Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering Commons^™

Using Drone And Ai To Map Leaf Water Potential And Stem Water Potential For Water Stress Management In Commercial Vineyards, Alfonso F. Torres-Rua

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Engineering Planktonic And Biofilm Microalgae Systems For Productivity, Power Requirements, Cost, And Scalability, Dallin Chugg

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Microalgae cultivation offers dual benefits as an effective wastewater treatment method and a sustainable source of valuable bioproducts, such as biofuels, bioplastics, and feedstocks. This approach supports sustainability by transforming waste into high-value products while minimizing environmental impact. However, scaling microalgae cultivation to industrial levels presents significant challenges, particularly in optimizing harvesting efficiency, reducing mixing and transport costs, and managing large water requirements.

This report compares the productivity, scalability, cost, and energy requirements of two primary cultivation systems: planktonic and biofilm. Planktonic systems, such as open raceway ponds (ORPs), excel in light distribution and nutrient uptake due to continuous mixing, …

Case Study: Modeling A Grain Bin For Safe Entry Retrofit, Michael Dyer, Serap Gorucu, Randall Bock, Roderick Thomas, Jude Liu, Linda Fetzer

Office of Research Faculty and Staff Publications

All new grain bins produced after 2018 are recommended to have anchor points capable of handling a 2000 lb loading for attachment of bin entry lifeline systems. This study aims to assess the feasibility of a safe entry anchor point retrofit by using finite element analysis (FEA). We used a grain bin owned by Penn State for 3D FEA modeling in SolidWorks. To validate the model results from the FEA model, first strain and then deflection measurements were conducted on the grain. Strain gauges were applied to the grain bin in five locations and strain values were obtained after applying …

Methane Emission Treatment And Potential Upcycling Using Methylomicrobium Alcaliphilum, Jace Parkinson

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

Anthropogenic methane emissions are harmful to the environment and can be difficult to treat. Use of M. alcaliphilum for bioremediation of methane looks to be one of the most promising methods of reducing the negative environmental impacts of methane emissions while simultaneously providing an economic incentive. Successful bioreactor design for M. alcaliphilum based methane treatment requires biokinetic constants and microbial growth information. Methods were established for determining biokinetic constants, including growth rate, biomass yield, specific methane consumption rate, and a correlation between methane oxidation and carbon dioxide production for M. alcaliphilum. Values determined for these constants were used to …

Genetic Engineering In Agriculture Curricula For Grades 9-12, Tyson Sorensen, Olivia Horning, Kelsey Hall, David Francis, Joshua Dallin

Browse all Datasets

This is a curriculum package that was developed for teachers to be able to integrate genetic engineering and biotechnology concepts, skills, and career applications into their classrooms. This package was developed as part of the LEARN workshop entitled "Genetic Engineering: Workshop for Teachers." This curriculum package includes five full units of instructions with lesson plans, presentation resources, and other resources for teachers. This package is intended for students in grades 9-12.

Each unit is complete with the corresponding slides found in the main Genetic Engineering PowerPoint. Teachers have the liberty to cover the material on an as-needed bases based on …

Causal Loop Development Activity, Ali Mirchi

All ECSTATIC Materials

Students will work in groups to develop a causal loop diagram (CLD) to illustrate the structure and expected behavior of the fictional water short state of Nevizonato facilitate qualitative discussion of expected outcomes of a proposed water management strategy. This activity requires familiarity with systems thinking and system dynamics modeling. CLDs are introduced as a fundamental systems thinking tool for conceptual modeling.

Advancing The Open Modeling Interface (Openmi) For Integrated Water Resources Modeling, Caleb A. Buahin, Jeffery S. Horsburgh

Publications

The use of existing component-based modeling frameworks for integrated water resources modeling is currently hampered for some important use cases because they lack support for commonly used, topology-aware, spatiotemporal data structures. Additionally, existing frameworks are often accompanied by large software stacks with steep learning curves. Others lack specifications for deploying them on high performance, heterogeneous computing (HPC) infrastructure. This puts their use beyond the reach of many water resources modelers. In this paper, we describe new advances in component-based modeling using a framework called HydroCouple. This framework largely adopts the Open Modeling Interface (OpenMI) 2.0 interface definitions but demonstrates important …

Integrated Life Cycle And Techno-Economic Assessment Of The Conversion Of High Productivity, Low Lipid Algae To Renewable Fuels, Chad R. De Mill

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The production of alternative transportation fuels is imperative to meet future energy demands without contributing to global climate change. Advances in alternative processing techniques that have emerged due to interest in microalgae as a feedstock have led to a variety of potential processing pathways for the production of bio-based fuels. A major hurdle in the algal production process is maintaining a fast and stable algae culture. Monocultures, developed for their high lipid content, suffer from low productivity, are susceptible to crashes and require a constant supply of carbon dioxide to maintain productivity. In an effort to circumvent these obstacles, algal …

Lifecycle Assessment Of Microalgae To Biofuel: Thermochemical Processing Through Hydrothermal Liquefaction Or Pyrolysis, Edward P. Bennion

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Microalgae have many desirable attributes as a renewable energy recourse. These include use of poor quality land, high yields, and it is not a food recourse. This research focusses on the energetic and environmental impact of processing microalgae into a renewable diesel. Two thermochemical bio-oil recovery processes are analyzed, pyrolysis and hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL). System boundaries include microalgae growth, dewatering, thermochemical bio-oil recovery, bio-oil stabilization, conversion to renewable diesel, and transportation to the pump. Two system models were developed, a small-scale experimental and an industrial-scale. The small-scale system model is based on experimental data and literature. The industrial-scale system model …

Pyrene Fate Affected By Humic Acid Amendment In Soil Slurry Systems, Y. Liang, D. Sorensen, Ronald C. Sims, Joan Mclean

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Background

Humic acid (HA) has been found to affect the solubility, mineralization, and bound residue formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). However, most of the studies on the interaction between HA and PAH concentrated on one or two of the three phases. Few studies have provided a simple protocol to demonstrate the overall effects of HA on PAH distribution in soil systems for all three phases.

Methods

In this study, three doses of standard Elliott soil HA (ESHA), 15, 187.5, and 1,875 μg ESHA/g soil slurry, were amended to soil slurry systems. ¹⁴C-pyrene was added to the systems along …

Pyrene Mineralization By Mycobacterium Sp. Strain Kms In A Barley Rhizosphere, R. Child, C. Miller, Y. Liang, Ronald C. Sims, A. J. Anderson

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

To determine whether the soil Mycobacterium isolate KMS would mineralize pyrene under rhizosphere conditions, a microcosm system was established to collect radioactive carbon dioxide released from the labeled polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon. Microcosms were designed as sealed, flow-through systems that allowed the growth of plants. Experiments were conducted to evaluate mineralization of ¹⁴C-labeled pyrene in a sand amended with the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons degrading Mycobacterium isolate KMS, barley plants, or barley plants with roots colonized by isolate KMS. Mineralization was quantified by collecting the ¹⁴CO₂ produced from ¹⁴C-labeled pyrene at intervals during the 10-d incubation period. Roots …

Temperature Effect On Tert-Butyl Alcohol (Tba) Biodegradation Kinetics In Hyporheic Zone Soils, M. H. Greenwood, Ronald C. Sims, J. E. Mclean, W. J. Doucette

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Background

Remediation of tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) in subsurface waters should be taken into consideration at reformulated gasoline contaminated sites since it is a biodegradation intermediate of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE), and tert-butyl formate (TBF). The effect of temperature on TBA biodegradation has not been not been published in the literature.

Methods

Biodegradation of [U ¹⁴C] TBA was determined using hyporheic zone soil microcosms.

Results

First order mineralization rate constants of TBA at 5°C, 15°C and 25°C were 7.84 ± 0.14 × 10^-3, 9.07 ± 0.09 × 10^-3, and 15.3 ± 0.3 …

Theory And Application Of Landfarming To Remediate Pahs And Mineral Oil Contaminated Sediments: Beneficial Reuse, J. Harmsen, W. Rulkens, Ronald C. Sims, P. Ritjema, A. Zweers

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

When applying landfarming for the remediation of contaminated soil and sediment, a fraction of the soil-bound contaminant is rapidly degraded; however, a residual concentration may remain, which slowly degrades. Degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and mineral oil can be described using a multi-compartment model and first-order kinetics, in which three degradable fractions are distinguished; (1) rapid, (2) slowly, and (3) very slowly degradable. Using this model populated with data from long-term experiments (initiated in 1990), it is shown that time frames from years to decades can be necessary to clean the soil or sediment to obtain a target below …

Systematic Framework For Evaluating Treated Wastewater Usage In Agricultural Irrigation, Yasser Kamal Nazzal

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A general systematic framework with several sub-frameworks was developed to help managers make informed decisions related to the reuse of treated wastewater in agricultural irrigation. The framework involves the identification and evaluation of the short- and long-term effects of using treated wastewater with some common constituents of concern (e.g. salts and some specific ions, nutrients, heavy metals, organic compounds, and microorganisms) on the environmental elements (crop, soils, surface water, and groundwater), and on the public health. Local and/ or international standards, criteria, and guidelines related to agricultural reuse are applied to the evaluation of the effects. Based on the evaluation …

Beneficial Reuse And Sustainability: The Fate Of Organic Compounds In The Land-Applied Waste, M. R. Overcash, Ronald C. Sims, J. L. Sims, K. C. Nieman

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Land application systems, also referred to as beneficial reuse systems, are engineered systems that have defined and permitted application areas based on site and waste characteristics to determine the land area size requirement. These terrestrial systems have orders of magnitude greater microbial capability and residence time to achieve decomposition and assimilation compared with aquatic systems. In this paper we focus on current information and information needs related to terrestrial fate pathways in land treatment systems. Attention is given to conventional organic chemicals as well as new estrogenic and pharmaceutical chemicals of commerce. Specific terrestrial fate pathways addressed include: decomposition, bound …

Fate And Behavior Of Lead In Soils Planted With Metal-Resistant Species (River Birch And Smallwing Sedge), S. P. Klassen, J. E. Mclean, P. R. Grossl, Ronald C. Sims

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Phytoremediation of metal-contaminated soils requires an understanding of the interactions between metal-tolerant plant species and soil chemical properties controlling the bioavailability of metals. We conducted controlled laboratory studies to investigate the effects that river birch (Betula occidentalis Hook.) and smallwing sedge (Carex microptera Mack.) had on the fate and behavior of Pb in a contaminated soil (3000 mg Pb/kg) and tailings (13 000 mg Pb/kg) collected from an abandoned mining site in Utah. Significant Pb accumulation in aboveground tissue was observed in smallwing sedge (≥1000 mg/kg dry wt.) in both the soil and tailings, but Pb was primarily excluded by …

Controlled Environment Potentiostat To Study Solid-Aqueous Systems, R A. Petrie, P. R. Grossl, Ronald C. Sims

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

We designed a redox apparatus that controls electropotenial (Eh), pH, and temperature. The apparatus is fully automated and can be assembled from equipment found in most soil analytical laboratories. The reactor can maintain environmental conditions used to evaluate the chemical fate of contaminants under natural conditions (natural attenuation) or adjust them to a new steady state to evaluate the effect of engineered remediation on a subsurface system. It can operate within a wide range of redox potential values (−400 to 400 mV) and at any pH value. The stability and accuracy of the instrument was tested by performing Eh-pH titrations …

Mn-Catalyzed Oxidation Of Multiple-Ringed Aromatics, G. Whelan, Ronald C. Sims

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

The role of manganese (Mn) oxides in catalyzing the abiotic oxidation of polynuclear aromatic compounds (PNAs) has been investigated by monitoring the oxidation of dihydrodiol and dione PNAs and corresponding reduction of Mn in an aqueous environment. 1,4-, 1,3-, and 2,3-naphthalenediol, 1,4-naphthoquinone, and l,4-dihydroxy-9,10-anthracenedione (Quinizarin) were oxidized in an oxic, aqueous environment, where each of these organic compounds is soluble in water, except Quinizarin. A mathematical model is presented, which describes the redox reactions, and suggests that electron transfer/organic release from the oxide surface is rate limiting with the reaction apparently proceeding through a free-radical formation. Results indicate significant oxidation …

Treatment Of Pentachlorophenol With Manganese Oxide Addition To Biotic And Abiotic Sediments, R. Petrie, J. E. Mclean, Ronald C. Sims

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Laboratory microcosms containing subsamples of a complex environmental sediment were used to evaluate the addition of oxidized manganese as the primary electron acceptor in the presence of pentachlorophenol (PCP) as the primary electron donor. Manganese oxide (MnO₂) particles were added to poisoned abiotic and non-poisoned biotic microcosms and incubated at 11°C in the presence of sediment samples that were shown capable of mineralizing PCP with indigenous microorganisms. Reduction in PCP concentration and production of reduced manganese was measured for both abiotic and biotic systems.

PCP was observed to be transformed most rapidly and to the greatest extent in …

Evaluation Of Biological Treatability Of Soil Contaminated With Manufactured Gas Plant Waste, J. S. Ginn, Ronald C. Sims, I. P. Murarka

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

The biological treatability of subsurface soil contaminated with manufactured gas plant (MGP) waste was evaluated. Mineralization assays incorporating ¹⁴C-phenanthrene were used to evaluate the biotransformation potential of indigenous microorganisms at the site. Multi-phase laboratory microcosms were used to evaluate the interphase transfer potential and chemical mass distribution of phenanthrene. The Microtox™ bioassay was used to evaluate detoxification trends at the site. Mineralization results indicated that indigenous microorganisms at the site were capable of transforming phenanthrene, a component of coal-tar creosote. Results also indicated that spiked ¹⁴C-phenanthrene mineralization was influenced by nutrient addition and by the amount of contamination. …

Mn-Catalyzed Oxidation Of Naphthalenediol, G. Whelan, Ronald C. Sims

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

This study investigates the effects that manganese(IV) dioxide particles have on 2,3-naphthalenediol at varying pH levels (i.e., initial pH of 4.58, 5.85, and 8.75) and under different organic concentration conditions (4×¹⁰⁻³, 4×¹⁰⁻⁴, and 4×¹⁰⁻⁵ M), and assesses the importance of Mn oxides on abiotic catalysis of the multiple-ringed aromatic compound. Proton concentration affected the rates of reductive dissolution; as the pH values increased, the rate of reductive dissolution decreased, as predicted by theory. Also, as the concentration of naphthalenediol increased, the rate of reductive dissolution increased, although not proportionally; thus indicating that a majority of …

Hycrest Crested Wheatgrass Accelerates The Degradation Of Pentachlorophenol In Soil, A. Ferro, Ronald C. Sims, B. Bugbee

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

We investigated the effects of vegetation on the fate of pentachlorophenol (PCP) in soil using a novel high-flow sealed test system. Pentachlorophenol has been widely used as a wood preservative, and this highly toxic biocide contaminates soil and ground water at many sites. Although plants are known to accelerate the rates of degradation of certain soil contaminants, this approach has not been thoroughly investigated for PCP. The fate of [14C]PCP, added to soil at a concentration of 100 mg/kg, was compared in three unplanted and three planted systems. The plant used was Hycrest, a perennial, drought-tolerant cultivar of crested wheatgrass …

Estimation Of Crop Evapotranspiration By Means Of The Penman-Monteith Equation, Paul J. Vanderkimpen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study evaluated the potential of using simple, semi-empirical resistance models for the direct estimation of crop evapotranspiration as an alternative to the traditional approach involving a reference equation and a crop coefficient. It consisted of three major parts.

The first part originally aimed at the development of simple expressions for the aerodynamic and surface resistance terms in the Penman-Monteith equation. This goal could not be achieved because of two reasons: First, the determination of aerodynamic resistance was rendered impossible because of problems with the measurements, and, secondly, the values of surface resistance, back-calculated from the Penman-Monteith equation, turned out …

Approach To Bioremediation Of Contaminated Surface Soils, J. L. Sims, Ronald C. Sims, J. E. Matthews

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Biological processes, including microbial degradation, have been identified as critical mechanisms for attenuating organic contaminants during transit through the vadose zone to the groundwater. On-site soil remedial measures using biological processes can reduce or eliminate groundwater contamination, thus reducing the need for extensive groundwater monitoring and treatment requirements. On-site remedial systems that utilize the soil as the treatment system accomplish treatment by using naturally occurring microorganisms to treat the contaminants. Treatment often may be enhanced by a variety of physical/chemical methods, such as fertilization, tilling, soil Ph adjustment, moisture control, etc. The development of a bioremediation program for a specific …

Human Health Effects Assays, Ronald C. Sims, J. L. Sims, R. R. Dupont

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Environmental health risk assessments based upon animal study results, epidemiology, quantitative structure activity relationships (QSARs), dose-response relationships, risk perception, and expert systems approaches, and the evaluation of mechanisms of carcinogenesis represent the focus for 1987. The term "biological risk assessment" was discussed by Clayson¹ to describe that part of risk assessment concerned with the relevance of specific animal results to the induction of human cancer. Guidelines for health assessment of suspect developmental toxicants addressed evaluation of data from animal testing studies.² Animal toxicity data on 200 chemicals and epidemiologic data on 30 chemicals was included within a data …

Biological Transformation And Detoxification Of 7,12-Dimethylbenzanthracene In Soil, K. Park, Ronald C. Sims, W. J. Doucette, J. E. Matthews

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Biological transformation and detoxification of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anathracene (DMBA) were studied in a nonacclimated sandy loam soil. Parent 14C DMBA biodegraded extensively (62% to 20%), accompanying an increase of metabolite 14C fraction (4% to 53%). Incorporation of DMBA into non extractable soil residue ,4C increased from 12 to 17%, but the increase was not statistically significant. DMBA was transformed into several metabolic products in the soil system, including 4-hydroxy-, 5-hydroxy-, and 10-hydroxy-DMBA and 7,12-dihydro 12-methyl-7-methylene-benz(a)anthracene-12-ol. High polarity transformation products of DMBA demonstrated a negative mu tagenic response with the Ames mutagenicity assay, strain TA 100, for both low and neutral pH soils. …

Fate And Transport Of Organics In Soil: Model Predictions And Experimental Results, B. D. Symons, Ronald C. Sims, W. J. Grenney

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Laboratory batch reactors were used to generate quantitative information about the fate of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PNA) compounds in soil systems. First-order degradation rates and equilibrium partition coefficients determined in laboratory studies were used in the Vadose Zone Interactive Processes (VIP) mathematical model to predict the fate and behavior of the PNA compounds as a function of time and soil depth. Predicted model results were compared with independent laboratory soil column studies for model validation. The VIP model provided a good approximation of the degradation and transport of the seven PNA compounds evaluated after 6 months of incubation in soil. …

Highway Drain Depth And Soil Stability, Mizher Al-Himdani

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The presence of moisture in the soil reduces its shear strength. After the rain or snowmelt, the high percentage of moisture in the subgrade of highway, causes the instability resulting into failure of the highway due to high water table. Therefore, it is essential to install a drainage system to remove the excess moisture from the subgrade of highways to avoid its failure.

In the present study, six different soil samples have been studied to observe its failure by triaxial shear strength and corresponding moisture content was noted. The tension applied to remove moisture was converted to equivalent drain depth. …

A Mathematical Model For The Fate Of Hazardous Substances In Soil: Model Description And Experimental Results, W. Greeney, C. Caupp, Ronald C. Sims

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

A mathematical model (VIP) was developed and implemented for evaluating the fate of a hazardous substance in the unsaturated zone of the soil. The model simulates vadose zone processes including volatilization, degradation, adsorption/desorption, advection, and dispersion. Four physical phases in the vadose zone are considered including water, oil, soil grains, and soil-pore air (unsaturated pore space). The Vadose Zone Interactive Processes (VIP) model is appropriate for sites under RCRA and CERCLA (Superfund) categorization since site-specific soil-waste processes affecting transport of hazardous chemicals through the vadose zone are incorporated in the model. A RCRA land treatment system was chosen as the …

The Rate Of Benzo[A]Pyrene Apparent Loss In A Natural And Manure Amended Clay Loam Soil, M. P. Coover, Ronald C. Sims

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

A study was conducted to evaluate the rate of Benzo[a]pyrene apparent loss from a previously uncontaminated agricultural clay loam soil and to determine the effect of cow manure, as organic substrate amendment, on B[a]P apparent loss. Soil microcosms were spiked with 10 μg/g B[a]P and incubated at 20°C. Triplicate sets of microcosms were periodically removed from incubation and solvent extracted. Concentrations of B[a]P in the soil were determined by HPLC analysis of the extracts. Under the conditions of this study manure was an ineffective amendment for increasing the rate of B[a]P apparent loss in the Durant clay loam soil. In …