Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Characterization Of Particulate Matter Concentrations (Pm10, Pm10-2.5, And Pm2.5) At High-Altitude School And Residential Mircroenvironments In Quito, Ecuador, Teresa Montoya

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Air quality issues in Latin American countries are especially challenging because of the limited availability of resources to address them, lack of stringent standards and the rapid and uncontrolled growth of their cities increasing the number of vehicles on the road and the expansion of the industry. In particular, the city of Quito, Ecuador exacerbates its environmental issues by its high-altitude (2800 m above sea level) coupled by its location around a mountain valley and frequent temperature inversions.

This study focused on evaluating the spatial variation of the PM concentrations and the effectiveness of a central monitoring network in representing …

Synthetic Asphaltene As A Novel Dye In Dye Sensitized Solar Cells Dsscs, Hassan Sharif

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation approves the possibility of the first time use of synthetic asphaltene as new dye in dye sensitized solar cells. In which the conversion efficiency of synthetic asphaltene DSSC has improved up to 2.0 %. Synthetic asphaltene sample was prepared from the starting material as in literature and applied for various solar cell parameters of TiO2 based dyesensitized solar cell DSSC. DSSCs were fabricated using the synthetic asphaltene as dye. Different variables and parameters were carried out to test the photovoltaic performance of the cells, these parameters include open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current; fill factor. The first result was obtained …

Determinants Of Neighborhood Exposure To Extreme Heat: A Spatial Examination Of El Paso And Juárez, 2010, Faraj Mohamad Aboargob

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Numerous studies have been conducted on the modification of local weather by the urban environment. In studying urban environmental effects on the urban heat island (UHI), researchers have investigated influences such as land use, vegetation density, topography, population density, and neighborhood socioeconomic status. Many studies have used data collected from field observations, while other studies relied solely on computer modeling. This Dissertation research used a spatial analysis approach, which has been less widely employed, to investigate neighborhood level biophysical, built environmental and socio-demographic determinants of the El Paso and Juárez UHI. The research utilized inexpensive data obtained from US and …

Urban Impact Of Dissolved Metals In The Paso Del Norte Segment Of The Rio Grande, Sumayeh Ahmad Freiwan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Paso del Norte segment of the Rio Grande experiences two seasons per year; the (wet) irrigation season and the (dry) non-irrigation season. The goal of this study was to improve the understanding of occurrence and contribution of dissolved metals in this region during the non-irrigation season. The objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate the impact of anthropogenic sources of metals on the Rio Grande water quality during the non-irrigation season, and (2) estimate the metal loads carried by the flow to the downstream region of El Paso. In order to evaluate the surface water quality of the …

Investigation Into The Measure, Correlate And Predict Methodologies Used In Wind Farm Design Software, Brendan O'Sullivan

Theses

This paper is focused on the Measure Correlate and Predict (MCP) methodologies used to estimate long term wind resource at a prospective site. The first common step in all MCP methodologies is a successful wind measurement campaign at the prospective site. This campaign involves the erection of a wind measurement mast (ideally to the hub height of the proposed turbine) and careful selection of booms, mountings and anemometers. The wind measurement campaign is a vital part of the process as the correlation and prediction analysis is only as accurate as the measured wind data. Correlation is a measure of the …

Product Characterization And Headspace Analysis Of Solar Irradiated Aqueous C60 Clusters, Dan Su

Open Access Theses

Buckminsterfullerene (C60) is an important fullerene material that has drawn much attention and is currently being applied in many different fields. It was discovered in 1985. As its production has largely increased to meet these industrial needs, it is obvious that its environmental occurrence, especially in aqueous systems, will occur. To further provide information for environmental toxicity studies and for its risk assessment, this thesis focuses on the photo transformation processes of aqueous C60 clusters (Aqu/nC60), with a particular interest in measuring any mineralization that occurs under different irradiation conditions. Two sets of experiments were conducted to test for CO2 …

A Classification Methodology For Landfill Leachates, David J. Tonjes

Technology & Society Faculty Publications

A characterization scheme based on landfill leachate chemical signatures could support studies of leachate evolution over time, liner performance, and help confirm or disprove potential leachate contamination of groundwater. Wide variations in single constituents across time, sites, and site practices, and inconsistencies related to common bivariate measures suggest a robust, multivariate analysis could be useful. A variant Stiff diagram approach (a subjective analytical comparison of soluble salts) has been developed, and supports graphical depictions of multiple samples. The hypothesis is that leachates with similar chemistry form clusters, and this was tested using a data set of 652 samples from 26 …

Estimation Of Performance Indices For The Planning Of Sustainable Transportation Systems, Alexander Paz, Pankaj Maheshwari, Pushkin Kachroo, Sajjad Ahmad

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

In the context of sustainable transportation systems, previous studies have either focused only on the transportation system or have not used a methodology that enables the treatment of incomplete, vague, and qualitative information associated with the available data. This study proposes a system of systems (SOS) and a fuzzy logic modeling approach. The SOS includes the Transportation, Activity, and Environment systems. The fuzzy logic modeling approach enables the treatment of the vagueness associated with some of the relevant data. Performance Indices (PIs) are computed for each system using a number of performance measures. The PIs illustrate the aggregated performance of …

Derivation Of A Fuzzy National Phosphorus Export Model Using 84 Irish Catchments, Ahmed Nasr, Michael Bruen

Articles

Implementation of appropriate management strategies to mitigate diffuse phosphorus (P) pollution at the catchment scale is vitally important for the sustainable development of water resources in Ireland. An important element in the process of implementing such strategies is the prediction of their impacts on P concentrations in a catchment using a reliable mathematical model. In this study, a state-of-the-art adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) has been used to develop a new national P model capable of estimating average annual ortho-P concentrations at un-gauged catchments. Data from 84 catchments dominated by diffuse P pollution were used in developing and testing the …

Biomass Production And Hydrological/Water Quality Impacts Of Perennial Crop Production On Marginal Land, Qingyu Feng

Open Access Theses

Marginal land has been proposed to be a viable choice for biomass production to meet the biofuel development goal set by Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA). However, very little information is currently available for quantifying biomass production potential and impacts on hydrology and water quality. The objectives of this study were to: (1) quantify availability of marginal land in a typical agricultural watershed; (2) test whether the biomass feedstock produced from marginal land in the study watershed can support a hypothetical small bio-refinery with annual capacity of 50 million gallons of ethanol produced; and (3) evaluate the hydrological/water quality …

Photochemical Reactions Of Naproxen, Ibuprofen And Tylosin, Yang He

Open Access Theses

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) include a wide range of compounds that are used extensively and sometimes daily by people. Some PPCPs have been detected in surface water (streams, rivers, lakes) due to incomplete removal in wastewater treatment plants. The water contaminated by PPCPs is harmful to aquatic organisms and human. Naproxen (NXP), ibuprofen (IBP) and tylosin (TYL) are chosen as representative PPCPs in the current research, because they are consumed in large quantities throughout the world and there is limited data about photodegradation of these compounds in aqueous solution at the wavelength of 254 nm.

The combination of …

An Evaluation Of Spatial Variability Of Water Stress Index Across The United States: Implications Of Supply And Demand In The East Vs The West, Jennifer Ann Roath

Open Access Theses

In order to support both human and environmental needs, high quality fresh water must be available when and where it is required. As a metric for indicating unsustainable water usage, WSI is only useful when the values reflect accurate interactions between supply and demand; however, the complexity of temporal and spatial variability of available fresh water complicates the analysis of water stress.

The overall goal of this project was to investigate the spatial variability of water stress across the United States and the appropriate spatial scale for management decisions. To accomplish this, a national dataset describing spatial distribution and breakdown …

Nutrient Recovery From Anaerobically-Digested Dairy Manure By Struvite Formation And Its Effect On Gas Releases, Zhong Qiao

Open Access Theses

Manure management practices such as anaerobic digestion and lagoon storage have become important issues for large dairy farms partially due to water quality and air quality concerns caused by excess nitrogen and phosphorus. Prior research efforts have proven that struvite formation is an effective method for nutrients recovery from both municipal and agricultural wastewaters. However, little is known about nutrient recovery through struvite formation from anaerobically-digested dairy manure effluents.The effects of struvite precipitation on the releases of gases such as NH3, H2S, and CO2 are also unclear.

In this thesis, both bench-scale tests and pilot-scale storage tests were conducted to …

Chemical Weathering And Mobility Of Inorganic Species In Dry Disposed Ash: An Insight From Geochemical Fractionation And Physicochemical Analysis, S.A. Akinyemi, W.M. Gitari, A. Akinlua, L.F. Petrik

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

The burning of low-grade coal produces vast amounts of ash and other solid by-products. In South Africa, coal combustion by-products undergo disposal on land as dry heaps or slurried to dams. In this study, the geochemical partitioning, transport, and mobility of elements in dry disposed ash dumps were investigated using a modified sequential extraction scheme. The chemical and mineralogical compositions of 50 drilled core samples were investigated by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Ternary plots of major elements as determined by XRF showed that the 15-year-old and 2-week-old dry disposed ashes are sialic, …

2013 Nebraska Groundwater Quality Monitoring Report

Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality: Reports

The 2001 Nebraska Legislature passed LB329 (Neb. Rev. Stat. §46-1304) which, in part, directed the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) to report on groundwater quality monitoring in Nebraska. Reports have been issued annually since December 2001. The text of the statute applicable to this report follows: “The Department of Environmental Quality shall prepare a report outlining the extent of ground water quality monitoring conducted by natural resources districts during the preceding calendar year. The department shall analyze the data collected for the purpose of determining whether or not ground water quality is degrading or improving and shall present the …

Sustainability Of Water And Wastewater Infrastructure: Using A Public-Private Partnership Model For Project Financial Assessment, Rebecca Werner Trotter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To supplement current and future budget shortfalls for improvements to water and wastewater infrastructure, Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs or P3) are being advocated by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and others as a practical mechanism to ensure financial sustainability. A PPP involves a partnership between a government entity and a concessionaire--consisting of one or more private companies acting as a single, private incorporation--who make an agreement on funding, building, and operating a usually government-provided service, such as drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. This is different from a traditional contract between a government entity and a contractor because the concessionaire …

Classification Of Irish Beaches To Determine Their Potential For Erosion, Aidan O'Connell

Theses

The objective of this literature review is to gather the relevant information regarding beach characteristics and beach erosion in order to undertake the project development stage of the thesis project. The background information that was reviewed was the different zones that are located on a beach; the functions of a beach and what most beaches are commonly used for; how beaches were formed; the legislation that is related to the beach or any work that is required to be carried out on a beach and some background information on the erosion of beaches.

The most relevant beach characteristics that impact …

Biological Control Of Manganese In Water Supplies In The Presence Of Humic Acids, Michael S. Snyder

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

The main objective of this study was to improve our understanding of biological filtration (biofilm type) treatment for manganese (Mn) removal in drinking water. Biological filtration treatment involves biofilms of Mn(II)-oxidizing microorganisms attached to solid filter material that remove and immobilize dissolved Mn(II) in raw water by conversion to black MnO_2(s) precipitates. Mn-biological filtration is an emerging green technology that can serve as an alternative to conventional physicochemical treatments but its full potential is hindered by various factors. These include lack of understanding the: (1) optimal removal conditions for Mn, (2) mechanisms for Mn releases of the accumulated Mn …

Hydrologic Characterization Of A Rain Garden Mitigating Stormwater Runoff From A Commercial Area, John T. Mcmaine

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Impervious surfaces such as roads, sidewalks, and roofs increase the volume of runoff generated in a watershed. Traditional stormwater management techniques emphasize conveyance of runoff away from impervious surfaces in order to reduce flooding. Rain gardens are becoming popular as a different means to manage stormwater in such a way that runoff is captured and infiltrated onsite rather than conveyed offsite. A stormwater management system consisting of a rainwater harvest system, rain garden, and infiltration chamber was built at the Coca-Cola Refreshments USA, Inc. distribution center in Lexington, Kentucky during the fall of 2011. Precipitation, inflow, and water level were …

Froth Flotation Performance Enhancement By Feed Cavitation And Magnetic Plastic Particle Addition, Mehmet Saracoglu

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

Froth flotation is the most commonly used process to recover and upgrade the portion of the coal preparation plant feed that has a particle size smaller than 150 microns. Problems that occur when employing froth flotation in the coal industry include i) coal surfaces that are weakly-to-moderately hydrophobic, and ii) flotation systems that are overloaded and limited by insufficient retention time.

Research was performed to evaluate techniques that could be implemented to improve flotation performance under the aforementioned scenarios. Pre-aeration of flotation feed using a cavitation system was extensively evaluated in laboratory and full-scale test programs. The benefits of adding …