Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Executive Summary_Feasibility Of Harbor-Wide Barrier Systems: Preliminary Analysis For Boston Harbor, Paul Kirshen

Sustainable Solutions Lab

This report presents a preliminary feasibility assessment of harbor-wide barrier systems designed to protect Boston Harbor from coastal flooding caused by sea level rise (SLR) and storm surges. Conducted by the Sustainable Solutions Lab at the University of Massachusetts Boston and supported by the Boston Green Ribbon Commission, the study evaluates two primary configurations: an Outer Harbor Barrier (OHB) and an Inner Harbor Barrier (IHB). Using hydrodynamic modeling, economic cost-benefit analysis, and social vulnerability assessments, the study finds that while both barrier systems may reduce risk from extreme storm events, they do not mitigate regular tidal flooding without frequent gate …

Direct Potable Reuse Of Wastewater, Lauren Clark

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Water is essential to our societies and mankind. Currently, 844 million people across the globe lack access to potable water. By 2025, it is projected that half of the world population will be in a region of water stress.⁵ The water crisis is often thought of as a problem limited to places that have always struggled to have clean water, but it is now affecting new areas such as the southwest United States. With increasing population demands and drought, the feasibility of direct potable reuse (DPR) of wastewater is being considered. According to an EPA report in 2017, there …

Direct Potable Reuse Of Wastewater, Sabrina Castle

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Water is essential to our societies and mankind. Currently, 844 million people across the globe lack access to potable water. By 2025, it is projected that half of the world population will be in a region of water stress.5 The water crisis is often thought of as a problem limited to places that have always struggled to have clean water, but it is now affecting new areas such as the southwest United States. With increasing population demands and drought, the feasibility of direct potable reuse (DPR) of wastewater is being considered. According to an EPA report in 2017, there are …

Direct Potable Reuse Of Wastewater, Molly Churchwell

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Water is essential to our societies and mankind. Currently, 844 million people across the globe lack access to potable water. By 2025, it is projected that half of the world population will be in a region of water stress.5 The water crisis is often thought of as a problem limited to places that have always struggled to have clean water, but it is now affecting new areas such as the southwest United States. With increasing population demands and drought, the feasibility of direct potable reuse (DPR) of wastewater is being considered. According to an EPA report in 2017, there are …

Removal Of Carbamazepine From Drinking Water, Jordan Alex Gadberry, Adam Johnson, Juan Rodriguez, Paola Marrero-Rivera, Tom Krumpolc, Zach Wiese

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Due to the increasing prevalence of prescription medication over the past few decades, pharmaceuticals have accumulated in various water sources. This has become a public health concern because many pharmaceuticals have limited research on the effects of chronic low-level exposure. According to the World’s Health Organization (WHO), traces of pharmaceuticals products have been reported in different water sources such as surface waters, wastewater, groundwater, and drinking water.^[1] One pharmaceutical of interest that has been detected in water sources is carbamazepine. Carbamazepine (CBZ) is a common pharmaceutical prescribed for the treatment of seizure disorders, neuropathic pain, and various psychological disorders. …

Direct Potable Reuse Of Wastewater, Boyce Bethel

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Water is essential to our societies and mankind. Currently, 844 million people across the globe lack access to potable water. By 2025, it is projected that half of the world population will be in a region of water stress.⁵ The water crisis is often thought of as a problem limited to places that have always struggled to have clean water, but it is now affecting new areas such as the southwest United States. With increasing population demands and drought, the feasibility of direct potable reuse (DPR) of wastewater is being considered. According to an EPA report in 2017, there …

Assessment And Optimization Of Environmental Systems Using Data Analysis And Simulation., Milad Ebrahimi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For most environmental systems, specifically wastewater treatment plants and aquifers, a significant number of performance data variables are attained on a time series basis. Due to the interconnectedness of the variables, it is often difficult to assess over-arching trends and quantify temporal operational performance. The objective of this research study was to provide an effective means for comprehensive temporal evaluation of environmental systems. The proposed methodology used several multivariate data analyses and statistical techniques to present an assessment framework for the water quality monitoring programs as well as optimization of treatment plants and aquifer systems. The developed procedure considered the …

The Future Of Construction As It Applies To The Colonization Of The Moon And Mars, Julian Prestia

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The goals of this research are:

1. To compile a comprehensive list of all the viable known solutions (and early stage potential solutions) to the issues related to constructing permanent, sustainable, and safe structures for human colonies on our moon and Mars,

2. Determine the most effective potential solutions, and

3. Further develop these ideas as to assist in further space endeavors.

This proposed paper will assist space experts in determining the best next steps in the development of deep-space travel and colonization technologies. Preliminary research has identified several key problems associated with establishing space colonies. They are as follows: …

Feasibility Of Harbor-Wide Barrier Systems: Preliminary Analysis For Boston Harbor, Paul Kirshen

Sustainable Solutions Lab

This report presents a preliminary feasibility assessment of harbor-wide barrier systems designed to protect Boston Harbor from coastal flooding caused by sea level rise (SLR) and storm surges. Conducted by the Sustainable Solutions Lab at the University of Massachusetts Boston and supported by the Boston Green Ribbon Commission, the study evaluates two primary configurations: an Outer Harbor Barrier (OHB) and an Inner Harbor Barrier (IHB). Using hydrodynamic modeling, economic cost-benefit analysis, and social vulnerability assessments, the study finds that while both barrier systems may reduce risk from extreme storm events, they do not mitigate regular tidal flooding without frequent gate …

Development Of A Hydraulic Conductivity Placement Window Using Centrifuge Techniques, Greg Thomas

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

A centrifuge soil testing device, currently operated by researchers at the University of Arkansas, was used to develop a technique to determine a hydraulic conductivity placement window. The purpose of this research was to develop a placement window by means of a centrifuge instead of by means of a panel board. Soil specimens were created at standard PRcotor energy and at 50 percent of Standard Proctor energy at -3 percent of optimum, -1.5 percent of optimum, two specimens at optimum, +1.5 percent of optimum, and +3 percent of optimum water content. Values of hydraulic conductivity for the respective specimens were …

Investigating Initial Interactions Between Silver Nanoparticles And Wastewater, Casey Gibson

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The use of nanoparticles (NPs) has increased exponentially in the last 15-20 years, especially in the consumer market. NPs are currently found in over 1800 commercial products, including cosmetics, clothing, packaging, and toys. As a result, NPs can enter the environment via wastewater (WW) streams, leading to new challenges in WW treatment. This study focuses on the initial fate of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in WW. The AgNP interaction including aggregation and dissolution in both synthetic and real WW were studied. Real WW was collected from the primary-clarifier, secondary-clarifier, and effluent WW streams at two local WW treatment plants (Westside and …

Assessing Auto-Flocculation Of Microalgae In Wastewater Treatment, Alexander Parr

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Biofuels produced from algae have the prospect to provide a cheap, carbon neutral alternative to fossil fuels. However, the high cost for harvesting algae limits its wide application, as the preferred algae strains for biofuel production are typically unicellular microalgae that do not settle in water very well. Recently, researchers have been focusing on developing a biological method to achieve the sedimentation of algae through flocculation. A recent study has concluded that introducing microalgae that self-flocculates increases the recovery of the desired microalgae, similar to the effect of using coagulant to flocculate the algae. This option can potentially be more …

Chloride Salt Inhibition On Lipid Production In Wastewater-Grown Algae For Biofuel Production, Will Richardson

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Algae are increasingly being recognized as useful organisms for many applications in today’s world. Their ability to remove nitrogen, phosphorus, and trace metals from water while adding oxygen to water makes them an attractive tertiary treatment technology in municipal wastewater treatment facilities. At the same time, algae produce lipids and carbohydrates that are useful for biofuel production, and they are not a human food crop unlike many biofuel feedstocks. In this study the effect of increased chloride concentrations in wastewater was assessed on the ability of two species of algae, Chlorella vulgaris and Scenedesmus dimorphus, to function as a …

Ph Effects On The Sorption Of Fluoxetine And Sulfamethoxazole By Three Powdered Activated Carbons, James D. Schneider

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are widely used throughout the world. PPCPs are emerging as pollutants of concern and may pose a risk in the future to drinking water supplies. Two such compounds are sulfamethoxazole (SMXL) and fluoxetine (FLX). These ionizable compounds are not readily removed from water by conventional water treatment technologies. Powdered activated carbon (PAC) is a useful material for removing contaminants from water and is currently used in many water treatment applications. PACs may carry either a net positive or negative surface charge depending on the pH of solution. This study examined the hypothesis that the …

Desorption Of Trace Inorganic Contaminants From Solids In Drinking Water Distribution Systems, Tiana W. Hammer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In order to maintain high quality safe drinking water, we need to understand what happens after the water has been cleaned at the drinking water plant and before it gets to the consumer’s house. Even if low concentrations of toxic contaminants enter the drinking water distribution system (DWDS) there is potential for contaminants to accumulate and be released by changes in flow or water conditions in high concentrations at the tap. For this study, we collected solid material from Park City, Utah that accumulated within the DWDS, along with a year of monthly monitoring of the DWDS. These solids were …

Evaluation Of A Side-By-Side Full-Scale Biofiltration Conversion In A Nutrient-Limited Environment, Stetson S. Bassett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In order to meet increasing water demands and more stringent regulations drinking water treatment plant managers must continually look to new treatment strategies and optimization techniques. One such strategy is to eliminate chlorine residual before filtration, allowing indigenous bacteria already present in the source water to grow on the filter media. These microorganisms help improve effluent water quality by increasing organic and inorganic contaminant removal. The process is known as biological filtration, or biofiltration. The implications of converting a conventional filtration plant (not specifically designed for biofiltration) to a biofiltration plant are still not well understood. Therefore, the purpose of …

Transcriptomics To Develop Biochemical Network Models In Cyanobacteria, Bridget E. Hegarty, Jordan Peccia, Ratanachat Racharaks

Yale Day of Data

Through targeted genetic manipulations guided by network modeling, we will create a flexible, cyanobacteria-based platform for the production of biofuel-precursors and valuable chemical products. To build gene-metabolite predictive models, we have characterized Synecococcus elongatus sp. UTEX 2973’s (henceforth, UTEX 2973) gene expression and metabolite production under a number of environmental conditions.

Introduction To Infrastructure - The Influence Of Natural Disasters On Infrastructure, Tri Tam Nguyen, Sean M. Raday, Daniel Leverick

STEM Student Research Symposium Posters

In this paper, three major hurricanes in 2017 were examined to determine the damage these hurricanes have done to the infrastructure. Infrastructure has an important role in the nation’s sustained economic development. Infrastructure consists of two main types which are “hard” infrastructure and “soft” infrastructure. Hard infrastructure is the physical networks which include transportation, power, etc. while soft infrastructure is institutions and human capital. Inadequate and inefficient performance of “hard” or “soft” infrastructure would prevent economy from achieving full growth. In the past decades, a significant increase in the number of natural disasters has had great impact on infrastructure systems. …

Wetland Conservation Effects Result In Enhanced Playa Functionality In The Rainwater Basin, Nebraska, Hong Zhang

Community and Regional Planning Program: Theses

This study assessed the functionality level of wetland hydrology, hydrophyte and soil conditions, and then identified the restorable potential of conserved playas. The distribution of hydrology and hydrophyte were geospatially examined through annual tracking the quantity and quality of wetlands on historical hydric soil footprints under different conservation programs in the Rainwater Basin (RWB) in Nebraska, USA during 2004-2015. The results show that the historical hydric soil footprints with the conservation programs had significantly higher functionality of ponded water and hydrophyte than non-conserved wetlands. The yearly average of ponded water areas within footprints varies at 12.59% for the Waterfowl Production …

Fhwa Guidebook For Measuring Multimodal Network Connectivity, Joseph Broach

PSU Transportation Seminars

In 2016 the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) published a Guidebook for Developing Pedestrian and Bicycle Performance Measures that presents methods for measuring walking and bicycling performance and activities and embedding them into the transportation planning and decisionmaking process (U.S. Department of Transportation 2016). Building on the 2016 guidebook, this resource focuses on pedestrian and bicycle network connectivity and provides information on incorporating connectivity measures into state, metropolitan, and local transportation planning processes.

Connectivity measures can help transportation practitioners identify high priority network gaps, implement cost-effective solutions that address multiple needs, optimize potential co-benefits, and …

Rainwater Harvesting System Scenario Analysis On Runoff Reduction Potential In Surabaya, Indonesia: A Geospatial Analysis For Brantas Hilir Watershed, Putri Sukmahartati

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

Global warming has become an environmental concern over the past several decades and its impact on the water cycle is very crucial to the well-being of the human population. In the hydrological cycle, water evaporates by the heat of the sun and atmosphere, where it is accumulated in the atmosphere via clouds and it then falls as rain. With warmer temperatures, more intensive evaporation and downpours occur. In addition, impervious surfaces are increasing as a result of urban development. Those surfaces cause more water to flow faster into open water bodies, creating more extensive flooding, and additionally reducing water quality. …

How Sustainable Are Drone (Uav) Deliveries?, Miguel Figliozzi

PSU Transportation Seminars

Private companies and public officials are seeking sustainable and cost effective ways to green supply chains and freight deliveries. There is enthusiasm regarding the potential benefits that innovative technologies such as drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can generate. This presentation discusses key issues and insights that arise from modeling the logistical, and environmental performance of UAVs.

Hawai'i Wildlife Fund V. County Of Maui, Lowell J. Chandler

Public Land & Resources Law Review

In Hawai’i Wildlife Fund v. County of Maui, the Ninth Circuit held that the plain language of the Clean Water Act provides jurisdiction over indirect discharges of pollutants from a point source into groundwater that is shown to be connected to navigable waters. The court found that studies confirmed pollutants entering the Pacific Ocean were fairly traceable to the County of Maui’s sewage disposal wells. In affirming the district court’s ruling, the Ninth Circuit held that Maui County violated the Clean Water Act by discharging pollutants into a navigable water without the required permit. The court also concluded the …

An Overview On The Irish Breweries And Distilleries Potential For Generating Bioenergy Through The Anaerobic Digestion Of The Wastewater, Camila D' Bastiani, Anthony Reynolds Dr., David Kennedy Prof.

Conference Papers

This work presents an overview on the potential for generating bioenergy through the anaerobic digestion of the Irish breweries and whiskey distilleries effluents. The results showed that it would be possible to generate 28,210,958 Nm3/year of biogas or 154,846 MWh of thermal heat with 110,715 tonnes of CO2 savings in a year. The electricity generation potential and CO2 savings were also calculated. It was possible to conclude that the anaerobic digestion of the wastewater from the brewery and distillery industries stand out as a feasible option to increase the share of renewable energies in Ireland.

Evaluation Of A Hybrid Reflectance-Based Crop Coefficient And Energy Balance Evapotranspiration Model For Irrigation Management, J. Burdette Barker, Christopher M. U. Neale, Derek M. Heeren, Andrew E. Suyker

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Accurate generation of spatial soil water maps is useful for many types of irrigation management. A hybrid remote sensing evapotranspiration (ET) model combining reflectance-based basal crop coefficients (K_cbrf) and a two-source energy balance (TSEB) model was modified and validated for use in real-time irrigation management. We modeled spatial ET for maize and soybean fields in eastern Nebraska for the 2011-2013 growing seasons. We used Landsat 5, 7, and 8 imagery as remote sensing inputs. In the TSEB, we used the Priestly-Taylor (PT) approximation for canopy latent heat flux, as in the original model formulations. We also used the …

The Impact Of Phosphorous Species On Dewaterability Of Wastewater Solids, Erik Anderson

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Phosphorus regulations are causing Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRFs) to implement new technologies to remove phosphorus (P) before they discharge liquid effluent. Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal (EBPR) is often employed to remove P from water. However, sludges from EBPR plants have shown decreases in dewaterability soon after EBPR was initiated. This decline in dewaterability is not well understood, nor is the best way to improve the dewatering EBPR sludge. Specifically, the role of different P species on sludge dewaterability is not well understood. Several laboratory experiments were conducted at the Marquette University Water Quality Center with the following objectives: i) …

Anaerobic Co-Digestion Of Aqueous Liquid From Biosolids Pyrolysis, Seyedfatemeh Seyedi

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Pyrolysis is a process to treat biosolids and recover energy. During pyrolysis, conversion of organic matter to energy-rich products yields biochar, py-gas, and pyrolysis liquids (aqueous phase and non-aqueous bio-oil). The aqueous pyrolysis liquid (APL), is a high-COD liquid with no apparent use that contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and nitrogen-containing compounds. One potential beneficial use of APL is as a co-digestate to produce more biogas for renewable energy from anaerobic digesters at municipal water resource recovery facilities. Some of the organics in APL may be converted to biomethane via anaerobic digestion under proper conditions. However, some APL organics are known …

Effect Of Low Aeration And Heat Drying On Anaerobic Digester Performance And Microbial Community, Dylan Thomas Friss

Master's Theses (2009 -)

This thesis describes three research projects on anaerobic digestion (AD) that investigated functional differences and relationships between microbial composition and digester function. Both archaeal and bacterial communities were characterized using high throughput (Illumina) sequencing technology with universal 16S rRNA gene primers. In the first project, limited aeration, and limited aeration with an aerotolerant enrichment culture were investigated as possible methods to increase digester functional performance in comparison to a strictly anaerobic control digester. No functional differences were observed at quasi-steady state between the limited aerated digester (LAD), limited aerated anaerobic digester augmented with an aerotolerant enrichment culture (LADE), and strictly …

Techno-Economic And Life Cycle Assessment Of Hydrothermal Processing Of Microalgae For Biofuels And Co-Product Generation, Andrew P. Bessette

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Traditional processing methods of algae to biofuels require dewatering after harvesting of the algae before the lipids can be extracted. This is typically the most energy intensive and therefore the most expensive step. Old Dominion University (ODU) has successfully utilized a flash hydrolysis (a kind of hydrothermal) process where proteins are solubilized into the liquid phase of product and the remainder lipid-rich, low nitrogen product is separated into a solid phase. The solid phase (lipid-rich) is then an ideal candidate for biofuel feedstock and the liquid phase, or hydrolysate, can be used for coproducts such as a source of nutrients …

Simplified, Alternative Formulation Of Numerical Simulation Of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell, Russell L. Edwards

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Three-Dimensional proton exchange fuel cell (PEMFC) operation in steady-state is simulated with computational fluid dynamics / multiphysics software that is based upon the finite-element method. PEMFC operation involves the simultaneous simulation of multiple, interconnected physics involving fluid flows, heat transport, electrochemical reactions, and both protonic and electronic conduction. Modeling efforts have varied by how they treat the physics occurring within and adjacent to the membrane-electrode assembly (MEA). Several approaches treat the MEA as part of the computational domain, solving multiple, and coupled conservation equations via the CFD approach within the 3 regions of the MEA. The thickness dimensions of the …