Engineering Commons^™

Construction And Operation Of A Pilot-Scale Odor Control Device, Brendan Bunker

Department of Environmental Engineering: Theses and Student Research

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is a naturally occurring by-product of anaerobic digestion and causes an odor that can be a nuisance and a public health risk at higher concentrations. This compound can be treated through various means, but one of particular interest is a biotrickling filter (BTF). Such devices have excellent H₂S treatment efficiencies, but start-up costs can be steep. The primary goal of this study is to explain the design and operation of a low-cost odor control device for improving environmental air quality in Nebraska using a BTF. This device has the potential for application as …

Biofiltration Application At Ethanol Plants: Analysis Of Aqueous Streams And Treatment Of Vocs, Katie Mowat

Department of Environmental Engineering: Theses and Student Research

The United States used 14.5 billion gallons of the biofuel ethanol in 2019 produced primarily (82%) in dry-mill corn ethanol plants. These plants produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) — some of which are hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) — during production. Traditional treatment methods for gaseous emissions use a large quantity of water or natural gas. Thus, a bio-trickling filter (BTF) is considered an innovative alternative treatment method. A lab-scale BTF was used in this study to look at the effect of ethanol concentration and temperature on the treatment of a HAPs mixture. Gaseous and aqueous testing were performed on the …

Environmental Impacts Of Overdesign In Small Community Water Resource Recovery Facilities, Andrew Pham

Department of Environmental Engineering: Theses and Student Research

Although water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) reduce environmental impacts related to water quality, their construction and operation result in negative environmental impacts in other categories. Past research into Nebraska WRRFs investigated variables determining energy intensity, opportunities and barriers for energy efficiency improvements, and environmental impacts of the construction and operation phase. This leads to the research question of what design practices can be considered to reduce the environmental impacts.

The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology was used to evaluate and compare the inventory and environmental impacts of nine small WRRFs, most of which are serving slow growing or declining populations. …

Neonicotinoid Pesticide And Nitrate Removal In Floating Treatment Wetlands, Julia Lindgren

Department of Environmental Engineering: Theses and Student Research

Nutrient and pesticide concentrations in surface water are a growing concern in the Midwest. Floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) are often used to remove excess nutrients from surface water and should be considered for removal of emerging contaminants, such as neonicotinoids. Therefore, the objectives for this research project were: 1) Determine FTW neonicotinoid removal capacity, 2) Quantify neonicotinoid incorporation into floating macrophytes, and 3) Explore potential implications of neonicotinoids on microbial denitrification. A microcosm and mesocosm experiment was completed. The mesocosm experiment evaluated 3 treatments: 1) FTW mesocosm with neonicotinoids, 2) FTW without neonicotinoids, and 3) mesocosm with neonicotinoids and without …

Pesticide Occurrence And Persistence Entering Recreational Lakes Residing In Watersheds Of Various Land Uses, Jessica Satiroff

Department of Environmental Engineering: Theses and Student Research

Common Use Pesticides (CUPs) are important for agricultural producers to sustain food production. As a result, regions with high rates of agricultural production, such as the Midwest, often have ubiquitous occurrences of pesticides in surface and groundwater ¹. Once pesticides are introduced into an ecosystem, pesticides have the potential for creating unwanted effects on non-target species and downstream environments ^2,3. However, pesticides do not come strictly from agricultural practices. Therefore, the research presented in this thesis focuses on the neonicotinoid and fungicide concentrations detected in recreational lakes as well as their persistence in these aquatic environments during the …

Magnetic Water Treatment For Scale Prevention On Water Heater Elements, Fatma Al-Sharji

Department of Environmental Engineering: Theses and Student Research

Calcium carbonates is one of the main components of scale that is commonly found in industrial equipment such as hot water systems. Scale formation on heater elements may lead to reduce heat efficiency and shorten the heat service life. Ion exchange softened water are used to reduce the scale formation, but excess salt during regeneration discharged to the wastewater stream, limits the reuse of wastewater for industrial purposes. As a result, non-salt alternative devices would provide consumers with the ability to reduce the impacts of ion exchange softened water without creating negative salinity impacts on wastewater stream. Magnetic water treatment …

Occurrence And Persistence Of Antibiotics Administered To Cattle In A Newly Established Feedlot, Brittany Trejo

Department of Environmental Engineering: Theses and Student Research

The common practice of using therapeutic antibiotics in livestock farming is a worldwide phenomenon. Over the last decade, there has been a growing concern of antibiotics entering the environment via animal manure. Similar studies have focused on the occurrence and biological effects of antibiotics in land-applied animal feedlots; however, limited research has been conducted on the occurrence and persistence of antibiotics in animal feedlots. A study was conducted to investigate the occurrence and persistence of four injected antibiotics (ceftiofur enrofloxacin, florfenicol, and tulathromycin) and two continuously fed antibiotics (monensin and tylosin) in feedlot sediment, runoff, and sediment runoff. For antibiotics …

Theoretical Model For Shields Diagram And Its Application, Jichao Jiang

Department of Environmental Engineering: Theses and Student Research

The transition from the condition of “no motion” to initial sediment moment, defined as sediment initiation, has been related to practical engineering (channel degradation, stable channel design), oceanographic (dredging, pipelines, cables), sedimentologic (sediment mobility, transport rates), geologic (the hydraulic interpretation of paleoenvironments), geochemical (pollutant transport), and gained considerable interest since nineteenth century.

Shields diagram for sediment initiation in terms of critical shear stress is a classic problem in sediment transport, but it is still an empirical law without a simple and practical theory despite extensive research since the 1930s. Hence, this research presents a simple theoretical model for critical shear …

Evaluation Of Effectiveness Of Streambank Stabilization Practices And Flood Impact On Cedar River, Nebraska, Naisargi N. Dave

Department of Environmental Engineering: Theses and Student Research

Stream restoration has been a major environmental objective for preserving biodiversity, reducing loss of valuable cropland and improving water quality. The impact and efficiency of streambank stabilization practices has been simulated using erosion-prediction models; however, evaluation of the erosion-control practices to measure their efficiency is often neglected. This project monitored changes in fluvial geomorphology on the Cedar River in Nebraska and quantified the effectiveness of 18 sites with streambank stabilization practices. A flood event in 2010 due to dam failure acted as a major parameter in measuring the efficiency of the erosion control practices. The methodology included aerial imagery to …

Evaluating Opportunities And Barriers To Improving The Energy Efficiency Of Small Nebraska Wastewater Treatment Plants, Matthew J. Thompson

Department of Environmental Engineering: Theses and Student Research

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTP)s account for about 0.8% of U.S. electricity use. Small WWTPs serving communities of populations less than 10,000 accounts for 95% of treatment plants in Nebraska. These plants are significantly less efficient compared to large systems and thus improving their energy efficiency (E2) is a growing focus in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with their operation. Energy use of plant unit operations was evaluated for several plants and included analysis of energy for space heating. Specific infrastructure and/or operational changes reported by operators following an E2 benchmarking project were evaluated by quantifying the change in …

Life Cycle Assessment In Foundry Sand Reclamation – Comparison Of Secondary Reclamation Processes, Samuel Keith Ghormley

Department of Environmental Engineering: Theses and Student Research

Foundries represent a significant part of the base of the world’s economy and as a sector are one of the largest consumers of energy and producers of solid waste in the United States. Sand casting foundries use approximately 5-10% of their total energy on sand handling processes. By adding a secondary sand reclamation process, foundries can expect to become more energy efficient as well as reducing solid waste from the foundry. To measure the broader environmental impacts, life cycle assessment (LCA) can be used. The goal of the current research was to examine a medium-sized foundry in the United States …

Benchmarking The Energy Intensity Of Small Nebraska Wastewater Treatment Plants, Steven M. Hanna

Department of Environmental Engineering: Theses and Student Research

To help small communities improve the energy efficiency of their wastewater treatment plants, this study created energy benchmarking models for small wastewater plants serving populations of 10,000 or less and having average flows less than 1.5 million gallons per day (MGD). The purpose of these models is to allow comparisons among plants of similar type and size, identify what factors most significantly impact energy usage, and predict potential savings from changes in key plant characteristics.

Energy usage and plant data from 83 small, mechanical wastewater plants in Nebraska were collected and used to create energy benchmarking models. Data obtained from …

Regulatory Barriers To Approval Of New Technologies For Small Drinking Water Systems, Deanna T. Ringenberg

Department of Environmental Engineering: Theses and Student Research

Small drinking water systems face different challenges than large drinking water systems. Innovative technologies can provide cost and reliability benefits to small systems, but new technologies are not frequently considered. One important barrier to the implementation of new technologies is obtaining state drinking water agency approval.

To identify specific state regulatory barriers, a survey including sixteen questions was sent to the 49 state agencies. The survey included questions regarding their acceptance programs, experiences with new technologies, barriers, data needs for technology approval, and interest in a shared approach for acceptance of new technologies. The survey was sent in 2015 and …

Spatial Distribution Of Antibiotic Resistance In Soils Receiving Beef Feedlot Runoff, Scott Speicher

Department of Environmental Engineering: Theses and Student Research

A study was conducted to provide new insight on the potential contribution to antibiotic resistance from the land application of beef feedlot runoff to soil. This study reports the distribution and quantity of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARBs), fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in soil from (i) a field receiving long-term application of beef feedlot runoff holding pond effluent and (ii) a cool-season pasture with no history of supplemental manure application.

Soil samples were collected June 2015 at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center near Clay Center, Nebraska. A response surface sampling design (RSSD) model based on …

Implementation Of Sustainability Improvements At The Facility Level: Business Motivations And Impact Of P2 Intern Recommendations, Vincent D. Kuppig

Department of Environmental Engineering: Theses and Student Research

Many sustainability and pollution prevention (P2) technical assistance programs exist across the Unities States. There is a need to quantify the actual impact using various metrics and, in addition, to identify the driving forces behind a company’s decision-making process. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Partners in Pollution Prevention and the Kansas State University Pollution Prevention Institute intern programs partnered to complete 30 reassessments in 2014 to obtain specific information related to each P2 recommendation. After being reassessed, the clients were surveyed concerning their motivations for implementing and not implementing each recommendation; 23 clients responded to the survey.

The clients surveyed were …

Nutrient Runoff Following Swine Manure Application, Seth J. Lamb

Department of Environmental Engineering: Theses and Student Research

A field study was completed to compare the effects of land application methods, swine growth stage, and varying flow rates following the application of varying amounts of swine manure to 0.75-m by 2.00-m long plots. Three different manure sources were used to represent key different growth stages including growers, finishers, and sows and gilts. The different swine manures were applied in May and Jun 2011 to meet a 1 year nitrogen (N) requirement for corn. Three different land application methods were used to apply the swine manure, broadcast, incorporation, and injection. Runoff water quality was measured during three 30 minute …

Preliminary Analysis Of Ghg Production From The Lincoln Water System To Determine Operating Energy And Infrastructure Construction Impacts, Martin Gakuria

Department of Environmental Engineering: Theses and Student Research

The Lincoln Water System (LWS) provides water to the citizens, industries, and commercial areas within and near the City of Lincoln, Nebraska. The intent of this thesis is to determine if reductions in future per capita water demand will help reduce the building of infrastructure and reduce future pumping costs and uses the computation of greenhouse gasses to compare the effects of different degrees of water conservation.

Data analysis was performed on water production statistics and data (1994-2011) collected and provided by the City of Lincoln, Nebraska. Projections in accordance with the Lincoln-Lancaster County 2040 Comprehensive Plan were made to …

Development And Evaluation Of Best Management Practices (Bmps) For Highway Runoff Pollution Control, Daniel Edward Jones

Department of Environmental Engineering: Theses and Student Research

As non-point source pollution, storm water runoff is one of the main contributors to stream impairment in the United States. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) requires Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s) to obtain a permit under the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) to manage this pollution. Many municipalities and non-traditional MS4s such as the Nebraska Department of Roads are under federal regulations that require new developments or redevelopments of a certain size to capture (and treat) runoff from all new impervious surfaces (roofs, driveways, sidewalks, and so forth) onsite, instead of allowing it to run into …

Transport Of Engineered Nanomaterials In Porous Media: Groundwater Remediation Application And Effects Of Particle Shape, Megan Seymour

Department of Environmental Engineering: Theses and Student Research

Nanotechnology, referring to any science which utilizes particles at the nanoscale, has substantially grown in recent years for its wide spectrum of potential uses. Many theories and models have been developed around the transport of spherical particles; however nanoparticles can be found in various shapes which could greatly affect the predicted transport and retention in the subsurface.

This research explores the beneficial use of carbon nano-onions (CNOs) for environmental remediation and investigates the transport of CNOs in saturated porous media. Surface oxidized CNOs possessed 10 times higher sorption capacity compared to C₆₀ for heavy metal ions including Pb^{2+ …}

Hydrologic Evaluation Of Established Rain Gardens In Lincoln, Nebraska Using A Storm Runoff Simulator, Andrew R. Anderson

Department of Environmental Engineering: Theses and Student Research

Increased urbanization has resulted in water quality and flooding problems for many receiving waters in the United States. Bioretention, or rain gardens, is one of the most widely popular and effective best management practices in low impact development (LID), which strives to return a watershed to a predevelopment hydrologic regime. Many studies have evaluated large bioretention cells in research settings. There is little information on the effectiveness of homeowner-maintained rain gardens that rely on deep percolation as the method for water exfiltration. Additionally, few studies address rain garden performance in cold, arid, or semi-arid climates found in the Midwest U.S. …

A Framework For Evaluating Sorbent Usage Rate Of Various Sorption Column Configurations With And Without Bypass Blending, Benjamin A. Stewart

Department of Environmental Engineering: Theses and Student Research

Sorption systems are a prevalent technology in the field of environmental engineering for treating waters contaminated with organic and/or inorganic compounds. Examples of such contaminants include taste and odor, hardness, disinfection byproduct precursors, and arsenic.

The primary operating costs for these sorption systems lie in sorbent replacement. Different column arrangements and the use of bypass blending have the potential to reduce sorbent usage. Thus, this research aimed to develop a decision framework to assist engineers and practitioners in considering when to apply single columns, parallel columns, and lead-lag series configurations, with and without bypass, based on sorbent usage rate. This …

Economic And Environmental Sustainability Of Using Bio-Fuels For Small Nebraska Greenhouses, David M. Mabie

Department of Environmental Engineering: Theses and Student Research

The primary goal of this paper was to increase profitability in Nebraska greenhouses by using biomass fuels for heating instead of propane. Several different fuels were tested, including whole shelled corn, dry distiller’s grains pelletized, wood pellets and blends between each biomass. The main fuel focus was on whole shelled corn. Bomb calorimetry tests were performed on biomass fuels and their respective ashes. Several furnace and heat exchanger efficiency tests were performed, with cost effectiveness analysis for each fuel type. Emissions data was also collected for each fuel on carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides, sulfuric oxides, and particulate matter. …

Design And Modeling Of Infrastructure For Residential And Community Water Reuse, Shannon M. Killion

Department of Environmental Engineering: Theses and Student Research

Water scarcity and deteriorating water infrastructure are of growing concern in the United States. The conventional methods of treating and transporting potable water and wastewater are being challenged as new technology creates opportunities for water reuse. Instead of simply replacing the current infrastructure for centralized treatment systems, alternatives such as dual distribution and decentralized treatment systems are being investigated as more sustainable alternatives.

Implementing dual distribution systems leads to benefits such as reducing the amount of water treated to potable standards and reducing freshwater withdrawals. A dual distribution system allows the non-potable demands to be shifted from the potable water …

Hydraulic Conductivity, Infiltration, And Runoff From No-Till And Tilled Cropland, Jessica H. Deck

Department of Environmental Engineering: Theses and Student Research

Infiltration and runoff are important processes that affect the efficiency of center pivot irrigation systems. No-till planting systems potentially influence the hydraulic properties of soils and the soil surface conditions. The result of long-term use of no-till could be higher infiltration and lower runoff from rainfall and irrigation.

This potential was investigated in Nebraska on two center pivot irrigated sites; Fillmore County and Phelps County, one furrow irrigated site; South Central Agriculture Laboratory (SCAL), and one dryland site; Rogers Farm. Paired treatments were used at each location, one that was no-till planted and one that used two to three operations …