Engineering Commons^™

Microbial Ecology Of Urban Sewers, Emily Lou Lamartina

Theses and Dissertations

Municipal sewage provides a glimpse into the health and activities of a human society. For more than a century, sewage exploration has helped expose the sources of disease outbreaks and track disease progression over time. Recent advancements in wastewater surveillance born from the COVID-19 pandemic have potential to enhance mitigation efforts against the decades-long global health crisis of microbial antibiotic resistance. However, critical knowledge gaps exist in wastewater surveillance, stemming from a lack of understanding in sewer microbial ecology. Ecology reveals trends in how communities respond and adapt to change, which has far-reaching implications for identifying effective strategies for disease …

Characterization And Composition Of Corrosion Scales In Drinking Water Distribution Systems, Adam Schmidt

Theses and Dissertations

Internal corrosion of drinking water pipes has received considerable attention recently in the media and in academic studies due to compliance and monitoring regulations with the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) established by the EPA in 1991. Notable health crises involving municipalities exceeding the LCR in Washington D.C. and Flint, Michigan occurred when corrosion scale conditions changed from stable to soluble lead compounds due to changing water chemistry, leaching high amounts of lead into consumers drinking water. Understanding the role of the corrosion scale in the process of leaching lead and other toxic trace metals such as arsenic is vital …

Adsorption Of Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances On Functionalized Minerals: Effects Of Modifier Property And Mineral Structure, Qianqian Dong

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACTADSORPTION OF PER- AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES ON FUNCTIONALIZED MINERALS: EFFECTS OF MODIFIER PROPERTY AND MINERAL STRUCTURE

by Qianqian Dong

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2022Under the Supervision of Professor Yin Wang

Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of manmade chemicals widely used in various consumer and industrial products. The adverse effect of PFAS exposure includes bioaccumulation, organ damage and birth defects. Although the primary feedstock perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) has been phased out since the 2000s, PFAS are worldwide detectable in water bodies due to the historical production, accumulation and endless substitution of long-chain PFAS in …

Sars-Cov-2 Rna Persistence In Municipal Wastewater Treatment Systems Proves Wastewater Surveillance Is An Effective Tool For Monitoring Covid-19 Community Health Burdens, Melissa K. Schussman

Theses and Dissertations

Wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 is used worldwide to track COVID-19 infection trends. However, there is no standard method for SARS-CoV-2 measurement from wastewater, and uncertainties of pre-analytical influences from the wastewater collection system persist. This study builds upon the growing body of knowledge surrounding wastewater surveillance and aims to understand how wastewater measurements relate to other public health metrics, explain the influence of wastewater conveyance systems, and improve SARS-CoV-2 detection and quantification from wastewater. Our laboratory has been part of the ongoing Wisconsin SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance program since August 2020, analyzing almost 4,000 samples to date. Through various experiments, our …

Urban Water Quality Monitoring And Analysis Using Event Detection System And Machine Learning Methods, Nabila Nafsin

Theses and Dissertations

Water quality is defined as the measure of physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of water. Monitoring water quality is a growing challenge because of accidental or intentional spills of industrial, domestic, and agricultural wastes into surface water. Conventional methods used for measuring water quality parameters are time-consuming and expensive, making real-time contamination detection difficult. Advanced monitoring technology can be employed for real-time monitoring, providing a reliable and cost-effective solution to water management. CANARY event detection system (EDS) has been used in water distribution networks and wastewater treatment plants for detecting anomalous water quality events and proved to be an effective …

Water Age, Water Chemistry, And Microbial Populations In A Drinking Water Distribution System, Max Spehlmann

Theses and Dissertations

Microbes in tap water play a crucial role in pipe corrosion, human health, and water aesthetics. Because instances of tap water borne illnesses are on the rise in the USA, and many water distribution systems are reaching the end of their design lifespan, research leading to a better understanding of microbial growth and colonization is being actively pursued by many labs (EPA 2002; Miller et al. 2012). In the past decade, several studies have tracked the microbial community change of entire water distribution systems using high throughput sequencing technology (Ma et al. 2020; Perrin et al. 2019). System-scale community microbiology …

Silica-Based Materials For Water Treatment Applications: Adsorption And Supported Noble Metal-Based Catalysis, Xiaopeng Min

Theses and Dissertations

Various contaminants have been widely detected in aquatic systems due to both natural and anthropogenic activities, such as conventional and emerging organic pollutants (e.g., nitroarenes, per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)), and toxic oxyanions (e.g., chlorate, selenate). The presence of these contaminants may pose negative effects on both human health and water systems. Therefore, it is of great desire to develop novel materials and technologies to treat these waterborne pollutants.Catalytic treatment using noble metal (e.g., Pd)-based catalysts has emerged as a promising method for reduction of waterborne contaminants. Silica-based supports may enhance the reactivity and sustainability of Pd-based catalysts by improving …

Lc-Ms/Ms Quantitative Method For Trace Analysis Of Pesticides In Urban/Suburban Water Wells In Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington, And Waukesha Counties In Wisconsin, Dulay Manuel Trujillo

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study was to develop a LC-MS/MS analytical method to quantitate aselection of pesticides that included: 2,4−dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid (2,4-D), carbaryl, dicamba, imidacloprid, malathion, 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA), and methylchlorophenoxypropionic acid (MCPP). Chromatographic and mass spectrum conditions were optimized by analyzing full scans, selected ion monitoring (SIM) scans, product ion (PI) scans, which developed a multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) scan. Additionally, a pretreatment and cleanup strategy was designed and optimized using liquid-liquid extraction. The method demonstrated acceptable mean percent recovery of 83.2% ±12.56% at a spiked level of 10 ng/mL. The developed quantitative method was applied to groundwater from …

Numerical And Experimental Investigation Of Aeration Self Mixing By Using Pulsating And Continuous Air Flow, Ahmed Ali Alkhafaji

Theses and Dissertations

Wastewater treatment is considered one of the most common forms of pollution control in the united states. Considered as an integral part of the wastewater treatment, the aeration process is the most energy-consuming process among all the processes that take place in any wastewater treatment plant. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a wastewater treatment plant is expected to remove at least 85% of the suspended solids and dissolved organic compounds from the wastewater before discharging it to a river or a lake. The normal operation of the aeration process is by compressing air continuously to basin …

Sustainability In Construction: Using Lean Management Principles To Reduce Waste, Matthew Waite

Theses and Dissertations

The construction industry is facing many challenges. There are growing consumer demands for sustainable building. The construction industry generates a significant portion of the waste going into landfills. The construction industry has failed to keep pace with productivity in the manufacturing industry. Through adoption of Lean management principles, the construction industry can become more sustainable while increasing productivity. The literature was evaluated for three concepts: Lean management principles interaction with sustainability, the current state of sustainability in the construction industry, and the current state of Lean management principles in the construction industry. Lean management philosophies interactions with sustainability has been …

Development Of A Hydrodynamic And Sediment Transport Model For Green Bay, Lake Michigan, Bahram Khazaei

Theses and Dissertations

Sediment dynamics are strongly linked with biogeochemical and physical changes in estuarine systems. Understanding the links between sediment processes and ecosystem responses is necessary for the restoration of degraded systems. Located in Northern US, and one of the largest freshwater estuaries on earth, Green Bay is a distinct example of these degraded systems. Rapid development and anthropogenic activities increased nutrient loading rates into the bay and led to a major disruption of the pre-existing biogeochemical regimes in the ecosystem. Contaminated and nutrient-rich sediments were discharged to the bay by the Fox River for almost half a century. Green Bay’s seasonal-, …

Underwater Particle Image Velocimetry (Piv) Measurement Of Turbulence Over Mussel Bed In A Deepsite Of Lake Michigan, Tong Jin

Theses and Dissertations

The influence of the benthic filter feeders, such as bivalves, on ecosystem plankton, and nutrient dynamics is considered significant in shallow marine and freshwater systems. Recent indirect evidence showed that the profundal quagga mussels (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) have fundamentally altered energy flow and dynamics of nutrients and phytoplankton in Lake Michigan and other Great Lakes. To investigate the phytoplankton grazing rate of the quagga mussel and the mussel siphon currents induced bio-mixing, a self-contained in situ Underwater Particle Image Velocimetry was developed to measure the turbulence structure and the turbulent diffusion coefficient immediately above the profundal quagga mussel covered substrate …

Optimizing Hydrogen Sulfide Removal And Biogas Production Using The Water Wash Method, Brian Leightner

Theses and Dissertations

Biogas forms from decomposing organic material in agricultural digesters, landfills, and wastewater treatment plant digesters. Biogas is mostly composed of methane, and can be used as a carbon-based fuel. Microorganisms that consume organics in these waste streams also produce hydrogen sulfide (H2S) as part of the biogas, in varying trace amounts. H2S is corrosive to engines and pipes for machinery, a human health hazard when inhaled, and an aquatic hazard when dissolved in water. Water washing is an absorption process that dissolves hydrogen sulfide and other water soluble compounds in this process and carries it away from the gas, thereby …

Construction Of Bismuth Oxyhallide-Based Heterojunction-Structured Composite And Its Environmental Application For Water Treatment, Li Wang

Theses and Dissertations

With the rapid development of the global economy, environmental protection and sustainable development have become the main trends of current society. In particular, water pollution and energy shortage are outstanding issues that need to be solved in a clean and sustainable way. Recently, semiconductor-based photocatalytic technology, an environmentally friendly technique, has attracted enormous attention and become an emerging research hotspot in the application of water/wastewater treatment and generation of renewable energy as it can convert infinite solar energy into chemical energy. Conventional semiconductor materials usually have a relatively large band gap that only responds to the ultraviolet light, which largely …

Biogas Quality Improvement Using Water Wash And Phosphorus Recovery As Struvite In Jones Island Wwtp, Md Abul Bashar

Theses and Dissertations

Raw biogas from anaerobic digestion has a methane content of 50 to 60% and a carbon dioxide content of 40 to 50% on a molar basis (Bortoluzzi, Gatti, Sogni, & Consonni, 2014). Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD)’s Jones Island Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) uses the biogas supplied from South Shore WWTP in drying Milorganite, a slow-release phosphate fertilizer. But with only 45% methane, the gas cannot be used for sophisticated purposes. To maximize its potential as energy source, the methane content must be upgraded to its market competitor natural gas. Based on simulation results from Aspen Plus software - …

Real-Time, Selective Detection Of Heavy Metal Ions In Water Using 2d Nanomaterials-Based Field-Effect Transistors, Guihua Zhou

Theses and Dissertations

Excessive intake of heavy metals damages the central nervous system and causes brain and blood disorders in mammals. Heavy metal contamination is commonly associated with exposure to mercury, lead, arsenic, and cadmium (arsenic is a metalloid, but classified as a heavy metal). Traditional methods to detect heavy metal ions include graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy (GFAAS), inductively-coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), and inductively-coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). Recently, many new methods have been proposed to detect heavy metal ions, including atomic absorption spectrometry, fluorescent sensors, colorimetric sensors, electrochemical sensors, X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy, ultrasensitive dynamic light scatting assays, …

Modelling Of Dreissenid Mussel Impacts On Lake Michigan, Chunqi Shen

Theses and Dissertations

Invasive dreissenid mussel appear to have profoundly altered Great Lakes food webs and nutrient cycles during the past several decades. Recent declines of phytoplankton were supposed to be highly related with the increase of mussel population. These phytoplankton declines were further found to be coincident with declines in the abundance of planktivorous fish. In addition, the resurgence of Cladophora in Great lakes was estimated to be associated with the high density colonization of mussels. More light is available at lake bottom due to the mussels’ graze effect. The mussels further promote Cladophora growth by fertilizing it with nutrient-rich excrement. And …

Influence Of Permeate From Domestic Reverse Osmosis Filters On Lead Corrosion And Leaching From Plastic Pipes, Jyotsna Shrestha

Theses and Dissertations

Reverse Osmosis filters are gaining popularity nowadays, in domestic water supply system, to meet the increasing demand of pure and improved drinking water. There are various types of domestic RO filters with varying sizes, capacities, and treatment stages available. However, there exist a few concerns regarding the RO treatment system. One of the major issues in the quality and distribution of drinking water is the corrosive water that the RO system produces. Therefore, this research herein tends to focus on the corrosive effect of the permeate water on lead metal, as lead is considered a serious problematic drinking water contaminant. …

Monitoring And Modeling The Hydrological Performance Of Extensive Green Roof Systems, Joseph Seidl

Theses and Dissertations

Urban stormwater runoff causes many problems for watersheds located within large metropolitan areas, including such detrimental effects as flooding, erosion, pollution, and the increased risk of combined sewerage overflows. Increased amounts of impervious areas resulting from urban sprawl have also been shown to escalate stormwater flows, which exacerbates water management issues in these metropolitan areas. Water resource engineers have progressively turned toward green infrastructure to solve stormwater problems, and green roof systems represent one type of this green infrastructure. As of current, however, green roof systems are largely underused in as an effective stormwater management tool.

The major factor limiting …

Hydrodynamic Modeling Of The Green Bay Of Lake Michigan Using The Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code, Paula Estefania Cedillo

Theses and Dissertations

In this project we created a hydrodynamic model of the Lower Green Bay of Lake Michigan in Wisconsin, United States using the Visual Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC). The model includes four tributary rivers to Lower Green Bay as well as the open boundary flow conditions at Chambers Island. This case study is used to: 1) compare the results obtained with a previous study of Lower Green Bay to validate the creation of the model 2) examine the hydrodynamics of the bay, and 3) create a framework for future studies at Lower Green Bay. The Geographic Information used to build …

Indicator Bacteria In Beach Environments, Brett Bevers

Theses and Dissertations

Bacterial presence in the environment has become a growing concern in recent years. The exposure of the public to elevated levels of microbes in the environment has been linked with respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses. It is important to understand the behavior of bacteria in the environment in order to address public health concerns. This project was intended to improve our understanding of bacteria in the environment that are used as indicators for fecal pollution. Using the standard indicator species E. coli and Enterococci data was collected at Bradford Beach in Milwaukee Wisconsin throughout the summer months of 2013 and 2014. …

Sustainable Decolorization Of Reactive And Acid Dye Wastewater Using Photo-Fenton Oxidation Both With And Without Biodegradation: Laboratory And Field Studies, Marissa R. Jablonski

Theses and Dissertations

Photo-Fenton oxidation is an advanced oxidation process (AOP) used to degrade low-concentration textile dye wastewater using expensive chemicals. The technique has shown promise in laboratory-scale projects, but has not been scaled up sustainably to function for industry. Aerobic biodegradation is a common biological treatment method used in large-scale textile industrial applications that generates large amounts of hazardous biological waste. This waste is often left open to the elements and subsequently leaches into natural waterways or onto land. This is the first study of its kind to combine the two to treat cottage-scale industry-grade textile wastewater with a dye concentration of …

Applications Of Microbial Desalination And Photocatalytic Disinfection For The Removal Of Contaminants In Drinking Water, Kristen Shirlee-Ann Brastad

Theses and Dissertations

Trends in drinking water treatment in recent years have been moving toward the use of membrane separation in order to reduce contaminants in water. There are many forms of membrane separation technology such as ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, microfiltration, reverse osmosis, and extruded ion exchange membranes. These membranes have many different applications and may be used to remove many materials from water such as salts, viruses and bacteria, selectively remove cations or anions, or remove organics.

Microbial desalination cells (MDCs) are an emerging concept which use bioelectric potential produced from organics via microbial metabolism to accomplish desalination. MDCs consist of three compartments, …

Novel Nanostructured Materials For Solar Fuel Production And Advanced Rechargeable Batteries, Cunyu Zhao

Theses and Dissertations

Non-renewable fossil fuels are the major sources to meet the energy, electricity and transportation demands of today's world. The over consumption of fossil fuels will lead to the increasing energy crisis and disastrous effects such as air pollution, global warming etc.

The primary greenhouse gas is CO2 mainly emits from the combustion of fossil fuels. Photocatalytic reduction of CO2 using sunlight as the energy input is a promising way to reduce CO2 level in the atmosphere and in the meantime produce alternative fuels such as CO, methane, methanol, etc. Among the various photocatalyst materials reported, nanomaterial TiO2 is the most …

The Occurrence, Fate, Environmental Impact, And Management Implications Of Pharmaceutical And Personal Care Products In Wastewater And The Environment, Benjamin Donald Blair

Theses and Dissertations

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are a critical part of modern life. However, there is growing evidence that the levels of PPCPs detected in wastewater effluent and in the environment have the potential to cause damage to aquatic organisms. These pollutants enter the aquatic environment primarily through human use, disposal in the drain or toilet, land application of biosolids, and veterinary sources. Numerous questions remain regarding the occurrence, fate, and impacts of PPCPs in wastewater, along with limited feasible management recommendations that would adequately mitigate the risk from these pollutants. This dissertation will present three advances in the field …

Seasonal Change In Bacteria Levels And Eluent Comparison For The Enumeration Of E. Coli And Enterococci From Recreational Beach Sand, Kyle Hines

Theses and Dissertations

Research into the causes of bacterial contamination of recreational beaches has been increasing. Many researchers are now looking to enumerate bacteria from beach sands in order to find the connections between the water and sand quality. As the number of these studies increase, there is a need to determine a standard procedure for enumerating bacteria from sand. The eluent that a researcher chooses could impact the results that they obtain due to ionic strength. The first part of this paper compares the E. coli and Enterococci counts of identical sand samples using phosphate buffered saline and distilled water as eluents. …

Development Of Novel Bioelectrochemical Systems For In Situ Nitrate Removal From Groundwater, Yiran Tong

Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to develop new approaches for in situ nitrate removal from groundwater by using bioelectrochemical systems (BES). BESs employ bioelectricity generated from organic compounds to drive nitrate moving from groundwater into the electrode chamber and reduce nitrate to nitrogen gas by heterotrophic denitrification. In first phase experiments, nitrate ions were driven into the anode chamber of a de-coupled reactor, whose electrode chambers were separated, where heterotrophic denitrification took place with organic reduction. It was proved that by applying additional electrical potential at 0.8V, the reactor could achieve highest removal rate of 208.2±13.3 g NO3--N/m3/d, when initial nitrate concentration …

Recovering Bioresources From Integrated Photo-Bioelectrochemical System, Li Xiao

Theses and Dissertations

Compared to traditional wastewater treatment technologies, the electricity generation is one of the most important advantages of bioelectrochemical systems (BES). However, due to its high cost and low energy production, BES technologies are still far away from feasible application. The main purpose of this work was to investigate ways to improve the electricity generation and reduce the cost of BES technologies. We focused on microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) as two representative BES technologies. In order to improve the energy performance of MFCs, an accurate evaluation of the energy is necessary. However, the common evaluation methods …

Investigation Of Application Niche For Sustainable Wastewater Treatment Using Microbial Fuel Cells, Patrick Thomas Kelly

Theses and Dissertations

Microbial fuel cells represent a sustainable wastewater treatment technology due to its simultaneous treatment of contaminants and electricity production. Selection of suitable substrates is important to identifying proper application of microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology. In this work, four identical MFCs were used to treat the wastes sampled from different stages of a cheese wastewater treatment process, and both treatment performance and energy balance were examined. The two MFCs treating liquid wastes achieved more than 80% removal of total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD), while the other two MFCs fed with sludge or cheese whey removed about 60% of TCOD. The …

Sediment Microbial Fuel Cell As Sustainable Power Resource, Ananta Kothapalli

Theses and Dissertations

This research demonstrates that Ceratophyllum demersum a root less non vascular aquatic plant has negatively affected the power generation from a Sediment Microbial Fuel cell (SMFC). In SMFC the reduced organic matter in the sediment in water produces electrons, which reduces oxygen. Whereas in Plant SMFC continuous supply of organic matter to the anode is done by rhizodeposition (root exudates). Six SMFCs were run for more than 3 months to see the effect of plants, pH and temperature on power generation. Out of six only two SMFC showed stable data. The maximum power density 18 ± 1mW/m3 was generated from …