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Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons™

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Environmental Sciences

Air Force Institute of Technology

1997

Articles 1 - 8 of 8

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

A System Dynamics Model Of The Bioavailability Of Metals In Constructed Wetland Sediment, Timothy S. Wood Dec 1997

A System Dynamics Model Of The Bioavailability Of Metals In Constructed Wetland Sediment, Timothy S. Wood

Theses and Dissertations

Constructed wetlands used for storm water treatment accumulate metals primarily in their sediment. This sediment has the potential to produce toxic effects in benthic organisms at some period in time. Bioavailability of metals in sediment is directly linked to pore water metal activity. The mechanisms that influence pore water metal activity are included in physical, chemical, and biological processes. A system dynamics model was developed to represent these processes and the major influences affecting pore water metal activity in a treatment wetland receiving storm water influent. The model structure and behavior was tested and validated using several system dynamics validation …

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Mobilization Of Trace Elements In Aquifers By Biodegradation Of Hydrocarbon Contaminants, Scott L. Kearney Dec 1997

Mobilization Of Trace Elements In Aquifers By Biodegradation Of Hydrocarbon Contaminants, Scott L. Kearney

Theses and Dissertations

This study had two objectives: (1) to determine the extent of metal mobility within petroleum-contaminated aquifers, (2) to determine if biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons can explain metal mobility. The approach reviewed analytical results from 2305 groundwater sampling events, taken from 958 wells, located at 136 sites found at 53 Air Force installations. The study showed that high levels of metals are present at petroleum hydrocarbon sites where metals would not generally be expected. Of the metals with drinking water maximum contaminant levels (MCLs), mercury and silver were detected the least frequently. Barium and copper were detected at the sites, but …

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Modeling The Uptake And Transpiration Of Tce Using Phreatophytic Trees, Douglas P. Wise Dec 1997

Modeling The Uptake And Transpiration Of Tce Using Phreatophytic Trees, Douglas P. Wise

Theses and Dissertations

Phytoremediation is a recent addition to the numerous methods used today to remediate ground water contaminants. It is proving more effective and efficient compared to existing remediation techniques. The use of phreatophytes, or water seeking trees, has great potential for phytoremediation. These trees are fast growing, long lived, grow their roots down to the ground water table, transpire large amounts of water, and are proven to actively remove contaminants from the soil horizon. The purpose of this research is to develop quantitative concepts for understanding the dynamics of TCE uptake and transpiration by phreatophytic trees over a short rotation woody …

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An Investigation Of Plume Rise From Titan Iv Rocket Launches, Joseph D. Brands Dec 1997

An Investigation Of Plume Rise From Titan Iv Rocket Launches, Joseph D. Brands

Theses and Dissertations

Space launches at Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS) and Vandenberg Air Force Base (vAFB) produce exhaust ground clouds from the solid rocket boosters and liquid hypergolic fuels containing several toxic substances. In order to estimate the health effects that would be imposed upon the public by scheduled launches, range safety officials rely on the Rocket Exhaust Effluent Diffusion Model to predict ground level concentrations of these substances. A drawback to the REEDM is its underprediction of the initial ground clouds stabilization height. This underprediction causes an overprediction of the ground level toxic substance concentrations. This thesis focused on increasing the …

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Modeling Uptake And Translocation Of Lead (Pb) In Maize For The Purposes Of Phytoextraction, Mark A. Brennan Dec 1997

Modeling Uptake And Translocation Of Lead (Pb) In Maize For The Purposes Of Phytoextraction, Mark A. Brennan

Theses and Dissertations

Phytoextraction is a remediation technology that uses plants to remove heavy metals from soil. This technology has the potential to decrease the costs of remediating contaminated sites by several orders of magnitude compared to traditional technologies. To effectively implement this technology requires an understanding of the plant processes that control uptake and translocation of metals from the soil. Currently these processes are poorly understood, and especially so for Pb. The purpose of this thesis was to gain insights concerning the plant mechanisms that control uptake and translocation of Pb and how these mechanisms interact to control levels of Pb accumulation …

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The Fate And Transport Of Airborne Jp-4 And Jp-8 Aerosol During Cold Startup, Bradford Eugene Buckman Dec 1997

The Fate And Transport Of Airborne Jp-4 And Jp-8 Aerosol During Cold Startup, Bradford Eugene Buckman

Theses and Dissertations

During cold startup (engine warm-up) procedures at northern tier bases, fuel aerosol (JP-4 and JP-8) is emitted before complete combustion of the fuel occurs. The time necessary for complete combustion to occur may be as long as 10 minutes. Hence, during these first few minutes, aerosol is emitted at relatively high concentrations. This research investigates the principle behavior of the emitted aerosol: advection, dispersion, evaporation, and settling. Using previous work in fuel jettisoning and evaporation as a foundation, this thesis investigates the physical factors affecting the airborne concentration of fuel aerosol at different times, the amount of fuel aerosol reaching …

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A Modeling Study For The Implementation Of In Situ Cometabolic Bioremediation Of Trichloroethylene-Contaminated Groundwater., John A. Christ Dec 1997

A Modeling Study For The Implementation Of In Situ Cometabolic Bioremediation Of Trichloroethylene-Contaminated Groundwater., John A. Christ

Theses and Dissertations

The limitations of conventional groundwater remediation technologies have led to the development of innovative technologies which may achieve national hazardous waste site remediation goals. Before an innovative technology can be implemented in the field, remedial project managers, regulators and other stakeholders require adequate modeling tools to help assess the applicability of the technology at a particular site. This modeling study investigates how an innovative technology, in situ cometabolic bioremediation, might be implemented to remediate a TCE-contaminated site, under different site conditions. A steady-state model is developed which couples an analytical expression to simulate the effect of flow between multiple pumping …

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Response Surface Methodology: An Analytical Method For Locating Migrated Contaminant Sources, Orlando J. Dona Jr. Jan 1997

Response Surface Methodology: An Analytical Method For Locating Migrated Contaminant Sources, Orlando J. Dona Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The use and storage of hazardous chemicals at U.S. military facilities often adversely affect the groundwater when contaminants infiltrate the subsurface as a result of leaks and accidental spills. These contaminants, if not located and remediated in a relatively short time, may move and settle unpredictably, essentially creating a source some distance from the original leak or spill. An example of this phenomenon is found with migrating dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) contaminants. Although various methods for estimating the present day locations of these migrated contaminants are in use, accurately pinpointing the source of contaminants remains a difficult problem in …

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