Environmental Engineering Commons^™

2007 Fall Engr333/Biol354 Project Final Report, 2007 Fall Engr333, 2007 Fall Biol354

ENGR 333

The students of Calvin College’s Engineering 333 and Biology 354 classes were given the task of determining “What would it take to make Calvin College Carbon Neutral?” At first glance, it would not appear that classes on Advanced Thermal System Design and Investigations in Plant Ecology would have much in common. However, the biology and engineering students comprising these classes banded together to tackle the problem. Coming to a satisfactory conclusion would require:

• Creating an inventory of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions and sequestration potential
• Coming up with detailed solutions to achieve Carbon Neutrality
• Working out a practical schedule to …

Bacterial Auto-Aggregation And Co-Aggregation In Activated Sludge, Fei Chen

All Theses

Microbial auto-aggregation and co-aggregation, leading to biofilm or floc formation, widely occur in natural systems. This study was conducted to investigate the extent of bacterial auto-aggregation and co-aggregation in activated sludge and their contributions in activated sludge floc formation. In this study, an activated sludge sample was separated into a supernatant part (planktonic community) and a sediment part (floc community) by centrifugation at 650_g for 2 minutes. 197 strains were isolated from both communities. These isolates belong to 18 phylotypes based on molecular identifications. Similar phylogenetic distributions of these isolates were observed in planktonic and floc communities, suggesting a similar …

Metalloporphyrin Catalyzed Degradation Of Pce: Effects Of Reductants, Buffers And Cosolvent Concentration, Sowmya Suryanarayanan

All Theses

Reductive dechlorination of chlorinated organic contaminants using metalloporphyrins as catalysts may be an effective approach to treat widespread contamination. However, most previous studies have examined water-soluble rather than insoluble metalloporphyrins despite the fact that the latter category makes up the largest fraction found in nature. Recent studies have shown that addition of different cosolvents to water can activate otherwise non-reactive metalloporphyrin catalysts and facilitate the reduction of tetrachloroethylene (PCE), presumably by the mere process of making the otherwise insoluble metalloporphyrins dissolve in solution. Therefore, solubility has been advanced as a key factor in the ability of metalloporphyrins to catalyze organic …

Laboratory Evaluation Of Microbial Aggregation In Activated Sludge, Xiaoling Liu

All Theses

Microbial aggregation was investigated in this study using the activated sludge process as a model system, the performance of which is highly dependent on effective bioaggregation. This research includes two experiments. First, four laboratory-scale activated sludge sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) were constructed in order to evaluate the effect of solids retention time (SRT) on microbial aggregation. These SBRs were operated at SRT of 4, 8, 16, and 32 days, respectively, fed with a protein-based synthetic wastewater, and monitored over a period of 268 days for performance and sludge settling characteristics including soluble COD in the effluent (sCOD), sludge volume index …

Cosolvent Effects On The Reductive Dechlorination Of Tetrachloroethylene Catalyzed By Iron Tetraphenyl Porphyrin Chloride, Lavanya Ramasubramanian

All Theses

Abiotic electron transfer mediated reductive dechlorination reactions have been studied extensively in the past decade. Porphyrins and metalloporphyrins are common electron transfer mediators used. Past studies have shown that some metalloporphyrins play a key role in increasing the rate of reaction in the presence of cosolvents. There have also been suggestions that organic cosolvents enhance the rate of reduction by increasing the solubility of metalloporphyrins.
The primary objective of this project was to examine the effect of cosolvents on the metalloporphyrin-catalyzed reductive dechlorination of tetrachloroethylene (PCE). Subsequently, experiments were also conducted to test the hypothesis that metalloporphyrin solubility is linked …

The Development Of Regional Regression Equations For Flood Flow Estimates Of Ungauged Streams In The State Of Arkansas, Stephen Mccall

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The objective of this project is to improve the accuracy of the peak streamflow frequency estimates in ungauged streams by using a regionalization approach and the Bulletin 17B method of flood flow analysis. The entire state will be considered one region and the final results will be compared to previous studies done in the state. The data used will be the most up-to-date available from the USGS gauging stations around the state. This includes data from gauging stations that had less than 10 years of data when the last such study was conducted by Hodge & Tasker (1995). The data …

Evaluation Of The Role Of Driver’S Knowledge Of Who Has The Right-Of-Way Contributes To Interstate On-Ramp Crashes, Deogratias Eustace, Vamsi Krishna Indupuru

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Faculty Publications

The knowledge of drivers on who has the right-of-way between the one on mainline lanes of a freeway and the one entering the freeway through on-ramp junction lane was evaluated. In addition, drivers’ opinions on how to make the on-ramp junctions safer were collected. A survey instrument with 21 items requesting drivers’ information in regard with demographics, freeway driving experience, knowledge of right-of-way and merging practices was used for data collection. The results show that crashes are relatively rare events and for some reasons, most of them never happen but result into near misses, which can not be reported and …

2007 Fall Engr333/Biol354 Project Solutions Poster, 2007 Fall Engr333, 2007 Fall Biol354

ENGR 333

A carbon footprint is term which refers to the net amount of greenhouse gases produced to directly or indirectly by human activities and is usually expressed in terms of metric tons of carbon dioxide. The Calvin community places a strong emphasis on practicing good stewardship, including stewardship of Creation. Reducing Calvin’s carbon footprint is crucial because carbon dioxide is a major greenhouse gas and contributes heavily to global climate change. In a previous portion of this project, the carbon footprint of Calvin College was calculated to be about 66,400 MTCE (Metric Tons Carbon dioxide Emitted). The goal of this portion …

2007 Fall Engr333/Biol354 Project Footprint Poster, 2007 Fall Engr333, 2007 Fall Biol354

ENGR 333

The students of Calvin College’s Engineering 333 and Biology 354 classes were given the task of determining “What would it take to make Calvin College Carbon Neutral?” At first glance, it would not appear that classes on Advanced Thermal System Design and Investigations in Plant Ecology would have much in common. However, the biology and engineering students comprising these classes banded together to tackle the problem. Coming to a satisfactory conclusion would require: Creating an inventory of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions and sequestration potential Coming up with detailed solutions to achieve Carbon Neutrality Working out a practical schedule to …

Long-Term Trends From Ecosystem Research At The Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, John L. Campbell, Charles T. Driscoll, Christopher Eagar, Gene E. Likens, Thomas G. Siccama, Chris E. Johnson, Timothy J. Fahey, Steven P. Hamburg, Richard T. Holmes, Amey S. Bailey, Donald C. Buso

Civil and Environmental Engineering - All Scholarship

The Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest was established by the U.S. Forest Service in 1955 as a major center for hydrologic research in the Northeast. The Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study originated 8 years later with the idea of using the small watershed approach to study element flux and cycling and the response of forest ecosystems to disturbance. Since that time, the research program at Hubbard Brook has expanded to include various physical, chemical and biological measurements collected by researchers from a number of cooperating institutions. Collaborative, long-term data are the keystone of the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study and have provided invaluable …

Water Savings And Rainwater Harvesting – Pilot Project In Ireland, Sean O'Hogain, Anna Reid, Liam Mccarton, Jenny Pender, Niamh Mcntyre

Conference papers

A pilot project to harvest rainwater was set up in Ireland in 2005 to examine the potential of using rainwater harvesting systems to replace treated mains water, for non-potable uses. The Project has two strands to it. The agricultural application assessed the feasibility of incorporating rainwater supply to supplement/replace mains or other water supplies for farms. The second strand involves rural water supply to domestic dwellings. Here the project installed rainwater harvesting and water conservation devices as part of a pilot project to assess the reduction in domestic demand. This paper will examine the water use recorded on both sites. …

2007 Engr333/Biol354 Project Assignment, Matthew K. Heun

ENGR 333

The Fall 2007 semester ENGR333 project involved a collaboration with students in BIOL354, taught by my colleague Dave Warners. We asked our students “What would it take to make Calvin College carbon neutral?”

This project resulted in the first-ever carbon dioxide emissions and sequestration assessment of Calvin College, attached below.

The student presenters animated the pie charts, and an audible gasp filled the hall when the imbalance between carbon emissions and carbon sequestration became clear.

The students also studied potential routes to carbon neutrality, one of which was a green revolving fund.

This class project resulted in a co-authored publication …

Achiral And Chiral Analysis Of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (Pcbs) In The Aquatic And Riparian Food Webs In Twelve Mile Creek, South Carolina., Viet Dang

All Theses

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) contamination in the Twelve Mile Creek arm of Lake Hartwell, South Carolina, has been an issue for decades. Lake Hartwell, which is a reservoir located on the border between the states of South Carolina and Georgia, was contaminated with an estimated 440,000 pounds of PCBs. PCBs were released from the Sangamo-Weston capacitor plant located on Town Creek, which feeds into Twelve Mile Creek and ultimately Lake Hartwell. The Twelve Mile Creek tributary connecting the Sangamo-Weston plant to Lake Hartwell has had little attention. Understanding PCBs contamination in the aquatic and riparian food webs of Twelve Mile Creek …

Development And Evaluation Of An Enrichment Culture For Bioaugmentation Of The P-Area Chlorinated Ethene Plume At The Savannah River Site, Elizabeth Wood

All Theses

The Twin Lakes chlorinated ethene plume at the Department of Energy's
Savannah River Site (SRS) emerges in a wetland in which trichloroethene (TCE) is
completely reduced to ethene and ethane. Novel strains of Dehalococcoides have been
detected from the wetland area. The objectives of this study were 1) to develop an
enrichment culture capable of completely dechlorinating TCE and tetrachloroethene
(PCE) to ethene using samples from the wetland; 2) to evaluate the use of lactate,
emulsified vegetable oil and corn syrup as possible electron donors for biostimulation of
the P-area chlorinated ethene plume at SRS that is not undergoing natural …

Approaches To Mitigate The Impact Of Dissolved Organic Matter On The Adsorption Of Synthetic Organic Contaminants By Activated Carbon, Abhishek Yadav

All Theses

The main objective of this study was to conduct a systematic investigation of various approaches to mitigate the competition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) on the adsorption of synthetic organic contaminants (SOCs) by activated carbons. TCE and atrazine were selected as the target SOCs because they are known to adsorb in different pore size regions. TCE adsorbs in the primary micropore region (i.e., <10 ) which is inaccessible to the majority of the DOM components, while atrazine adsorbs in the secondary micropore region (i.e., 10-20 ) which is partially accessible to some DOM components. The adsorbents used in this study consisted of four activated carbons (OLC, CRC, F400He, and HD4000ST) and one activated carbon fiber (ACF: ACF10). All sorbents were basic and hydrophobic in nature and represented a set of activated carbons with gradually widening pore size distribution, from the extremely microporous carbons (ACF10 and OLC) to carbons with some amount of mesopores (CRC and F400He) and finally a predominantly mesoporous (HD4000ST) carbon.
Isotherms were performed as single solute and after preloading with a dissolved organic matter (5 mg DOC/L and 20 mg DOC/L) for both TCE and atrazine and using the five activated carbons. Single solute isotherm results showed …

Love Canal Tragedy, Alicia Saunte Phillips, Yung-Tse Hung, Paul A. Bosela

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

The purpose of this environmental failure case study paper is to provide educational materials for environmental engineering courses dealing with design and operation of landfills for hazardous waste. In 1978, it was discovered that hazardous waste had contaminated homes and schools in the Love Canal area, a former chemical landfill which became a 15 acre neighborhood of the City of Niagara Falls, New York. On August 7, 1978, the United States President Jimmy Carter declared a federal emergency at the Love Canal. The Love Canal became the first man-made disaster to receive such a designation based on a variety of …

Improving Arterial Performance Measurement Using Traffic Signal System Data, Michael Wolfe, Christopher Monsere, Peter Koonce, Robert L. Bertini

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The characterization of the performance of freeways in real time and on a historical basis has been successfully achieved for many years. The ability to characterize arterial performance has been more elusive. Currently numerous applications of traffic management and traveler information systems include freeways but lack the ability to extend their operation to major arterials. This paper describes methods for quantifying arterial performance using data from signal system loop detectors. Included in the array of metrics are traffic density, total delay, predicted travel time, and signal coordination effectiveness. Methods for determining performance in these areas are adapted for use in …

Laying The Groundwork For Odor Control And Setback Estimation In Nebraska, Rick R. Stowell

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The goal of this field research study was to validate use of the Odor Footprint Tool (OFT) with livestock building sources in rural communities. The primary objective was to evaluate the accuracy of predictions of annoyance potential (as projected by odor concentration output data from AERMOD^® - the OFT's underlying dispersion model) when compared to measures of annoyance potential made in the field. Odor assessors were trained to monitor odors around a 4,800-head finishing site in eastern Nebraska. During the summer of 2005, mobile odor assessors monitored odor levels at downwind locations. During the spring and summer of 2006, …

Nyumba Ya Mungu Reservoir System Simulation By Using Hec-Ressim Model, Deogratias Mulungu

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

This research paper focused on estimating effective water and optimization of the NyM reservoir for storage conservation and hydropower generation. Several models were used in the study: the Rainfall-Runoff model, GFFS was used to fill in missing data, and the HEC-ResSim Model and the NWBM for reservoir system simulation and water balance respectively. The effective inflows to the NyM reservoir were determined using HEC-ResSim model and the NWBM used to check the total water loss in the system. For the reservoir system simulation, the HEC-ResSim model was used to estimate water loss through irrigation abstractions in Kikuletwa and Ruvu reaches …

Socio-Economic Impacts Of Water Scarcity In Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, Shadrack Mwakalila

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Drought and the resulting low water levels in rivers exacerbate water scarcity conditions in Dar es Salaam city. The result is frequent water rationing in areas served with piped water, sometimes for days or weeks, and low water pressure, which leads residents to resort to other less safe and sometimes more expensive water sources. The frequent and current response to the inadequate piped water supply in Dar es Salaam has been the use of groundwater resources. There are both public and private bore-holes and wells drilling companies in Dar es Salaam.. This paper therefore, presents some socio-economic impacts of water …

Evaluation Of Current Stormwater Design Criteria Within The State Of Florida (2007), Stormwater Academy

BMP Trains Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Utilization Of Thermopolastic Rejects With Different Reinforcing Elements In The Production Of Manhole Covers, Lama Mosad El Hatow

Archived Theses and Dissertations

This thesis aims to investigate the potential usage of rejected non-recyclable contaminated plastic rejects with different reinforcing elements to produce a viable product such as a manhole cover. Contaminated plastic rejects are generally deemed unrecyclable due to the cost and effort, including money, water, energy associated with cleaning the product in order to recycle it. By recycling these contaminated plastic rejects as is and reinforcing it with different reinforcing elements, we can enhance the mechanical properties of the material to enable it to be used as a viable, durable product such as a manhole cover. Problems associated with manhole covers …

Characterization Of The Ibc Technologies Superlig¨ 620 Solid Phase Extraction Resin With Applications For Automated Process Monitoring, John Clements

All Theses

Characterization of the IBC Advanced Technologies SuperLig¨ 620 solid phase extraction resin was performed in order to develop an automated strontium-90 process monitor. The main focus was on strontium separation from barium, with the goal of developing an automated separation process for strontium-90 in Hanford high-level tank wastes. High-level waste tanks contain significant cesium-137 activities, of which barium daughters are of great concern as interferences to strontium quantification. A number of complexants were studied in a series of batch distribution coefficient experiments, as SuperLig¨ 620 was not previously known to elute strontium in typical mineral acids. The optimal separation was …

Effectiveness Of Green Roof Stormwater Treatment Systems Irrigated With Recycled Green Roof Filtrate To Achieve Pollutant Removal With Peak And Volume Reduction In Florida, Martin Wanielista, Michael Hardin

BMP Trains Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

A Bayesian Method For Groundwater Quality Monitoring Network Analysis, Khalil A. Ammar

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Water resources management is best done when an efficient and reliable information system is available that provides data about the state of the water system being managed. Herein, a new methodology is developed and demonstrated that incorporates different aspects of monitoring, including vulnerability assessment, environmental health risk, the value of information, and redundancy reduction in an existing monitoring network. These various objectives reflect a desire for cost- efficiency, while taking into account uncertainty in predictions of groundwater contamination potential. This methodology is presented within an integrated approach to groundwater quality monitoring that includes several multi-objective aspects associated with decisions about …

Stormwater Effectiveness Of An Operating Green Roof Stormwater Treatment System And Comparison To Scaled Down Green Roof Stormwater Treatment System Chambers (2007), Martin Wanielista, Mike Hardin

BMP Trains Research and Publications

This report presents the results of a successful operating green roof in the state of Florida. The green roof is located on the Student Union building at the University of Central Florida. This green roof has thrived for more than two years hosting more than 50 tours educating architects, engineers, and policy makers on the many benefits green roofs provide.

Comparison of this full sized operating green roof stormwater treatment system with scaled down green roof stormwater treatment system chambers showed that the full size system can be described by the previously reported equivalent experimental chamber data. Thus the experimental …

Adsorption Of Lead (Ii) Ions By Organosilicate Nanoporous Materials, Larry Keith Isaacs

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

As-synthesized organosilicate nanoporous (OSNP) materials HMS (hexagonal mesoporous structure) and MCM-41 were used as adsorbents for removal of lead (II) ions in laboratory batch and column studies. Mesoporous organosilicates were prepared from tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and either an ionic (cetyltrimethyl-ammonium) or neutral (dodecylamine) surfactant. Batch reaction distribution coefficients for MCM-41 were K_D = 51.5 L/g (SD = 26.3) at 24 h and K_D = 73.7 L/g (SD = 40.5) at 7 d. OSNP lead (II) ion adsorption increased from pH = 3 until pH ca. 7.5 after which a sharp decrease in adsorption was noted. OSNP materials reflected a …

Modeling In Situ Bioremediation Of Perchlorate-Contaminated Groundwater, Roland E. Secody

Theses and Dissertations

Perchlorate-contaminated groundwater is a significant problem for the Department of Defense and the United States Air Force. An innovative technology was recently developed which uses dual-screened treatment wells to mix an electron donor into perchlorate-contaminated groundwater in order to effect in situ bioremediation of the perchlorate by indigenous perchlorate reducing bacteria without the need to extract the contaminated water from the subsurface. In this study, a model that simulates operation of the technology is calibrated and validated using 761 days of observational data obtained from a field-scale technology evaluation project. A genetic algorithm was used with the first 113 days …

Biofiltration As A Viable Alternative For Air Pollution Control At Department Of Defense Surface Coating Facilities, David M. Hudock

Theses and Dissertations

Surface coating operations at aircraft depot facilities are common throughout the Department of Defense (DoD). During paint application processes at Navy and Marine Corps Fleet Readiness Centers (FRCs), spray paints emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) known to have harmful effects on human health and the environment. FRC East at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, does not control the emissions of VOCs from any of its paint booths. The purpose of this research is to determine if FRC East and its surrounding area can benefit both economically and environmentally from a biofiltration system for air pollution control (APC) rather than …

Development Of A Screening Model For Design And Costing Of An Innovative Tailored Granular Activated Carbon Technology To Treat Perchlorate-Contaminated Water, William C. Powell

Theses and Dissertations

Perchlorate contamination of drinking water is a problem that has recently gained national attention. The purpose of this research was to develop a tool to predict the cost and performance of tailored granular activated carbon (T-GAC), an innovative technology to treat perchlorate-contaminated water. The ability to predict cost and performance is essential to promote transfer and commercialization of innovative technologies. This study investigated how data obtained from small-scale laboratory tests could be applied to predict cost and performance of a full-scale T-GAC system to treat perchlorate-contaminated water. A technology model was developed using GAC design principles and using a multi-component …