Digital Commons Network^™

Microplastic Contamination In Table Salt: A Study Of Consumer Behavior In Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, Sk Abid Md Saad, Faijunnesa Rashid, Maisha Miskat, Mukul Chandra Sarker, Arman Khan, Mustafizur Rahman

Applied Environmental Research

Plastic particles resulting from the breakdown of bigger plastics may be introduced directly as micro- and nano-sized particles polluting the marine ecosystem, including ocean-extracted table salt. This study investigated the presence of microplastic (MP)-like particles in table salt from Bangladesh, focusing on both locally refined and commercially branded varieties. Local salt samples from Sadar and Moheshkhali Sub-district of Cox’s Bazar contained an average of 23.4 and 12 particles kg-1, respectively. In contrast, no particles were detected in commercial brands, likely due to their complex refining processes. The study also explored factors influencing local salt consumption, finding it influenced by the …

Assessment Of Total Petroleum Carbon And Heavy Metals Of Some Selected Plants Grown In Crude Oil Polluted Soils Using Gc-Fid, Pius O. Adah, Ndem E. Edu, Reagan B. Agbor, Henry B. Kogbara

Applied Environmental Research

This study was focused on assessing the phytoremediation potentials of some selected plant species on crude oil contaminated soils. Five plant species were cultivated in soils polluted with crude oil at 10, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mg kg-1. The results revealed that there were significant reduction in THC contents of soil ameliorated with the various plants species compared to the control group increases with increasing concentration of crude oil pollutant in soil. THC was 62.24 mg kg-1, 1,120 mg kg-1, 208.67 mg kg-1, 257.87 mg kg-1 and 2,762.79 mg kg-1 for R. simplex, P. balfouriana, K. pinnata …

Study Of Solar Collector Potential In Thailand Using Computational Fluid Dynamics Approach, Phongpapop Kitisomkiat, Varudom Siri, Benjapon Chalermsinsuwan, Kejvalee Pruksathorn

Applied Environmental Research

Due to the proximity of Thailand being near the equator, there is a significant potential for harnessing an excess amount of solar energy using a solar collector. The solar collector harvests solar energy by acting as a passive heat exchanger, receiving solar energy, and transferring it to a fluid medium to be further utilized. This study presents the analysis of temperature outlet and pressure drop of a solar collector in Thailand, utilizing Earth’s geological location, date, and time for solar energy calculations and employing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to predict the collector’s efficiency. The CFD approach offers a reduction in …

Food Waste From Catering Services In Thai Hotels: A Composition Analysis And Practical Guidelines For Effective Utilization, Patranit Srijuntrapun, Patinya Sukwong

Applied Environmental Research

Food waste from the hotel sector is a significant contributor to the overall volume of food waste, particularly in restaurants and food services through various processes. However, precise data on food waste generated by the hotel industry is lacking. This study aims to quantify and characterize the food waste generated during the preparation and serving processes in hotel catering, with the goal of finding efficient solutions to reduce food waste that are appropriate for the hotel and catering sectors. The study presents novel findings that among the different types of catering, dinner-style buffets (DB) generate the highest amount of food …

Analysis Of Sediment-Discharge Hysteresis With The Interaction Of Hydrologic And Landscape Factors In The Upper Ping And Nan River Basin, Thailand, Soklin It

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Understanding landscape and climate influences on sediment transport is critical for managing river basins sustainably. This study investigates hydrological-sediment dynamics in the upper Ping and Nan River Basins in northern Thailand. The research focuses on three objectives: (1) identifying types and temporal trends of hysteresis between discharge and sediment concentration (Q–SSC); (2) quantifying interactions among hydrological and vegetation variables using Principal Component Analysis (PCA); and (3) analyzing structural relationships among climate, vegetation, and sediment transport through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Hysteresis analysis revealed significant spatial and temporal variability in sediment dynamics. The Ping River Basin (stations P.75, …

Reducing Food Scarcity: The Benefits Of Urban Farming, S.A. Claudell, Emilio Mejia

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Urban farming can enhance the lives of communities and help reduce food scarcity. This paper presents a conceptual prototype of an efficient urban farming community that can be scaled for a single apartment building or an entire community across all global geoeconomics regions, including densely populated cities and rural, developing towns and communities. When deployed in coordination with smart crop choices, local farm support, and efficient transportation then the result isn’t just sustainability, but also increasing fresh produce accessibility, optimizing nutritional value, eliminating the use of ‘forever chemicals’, reducing transportation costs, and fostering global environmental benefits.

Imagine Doris, who is …

Development Of Scope Of Services For Procurement Of Professional Consultant Services On Transportation Projects – A Study Of South Carolina Department Of Transportation, Ajay Jadhav

All Dissertations

Project Scoping Process (PSP) is one of the significant steps that starts at the very beginning of the project life cycle. During project initiation phase, project scoping is kicked off which includes documenting a list of project-specific goals, deliverables, tasks, costs, and deadlines. The scoping phase duration depends on the project complexity and involves various stakeholders, establishing team, confirming the project purpose and need, initiating the environmental revie process, determining the level of environmental documentation and permit requirements, conducting survey, identifying project risks and tools to mitigate them, and evaluating public involvement strategies. A well-defined PSP is therefore essential for …

Investigation On Mechanical, Tribological And Corrosion Resistance Properties Of Nano Sized Tio2/ Corrosion Resistance Properties Of Nano Sized Tio2/ B4c / Graphene Reinforced Aa 7075 Surface Composites B4c / Graphene Reinforced Aa 7075 Surface Composites Fabricated By Frictional Stir Processing Fabricated By Frictional Stir Processing, Majed Mohammed Hotami

Theses and Dissertations

Today, significant research efforts in the field of manufacturing engineering are focused on developing new lightweight, fuel-efficient and high-performance materials. The evolution of composite materials and related technologies has brought great advantages to material development throughout history. Composites are versatile materials with unique mechanical and physical properties tailored to specific application needs. Composites allow engineers to make design choices that traditional monolithic (unreinforced) materials cannot offer. Particle Reinforced Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs) offer a variety of advantages, including increased stiffness, improved fatigue resistance, increased wear resistance, and a low coefficient of thermal expansion. Aluminum MMC (AMMC) material systems outperform monolithic …

Sustainable Engineering Education Embedded Curricula Research Project, Anthony Edward Smith, Alfredo Soeiro, Ragna Ann Berge, Tamer Atabarut, John Atkinson, Patricia Caratozzolo

Research Papers

A previous conference paper with case study report findings began this research so as to inform and be of use to the International Association for Continuing Engineering Education (IACEE) institutions and its membership on the importance of embedding sustainability in all engineering education courses from the beginning to the end of the Degree and beyond into Continuing Engineering Education (CEE) . This present project continues to qualitatively research and investigate the extent to which and how Engineering Learning Curricula (ELC) incorporate and embed sustainability as central to the future work practice of all engineers. Specifically, as the project takes a …

I-Guide Climbers: A Model For Multidisciplinary Academic Labs For Early Career Development, Iman Haqiqi, Wei Hu, Ramya Kumaran, Pin-Ching Li, Nicholas Manning, Alex Michels, Ayman Nassar, Jinwoo Park, Jimeng Shi, Adam Tonks, Zhaonan Wang

I-GUIDE Forum

In this paper, we propose a new form of multidisciplinary academic collaboration that goes beyond the traditional modes of knowledge exchange. We argue that most research collaboration today is based on interactions between closely related disciplines, in which researchers share data, methods, and insights within a common framework or problem. However, such collaboration may not foster the development of the communication and management skills essential to a multi-disciplinary research career. Therefore, we suggest establishing a network of researchers from divergent, yet complementary, disciplines who are interested in improving these skills through regular interactions and feedback. The main goal of this …

Multi-Factor Optimization Of Bio-Methanol Production Through Gasification Process Via Statistical Methodology Coupled With Genetic Algorithm, Amin Hedayati Moghaddam, Morteza Esfandyari, Dariush Jafari, Hossein Sakhaeinia

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

This work innovatively explores the bio-methanol production process, conducts comprehensive analyses, develops statistical models, and optimizes operational conditions, contributing valuable insights to the field of sustainable energy production from biomass. Accordingly, bio-methanol production from biomass through gasification route was investigated and simulated using Aspen Plus software. The effects of operational parameters on energy duty of gasification reactor and the methanol production rate in syngas to methanol reactor were investigated. The parameters affecting the process performance including temperature, pressure, and steam/feed ratio were examined using the response surface methodology (RSM) by central composite design (CCD) technique. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was …

Multi-Factor Optimization Of Bio-Methanol Production Through Gasification Process Via Statistical Methodology Coupled With Genetic Algorithm, Amin Hedayati Moghaddam, Morteza Esfandyari, Dariush Jafari, Hossein Sakhaeinia

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

This work innovatively explores the bio-methanol production process, conducts comprehensive analyses, develops statistical models, and optimizes operational conditions, contributing valuable insights to the field of sustainable energy production from biomass. Accordingly, bio-methanol production from biomass through gasification route was investigated and simulated using Aspen Plus software. The effects of operational parameters on energy duty of gasification reactor and the methanol production rate in syngas to methanol reactor were investigated. The parameters affecting the process performance including temperature, pressure, and steam/feed ratio were examined using the response surface methodology (RSM) by central composite design (CCD) technique. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was …

Full Program Proceedings For 2023 Kentucky Water Resources Symposium, Kentucky Water Research Institute

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Package Types On Fresh Peaches In The Direct-To-Consumer Distribution Environment, Brennan Lytle

All Theses

The direct-to-consumer (DTC) shipping mode presents new opportunity for fresh peach sales in North America where demand over the past four decades has steadily declined. The hazards in this distribution mode are severe, and fresh peaches are fragile emphasizing the need for proper protection. A full analysis that not only encompasses the effects of the direct-to-consumer distribution environment, but also incorporates analyses of the environmental and economic impact of the packages utilized for transit of peaches is necessary. In this study, we use the metrics of peach grade, firmness, soluble solids concentration, and percent softness before and after the distribution …

The Effect Of Deployment And Optimal Dispatch Of Shared Electric Shuttles On The Energy Efficiency Of Campus Transit, Robert Smith

All Theses

A problem facing most public transit systems is low energy efficiency and the continued cycling of large transport vehicles such as buses at low occupancy when low demand for transport exists, wasting energy to no benefit. To remedy this issue, we propose a hybrid system consisting of existing diesel buses and automated electric shuttles to augment the system during off-peak hours. Due to their smaller size, higher occupancy, and more efficient powertrains, these shuttles could reduce the system energy used per passenger-mile-traveled. Automation removes the labor cost of drivers and, thus, eliminates the need to employ more drivers for the …

Integrating Sensor Development, Risk Assessment, And Community Engagement To Support Environmental Justice In The Rural Community Of El Tiple, Colombia, David Bahamon Pinzon

All Dissertations

In Colombia, ethnic communities have traditionally been responsible stewards of natural resources. They recognize the importance of these resources for their livelihood, as well as their ancestral and cultural heritage. El Tiple, a rural Afro-Colombian community, has been affected by the incursion of private corporations that promoted the expansion of sugarcane monocrops in their territory. Since the introduction of the monoculture industry, local freshwater sources have been depleted due to intensive water use for irrigation of the sugarcane crops. Additionally, the intensive usage of agrochemicals has been linked with loss of native flora, damages to family farms, and pollution of …

Spectral Characterization Of Fouled Railroad Ballast Using Hyperspectral Imaging, Eberechi Ichi, Sattar Dorafshan

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

The presence of fouling contamination in railroad ballast is a growing concern that causes deterioration, poor drainage functionality, and early failure of railroad components. Evaluation and characterization of fouled ballast are crucial for determining and monitoring fouling content (FC) and moisture content (MC) in ballast. However, human inspection, destructive testing, filed sampling, and most available nondestructive evaluation methods (NDE) for inspection purposes pose safety risks, undermine the stability of the railroad substructure, or provide limited information about the condition of the ballast. This study presents the results of the spectral characterization of laboratory ballast samples using hyperspectral imaging (HSI) sensor. …

Evaluation Of Static Horizontal Louvers On Annual Daylighting Performance In Classrooms, Kamal A. Saleem, Samir S. Hosny, Ashraf Nessim

Future Engineering Journal

Daylighting has a great impact on students’ health, learning performance, and productivity. The goal of this paper is to enhance daylighting performance by examining year-round daylighting performance of Southern facades in the case of one central window in a classroom located in Cairo, Egypt by using static external horizontal shading devices during the Fall, Spring and Summer semesters The scope of the study is to evaluate and assess the effect of the window-to-wall ratio (WWR) in addition to the louvers’ configurations of depth and count parameters of the classroom on annual daylighting performance metrics for classrooms’ southern facades by using …

Plant Stem Undergraduate Symposium, David Britt

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Mitigating Landslide Hazards In Qena Governorate Of Egypt: A Gis-Based Neutrosophic Paprika Approach, Nabil M. Abdelaziz, Safa Al-Saeed

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

This paper presents a novel approach to landslide susceptibility assessment in the Qena Governorate, Egypt, integrating the neutrosophic Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) method, the Potentially All Pairwise RanKings of all possible Alternatives (PAPRIKA), and the ArcGIS weighted overlay technique. The research focuses on the quantification and prioritization of eight criteria: slope, aspect, proximity to road, soil type, proximity to river, land cover, elevation, and Lithology. These factors are evaluated under the uncertainty and indeterminacy of the neutrosophic environment by employing the PAPRIKA method. The results of the analysis are visualized and interpreted using ArcGIS weighted overlay, offering spatially explicit insights into …

Increasing The Impact Of Utah State University's Extension Water Check Program With 5-Second Metering, Mahmud Aveek, David E. Rosenberg, Camilo Bastidas, Jeffery S. Horsburgh, Belize A. Lane, Kelly Kopp, Peter Mayer, Joe Fazio

Reports

Study Goal – Increase the volume of water saved by the Utah State University (USU) Extension landscape Water Check program because outdoor water use is the largest component of residential use with the largest opportunity to reduce use. We used 5-second water use data collected with Flume Smart Home Water Monitoring devices (Figure 1) at residential homes before and after a Water Check (Box 1; Figure 2) to answer four questions:

1. How much water did households save?
2. Which Water Check recommendations did participants implement?
3. Why did participants implement some recommendations and not others?
4. How to further reduce landscape water use?

Teaching Learning Newsletter Vol 3 Issue 2, Sastra Deemed To Be University

TLC Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Using Machine Learning And Distributed Hydrologic Modeling To Predict Soil Texture, Surface Soil Moisture And Evapotranspiration In Jornada Experimental Range, Southwestern U.S., Jorge Andres Mayo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In water-limited ecosystems, detailed knowledge of the soil, vegetation, and atmosphere interactions is critical to understand the processes that control the partitioning of energy, water fluxes, and biogeochemical cycles within the critical zone. This Master's thesis is divided into two main contributing sections. The first, is on the use of machine learning to reconstruct missing soil type information, and the second, on the calibration and validation of a physically-based distributed hydrological model to estimate soil moisture and evapotranspiration within the Jornada Experimental Range of the U.S. in southern New Mexico. For the first contribution, three explainable, shallow machine-learning techniques are …

Surface Characterization Of Low-Density Polyethylene Mulch, Risha Shah

Materials Engineering

Plastic pollution in aquatic systems has traditionally been highlighted in past and current research due to the increase in plastic production every year. Unfortunately, quantitative and qualitative data regarding plastic pollution on land systems such as agricultural mulch is limited. Agricultural mulch breaks down into macroplastics and then degrades into microplastics. The microplastics investigated in this study are all secondary microplastics: microplastics that form due to weathering of larger fragments of plastic. Weathering can occur due to a variety of factors; however, UV radiation and mechanical weathering have been the factors of focus on most current research in microplastic formulation. …

Synthesis Of Biomass-Based Graphene Nanomaterials For Aqueous Heavy Metal Removal And Cement-Based Composite Property Enhancement, Tharindu N. Karunaratne

Theses and Dissertations

Utilizing biomass such as lignin, bamboo, soybean, corn stalk, rice husk, etc., as a carbon source to produce graphene-based nanomaterials has been reported recently. However, the potential of using such nanomaterials for engineering and environmental applications has not been realized. This dissertation investigates the use of graphene-based nanomaterials synthesized from using biomass as a carbon source for water remediation and cement-based composites’ (CBCs) property enhancement.

The first chapter introduces graphene and graphene-based nanomaterials, as well as the synthesis and application of graphene-based nanomaterials for removing heavy metals in an aqueous solution and for property enhancement in CBCs. The experimental investigation …

Du Undergraduate Showcase: Research, Scholarship, And Creative Works, Caitlyn Aldersea, Justin Bravo, Sam Allen, Anna Block, Connor Block, Emma Buechler, Maria De Los Angeles Bustillos, Arianna Carlson, William Christensen, Olivia Kachulis, Noah Craver, Kate Dillon, Muskan Fatima, Angel Fernandes, Emma Finch, Colleen Cassidy, Amy Fishman, Andrea Francis, Stacia Fritz, Simran Gill, Emma Gries, Rylie Hansen, Shannon Powers, Jacqueline Martinez, Zachary Harker, Ashley Hasty, Mykaela Tanino-Springsteen, Kathleen Hopps, Adelaide Kerenick, Colin Kleckner, Ci Koehring, Elijah Kruger, Braden Krumholz, Maddie Leake, Lyneé Alves, Seraphina Loukas, Yatzari Lozano Vazquez, Haley Maki, Emily Martinez, Sierra Mckinney, Audrey Mitchell, Kipling Newman, Audrey Ng, Megan Lucyshyn, Andrew Nguyen, Stevie Ostman, Casandra Pearson, Alexandra Penney, Julia Gielczynski, Tyler Ball, Anna Rini, Christina Rorres, Simon Ruland, Helayna Schafer, Emma Sellers, Sarah Schuller, Claire Shaver, Kevin Summers, Isabella Shaw, Madison Sinar, Claudia Pena, Apshara Siwakoti, Carter Sorensen, Madi Sousa, Anna Sparling, Alexandra Revier, Brandon Thierry, Dylan Tyree, Maggie Williams, Lauren Wols

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

DU Undergraduate Showcase: Research, Scholarship, and Creative Works

Development Of Carbon Emission Assessment Tool Towards Promoting Sustainability In Cal State La, Arezoo Khodayari, Soumya Puvvada, Jamaie M. Scott, Chandra Mouli Rotta, Geeth Sekhar Chadalawada, Jivar Afshar, Carlos D. Linares, Brad Haydel

CSU Journal of Sustainability and Climate Change

The great demand for the burning of fossil fuels has greatly increased greenhouse gases (GHG) concentrations in the atmosphere. An increase in the atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases produces a positive climate forcing or warming effect [EPA, Climate Change Indicators]. Therefore, mitigation of GHG concentrations is important to prevent long-term impacts on the environment. On April 4, 2016, California State University, Los Angeles signed the most comprehensive of Second Nature’s three Climate Leadership Commitments, the Climate Commitment. Following this commitment, California State University, Los Angeles, set the ambitious goal of operational carbon neutrality by the year 2040. To assist California …

The Santa Clara, 2023-05-05, Santa Clara University

The Santa Clara

No abstract provided.

Effect On Focusing Fields By Ferromagnetic Cell Cores In Linear Induction Accelerators, Cooper Guillaume

Senior Honors Theses

In the Los Alamos National Laboratories DARHT facility, there are two perpendicular linear induction accelerators, LIAs. The LIAs’ solenoids produce magnetic fields which focus the electron beam. Simultaneously, the accelerating pulse creates a magnetic field. These two field intensities act upon a ferromagnetic material in the cells to enhance magnetic flux density. Due to the nonlinearity of the material, this flux density will reach a saturation point. In turn, the magnetic field intensity of the axial solenoidal magnetic field will be affected and slightly altered. The width of the electron beam will increase, causing a decrease in effectiveness. Through simulation, …

Preconstruction Support Cost Hours Estimating On Caltrans Pavement Rehabilitation Projects, Nigel Blampied, Tariq Shehab, Elhami Nasr, Laxmi Sindhu Samudrala

Mineta Transportation Institute

Because the construction phase accounts for the majority of project costs for pavement rehabilitation projects, most research on infrastructure project cost estimating focuses on that phase, rather than on the preconstruction phases. Nevertheless, costs incurred prior to construction, referred to in this report as "preconstruction costs" are significant and worthy of consideration (See Section 2.1 of the report for a more detailed and precise definition of preconstruction). In the 20202021 fiscal year, for instance, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) spent more than $169 million on preconstruction work for pavement rehabilitation projects. This report presents the results of a study …