Engineering Commons^™

The Development Of A Fluorescence-Based Reverse Flow Injection Analysis (Rfia) Method For Quantifying Ammonium At Nanomolar Concentrations In Oligotrophic Seawater, William Abbott

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this thesis was to adopt a reverse flow injection analysis (rFIA) technique to the fluorometric analysis of the reaction o-phthaldialdehyde (OPA) with ammonium, allowing accurate measurements of ammonium concentrations lower than the detection limit of the widely used indophenol blue (IPB) colorimetric method while accounting for the background fluorescence of seawater. Ammonium is considered an essential nutrient for primary productivity, especially in the nutrient depleted surface ocean where as the most reduced form of dissolved inorganic nitrogen, it is readily assimilated via metabolic pathways. Challenges in the quantification of ammonium require more sensitive analytical techniques for …

A Cradle To Farm Gate Life Cycle Analysis Of Land Use In U.S. Pork Production, William Benjamin Putman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study was to conduct a detailed Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the U.S. live swine production supply chain to quantify land use requirements and to assess the impact associated with various ration compositions. The functional unit was defined as one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of live swine at the farm gate, ready for transport to the abattoir. This assessment focused on the three highest producing USDA regions, which encompassed the Midwest (Regions 5 and 7) and the Southeast (Region 4), representing 86% of U.S. market hog production.

First, a literature review was conducted to summarize the most …

Studies Related To Microbially Induced Corrosion Of Stainless Steel 304 And 316, Somil Gupta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pitting corrosion of stainless steel (SS) is observed in many different industries including the dairy industry. It is of concern, because it weakens the steel, and can cause cracking. Any replacement or repair of SS equipment is very costly and also causes delays in product manufacture. Microbial Induced Corrosion (MIC) is a possible accelerator of natural corrosion seen in galvanized steel pipes. Studies have shown a correlation between surface roughness and the ability of bacteria to colonize and form biofilms. Dairy industry utilizes higher food grade SS 304 and 316. However, even these relatively corrosion resistant stainless steel grades may …