Engineering Commons^™

Climate Change And Nebraska

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Staff Publications

The earth’s climate is predicted to change because human activities are altering the chemical composition of the atmosphere through the buildup of greenhouse gases — primarily carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons. The heat-trapping property of these greenhouse gases is undisputed. Although there is uncertainty about exactly how and when the earth’s climate will respond to enhanced concentrations of greenhouse gases, observations indicate that detectable changes are under way. There most likely will be increases in temperature and changes in precipitation, soil moisture, and sea level, which could have adverse effects on many ecological systems, as well as on …

Sprinkler Irrigation As A Voc Separation And Disposal Method: Innovative Technology Evaluation Report, Teri Richardson, Paul Depercin, Douglas Grosse, Rena Howard, Ann Kern, Endalkachew Sahle-Demissie, Johnny Springer Jr., Richard Schlenker, Roy F. Spalding

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Staff Publications

This report summarizes the findings of an evaluation of sprinkler irrigation as a volatile organic compound (VOC) separation and disposal method.

Background A need for lower cost, effective treatment alternatives for the disposal of treated contaminated groundwater provided the impetus to conduct a SITE demonstration of sprinkler irrigation since it provides both separation and disposal options. Since the application of irrigation is fairly widespread throughout the United States, there may be an opportunity to employ this as a dual purpose technology; concurrent irrigation and disposal of treated groundwater. In order to determine whether this option is viable, it is necessary …

Sustainability And Resource Assessment: A Case Study Of Soil Resources In The United States, Dana L. Hoag, Jennie S. Hughes Popp, D. Eric Hyatt

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Staff Publications

Assessment of environmental condition is critical to wise management and policy decisions. However, for some concerns such as sustainability, it is difficult to assess environmental condition because it involves disparate social objectives and an understanding of complex ecological systems. Here, a general framework is proposed to examine sustainability of environmental resources in objective, measurable ways. By using soil quality as an example, sustainability research is taken beyond theory and into application.
Sustainability depends on the quality of resource endowment. Endowment of a natural resource can be modeled as an index of quality to assess the degree of sustainable management. This …

Induction Of Oxidative Stress In Brain Tissues Of Mice After Subchronic Exposure To 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-P-Dioxin, Ezdihar A. Hassoun, Shawn C. Wilt, Michael J. Devito, Angelique Van Birgelen, Naser Z. Alsharif, Linda S. Bimbaum, Sidney J. Stoh

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Staff Publications

The ability of single doses of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) to induce oxidative stress in hepatic and some extrahepatic tissues of animals is well documented. However, no previous study has examined the ability of TCDD to induce oxidative stress and tissue damage in brain in vivo. In this study the ability of TCDD to induce oxidative stress in brain tissues of mice was studied after subchronic exposures. Groups of female B6C3F1 mice were treated orally with TCDD (0, 0.45, 1.5, 15, and 150 ng/kg/day) for 13 weeks, 5 days/week. The animals were euthanized 3 days after the last treatment and brain tissues …

Missouri River Erosion Update 1941-1998 Yankton Sioux Reservation Marty, South Dakota, Stephen Cournoyer Jr.

US Army Corps of Engineers

Pacific GeoScience has completed a revised study of the erosion of Tribal lands (tracts) located along the Missouri River within the yankton Sioux Reservation. This riverbank erosion is related to the construction and operation of Fort Randall Dam. This study evaluated the erosion and accretion of Tribal tracts from 1941 through 1998 (the study period), and estimates the value of the net land eroded as a result of dam construction and operation. This report supersedes the ENVIRON report of 1992 and presents a more comprehensive evaluation of the monetary value of the lost acreage. This study utilizes the current tract …

Binder Containing Plant Protein And Densified Refuse Fuel Cubes Made Using Same And Methods Of Making Them, Jerry D. Eastin, David Jones, Darin Dux, Harold Earl Egger

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

To form a binder from naturally occurring products or a fuel brick or pellet using the binder without extraction or purification steps, the binder utilizes proteins from the germ or endosperm of cereal grasses or from the seed of buckwheat, oil seed plants, Amaranthus or leguminous plants or from leaves or from grain stillage. The protein has a thermoplastic microstructure with linear polymers of molecular weight of at least 2,000 linked with peptide linkages of at least 50 in number. The binder is mixed with waste such as municipal waste without further processing and processed in a pelleting machine.

Matrix-Enhanced Calibration Procedure For Multivariate Calibration Models With Near-Infrared Spectra, Mark R. Riley, Mark A. Arnold, David W. Murhammer

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

A novel method is introduced for developing calibration models for the spectroscopic measurement of chemical concentrations in an aqueous environment. To demonstrate this matrix-enhanced calibration procedure, we developed calibration models to quantitate glucose and glutamine concentrations in an insect cell culture medium that is a complex mixture of more than 20 components, with three components that manifest significant concentration changes. Accurate calibration models were generated for glucose and glutamine by using a calibration data set composed of 60 samples containing the analytes dissolved in an aqueous buffer along with as few as two samples of the analytes dissolved in culture …