Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Input-Output Analysis Of Irish Construction Sector Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Adolf Acquaye, Aidan Duffy

Articles

Ireland is committed to limiting its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 113% of 1990 levels over the period 2008-12 and to 84% of 2005 levels by 2020 under the Kyoto Agreement and the EU’s ’20 20’ by 2020 respectively. National policies have targeted many industry sectors but have failed to directly tackle GHG emissions associated with construction activity. This paper estimates energy and GHG emissions intensities of the Irish construction sector and subsectors and estimates its contribution to Irish national emissions. This information is used to identify and assess the impacts of policy measures which would result in a reduction …

The Influence Of Mechanical Circulation On Water Column Stability And Dissolved Oxygen In Stratified Lakes, Paal Engebrigtsen

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Surface circulators have been used in wastewater and industrial lagoons for many years, but only recently have they been designed for lakes and reservoirs as a water quality management tool. Their relatively low capital investment and operational costs make them an attractive chemical free option for ameliorating the symptoms of eutrophication. Little research has been conducted on their effectiveness in impacting water quality. Today many lake managers are waiting for independent research on surface circulators' performance before installing such systems.

The Occoquan Reservoir was the primary site for a study conducted to examine the influence of surface circulation on water …

The Impacts Of Emergency Vehicle Signal Preemption On Urban Traffic Speed, Hualiang (Harry) Teng, Valerian Kwigizile, Gang Xie, Mohamed S. Kaseko, A. Reed Gibby

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

We used GPS data from paratransit vehicles to evaluate the impact of emergency vehicles on urban traffic speeds. The results indicate that speed variance is significantly higher during emergency preemption and the mean speeds of traffic flowing in the same direction as the emergency vehicle and on crossing streets are lower during preemption than during normal conditions. Regression results indicate that traffic on major arterials and traffic in the opposite direction of the emergency vehicle tend to have higher speed during signal preemption. Signal preemption during peak periods and duration of preemption had a significant negative impact on traffic speeds. …

Mercury In The Environment: Field Studies From Tampa, Bolivia, And Guyana, Joniqua A'Ja Howard

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Tampa (US), Guyana (SA), and Bolivia (SA), are geographically, socially, economically, and politically unique which make them ideal sites to study issues of mercury and sustainability. Mercury’s innate ability to bioaccumulate and biomagnify in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems poses a severe threat to both human and environmental health. The most vulnerable populations affected by mercury consumption include coastal communities, children, women of child-bearing age, the indigenous poor and persons with high environmental/occupational exposure factors. Communities in the regions of Florida, Bolivia, and Guyana whose diets are high in fish and are environmentally/occupationally exposed to mercury may be at a higher …

Poppleton Creek Wet Detention Pond, Stormwater Academy

BMP Trains Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Performance Of A Stormwater Filter And Bacteria Inactivation Using Biocidal Media, Alexander Scott Bowerman

Master's Theses

There are many possible ways to mitigate stormwater pollution, but this study focused on the DrainPacTM catchment basin insert and the feasibility of integrating N-halamine biocidal brominated beads into the filter system. This study was divided into three sections. The first section involved testing a DrainPacTM filter for treatable flow rates, head loss, and removal of solids, oil, and bacteria. The DrainPacTM filter is designed to be installed in a stormwater catch basin. The filter is composed of a 12 x 41 inch metal frame with textile filter media attached to it in a basket shape. The upper portion of …

2010 Spring Engr333 Project Assignment, Matthew K. Heun

ENGR 333

The Spring 2010 ENGR333 project assessed options for the design of a redundant data center for the Calvin campus.

I asked the students “What would it take to build a redundant data center at Calvin that is 30% more energy efficient than the existing data center?”

Note: Because I was on sabbatical in Fall 2009, ENGR333 was moved to Spring 2010.

Customer

The customer for this project was Calvin’s VP for finance Henry DeVries.

Baffle Box Effectiveness Monitoring Report, Stormwater Academy

BMP Trains Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Social Enterprise: An Overlooked Approach To Promoting Sustainable Economic Regeneration, Gerard Doyle

Reports

Across Europe, social enterprises are making a significant impact on communities, particularly those blighted by high levels of unemployment, poverty and disadvantage. According to the European Commission, they represent 2 million enterprises (i.e. 10 per cent of all European businesses) and employ over 11 million paid employees (the equivalent of 6 per cent of the working population of the EU). Social enterprises are present in almost every sector of the economy, such as banking, insurance, agriculture, craft, various commercial services, and health and social services. The benefits of social enterprises are many, but in economic terms, they can support the …

Nebraska Water And Energy Flux Measurement, Modeling, And Research Network (Nebflux), Suat Irmak

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Surface energy and water vapor fluxes play a critical role in understanding the response of agro‐ecosystems to changes in environmental and atmospheric parameters. These fluxes play a crucial role in exploring the dynamics of water and energy use efficiencies of these systems. Quantification of the fluxes is also necessary for assessing the impact of land use and management changes on water balances. Accomplishing these goals requires measurement of water vapor and energy exchanges between various vegetation surfaces and microclimates for long‐enough periods to understand the behavior and dynamics involved with the flux transfer so that robust models can be developed …

Testing Of Interactions Between Coal Ash Leachates And Rock Materials For Mine Backfill Evaluations, Colin R. Ward, David French, Leanne Stephenson, Ken Riley, Zhongsheng Li

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

A series of laboratory-based leaching tests has been developed to evaluate the chemical interaction between ash, water and different mine-site rock materials, as a basis for assessing the potential environmental impact of using coal ash as backfill in coal mines. Two different test protocols were used: a two-stage serial batch testing program in which leachate from representative ash samples were allowed to interact separately with relevant rock materials under laboratory conditions, and a single-stage mixed batch testing program in which 50:50 mixtures of the same ashes and rock samples were extracted with water following a similar procedure to leaching tests …

Chemistry Of Coal And Coal Combustion Products From Kentucky Power Plants: Results From The 2007 Sampling, With Emphasis On Selenium, James C. Hower, Thomas L. Robl, Gerald A. Thomas, Shelley D. Hopps, Margaret Grider

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

Kentucky produced over 8 Mt of coal combustion products (CCPs) in 2006, with 30% of the CCPs being utilized, a significant increase from our 1996 and 2001 surveys. As much of the increase is related to increased utilization of flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum, the increased production of FGD gypsum coincident with the commissioning of new FGD units and the saturation of the (currently) weak market for new construction, the percentage of utilization may decrease by the time of the next planned survey (2011). The concentration of volatile trace elements in the feed coal and in the pulverizer reject, while associated …

An Investigation Of The Behavior Of Raw Calcareous Fly Ash In Mortar Mixtures, Ioanna Papayianni, Eleftherios K. Anastasiou

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

The behavior of unprocessed calcareous fly ash in cement mortar mixtures is often questionable and unpredictable and that is one of the difficulties in confining these fly ashes within the limits of standards. This work aims at correlating the material characteristics with its behavior in mortar mixtures. An effort is made to understand how three of the reactive constituents; lime (CaO), silica (SiO2), and sulfates (SO3), affect strength and volume stability. Two raw calcareous fly ashes of different composition emanating from the Ptolemaida area, Greece, were systematically tested to define their profile as cementitious agents that could be incorporated in …

Coal Fired Power Station Ash Products And Eu Regulation, Lindon K.A. Sear

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

The UK has a long history of the use of coal fired power station ash products in a range of applications in construction. These range from use in concrete as a cementitious material through to its use as a fill material in embankments. While there have been no environmental problems associated with these uses, environmental regulations emanating from the European Union (EU) are increasingly impacting on the use of these materials. Unfortunately it is not a single set of regulations that are being applied, but three separate and apparently disconnected initiatives; these are Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals (REACH), …

Enriched Coal Ash Utilization For Augmenting Production Of Rice Under Acid Lateritic Soil, S. Karmakar, B.N. Mittra, B.C. Ghosh

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

The use of industrial wastes such as fly ash (FA) or rice husk ash (RHA), along with paper factory sludge (PFS), farmyard manure (FYM), and chemical fertilizers (CF), under integrated nutrient management, was studied in acid lateritic soil on rice. Application of combined fertilization sources increased growth, yield attributes, and yield (up to 92.3 and 9.7% over control and CF, respectively) of wet season rice. The uptake of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and Co was increased under combined fertilization sources. The study also indicated that such integrated plant nutrition system improved physico-chemical properties of soil …

Erosive Wear In Pipelines At Pneumatic Conveying Of Fine Silicon-Containing Materials, Viacheslav Y. Putilov, Vijay K. Agarwal, Irina V. Putilova

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

Erosive wear is a major operational problem in conveying of hard abrasive bulk materials like silica sand, fly ash, coal dust, etc., in pneumatic conveying systems. Erosion results in emergency downtime of pneumatic conveying installations of ash and slag removal and dust-preparation systems at TPPs caused by holes in pipelines. That leads to worsening of technical, economic, and ecological parameters of thermal power plants as a whole. In MPEI, a model of estimating erosion of rectilinear and curvilinear sections of pneumatic conveying pipelines has been developed. To validate the estimating model developed in the MPEI, experimental investigations in the Indian …

Evaluation Of The Variables That Influence Mercury Capture In Solid Sorbents, M. Antonia Lopez-Anton, Patricia Abad-Valle, Mercedes Diaz-Somoano, M. Rosa Martinez-Tarazona

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

Newly obtained results on mercury retention in fly ashes and activated carbons during coal combustion are compared with previous findings. The influence of different variables on mercury capture, including the composition and nature of the sorbents, the composition of the flue gas and the mercury species in gas phase is investigated. Coal-fired utility boilers are currently the largest single-known source of mercury emissions. According to the USEPA’s Information Collection Request (ICR), on average, only 40% of the mercury entering a coal-fired power plant is captured, while 60% is emitted into the atmosphere. Several solid materials, including activated carbons, are considered …

Mechanical Performance Of Pavement Geomaterials Stabilized With Fly Ash In Field Applications, Lin Li, Tuncer B. Edil, Craig H. Benson

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

This paper describes an evaluation of the mechanical performance of fly ash stabilized materials. Soft clay soil, asphaltic recycled pavement material (RPM), and road-surface gravel (RSG) were stabilized using Class C and off-specification fly ashes to create working platforms or stabilized base courses for construction of flexible and rigid pavements at six sites in Wisconsin and Minnesota. California bearing ratio (CBR), resilient modulus (Mr) tests, and unconfined compression (qu) tests were conducted on the subgrade soil, RPM, and RSG alone and on mixtures prepared in the field and the laboratory to evaluate improvements in bearing resistance and stiffness. Fly ash …

Manufactured Coal Ash Aggregates For Aqueous Tnt Sorption, Sangchul Hwang, Victor Hernandez

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

No abstract provided.

Mineralogy And Leaching Characteristics Of Coal Ash From A Major Brazilian Power Plant, Luis F.O. Silva, Colin R. Ward, James C. Hower, Maria Izquierdo, Frans Waanders, Marcos L.S. Oliveira, Zhongsheng Li, Rachel S. Hatch, Xavier Querol

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

The feed coals, fly ashes and bottom ashes collected from seven different units in a major Brazilian PF power plant have been subjected to comprehensive mineralogical, geochemical, and petrographic studies, to investigate the links between feed coal and ash characteristics. Ashes from two of the units were collected while the coal was being co-fired with oil as part of the boiler start-up procedure, allowing the impact of oil co-firing on ash characteristics also to be evaluated. High proportions of unburnt carbon and high proportions of retained sulphur were found in the fly ashes produced during oil co-firing, probably reflecting less …

Precipitation Of Germanium From Coal Fly Ash Leachates, Fatima Arroyo, Constantino Fernandez-Pereira, Pilar Coca

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

The valorization of a coal gasification fly ash was studied by leaching the fly ash using different aqueous solutions followed by the subsequent precipitation of the germanium solubilized from the ash. Experimental investigations were focused on the precipitation of a germanium2catechol (CAT) complex with cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB). The influences of pH and amounts of CTAB and CAT on the precipitation yield were investigated. To this aim, a central composite rotatable design and ANOVA Design Expert 7.0.3 Wiley software were employed for experimental design and analysis of the results. Thus, the independent and combined effects of pH, CAT/Ge and …

The Effect Of Drag-Reducing Additives On The Rheological Properties Of Fly Ash-Water Suspensions At Varying Temperature Environment, H.K. Naik, M.K. Mishra, Rao Karanam U.M.

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

Fly ash transportation and disposal is a major problem in India. Presently fly ash is being transported as lean slurry in pipe lines requiring about 80 to 85% of water which, in turn, consumes more energy input. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the rheological characteristics of fly ash slurry at varying temperatures with and without an additive to facilitate smooth flow in the pipelines. Six fly ash slurry samples were prepared from the fly ash obtained from a thermal power plant situated in the southern part of India. The main constituents of the slurry were fly …

Waste Stabilization/Solidification (S/S) Of Eaf Dust Using Fly Ash-Based Geopolymers. Influence Of Carbonation On The Stabilized Solids, Y. Luna Galiano, C. Fernandez Pereira, J. Vale

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

The effect of the curing in a carbonated ambient of the solids obtained after the stabilization/solidification (S/S) of metallurgical waste using geopolymerization technology is described in this paper. The electric arc furnace (EAF) dust to stabilize contains hazardous metals such as Pb, Cd, Cr, or Zn. Different geopolymeric agents such as potassium hydroxide, potassium silicate, metakaolin, and blast furnace slag have been used. Mixtures of EAF waste with these geopolymeric materials and class F fly ash as main silica and alumina source have been processed. Samples were submitted to an accelerated carbonation test. Compressive strength tests and different leaching tests …

Variations In Fly Ash Composition With Sampling Location: Case Study From A Portuguese Power Plant, B. Valentim, A. Guedes, D. Flores, C.R. Ward, J.C. Hower

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

Fly ash (FA) is a heterogeneous and complex material resulting from coal combustion in thermoelectric power plants (TPP). Therefore, different types of coals, worldwide, produce FAs with different compositions. However, the location of the FA sampling system, inside the TPP, is also important to the composition of the FA produced at each location. A case study of FA from a Portuguese TPP, using several coal and FA characterization techniques (particle size analysis, proximate and ultimate analyses, XRF, SEM/ESEM/EDS, Optical microscopy, XRD, inferred chemistry, and AAS), has shown that FA chemical classification, mineralogy and phase-mineral classification, and trace elements (Cr, Cu, …

Zeolite Synthesised From Fused Coal Fly Ash At Low Temperature Using Seawater For Crystallization, Claudia Belviso, Francesco Cavalcante, Antonio Lettino, Saverio Fiore

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

A sample of coal fly ash from an Italian thermoelectric power plant was used in order to synthesize zeolite by hydrothermal activation after a pre-treatment fusion with NaOH. The experiments involved were performed at different temperatures of crystallization, ranging from 35 up to 60uC, with seawater and distilled water, separately, during hydrothermal process. A comparison between the results obtained from the use of the different kinds of water showed that at low temperature (35–40 uC) the synthesis yield of zeolite X is higher using seawater as crystallizing agent than using distilled water. This implies a possible application for seawater in …

Isolation And Characterization Of Bacteria From Extended Aeration Wastewater Treatment Plants., Randy Chin Kok Fei

Student Works (2010-2019)

In this study, three different wastewater treatment plants (STP1, STP2 and STP3) were sampled in Klang Valley. STP1 exhibited the best activated sludge health with healthy Sludge Volume (SV), Mixed Liquor Suspended Solids (MLSS) and Mixed Liquor Volatile Suspended Solids (MLVSS). STP2 were constantly disrupted by the mechanical failures which caused its dissolved oxygen (DO) to decrease whereas STP3 was troubled by the inadequate alkalinity in its mixed liquor causing acidic condition in aeration tank. The acidic condition resulted in pin-floc problem and contributed to high Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and low SV. Influent at STP3 was also found to …

Apartment Living And The Multi-Unit Developments Bill 2009, Lorcan Sirr

Articles

No abstract provided.

2010 Nebraska Water Monitoring Programs Report, Marty Link

Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality: Reports

The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) is charged with monitoring, assessing, and to the extent possible, managing the state’s water resources. The purpose of this work is to protect and maintain good quality water and encourage or execute activities to improve poor water quality. Monitoring is done on the over 18,000 miles of flowing rivers and streams, our greater than 280,000 acres of surface water in lakes and reservoirs, and the vast storage of groundwater in Nebraska’s aquifers.

Dual Axis Solar Tracker, Weston Sapia, Jason Birnie

Electrical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Traditional Standard Drainfield With Innovative B&G Treatment Bed For Nutrient Removal From Septic Tank Wastewater, Fahim Hossain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nowadays people are more alert about conservation of water and water scarcity. The amount of usable water is decreasing due to unavailability of pure water for day to day use. Both surface and groundwater is contaminated by untreated wastewater discharged from improper onsite wastewater treatment system, nutrient laden agricultural runoff and increasing use of fertilizer in fields. This elevated nutrient level is increasing the maintenance and operation cost of water treatment plant. So it is an important task to remove those nutrients from wastewater and other water bodies by applying environmental friendly process. In the USA, about 25% homes are …