Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Fate Of Antimicrobials And Antimicrobial Resistance Genes In Simulated Swine Manure Storage, Stacey R. Joy, Xu Li, Daniel D. Snow, John Gilley, Bryan L. Woodbury, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The behavior of three antibiotics (bacitracin, chlortetracycline, and tylosin) and two classes of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), tet and erm, were monitored in swine manure slurry under anaerobic conditions. First-order decay rates were determined for each antibiotic with half-lives ranging from1 day (chlortetracycline) to 10 days (tylosin). ARGs were monitored in the swine manure slurry, and losses of approximately 1 to 3 orders of magnitude in relative abundance were observed during the 40 day storage period. First-order degradation profiles were observed for chlortetracycline and its corresponding resistance genes, tet(X) and tet(Q). Tylosin was degraded to approximately 10% …

Evaluation Of Ozone Trends In Southern Doña Ana County, New Mexico Thru Wind Rose Analysis And Use Of Noaa Hysplit Model, Maria Aurelia Sisneros

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this study was to determine whether increasing ozone concentrations in 2012 and 2013 at the Santa Teresa air quality monitor in Doña Ana County, New Mexico were due to a local point source impacting this monitor only or part of a regional phenomenon that affects all the monitors within the Paso del Norte Region. In addition, the study focused on identifying local and regional/long-range source areas contributing transport ozone to the study area (southern Doña Ana County).

The study showed that increasing ozone levels were not unique to the Santa Teresa monitor due to the fact that …

Simulation Of Heat And Mass Transfer In Suns River Solar Distillation, Houman Azari

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Many regions around the world have limited fresh water resources, and we need to desalinate brackish water resources for drinking and irrigation purposes. Most of the world is also facing energy challenges which encourages engineers and scientists to use renewable energy resources instead of hydrocarbon fuels. Arid regions such as the Middle East, many African countries, and the southwestern United States typically have abundant solar irradiance and brackish or saline water supplies. Solar-thermal desalination could be an important supply of fresh water in these regions.

The classic solar still is not efficient for providing large amounts of clean water for …

Integrated Sustainability Decision-Making Framework, Michael Paul Cole

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Integrated Sustainability Decision-Making Framework (ISDMF) is an 'ideal case' framework developed at the University of Texas El Paso (UTEP) from 2012 to present to provide the most comprehensive and concise sustainability strategy and decision-making template available.

Sustainable decision-making improves community Quality of Life, but is often beyond the reach of the majority. A framework that is most approachable, actionable, and adoptable can accelerate convergence on and continued operation of a sustainable solution. Research confirms that published frameworks continuously emerge, and are infinite in number. Iterations benefit from prior work, and contribution occurs when an 'ideal case' is envisioned, best …

High-Recovery Inland Desalination: Concentrate Treatment By Electrodialysis And Batch Reverse Osmosis, Noe Ortega-Corral

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Since fresh water resources are finite and stressed, it is of the utmost importance to develop alternative water resources. Efforts to recover and treat impaired water are happening in arid areas around the world, where water resources are already scarce. Such efforts are particularly focused on high-recovery treatment systems, accomplished by reducing the amount of liquid discharge with the intent to eventually reach zero liquid discharge. The goal of this research is to improve the feasibility of highrecovery inland desalination systems. Two types of high-recovery treatment systems were selected for study: (1) combined reverse osmosis (RO) and electrodialysis (ED) systems, …

Water Recovery From Silica Saturated Ro Concentrate By The Concentrate Enhanced Reverse Osmosis Process, Gautam Patwardhan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Membrane fouling due to silica precipitation during reverse osmosis (RO) continues to be documented as the most common challenge in attaining stable continuous operation of RO systems across water treatment plants (1). Silica scale precipitation is time dependent and involves multiple steps leading to aqueous polymerization, condensation of polymers to form colloids, and deposition onto a solid surface (2). Exceeding the solubility of silica, widely considered to be in the range of 100-140 ppm, under a pH of 8 at 25 °C by various researchers, results in the precipitation of silica on the membranes, thereby limiting water recovery. Once the …

Narrow Grass Hedge Effects On The Transport Of Antimicrobials And Antimicrobial Resistance Genes Following Land Application Of Swine Slurry, Bhavneet Soni

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

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of manure amendment and narrow grass hedges on the fate and transport of antimicrobials and ARGs in runoff and in soil following the land application of swine manure slurry. Swine manure slurry was land applied to 0.75m wide by 4.0m long plots established on an Aksarben silty clay loam soil located in southeast Nebraska. The treatment factor manure amendment consisted of two levels: no manure application and manure application to meet the 3 year nitrogen (N) requirements for corn. The treatment factor of grass hedge was established for half of …

College Of Engineering Senior Design Competition Fall 2013, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Fred and Harriet Cox Senior Design Competition Projects

Part of every UNLV engineering student’s academic experience, the senior design project stimulates engineering innovation and entrepreneurship. Each student in their senior year chooses, plans, designs, and prototypes a product in this required element of the curriculum. A capstone to the student’s educational career, the senior design project encourages the student to use everything learned in the engineering program to create a practical, real world solution to an engineering challenge. The senior design competition helps focus the senior students in increasing the quality and potential for commercial application for their design projects. Judges from local industry evaluate the projects on …

Drainage Structure Datasets And Effects On Lidar-Derived Surface Flow Modeling, Ruopu Li, Zhenghong Tang, Xu Li, Jessie Winter

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

With extraordinary resolution and accuracy, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)-derived digital elevation models (DEMs) have been increasingly used for watershed analyses and modeling by hydrologists, planners and engineers. Such high-accuracy DEMs have demonstrated their effectiveness in delineating watershed and drainage patterns at fine scales in low-relief terrains. However, these high-resolution datasets are usually only available as topographic DEMs rather than hydrologic DEMs, presenting greater land roughness that can affect natural flow accumulation. Specifically, locations of drainage structures such as road culverts and bridges were simulated as barriers to the passage of drainage. This paper proposed a geospatial method for producing …

Immobilization Of Lead In Contaminated Firing Range Soil Using Biochar, Deok Hyun Moon, Jae-Woo Park, Yoon-Young Chang, Yong Sik Ok, Sang Soo Lee, Mahtab Ahmad, Agamemnon Koutsospyros, Jeong Hun Park, Kitae Baek

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Soybean stover-derived biochar was used to immobilize lead (Pb) in military firing range soil at a mass application rate of 0 to 20 wt.% and a curing period of 7 days. The toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment. The mechanism responsible for Pb immobilization in military firing range soil was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) and x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy analyses. The treatment results showed that TCLP Pb leachability decreased with increasing biochar content. A reduction of over 90 % in Pb leachability was achieved upon …

Assessing Trichloromethane Formation And Control In Algal-Stimulated Waters Amended With Nitrogen And Phosphorus, Clinton Mash

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) enrichments can stimulate algal growth in drinking water sources, which can cause increased production of disinfection byproduct (DBP) precursors. However, the effect of systematic N and P enrichments on DBP formation and control has not been adequately studied. In this work, we enriched samples from a drinking water source - sampled on April 5, May 30, and August 19, 2013 - with N and P to stimulate algal growth at N:P ratios covering almost five orders of magnitude (0.2-4,429). To simulate DBP-precursor removal processes at drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs), the samples were treated with …

Assessing The Impact Of Chlorine Residual On Trihalomethane And Haloacetonitrile Formation Under Chlorination And Chloramination Disinfection Regimes, Thien Duc Do

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A disinfection byproduct (DBP) formation potential (FP) test can be used to indirectly measure the concentration of DBP precursors in natural waters, permitting assessment of various DBP-related treatment processes and control strategies. While these tests require a 7-day chlorine residual (CR) between 3-5 mg L^-1 as Cl², it is not well known if this recommended residual corresponds to the true DBPFP (i.e., the maximum concentrations) for trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetonitriles (HANs). In this study, THMs and HANs were quantified as a function of CR under three common disinfection regimes: (1) free chlorine at pH 7.0 (FC7), (2) …

Chemical, Physical, And Moisture Release Characteristics Of Compost Based Potting Media, Tianzhen Wang

All Theses

A commercially available composted cow manure was used as a potting media amendment. A common base mix for woody ornamentals of 8 parts pine bark and 1 part sand was compared with 3 other mixes that contained 20%, 30%, and 40% compost (v/v). The remaining fraction of these three mixes was the base mix (bark and sand). Samples of the pine bark and compost were analyzed to determine the following plant nutrients and mineral concentrations: nitrogen (organic and soluble), carbon, P2O5, K2O, Ca, S, Mg, Mn, Cu, Zn, Na, Fe, and Al.

Sodhana Environmental - Final Design Report, Eric Taylor, Corissa Bellis, Cody Perez, Cameron Zeller

Mechanical Engineering

A fully designed cost-effective, sustainable, toilet for the developing world.

Elementary Implantable Force Sensor For Smart Orthopaedic Implants, Rebecca A. Wachs, David Ellstein, John Drazan, Colleen P. Healey, Richard L. Uhl, Kenneth A. Connor, Eric H. Ledet

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Implementing implantable sensors which are robust enough to maintain long term functionality inside the body remains a significant challenge. The ideal implantable sensing system is one which is simple and robust; free from batteries, telemetry, and complex electronics. We have developed an elementary implantable sensor for orthopaedic smart implants. The sensor requires no telemetry and no batteries to communicate wirelessly. It has no on-board signal conditioning electronics. The sensor itself has no electrical connections and thus does not require a hermetic package. The sensor is an elementary L-C resonator which can function as a simple force transducer by using a …

Turbulent Kinetic Energy And Coherent Structures In A Tidal River, Stefan A. Talke, Alexander R. Horner-Devine, C. Chris Chickadel, Andrew T. Jessup

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

We investigate the relationship between turbulence statistics and coherent structures (CS) in an unstratified reach of the Snohomish River estuary using in situ velocity measurements and surface infrared (IR) imaging. Sequential IR images are used to estimate surface flow characteristics via a particle-image-velocimetry (PIV) technique, and are conditionally sampled to delineate the surface statistics of bottom-generated CS, or boils. In the water column, we find that turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) production exceeds dissipation near the bed but is less than dissipation in the midwater column and that TKE flux divergence closes a significant portion of the measured imbalance. The surface …

Research Project Work Plan For Impact Of Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquake On The Seismic Evaluation Criteria Of Bridges, Peter Dusicka

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The goal of this project is to provide ODOT with the best rational estimate of ground acceleration values for designing new and retrofitting existing bridges. The objectives are to:

• evaluate the hazard by contrasting the acceleration values from individual CSZ events to PSHA values
• provide experimental evidence of damage difference under longer duration shaking expected from CSZ event

Dissolved Carbon Dioxide For Scale Removal In Reverse Osmosis, Erin Partlan

All Theses

Membrane fouling is a major operational issue in reverse osmosis (RO) desalination plants. In particular, plants treating brackish groundwater can encounter troublesome inorganic scales, including carbonates, sulfates, and silicates. A novel cleaning method is proposed to remove inorganic scales from fouled RO membranes usinag dissolved CO ₂ . As CO₂ molecules encounter membrane foulants, the surfaces serve as nucleation sites for small bubbles to form and shear off foulants. Dissolved CO₂ solutions were prepared by bubbling CO₂ gas into water held in a pressure vessel. Gas dissolution was confirmed by enhanced exit velocities for water containing CO …

Assessing Potential Environmental Impacts According To Probable Patterns Of Switchgrass Adoption In The Southeastern Us, Benjamin Sharp

All Dissertations

To assess the overall net impact of an emerging technology, life cycle assessment (LCA) must be accompanied by projections of adoption. Diffusion of innovation research provides tools that incorporate economic and social variables to explain and forecast integration of technologies. A switchgrass-to-ethanol case study for the southeastern U.S. is used to demonstrate methods for gauging aggregate environmental effects of an emerging energy technology. Before applying diffusion concepts, breakeven capacities are calculated for land in row crops, hay, pasture and marginal land. Breakeven curves are generated to provide upper bounds to switchgrass adoption over a range of farm-gate prices. The amount …

Reassessment Of Biowish Activation Procedure For Denitrification, William Wah Yee

Master's Theses

BiOWiSH^TM – Aqua is a blend of preserved multi-bacteria culture with the capability of denitrification. If an anaerobic nitrate rich activation procedure is used instead of the standard aerobic activation procedure, the denitrification rate is increased by 28 percent under the conditions of 30°C, 1C:1N, 200mg/L of carbon, and 200mg/L nitrogen.

Lipid Production By Microalgae Treating Municipal Wastewater, James Edward Kelley

Master's Theses

Microalgae hold much promise as a feedstock in liquid biofuel production. Lipid content of microalgae cells range from 30-80% dry weight of biomass. It is projected that microalgae can produce between 1,000-6,500 gallons/acre/year of oil. Currently, production of industrial algae operates in open raceway ponds that use minimal capital and energy inputs to culture algae. Raceway ponds can also be used to grow microalgae from municipal waste streams. Although high biomass productivity can be achieved in these systems, there remains a large production gap between large volumes of biomass cultivation and high lipid content from microalgae cells. Low lipid content …

Effects Of Waste Placement Practices On The Engineering Response Of Municipal Solid Waste, Jason Taylor Cox

Master's Theses

An extensive laboratory and field investigation was conducted at Santa Maria Regional Landfill (SMRL) in Santa Maria, CA to determine the effects of waste placement practices on the engineering response of municipal solid waste (MSW). Laboratory and field testing was used to determine the engineering properties and monitor field response of MSW.

The specific gravity (G_s) of manufactured MSW (MMSW), fresh MSW (FMSW), and old MSW (OMSW) was determined experimentally using a modified version of standard soil testing procedures. Effects of particle size, compactive effort, and degradation on the specific gravity of waste were evaluated. Specific gravity …

Development Of A Field Test For Total Suspended Solids Analysis, Jessica Branigan

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

Total suspended solids (TSS) are all particles in water that will not pass through a glass fiber filter with a pore size less than 2 μm, including sediments, algae, nutrients, and metals. TSS is an important water quality parameter because of its adverse effects on aquatic species and wildlife. The EPA has proposed a regulation for turbidity, a related water quality parameter, which has been stayed pending further testing. TSS is regulated through the EPA via the NPDES in many states. Since there are no accepted field tests for TSS, projects with TSS regulations must send samples to a laboratory …

The Cost Of Green Infrastructure: Worth The Investment?, Martha Sheils

Green Infrastructure

Is GI worth the investment?

• LID techniques often lead to cost savings when we look at WHOLE PROJECT COSTS

• Natural Infrastructure investments for flood control, drinking water protection and wildlife habitat can yield SIGNIFICANT AVOIDED COSTS and additional co-benefits to communitites

Global Change Factors On Ecosystem Invasibility, Raj Lal, Jeffrey Dukes, Michael J. Schuster, Nick G. Smith

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Current climate and human-induced changes are projected to alter many regimes of ecosystem functioning. It is projected that invasive species, nonnative species that can be of great detriment to an ecosystem, will benefit under these conditions. The Prairie Invasion and Climate Experiment (PRICLE) studies the effects of two global change factors – N addition and altered precipitation – on invasive species success and the traits that are selected for in a mixed-grass prairie ecosystem. PRICLE is a two by two factorial design over three replications in a restored mixed-grass prairie ecosystem. The major findings from the community traits examination of …

Improving Data Quality For A Dairy Pollutant Emissions Study, Ian K. Hahus, Albert J. Heber

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

The National Air Emissions Monitoring Study (NAEMS) was sanctioned by the EPA to determine the characteristics of airborne pollutant emissions from confined broiler, egg, pork, and dairy housing. Fifteen representative monitoring sites were selected around the U.S., at which influent and effluent pollutant concentrations were measured in conjunction with airflow and climatic data. Due to the monumental nature of this study and the potential ramifications of its findings, it is of vital importance that the data collected by the researchers and utilized by the EPA be as complete and accurate as possible. To improve the validity of the data collected …

Compression Testing And Failure Modes Of Steel-Concrete Composite (Sc) Structures For Nuclear Containment, Patrick Michael Wanamaker, Amit H. Varma

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Although being able to provide much cleaner power than burning coal and other fossil fuels, nuclear power plants are still a tough sell to the general public due to their history of being spontaneously dangerous. The containment structures surrounding these nuclear plants, however, can play a huge role in reducing the risks associated with them. Relatively new designs for these containment assemblies, known as SC (steel-concrete composite) structures, aim to increase the strength and durability of the containment facilities while keeping costs down. By varying the spacing between shear studs, the ratio of concrete to steel, and the ratio of …

Modeling Target Disinfection By-Product Dynamics In Indoor Swimming Pools, Barnard S. Mondal, Cary Troy, Mehrnaz Afifi, Shih-Chi Weng, Ernest R. Blatchley Iii

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Chlorination is the primary disinfection method for swimming pools in the United States; however, chlorine also reacts with pollutants (e.g., sweat, urine and anthropogenic compounds) to form disinfection by-products (DBPs). Some DBPs are asthma causing (e.g. nitrogen-trichloride) and even carcinogens (e.g., trihalomethanes and nitrosamines). Consequently, exposure to DBPs poses health risks to patrons and staff in pool environments. Furthermore, volatilization of DBPs is enhanced by bather activity, but the relationship between activity and volatilization has yet been quantified such that the dynamic behavior of DBPs can be predicted. Therefore, the objective of this research is to …

Environmental Monitoring In Preparation For The Installation Of A Green Roof, Andrew N. Martin, Ming Qu

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Green roofs are becoming an increasingly popular way to improve the environmental, economic, and aesthetic performance of both new and existing buildings. Along with the green roofs themselves, it is also common to install sensors to measure various environmental parameters that are affected by or important to the operation of the roof such as precipitation, temperature, and runoff. However, for most of these systems, the sensors are installed at the same time or even after the green roof. Therefore, no before-and-after comparisons can be made for those roofs. To account for this missing data, monitoring equipment was installed on a …

Estimation Of Two-Stage Ditch Excavation Volume Using Lidar Data Full Paper, Kirsten E. Paff, Jane Frankenberger, Naime Celik

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Drainage ditches are a major pathway for sediment, nutrients, and pesticides to enter stream systems, which threaten environmental and human health. Unlike trapezoidal ditches, two-stage ditches have a vegetated bench that acts as a floodplain, which helps to prevent erosion and to increase the processing of nutrients to improve water quality. Converting a trapezoidal ditch to a two-stage ditch is expensive, due to the large volumes of soil that need to be excavated. Since ditch geometries vary significantly and surveying each potential site by hand would be time consuming and expensive, a tool based upon online Light Detection and Ranging …