Life Sciences Commons^™

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture For Growing West Coast Venus Clams, Avery Wallace

Theses

With demand for sustainable sources of seafood on the rise, California is looking to expand aquaculture with a focus on innovative culturing methods and use of native or resident species. Therefore, this study examined the potential for culturing native North American west coast venus clams (Chione californiensis and Chione undatella) using integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA). An ITMA approach was chosen because it is a culture method that uses species from different but functionally complementary trophic levels that have been found to reduce the potential negative effects of traditional monoculture. California sea cucumber (Parastichopus californicus) and the seaweeds red ogo (Gracilaria …

The Effect Of Different Feeding Regimes On Recent Nutritional And Growth Measurements In Juvenile California Killifish (Fundulus Parvipinnis), Emily Parks

Theses

Gaining a deeper understanding of in-situ growth approximations for juvenile fishes is one way to understand how food consumption may affect fish growth. If variations in growth rate are strongly mirrored by past food status, then the condition (degree of well-being) of fish can be potentially used as a reference for relative prey availability. Furthermore, confirming that there is a positive relationship between food availability and fish growth rate is a critical first step to deepen our understanding of growth rate variation as well as examining if growth can be a proxy for habitat quality.

The California killifish (Fundulus …

Studying Neurotoxic Effects Of Three Synthetic Insecticides And Two Herbal Infusions On The Nervous System Of The Fruit Fly Drosophila Melanogaster, Sara Khamis Obaid Hamarain Al Dhaheri

Theses

Pesticides applied on plants and animals can reach the human diet once they enter food chains. Insecticides are neurotoxic agents; they have the potential of causing damage to the nervous system in people. The damage could induce or promote neurodegenerative diseases such as the Parkinson’s and Alzheimer's. It is well-documented that the exposure to the insecticide chlorpyrifos (CPF) stimulate the Parkinson disease in humans and experimental animals. Thus, this research project will study effect of three synthetic insecticides pirimicarb, tefluthrin, and CPF on the nervous system of Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism. In addition, the project will evaluate the …

The Red Palm Weevil In The Uae: Morphological Diversity And Rnai-Mediated Gene Silencing Of Two Cuticle-Related Genes, Safa Hashem Mohammed Musaed

Theses

Red Palm Weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), threatens palm trees worldwide. A better understanding of this insect can help with designing an adequate management strategy. This study aimed to a better understand the morphological diversity of RPW and examined RNAi-mediated gene silencing of two cuticle-related genes, vestigial (vg) gene, and Laccase (Lac2) gene by injecting the last larval stage with double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). For the morphological diversity study, adults of RPW were collected and classified by their prothoracic spots. Additional morphological characters were measured such as Pronotum Length (PL), Pronotum Width (PW), Elytra Length (EL), Elytra Width (EW), and …

Food Proteins: Sustainable Sources Of Proteins Responsible For Emulsions Stability In Food Products, Gleicy Kelly Oliveira Nogueria

Theses

One of the major challenges manufactures are facing is the fact that consumer’s personal health standards are changing constantly, modern consumers are willing to know more about the ingredients used in their food. The relationship with ethics and sustainability is leading to changes in the food industry. Seen this, manufactures are opting for other sources of ingredients, such as plant-based alternatives. However, the use of these sort of products need to be developed due to of their unknown properties. The use of sustainable plant proteins provides a variety of benefits to the product, such as added nutritional value as fiber, …

Bubble Stream Production By Belugas (Delphinapterus Leucas), Megan Slack

Theses

Bubble stream production in belugas has been poorly characterized and its function is not well understood. I examined behavioral states when producing bubble streams (“bubbling”), and when bubbling calls, to determine whether bubbling was significantly associated with a particular call category or behavioral state. Using 19 hours of video and audio recordings collected over a two-day period, I quantified bubble streams of a 4-month old calf and an unrelated adult female housed together. Based on the overall activity budgets and pool of vocalizations for both animals, I calculated the expected counts of bubble streams with and without vocalizations, assuming that …

Predicting Energy And Water Consumption On Dairy Farms Through Statistical Analysis And Machine-Learning Methods, Philip Shine

Theses

With the abolishment of milking quotas across all European Union member states in April 2015, dairy farmers must adjust their farming practises to minimise milk production costs to adequately prepare for potential periods of reduced revenue. Milk production is an intense energy and water consuming process. Coupled with challenging European greenhouse gas reduction targets and legislation regarding the prevention of groundwater pollution and deterioration, increasing the production of milk in Ireland must be met with the sustainable consumption of on-farm energy and direct water resources, to ensure the future monetary and environmental sustainability of Ireland’s dairy industry. Thus, this body …

Vertical And Cross-Shore Distributions Of Barnacle Larvae In La Jolla, Ca Nearshore Waters: Implications For Larval Transport Processes, Malloree Lynn Hagerty

Theses

Many marine organisms begin their lives as tiny larvae that are at the mercy of ocean currents. Understanding the transport and subsequent dispersal of larvae is crucial, as it drives population connectivity in the ocean. Larval transport is a complex process involving both physical motions of the water and larval behavior. Vertical positioning is especially important because currents vary throughout the water column, and larvae at different depths will be advected differently. With swimming speeds insufficient to swim against currents, marine larvae can mediate cross-shore transport by controlling their depth distributions. Thus, the overall objective of this study was to …

Larval Rockfish Diversity Abundance Dynamics In Association With A Marine Protected Area In The Southern California Bight, Dustin Chen

Theses

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are areas aimed at protecting natural and cultural resources that are often proposed as a way to alleviate the effects of overfishing on populations of targeted species; these areas have varying degrees of fishing and recreational use restrictions. In order to assess MPA efficacy, it is important to determine the mechanisms by which the presence of MPAs affect reproductive output within and potentially even beyond their boundaries. I attempted to address this through studying the responses of rockfish (Sebastes spp.) larval abundances to the presence of the Cowcod Conservation Areas (CCAs) located within the Southern California …

Exploration And Implementation Of Innovative Efficiencies/Devices In Beet Processing For Energy Production, Patrick Mcinerney

Theses

The imminent depletion of fossil fuels, as well as concerns for energy security and the obligation to respond to climate change has led to expanding worldwide popularity of Anaerobic Digestion (AD) of energy crops. Sugar beet is a popular AD feedstock due to its favourable characteristics; however it can be quite labour intensive requiring a range of specialist equipment to process the crop prior to undergoing AD. A crucial stage of this process involves the size reduction of beet by a mechanical chopper unit; this pretreatment breaks open the cellulose structure of the crop and increases the surface area available …

Factors Affecting Terrigenous Sedimentation In Coastal Bays With Coral Reefs: Implications For Monitoring The Effectiveness Of Watershed Restoration, Whitney Sears

Theses

In the Caribbean, sedimentation has been identified as a serious threat to coral reef communities. Although land-based sediment delivery to coastal waters harboring coral reefs occurs under natural conditions, human activities in the watersheds above reefs increases the erosion and delivery of terrigenous sediment to the reefs. Delivery of terrigenous sediment into marine areas below developed watersheds affects sedimentation rates, alters the composition and texture of sediments that are suspended in the water column, and/or sediments that are deposited on the sea floor and on corals.

St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands is an ideal location to study the effects of …

The Effects Of Climate On The Growth Of Winter Wheat And Spring Barley In An Irish Context, Adrian Kennedy

Theses

The climate of earth is always changing due to natural events, however it is thought that the rapid warming period currently taking place is primarily due human activity to (environmental protection agency 2012). Climate change is altering the environment and this will have consequences for agriculture (Teagasc publications 2012). In this study we examine the relationship between weather and the yield of winter wheat and spring barley in an Irish context using data gathered from 2004-2010 at the Teagasc Oak Park research centre in Carlow. The data was analysed using a mixed effect model to test which if any weather …

Stabilization/Solidification Of Organic Containing Wastes Using Organophilic Clay And Coal Fly Ash, Edith Lagoutte

Theses

The relative merits of eight different coal fly ashes for use in the stabilization/Solidification of a waste containing both heavy metals and pentachlorophenol were investigated. Also studied, was the possible use of either untreated or treated (with hexade-cyl ammonium bromide) clay to enhance the stabilization of the organic. The sample composition was : 62% foundry baghouse dust (or 60% if 2% clay as added to the sample), 4.5% cement, 14% coal fly ash, 19.5% water. Pentachlorophenol was chosen as represen¬tative of the organic contamination. All tests were performed after curing the samples at 22°C, 98% Rh for 28 days. The …

Quantitative Determination Of Formaldehyde In Ambient Air, Wen-Shao Chou

Theses

Formaldehyde has been shown in the laboratory to play a critical role in the chemistry of polluted air. The method which we discuss in this paper was evaluated under practical field conditions in the Northern New Jersey Staten Island Urban Air Toxics Project. Formaldehyde in ambient air is concentrated and derived by passing a known quantity of air through a silica column impregnated with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH). The silica is eluted with acetonitrile and the concentration of formaldehyde is determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatograph (HPLC) with UV detection. A description of procedural details for coating silica cartridges with 2,4-DNPH acidified …

Benzo(A)Pyrene Ingested From Composite Meals : Analysis And Method Development Related To Total Human Exposure, Che-Han Hsu

Theses

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons including benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) have been known for many years to be environmental carcinogen. Moreover, B(a)P has often been used as an indi¬cator for the carcinogenic potency of environmental matter. One of its exposure pathways, ingestion, may possibly be more important than other routes, conventionally studied such as inhalation. The purposes of this thesis are 1) to analyze the B(a)P concentrations in weekly composite and some daily meals obtained in the Total Human Exposure to Environmental Substances (THEES) study, 2) to develop techniques which can measure the levels of B(a)P in foods accurately and effici¬ently, 3) to compare …

Degradation Of Refractory Organic Pollutants In Tar, Water And Soil Matrices By Ozone Or Hydrogen Peroxide With Ultraviolet Light, Liang-Jiun Uang

Theses

The objective of this research is to develop a method to degrade refractory Tar materials, higher molecular weight 3-5 ring Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH's) or degrading these highly refractory PAH structures so that they are amenable to further treatment by biological or chemical methods. The process utilized to achieve this is to treat contaminated soils or tar materials with hydrogen peroxide or ozone plus ultraviolet light. Analysis of 27 specific PAH's was done by gas chromatograph (Flame Ionization Detection) for the reactants and products. The contaminated soil showed significantly lower levels of these PAH's after treatment.

Thermal Desorption Of Hazardous And Toxic Organic Compounds, Manuel S. Nolau

Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to study the thermal desorption behavior of toxic organic compounds, specifically o-xylene, p-xylene, ethyl benzene, p-chlorotoluene, and anthracene, from soil with respect to temperature and time, and to develop a mathematical model that will describe this desorption behavior. The model will allow prediction of the concentration of an organic contaminant in commercial soil desorption system over time given a known set of parameters of the specific chemical as well as flow rate and temperature. For this purpose, two sets of experiments were done: These are identified as 1. Thermal desorption and 2. plug flow …

Study Of An Analytical Method For Benzo(A)Pyrene Metabolites In Human Urine, Zheng Ouyang

Theses

A method developed by Becher and Bjorseth for analysis of PAH metabolites in urine was employed to investigate human exposure to benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) - an ubiquitous environmental carcinogen. Preliminary results are presented showing the relationship between exposure to BaP and urinary elimination. Although the correlation between the two variables is not statistically significant, there appears to be a positive association with selected exposure varibles such as smoking. The identification of an association may establish urinary BaP as a marker of exposure.

However, detailed study of the analytical procedure indicated that recoveries with this method were as low as 3-8% for …

Microbial Competition In The Biodegradation Of Phenol, Mary Ellen Frank

Theses

Three phenol degraders were isolated from the mixed liquor of the Livingston, NJ municipal treatment plant. Shaker flask experiments using one of the degraders (a Pseudomonas sp.) resulted in the determination of its kinetic rate constants. The second phenol degrader (a Xanthamonas) lost its phenol degrading ability while being stored, and its kinetic rate constants could not be determined. The third phenol degrader (a Pseudomonas cepacia) formed flocs which interfered with the spectrophotometric determination of biomass and therefore its kinetic rate constants also could not be determined.

Mixed culture experiments were carried out using a the Pseudomonas sp. and a …

Environmental Assessment In Bioethanol Technology Using Immobilized Yeast Cells, Minoo Kandy Zarnegar

Theses

This study is undertaken from the standpoint of water pollution evaluation in bioethanol technology, using immobilized yeast cells. Evaluation of water pollution caused by immobilized yeast fermentation is the main objective of this research.

The pollution in water remaining at the end of ethanol production, which is normally discharged in the wastewater stream, has been analyzed by the measurement of biological oxygen demand (BOD), since BOD measurement is one of the widely used parameters for water pollution evaluation. BOD obtained from produced water (stillage) was between the range of 115- 360 mg/l. The variation in BOD depended upon the removal …

A Study Of Human Exposure To Benzo(A)Pyrene (Bap) Through Different Pathways. Part A ; Assessment Of Benzo(A)Pyrene (Bap) Exposure Through Urine Analysis With The Hydriodic Acid Reduction Reaction. Part B, Shao-Keng Liang

Theses

PART A: An investigation of total human exposure to an environmental pollutant is described. The study is being conducted in a community impacted by a foundry suspected to be a dominant local source of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP). The research aims to assess the relative contributions of indoor and outdoor sources and to measure BaP in media including indoor air, outdoor air, food and water.

PART B: A method for biological monitoring of exposure to benzo(a)pyrene, a representative polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), has been developed. The analytical procedure includes extraction of PAH and PAH metabolites from urine using commercial cartridges containing c …

Analysis Of C2 And C3 Hydrocarbons In Ambient Air. Section I ; Identification And Quantification Of Volatile Organics Emitted From A Landfill. Section Ii, Tsong-Sheng Chang

Theses

SECTION I

A method was developed to analyze Acetylene, Ethylene, Ethane, Propylene and Propane levels in the ambient air. Chlorinated compounds within the operation retention time, Methyl chloride, Methylene chloride and Vinyl chloride, were monitored also.

Four sampling sites are located at Carteret, Elizabeth, Newark and Montville in New Jersey. Samples were taken during the summer of 1988. Two sample duration periods utilizing 12 and 6 liter stainless steel canisters were set up to take 24 hour air samples and instantaneous air samples (5 minutes collection period).

The average levels of Acetylene, Ethylene, Ethane, Propylene and Propane at the four …

A New Hazardous Waste Treatment Technology Utilizing Low Power Density Microwave Energy, Gabriele Else Windgasse

Theses

Two major applications of a new hazardous waste treatment technology using low power density microwave energy have been characterized: 1) Desorption of organic materials such as: trichloro-ethylene, para-xylene, naphthalene and gasoline hydrocarbons from substrates such as: sand and granulated activated carbon was achieved by microwave induced steam distillation and the application of a new phenomenon: arcing between GAC particles when they are exposed to microwave radiation. All contaminants could be removed to 100% (non-detectable with GC and GC-MS). 2) Decomposition of organic contaminants such as: trichloro-ethylene and trichloro-ethane in arcing/heating GAC beds. A new fluidized bed reactor ("RDW-reactor", after Ray, …

Microbial Phenol Degradation Utilizing A Complete-Mix Biological Reactor : The Effects Of Dissolved Oxygen Content, Keith Kollar

Theses

Experiments were conducted using phenol as a sole carbon source in a series of completely mixed biological reactors with solids recycle (CMBR). The reactor working volume was 4 liters, and solids were recycled from 3 liter clarifiers. Dissolved oxygen concentration (DO) was varied in order to determine the impact of this important variable on system operability.

Phenol was removed at better than 99 percent efficiency during most of the runs. Filamentous growth was not observed during any run. However, bulking did occur at higher DO levels, which was the result of microbial slime production.

Comparative Adsorption Studies On Clay Soils, Prasanna R. Mysore

Theses

An investigation has been made to study clay as sorbent in the treatment of the hazardous contaminants of potential sludge leachate emanating from industrial landfills.

Experimentally was studied six highly toxic and hazardous chemicals, which include: phenol, aniline, cyclohexanol, cyclohexanone, cresol and monochlorophenol. Vermiculate, Kaolinite, Attacote and Hectorite clays were studied as the sorbent material. Removal of organic pollutants were measured using a total organic carbon analyzer (TOC).

Results indicate that these clays can be used for some treatment of the above mentioned organic compounds. The study shows that removal of organic pollutants by clay depends on several factors, such …

The Sunlight Effect On Trace Pollutants In Wastewater, Alan R. Sheu

Theses

In order to study the sunlight effect on the degradation rate of trace pollutants, ortho-cresol was selected to serve as a model compound in our studies. Solution of ortho-cresol alone, methylene blue alone, and the mixture of ortho-cresol and methylene blue were exposed to sunlight for more than four hours and aliquots analyzed with a spectrophotometer in order to follow the changes in absorption. Rate data were obtained for these three cases as a function of pH.

The results indicate that methylene blue does catalyze the degradation of ortho-cresol in the presence of sunlight with lower pH's affording higher reaction …

Indicators Of Microbial Activity In Biological Treatment Of Hazardous Wastes, Alexander Mclean Sherrin

Theses

Three methods were used to measure the activity of mixed liquor from the Livingston, N.J. municipal wastewater treatment plant on exposure to phenol. The three methods were, substrate removal rate (SRR), dissolved oxygen uptake rate (DOUR), and the dye reduction rate (DRR). Parameters from each test were compared for reproducibility and ease of determination. The SRR test gave the most reproducible results, while the DOUR test was the least reproducible. Although the reproducibility of the DRR test was close to that of the SRR test, the DRR was more time consuming and required a greater degree of expertise and training. …

Characterization Of Microorganisims After Feeding With Phenolic Compounds : Comparing A Domestic Sludge To An Industrial Sludge, Dianne Adamowitz

Theses

This study examined the effects of phenolic compounds on the populations in mixed liquors obtained from two very different treatment plants: the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners plant in Newark, and the Livingston, NJ municipal treatment plant. The dominant organisms were identified initially and after ten days exposure to phenol (100 ppm), and either 2-chlorophenol (20 ppm) or 2,6-dichlorophenol (10 ppm) in aerated batch reactors.

Results confirmed the remarkable similarity between the two mixed liquor populations, in spite of the significant differences in the operation of the two treatment plants.

Microbial Characteristics Of An Industrial Mixed Liquor After Exposure To Phenolic Compounds, Patricia L. Boyle

Theses

The microbial characteristics of a mixed population from the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners (PVSC) Wastewater Treatment Plant in Newark were examined. This plant handles about 250 million gallons per day of mixed sewerage, with a large industrial component. The microbial species were characterized using standard plating techniques, morphology, microscopic observation, and biochemical tests. These characteristics were determined for the fresh liquor, and after successive batch exposure to phenol (100 ppm) and 2-chlorophenol (20 ppm). Predator/prey, gram positive to gram negative bacteria ratios, and the fungi and protozoan populations were also determined. These results were compared with those previously obtained using …