Engineering Commons^™

Assessing Phosphorus-Transport From Biosolids Land Application Sites In Utah, Mohan K. Kumar

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Phosphorus Site Index (PSI) is a phosphorus transport assessment tool used to estimate the risk of P transport from soils. Various components, such as soil erosion, P fertilizer application rate, plant available P in soil, etc. that have an influence on P transport from a site, are weighted and given ratings, and a combination of these components are expressed as PSI. This study has considered two biosolids land application sites in Utah, which received biosolids amendments over time, to develop a specialized PSI for the state of Utah.

Phosphorus from land application of biosolids has been considered a potential risk …

Measuring The Removal Of Trichloroethylene From Phytoremediation Sites At Travis And Fairchild Air Force Bases, Heather A. Klein

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Past use of trichloroethylene (TCE) as a degreasing solvent for aircraft maintenance has resulted in widespread groundwater contamination at Air Force Bases around the world. Travis AFB in California and Fairchild AFB in Washington are evaluating phytoremediation as a treatment option, since trees have been reported to take up dissolved TCE from shallow groundwater and volatilize it to the atmosphere while enhancing the volatilization of TCE from surrounding soil. Previous studies generally focused on the identification of removal mechanisms. The emphasis of this research was to quantify total TCE removal from phytoremediation demonstration plots at Travis and Fairchild AFBs.

Tree …

Sustainable Management Of Duckweed Biomass Grown For Nutrient Control In Municipal Wastewaters, Maureen Kesaano

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The use of duckweed as a nutrient removal option for municipal wastewaters can only be realized through regular plant harvesting. As a result, the nutrient-rich biomass generated needs to be effectively managed and disposed of. This study looked at three alternative options for biomass management that would make duckweed-based nutrient removal systems sustainable and attractive to small communities like Wellsville City, Utah. The options included: the use of harvested duckweed biomass as an animal feed, anaerobic digestion of duckweed for methane production, and fermentation of biomass for ethanol production.

Duckweed feed quality was determined using feed analysis reports and results …

Variability Of Water Storage And Instream Temperature In Beaded Arctic Streams, Madeline F. Merck

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study is to investigate variation in water export and instream temperatures throughout the open water season in a beaded Arctic stream, consisting of small pools connected by shallow chutes. The goals are to better understand heat and mass movement through these systems, how this may impact chemical and biological processes, and the resulting shifts with changes in climate. This is accomplished by first examining the extent and variability of water storage and export through qualitative analysis of observational data. Further, heat fate and transport is examined through development of an instream temperature model. The model formulation, …