Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Rejection Of Fe (Iron) And Kmno4 (Organic Substance) Parameters In Peat Water Using Organic Membranes, Muhamad Rafli Sakti Mulia Gonera, Siti Umi Kalsum, Sarah Fiebrina Heraningsih

Journal of Materials Exploration and Findings

Peat water is a surface water source widely used by people in swampy and lowland areas, but it has poor quality characteristics such as high organic matter content, low pH, and dissolved metal levels such as iron that exceed the threshold. These conditions can cause health problems and reduce the quality of clean water so that effective treatment technology is needed. This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of ultrafiltration membranes made from chitosan from shrimp shell waste in rejecting iron (Fe) and organic substances in peat water, and to determine the effect of pressure on separation performance. This study …

Greenwall Use For Air Repair And Depollution (G.U.A.R.D.), Sophia Elwood, Sophia Piro, Maura Barrada, Kathrine Lopez, Wendi Goffer

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Creating habitable indoor environments for long-duration space missions and extraterrestrial habitats requires reliable, sustainable air quality improvement. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s ACE Lab provides a unique opportunity to investigate plant-based purification in a controlled environment while addressing campus air quality concerns linked to a high-traffic airport and exposure to jet fuel particulate matter and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This collaborative project between Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering researchers and the Botanical Society evaluates whether a green wall can improve indoor air quality as a scalable model for future closed-loop habitats. In the study's first phase, student researchers documented ACE Lab dimensions to …

Machine Learning For Predictive Energy And Emissions Modeling Of Vehicles And Power Grids In The United States, S M Tanvir Faysal Alam Chowdhoury

Dissertations

The environmental benefits of electric vehicle (EV) adoption depend on more than replacing internal combustion engine vehicles with electric powertrains. EV adoption reshapes electricity demand, interacts with regional generation mixes, and influences travel behavior and congestion, creating a coupled transportation-energy system in which vehicle and power-plant emissions must be evaluated together. This dissertation develops machine-learning frameworks for predicting energy consumption and emissions from vehicles and power grids under rising EV adoption. The first component forecasts grid emissions from EV charging. Using simulation data from NREL's Cambium database, a Prophet-based time-series framework predicts carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane emission rates …

Integrating Sustainability Into Engineering Education, Riley R. Moller

Master's Theses

Engineering decisions shape lasting technology that affects environmental integrity, public safety, economic stability, and social equity. As global challenges such as climate change, infrastructure vulnerability, and rapid technological advancement intensify, the responsibilities placed on engineers continue to expand. Sustainability provides a framework for addressing these interconnected pressures through systems-based design and long-term thinking. Yet, sustainability education within engineering programs remains unevenly integrated, often positioned as elective or peripheral rather than as a foundational component of professional preparation.

Prior research shows that sustainability is most frequently addressed through stand-alone courses rather than embedded across required curricula, reflecting disciplinary structures that prioritize …

Mould Risk Prevention In Healthcare Facilities In Hot And Humid Climates Through Acmv Air Supply Parameter Optimisation: Development And Validation Of A Multi-Objective Optimisation Framework, Jiang Kaiyun

Student Works (2020-2029)

Air conditioning mechanical ventilation (ACMV) supply parameters—such as airflow rate, temperature, and humidity—significantly influence indoor thermal and hygrometric conditions, influencing airflow patterns and mould proliferation. In healthcare facilities, mould poses significant health risks, particularly for immunocompromised patients, contributing to respiratory issues, allergic reactions, and infections. While ACMV systems are central to infection control and indoor air quality, conventional designs often fall short in hot and humid climates. Existing practices typically prioritise high air change rates (ACH) without sufficient dehumidification, underestimate humidity control, and assume spatial homogeneity, overlooking microclimates conducive to localised mould growth. To address these limitations, this research develops …

Experimental Study Of Dimpled Serpentine Reactors For Hydrogen Production Via Methanol Steam Reforming, Mohamed I. Zeid, Mahmoud A. Shouman, Osama Abdelrehim, Ahmed M. Hamed

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Hydrogen is widely regarded as a clean energy carrier, with methanol steam reforming (MSR) emerging as a promising route for portable and on-board applications due to its favorable operating conditions and high hydrogen yield. Reactor geometry plays a decisive role in hydrogen productivity, pressure drop, and energy efficiency, yet the balance among these factors remains insufficiently addressed. In this study, three serpentine aluminum microreactors: a plain serpentine reactor (PSR), a rhombusdimple reactor (RDR), and a hemispherical-dimple reactor (HDR) were fabricated and coated with a copper (II) oxide, zinc oxide, aluminum oxide (CuO/ZnO/Al₂O₃) catalyst to experimentally investigate the effect of dimple …

Performance, Economic And Environmental Evaluation Of A Solar-Assisted Vacuum Deaeration Heating System., Liew Shan Kun

Student Works (2020-2029)

This research evaluates the performance of a solar-assisted heating (SAH) system for makeup water in a vacuum deaeration process. The system integrates solar energy into the heating process, with parametric analysis conducted across varying configuration of total solar radiation and water flow rates. The total solar radiation at the experimental site in Kuala Kangsar, Perak, Malaysia, characterized by tropical weather, fell within the range between 414W/m2 to 568W/m2. Performance analysis showed that a flow rate of 0.4 LPM achieved the target temperature of 61°C required for the deaeration process. Thermal efficiency peaked at 62.60% under a solar radiation of 900 …

Measuring The Impact Of 3d Printers On The Health Of Youth, Alexis Kostin, Olla Obeid, Oz Trost

Wetterhahn Science Symposium Posters

3D printers are used more widely than ever before; they can be found in factories, hospitals, and even schools. However, the health effects of the VOCs and UFPs that these machines emit have yet to be fully understood. In collaboration with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, this study utilizes an Air Gradient One sensor at the Diamond Lab to monitor VOC and UFP emissions before, during, and after 3D printing sessions. By comparing these levels to EPA and CDC safety standards, we aim to quantify the respiratory risks posed to youth.

Morphological Test Of Areca Nut Fiber Ceramic Membrane Using Scanning Electron Microscopy Energy Dispersive X-Ray Mapping Spectroscopy, Amelia Marzain, Siti Umi Kalsum, Marhadi Marhadi, Ahmad Nabil Shahab

Journal of Materials Exploration and Findings

This study investigates the potential of ceramic membranes derived from areca nut fiber as a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable material for the removal of iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) from groundwater. Two types of membranes were fabricated: one without activation and one chemically activated using 10% sodium hydroxide (NaOH). The morphological and elemental characteristics of both membranes were analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) mapping. The concentrations of Fe and Mn before and after treatment were measured using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). The NaOH-activated membrane exhibited a more porous surface structure and higher oxygen content, …

Advancing Sustainable Co2 Mitigation: Experimental And Computational Analysis Of Thermal Carbon Chitosan Sorbent For Automotive Exhaust Capture, Dalia A. Ali Dr., Amir Ahmed Elgamal Eng., Rania Rushdy Moussa Dr.

Chemical Engineering

This study investigated the efficiency of thermal carbon chitosan (TCCS) sorbent for CO2 capture from vehicle exhaust emissions within a designed adsorption system. TCCS was synthesized and meticulously characterized using a series of analytical techniques, including Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Ther- mogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), and Differential Scanning Calo- rimetry (DSC). The TCCS adsorbent showed high thermal stability and a heating value (HHV) of 23.5 MJ/kg. Adsorption isotherm study demonstrated that the maximum capacity of CO2 adsorption is 0.084 kg.CO2/kg. TCCS, as well …

Water Bottle Lid Co Detector, Zeke Bukovansky, Jake Siegel, Jack Wisegarver, Cody Rudman

Mechanical Engineering

This project introduces a portable carbon monoxide detector integrated into a water bottle lid to give users a simple way to stay aware of CO exposure in daily life. The design packages an electrochemical sensor, onboard electronics, and clear visual and audible alerts into a compact form that fits standard bottles. By embedding sensing into an object people already carry, the device offers a practical path toward reducing unrecognized CO risks and improving personal safety.

Long-Term Degradation Of Natural-Fiber Coir Turf Reinforcement Mat Installed Along An Urban Stream In South Carolina, Kayden G. Rothery, Bob L. Lowe

Research from the Berry Summer Thesis Institute, 2025

Nature-based (or “living”) solutions to shoreline restoration are attractive due to their positive contributions to ecosystem function and service provision in coastal and estuarine environments. However, non-biodegradable plastics are widely used in their implementation; for instance, plastic-based geotextile fabrics are used to stabilize soil and organic matter to prevent loss of sediment fill. Paradoxically, these polymer-based geotextiles intended to protect the estuarine environment are unintended sources of plastic pollution as they inevitably degrade over time. Consequently, there is significant interest in transitioning from synthetic polymer-based geotextiles to sustainable non-plastic alternatives. To begin addressing this compelling research opportunity, this project aims …

Functional Biopolymers Applied To Sustainable Technologies In The Environment And Healthcare, Fengjie He

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Biodegradable polymeric materials (biopolymers) are naturally derived materials known for their excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, sustainability, and versatile chemical functionality. They have attracted increasing attention in various applications as alternative to synthetic materials ranging from food packaging to tissue engineering. Meanwhile, with intrinsic advantages, biopolymers have also emerged as promising materials in addressing contemporary challenges in both biomedical and environmental fields. Motivated by the significant potential of biopolymers and the growing need for sustainable materials, my research focuses on the design and engineering of biodegradable polymers with novel modification methods and application directions. In this work, two representative biopolymers are selected: …

Advancing Life Cycle Assessment For Environmental Sustainability Of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites (Cfrps)), Hao Chen

All Dissertations

Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites (CFRPs) have emerged as promising materials, particularly for lightweight applications, with the potential to reduce environmental impacts across multiple sectors, including automotive, aerospace, and renewable energy. However, fully realizing their sustainability potential requires a more comprehensive and context-specific understanding of their environmental performance throughout the entire life cycle—from raw material production to end-of-life management.

This dissertation advances life cycle assessment (LCA) practices for CFRPs by addressing key challenges across multiple phases of the CFRP life cycle. First, I conducted a critical review and meta-analysis of carbon fiber manufacturing, revealing substantial variability in reported data on energy …

Aeroponic System Optimization For Butterhead Lettuce Growth And Future Sustainability Using Flow Blurring Atomization: An Overview, Taylor J. Johnson

Beyond: Undergraduate Research Journal

The global population has grown by 6 billion people over the last century and is trending toward 9.7 billion people by the year 2050. Agriculture accounts for 70% of global fresh water usage. Technology must be developed to accommodate the increase of food production demanded by the growing global population and the subsequent increase in water usage. Aeroponic technology is a water-efficient vertical farming technology that can reduce water usage by 90% by suspending plant roots in air within a controlled chamber and supplying atomized droplets of a water-nutrient solution directly to the roots.

This study simultaneously tests six droplet …

Fire Fossils: Biomineral Infrastructures In Untangling Climates, Tanmayee More

Masters Theses

Diatoms drift, sediments sink, wildfires generate their own weather. Lightning strikes can blast sand into glass, and microscopic organisms do the same in the cold recesses of the ocean. What alchemies and metabolisms catalyze space, time, and energy? What are the thermodynamics of infrastructure in Climate Change?

Places, materials, and beings are afterimages. Through alchemical experiments, and multi-scalar imaging, I develop simulations of wildfires, and their profound, reverberating effects. In this thesis, a glass-meets-landscape experimental process enters these obscured conditions and renders new material relations for the built environment.

Building Resilience: Strategies For Sustainable Wildfire Management In California, Jaiden Rennie, Pegah Zamani

Symposium of Student Scholars

Wildfires in California are becoming more intense and destructive, threatening communities, ecosystems, and livelihoods. This project explores how resilience and sustainability can work together to reduce wildfire risks and long-term damage. By reviewing research, case studies, and expert insights, it examines what’s driving these fires, climate change, poor land management, and human activity, and looks at solutions that can make a real difference. From community education programs to AI-driven fire detection and smarter policies, the findings highlight practical ways to better prepare for and manage wildfires. The goal is to contribute to a future where communities and the environment are …

Enhancing The Efficiency Of Eaop Degradation Using Ultrasound: A Study With Methylene Blue And Pfoa As Model Pollutants, Jamiu Busayo Ahmed

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Simplified Molecular Diagnostics Methods For Environmental Testing Of Pathogens And Other Applications, Mohammad Dehghan Banadaki

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Environmental Surveillance (ES) has emerged as a powerful tool to monitor the emergence and persistence of a pathogen within a facility or community using wastewater/water analysis. Over the past four years, implementation of ES has experienced an explosive acceleration, driven by efforts to monitor the spread of SARS-CoV-2, which has made ES a routinely used public health tool in many locations. We can now use ES to measure the emergence/presence/abundance of different viruses (e.g., SARS-CoV-2, influenza, mpox), bacteria (e.g., E. coli, V. cholerae, antibiotic-resistant strains), fungi (e.g., C. auris), and other biological markers indicative of infectious diseases. However, its broad …

Jovial Family Farm Facilitates Intergenerational Learning Opportunities Through Urban Farming, Maera Williams

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

Maera Williams is a sophomore in Environmental and Ecological Engineering at Purdue University. She joined the Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) Urban Farming team as a freshman and now serves as project manager of ten undergraduate students collaborating with Jovial Family Farm to design and develop three indoor hydroponics systems for a laboratory space on their property in Broad Ripple, IN. Jovial Family Farm is a nonprofit organization founded by Drs. Bobbie and Brian Jellison with the mission to provide senior citizens, their families, and their communities with meaningful engagement opportunities on an intergenerational scale through urban agricultural activities. …

Experimental And Numerical Investigation Of Droplet Dynamics In Microscale Systems: The Influence Of Surfactants And Nanoparticles On Environmental Applications, Negin Bahadori

Master's Theses

Emulsions are suspensions of droplets dispersed into an immiscible liquid phase, with at least a water phase and an oil phase. The capability to incorporate both hydrophilic and hydrophobic components makes emulsions amenable to a variety of applications, such as bilgewater treatment and oil recovery. To optimize bilgewater treatment or oil recovery, many aspects must be considered, such as the effect of emulsion stability, the wetting conditions and, more in general, the possibility to characterize droplet’s behavior over static or dynamic conditions. This thesis investigates the roles of surfactants and nanoparticles in understanding droplet behavior in oil-water systems, with a …

Seismic Resilience Of Timber Homes, Melia R. Costa

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

The vast majority of residential buildings in California are wood-frame structures. A home is typically a very large investment for families, and damage to the home can be detrimental to a family’s economic success. Thus, reducing the economic impacts of an earthquake on residential timber housing is crucial. A full scale, two-story section of a residential timber house is in construction in the Parson’s Geotechnical and Earthquake Engineering Laboratory on the Cal Poly campus in San Luis Obispo, California. Once built it will be put through earthquake simulation tests on a shake table with various magnitudes of seismic activity. Next, …

Electrified Membrane For Water Treatment And Resource Recovery: Advancing Multiscale Strategies In Gas-Involving Reactions, Jianan Gao

Dissertations

Multifunctional, modular, and scalable water treatment technologies that operate without chemical additives are crucial for addressing global water pollution challenges. While traditional membrane-based separation processes are crucial for ensuring clean water supplies, they primarily focus on pollutant removal rather than on the upcycling of pollutants into valuable resources. Electrified membrane filtration presents a robust alternative, utilizing minimal or no chemical additives and harnessing electrical power to directly reduce contaminants or produce reactive oxidants or reductants on-site.

This dissertation is dedicated to the development of innovative electrochemically reactive membranes designed to address three major challenges: (1) the engineering of electrocatalysts with …

Estimation Of Useful-Stage Energy Returns On Investment For Fossil Fuels And Implications For Renewable Energy Systems, Emmanuel Aramendia, Paul E. Brockway, Peter G. Taylor, Jonathan B. Norman, Matthew K. Heun, Zeke Marshal;

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

The net energy implications of the energy transition have so far been analysed at best at the final energy stage. Here we argue that expanding the analysis to the useful stage is crucial. We estimate fossil fuelsʼ useful-stage energy returns on investment (EROIs) over the period 1971–2020, globally and nationally, and disaggregate EROIs by end use. We find that fossil fuelsʼ useful-stage EROIs (~3.5:1) are considerably lower than at the final stage (~8.5:1), due to low final-to-useful efficiencies. Further, we estimate the final-stage EROI for which electricity-yielding renewable energy would deliver the same net useful energy as fossil fuels (EROI …

Investigating The Effects Of Suspended Algal Content, Dissolved Oxygen, And Temperature On A High-Frequency Acoustic Attenuation System In A Controlled Laboratory Environment, Noah Watson

Honors Theses

The Single Frequency Acoustic Attenuation System (SFAAS) has been developed at the National Center for Physical Acoustics (NCPA). This system uses acoustic methods to monitor fine suspended sediment concentration in streams. Site-specific calibrations are necessary for this system, and previous research has indicated that algal concentration or dissolved oxygen concentration of water may affect collected data. Temperature, dissolved oxygen concentration, and fluorescence, used as a proxy for algal concentration, were monitored during this system’s use, and calibrations were derived to account for the effect of each of these variables on acoustic measurements. It has been shown that temperature has a …

Reducing Food Scarcity: The Benefits Of Urban Farming, S.A. Claudell, Emilio Mejia

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Urban farming can enhance the lives of communities and help reduce food scarcity. This paper presents a conceptual prototype of an efficient urban farming community that can be scaled for a single apartment building or an entire community across all global geoeconomics regions, including densely populated cities and rural, developing towns and communities. When deployed in coordination with smart crop choices, local farm support, and efficient transportation then the result isn’t just sustainability, but also increasing fresh produce accessibility, optimizing nutritional value, eliminating the use of ‘forever chemicals’, reducing transportation costs, and fostering global environmental benefits.

Imagine Doris, who is …

Onshore Power For The Docked Container Vessels In Apapa Port Through Blended Finance, Oladayo Matthew Atilola

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Potential Roles Of Vessel Traffic Services (Vts) In Maritime Decarbonization, Suleiman Mustapha Bunza

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Healthcare Built Environment And The Covid-19 Pandemic, A Mixed-Method Study, Mohammad Saleh Nikooopayan Tak

All Theses

The outbreak of COVID-19 presented an unparalleled risk to public health, leading to urgent scientific efforts in understanding transmission mechanisms and mitigating risks, especially in healthcare settings. This mixed-methods study examines knowledge advancement regarding indoor air quality in healthcare facilities during the pandemic. A systematic literature review of 163 post-COVID studies identifies key research thrusts and 31 recommendations related to building ventilation, air filtration, surface disinfection, and monitoring. Comparison with over 200 pre-pandemic publications reveals both reliance on established infection control principles and unique contributions, such as detecting viral RNA in air and surface samples indicating potential airborne and fomite …

Water Hammer Analysis For Ash Slurry Disposal Pipelines Of A Thermal Power System, Biprodip Mukherjee, Subhasish Das, Satyapriya Mandal

Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development

Coal-ash slurry transportation via pipelines has been accepted as a potential, economical, and dependable mode of two-phase flow of solid-liquid transportation. It is solid-liquid transportation where the ash slurry generally flows through mild steel, and a good amount of pump energy and pressure is required to convey the slurry with a density above 1220 kg/m3. The study is basically on the water hammer analysis of ash slurry conveying pipes. Nevertheless, since the hammer analysis is typically carried out in normal water, the study of ash slurry is compared to the know criteria of potable water. The study aims to understand …