Digital Commons Network^™

Re: Approval Letter For The Final Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Butte Treatment Lagoons (Btl) Groundwater Treatment System Quarterly Operation And Maintenance Report – Quarter 1 2024 (Dated August 14, 2025), Emma Rott

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Revised Draft Final 2022 Unreclaimed Sites Sampling: Ur-22 Site Evaluation Summary Report, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Revised Draft Final 2022 Unreclaimed Sites Sampling: Ur-12 Site Evaluation Summary Report, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Coupled Machine Learning Models: Combining Observations And Numerical Analysis In A Physics-Regularized Approach, Austin B. Schmidt

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates surrogate modeling for fixed-location environmental forecasting using novel data-combination techniques. The work surveys the landscape of observational measurements and numerically generated data, identifying similar research and gaps in current methodologies. The ratio-coupled training framework is introduced to combine two data sources per predicted feature through a tunable parameter that weights training signal strength. An optimization scheme is developed to simultaneously tune surrogate weights and the coupled signal ratio, allowing relative influence between signals to act as an explicit regularizer. Three case studies demonstrate the methodology and approach in a variety of contexts. The first study is based …

Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting From Roadways: Challenges, Advances, And Future Directions, Heba Gaber, Mohamed Abdelraheem

Faculty Publications

As the global demand for renewable energy intensifies, piezoelectric energy harvesting from roadways has emerged as a promising avenue for sustainable power generation. This systematic literature review analyzes 61 peer-reviewed studies to assess the feasibility, performance, and potential of integrating piezoelectric systems into roadway infrastructure. While technology faces challenges, such as high installation costs, limited energy output, and a scarcity of thorough economic evaluations, findings suggest it holds considerable promise as a supplementary renewable energy source. The review analyzes the operational characteristics and efficiencies of various piezoelectric transducers, identifies key factors influencing system performance, and evaluates recent technological advances. It …

Quantification Of Trace Metal(Loids) In The River Seaton, Cornwall, Uk And The Influence Of The South Caradon Mine On Ecological Risk, Bjorn Piñol

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Freshwater quality is critical to the health of aquatic ecosystems and human water security, yet anthropogenic activities, such as historic mining, continue to degrade aquatic systems. While extensive research has examined metal contamination in major rivers like the River Tamar, smaller tributaries affected by legacy mining remain understudied. This study investigates trace metal contamination and its controlling factors in the River Seaton, Cornwall, a small river influenced by historic mining from the South Caradon Mine. Water samples collected from four study sites along the river gradient and a reference site at Siblyback Lake were subjected to ICP-MS analysis and physico-chemical …

Collective Agency And Community Resilience Among Farmworkers In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Angel Velazquez

Theses and Dissertations

This research assesses how farmworkers in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas use everyday practices to build resilience and adapt to changes in their lives. I apply two interconnected theories, White’s (2017, 2019) framework of collective agency and community resilience and Castro and Sen’s (2022) framework of everyday adaptation actions, to study these practices. I conducted 19 semi-structured interviews with Latino farmworkers and professionals who work with local farmworker organizations in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) of Texas. Interview transcripts were analyzed to determine if and how Latino farmworkers in the RGV can work towards community resilience and implement …

Determination Of An Effective Natural Boxelder Bug (Boisea Trivittata) Repellent, Reyna Chavez

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the use of ecofriendly repellant alternatives to pest management to control boxelder bugs (Boisea trivittata). This bug gathers by the thousands on warm surfaces of exterior suburban homes during early fall and late spring. I determined bug repellency to turmeric oil (Curcuma longa), catnip (Nepeta cataria), citronella (Cymbopogon nardus), and lavender (Lavandula angustifolia). The treatments consisted of essential oils containing 20% methanol. All treatments demonstrated repellency of Boxelder bugs. Citronella was the most effective and had the highest level of repellency range of 90-99%. Catnip was the least effective with a repellency range of 63-82%.

Interactive Effects Of Nutrient Loading And Hyposalinityon The Physiological Responses Of The Red Macroalga Gracilaria Tikvahiae, Donavuan Vincent Salazar

Theses and Dissertations

Coastal macroalgae face anthropogenic stressors such as nutrient enrichment from nitrogen fertilizers and reduced salinity linked to flooding. The physiological impacts of these combined stressors remain unclear. This study examined interactive effects of nitrogen loading and hyposalinity on Gracilaria tikvahiae through a 9‑day laboratory experiment. Samples experienced declining salinity (35–0 ppt) with nitrate or ammonia enrichment (120 µmol/L). Measurements included primary production, respiration, biomass, nitrate uptake, and chlorophyll‑a. Hyposalinity significantly reduced physiological performance, with gross primary production declining over 100%, chlorophyll‑a content 25–45% lower, biomass loss, and reduced nitrogen uptake. Nitrogen enrichment failed to mitigate the adverse impacts under hyposaline …

Groundwater Arsenic Contamination In The Oro Grande Wash, Dalila Boice

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study investigates the distribution of naturally occurring arsenic in groundwater within the Oro Grande Wash in San Bernardino County, California. Depth-discrete groundwater quality data were collected over multiple years using nested and Westbay monitoring wells. Water quality results showed higher levels of arsenic in the deeper aquifers, ranging between 600 feet and 1,000 feet below ground surface. Arsenic levels in these regions reached as high as 66 µg/L. At roughly 800 feet and below, water quality data from the wells reveal that arsenic concentrations exceeded the 10 µg/L maximum contaminant level (MCL) in 87% of cases. These data provide …

Benthic Infaunal Responses To Shoreline Restoration, Jessica Lauren Cline

Theses and Dissertations

In the age of increasing urban coastal sprawl, natural shorelines are being replaced by hard armoring structures, which result in the loss of valuable ecosystem services. Hybrid living shorelines, areas that include limited and less intensive armoring strategies paired with the integration of plants and other natural materials, present an opportunity to marry the need for more aggressive stabilization with the continued preservation of ecosystem functions and biological communities. This project uses benthic infauna to evaluate the success of a living shoreline installation in Palm Bay, Florida. The deployment features experimental treatments of breakwaters and red mangroves to explore how …

Data-Driven Evaluation Of Sustainable Waste-To-Energy Pathways For Intelligent Urban Systems, Izech Brian O. Edwin, King Harold A. Recto

Electronics, Computer, and Communications Engineering Faculty Publications

The handling of municipal solid waste (MSW) in swiftly urbanizing Philippine cities poses intricate energy and governance challenges. In Baguio City, reliance on landfills has reached critical levels due to diminishing capacity, rising transport costs, and opposition to trash transfers by nearby LGUs. Although shaped by unique topographical and governance constraints, Baguio’s situation reflects issues faced by other rapidly growing Philippine cities; therefore, analyzing it offers insights for national MSW decision-making. This study applies a triple bottom line (TBL) framework to assess three management scenarios: (1) Status Quo, where all MSW is landfilled with no energy recovery; (2) Landfill with …

Engineering Risk And Indigenous Resilience Toward Intelligent Decision Support For Mining In Ancestral Lands, Izech Brian O. Edwin, King Harold A. Recto

Electronics, Computer, and Communications Engineering Faculty Publications

Mining within ancestral territories reveals an ongoing conflict between technical viability and Indigenous consent. This collaborative study, conducted by an engineering scholar and a policy researcher of Indigenous heritage in Benguet among the Ibaloi and Kankanaey peoples, investigates how risk transparency and policy alignment can bridge existing divides, while formulating principles applicable to other Indigenous mining contexts. The study provides an initial evaluation of the feasibility of a proposed large-scale mining operation within a risk-informed, data-driven governance framework. Three elements of engineering risk were assessed utilizing literature-derived and proxy parameters: (1) Land degradation is indicated by a Soil Productivity Index …

Mountain Communities During A Time Of War: A Case Study Of The Hutsul Region In The Carpathian Mountains Of Ukraine, Pavlo Rybaruk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the ethno-ecological technologies employed by the Hutsul people within the highland agrarian economy of the Carpathian Mountains. Over centuries, the Hutsuls have developed ethno-ecological technologies that maintain ecological integrity while supporting community livelihoods.

The study addresses three primary research questions: What are the most important ethno-ecological technologies of the Hutsul highland economy? How might these traditional ethno-ecological practices be applied to economic, agricultural, and tourism development in the Hutsul region? How might these traditional ethno-ecological practices be combined with contemporary approaches to encourage sustainable development in the region?

The research explores the devastating impact of the Russian …

Draft Final 2022 Insufficiently Reclaimed Sites Sampling: Bres No. 50 – Zelia Site Evaluation Summary Report, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Final Butte Treatment Lagoons (Btl) Groundwater Treatment System Routine Operations, Maintenance, And Monitoring (Om&M) Plan, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

The Transition Zone Hypothesis On Biodiversity Of The Indian River Lagoon System, Florida, Richard L. Turner

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The Indian River Lagoon System (IRL) is regarded as having a high level of biodiversity. The level of biodiversity is often attributed in part to the 2-degree latitudinal span (251 km) of the IRL and to its position in a transitional zone between tropical and temperate biotic provinces. This hypothesis was tested for submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) based on a recent treatise (Littler, Littler, and Hanisak, 2008). Five of seven species of seagrass are tropical, and two have either a broad or very narrow latitudinal distribution; the transition-zone hypothesis does not hold for seagrasses. Most macroalgae (131 spp.) are tropical/subtropical; …

Occurrence Of Per And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances In Rural Wastewater Treatment Plants And Comparison To Large Treatments Plants, Madeleine Rauhauser

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of compounds defined by their carbon – fluorine bonds, which are incredibly strong. The strength of this bond makes these compounds very useful industrially, they are used as waterproof and grease proof coatings, and as fire retardants. The same thing that makes them useful industrially makes them incredibly recalcitrant in the environment, it is difficult to destroy these compounds. PFAS are also suspected to cause health impacts in people, such as kidney cancer and low birth weights. Wastewater has been commonly identified as a contributor to the amount of PFAS in the …

Detecting Prescribed Fire, Haying And Grazing Events Via Remote Sensing To Create Grassland Disturbance Landcovers For The Ring-Necked Pheasant (Phasianus Colchicus), Megan Amy Baldissara

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation developed disturbance detection models to fulfill the need for remote sensing landcover products describing grassland structure. The use of landcover products derived from remote sensing is increasing over time in pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) research. Such landcover, however, does not provide relevant pheasant structural habitat information (Chapter 1). Pheasants require tall, high-density grassland for nesting, tall grassland with medium density for brood rearing, and tall grassland for wintering. Time since disturbance can serve as a proxy for structure, as it shapes vegetation by removing biomass and resetting succession. Disturbance is easier to detect than structure with current …

Effect Of Planting Date, Insecticide Efficacy, And Hail Injury On Soybean Gall Midge (Resseliella Maxima Gagné) Infestation In Soybean, Natasha Hiromi Umezu

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Resseliella maxima Gagné (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) is a recently described and economically significant pest of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) in the Midwestern United States. Since its identification in 2019, this species has become widespread and is now associated with substantial yield losses in parts of the region. Prior to its formal description, orange larvae were observed in soybean associated with plants damaged by hail, suggesting that plant injury may influence infestation. Given the pest’s economic importance, understanding the role of hail injury and developing effective, integrated management strategies are critical for mitigating its impact.

Field studies were conducted to …

Clark Tailings Consolidated Waste Management Area (Ctcwma) Site Investigation Final Data Summary Report 2019 Surface Water, Groundwater Seep, And Soil Characterization 2021-2023 Surface Water And Groundwater Seep Evaluation 2023 Waterloo Aps Soil And Groundwater Evaluation, Woodard & Curran

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Final Quarterly Operations And Maintenance Report Butte Treatment Lagoon System – Second Quarter 2024, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Wildfire Smoke And Public Health: Comparing 2023 Canadian Wildfire Events With Hospital Admissions In Douglas County, Nebraska, Jeremy Poell

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Wildfires are becoming increasingly common in Canada and the United States. Smoke produced from these fires creates a multitude of air pollution constituents that can cause breathing and other health issues for humans, particularly those with asthma and other respiratory conditions. Of these pollutants, PM2.5 (particulate matter that is 2.5 microns or smaller) is particularly problematic as these particles are inhaled deep into lung tissue, where they create inflammation and oxidative stress. Poor air quality can also trigger asthma and respiratory issues, leading to an increase in emergency department admissions for breathing treatments. The goal of this study is to …

Final Quarterly Operations And Maintenance Report Butte Treatment Lagoon System – First Quarter 2024, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Re: Approval Letter For The Final Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Butte Treatment Lagoons (Btl) Groundwater Treatment System Quarterly Operation And Maintenance Report – Quarter 2 2024 (Dated August 19, 2025), Emma Rott

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Re: Comment Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Butte Treatment Lagoons (Btl) Groundwater Treatment System Quarterly Operation And Maintenance Report – Quarter 2 2025 (Dated September 30, 2025), Emma Rott

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Re: Approval Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit Clark Tailings Consolidated Waste Management Area 2019-2023 Data Summary Report And Response To Epa Comments (Dated September 24, 2025), Emma Rott

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Draft Final 2022 Insufficiently Reclaimed Sites Sampling: Bres No. 16 Site Evaluation Summary Report, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Draft 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.

Revised Draft Final 2022 Unreclaimed Sites Sampling: Ur-06 Site Evaluation Summary Report, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.