Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Hdd Dataset: Optimising Retrofitted Insulation For Irish Residential Building Walls, Rakshit D. Muddu, Aimee Byrne, Anthony James Robinson

Datasets

In this study, a thermal-economic analysis was conducted to determine the optimum insulation thickness of retrofitted insulation walls in different regions in Ireland. This was based on the Heating Degree Day method (HDD). This dataset contains optimum insulation thickness, payback period, cost savings and carbon emission for all 25 counties in the Republic of Ireland

Fem Eem Dataset: Optimising Retrofitted Insulation For Irish Residential Building Walls, Rakshit D. Muddu, Aimee Byrne, Anthony Robinson Dr.

Datasets

A large number of combinations of Irish wall types, insulation materials, and heating fuel types were produced to compare the multiple variables which influence Optimal Insulation Thickness values. The total cost (TC) and carbon emission (CE) at optimum insulation thickness (OIT) for all combinations of insulation material and three types of fuel are considered. The dataset presents OIT for solid wall, cavity wall and cavity block wall types located in Monaghan, Dublin, and Kerry.

Frequency Analysis Of A New Empirical Model To Predict Underwater Transmission Loss During Impact Pile Driving, Mariam S. Makoleo

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the years, anthropogenic noise generated by pile driving activities has increased, posing a significant concern for marine organisms and their ecosystems. This study aims to entail a comprehensive frequency analysis of a new empirical model to predict underwater transmission loss during impact pile driving. To achieve this objective, extensive data collection was undertaken, and spectral and frequency analyses were conducted to examine the frequency content and attenuation patterns of the sound. The results of the study reveal that sound attenuation is frequency-dependent. Notably, low frequencies, typically below 100 Hz, and very high frequencies, approximately 10 kHz, were found to …

Accessing The Relative Sustainability Of Point-Of-Use Water Disinfection Technologies Through Costs And Environmental Impacts, Bright C. Elijah

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

According to the World Health Organization, 785 million people lack access to basic drinking water facilities, and 144 million people rely on surface water which is prone to microbial contamination. Point-of-use (POU) water disinfection technologies can be adopted to help address these issues by treating water at the household level; however, navigating various POU disinfection technologies for a given water source or location can be difficult. While numerous conventional POU technologies exist (e.g., boiling water, POU chlorination), new emerging POU technologies (e.g., using novel materials or advanced processes) have been coined by developers to be lower cost with higher treatment …

Optimizing Sample Collection And Data Interpretation For Effective Wastewater-Based Epidemiology In Combined Sewer Systems, Christopher Allen Anderson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

COVID-19 has spurred growth in the science surrounding wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) pertaining to the detection of severe acute respiratory virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in waste streams as an early warning signal for public health. However, the highly variable wastewater environment has made it difficult to standardize an approach for sampling and analysis, especially in locations using combined sewer infrastructure. This study addresses knowledge gaps of WBE via three specific aims: (1) to compare diurnal fluctuations of SARS-CoV-2 and the human fecal indicator, pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) influent samples collected during dry versus wet weather conditions; …

Concentrated Wastewater Treatment Using A Ferric Iron-Dosed Anaerobic Upflow Sludge Blanket Reactor For Recovery Of Phosphorus And Ammonium, Carley E. Shingleton

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study evaluated the performance of a novel, ferric iron-dosed anaerobic bioreactor to recover two separate nutrient products from concentrated wastewaters -- phosphorus as vivianite (Fe₃(PO₄)₂×8H₂O) and an ammonium-containing effluent with low organics. A bench-scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor fed with a synthetic wastewater (458.0 mg/L total organic carbon, 282.7 mg/L ammonium, and 84.4 mg/L phosphate) was dosed with a ferric chloride solution at an org. C/Fe³⁺ molar ratio ~17.5 to facilitate organic carbon oxidation coupled to iron reduction. The reactor design allowed natural settling of vivianite to its …

Study Of Capillary Channel Fiber Augmented Geobags For Accelerated Dewatering Of High Moisture Content Fine-Grained Acid Mine Drainage Precipitate, Luke William Daugherty

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this study was to investigate techniques to accelerate filtration and dewatering of Acid Mine Drainage precipitate using geobags augmented with Capillary Chanel Fibers and internal lateral drainage structures. Laboratory and field research investigated increasing the total solids retention of Acid Mine Drainage precipitate in geobag storage systems. Current geobag design and field application of treated AMD precipitate exhibits limited filtration and drainage efficiency due to the high moisture content (2500%) polymer amended AMD flocculated solids. Capillary channel fibers (CCFs) are geosynthetic yarns formed with microgrooves and set into bundled arrangements capable of wicking water, via capillary action, …

Leveraging Data Science To Promote Sustainable Resource Recovery From Organic Waste Streams In Rural Regions, Mohammed Tamim Zaki

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Conventional organic waste management practices such as landfilling contribute to global warming and degrade environmental and human health. Alternatively, organic waste can be treated to recover energy, nutrients, and carbon through resource recovery technologies. Data science could benefit such technologies by improving their efficiency through data-driven process modeling along with reducing environmental and economic burdens via life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic analysis (TEA), respectively.

A critical review of 616 peer-reviewed articles published during 2002–2022 was conducted on the use of data science methods in resource recovery from organic waste. Although applications of machine learning (ML) methods have drastically increased …

A Literature Analysis Of Microgrid Optimization Studies, Izzy Medeiros

Honors Theses and Capstones

Senior civil engineering student, Izzy Medeiros, is presenting her honors thesis in the form of a literature analysis. Her research involved investigating existing microgrid studies and where there are current gaps in the knowledge. About 40 publications written within the last 20 years were analyzed for their research goals, optimization objectives, and microgrid design, pointing to where this research is currently lacking. Most real studies were conducted in Asia, as Southeast Asia has island communities that need the reliability of a renewable microgrid during extreme weather events. Photovoltaic panels in combination with wind turbines comprise the most common configuration of …

Blowdown Wastewater Co-Treatment With Produced Water For Resource Recovery: Moving Towards Zero Liquid Discharge And Sustainable Waste Management, Mohammad Hafez Ahmed

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cooling of low-pressure steam and flue gas desulfurization (FGD) process at coal-fired powerplants often require large quantities of freshwater and can generate waste streams from the blowdown (BD) operations. Treating these wastewaters for reuse can offset the freshwater demand, which is beneficial especially in semiarid and arid regions. However, the traditional treatment (i.e., chemical softening and evaporation) of cooling BD water (BDW) is chemical- and energy-intensive and adds to the overall costs of water management for powerplants. Furthermore, the updated Effluent Limitation Guidelines and Standards for powerplants set forth by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) …

Investigating The Effectiveness Of Microplastic Removal And The Relationship Between Microplastics, Bacterial Communities, And Nitrogen Cycling In The Natural Treatment Systems At The Arcata Wastewater Treatment Facility, Fiona Connor

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This thesis addressed two challenging aspects of microplastic research, including the quantification of microplastics in organic-rich water, and the investigation of how microplastics impact microorganisms and related nutrient-cycling. Two projects were designed and executed to address specific research objectives relating to these broad topics. The first objective was to develop and implement methods to determine the effectiveness of microplastic removal across the natural treatment systems at the Arcata Wastewater Treatment Facility (AWTF). The second objective was to observe how microplastics found in domestic wastewater impact the bacterial communities and nitrogen cycling in freshwater treatment wetland sediment through a bench-scale experiment, …

A Network Of Low-Cost Multi-Pollutant Air Quality Sensors For Evaluating Fine-Scale Exposure Disparity In Twin Cities, Mn, P M Varuni Abhayaratne

Masters Theses

"Poor air quality is detrimental to health and is a leading environmental risk factor for early death globally. The massive scale of urbanization and population growth has led urban air quality to become a global concern as the release of air pollutants into the atmosphere continues to increase. Air quality has traditionally been monitored using reference-grade monitoring stations that are expensive and sparsely distributed. Low-cost sensors can complement existing regulatory networks to provide more spatial detail, capturing fine-scale variations. This study investigates spatiotemporal pollutant patterns, exposure disparities and environmental justice using data collected from a two-year (2019-2021) deployment of a …

Rapid-Throughput Analysis Of 1,4-Dioxane In Plants By Centrifugal Sampling And Phytoforensic Analysis For Site Delineation And Assessing Enhanced Rhizodegradation, Anthony Eberechukwu Oha

Masters Theses

"Owing to its broad use and environmental persistence, 1,4-dioxane (dioxane) poses a notable threat to public health and is recalcitrant to traditional remedial systems. Dioxane moves readily in an aqueous environment and is an emerging contaminant in drinking water, surface water, groundwater, and wastewater. The extent of dioxane in the biosphere is also difficult to delineate, particularly in the subsurface. Phytoremediation has demonstrated the potential for dioxane groundwater remediation. Recent findings indicate that plant-microbial symbiosis may be more advantageous for limiting potential transport and transfer into plant tissues and the atmosphere. Bioaugmentation of the rhizosphere paired with soil amendments has …

Faceted Nanomaterial Synthesis, Characterizations And Applications In Reactive Electrochemical Membrane Filtration, Qingquan Ma

Dissertations

Facet engineering of nanomaterials, especially metals and metal oxides has become an important strategy for tuning catalytic properties and functions from heterogeneous catalysis to electrochemical catalysis, photocatalysis, biomedicine, fuel cells, and gas sensors. The catalytic properties are highly related to the surface electronic structures, surface electron transport characteristics, and active center structures of catalysts, which can be tailored by surface facet control. The aim of this doctoral dissertation research is to study the facet-dependent properties of metal or metal oxide nanoparticles using multiple advanced characterization techniques. Specifically, the novel atomic force microscope-scanning electrochemical microscope (AFM-SECM) and density functional theory (DFT) …

Bioremediation Of Petroleum Hydrocarbons In Coastal Sediments, Charbel Abou Khalil

Dissertations

The biodegradation of dispersed crude oil in the ocean is relatively rapid (a half-life of a few weeks). However, it is often much slower on shorelines, usually attributed to low moisture content, nutrient limitation, and higher oil concentrations in beaches than in dispersed plumes. Another factor may be the increased salinity of the upper intertidal and supratidal zones since these parts of the beach are potentially subject to prolonged evaporation and only intermittent inundation. Therefore, two laboratory experiments are conducted to investigate whether such an increase in porewater salinity results in additional inhibitory effects on oil biodegradation in seashores.

In …

Design, Concept, And Visualization Of Urban Multi-Level Growing Table Systems In Hyper Urban Areas, Aaryan Manoj Nair, Shaheed Mohammed, Omar Rahama

Publications and Research

As of a 2019 study conducted by the National Urban Gardening Program (National Urban Gardening Program), urban farming accounts for approximately 19% of the total national farming output and is expected to triple to almost 45% by 2025. There is intensive research being conducted on aspects of reduced recidivism, communal health benefits, natural carbon capture systems, improved urban ecology and the necessity for reducing the carbon footprint of food, (informally dubbed “food miles”) there is little substantive research on optimisation, and maximation of crop productivity in hyper-urban areas.

The purpose of this report is to understand the functionalities of urban …

Reduction Of Embodied Carbon In Buildings Through Use Of Low Carbon Strategies And Standardization And Enforcement Of Life Cycle Assessment, Bhargavi Sai Sudhakar

Master's Projects and Capstones

The building and construction industry is energy intensive and as of 2021, this industry is responsible for 37% of the total global greenhouse gas emissions. In previous studies of conventional buildings, the operational energy of a building contributed to 80% and the embodied energy contributed to 20% of the total life cycle energy. With increase in policies and standards that focus on reducing the operational energy, low energy and certified green buildings have emerged where the operational energy has considerably reduced. The relative and absolute share of embodied energy in these energy efficient buildings have increased due to excessive use …

Polyelectrolyte Functionalized Forward Osmosis For Water Reclamation From Synthetic Spacecraft Wastewater, Alina Ripp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This study investigated the application of a polyelectrolyte (PE)-assisted metallic iron nanoparticle-integrated forward osmosis (FO) membrane to treat synthetic spacecraft wastewater comprising urea, ammonium carbonate, and linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS). The draw solution (MgSO4) diluted via the FO operation was further treated using a nanofiltration (NF) membrane aimed at producing potable quality water by the FO-NF hybrid process. A cellulose triacetate FO membrane was functionalized by layer-by-layer deposition of polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAH) and polyacrylic acid (PAA) followed by incorporating zero valent iron nanoparticles (ZVINP) within the "bilayers". It required 14 bilayers to ensure a uniform coating as demonstrated via scanning …

The Combined Impact Of Redcedar Encroachment And Climate Change On Water Resources In The Nebraska Sand Hills, Yaser Kishawi, Aaron R. Mittelstet, Zablon Adane, Nawaraj Shrestha, Paolo Nasta

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The Nebraska Sand Hills (NSH) is considered a major recharge zone for the High Plains Aquifer in the central United States. The uncontrolled expansion of the eastern redcedar (Juniperus Virginiana) under climate warming is posing threats to surface water and groundwater resources. The combined impact of land use and climate change on the water balance in the Upper Middle Loup River watershed (4,954 km²) in the NSH was evaluated by simulating different combination of model scenarios using the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. A total of 222 climate models were ranked according to the aridity …

Nucleation-Accumulation Mode Trade-Off In Non-Volatile Particle Emissions From A Small Non-Road Small Diesel Engine, Indranil Brahma, Odinmma John-Paul Ofili

Faculty Journal Articles

Small (< 8 kW) non-road engines are a significant source of pollutants such as particle number (PN) emissions. Many small non-road engines do not have diesel particulate filters (DPFs). They are so designed that air–fuel ratio (AFR) can be adjusted to control visible diesel smoke and particulate matter (PM) resulting from larger accumulation mode particles. However, the effect of AFR variation on smaller nucleation mode nanoparticle emissions is not well understood. Several studies on larger engines have reported a trade-off between smaller and larger particles. In this study, AFR was independently varied over the entire engine map of a naturally aspirated (NA) non-road small diesel engine using forced induction (FI) of externally compressed air. AFR’s ranged from 57 to 239 compared to the design range of 23–92 for the engine, including unusually high AFR’s at full-load operation, not previously reported for conventional combustion. As expected, larger accumulation mode particles were lowered (up to 15 times) for FI operation. However, the smaller nucleation mode nanoparticles increased up to 15 times. Accumulation mode particles stopped decreasing above an AFR threshold while nucleation particles continuously increased. In-cylinder combustion analysis showed a slightly smaller ignition delay and higher burn rate for FI cases relative to NA operation. Much higher peak cylinder pressures were accompanied by much lower combustion and exhaust gas temperatures (EGT), due to higher in-cylinder mass during FI operation. Peak nucleation mode emissions were shown to be negatively correlated to EGT for all the data, collapsing on a single curve. This is consistent with some other studies reporting increased nucleation mode emissions (and higher accumulation mode particles) with decreased load, lower speed, lower EGR, advanced combustion phasing, and higher injection pressure, all of which reduce EGT. The nucleation-accumulation trade-off has been explained by the ‘adsorption hypothesis’ by some investigators. In the current work, an alternative/supplemental argument has been made for the possibility that lower cylinder temperatures during the late-burning phase (correlated to lower EGT) phase hampers oxidation of nucleation mode particles and increases nucleation mode emissions.