Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Development Of Super Hydrophobic Membranes And Their Applications, Sumona Paul

Dissertations

Effective liquid phase separation is vital across industries, especially in aviation, chemicals, fuels, and textiles. Membrane technology offers advantages over traditional methods like distillation, with low energy consumption and protection for heat-sensitive molecules. Membrane performance is assessed based on factors such as materials, surface modification, and interactions. This research targets superhydrophobic membranes for liquid-liquid filtration and antiwetting omniphobic membranes for membrane distillation, focusing on properties like contact angle and thermal resistance.

This study presents a highly hydrophobic membrane achieved by immobilizing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) onto a PTFE microfiltration membrane. It's designed for dewatering organic-water mixtures with trace water content via …

Estimation Of Useful-Stage Energy Returns On Investment For Fossil Fuels And Implications For Renewable Energy Systems, Emmanuel Aramendia, Paul E. Brockway, Peter G. Taylor, Jonathan B. Norman, Matthew K. Heun, Zeke Marshal;

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

The net energy implications of the energy transition have so far been analysed at best at the final energy stage. Here we argue that expanding the analysis to the useful stage is crucial. We estimate fossil fuelsʼ useful-stage energy returns on investment (EROIs) over the period 1971–2020, globally and nationally, and disaggregate EROIs by end use. We find that fossil fuelsʼ useful-stage EROIs (~3.5:1) are considerably lower than at the final stage (~8.5:1), due to low final-to-useful efficiencies. Further, we estimate the final-stage EROI for which electricity-yielding renewable energy would deliver the same net useful energy as fossil fuels (EROI …

Investigating Small Drinking Water System Technical Capacity To Treat For Pfas, Chloe J. Yoder, Kaycie Lane

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) presents technical challenges in small systems where advanced drinking water treatment implementation is difficult. Publicly available data were used to examine technical treatment capacity for PFAS in the US, using Nebraska as a pilot. Of 1312 PWSs in Nebraska, 441 have technologies capable of removing PFAS from drinking water. Reverse osmosis was the most common treatment technology in Nebraska with 277 total systems using this technology with, 194 PWSs with RO serving populations of <= 100 people. Fifty-two PWSs had granular activated carbon, 47 had ion exchange and 62 had ultraviolet, with UV being primarily used for disinfection. We found PWSs had different technology deployment methods, several systems had “significant deficiencies” reported in management and operation evaluations, and age and previous water quality violations were not correlated to treatment evaluations. The developed methodology models utilizing publicly available data for contaminants across the US.

Coupling Treatment Technologies With Bioelectrochemical Systems To Optimize Resource Recovery From Wastewater, Matthew Stephen Ferby

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Wastewater is a common waste produced from municipal, agricultural, and industrial processes. As the world’s population increases, the amount of wastewater produced globally is expected to reach approximately 450 billion m3 in the next two decades. Issues surrounding water, food, and energy accessibility will also become more imminent as the population grows. Interestingly, wastewater is an unconventional source of resources including water, nutrients (e.g., NH4+ and PO43-), and energy. However, conventional wastewater treatment processes focus primarily on the removal of containments rather than the recovery of resources. Bioelectrochemical systems (BES) have the ability to recover resources from wastewater. These engineered …

Exploring Applications Of Artificial Intelligence In Water And Wastewater Management Systems, Yanran Xu

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Water and wastewater management systems play an essential role in satisfying residential, commercial, and industrial needs, but these systems suffer from undesired issues and high expenses, which stresses the need for sustainable development and system optimization. Modeling simulation is commonly used to optimize system performance through process prediction and precise control, and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies including machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) are showing their advantages in the application of water and wastewater management systems. A general framework was illustrated for optimized performance and enhanced explainability of ML models. Several analytical techniques were explored, including feature engineering, data …

Exploring The Impact Of Lake Browning On The Production Of Singlet Oxygen In Adirondack Surface Waters, Birdem Oz

Theses - ALL

Many inland lakes in temperate and boreal regions, including those in the Adirondack region of New York, are experiencing browning due to increased terrestrial inputs of colored dissolved organic matter (DOM). This phenomenon results from watershed recovery following declines in atmospheric acid deposition and shifts in precipitation patterns. Close coupling of changes in dissolved organic carbon levels and DOM quality in Adirondack lakes has important implications for ecosystem services, ranging from aquatic food web functioning to drinking water production. However, comparatively little is known about the potential effects of lake browning on carbon cycling and contaminant attenuation driven by the …

Fate, Composition And Formation Of Unknown N-Nitrosamines In Wastewater And Wastewater-Impacted Waters, Changcheng Pu

Dissertations - ALL

N-Nitrosamines form as byproducts during oxidative water treatment or occur as impurities in consumer and industrial products. N-Nitrosamines and their precursors pose significant concerns for water utilities exploiting wastewater-impacted water supplies, as many N-nitrosamines are potential human carcinogens and have genotoxicity. To date, research on N-nitrosamines in environmental engineering has primarily focused on the occurrence, sources, formation, and control of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in the broad context of drinking water and wastewater treatment. However, NDMA and the few other N-nitrosamines of current interest only constitute a fraction of the larger pool of total N-nitrosamines (TONO) in source waters and wastewater, while …

Past And Future Predictions Of Climate Change And Urbanization Effects On The Carbon, Nitrogen, And Water Dynamics In Northeastern Forest Ecosystems, Linghui Meng

Dissertations - ALL

Human activities have significantly influenced the structure and function of forest ecosystems in the northeastern US. Urbanization directly reduces forest area and alters forest functions. Forest growth, health, and function can also be affected by climate change, atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations, and air pollution including ground-level ozone (O3) and atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition. Critical questions for research and environmental management are: How will urbanization, climate change, and air pollution interact to influence the function of forest ecosystems, and how will changes in these environmental drivers alter the function of forests in the future? In this dissertation, I simulate the …

Investigating The Effects Of Suspended Algal Content, Dissolved Oxygen, And Temperature On A High-Frequency Acoustic Attenuation System In A Controlled Laboratory Environment, Noah Watson

Honors Theses

The Single Frequency Acoustic Attenuation System (SFAAS) has been developed at the National Center for Physical Acoustics (NCPA). This system uses acoustic methods to monitor fine suspended sediment concentration in streams. Site-specific calibrations are necessary for this system, and previous research has indicated that algal concentration or dissolved oxygen concentration of water may affect collected data. Temperature, dissolved oxygen concentration, and fluorescence, used as a proxy for algal concentration, were monitored during this system’s use, and calibrations were derived to account for the effect of each of these variables on acoustic measurements. It has been shown that temperature has a …

Effect Of Waste Covid-19 Masks On Compaction Characteristics Of Silty-Clay Soil, Sydney K. Lawson

Honors College Theses

The present study aims to explore the effect of adding shredded waste Covid-19 masks to silty-clay soil on the soil’s compaction characteristics for beneficial use in embankment, the subgrade of roadways, or backfill. This was accomplished by using two different types of masks: blue surgical masks and KN95 masks. Both mask types were hand shredded into half-inch sections using safety-scissors. The maximum dry density (MDD) and optimum moisture content (OMC) are the two most important compaction characteristics, and they were determined by the Standard Proctor Compaction Test (ASTM D698 / AASHTO T99). The change of both the MDD and OMC …

The Use Of Repurposed Whole Textiles To Modify The Mechanical And Hydrogeological Properties Of Green Roof Media And Granular Soils, Angelis Almanzar-Chevalie, Yehya Elfgeeh, Calvin O. Walters Jr.

Publications and Research

This study investigates using repurposed whole textiles to modify the mechanical and hydrogeological properties of lightweight Green Roof media and granular pavement soils.

Green Roof Media Green roofs aim to bring the advantages of suburban agriculture to urban environments while improving energy efficiency and enhancing stormwater management in public, commercial, and residential buildings. Previous studies by City Tech undergraduate research assistants demonstrated significant modification in hydrogeological properties when incorporating textile fabric up to 3% textile by weight (%Tex) at an aspect ratio of 1:1. The effects of mixing repurposed whole textile fiber with Green Roof media is evaluated with regards …

Revitalizing Turtle Creek Park, Michael Hardyway, Ethan Harm, Abbey Jacoby, Casey Stephenson

Final Reports in ENST 411: Environmental Community Projects

We current ENST 411 students, Abbey Jacoby, Michael Hardyway, Ethan Harm, and Casey Stephenson have chosen to work with Jim Knight, East Buffalo Township, the Merrill Linn Land and Waterways Conservancy, and many others in an attempt to revitalize Turtle Creek Park for a plethora of reasons. Three of us are majoring in biology, and two are majoring in environmental science, which makes much of the information and techniques relevant in Turtle Creek applicable to our courses of study. This project included heavy hands on work which allowed us students to leave a memorable and impactful influence on the Lewisburg …

Ammonia Recovery From Digester Centrate With Electrochemical Membrane Systems: Mechanism, Performance, And Application, Fubin Liu

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Nitrogen plays an indispensable role in living organisms and thus is a key element for agricultural production. Ammonia (NH3), as an important part in nitrogen cycle, can be synthesized by nitrogen fixing bacteria and the Haber-Bosch process, the latter of which requires an extensive energy input. Wastewaters can contain a large amount of nitrogen compounds because of kitchen and toilet wastes being discharged to sewage. The concentration of ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) can be hundreds mg per liter in some wastewaters like anaerobic digester (AD) centrate. However, both Haber-Bosch process and conventional wastewater ammonia treatment process are energy intensive, which making …

Investigating The Impact Of Secondary Activation Time On The Adsorption Properties Of Activated Biochar For Arsenic Removal From Wastewater, Achyuth Bharadwaj Rayarao

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

Biochar, a naturally occurring and renewable carbon material, becomes porous through activation. Activated biochar is an ideal candidate for use as an adsorbent. The objective of this study is to investigate whether activated biochar derived from Colorado soft pine serves as a better adsorbent and demonstrates enhanced adsorption capabilities after undergoing secondary physical activation at various activation times. The effect of secondary action time on physical adsorption properties drawn from the analysis of isotherm plots, surface areas and pore size patterns were examined by using a physisorption analyzer. Chemical structures were identified using both ultimate and proximate analyses, while porosity …

Identification Of Compounds That Cause Axonal Dieback Without Cytotoxicity In Dorsal Root Ganglia Explants And Intervertebral Disc Cells With Potential To Treat Pain Via Denervation, Fei San Lee, Uyen N. Nguyen, Eliza J. Munns, Rebecca A. Wachs

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Low back pain, knee osteoarthritis, and cancer patients suffer from chronic pain. Aberrant nerve growth into intervertebral disc, knee, and tumors, are common pathologies that lead to these chronic pain conditions. Axonal dieback induced by capsaicin (Caps) denervation has been FDA-approved to treat painful neuropathies and knee osteoarthritis but with shortterm efficacy and discomfort. Herein, we propose to evaluate pyridoxine (Pyr), vincristine sulfate (Vcr) and ionomycin (Imy) as axonal dieback compounds for denervation with potential to alleviate pain. Previous literature suggests Pyr, Vcr, and Imy can cause undesired axonal degeneration, but no previous work has evaluated axonal dieback and cytotoxicity …

Unhsc Performance Curve And O&M Tracking Calculator, Daniel Macadam

UNH Stormwater Center

No abstract provided.

Development And Evaluation Of An Arsenic Transport Model For The Maurice River Watershed, Christina Eddleman

All Theses

For many Superfund sites across the United States, arsenic is one of the most common contaminants of concern that must be cleaned up to protect human and environmental health. Past research and health studies have documented the harmful effects of inorganic arsenic on humans and the environment but selecting an appropriate remediation plan depends on several site-specific factors at each Superfund site. To assist in determining an appropriate remediation plan, sediment and contaminant transport models have been used to simulate the transport of arsenic and other contaminants of concern at contaminated sites to, e.g., make relative comparisons of the efficacy …

Physical And Stochiometric Controls On Nutrient Uptake And Ecosystem Respiration In Contrasting Sites, Jancoba K. Dorley

Civil Engineering ETDs

Meteorological, hydrological, and biogeochemical processes naturally control stream ecosystems. These processes define the frequency and distribution of precipitation and the supply and demand of solutes and particles to support aquatic food chains through space and time. Studies have also found that stream ecosystems are also controlled by anthropogenic activities, which occur on a much shorter timescale. These anthropogenic activities affect stream ecosystems' structure and function from local to planetary changes to the environment. It is essential for scientists and engineers to understand the relationships between naturally occurring processes and those created by human activities for a better interpretation of stream …

Determining The Impacts Of Corn Silage Mixing Ratios On Hydrogen Production From Beef Cattle Manure, Katya Faber-Quimby

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

With global warming becoming an increasingly serious threat and a growing population requiring additional energy resources, interest in the production of clean energy from the agricultural sector has surged in popularity. Biohydrogen, also known as green hydrogen, is H₂ that has been produced using renewable energy, such as from agricultural byproducts or waste materials. It presents a promising alternative to nonrenewable resources due to its high potential for energy storage and lack of carbon emissions when used. Cattle manure has been explored as a resource for the production of biohydrogen. Selecting for hydrogen-producing microbes in the manure serves the …

Sulfonated Polyethersulfone Membranes For Electrodialysis Desalination And The Influence Of Solvent Evaporation On Current Efficiency, Salinity Reduction, And Permselectivity, Li Chen

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The high cost of ion exchange membranes significantly limits the public application of electrodialysis. The research of novel, inexpensive ion exchange membranes is essential to developing and applying electrodialysis desalination technology. This research focuses on fabricating cation exchange membranes with polyethersulfone (PES) and sulfonated PES (sPES) for water treatment. N-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidone (NMP) was used as an organic solvent to dissolve PES. After different solvent evaporation times were optimized from 0 hr to 24 hr, those membranes were formed through the phase inversion technique. The performance results show that the PES membranes performed the best when the solvent evaporated at 3 hr, …