Digital Commons Network^™

Final 2022 Insufficiently Reclaimed Sites Sampling: Bres No. 96 – Washoe Dump Site Evaluation Summary Report, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Real And Perceived Barriers To Effective Use Of Cataract Surgical Supplies, Caitlin Davie, Lindsay K. Cloud, Scott Burris, Shaina Shiwdin, Brooke Sherry, Christina R. Prescott, Joel Schuman, David Palmer, David Chang, Daniel Parra, Cordelia Kwon, Margaret A. Tharp, Cassandra L. Thiel

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

INTRODUCTION: Cataract surgery, among the most common procedures worldwide, significantly contributes to climate change through both solid waste and air pollution, highlighting the urgent need for targeted interventions. Implementation faces hurdles including legal constraints and concerns about infection risks and malpractice.

METHODS: This article examines federal and state regulatory structures around two key waste reduction strategies: reduction of multidose medications and distribution of partly-used operating room medication to patients post-surgery.

RESULTS: We find little-to-no legitimate regulatory barriers to either waste reduction practice. Dispensing and redistributing partly-used medication has been codified in law in some states. Evidence-based reports indicate minimal risks …

Engineering Ferrate(Vi) For Water And Wastewater Treatment: Translating Science Into Technology, Zepei Tang, Zhenli He, Yang Deng

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Over the past five decades, ferrate(VI) (FeO42–) for water and wastewater treatment has remained largely at the laboratory scale, with limited pilot- and full-scale implementation. This gap between sustained research and scarce real-world deployment places the technology in the Valley of Death─a high-risk stage of development─and highlights the need for an engineering-centric approach to enable practical application. This article presents an engineering framework to guide the development and translation of ferrate(VI) technology for water and wastewater treatment. From a system perspective, ferrate(VI) technology comprises three core subsystems: generation, treatment, and solid–liquid separation. Technology maturity depends on both the advancement of …

Heavy Metal In Water Resources, Zuming Bi, Jeanne Sumrall

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Heavy metal pollution in surface water has posed a serious threat to human health. The goals of this research are to analyze the concentration and distribution of key heavy metals and compare the measured values with global standards. This study analyzed major heavy metals like Fe, Mn, Cu, Pb, and Ag across several test points in Kansas and converted them to standard units mg/L. Based on the statistical graph, heavy metal iron and manganese levels are exceeded USEPA and WHO limits several times,  while other heavy metals stay in the safe range. The results indicate that the pollution in Kansas …

Groundwater Nitrate Contamination In Western Kansas, Sihui Wei

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Groundwater nitrate contamination is a significant environmental concern in agricultural regions of the United States. In Kansas, nitrate concentrations in some groundwater systems approach or exceed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maximum contaminant level of 10 mg/L. This study analyzes nitrate concentration data from groundwater samples in western Kansas, with a focus on the High Plains aquifer, where agricultural activity is intensive. Using data analysis and regression methods, spatial patterns in nitrate distribution were identified. Results indicate that nitrate concentrations vary across sampling locations, with higher levels generally associated with regions of intensive agricultural activity. Several sites approach or exceed …

Modelling The Temporal Dynamics Of Microsporidia Mb Prevalence In Anopheles Mosquitoes Under Environmental Variability, Charlène N. Mfangnia, Matteo Pedercini, Henri E. Tonnang, Jeremy K. Herren

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Releasing Microsporidia MB-positive mosquitoes is being investigated as a promising component of Integrated Vector Management (IVM) strategies for malaria control. In this study, we developed a System Dynamics model to replicate the observed interactions between humans, mosquitoes, the Plasmodium parasite, and the symbiont MB. The model accounts for the impact of environmental variables - such as humidity, rainfall, and temperature - on mosquitoes, Plasmodium, and MB, using exogenous inputs derived from daily climatic observations (rainfall, relative humidity, and temperature) recorded during the mosquito field surveys. We calibrate the model using data collected from Ahero in Kenya, available for 3 years …

Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) 2026 Monthly Progress Report. Consent Decree For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit. Civil Action No. Cv 89-039-Bu-Seh, Josh Bryson

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Investigating The Effect Of Kcl Stress In Raphanus Sativus, Mason P. Oelke

ATU Scholars Symposium

Presented by Stephanie Nelms at the Arkansas INBRE Conference on November 7-8, 2025.

Presented by Mason Oelke at Arkansas Tech Scholar's Symposium on April 9th, 2026.

Potassium is an essential macronutrient for plant growth and development, yet excessive potassium fertilization can induce salt stress with detrimental consequences for crop productivity and nutritional quality. Despite its agricultural relevance, potassium chloride induced stress remains significantly understudied compared to classical sodium-based salinity. This thesis investigates the physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses of Raphanus sativus to KCl stress using an integrated approach that combines germination assays, mineral profiling, and gene expression analysis.

Radish seeds …

2024 Bpsou Stormwater Evaluation And Maintenance Report Annual Stormwater Report For Bpsou Stormwater Structures, Butte-Silver Bow Department Of Reclamation And Environmental Services

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

2022 Bpsou Stormwater Evaluation And Maintenance Report Annual Stormwater Report For Bpsou Stormwater Structures, Butte-Silver Bow Department Of Reclamation And Environmental Services

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

2023 Bpsou Stormwater Evaluation And Maintenance Report Annual Stormwater Report For Bpsou Stormwater Structures, Butte-Silver Bow Department Of Reclamation And Environmental Services

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

2024 Bpsou Stormwater Evaluation And Maintenance Report Annual Stormwater Report For Bpsou Stormwater Structures, Butte-Silver Bow Department Of Reclamation And Environmental Services

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

2023 Bpsou Stormwater Evaluation And Maintenance Report Annual Stormwater Report For Bpsou Stormwater Structures, Butte-Silver Bow Department Of Reclamation And Environmental Services

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

2023 Bpsou Stormwater Evaluation And Maintenance Report Annual Stormwater Report For Bpsou Stormwater Structures, Butte-Silver Bow Department Of Reclamation And Environmental Services

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

2022 Bpsou Stormwater Evaluation And Maintenance Report Annual Stormwater Report For Bpsou Stormwater Structures, Butte-Silver Bow Department Of Reclamation And Environmental Services

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

2024 Bpsou Stormwater Evaluation And Maintenance Report Annual Stormwater Report For Bpsou Stormwater Structures, Butte-Silver Bow Department Of Reclamation And Environmental Services

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Unequal Recovery: Climate Gentrification And The Marginalization Of Southern Urban Communities In Disaster Relief, Ryan Simone Anderson '26

Honor Scholar Theses

Increases in the severity and frequency of natural disasters in the United States have highlighted the vast inequalities that low-income communities must be prepared to face and rapidly recover from. In the Southern US, this dilemma is prevalent, with a higher risk of flooding, hurricanes, and tornadoes due to increased exposure to natural disasters and climate-related events. These climate-induced issues have revealed a connection between environmental risks and socio-economic vulnerability. Climate gentrification occurs when lower-income communities are displaced to hazardous or vulnerable areas, while wealthier communities relocate to safer, more protected areas. Well-documented, large-scale disasters such as Hurricane Katrina (2005) …

Sandag’S Regional Climate Action Planning, San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative, Brenda Castruita

San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative

The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) is the regional planning agency responsible for transportation planning, public transit development, and environmental planning in the San Diego metropolitan area.1 Beyond these focus areas, SANDAG aims to promote sustainable growth, enhance mobility, and improve the quality of life of local citizens through comprehensive planning and collaboration with local governments, communities, and various partners. SANDAG is governed by a Board of Directors made up of elected officials from each of the region's local city councils and County Board of Supervisors. In addition to developing plans for how people and goods will move …

Monitoring Koyna Dam Displacements Using Persistent Scatterer Interferometry, Sara Zouriq, Gehan Hamdy, Amr Fawzy, Rejoice Thomas, Hesham El-Askary, Eehab Khalil, Mohamed Elsayad, Tarik El-Salawaky

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Monitoring dam stability is critical to ensure structural safety and operational reliability. This study integrates Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) based on Sentinel-1 SAR imagery (2020–2023) with Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations to assess the behavior of the Koyna Dam in India. PSI detected crest displacements between −1.0 and −1.8 mm yr−1, while FEM simulations predicted a maximum vertical displacement of approximately −3.2 mm at the crest. Although these results represent different quantities (time-averaged displacement rates versus peak static displacement), both approaches indicate millimeter-scale deformation and a consistent pattern of settlement at the dam crest, supporting the interpretation of hydrologically driven …

Morphology, Phylogeny And Distribution Of Scaeurgus (Cephalopoda: Octopoda) In Southeast Pacific Seamounts, Sergio A. Carrasco, Christian M. Ibáñez, Andrea I. Varela, Jan M. Tapia-Guerra, Erin E. Easton, Javier Sellanes

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Octopuses of the genus Scaeurgus inhabit upper bathyal benthic habitats and are composed of five recognized species. In this study, we conducted morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses of two individuals of Scaeurgus and provided additional field observations of the genus in seamounts of the Nazca and Salas y Gómez ridges (southeast Pacific Ocean) over the last six years. Specifically, two specimens of Scaeurgus were collected at 234 m depth in 2019 during the EPIC oceanographic cruise onboard the R/V Mirai (JAMSTEC, Japan), and five other specimens were video recorded at depths between 210 and 340 m during three oceanographic expeditions …

Assessing Environmental Changes Before And After The 2018 Kilauea Eruption In Leilani Estates, Hawaii, Rokeya Akter Liza

Scholars Week

The 2018 Kilauea eruption in Hawaii significantly impacted the natural landscape, especially in the Leilani Estates region. The aim of this study was to analyze and compare the environmental conditions of before and after eruption by applying remote sensing techniques. Landsat 8 satellite imagery was used for two different time periods as before the eruption (February 2018) and after the eruption (March 2019). ERDAS Imagine was used to process these images to evaluate the changes in vegetation and land cover. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was calculated for both pre- and post-eruption images to evaluate vegetation changes. Higher NDVI …

Re: Comment Letter For Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit Draft Leak Detection Monitoring Plan (Dated February 2026), Emma Rott

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Research Status And Development Trend Of Acidification And Permeability Improvement Technology For Low-Permeability Coal Seam, Shaochuan Chen, Yun Lei, Fuchao Tian, Jie Kang

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Low-permeability coal seams in China are often characterized by mineral-clogged pore-fracture systems, severely limiting coalbed methane (CBM) extraction efficiency. Acidification technology, which involves injecting acidic solutions into coal seams to dissolve minerals and enhance permeability, has emerged as a promising approach. This paper systematically reviews the mechanisms, laboratory findings, and field applications of acidification technology for permeability enhancement in low-permeability coal seams. Key findings include significant improvements in pore connectivity, reductions in gas adsorption capacity, and enhanced gas extraction rates post-acidification. Field tests demonstrate that acid fracturing can increase gas extraction volume by 4-7 times. The study also identifies current …

Re: Conditional Approval Letter For Revised Clark Tailings Consolidated Waste Management Area (Ctcwma) Site Investigation Data Summary Report 2024 And Response To Epa Comment Letter (Dated February 24, 2026), Emma Rott

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Climate Change On Competition And Recovery From Disturbance In An Iconic Marine Community, Lauren Tibbits

Senior Theses

This paper explores how the recovery of populations of Semibalanus balanoides is affected by climate variation. In intertidal marine ecosystems, larval recruitment is important in shaping all ecological processes. S. balanoides is a cold-water barnacle species that is competitively dominant over Chthamalus montagui and C. stellatus, two warm-water species. This competitive interaction is well studied, though it is not understood how that competition influences the recovery of S. balanoides after a disturbance nor how this process varies over a temperature gradient. 19 sites were studied across the United Kingdom, spanning from northern Scotland to southwestern England. At each site, a …

A Guide To Environmentally Sustainable Filmmaking In South Carolina, Christina Vera Dobrowolski

Senior Theses

The entertainment industry has a massive environmental impact. This information is not new in the filmmaking world, as multiple mainstream efforts exist to curb the material-intensive production of live action films and TV. One of these efforts is the use of voluntary sustainable guidelines, which serve as tools that outline sustainable best practices and resources that can help achieve them. However, current guidelines often lack practicality— focusing more on altruism rather than core economic factors that ultimately drive filmmaking. This project aims to address that gap for filmmakers in South Carolina by offering a website featuring attainable, state-specific resources for …

Navigating Sustainable Burial In Southern Nevada, Kristen Gibson

Calvert Undergraduate Research Awards

Navigating Sustainable Burial in Southern Nevada investigates the accessibility of environmentally conscious end-of-life options for individuals throughout the region. Sustainable burial practices, including green burial, water cremation, and natural organic reduction, provide alternatives to traditional burial and cremation methods. Research was conducted through an analysis of Nevada statutes, local reporting, funeral service resources, and public discussions related to sustainable burial. The research revealed that although Nevada expanded legal recognition of sustainable burial by legalizing natural organic reduction, public access to clear information and available services remains limited. These findings informed the creation of a choose-your-own-adventure booklet designed to translate legal …

Policy Design, And The Repeal Of Ghana’S Emissions Levy Act: A Multiple Streams Framework Analysis, Anthony Amotoe-Bondzie

Collected Student Papers

Ghana’s 2023 Emissions Levy Act (Act 1112) imposed charges on large industrial emitters and vehicles, intending to internalize pollution costs and raise government revenue. This study applies to Kingdon’s Multiple Streams Framework (MSF) to explain the policy’s rapid repeal. Drawing on legislative texts, official reports, and media accounts, it categorizes influences into the problem (rising living costs), policy (design features), and politics (stakeholder mobilization) streams. Key findings reveal that the levy’s mixed design, a per-ton CO₂ fee on industry combined with a flat vehicle ownership tax, undermined its climate rationale and appeared more as a revenue grab. Implementation gaps exacerbated …

Closing The Loop In Sustainable Fashion: Recycling Textile Waste And Its Environmental, Social, And Consumer Impacts, Anthony Amotoe-Bondzie

Collected Student Papers

Fast fashion has intensified textile waste, emissions, and social inequities across global supply chains. This study examines sustainable fashion frameworks and the role of textile recycling in advancing circularity. It employes a qualitative integrative literature review synthesizing interdisciplinary research on waste streams, recycling technologies, policy instruments, and consumer behavior. However, advanced recycling technologies offer environmental benefits but remain limited in scale. Nonetheless, rising consumption offsets efficiency gains, while economic and behavioral barriers hinder systemic change. Technological innovation alone is insufficient; circular design, regulatory enforcement, and reduced overproduction are essential for sustainable transformation.

Corporate Fiduciary Duties And The Climate And Biodiversity Crisis, Eric W. Orts, Sandra G. Schafhäutle

Michigan Journal of Environmental & Administrative Law

This Article argues that addressing one of the most urgent environmental challenges facing humanity today—the global climate and biodiversity crisis—calls for a transformation at the heart of corporate law: its fiduciary duties. After demonstrating how current corporate fiduciary duties are implicated in this crisis, we argue for reform of fiduciary duties operating at two levels: those governing directors and officers of business corporations, and those governing institutional investors and asset managers. We then distinguish between two general kinds of corporate fiduciary duties: permissive and mandatory. We contend that corporate law should accommodate a more expansive understanding of fiduciary duties by …