Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Three-Dimensional Calculation Of Contaminant Transport In Groundwater At A Dover Afb Site, Tariq O. Hashim

Theses and Dissertations

Macroscale rate-limited sorption modeling was tested using a production transport code, the GMS/FEMWATER ground-water modeling package. The code (Version 1.1 of FEMWATER. dated 1 August 1995) was applied to a 3D conceptual model developed from a field site at Dover AFB, DE. A simulation was performed of a 200 hour contaminant injection pulse followed by clean water flushing. A moment analysis performed on the resulting breakthrough curve validated code self-consistency. Another injection pulse simulation showed that retardation temporally delays the breakthrough peak. Transport simulations of pulsed clean water pumping of the test cell with a prescribed initial contaminant distribution demonstrated …

Studies On The Occurrence Of Fluoride In Some Food Samples, Taghreed Ali Abdullah Al-Habshi

Theses

In recent years, the amount of fluoride in biological samples, drinking water and in fluoride containing food or feedstuffs has generated considerable interest. Hence the determination of fluoride is becoming increasingly important due to its implications for environmental health. Fluoride is considered to be amongst the most phytotoxic of the more common pollutants. In response to that extensive research has been made to improve the determination of trace amounts of fluoride through developing different analytical methods. The application of these various analytical methods for fluoride ion determination in water and food samples has gained an enormous interest.

Chapter I of …

Vegetation Analysis: A Graphical Analysis Of Plant Succession In Desert Communities Affected By Fire, Jeff Lantow

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Mojave Desert is affected by fire every year. With each fire comes the removal of old growth and, in its place, new growth – consisting primarily of those species which thrive in disturbed areas. The focus of my research is to look at plant communities that have been disturbed by fire, and examine the successional pathway of these disturbed environments. The seven environments I analyzed were burned within the last twenty years and are found in the Coleogyne ramosissima ecotone throughout the Spring Mountain range near Las Vegas, Nevada. The data was collected with randomly chosen circle plots in …

Water Conservation In The Las Vegas Valley, Judith M. Keir

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis deals primarily with residential use of water in the Las Vegas Valley, an arid climate located in the Mojave Desert, and whether the education of people living here has any bearing on whether or not they conserve water. Many of the residents of the Las Vegas Valley have moved from other areas of the country, and perhaps are not aware of the fact that there is a limited supply of water available to the Valley. I believe that people are not necessarily wasteful, and that they would want to conserve water, if they were aware that conservation and …

Lead Shot Concentration In Soil At The Overton Wildlife Management Area, Nevada, George R. Bertoty

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

During the spring of 1998, soil samples were collected from two areas at the Overton Wildlife Management Area (OWMA), located in the Moapa Valley of Clark County, Nevada. Lead shot has been banned for the hunting of waterfowl since 1986 but is still legal for upland game hunting. Both types of hunting occur at OWMA. One area sampled is a cultivated field and serves primarily as a dove hunting area. The other area is primarily a waterfowl hunting area and is flooded during the waterfowl-hunting season. Lead shot was recovered from 83% of the samples from the dove hunting area, …

A Strategic Analysis Of The Rocky Flats Cleanup, Patrick Mccann

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site is located in Golden, Colorado. It is situated on 384 acres in a 6,550-acre natural preserve. Rocky Flats ended its original mission in 1989, after raids on the site by both the FBI and the EPA for illegal dumping and other environmental violations. Since then the site has been scheduled for cleanup. This thesis will provide background information on the site and on the company hired to perform the cleanup. It also provides an evaluation of some key policies regarding the cleanup procedures. Since the end of the cold war, the production of nuclear …

Stachybotrys: Is Nevada At Risk?, Terrylynn C. Foley

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Stachybotrys chartarum (atra) is a toxigenic fungus that is known to adversely impact the health of animals. Until recently, there have only been a few documented clinical reports linking Stachybotrys chartarum to human health effects. Scientists are increasingly convinced that Stachybotrys and its metabolites are responsible for several adverse health effects experienced by people all over the world, although conclusive proof has yet to be established. All the physical requirements needed for indoor Stachybotrys sporulation and growth is provided through water leaks (plumbing, roof or ceiling), flood events, nutrient sources (cellulose and nitrogen), pH, and temperature(23° - 28°C). Stachybotrys has …

Competition Of Copper, Lead, And Cadmium Adsorption To Goethite, Chris A. Christophi

Theses

Competition of copper, lead, and cadmium adsorption on goethite depends on metal ion and oxide surface characteristics. Goethite was characterized via X-ray diffraction, potentiometric titrations, site density determination, particle size analysis, and optical microscopy. In this thesis, a hypothesis was tested that electronegativity is the most important factor in metal affinities and adsorption competition to goethite.

Metal affinity and site density for the goethite surface were assessed by performing adsorption edges and isotherms. Based on the results of these experiments, competition studies were designed to observe adsorption and displacement of the competing metals by limiting the number of available sites …

Determination Of Electron Donors In The Reductive Dechlorination Of Tetrachloroethene, Samantha L. Marasigan-Bernal

Theses

Several substrates, namely fatty acids and alcohols, were used to enhance the reductive microbial dechlorination of PCE to ethene. All of the microcosms amended with the volatile fatty acids (butyrate, succinate, lactate, formate, butyrate/formate mixture and butyrate/succinate mixture) demonstrated complete reductive dechlorination of PCE to ethane. The cultures amended with the butyrate/succinate mixture was the quickest to completely dechlorinate PCE to ethene (49 days). Those amended with butyrate, succinate, formate and the butyrate/formate mixture exhibited complete reductive, dechlorination at 77 days. Microcosms amended with lactate exhibited complete reductive dechlorination at 160 days.

The microcosms amended with the alcohols (ethanol, propanol, …

Supercritical Fluid Extraction (Sfe) And High Performance Liquid Chromotography (Hplc) Analysis Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (Pah) Contaminated Soil, Marie Renee Gargas

Theses

Methods for the extraction and analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from contaminated soil were evaluated for use in a treatability study. Candidate procedures were selected from EPA SW-846 (Third Edition) methods. Soxhlet extraction (3540B) was selected to determine initial PAH concentrations. Supercritical fluid extraction with carbon dioxide (SFE: 3561) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC: 8310) were evaluated for use as the extraction and analysis methods. Experimental soil was obtained from a petroleum product refinery site; a Certified Reference Material (CRM) was also studied.

Experiments focused on determining concentrations of anthracene, chrysene, fluoranthene, phenanthrene, and pyrene in untreated experimental …

The Feasibility Of Transferring Clean Technology From The United States To China : A Case Study From The Paper Industry, He Ning

Theses

In their pursuit of economic development, many developing countries are causing pollution at an alarming rate. One solution to the problem is the use of clean technology. Some developed countries have created various manufacture technologies which result in pollution prevention. There is a need for the transfer of clean technology from the developed countries to developing countries. It is beneficial to study the feasibility of such transfer.

The manufacturing processes of the paper industry are selected for this study. An investigation and comparison was conducted in order to evaluate the feasibility of clean technology transfer from the United States to …

Determination Of The N-Terminal Amino Acid Residues On Polypeptides In Secondary Wastewaters, Edward L. Creecy

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

The N-terminal amino acid residues on polypeptides and proteins were determined in wastewaters prior to chlorination. The terminal amino groups'ere first derivatized with the well known derivatizing agent dansyl chloride, and then the resulting dansyl amino acid hydrolyzed from the peptide chain by a propionic acid/ hydrochloric acid mixture. The resulting dansyl amino acids were then separated and detected using reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. The majority of N-terminal residues detected were the more polar amino acids. Concentrations ranged from 1 x 10^-10 to 3 x 10^-7 moles/liter. It is suggested that the shorter …

Analysis Of Hydric Pine Flatwood Ephemeral Pool Macroinvertebrate And Crustacean Assemblages Along A Temporal And Spatial Gradient From A Hypothesized Colonial Source, Henry Leon Griffith

Theses and Dissertations

A survey of the macroinvertebrate and crustacean assemblages in hydric pine flatwood wetlands during fill and drawdown periods was conducted from September to November 1998, in Lee County, Florida. Physical and chemical information, relationships between community composition and physical and chemical conditions were analyzed and a monitoring plan for detecting impacts of declining water supply in hydric pine flatwood communities was proposed. In addition, possible sources of colonists and patterns of community assemblage were investigated. Twelve ephemeral pools and three associated intermittently exposed cypress heads were sampled monthly, over three months, using 1 D-ring benthic sweep, 2 Hester-Dendy multiple plate …

Utilization Of The Meteorological Data In The Prediction Of The Potential Of The Renewable Energy Resources In The United Arab Emirates, Nasser A.N. Albaloushi

Theses

There has been an increasing world interest in clean renewable energies ( mainly radiation and wind energies ) due to the minimal environmental problems resulting from their use. The continuous depletion of conventional energy resources and the growing world concern about the environment have lead to extensive research and development efforts in order to improve the energy conversion efficiencies and economics of devices utilizing solar energy. However, it is important to identify first the potential of available energy resources in the site where renewable energy is to be utilized.

Meteorological information are critical to the assessment of the energy resources …

The Importance Of Liability For The Redevelopment Of Brownfields : The Developers View, Daniel F. Chachakis

Theses

The thousands of former industrial properties lying vacant in New Jersey are an economic challenge for all areas of government. If these properties are, or are perceived to be, contaminated then they are labeled Brownfields. An important question is whether the threat of liability for contamination by prior owners is a current cause behind the failure of developers to acquire and redevelop Brownfields in the State of New Jersey.

The goal of this work was to discover if there is a link between liability and the developer's decision making process. How important is the liability factor? Fifty-seven variables were examined …

Incentive Factors That Affect The Redevelopment Of Brownfield Sites In New Jersey, Edison L. Hammond

Theses

This thesis sought to addressthree main questions:

· Are brownfieldsa significant problem in New Jersey and its municipalities?

· What factors havecontributed to brownfields' continued existence?

· What factors aremost important for correcting brownfields in the state?

The study involved surveyingFederal and state agencies, NonGovernmental Organizations (NGOs) andmunicipalities that work with brownfields. It involved a survey questionnaire,followed by a detailed telephone interview to determine municipalities'satisfaction with actions and policies taken by state agencies on brownfieldredevelopment.

Eight Federal and state agenciesand NGOs participated, along with ten municipalities from around thestate. The major findings were: brownfields are a significant problemat all levels; …

A Microcosm Study In The Reductive Dechlorination Of Tetrachloroethylene Using Fermentation Acids And Alcohols As Electron Donors, Anthony Siccard Iii

Theses

Anaerobic microcosms of Arthur Kill (New Jersey) sediment were used to investigate the effects of several electron donors on tetrachloroethylene (PCE) dechlorination activity. The substates tested were methanol, butanol, butyrate, lactate and succinate both by themselves and in various combinations. Different levels of PCE dehalogenation were noticed in all of the microcosms regardless of the electron donor used. Vinyl chloride was the major dehalogenation product detected in the majority of the microcosms. The causitive organism or group that carried our the reductive dehalogenation was not identified. Only the microcosms admended with a mixture of butanol/methanol were able to fully reduce …

A Meeting Of Minds : Coalitions, Representations And American Non-Governmental Organizations In The Brazilian Amazon, Lise Fernanda Sedrez

Theses

American environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have created and spread in the last decade a particular representation of the Amazon rainforest among the public and policy-makers. This new representation contrasts with earlier American representations of the Amazon in that it has been more responsive to local (Amazon) concerns and agendas. This greater responsiveness is a direct result of strategic coalitions with Brazilian NGOs by must US NGOs. US NGOs may avoid charges of "environmental imperialism" and obtain larger legitimacy in their action in the Amazon by opting for the coalition strategy. However, this option also stresses the differences between two environmental …

Effects Of Shore-Parallel Structures On Meiofauna In The Intertidal Foreshore Of A Sandy Estuarine Beach, Raritan Bay, New Jersey, Usa, Valerie L. Spalding

Theses

Field investigations conducted at three sites on the intertidal sandy foreshore at Cliffwood Beach and Keyport Harbor, Raritan Bay, New Jersey reveal the relationship between meiofaunal density, wave and beach characteristics at sites where bulkheads and seawalls are present and at an adjacent site where they are not.

Wave characteristics were gathered at 2 hz over the tidal cycle with a pressure transducer. Three replicate core samples, to a depth of 0. 10 m, were gathered at four sampling stations across the foreshore at low tide to determine meiofaunal density. A fourth core sample was used to determine grain size, …

Assessment Of Recreation Space Along The Hudson River Waterfront In Jersey City, Nj, Darren M. Davidowich

Theses

For the past decade Jersey City, New Jersey has worked to redevelop its waterfront. The once highly industrialized waterfront is now the location of residential and commercial uses and more projects are slated for the future. Although many improvements to the physical and built environment occurred along the waterfront, many question whether enough emphasis was placed on outdoor recreation. Site assessments, field observations, and surveys of waterfront users in Jersey City, NJ were conducted to determine what uses are possible, and in the greatest demand on the waterfront. A total of (950) field observations were made of waterfront users. This …

Control Of Nox In Alkaline Media With Tertiary Butyl Hydroperoxide, David R. Edwards

Theses

Alkaline solutions of tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) selectively remove NO from simulated flue gasses. The investigation was conducted in a bubbling scrubber. NO removal efficiency of the scrubbing solutions was evaluated as a function of various operating parameters such as pH, oxidant concentration, oxidant to base mole ratio, residence time, temperature and flue gas compositions.

Alkaline solutions of TBHP show promise of being an economical choice for the selective removal of NO from flue gas. Solutions containing 0.2 M TBHP, 0.03 M NaOH (pH 12.5), and 1 minute NO residence time remove NO to below detectable levels at 53°C. The source, …

A Teachers Guide: The Basic Characteristics Of Wetlands And Why They Are Important To The Environment, Charles W. Fisher

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this thesis is to develop an educational guide about wetlands that can be used by 3rd- 12th grade teachers. This guide will enable students to learn about wetlands and why they are important to our environment. I will provide examples and a series of activities that teachers can use in the classroom to help their students better understand the benefits and function of wetlands.

Breeding Bird Utilization Of Shelterwood-Cut Oak Stands In Buckingham County, Virginia, Kim Marie Mcdonald

Theses & Honors Papers

Breeding bird populations on three shelterwood cut oak stands in Buckingham County, Virginia were studied using Breeding Bird Census (BBC) techniques. The stands were cut partly or entirely during the year prior to the 1997 breeding season, when the BBCs were conducted. The plots were established as part of a study of oak regeneration following controlled bums in the Virginia piedmont. Canopy cover on the plots averaged 66.8% after the cuts and total basal area averaged 41915 cm2/acre. At least 23 species of birds had territories partly or entirely on at least one of the plots, and at least nine …

The Price Of Clean Air: A Consideration Of Market Based Emissions Trading, Mark W. Miller

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Traditional regulatory approaches for environmental protection do not consider

the costs and benefits of the standards they impose. Further, imposing strict performance

standards on firms with heterogeneous control costs leads to an inefficient allocation of resources devoted to pollution control. This paper explores the use of emission allowance trading as a way to improve economic efficiency within the context of environmental protection. PM10 air pollution from sources within the Las Vegas Valley is used as the case study.

This paper found that an emission trading

program in this particular case study would not live up to the theoretical expectations. Although, …

Establishment Of A Nighthawk Migration Monitoring Program, Jeri Paige Guilliams

Theses & Honors Papers

The Nighthawk Migration Monitoring Program was initiated in 1997 to study the Common Nighthawk, Chordeiles minor. Modeled after the Hawk Migration Association of North America's hawkwatching methodology, the program enlisted volunteers to record time of day for peak flight, time of season for peak flight, weather conditions affecting migration, and other data. Volunteers were enlisted by establishment of a web­ page and e-mail address, preparation and circulation of a brochure, and through mail.

Individual chapters of the Virginia Society of Ornithology and others expressing interest were sent a letter, brochure, a Nighthawk Count Report Form, and an instruction sheet for …

Perceived Fairness And Effectiveness Of Rangeland Collaborative Processes, Kimberly J. Richardson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Involvement in collaborative partnerships in natural resource management has become a popular method for natural resource management agencies to collect public input, cope with conflicts, and develop ecosystem management plans. This thesis evaluates various collaborative processes, emphasizing multiple-owner partnerships. Qualitative interviews of 46 landowners in Utah were conducted to reveal concerns and suggestions regarding multiple-owner landscape-level collaborative partnerships. Landowners were concerned about private property rights infringement and losing control of their private land. Landowners were primarily concerned about the fairness and effectiveness of any partnership in which they were involved.

However, they were willing to consider participating if certain procedural …

Utilization Of Spatially Distributed Soil Resources By Several Species Common To The Great Basin, Sarah Duke

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Heterogeneous spatial and temporal distributions of soil resources important to plant growth have been documented in the sagebrush steppe ecosystem. There can exist as much variability in soil resources within the root zone of individual plants as exists across an entire field. The objective of this dissertation research was to evaluate how plants respond to, utilize and influence the spatial heterogeneity of soil resources. The three specific sets of questions addressed are outlined in the three main chapters of this dissertation.

My first study addressed how the number and concentration of phosphorus (P) patches in the root zone of an …

Characterization Of Dielectric Properties Of Earth Materials At Low Frequencies, Tarrah Dawn Henrie

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Sharma and de Lima (1992) have proposed a model based on Fixman's theoretical development of charged macromolecules in external fields (1980). There are three types of charges considered: the fixed surface charges that are covalently bonded, the layer of bound counterions, and the diffuse layer (Fixman, 1980, Lyklema, 1983 ). Figure (1) shows these different layers. Other common theories, such as Schurr's only consider the bound counterions and the diffuse layer. Schurr assumes that the diffuse layer ions can exchange with the electrolyte. A consequence of this assumption is the lack of polarization of the diffuse layer. This leads to …

Effects Of Oxygen Variation On The Ecology Of Devil's Hole, Death Valley National Park, Norma J. Azad

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The inability to rear Devil's Hole pupfish, Cyprinodon diabolis Wales, in captivity, when captive propagation has been successful with other species of pupfish, led to the examination of environmental factors which are unique to Devil's Hole. It has been suggested that C. diabolis regularly experience developmental arrest due to hypoxic conditions. This arrest may be reversible in areas of the shallow shelf during periods of photosynthetic activity. Oxygen measurements over the shallow shelf reveal a gradient of oxygen variation with the greatest diel variability over the inner portion of the shelf diminishing to nearly imperceptible diel variation toward the outer …

The Effect Of Wildlife Management Techniques On Grassland Birds In Central Virginia, Eric Wayne Rosenbaum

Theses & Honors Papers

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of wildlife management techniques on grassland bird species . Grassland birds have been declining in number for the last twenty-five years (Kershner and Bollinger 1996). Their decline is attributed to overall habitat loss. This study was conducted at James River Wildlife Management Area in Nelson County, Virginia. Three grassland plots were selected to represent three different kinds of management. One plot was planted in wheat, another in corn, and one plot was burned. Birds within these plots were monitored for one year. Each plot was also subjected to a vegetational …