Engineering Commons^™

Coupled Oceanic-Atmospheric Variability And U.S. Streamflow, Glenn A. Tootle, Thomas C. Piechota, Ashok Singh

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

A study of the influence of interdecadal, decadal, and interannual oceanic-atmospheric influences on streamflow in the United States is presented. Unimpaired streamflow was identified for 639 stations in the United States for the period 1951–2002. The phases (cold/negative or warm/positive) of Pacific Ocean (El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO)) and Atlantic Ocean (Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)) oceanic-atmospheric influences were identified for the year prior to the streamflow year (i.e., long lead time). Statistical significance testing of streamflow, based on the interdecadal, decadal, and interannual oceanic-atmospheric phase (warm/positive or cold/negative), was performed by …

Characterizing Turbulence Structure Along Woody Vegetated Banks In Incised Channels: Implications For Stream Restoration, Frank James Dworak

Masters Theses

The impacts of urbanization have modified natural watersheds and stream hydraulic, hydrologic, and geomorphic processes that have lead to geomorphic and ecological disturbances in natural stream systems. These alterations have resulted in channel incision and the loss of channel-scale hydraulic characteristics responsible for initiating and maintaining pool-riffle bedforms, which are capable of supporting diverse biological stream ecosystems. Through the use of FLOW-3D, a 3-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model, three scenarios of an urban, incised, and channelized stream were simulated to characterize the turbulent, hydraulic structure during bankfull discharge. The simulations were conducted with trees inhibiting bankfull flow (representing the channel’s …

Long Term Monitoring Of Trichloroethylene Degradation Indicator Parameters Using Sensors, Ravi Krishna Prasanth Gudavalli

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Past operations at Savannah River Site (SRS) have resulted in significant amount of groundwater contamination with trichloroethylene. Natural attenuation of chlorinated solvents via reductive dechlorination is one of the most important processes occurring at SRS, which requires monitoring. Many traditional monitoring techniques require manual sampling and analysis at an onsite or offsite laboratory, which is costly and time consuming. Therefore the need for a system, which can accurately and cost-effectively conduct real-time analysis using automated sensors, is important. There are several characteristics of groundwater like pH, ORP, conductivity and chloride that may be monitored to assess the TCE degradation. To …

Microbial Source Tracking: Tools For Refining Total Maximum Daily Load Assessments (2005), Stormwater Academy

BMP Trains Research and Publications

For over 100 years, indicator bacteria of fecal origin have been used to assess water quality and alert managers to increased risk of the presence of human pathogens. While these indicator organisms, including total coliforms and fecal coliforms, have helped protect public health for decades, they are now being utilized as surrogates for pathogens in total maximum daily load (TMDL) programs that are mandated by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The goal of TMDL assessment, which is carried out by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in Florida, is ultimately to identify the sources of contaminant loading to Florida waters …

Heavy Metal Adsorption On Iron Oxide And Iron Oxide-Coated Silica : Macroscopic, Spectroscopic, And Modeling Studies, Ying Xu

Dissertations

To accurately model metal mobility and bioavailability in soils and sediments, systematic sorption studies are needed using representative and well-characterized minerals. Two important surfaces are iron oxide and silica, which are ubiquitous and associated with one another in the environment playing important roles in metal distribution. The objectives of this research are to develop models for predicting speciation and mobility of toxic trace metal ions in groundwater, soils, and sediments when competing ions are present. A model system for soils and sediments, iron oxide-coated silica, was synthesized; the degree of coatings was highly sensitive to the particle size of silica …

Ocena Oddziaływania Na Środowisko Instalacji Spalania Odpadów – Wybrane Problemy, Robert Oleniacz

Robert Oleniacz

The paper presents some problems related to the environmental impact of waste incineration plants with particular emphasis on the impact on air quality and the assessment of this impact carried out for newly built incinerators. Methodology for the calculation of emissions for new plants based on emission standards was proposed. It has been shown that waste incineration plants complying with emission limit values to a negligible extent affect the air quality, especially in the case of units with small capacity.

In the case of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans, due to lack of permissible levels in the air, it was found …

Ocena Oddziaływania Mittal Steel Poland S.A. Oddział W Krakowie Na Jakość Powietrza W Aspekcie Likwidacji Strefy Ochronnej, Marian Mazur, Robert Oleniacz, Marek Bogacki, Przemysław Szczygłowski

Robert Oleniacz

The paper presents results of the air quality impact assessment for Mittal Steel Poland S.A. unit in Krakow (Poland). The assessment included all emission sources working in the unit in 2003 as well as emission sources belonging to companies separated from the steelworks in the past. A special attention was taken to comply of air quality standards in area of the protective zone in connection with their planned liquidation by the end of 2005 (the requirement of the new environmental law).

English title: Evaluation of impact of Mittal Steel Poland S.A. unit in Krakow on air quality in connection with …

Tunnel Geology As Seen By Geologists: Manhattan, New York City, Nazrul I. Khandaker, Stanley Schleifer, Masud Ahmed, Alan R. Slaughter, Belal A. Sayeed, Dorean J. Flores, Mario Jo-Ramirez

Publications and Research

Current exploratory boring operations in and around Manhattan, New York City are providing geologists and geotechnical engineers with a plethora of new and interesting geological information, which has not been previously reported. The rocks encountered, mostly medium to high-grade metamorphic rocks, with both mafic and felsic intrusives, are highly variable in competency and mechanical durability. One of the most frequently encountered rock types is a garnetiferous-muscovite-biotite schist which grades into schistose gneiss and displays a wide variety of structural, compositional, and textural attributes. Metamorphic minerals showing the variable degree of metamorphism include graphite, talc, garnet, kyanite, tourmaline, emory, and occasionally …

Natural Organic Matter: A Study Of Long-Term Variability And Anthropogenic Influence, Gregory D. Devine

Environmental & Water Resources Engineering Masters Projects

Disinfection byproducts may be carcinogenic compounds and are present within most drinking water supply systems. These hannful compounds result from an mteraction between natural organic matter and conventional disinfectants such as chlorine or chlorine-based solutions. The level of disinfection byproducts within a distribution system is controlled by federal and state regulations; pending federal regulations propose increasingly stringent allowable levels of disinfection byproducts. The goals of this investigation were to 1) identify long-term variability associated with natural organic matter across the country, 2) develop empirical relationships between anthropogenic activity, land use/land cover and natural organic matter and 3) construct a mechanistic …

Deicer Source Hindcasting In An Unconfined Roadside Aquifer, Ivonne Hall

Environmental & Water Resources Engineering Masters Projects

Deicing materials that include calcium magnesium acetate (CMA), road salt, and premix are applied over a 1.2 mile section of the highway on State Route 25 (SR25) in Plymouth, Massachusetts. This part of the highway was designed to route runoff to an infiltration basin. The main goal of this research was to evaluate when and where deicer contamination infiltrated to the groundwater table at the site, with a focus on the infiltration basin. This project evaluated the steady-state hydraulics of the site, as well as the fate and transport of the deicing materials. There are many sources of data available …

Characterization Of Storm Events Using An Automated Sampler, Shem Styger

Environmental & Water Resources Engineering Masters Projects

The goal of this research was to evaluate the use of an automated sampler in profiling concentrations of deicing agents in stonnmnoff at a research site in Plymouth, MA. The Massachusetts Highway Department applies a combination of deicing agents in the form of salt, premix and calcium magnesium acetate (CMA) to an 830 m long stretch of State Route 25 during the months of November to April when driving conditions are hazardous. Portions of the applied deicing agents applied are left behind in a depression storage layer which was found to be 2.67 mm. The depression storage layer govems the …

Quantifying The Effect Of A Vegetated Littoral Zone On Wet Detention Pond Pollutant Load Reduction (2005), Stormwater Academy

BMP Trains Research and Publications

This report describes an investigation sponsored by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), in which DB Environmental, Inc., with assistance from Community Watershed Fund, evaluated the potential of littoral zone vegetation to enhance contaminant removal performance of a wet detention pond.

For this effort, we constructed an experimental facility at a 1 hectare wet detention pond in Brevard Co, Florida that contained pre-existing littoral vegetation (distinct stands of cattail (Typha sp.) and pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata)) in addition to an unvegetated shoreline. Ten compartments, 3.7 m by 9.0 m, were deployed within the facility, effectively isolating sections of the pond. …

Analysis Of Per Capita Expenditures Of Suburbanizing Communities In Maine, New England Environmental Finance Center

Economics and Finance

This study analyzes per capita expenditure trends among selected fast-growing Maine towns from 1970-2004. The ten communities studied are termed as “suburbanizing” towns. This term is used to describe towns that over the past 30-40 years have been in the process of transition from rural to suburban – in terms of their population and housing densities, their forms of government, and the services they provide, as well as other characteristics.1 Such towns are of particular interest because they have been absorbing a healthy percentage of the state’s population growth during this time period, often at the expense of Maine’s service …

Stormwater Intelligent Control System (2005), Martin Wanielista

BMP Trains Research and Publications

Water restrictions, pollution control, volume balances, and the emergence of stormwater utilities have lead to the development of an automated intelligent system (“I-Water”) for water use and control. With the use of this system, water stored in stormwater ponds or in the surficial aquifer is not discharged to surface waters because it is used to meet water demands, such as, lawn irrigation, environmental protection, agriculture, drinking and industrial uses.

The drop in groundwater levels and the increasing use of reclaimed water illustrates a need for alternative water supplies. Ground water depletion is occurring which is adding to the destruction of …

Waldo Lake Research In 2004, Mark D. Sytsma, John Rueter, Richard Petersen, Roy Koch, Scott A. Wells, Michelle Wood, Yangdong Pan, Robert Leslie Annear, Aaron Hook, Laura Johnson, Rich Miller, Amanda Murphy, Terry Stoltz

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

The Willamette National Forest has worked with Portland State University, Center for Lakes and Reservoirs (PSU) and the University of Oregon (UO) to investigate ecosystem changes, provide guidance on long-term monitoring methods, assess monitoring data, develop predictive water quality models, and conduct research that will lead to better protection and understanding of the Waldo Lake ecosystem. This report summarizes the second year of collaborative PSU-UO research at Waldo Lake. Research has focused on understanding physical, chemical and biological characteristics of Waldo Lake across a range of spatial and temporal scales. Research tasks that continued from 2003 into 2004 included temperature …

Development Of Adsorption Filtration Process For Virus Removal For Drinking Water Treatment, Vishal Vijay Gawarikar

Dissertations

Recent monitoring studies have indicated that many ground water (GW) sources would benefit from the development of effective technologies for removing viruses. Although reverse osmosis can achieve high log removal it is not economical. The main objective of this study is to test and validate a novel adsorption filtration (AF) technology for removing viruses from GW sources for drinking water production in New Jersey.

The convective diffusion of viruses to adsorbent particle surfaces in flow packed beds (FPB) enhances their removal efficiency if the adsorbent particle size can be decreased to about 100 microns. The development of effective virus removal …

Nonlinear Response Of Head Dependent Boundary Conditions In Modflow, Aparna S. Vemuri

Environmental & Water Resources Engineering Masters Projects

Engineering is the professional art of applying science to the optimum conversion of natural resources to the benefit of man. - Ralph J. Smith Groundwater mining reduces water levels in the subsurface and is found to have grave consequences like natural aquifer depletion. Groundwater management models that couple simulation models with optimization models have been used in the management of groundwater resources. The effect of head dependent boundary conditions on the head response due to pumping stresses is studied along with its impact on management strategies. Hypothetical aquifer models have been set up using MODFLOW 2000 and groundwater management (GWM) …

Comparison Between Tapered Element Microbalance (Teom) And Federal Reference Method (Frm) For Pm2.5 Measurement In East Tennessee, David Scott Greene

Masters Theses

Particulate matter (PM) of 2.5 microns or less is linked to serious negative health and visibility effects, and consequently is gaining increased regulatory attention. Therefore, accurate and timely measurement of ambient PM_{2.5 is an essential task for both researchers pursuing productive investigations, and local air quality administrators in evaluating, modeling, planning for compliance, and generally making the highest productive use of their control resources. However, accurate and timely may be conflicting needs.}

Many studies have concluded that a significant difference in measurements exists between the Tapered Element Oscillating Microbalance Monitors (TEOM) and the Federal Reference Method (FRM). The difference …

The Inverse Application Of Conformal Mapping Techniques To Describe Groundwater Flow-Regimes Through A Window In The Upper Claiborne Confining Layer, Patrick Lasater Mcmahon

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to establish an inverse algorithm to solve the analytic element groundwater modeling equations, developed by Anderson (2001), for state parameters based on head data from an appropriate field site. The analytical element model (AEM) equations developed by Anderson (2001) are a complex variable technique to describe flow regimes through a gap in a confining layer that otherwise separates two confined aquifers. Anderson’s equations are based on the assumptions that hydraulic conductivity is constant in the respective confined aquifers. It also assumes a hydraulic conductivity of zero for the confining layers in the system.

A …

The Effects Of Urbanization On The Streambed Sediment Characteristics In A Ridge And Valley Watershed, Brantley Allison Thames

Masters Theses

Urbanization causes flow and sediment regime changes, which leads to alterations in the bed sediment characteristics and degradation of the ecological habitat. Evidence shows that changes in the characteristics of streambed sediment occur in urbanized watersheds; however a link between urbanization and changes in streambed sediment is not well established in the literature. Limited support in the literature does suggest that urbanization is linked to a decline in the diversity of algae, invertebrate, and fish populations. Relationships between urbanization and bed sediment characteristics were explored by three studies using the AnnAGNPS and CONCEPTS models. AnnAGNPS is a GIS-based sediment delivery …

Development Of Multiple Growth Strategies For Use In Developing Traffic Forecasts: A Robustness Approach, Deogratias Eustace, Eugene R. Russell, E. Dean Landman

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Faculty Publications

Decisions that may be based on misleading forecasts may lead to a misallocation of funds and to under-performing projects during construction and operation. Poor projections of demographic and socioeconomic data are usually cited as the major source of poor traffic assignment projections and hence, unfavorably conceived planning and construction of street and highway infrastructure facilities.

This report evaluated the accuracy of long range projections by using a transportation study done the in 1970s, projecting transportation demand 20 years into the future. The projected travel model inputs were compared with what actually happened after the horizon year had been reached and …

Modeling Application Of Hydrogen Release Compound To Effect In Situ Bioremediation Of Chlorinated Solvent-Contaminated Groundwater, Ryan C. Wood

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates how application of Hydrogen Release Compound (HRC) might be implemented to remediate a site contaminated with tetrachloroethene (PCE) or its daughter products, under varying site conditions. The 3-D reactive transport model RT3D was coupled with a dual-Monod biodegradation submodel to simulate the effect of the hydrogen generated by HRC on accelerating the biodegradation of dissolved chlorinated solvents. Varying site conditions and injection well configurations were investigated to determine the effect of these environmental and design conditions on overall treatment efficiency. The model was applied to data obtained at a chlorinated solvent contaminated site at Vandenberg AFB, where …

Removal Of Cyclohexane From A Contaminated Air Stream Using A Dense Phase Membrane Bioreactor, Michael G. Roberts

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine the ability of a dense phase membrane bioreactor to remove cyclohexane, a volatile organic compound in JP-8 jet fuel, from a contaminated air stream using a biologically active film for degradation. The research answered questions regarding applications of membrane bioreactors, the ability of cyclohexane to diffuse through a dense phase membrane, growth of a viable microbial culture, and determination of the performance capabilities of the reactor. To answer these questions, a literature review was conducted and laboratory experiments were performed. Through the design, construction, and testing of the dense phase membrane bioreactor …

Modeling Groundwater Flow And Contaminant Transporting Fractured Aquifers, Jason M. Bordas

Theses and Dissertations

The hybrid discrete fracture network/equivalent porous medium (DFN/EPM) model was selected for analysis and application to simulate a contaminated site in this study. The DFN/EPM was selected because it appeared to have the potential to aid decision making by remedial project managers at contaminated DoD fractured aquifer sites. This model can use data that are typically available at a site while incorporating the important processes relevant to describing contaminant transport in a fractured medium. The model was applied to simulate the operation of a pump-and-treat remedial action at a trichloroethene-contaminated fractured aquifer at Pease AFB. The model was able to …

An Investigation Into Palladium-Catalyzed Reduction Of Perchlorate In Water, Eric G. Barney

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, application of a catalytic reactor to facilitate chemical reduction of perchlorate was investigated. Palladium-coated pellets were used as the catalyst, and formic acid was used as the reductant. Reactor performance was evaluated under a variety of operating conditions (influent pH, reductant concentration, residence time). Very little perchlorate reduction was observed under any operating condition. At best, approximately 8% perchlorate reduction was observed. This small reduction efficiency is clearly not sufficient for environmental treatment applications. Perchlorate strongly adsorbed to the catalyst at low pH (3 - 3.3). At higher pH (4 - 10), little adsorption was observed. This …

Validation Of An Innovative Groundwater Contaminant Flux Measurement Method, Seh J. Kim

Theses and Dissertations

The ability to measure groundwater contaminant flux is increasingly being recognized as crucial in order to prioritize contaminated site cleanups, estimate the efficiency of remediation technologies, measure rates of natural attenuation, and apply proper source terms to model groundwater contaminant transport. An innovative mass flux measurement method using horizontal flow treatment wells (HFTWs) was developed recently to compensate for the disadvantages of other flux measurement methods that are being used. Flux measurement methods can be categorized as either point methods or integral methods. As the name suggests, point methods measure flux at a specific point or points in the subsurface. …

An Evaluation Of Wind Turbine Technology At Peterson Afb, Randy C. Combs

Theses and Dissertations

Wind energy technology is a viable source for attaining the emission reduction and renewable energy use goals set forth by the executive office. In accordance with Executive Orders, the Air Force must reduce greenhouse emissions and energy consumption, and expand the use of renewable energy sources within its facilities nation-wide by year 2010. This mandate requires that the Air Force look at alternative electrical production and rely more on such renewable energy resources as wind power. The specific problem addressed by this research is whether on-site wind energy generation can be more economically feasible than the conventional energy consumption at …

An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Environmental Management And Environmental Compliance At Marine Corps Installations, Bevin J. Keen

Theses and Dissertations

Environmental compliance on military is challenging for a number of reasons, including the complexity of regulations, and the variety of operations which impact the environment. At times, public concerns and penalties stemming from environmental issues has infringed upon the United States Marine Corps' (USMC) ability to use all installation resources without restriction. This thesis examines which facets of environmental management are closely associated with high levels of compliance. Five variables of interest: Total Compliance, Total Management, Audit Management, Policy Management, and Training Management were isolated from 1998-2004 USMC environmental audit data, and subjected to statistical analysis. Through the examination of …

Water Conservation And Resuse Strategy For Ireland, Liam Mccarton, Sean O'Hogain

Articles

The traditional approach to meeting increased demand is to augment supply. However, mobilising new resources involves ever higher costs. Increasing water efficiency by reducing the amount of water required to accomplish a given task can significantly contribute towards balancing supply and demand. The water saved as a result of PCC reduction can be used to augment existing supplies. This can be the least cost option, particularly when the environmental and social costs of developing new resources are included in the analysis. Allied to this is the concept of sustainability, which can be defined as ‘development that meets the needs of …

Small-Scale Structure Of Strongly Stratified Turbulence, Jin Hwan Hwang, Chris R. Rehmann

Chris R. Rehmann

The small-scale structure of turbulence subjected to strong stratification is analyzed with rapid distortion theory to evaluate the performance of formulas for predicting dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy and dissipation of scalar variance. The approach is restricted to weak turbulence in strong stratification, like that in the thermocline or the abyssal ocean. Flows with and without mean shear are considered. For unsheared turbulence, the small scales are axisymmetric about the vertical axis, as others have previously assumed. The calculations here complement and extend previous work because they can be used to compute errors in dissipation estimates, develop simpler formulas, and …