Chemistry Commons^™

Carbon Cycling And Critical Zone Dynamics In An Urbanized Karst Groundwater System, Amy Hourigan

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Increasing atmospheric CO₂ concentrations are correlated to rising global temperatures. Investigating the cumulative global carbon cycling processes is important to understand and quantify the global carbon cycle. By investigating basic geochemical parameters, EpCO₂, DIC, and δ¹³C_DIC, at four sites along Lost River Cave (LRC), in Bowling Green, Kentucky, concentrations, fluxes and sources of C dissolved in groundwater were determined. Urban karst groundwater systems, compared to more natural karst landscapes, typically exhibit widespread impervious, heat-absorbing surfaces, urban heat island effects, and increased anthropogenic groundwater inputs and localized CO₂ emissions. Carbonate hydrogeochemical …

Synthesis Of Cds/Zns Core/Shell Semiconductor Nanoparticles, Austin Skyler Antle

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Core/shell semiconductor nanoparticles are of great interest as photocatalysts due to their large surface area per volume and tunable band gaps. The synthesis of core/shell semiconductor nanoparticles has traditionally involved the use of binding ligands to ensure the particles do not aggregate. These binding ligands lower the surface area of the nanoparticles though, reducing their overall efficiency. Ionic liquids have been found to be capable of acting as both solvents and stabilizing agents for synthesis of catalysts with highly active surfaces. Our experiments focus on the synthesis of CdS/ZnS core/shell nanoparticles with the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium methyl sulfate, [BMIM][MeSO4], acting …

Mercury And Other Trace Metal Analysis In Bat Guano, Amanda Lee Houchens

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Heavy metal pollution in the environment pose risks to ecosystems and the populations that reside in them. Mercury, lead, and cadmium negatively impact humans by way of neurological disorders, various cancers, and damage the reproductive organs, kidneys, and lungs. Bats have been studied as a bioindicator species to identify possibly elevated levels of these metals in the environment. Previous studies have identified correlation between metal concentrations within bat tissues and fur. Many bat species are endangered or at risk due to white-nose syndrome so collection of tissues and fur for analysis can impose stress on bat colonies. This study investigates …

Ua66/7/3 Ogden College Of Science & Engineering Chemistry Centers & Laboratories, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by and about Chemistry centers and laboratories.

Expanding The Applicability Of Raman Spectroscopy For Monitoring Photocatalytic Degradation, Franklyn Wallace

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Compared to other types of wastewater pollutants, dangerous chemical compounds such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and herbicides are difficult to remove and consequently being detected (at least in part because detection limits have decreased) in drinking water at increasing concentrations. Photocatalytic degradation degrades harmful compounds to innocuous end products using energy from light. Although it is effective and cost-efficient, the underlying chemical mechanisms are not understood well enough to ensure that dangerous intermediate products are not formed during the degradation process. Raman spectroscopy can be used to analyze photocatalytic degradation reactions in real time, identifying intermediate products based on spectral features. …

Phosphorus Transport And Distribution In Kentucky Soils Prepared Using Various Biochar Types, Anvesh Reddy

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Conserving the environment is an issue that is gaining popularity day by day. Phosphorus transfer from agricultural soils is an important environmental issue that is being closely observed as the transport of phosphorous to water bodies is adversely affecting water quality due to accelerated eutrophication. It is important to establish phosphorous models that accurately account for soil test phosphorous. Standard models like SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) and EPIC (Environmental Policy Integrated Climate) were designed for serving this purpose. They are now used as the basis for developing new models that can more accurately account for the phosphorus transport, …

Removal Of Heavy Metals From Drinking Water By Adsorption Onto Limestone With A Focus On Copper And Aluminum Applications, Swarna Latha Somasani

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Elevated levels of arsenic and other heavy metals like copper, aluminum, zinc, and selenium in drinking water are found to have deleterious effects on human health. Hence, finding methods for reducing their levels is critical. Iron-coated limestone is used as an adsorption material for the removal of heavy metals from drinking water. Removal of heavy metals by native or uncoated limestone was also observed and used for comparison to and evaluation of the improvement in removal efficiency from the ironcoated material. The removal efficiency with limestone was studied for different concentrations of heavy metals. Kinetic studies were done to determine …

Monitoring Photocatalytic Degradation Of X-Ray Contrast Media With Raman Spectroscopy, Sabina Salkic

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

X-ray contrast media such as diatrizoate and iohexol have been found in wastewater and drinking water and are difficult to remove because they are resistant to water treatment processes. A removal process can be started with ultraviolet photocatalytic degradation of X-ray contrast media in the presence of titanium dioxide or other catalysts. Raman spectra of diatrizoate and iohexol were taken in an aqueous solution in the presence and absence of titanium dioxide during exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Raman intensity is directly proportional to concentration; therefore, we can measure the rate of the reaction based on changes in the Raman spectrum. …

Reducing Lead And Selenium From Drinking Water Using Limestone-Based Material, Sindhu Tumati

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Contamination of drinking water with metals is a major problem facing many areas of United States and the World. There is a need for an inexpensive remediation technology for the removal of metals in drinking water that can be applied to small rural water systems. This research will focus on the development of a process for removal of select metals from drinking water by limestone-based material. Metals in drinking water considered for this research include lead and selenium. Limestone-based material has demonstrated the potential to reduce select metals (lead, cadmium and arsenic) in drinking water, with the additional benefit of …

Determining The Lon-Exchange Mechanism Of Strontium Into A Niobium Doped Titanosilicate, Samantha Jane Kramer

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A 25% niobium substituted sitinakite was exchanged with strontium as time resolved X-ray diffraction data was collected. The structural modeling of this data by Rietveld method1 has lead to the determination of the atomic positions of the ions and unit cell parameters as strontium occupancy increases.

The starting material of the exchange experiment is the protonated phase, H2Nb0.67Ti1.33SiO7·1.9 H2O, with space group P42/mcm2,3. Once strontium (Sr2+) enters the unit cell, extra-framework H2O molecules shift to provide the necessary hydration coordination. These new positions of H2O result in a lowering of symmetry to the P-42m space group, and it is thought …

Degradation Of Chlorophenols In Swine Waste, Srilatha Gangula

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Naturally occurring plant derived phenols can be degraded through bacteria in swine waste. Chlorinated phenols, which are not naturally present in the environment, are toxic and generated from industrial activities as such petrochemical, pharmaceutical, plastic, rubber, pesticide, iron, steel, paper production, coal conversion, wood preserving, and cellulose bleaching. Large scale coal gasification and carbonization plants are another source of chlorinated phenols. Although not normally present in the environment, chlorinated phenols are structurally similar to many plant derived phenolics.

It is our hypothesis that bacteria located in swine wastes may also have the ability to degrade chlorinated phenols. Identifying situations (and …

The Study Of Variations In The Properties Of Biodiesel On Addition Of Antioxidants, Hiranmayee Kandala

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This research studies variations in biodiesel upon addition of different concentrations of antioxidant and petrodiesel additives. Oxidation onset temperature, oxidation induction time, oxidative stability, thermal stability, crystallization onset temperature and moisture retention properties of the biodiesel, with and without antioxidants have been studied. Antioxidants like BHT, BHA, PrG, Vit E and Vit C were added to the biodiesel during the study. These samples were analyzed using the PDSC, TGA, DSC and TGA-SA instrumentation.

The results of this research show an improvement in the OOT, OIT and Oxidative stability of biodiesel with the addition of antioxidants and by blending the biodiesel …

Chemistry And The Automotive Industry, Jeremy Pedigo

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This thesis covers the use of chemistry in the automotive industry with emphasis on environmental compliance via chemical reporting by database and internal Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) screening, third party laboratory material testing, and the future of the chemist in the United States (U.S.) automotive industry. The third party testing was performed at Western Kentucky University (WKU) via the Materials Characterization Center (MCC), Institute for Combustion Science and Environmental Technology (ICSET) Thermodynamics Laboratory, and using the Scanning Electron Microscope/Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometer (SEM/EDX) managed by the WKU Biotechnology Center. Furthermore, the tests conducted were used to investigate material defects, …

Ua66/1/5 Icset - Institute For Combustion Science & Environmental Technology, Wku Ogden College Of Science & Engineering

WKU Archives Records

History and overview of the work of the WKU Institute for Combustion Science & Environmental Technology through 2008.

Development Of An Atmospheric Fluidized Bed Combustor (Afbc), William Orndorff

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The relatively recent interest in the U.S. in the development of atmospheric fluidized bed combustion (AFBC) has been preceded by two main factors. First of these is the ever present problem of acid rain and growing public support for cleaner burning fossil fuels. Second is the increasing demand on public landfills and subsequent need for burning of municipal solid waste. From these factors and their corresponding influences, Western Kentucky University has the impetus and has received the financial assistance necessary to build and develop a laboratory scale AFBC system. A brief history of the events leading to this development, as …

Trace Metal Analysis Of Barren River And Nolin River Reservoirs By Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy, Mary Jo Kennedy

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This research was part of a project underway at Barren River and Nolin River Reservoirs in south-central Kentucky. The research was partially supported by a grant through the Sport Fishing Institute, Washington, D.C.

The study reported herein was concerned with the analysis of trace metal concentrations in the two reservoirs. It is believed that the fish population may in part depend upon the trace metals present in the water. It is anticipated that the data presented in this paper will eventually be correlated with the biology studies of the reservoirs being carried out by the Department of Biology of Western …