Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Community Assessment Of Water Perceptions And Household Point-Of-Use Treatment Methods In Madagascar, Isabella Rose Silverman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

One in four people around the world do not have access to safe drinking water, which means that two billion people globally lack access. In high-income countries, 0.02% of yearly deaths are attributed to unsafe water sources; however, an alarming 10.6% of deaths occur in Madagascar, for the same reason.

To achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6: Ensure access to water and sanitation for all, a collaboration between public health and engineering is critical. Within the public health sector, social marketing is commonly utilized to address a problem by using commercial marketing principles to change behavior for the good of society. …

Laboratory Examination Of Lead Weights Harvested From Pitcher Pumps In Eastern Madagascar, Madelyn Wilson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Previous sampling campaigns in Tamatave, Madagascar, conducted by the University of South Florida (USF) have identified lead contamination in drinking water sourced from self-supply pitcher pumps. The pitcher pump piston and foot valves were identified as the primary source of lead contamination since they are often manufactured from recycled lead acid batteries. The previous field sampling technique consisted of collecting an aliquot of a 10-15-liter composite sample from the pitcher pump for dissolved lead analysis; however, this technique (1) neglects the contribution of particulate lead, (2) does not properly account for the effects of water stagnation inside the pitcher pump …

Effects Of Nitrate On Arsenic Mobilization During Aquifer Storage And Recovery, Hania Hawasli

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Aquifer storage and recovery technology is used to sustain water resources and to prevent saltwater intrusion. The injected water can come from various resources, including treated wastewater. In pilot ASR studies in the Tampa Bay region, researchers found high As concentrations in the recovered water from the oxidation of the arsenopyrite that is embedded in the aquifers. The presence of dissolved O2 in the injected water is a major factor in the arsenopyrite oxidation during ASR, however the effects of NO3- on the arsenopyrite has not been studied yet. This is an important knowledge gap because injected water may contain …

Adapting Global Service-Learning Project And Community Partnership Outcomes Using A “Tele-Engineering” Approach In Response To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Christiane Ley, Danielle Angert, Tessa Hudelson, Jordan Harris

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

The Water Supply in Developing Countries (WSDC) service-learning course at Purdue University has fostered a strong partnership with the La Vega region in the Dominican Republic since 2012. During this time, an interdisciplinary group of engineering and science students has helped design drinking water treatment systems and the group has developed water, sanitation, and health (WASH) education materials. These WASH education and water safety approaches often have been conducted in person in the past. However, with the state of the COVID-19 pandemic and the inability to travel in the fall and spring semesters of the 2020–2021 academic year, the students …

Chitosan Graphene Composite Fabrication And Characterization For Treatment Of Harmful Algal Blooms And Toxins, Sarah Zetterholm

Master's Theses

Chitosan graphene composites were fabricated and characterized as a management strategy for harmful algal blooms (HABs) caused by various species of cyanobacteria. These chitosan graphene materials were compared to previously studied chitosan graphene-oxide composites in both material properties and HAB treatment. In previous studies, adsorption of the cyanobacteria onto the surface of the composite materials has been observed. Investigations of the pure materials for these composites are also included in this study to determine whether removal is a result of charge interactions with the composite, or as an inherent property of the graphene or graphene oxide. Initial results suggest that …

Manufacturing: The Qualitative Study Of A Transition To A Green Facility, Brandon David Staves

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This qualitative study focused on answering three core questions: How have facilities reduce pollutions in regards to the quality of air, water, land, light and noise? Which Types of pollution reduction projects are more or less successful to implement? What types of pollution are facilities focusing on and why? The results of the 15 companies surveyed show a variety of projects that facilities have used to reduce pollution, it also shows that cost is a major factor in the unsuccessful projects, and that facilities are actively focused on reducing Air, Land, and Water pollution. While the data shows a variety …

Taking The Waste Out Of Wastewater: Evaluation And Implementation Of Sustainability Measures At Base Aérea N.°5’S Wastewater Treatment Plant, Abigail Monahan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Wastewater treatment is a critical process by which the concentration of pollutants in wastewater are reduced to minimize the resulting effluent’s impact on human health and the environment. Base Aérea N.°5, an airbase located in Monte Real, Portugal, is striving to enhance their wastewater treatment methods to decrease the impact of the treated effluent on the environment. They can reduce the effluent’s impact by implementing more advanced wastewater treatment to decrease the concentration of micropollutants and pathogens in the effluent, and they can reuse the treated effluent to decrease the volume of freshwater they extract. This work seeks to evaluate …

Inter-Relationships Between Water Depletion And Temperature Differential In Row Crop Canopies In A Sub-Humid Climate, Jasreman Singh, Yufeng Ge, Derek M. Heeren, Elizabeth Walter-Shea, Christopher M.U. Neale, Suat Irmak, Wayne Woldt, Geng Bai, Sandeep Bhatti, Mitchell S. Maguire

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Irrigation has a great impact on global food security as it contributes to the majority of the world’s agricultural food supply. It is essential to judiciously utilize water resources through efficient irrigation management since the majority of U.S. groundwater aquifers are rapidly depleting. Thus, quantification of the relationships between water depletion and environmental factors is important for understanding crop response to varying levels of water stresses that depletion can cause. The objectives of this research were to: 1) investigate the relationship between root zone water depletion (D_rw) and canopy temperature differential (ΔT) at different ranges of D_{rw …}

Justification Of The Main Parameters And Operating Modes Of The Crushers-Shredders Of Coarse Feed, K.D. Astanakulov, F.U. Karshiev, Sh.Kh. Gapparov

Irrigation and Melioration

The article presents the results of research on the justification of the parameters of the working bodies and operating modes of the mini crushers-shredders of coarse feed. On the basis of experimental research to study the effect of the rotor parameters Mini Crusher its qualitative performance indicators. According to the teachings found that rational parametres and operating modes-Crusher are: rotor length 350 mm; rotor diameter 550 mm; rotor speed 1290 min-1; the number of hammers 20 pcs; angle of rotation of the hammers 60.

Plan Dimensions Of The Flow Confinited By Cross Dams, On Rivers With Non-Symmetric Flooring, M.R. Bakiev, U.A. Kahhorov, A.А. Jakhonov

Irrigation and Melioration

Improving methods and technologies for calculating and designing floodplain transverse dams, taking into account the interaction of floodplain and riverbed flows to protect the banks from erosion and regulate riverbeds is one of the most important tasks. At the same time, the priority remains the transverse blind dams made of local soil with the attachment of their head. Their construction on rivers with two-sided asymmetric floodplains has its own characteristics, which consist in the need to take into account the morphology, the different roughness of the floodplain and the channel, the interaction of floodplain and channel flows, the asymmetry of …

Study Of Performance Of Vertical Drainage Well Construction From Polymer Materials, I.A. Akhmedov, Z.K. Mirkhasilova

Irrigation and Melioration

The article is devoted to the reconstruction and construction of vertical drainage wells. The use of vertical drainage wells is characterized by a decrease in the level of groundwater. The article presents data and typical regions of the use of vertical drainage wells.Also presented are mechanical, physical and chemical methods of well cleaning in practice. The information on the design and construction of vertical drainage wells is described. The analysis of corrosion resistance of vertical drainage well materials and their service life has been carried out. It is known that polymeric materials are resistant to corrosive environments. Using filters made …

Results Of Software Modeling Flow Section Of Vane Pumps, О.Я. Гловацкий, R.R. Ergashev, A.A. Abdullaev, J.I. Rashidov

Irrigation and Melioration

The article presents an analysis of data on the flow movement in a centrifugal pump, the results of which are aimed at improving the pump design in the direction of ensuring the flow of the flow without resistance to achieve energy savings in water transmission. To reduce slip on the pumps and to reduce the resistance to current flowing inside the pump to achieve energy savings, working impeller and spiral chamber shape are designed to be constructively correct. Data from pumping stations show that the performance of pumping equipment reduces water consumption by 10-12%, pressure by 18-20% and service life …

Economic Assessment Of A New Energy-Saving Electrical Technology For The Anesthesia Of Silkworms, O.A. Khaliknazarov, A.A. Turdiboev, D.M. Akbarov, D.M. Akbarov

Irrigation and Melioration

The article provides information on the role of Uzbekistan in the world in the field of cocoons, the analysis of cocoon cultivation and primary processing technologies, technologies and technical devices currently used in primary cocoon processing. Suggestion of the use of ultra-high frequency (UV) electromagnetic field in the anesthesia of mulberry silkworm, technical specifications of the electrotechnical device for anesthesia of mulberry silkworm using ultra-high frequency (UV) electromagnetic field, and the implementation of this device SK-150K pilons The cost-effectiveness of the device was assessed, the cost-effective method achieved as a result of the research work is highlighted. According to the …

Main Directions Of Food Security In Uzbekistan (The Case Of Samarkand Province), F.J. Saydullaeva

Irrigation and Melioration

The article assesses food availability as one of the indicators of food security on the example of Samarkand region based on a comparative analysis of the state of agricultural food production over the years and the volume of products per capita and their compliance with established recommended consumption norms. Based on the analysis, the results show that in Samarkand region in 2016-2020, agricultural food products were produced over recommended consumption norms per capita. The periodic evolution of the types of agri-food products produced by dehkan farms and owners of household land increased by 7.1% decreased by 7.3% on private farmers. …

The Economic Assessment Of Factors Affecting Small Household(Tomorka) In Rural Areas And Their Income, Sh.A. Muratov

Irrigation and Melioration

In this research, the role and importance of income from small householding(tomorka) in rural areas, its specific features are analyzed. Economic factors were assessed through the tobit regression model of the factors influencing the formation of income from small households (tomorka) activities, and VIF (Variance inflation factor) test was conducted to determine their multicollinearity. Anonymous surveys of 170 landowners in 4 districts of Samarkand region have been used in the analysis. The age of landowners, the area of arable land, the consumption of organic and mineral fertilizers, the cost of seeds and seedlings, the cost of preparing the field for …

Characterization Of Tea (Camellia Sinensis) Granules For Quality Grading Using Computer Vision System, Md Towfiqur Rahman, Sabiha Ferdous, Mariya Sultana Jenin, Tanjina Rahman Mim, Masud Alam, Muhammad Rashed Al Mamun

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Tea (Camellia sinensis) has been found as an important medicinal beverage for human which is consumed all over the world. Primarily, the majority of tea is being cultivated in Asia and Africa, however it is commercially produced by more than 60 countries. Though substantial amount is produced, its processing system is still underdeveloped which leads to decrease in export opportunity as well as low monetary value. Moreover, the traditional method of tea grading and sorting is laborious, inefficient, and costly which ultimately produces the low-quality heterogeneous products. Processing and grading of tea granules after drying is very important …

Arise (Certcoin)- Inspiring Demand For Sustainable Energy Skills, Barry Mcauley, Paul Mccormack, Andrew Hamilton, Eduardo Rebelo

Conference papers

The European AEC Sector now faces impending challenges over the next decade concerning escalating climate targets. To reach these targets, it vital that the green economy deliver a better-skilled workforce and develops new competencies and methods of working. Training in the domain of digital construction technologies and processes, such as Building Information Modelling (BIM), are now seen as essential upskilling vehicles that must be embraced if the sector is to transition towards a greener agenda. To assist in meeting these training needs a selection of partners from the BIM EPA will partake in the Horizon 2020 ARISE project, aiming to …

An Exploration Of Lean And Bim Synergies With A Focus On Smes In Construction, Barry Mcauley, Marina Andreou, Alan V. Hore, Avril Behan

Conference papers

Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) account for 99.7% of the Irish Construction Industry and contribute to 68% of all employment in the sector. These organisations now find themselves facing the challenge of returning to productive business post the Covid 19 shutdown. More than ever, SMEs must modernise and adapt their business models to embrace new ways of working, such as Lean Construction and Building Information Modelling (BIM), in the absence of clear business incentives. It has proved difficult to persuade SMEs to change their ways of working due to limited finances, internal resources and above all, the cultural shift required …

Understanding And Overcoming Challenges To Photochemical Water Treatment Technologies, Mostafa Maghsoodi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Photochemical water treatment technologies have been extensively studied in recent years to update the current practices and find an innovative, cheap, and sustainable way to treat contaminated water. Despite the well-documented advantages, these technologies faced some challenges and limitations in the way of technology transfer. Among all the challenges, the presence of dissolved organic matter (DOM) poses a serious challenge to the application of these technologies, especially photocatalysis. Moreover, the prospect of utilizing the new technology of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) offers an upgrade in the efficiency of the current practice of ultraviolet (UV) dosing. To understand the effect of DOM …

Environmental Assessment Of The Impact Of Land-Based Discharges On Marine Water And Sediment Quality In Dubai, Uae, Ayman Fathy Halawa

Theses

The current seawater and Creek – Canal waterway in the Emirate of Dubai, UAE, is under tremendous pressure because of continuous urban water discharges from land-based sources. Therefore, the impact of urban water discharges on marine water and sediment quality in the Emirate requires a thorough assessment. The main objective of this study is to assess the impacts of effluent discharges on the quality of water and sediment in the open sea and Dubai Creek. The land-based sources include the power and desalination plants, industrial sector, sewage treatment plant, and stormwater runoff. To achieve the stated objective, relevant data on …

Potential Impact Of Contour Bunds On Diclofenac Removal For Stormwater Control In Rangeland Applications, Braden Alan Whitehead

Master's Theses

Diclofenac (DCF) and other emerging contaminants have been found in environments worldwide. These contaminants may enter the environment due to the application of treated wastewater, biosolids and direct excrement related to veterinary application. Leakage from the soils toward the groundwater is largely controlled by sorption and microbial degradation. Most studies on the environmental fate of DCF have focused on degradation during wastewater treatment processes. However, little is known about their behavior in soil. In this study, the combined effect of adsorption and degradation of diclofenac has been investigated in four (4) 24 ft³ agricultural soil-filled beds designed to mimic …

Analysis Of The Vertical Movement Of Active Gnss Stations As A Result Of Semidiurnal Tides, Rose Pearson, Eugen Niculae

Conference papers

Ireland is subject to the constant effects and influence of semidiurnal tides. Western coastal regions are exposed to tidal ranges up to and exceeding five metres, consequentially introducing varied water volumes with temporal intervals. In addition, the Earth is elastic in composition, resulting in morphing and warping at the hands of celestial and oceanic forces.

This study looked at Online Precise Point Positioning (PPP) service to accurately monitor the vertical movement of coastal lands. In addition, GNSS Static Post-processing was conducted to discern which method of the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) processing is best for detecting VLM (vertical land …

Analysis And Characterization Of Microplastics In Water Treatment Plants

Symposium of Student Scholars

Plastic pollution is a growing public concern due to its effect on our environment and oceans. Based on the increasing prevalence of microplastics in the environment, they are now present in potable water. Microplastics can be defined as pieces of synthetic polymers that can typically be measured to be smaller than five millimeters. Microplastics can stem from sources such as beauty products containing microbeads, polystyrene foam packaging, and the deterioration of disposable plastic items. Much of this waste enters natural water bodies, which is the source of our drinking water. Little is known about the microplastics contaminating our water treatment …

2021 Fall Engr333 Project Assignment, Matthew K. Heun

ENGR 333

The Fall 2021 ENGR333 project focused on the sustainable housing and featured a partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Kent County.

I asked the students “What is the expected carbon emissions savings of the [Habitat for Humanity] carbon footprint build house?” And “If the carbon footprint build house is not carbon-neutral, you must answer a second question: How can carbon emissions be reduced by a further 20%?”

Calvin’s PR office followed the students’ work throughout the semester. At the end of the semester, the project was featured on Calvin’s News and Stories site with an article by Matt Kucinski …

Unintended Consequences Of Air Cleaning Chemistry, Douglas B. Collins, Delphine K. Farmer

Faculty Journal Articles

Amplified interest in maintaining clean indoor air associated with the airborne transmission risks of SARS-CoV-2 have led to an expansion in the market for commercially available air cleaning systems. While the optimal way to mitigate indoor air pollutants or contaminants is to control (remove) the source, air cleaners are a tool for use when absolute source control is not possible. Interventions for indoor air quality management include physical removal of pollutants through ventilation or collection on filters and sorbent materials, along with chemically reactive processes that transform pollutants or seek to deactivate biological entities. This perspective intends to highlight the …

Digital Construction And Bim Research In Ireland 2016-2020, Barry Mcauley, Roger P. West, Alan V. Hore

Conference papers

As the construction industry opens up post pandemic, new and significant challenges will demand considerable expertise, not least in financial viability, solving the housing crisis and facing the very significant climate change pressures to make the industry less wasteful and less carbon intensive. This presents an excellent opportunity to further inculcate aspects of lean construction, particularly BIM into many aspects of construction not traditionally associated with digital construction, provided the necessary expertise is available and known to exist. Following a well-received recent conference paper summarising BIM-related research published by academics in Ireland’s higher education institutions in 2020, this paper will …

Exploring How Antecedent Precipitation Amount And The Effects Of Covid-19 Affect Stormwater Runoff Quality Along Urban Gradients, Daniel Ramirez, Katherine Gelsey

REU Final Reports

Stormwater runoff quality is affected by a multitude of factors including surrounding land characteristics, human activities, and antecedent precipitation amounts. We explore how seasonal and variable precipitation affect E. Coli, total suspended solids, nitrogen-nitrate, orthophosphate, lead, and zinc concentrations in Portland, OR, USA. Correlation analysis was conducted between the pollutant concentrations and antecedent rainfall each sample site received for the previous 1, 3, 5, 7, and 30 days from when the sample was taken. We ran Mann-Whitney tests to determine if the levels of the pollutants were statistically different between the wet season and the dry season. We found that …

Disturbance Triggers Non-Linear Microbe–Environment Feedbacks, Aditi Sengupta, Sarah J. Fansler, Rosalie K. Chu, Robert E. Danczak, Vanessa A. Garayburu-Caruso, Lupita Renteria, Hyun-Seob Song, Jason Toyoda, Jacqueline Wells, James C. Stegen

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Conceptual frameworks linking microbial community membership, properties, and processes with the environment and emergent function have been proposed but remain untested. Here we refine and test a recent conceptual framework using hyporheic zone sediments exposed to wetting–drying transitions. Our refined framework includes relationships between cumulative properties of a microbial community (e.g., microbial membership, community assembly properties, and biogeochemical rates), environmental features (e.g., organic matter thermodynamics), and emergent ecosystem function. Our primary aim was to evaluate the hypothesized relationships that comprise the conceptual framework and contrast outcomes from the whole and putatively active bacterial and archaeal communities. Throughout the system we …

Making Space For Social And Emotional Learning In Science Education, Erin Ingram, Kristie Reddick, Jessica M. Honaker, Gwen A. Pearson

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is known to improve student outcomes but is rarely combined with STEM. In this paper we present an action research study to examine the impact of a STEM + SEL curriculum intervention to address a real-world school conflict. One hundred sixth–eighth graders and four teachers participated in an in-person facilitation of a SEL Arthropod curriculum, DIFFERENT. After the intervention, students completed open-ended couplet statements about arthropod behavior, tarantulas, and humans designed to measure sentiment change. Answers were manually coded using inductive coding on a scale of negative (1) to positive (5). Statement sentiments significantly shifted from negative …

Droplet And Particle Dynamics In Aerosol Reactors And Environmental System, Sukrant Dhawan

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Aerosol science and engineering is an enabler for continual advances in nanomaterial synthesis. The spray-based techniques have been used extensively for the large-scale production of nanoparticles. Synthesis of particles with a desired the size and morphology is of key importance for exploiting their properties for their use in several emerging technologies. In contrast to useful nanomaterials, the aerosols from industrial flue gas, dust, indoor cooking, pathogens, and wildfire etc. are harmful to human health. It is important to understand how these harmful aerosols travel through the environment and potentially impact the health. It is also very critical to improve the …