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Doctoral Dissertations

Theses/Dissertations

2003

Environmental Sciences

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Evaluation Of Bacteriophage And Viral Persistence During Alkaline Stabilization In Sludge And Biosolids Intended For Land Application, Jacqueline Joy Brabants Jan 2003

Evaluation Of Bacteriophage And Viral Persistence During Alkaline Stabilization In Sludge And Biosolids Intended For Land Application, Jacqueline Joy Brabants

Doctoral Dissertations

The use of lime to reduce or eliminate pathogen content is a cost-effective treatment method currently being employed in many Class B biosolids production plants in the United States. A bench scale model of lime stabilization was designed to evaluate pathogen persistence. The survivability of poliovirus type 1, fecal coliforms, Salmonella, adenovirus type 5, rotavirus Wa, and the male-specific bacteriophage MS-2 was evaluated under lime stabilization conditions in various matrices. Salmonella and fecal coliforms were evaluated at 28°C and poliovirus and MS-2 were evaluated at both 28°C and 4°C for survivability under lime stabilization conditions in a sludge matrix. All …


Spatial Modeling And Visualization Of Habitat Response To Hydrologic Restoration In New England Salt Marshes, Raymond Anthony Konisky Jan 2003

Spatial Modeling And Visualization Of Habitat Response To Hydrologic Restoration In New England Salt Marshes, Raymond Anthony Konisky

Doctoral Dissertations

Anthropogenic alterations that restrict tidal flows negatively impact 20% of New England salt marshes, but management attempts to restore tides to these sites can be met with unexpected or less than optimal results. Restoration planners may be hindered by a lack of synthesized information regarding important biotic and abiotic factors that determine the distribution of dominant salt marsh plants and invasive species. An ecosystem model was developed to better predict salt marsh habitat response to hydrologic modification as a synthesis of existing models for biomass production, marsh elevation, tidal hydrology, and plant succession. A field experiment was conducted to provide …


Characterization Of Prokaryotic Diversity In A Chlorinated Solvent-Contaminated Bedrock Aquifer Using Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis, Ribosomal Dna Sequencing, And Real Time Pcr, Walid Naser Jan 2003

Characterization Of Prokaryotic Diversity In A Chlorinated Solvent-Contaminated Bedrock Aquifer Using Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis, Ribosomal Dna Sequencing, And Real Time Pcr, Walid Naser

Doctoral Dissertations

A culture-independent molecular phylogenetic approach was implemented to investigate spatial and temporal variations in microbial diversity and abundance in a chlorinated solvent-contaminated bedrock aquifer. Core and groundwater samples were collected from several boreholes and included the following samples: (1) groundwater that was associated with the core, (2) open fractures and (3) partially mineralized sealed fractures (PMSF) exposed by striking the core with a surface-sterilized geology hammer. DNA representing the attached and unattached microbial communities was extracted from these samples, and the 16S rRNA gene was amplified with primers specific for Bacteria, Archaea, sulfate reducers, Geobacteraceae family, Dehalorespirers (Dehalococcoides sp. and …