverse effects on human, animal and plant health. Heavy metal contamination, with dissolved metals being the most bioavailable form, has been occurring since man first started living in communities around water bodies. Pore water provides contaminated metals a medium for transport from the sediment to the water body. Determining the toxic metal concentration in pore water is essential to any remediation plan. In-situ dialysis samplers or peepers were investigated in this thesis as a tool for evaluating metal contamination in sediments. Peeper performance was compared to direct suction samplers. Both samplers were …

Temperature Moderation In A Coastal Coldwater Stream A Study Of Surface Water, Groundwater And Hyporheic Zone Interaction, Danna Butler Truslow

Master's Theses and Capstones

A fiber-optic distributed temperature sensor (FODTS) survey was conducted along a 520 m reach of Wednesday Hill Brook (WHB) in Lee, NH, a first order tributary to the Lamprey River. These data were supplemented by stream and streambed temperature and vertical hydraulic gradient data collection at 35 piezometers, and continuous and periodic measurement of tributary, stream, and groundwater temperatures and streamflow. An under-canopy weather station provided on-site meteorologic data, and a LiDAR survey provided high definition land surface topographic data for interpretation of geomorphology. A heat budget model was developed and used to estimate the advective components of heat flow …

Attenuation Of Hydrogen Sulfide From Landfill Gas Study And Exploration Of Construction And Demolition Debris Characteristics And Production, Dan Hrobak

Master's Theses and Capstones

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has become recognized as a problematic gas emitted from landfills. Sulfate, which can produce H 2S in a landfill, is in drywall in construction and demolition (C&D) debris and sometimes products or recycling. This research consisted of examining alternative treatment of H2S gas at landfills, input/output of sulfur at landfills and generation/prevention of H2S in the landfill setting using C&D. In this research, four ashes were tested with landfill gas to investigate H2S attenuation, the highest attenuation reached was 73.8mg of H2S per gram of ash. In addition, these exhausted ashes, as well as sulfur cake were …