Environmental Engineering Commons^™

A Transdisciplinary Approach To Advancing Water Security And Public Health: The “Nurse + Engineer” Model For Achieving Sustainability In Wash Systems Using Community-Based Participatory Research, Daniel B. Oerther, Sarah Oerther

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Human health is linked to the health of the environment, a concept referred to as planetary health. As environmental challenges become increasingly complex, single-disciplinary approaches are insufficient to achieve sustainable solutions. This article presents a transdisciplinary framework, termed the "Nurse + Engineer" model, as a novel methodology for addressing complex problems at the nexus of environmental engineering and public health. The model integrates the technical design and systems-level thinking of environmental engineering with the community-based, patient-centered care of nursing. This work details the key lessons learned from the retrospective application of this framework to a series of multi-year, community-based participatory …

Element-Based Predictive Modeling Of Hydrothermal Liquefaction Bioproducts Derived From Corn Stover, Isamu Umeda, Meicen Liu, Yi Zheng, Jiefu Wang, Zhiwu Wang, Sandeep Kumar

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

The hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) process offers an energetic advantage over pyrolysis because it does not require prior drying of the biomass feedstock. However, there are significant challenges in simultaneously estimating both the yields and characteristics of products from the HTL of biomass with theoretical support. This study developed a unique element-based kinetic model to predict the yields, higher heating values, and fuel characteristics of solid residue and heavy bio-oil, based on the temperature, residence time, solid loading, and elemental composition (C, H, N, and O) of corn stover. Furthermore, the model predicted the weights of dissolved carbon and nitrogen in …

Nonstationary Spatial Correlation Of Earthquake Ground Motions In California, Pengfei Wang, Busra Bocekli, Junhui Yang, Scott J. Brandenberg, Jonathan P. Stewart

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Assessing seismic risk to spatially distributed infrastructure systems requires realistic representations of spatially correlated ground motions. Existing models for the spatial correlations of ground motions rely on strong second-order stationarity assumptions, under which the correlation structure is assumed to be invariant across space, potentially masking regional variations. Because repeatable site and path effects can vary spatially, the resulting correlation structure is likely to be nonstationary. We propose a nonstationary spatial correlation method that captures geographically varying correlation decay behavior. We compute site-to-site Pearson correlations of within-event residuals using earthquakes recorded at both sites in each site pair and model the …

Modeling Hepa Filter Media Performance And Evaluation Of Filtration Leak Test Success, Daniel M. Abraham, Steven J. Eckels, Shahin N. Amiri

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

This research presents a cost-effective microscale modeling analysis of high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter media. We analyzed leak-free and leaking media with known leak sizes. A three-dimensional fibrous model with non-homogeneous fiber diameters (0.2–2 µm) and a packing density of 7.5% was developed to replicate a HEPA filter sheet (H14) microstructure. The objective was to simulate and analyze the pressure drop and collection efficiency of nanofibrous media for aerosol particles with a diameter of d_p ≤ 0.5 µm. The results were compared to prior experimental and theoretical models, exhibiting a high level of agreement with pressure drop and efficiency …

Assessing Dissolved Organic Matter Sources And Dynamics In Urban Stormwater: Implications For Greenhouse Gases, Harper W. Schmalz

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Stormwater management ponds (SWMPs) are important aspects of land-use planning and increasingly recognized as active sites of biogeochemical processing that influence carbon cycling; however, little research has investigated the controls on dissolved organic and dissolved inorganic carbon (DOC and DIC) within these systems. This thesis examined the processing and transformations of dissolved carbon between three compartments to support the development of a greenhouse gas (GHG) box-model for urban stormwater ponds, including SWMP sediment, surface water, and vegetation. The objective of this thesis was to assess the biogeochemical processes that govern the rate and transformation of DOC and DIC between these …

Roadway Runoff Impacts To Trout Streams Studies For Ms4 Permit, Jobayed Hossain Badhan

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Roadway runoff from Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) highway infrastructure poses measurable, but temporally constrained threats to cold-water trout ecosystems in northern Georgia. This study investigates temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) dynamics in three secondary trout streams receiving GDOT roadway discharges, with the primary objective of evaluating compliance with Georgia Rule 391-3-6-.03(6)(ii),(v) under the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit framework. Field monitoring was conducted from April 2024 through October 2025 across two consecutive summer seasons using a tiered, multi-instrument approach: YSI ProDSS handheld grab sampling provided regulatory-grade reference measurements; HOBO MX-801 optical DO dataloggers recorded continuous 5-minute-interval temperature …

Generating Boundary Conditions For Compound Flood Modeling In A Probabilistic Framework, Pravin Maduwantha Mahanthe Gamage

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Flooding in coastal riverine environments is often driven by the combined influence of multiple hydrometeorological flood drivers, including storm surge, rainfall, waves, and river discharge, which is referred to as compound flooding. A robust flood hazard assessment requires simulation of a wide range of flood driver conditions through dynamic compound flood models to capture the variability in resultant flooding. However, such assessments remain limited by the short length of observational records and the high computational cost of physics-based methods used to generate temporally varying boundary conditions. This dissertation develops a statistical framework to characterize compound flood drivers and generate large …

Low-Energy Co2 Sequestration Via Palm Waste Biochar Activated With Carbide Lime For Mineral Carbonation Of Industrial Wastes, Maisa El Gamal, Ameera F. Mohammad, Basim Abu-Jdayil, Imen Ben Salem, Suhaib Hameedi

All Works

A sustainable method for enhancing CO₂ capture and sequestration was developed by accelerating the carbonation of alkaline industrial wastes using carbide lime-activated biochar (BC(CLW)), an alkaline by-product of acetylene production. The biochar was produced from palm tree waste through slow pyrolysis at 400 °C, followed by activation with carbide lime slurry to enhance its alkalinity, surface basic sites, and reactivity toward CO₂. Three industrial residues, namely ladle furnace slag (LF), baghouse dust (BH), and cyclone silo dust (CD), were blended with 0, 5, 7, and 10 wt. % BC(CLW) and carbonated under ambient conditions. Characterization by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier-transform …

Feasibility Study Of Concurrent Removal Of Organics And Ammonium Using An Iron Dosed Upflow Anaerobic Sludge-Blanket Bioreactor, Morgan Elizabeth Amos

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Aerobic microbial reactions have commonly been utilized in treatment processes to oxidize and remove organics and nitrogen through aeration, using processes such as nitrification that converts ammonium (NH₄⁺) into nitrite (NO₂^-) and nitrate (NO₃^-). Anoxic microbial reactions like denitrification often require organic compounds as an external source to chemically reduce the oxidized nitrogen (NO₃^- and NO₂^-) to nitrogen gas (N₂) for nitrogen removal from the liquid phase. These mainstream processes have a high chemical cost and energy footprint which results in an increased release …

Temporal Patterns Of Storm Surges: Event-Identification, Clustering, And Count Modeling, Ariadna Martin Oliva

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Coastal regions face compounding risks when extreme events strike in rapid succession, yet most statistical frameworks treat such events as independent, a simplification that can critically underestimate hazard. This thesis addresses that gap through three interconnected contributions focused on the temporal clustering of storm surges at the global scale. A new automated method is developed to extract independent storm surge events from continuous tide gauge records. By leveraging event correlations and a soft-margin approach that accounts for local variability, the method identifies characteristic event durations across 1,485 global tide gauge stations, revealing the influence of both local site conditions and …

Soil Texture And Organic Matter Influence Hydraulic Performance Of Stormwater Infiltration Systems Across Antecedent Moisture Conditions, Laura E. Andrade Barron

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Stormwater infiltration systems are widely used to improve urban stormwater management by promoting drainage and groundwater recharge while treating nonpoint source pollution such as nutrients in surface runoff. Nutrient removal and hydrologic performance of these systems are closely coupled and both are dependent on characteristics of underlying soils. In this study, laboratory flow-through experiments were conducted using 30 intact cores taken from six soil types with different textures (0.99-16.63% clay content) and organic matter contents (OMC 0.44-93.3%). Measured cumulative fluxes from laboratory experiments were used to calibrate numerical models simulating flow through porous media (HYDRUS-1D). Calibrated models were used to …

Assessment Of Emissions Factors For Produced Water And Other Atmospheric Liquid Storage Tanks On Natural Gas Sites, David Glenn Childs

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As the US natural gas (NG) sector continues to grow, concerns have increased regarding the effects and increasing volume of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere. While NG is a cleaner burning fuel than diesel and gasoline, unburned methane (CH₄) has a global warming potential (GWP) 27-30 times that of carbon dioxide (CO₂). To better quantify CH₄ emissions on NG sites, the US Department of Energy (DOE) granted West Virginia University (WVU) funding to collect direct measurements at well sites and compressor stations.

In this work, a total of 18 sites, including controlled and uncontrolled …

Evaluation Of Engineering Controls In Mitigation Of Fecal And Chloride Contamination To An Urban Stream, Gabriel J. Zenny

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Fecal coliform contamination is a major contributor to surface water pollution in the United States’ (U.S.) waterways, whether from combined sewer overflows (CSOs) (point source pollution), runoff from precipitation and snowmelt (nonpoint source pollution), or exfiltration from aging and failing infrastructure. In addition to fecal bacteria, chloride contamination is also a major, prevalent surface water contaminant impacting U.S. waterways. Chloride contamination is predominantly released into U.S. waterways as nonpoint source pollution, endemic to northern areas that use industrial brine and salt as a form of mitigation for ice accumulation on roadways. The purpose of this research was to investigate impairment …

Sustainable Nutrient Management Opportunities For Small Communities In The U.S. With Lagoon Wastewater Treatment Systems, Denis Sigei Ruto

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Lagoon wastewater treatment systems are among the most widely used secondary treatment technologies serving small and rural communities in the United States due to their low capital and operating costs, minimal energy requirements, and operational simplicity. While effective for removal of organic matter and suspended solids, most lagoon systems were not designed to achieve advanced nutrient removal. As regulatory priorities increasingly emphasize control of total nitrogen and total phosphorus to protect receiving waters and public health, lagoon-dependent communities face growing compliance challenges. These challenges are exacerbated by aging infrastructure, limited technical capacity, financial constraints, and insufficient infrastructure data, highlighting the …

Using Aqueous Geochemistry Of Acid Mine Drainage To Spatially Investigate Concentrations Of Rare Earth Elements Throughout West Virginia, Pennsylvania, And Maryland, Elyssa Lynn Allen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Rare earth elements (REEs) are an important commodity utilized in many industries such as electronics, defense, manufacturing, medicine, and green energy production. A lack of economical domestic sources forces the United States to import a majority of its supply, and incentivizes novel methods of acquisition. Mining regions of the United States, such as Appalachia or the West, are afflicted with acid mine drainage (AMD) impacted surface waters. REEs occur in varying concentrations within coal seams, indicating that coal and its waste are potential avenues of recovery that might also incentivize the remediation of coal impacted areas. Understanding spatial and geochemical …

Synergistic Removal Of Microplastic Fibres: Integrating Chitosan Coagulation In Hybrid Water Pre-Treatment Systems, Jayasuriya Arachchilage Nimesha Thathsarani

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Microplastic fibres (MPFs) are the most prevalent form of microplastics detected in the influents of water and wastewater treatment plants. Owing to their elongated shape and low density, MPFs frequently evade removal even during tertiary processes such as membrane filtration. Enhancing pretreatment, particularly through cost-effective coagulation-flocculation can reduce the treatment burden on downstream systems. However, conventional inorganic coagulants often necessitate high dosages and can leave residual ions, posing environmental concerns.

As a sustainable alternative, the use of environmentally friendly coagulants such as Chitosan has gained attention for MPF removal. While Chitosan exhibits favourable qualities, its practical application is hindered by …

Green Connectivity In Metropolitan Jabodetabek: Climate Change And The Challenge Of Urban Forest, Safira Maharani Putri, Hendricus Andy Simarmata

CSID Journal of Infrastructure Development

Urban areas in Indonesia, particularly the Greater Jakarta metropolitan region (Jabodetabek), are increasingly experiencing the adverse effects of climate change, such as the Urban Heat Island (UHI) phenomenon. Rapid urbanization has contributed significantly to rising greenhouse gas emissions and deteriorating environmental quality. Urban forests are one of the key solutions to mitigate these impacts; however, their spatial distribution in Jabodetabek remains suboptimal and poorly connected. This study uses NDVI as a proxy for urban forest density, where “urban forest” refers to vegetated areas within cities as defined by Presidential Regulation No. 60/2020. The research addresses the following question: How has …

Enhancing Health And Safety Practices In Construction Site In Developing Nations Through Technology Advancement In South Western Nigeria, Mubaraq Lawal, Abba Mahmud, Ismail Gbolahan Dere, Thankgod Agbo Owoicho

CSID Journal of Infrastructure Development

The construction sector plays a critical role in urban development and economic growth, yet it continues to face major challenges that threaten worker health and safety. Traditional safety measures are not always sufficient for the complex conditions found on construction sites, which creates a need for technology‑based solutions. This study investigates the relationship between technology adoption and health and safety practices in the construction industry in Lagos, Nigeria. The study identifies the major causes of site accidents, examines the level of technology use on construction sites, and reviews existing literature through both primary and secondary data. Primary data were collected …

Evaluating Stormwater & Carbon Benefits Of Urban Street Trees, Anthony J. Rodriguez Diaz

Theses

Urban areas experience a multitude of environmental challenges, including flooding and air pollution. In response to these pressures, urban forests have emerged as an essential nature-based strategy to enhance resilience and reduce climate-related risks. The implementation and expansion of urban street trees further contribute to this effort by mitigating stormwater runoff and reducing atmospheric carbon emissions.

Fortunately, advances in environmental modeling have made it increasingly possible to quantify these ecosystem services using specialized software. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service's i-Tree suite exemplifies this progress. The software provides a comprehensive set of tools designed to quantify environmental …

Efektivitas Dan Keberterimaan Madcom Noise Protection Sebagai Alat Pelindung Pendengaran Berbasis Perlindungan Ganda, Ahmad Athif Wahyu Ramadhan, Yamtana Yamtana, Naris Dyah Prasetyawati, Sigid Sudaryanto

National Journal of Occupational Health and Safety

Industrial environments often generate high noise levels due to the continuous operation of machinery and production equipment. Persistent exposure to workplace noise exceeding the Threshold Limit Value (TLV) can lead to noise-induced hearing loss. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 430 million people worldwide require rehabilitation for hearing impairment, with 109.4 million of these cases occurring in Southeast and Central Asia. As a critical component of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) management, noise control is often implemented using Hearing Protection Devices (HPDs). This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an earplug-earmuff combination, developed as Madcom Noise Protection, …