Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

An Evaluation Of Stream Flow Characteristics And Fecal Coliform Loads In Sayler's Creek Watershed, South Central Virginia, David Straton Gilbert

Theses & Honors Papers

The Sayler's Creek watershed is located within Prince Edward County, Nottoway, and Amelia Counties of the south central region of Virginia. The Sayler's Creek Watershed consists of two small creeks: Big Sayler's Creek and Little Sayler's Creek. The Environmental Protection Agency has Big Sayler's Creek listed as impaired and not Little Sayler's Creek. Based upon visual inspections of the Sayler's Creek watershed throughout the year, Little Sayler's Creek is inlpaired for fecal coliform instead of Big Sayler's Creek. Another hypothesis of this study is that fecal coliform levels are directly related to runoff from cattle ranches in the immediate floodplain …

Deactivation And Enhancement Effects Of Sulfur On Supported Platinum Oxidation Catalysts, Mark Ladolcetta

Dissertations

The effects of sulfur poisoning on the oxidation activity of 1.5 % Pt/γ-Al₂O₃, Pt/TiO₂, Pt/ZrO₂, and Pt/SiO₂, were investigated in this study. Each catalyst was poisoned with an H₂S/air or SO₂/air mixture at 400°C for 24 hours and a sulfur concentration of 200 ppm. The complete oxidation of mixtures of I % CO, methane, ethane, ethene, ethyne, propane, propene, and n-butane in air were measured over fresh and sulfurpoisoned catalysts.

Non-methane alkane oxidation activity was enhanced significantly after sulfur poisoning on all four catalysts. The temperatures …

Relationships Between Abundance Of Physically Complex Habitat And Benthic Macroinvertebrate Community Parameters In The James River, Nelson County, Va, Tammy Lee Shumaker

Theses & Honors Papers

This study shows the importance of structurally complex habitat on abundance and diversity of organisms in a benthic macroinvertebrate community in the James River, Nelson County, Virginia. Structural complexity was manipulated by attaching stones to five concrete blocks (12.8 ± 0.97% coverage; mean ± SE) and comparing organism abundance on these blocks and blocks lacking stones (0% coverage). Concrete blocks were randomly placed at a site in the James River on November 14, 1999 and collected on December 12, 1999. Macroinvertebrates and particulate organic and inorganic matter on the blocks were collected. Total invertebrate abundance, abundance of eight individual taxa, …

Bioindication Of Atmospheric Heavy Metal Deposition In The Blue Ridge Using The Moss Thuidium Delcatulum, Johathan Scott Schilling

Theses & Honors Papers

Heavy metals in the environment pose a risk to human health as well as to ecosystem health. These metals are released into the atmosphere as a result of industrial processes, and can be transported away from their sources to be deposited into the environment. Ectohydric mosses are known accumulators of atmospheric heavy metals, and their tissue can be used to quantify integrated deposition of these metals over time in the ecosystem.

In this study, the moss Thuidium delicatulum (Hedw.) was used to quantify lead (Pb), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), and nickel (Ni) concentrations in the central Blue Ridge of Virginia …

The Relationship Of Small Mammal Species To Habitat Variables In West-Central Georgia And East-Central Alabama, Patricia Maureen Kosky

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this investigation was to assess the impact of environmental variables upon small mammal species distribution in 60 plots on Fort Benning, Muscogee and Chattahoochee Counties, Georgia and Russell County, Alabama. The small mammal fieldwork was carried out in December of 1994 through January of 1995. The vegetation was inventoried in June through October of 1995. During this period, 235 small mammals were trapped in a total of 5950 trap nights. A total of 10 small mammal species and 234 plant species were identified. The small mammal species abundance's were determined by using snap trapping along the plot …

Effects Of Elevated Atmospheric Co2 On Root Growth, Turnover And Decomposition In A Scrub Oak Ecosystem, John Joseph Dilustro

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are increasing and predicted to double this century. The implications of this rise on vegetation structure and function are not well understood. Measurement of root growth response to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide is critical to understanding soil carbon input. I investigated the effects of elevated carbon dioxide on fine root growth and decomposition using open top chambers with both ambient and elevated (700 PPM) CO₂ treatments in an oak-palmetto scrub ecosystem at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Minirhizotron tubes were installed in each elevated and control chamber to allow observation of roots. Each tube was sampled …

Remote Sensing And Geographic Information Systems For Decision Analysis In Public Resource Administration: Case Study In A Southwestern Watershed, William G. Kepner

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Alternative futures analysis is a scenario-based approach to regional land planning that attempts to synthesize existing scientific information in a format useful to community decision makers. Typically, this approach attempts to investigate the impacts of several alternative sets of choices preferred by representative stakeholder groups relative to selected environmental or economical endpoints. Potential impacts from each of the scenarios are compared to current conditions of the region in terms of a set of processes that are modeled within a geographic information system. Future conditions are generally examined from the perspective of a recent baseline condition (versus empirically determined using a …

Phytoremediation Of A Pyrene-Contaminated Cecil Soil With Annual Ryegrass (Lolium Multiflorum Lam.), Teddy Luc Lalande

All Theses

Phytoremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is inconsistent and the microbial mechanisms involved are unclear. We evaluated the effect of annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) and P availability on the degradation of pyrene (600mg kg-1 dry soil) in the top 7.5-cm of a Cecil sandy loam (fine, kaolinitic, thermic Typic Kanhapludults) over a 10-month experiment under field conditions in Clemson, SC. Changes associated with the soil microbial community were also evaluated. Plastic canopies were installed to prevent leaching and raindrop dispersion of pyrene. Treatment factors were pyrene, vegetation, and available P levels in a complete factorial experiment with four replications. …

Lead Exposure And Physiological Enzymes Among Industrial Versus Non-Industrial Workers In Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates., Fatima Rashid Mattar Said Al-Neamy

Theses

Lead, which is considered to be as a toxic metal without any useful physiological or biochemical function in human body was widely used since the evolution of the industrialized era as a chemical part of much machinery and commodities. Lead containing gasoline, lead paints, lead-soldered cans, lead-glazed earthenware and tobacco are examples of sources of lead. Therefore, lead continues to be a significant public health concern globally.

Nowadays it is particularly impossible to find a person with blood lead level lower than 0.48μmol/L (100 μg/ dL) especially in city areas. Changes in neurobehavioral, cardiovascular, hematological, and renal functions are found …

Responses Of Sphagnum And Carex Peatlands To Ultraviolet-B Radiation, And A Meta-Analysis Of Uv-B Effects On Vascular Plants, Peter S. Searles

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The severity of stratospheric ozone depletion in the temperate and polar latitudes has raised concerns about the sensitivity of terrestrial vegetation and ecosystems to solar ultraviolet (UV-B) radiation. This dissertation examined the responses of plants and microbes to solar UV-B for 3 years in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina (55° S). This region is under the influence of the Antarctic "ozone hole" during the austral spring. Additionally, a quantitative review of the UV-B literature was conducted using a set of statistical techniques known as meta-analysis.

For the field studies in Tierra del Fuego, plots were established in a Sphagnum moss peatland …

An Examination Of Gasoline Pollutants From Two-Cycle Marine Engines Within Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Brian Carter

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Jet skis are a very popular "toy" to have in the United States. They account for almost a third of all boat sales, and their numbers are growing rapidly. Unfortunately jet skis use two-cycle engines that pollute at unacceptable levels. Jet ski motors can emit up to 25% of its fuel right back into the water. This alarmed me and I wanted to take a deeper look into how bad jet skis pollute Las Vegas' primary water source. Lake Mead. I looked into how a two-cycle engine differs from a regular engine and I looked at the actual pollutants a …

Examination Of The Bureau Of Land Management's Implementation Of The Wild, Free-Roaming Horse And Burro Act At Red Rock National Conservation Area, Christine E. Brehm

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

For unknown reasons horses went extinct on the North American continent approximately ten thousand years ago and were subsequently reintroduced by Spanish settlers in the 1400's. As European settlers moved westward, horses were perceived as competition for grasslands and their numbers were curtailed. Wild horses were granted Federal protection in 1959 with the passage of the 'Wild Horse Annie' law and further protected with the passage of the Wild, Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971. Through the Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Land Management was charged with management of wild horses on public lands. Physical searches of …

Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia Mydas) Hatchlings Success: The Effects Of Artificial Lights And Other Human Impacts, Hui-Yu Tracy Liang

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Sea turtles appeared more than 200 million years ago in the late Triassic period. They grow very slowly, taking an average of 25 years to reach sexual maturity, with a life span averaging 40-50 years. From May to October green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) emerge during the night and follow light cues toward the sea. Recently, beachfront development has increased hatchling mortality rate. When hatchlings emerge from nest, high densities of artificial lights lead them toward the land where they either desiccate and die, or are preyed upon. Short-wavelength high intensity light and the distance of artificial light are the …

Deposition And Uptake Availability Of Lead Shot For Waterfowl At Honeybee Pond Within The Overton Wildlife Management Area, Nevada, Usa, Jason Eckberg

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Lead shot has been banned for hunting waterfowl since 1974, but lead poisoning continues to be a major problem in many waterfowl habitats. In December of 1999, soil samples were collected from the Honeybee pond at the Overton Wildlife Management area to determine the lead pellet concentration and the availability of lead shot to waterfowl. There were no shot pellets recovered from the thirty-one samples taken from the pond. Based on this information waterfowl do not appear to be exposed to lead in the pond areas at OWMA.

Two Different Soil Sampling Techniques For Assessing Soil Lead Concentrations At The Overton Wildlife Management Area, Nevada, Kristen E. Falc

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

During the summer of 1999, soil samples were taken from the Overton Wildlife Management Area (OWMA), located in the Moapa Valley of Clark County, Nevada. Although lead shot has been banned for the hunting of waterfowl since 1986, it is still legal for upland game hunting. The field sampled serves primarily as a dove hunting area and is cultivated. A large sample size was taken to indicate the short-term effects of the deposition of lead shot in the area and a small sample size, the long-term. Lead shot was recovered from 64% of the small samples and the estimated concentration …

An Examination Of A Brownfield: The Former North Las Vegas Armory Site, Rebecca L. Fowler

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis is a case study of the redevelopment project of the former Armory site in Las Vegas, Nevada, a United States Environmental Protection Agency Brownfield Pilot Project. This investigation uses benefit-cost analysis to determine whether the project is economically feasible. This examination includes a description of the Brownfield program, a description of the site, selection criteria, and the proposed future use of it. The results show that the benefits exceed the costs.

Comparative Analysis Of Three Remediation Technologies For The Clean Up Of Petroleum Contaminated Groundwater, Thomas Bouck

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This paper will compare three remediation technologies to determine which is the most efficient and effective remediation treatment for a petroleum contaminated groundwater site. The three remediation technologies are in situ bioremediation, in situ air sparging, and air stripping with carbon filtration. This comparison will be done through a literature review. It will take the information derived from the review and then apply it to the information about a petroleum contaminated groundwater location. The comparative analysis will consist of these parameters permit requirements, clean up time, operating and maintenance, and geological factors.

These factors permit requirements, cleanup time, and operating …

Special Event Recycling: The Future Of Unlv's Recycling Program, Katherine A. Baker

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The current recycling program on the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) campus does not have a special event recycling aspect. The purpose of this study was to develop a special event recycling program and make recommendations of how to effectively implement it on the UNLV campus. In order to develop this special event recycling program data was collected through surveys and a pilot study. The data collected was then used to formulate recommendations. Recycling two different kinds of events, a walk and a concert tested those recommendations. Waste stream analyses were done on each event. The waste stream diversion …

Analysis Of The Air Force Iso 14001 Pilot Study Conducted By Dod, Rodney C. Harris

Theses and Dissertations

The Department of Defense (DoD) conducted an ISO 14001 pilot study with the primary goal of determining how ISO 14001 could help DoD organizations reduce risks, improve compliance with environmental regulations, enhance stewardship, contain costs, and meet emerging regulatory requirements. This thesis analyzed the pilot study, specifically looking at the ISO 14001 implementation at three Air Force installations participating in the study. The research objectives were to identify factors that affect implementation of ISO 14001, compare the implementation strategies used by the bases, and develop propositions for Air Force managers to consider when implementing ISO 14001. Interviews of key personnel, …

Modeling The Effect Of Nonlinear And Rate-Limited Sorption On The Natural Attenuation Of Chlorinated Ethenes, Peter P. Feng

Theses and Dissertations

Chlorinated solvents like tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) are the most common detected groundwater contaminants at Department of Defense installations in the United States. Unfortunately, technologies conventionally used to remediate chlorinated solvent-contaminated groundwater often fall short of achieving regulatory goals. Natural attenuation of chlorinated solvents offers an alternative remediation strategy that may achieve goals. However, the processes involved with natural attenuation are not fully understood, and this lack of understanding has hindered acceptance of natural attenuation by regulatory agencies. This study involved use of a numerical model that incorporated the physical, chemical, and biological processes thought to be relevant to …

In Situ Treatment Of Chlorinated Ethene-Contaminated Groundwater Using Horizontal Flow Treatment Wells, Derek R. Ferland

Theses and Dissertations

The limitations of conventional containment technologies for groundwater contaminated with chlorinated solvents have motivated development of innovative technologies to achieve national groundwater remediation objectives. One inn9vative technology that is currently under development involves metal reductants or catalysts to chemically destroy the dissolved chlorinated solvent. Models are important tools that can be used to help transition this technology to the field. Model studies can be used to gain understanding about the technology, help determine when the prospective technology might work for a given site, and design full-scale field applications.

Chromium Concentration Bias In The Particle Size Distribution Of Primer Overspray, Joseph M. Fox

Theses and Dissertations

Air Force aircraft-painting operations create clouds of paint overspray that contain strontium chromate, a confirmed carcinogen, which poses an exposure hazard to painters. It is often assumed that all particles in paint overspray have the same chemical composition as the original paint mixture, however differences in composition may occur in various particle sizes. Because particle size affects where in the respiratory system a particle deposits, actual exposures to a specific chemical may vary. Paint particles greater than 2.5 µm are deposited in the upper respiratory system and will be eliminated by physiological removal mechanisms. Particles less than 2.5 µm will …

Modeling Chlorinated Ethene Removal In Constructed Wetlands: A System Dynamics Approach, Colby D. Hoefar

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to gain understanding of the dynamics of the processes that degrade Perchloroethene (PCE) to ethylene, or carbon dioxide (CO₂), within the confines of a constructed wetland. A system dynamics approach will be used. This model is focused on identifying and optimizing the naturally occurring processes in stratified wetland sediment that reduce mass, toxicity, mobility, volume or concentration of contaminants in groundwater. Contaminant fate and transport within a wetland system is extremely complex and the mechanisms that drive wetland behavior are dynamic. Confidence in the model was built through verification and testing. Reasonable …

Toxicity Of Tolyltriazole To Gram-Positive Coccus Microorganisms, Heather L. Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations

Maintaining safe flight operations, military and civilian, in cold weather requires the use of de-icing fluids. Glycols, the primary component of de-icers, have been extensively studied. Water and additives such as corrosion inhibitors and other performance enhancing chemicals make up the remaining portion of de-icing fluids. Little research has been conducted on the additives, but several are suspected toxins to microorganisms, therefore the EPA regulates the disposal of spent de-icing fluids. Tolyltriazole, a corrosion inhibitor found in de-icing fluids, is a suspected human carcinogen. It is also known to be moderately toxic to microorganisms based on Microtox results. The purpose …

Levels Of Synthetic Musks In Municipal Wastewater For Estimating Biota Exposure In Receiving Waters, Lantis Osemwengie

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Natural musk (muscone) is a highly prized natural product for use in expensive consumer fragrances. Inexpensive synthetic substitutes have been commercialized over the last 40 years. Two main chemical classes are used commercially — the nitro musks (which fulfilled the original demand for inexpensive fragrance additives for personal care products such as bath soap, body lotions, perfumes, and washing detergents) and the newer polycyclic musks which have musklike smell. The commercial nitro musks include musk ketone, musk moskene, musk ambrette, musk xylene, and musk tibetene. The polycyclics include trade named compounds such as Galaxolide®, Tonalide®, Celestolide®, Traseolide®, Phantolide®, and Cashmeran®, …

Experiment, Thermodynamic Properties And Modeling On Combustion Of Methyl Tert-Butyl Ether : Isobutane And Isobutene And Thermodynamic Properties Of Chloro Alkanes And Alkenes, Chiung-Ju Chen

Dissertations

The reaction systems: methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) unimolecular decomposition, MTBE radicals + O₂, tert-butyl radical +O₂, isobutene + HOO. (HO₂),isobutene + OH, sobutene-OH adducts + O₂, and allylic isobutenyl radical + O₂, are important systems in the understanding the oxidation chemistry of MTBE, tertiary butyl radical (C3C.), and sobutene, are analyzed. Thermochemical parameters are determined by ah initio Møller-Plesset (MP2(full)/6-31g(d)), complete basis set model chemistry (CBS-4 and CBS-q with MP2(full)/6-31g(d) and B3LYP/6-31g(d) optimized geometries), density functional (B3LYP/631g(d)), semi-empirical MOPAC (PM3) molecular orbital calculations, and by group additivity estimation. Thermochemical …

Polymer Pyrolysis And Oxidation Studies In A Continuous Feed And Flow Reactor : Cellulose, Polystyrene, And Polyethylene, Byung-Ik Park

Dissertations

A dual zone, continuous feed tubular reactor is developed to assessthe potential for formation of products from incomplete combustion in thermal oxidation of common polymers. Solid polymer powder (cellulose,polystyrene, or polyethylene) is fed continuously into a volatilization oven where it fragments and vaporizes under continuous steady state conditions. The gas phase polymer fragments flow directly into a second, main flow reactor oven and undergo further pyrolysis and oxidation reaction. Temperatures in the main flow reactor are varied independently of the volatilization zone to observe conditions needed to convert the initial polymer fragmentsto CO₂ and H₂O. Combustion products …

A Qualitative Study Of Technology Transfer In Sustainable Green Manufacturing, Susan Muldowney

Theses

The Sustainable Green Manufacturing Project is an initiative of the United States Army to develop environmentally-friendly technologies for Army-designated facilities. In pursuit of this goal, the Army has sought the research capabilities and expertise of outside organizations including the New Jersey Institute of Technology and Concurrent Technologies Corporation. The groups interact and exchange knowledge and tools with each other as well as with potential end users of the green technology. This exchange of knowledge and tools is known as technology transfer.

Researchers and Subject Matter Experts who are working on the SGM Project were interviewed in order to learn about …

To Who Or What Do We Owe Sustainable Development? A Search For An Ethical Framework For Sustainable Development, Mia Soderlund

Theses

This thesis focuses on the ethical dimension of sustainable development as described in the Bruntland report. According to this report, we do have certain moral obligations to future generations. This thesis asks whether traditional moral philosophy, such as utilitarian and contractarian theories, can justify moral obligations to future generations, and if they can serve as ethical frameworks for sustainable development.

The basic idea with sustainable development is to create a balance between society, the environment and the economy. If the environment is ascribed instrumental value, which is the case with traditional moral philosophy then there is no balance, because its …

A Comparison Of Field-Delineated Wetlands To The New Jersey Freshwater Wetland Maps, David P. Moskowitz

Theses

A comparison of the New Jersey Freshwater Wetland maps to field-delineated wetlands was undertaken to assess the accuracy of the Freshwater Wetland maps. The evaluation revealed substantial differences in the amount of wetland acreage on the Freshwater Wetland maps compared to field-verified wetlands. Forty study sites comprising 21,877 acres (8,854h) were evaluated. Of these, twenty-seven were overmapped (more wetland acreage than was field-verified), and thirteen were undermapped. Forty-three percent had mapping discrepancies at or above fifty percent; when modified land designations were included as wetlands, the number of sites at this threshold increased to fifty percent.

Paper copies of the …