Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Faceted Nanomaterial Synthesis, Characterizations And Applications In Reactive Electrochemical Membrane Filtration, Qingquan Ma

Dissertations

Facet engineering of nanomaterials, especially metals and metal oxides has become an important strategy for tuning catalytic properties and functions from heterogeneous catalysis to electrochemical catalysis, photocatalysis, biomedicine, fuel cells, and gas sensors. The catalytic properties are highly related to the surface electronic structures, surface electron transport characteristics, and active center structures of catalysts, which can be tailored by surface facet control. The aim of this doctoral dissertation research is to study the facet-dependent properties of metal or metal oxide nanoparticles using multiple advanced characterization techniques. Specifically, the novel atomic force microscope-scanning electrochemical microscope (AFM-SECM) and density functional theory (DFT) …

Bioremediation Of Petroleum Hydrocarbons In Coastal Sediments, Charbel Abou Khalil

Dissertations

The biodegradation of dispersed crude oil in the ocean is relatively rapid (a half-life of a few weeks). However, it is often much slower on shorelines, usually attributed to low moisture content, nutrient limitation, and higher oil concentrations in beaches than in dispersed plumes. Another factor may be the increased salinity of the upper intertidal and supratidal zones since these parts of the beach are potentially subject to prolonged evaporation and only intermittent inundation. Therefore, two laboratory experiments are conducted to investigate whether such an increase in porewater salinity results in additional inhibitory effects on oil biodegradation in seashores.

In …

Design, Concept, And Visualization Of Urban Multi-Level Growing Table Systems In Hyper Urban Areas, Aaryan Manoj Nair, Shaheed Mohammed, Omar Rahama

Publications and Research

As of a 2019 study conducted by the National Urban Gardening Program (National Urban Gardening Program), urban farming accounts for approximately 19% of the total national farming output and is expected to triple to almost 45% by 2025. There is intensive research being conducted on aspects of reduced recidivism, communal health benefits, natural carbon capture systems, improved urban ecology and the necessity for reducing the carbon footprint of food, (informally dubbed “food miles”) there is little substantive research on optimisation, and maximation of crop productivity in hyper-urban areas.

The purpose of this report is to understand the functionalities of urban …

Reduction Of Embodied Carbon In Buildings Through Use Of Low Carbon Strategies And Standardization And Enforcement Of Life Cycle Assessment, Bhargavi Sai Sudhakar

Master's Projects and Capstones

The building and construction industry is energy intensive and as of 2021, this industry is responsible for 37% of the total global greenhouse gas emissions. In previous studies of conventional buildings, the operational energy of a building contributed to 80% and the embodied energy contributed to 20% of the total life cycle energy. With increase in policies and standards that focus on reducing the operational energy, low energy and certified green buildings have emerged where the operational energy has considerably reduced. The relative and absolute share of embodied energy in these energy efficient buildings have increased due to excessive use …

Polyelectrolyte Functionalized Forward Osmosis For Water Reclamation From Synthetic Spacecraft Wastewater, Alina Ripp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This study investigated the application of a polyelectrolyte (PE)-assisted metallic iron nanoparticle-integrated forward osmosis (FO) membrane to treat synthetic spacecraft wastewater comprising urea, ammonium carbonate, and linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS). The draw solution (MgSO4) diluted via the FO operation was further treated using a nanofiltration (NF) membrane aimed at producing potable quality water by the FO-NF hybrid process. A cellulose triacetate FO membrane was functionalized by layer-by-layer deposition of polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAH) and polyacrylic acid (PAA) followed by incorporating zero valent iron nanoparticles (ZVINP) within the "bilayers". It required 14 bilayers to ensure a uniform coating as demonstrated via scanning …

The Combined Impact Of Redcedar Encroachment And Climate Change On Water Resources In The Nebraska Sand Hills, Yaser Kishawi, Aaron R. Mittelstet, Zablon Adane, Nawaraj Shrestha, Paolo Nasta

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The Nebraska Sand Hills (NSH) is considered a major recharge zone for the High Plains Aquifer in the central United States. The uncontrolled expansion of the eastern redcedar (Juniperus Virginiana) under climate warming is posing threats to surface water and groundwater resources. The combined impact of land use and climate change on the water balance in the Upper Middle Loup River watershed (4,954 km²) in the NSH was evaluated by simulating different combination of model scenarios using the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. A total of 222 climate models were ranked according to the aridity …

Nucleation-Accumulation Mode Trade-Off In Non-Volatile Particle Emissions From A Small Non-Road Small Diesel Engine, Indranil Brahma, Odinmma John-Paul Ofili

Faculty Journal Articles

Small (< 8 kW) non-road engines are a significant source of pollutants such as particle number (PN) emissions. Many small non-road engines do not have diesel particulate filters (DPFs). They are so designed that air–fuel ratio (AFR) can be adjusted to control visible diesel smoke and particulate matter (PM) resulting from larger accumulation mode particles. However, the effect of AFR variation on smaller nucleation mode nanoparticle emissions is not well understood. Several studies on larger engines have reported a trade-off between smaller and larger particles. In this study, AFR was independently varied over the entire engine map of a naturally aspirated (NA) non-road small diesel engine using forced induction (FI) of externally compressed air. AFR’s ranged from 57 to 239 compared to the design range of 23–92 for the engine, including unusually high AFR’s at full-load operation, not previously reported for conventional combustion. As expected, larger accumulation mode particles were lowered (up to 15 times) for FI operation. However, the smaller nucleation mode nanoparticles increased up to 15 times. Accumulation mode particles stopped decreasing above an AFR threshold while nucleation particles continuously increased. In-cylinder combustion analysis showed a slightly smaller ignition delay and higher burn rate for FI cases relative to NA operation. Much higher peak cylinder pressures were accompanied by much lower combustion and exhaust gas temperatures (EGT), due to higher in-cylinder mass during FI operation. Peak nucleation mode emissions were shown to be negatively correlated to EGT for all the data, collapsing on a single curve. This is consistent with some other studies reporting increased nucleation mode emissions (and higher accumulation mode particles) with decreased load, lower speed, lower EGR, advanced combustion phasing, and higher injection pressure, all of which reduce EGT. The nucleation-accumulation trade-off has been explained by the ‘adsorption hypothesis’ by some investigators. In the current work, an alternative/supplemental argument has been made for the possibility that lower cylinder temperatures during the late-burning phase (correlated to lower EGT) phase hampers oxidation of nucleation mode particles and increases nucleation mode emissions.

Hydraulic Redistribution Under Saline Conditions, Josh Gottlieb

Civil and Environmental Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Water scarcity and soil salinity are dual stressors for plants in arid, salt-affected ecosystems. Hydraulic redistribution, a hydraulic adaptation which moves water through plant roots into dry or saline soil regions along potential gradients, aids plant survival in stressful environments. Recent theory regarding hydraulic redistribution proposes limitations on the process within saline soils. This study applies a minimalist resistor-capacitor model of the soil-plant-atmosphere system to the experimental conditions of a 2010 study investigating hydraulic redistribution in a salt affected area. The effectiveness of the model is evaluated, and a sensitivity analysis is conducted to identify key dynamics affecting the moisture …

Evaluation For Using Expended Bioelectrochemical Systems As Soil Amendments For Improved Corn Plant Growth And A Drought Resistant Soil., Jackson Lee Sauers

Theses and Dissertations

A long-held practice is to mix agricultural soil with a soil amendment to improve growing conditions in crops. A common soil amendment is biosolids produced from both municipal and dairy wastewater due to the macro- and micronutrients within it. Both the agricultural and wastewater industries are participating in the Circular Economy concept (CEC). Two experiments explored using expended bioelectrochemical systems (BES) that treated either synthetic dairy wastewater (DWW) or synthetic municipal wastewater (SWW) as soil amendments to improve corn plant growth when treated with three different nutrient treatments: 100%- 50%- and 0% Hoagland Nutrient Solutions. Biochar and used terracotta clay …

Resiliency Of Levee-Protected Power Networks To Flooding In A Changing Climate Integrating Environmental Justice, Seyed Saeed Miraee-Ashtiani

Theses and Dissertations

Electric power system (EPS) is an integral part of infrastructure systems. Ensuring its resiliency to extreme weather events and natural hazards is crucial to protect the safety, economy and public health. Recorded and projected data show an increase in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events and natural hazards attributed to a changing climate. It is critical to ensure the integrity of the aging infrastructure systems and to promote environmental justice by shrinking the energy-equity gap to lower power outages in disadvantaged communities.

An important aspect is the resiliency interdependency of EPS to other critical infrastructure systems, an aspect …

Estimation Of Cotton Canopy Parameters Based On Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (Uav) Oblique Photography, Jinyong Wu, Sheng Wen, Yubin Lan, Xuanchun Yin, Jiantao Zhang, Yufeng Ge

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Background: The technology of cotton defoliation is essential for mechanical cotton harvesting. Agricultural unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spraying has the advantages of low cost, high efficiency and no mechanical damage to cotton and has been favored and widely used by cotton planters in China. However, there are also some problems of low cotton defoliation rates and high impurity rates caused by unclear spraying amounts of cotton defoliants. The chemical rate recommendation and application should be based upon crop canopy volume rather than on land area. Plant height and leaf area index (LAI) is directly connected to plant canopy structure. …

2022 Fall Engr333 Project Section A Final Report, Dat Cao, Sam Hoover, Sawyer Masselink, Ian Vanderkooi, Matthew Carlson, Jacob Heeres, Anthony Nykamp, Jacob Wyngarden, Nate Anderson, Anna Giboney, Gia Mien Le, Jonathan Washburn, Jess Camp, Aubree Peters, Alin Stoica, Drew Stoneburner, Claire Sheppard, Alayna Spiering, Reid Veneman, James Viel

ENGR 333

Calvin University has committed to being carbon neutral by 2057. This entails removing all the natural gas consumption for heating, converting to electrical heating options, and then making carbon free electricity. This project looked into four different options: air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps, renewable natural gas, and the efficiency of current equipment. Each option was examined throughout the course of the semester to determine feasibility of each solution, and which ones would be best to implement. As a class, section A decided ground source heat pumps along with thermostatic valves and the implementation of double pane windows …

Comparative Study Of Differentiating Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Into Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells In Hydrogel-Based Culture Methods, Qing Liu, Zhen Liu, Hongyu Gu, Yuxia Ge, Xuesheng Wu, Fuxing Zuo, Qian Du, Yuguo Lei, Zhanqi Wang, Haishuang Lin

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), which provides structural integrity and regulates the diameter of vasculature, are of great potential for modeling vascular-associated diseases and tissue engineering. Here, we presented a detailed comparison of differentiating human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into VSMCs (hPSCs-VSMCs) in four different culture methods, including 2-dimensional (2D) culture, 3-dimensional (3D) PNIPAAm-PEG hydrogel culture, 3-dimensional (3D) alginate hydrogel culture, and transferring 3- dimensional alginate hydrogel culture to 2-dimensional (2D) culture. Both hydrogel-based culture methods could mimic in vivo microenvironment to protect cells from shear force, and avoid cells agglomeration, resulting in the extremely high culture efficiency (e.g., high …

Interlayered Thin Film Composite (Itfc) Membranes: The Synthesis And Assembly Of Active Layer From Conjugated Microporous Polymer, Febby Andini

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

The pursuit of advanced materials with well-defined structures at sub-1 nm size, multi-functionalities, and superior chemical stability is essential for enhanced separation performance but technically challenging. Limitations of conventional TFC membranes for use in Organic Solvent Nanofiltration (OSN) can be addressed by manipulating the pore size and chemical properties of the film with novel materials. Conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) are promising in a few years because of their highly ordered structure and excellent stability. Porphyrin, one of the basic building blocks, can form a conjugated polymer. Herein, poly(5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-aminophenyl)porphyrin) or PTAPP, is considerably selected as an active layer from CMPs using …

2022 Fall Engr333 Poster, Section B, Nicholas Paternoster, Nick Grossman, Jared Ruba, Zac Runhaar, Caleb Styf, Anne Ghata, Micah Lee, Thomas Noble, Liam Austin, Kai Barboza, Mark Bekhet, Jordan Tuter, Jacob Tanis, Sara Vansolkema, Aidan Bakker, Ben Casey, Sarah Maccarthy, Elise Miera, Christine Vanoyen

ENGR 333

• “What would it take to eliminate Calvin's natural gas-related net CO2 emissions?”
• Former Calvin President Michael Le Roy signed the President’s Climate Commitment on Dec 6, 2017
• Pledged carbon neutrality by 2057
• Results so far have been mixed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but gains have come from: Improved lighting efficiency, Reduced enrollment, Renewable electricity is already being tackled through partnerships with companies like Sun FundED.

2022 Fall Engr333 Poster, Section A, Dat Cao, Izuchi Ebeku, Samuel Hoover, Sawyer Masselink, Ian Vanderkooi, Matthew Carlson, Jacob Heeres, Anthony Nykamp, Jacob Vanwyngarden, Nate Anderson, Anna Giboney, Gia Mien Le, Jonathan Washburn, Jess Camp, Ryan Macintyre, Aubree Peters, Alin Stoica, Drew Stoneburner, Claire Sheppard, Alayna Spiering, Reid Veneman, James Viel

ENGR 333

In 2017 President Michael K. Le Roy signed Second Nature’s President Climate Commitment. This commitment outlines that Calvin’s governing body will ensure Calvin University is a carbon neutral educational institution by 2057. In June of 2022, Calvin University’s presidential seat was passed from Dr. Michael K. Le Roy to Dr. Wiebe Boer. In his short time as the president of Calvin University, Dr. Boer has put many projects into motion to help Calvin achieve its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2057. This past fall Dr. Boer tasked the ENGR 333 class with answering the following question: What would it …

2022 Fall Engr333 Project Section B Final Report, Nicholas Paternoster, Nick Grossman, Jared Ruba, Zac Runhaar, Caleb Styf, Anne Ghata, Micah Lee, Thomas Noble, Liam Austin, Kai Barboza, Mark Bekhet, Jordan Tuter, Jacob Tanis, Sara Vansolkema, Aidan Bakker, Ben Casey, Sarah Mccarthy, Elise Miera, Christine Vanoyen

ENGR 333

Sustainability is a multi-faceted grand challenge. One of today’s largest challenges is related to sustainability: CO2 emissions from energy consumption. Calvin University purchases natural gas for the energy services it provides; however, it is a major contributor to the amount of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere. The ENGR 333 section B class was tasked with the question: What would it take to eliminate Calvin’s natural gas-related net CO2 emissions? After many hours of research and calculations, the ENGR 333 section B class answered this question with recommendations such as implementing ground source heat pumps, console heat pumps, air source heat …

Mysteerio: Multi-Regional Environmentally Extended Input-Output Model For United States, Yash Srivastava

All Theses

This research work titled My State Environmentally Extended Regional Input-Output (MYSTEERIO) is based on the concept of multi-regional environmentally extended input-output (MREEIO), which is a combination of lifecycle thinking and economics principles. Numerous studies have highlighted the advantages of using this methodology to determine the environmental impacts associated with economic activities for a region. However, no prior attempt has been made to conduct a state-level analysis for the US. This research work thus tries to estimate the impacts embodied due to the consumption of goods and services at the state level by using the MREEIO principles. Extensive coverage of the …

Microcosm Evaluation Of Natural And Biologically-Enhanced Abiotic Transformation Of Chlorinated Ethenes In Low Permeability Formations, Hao Wang

All Dissertations

Trichloroethene (TCE) is one of the most commonly found hazardous compounds at Superfund sites, especially in groundwater. Its volatility and toxicity pose a threat to drinking water safety and human health. In the past decades, research on the fate of TCE in the environment has shifted to contamination of low-permeability formations, for example fractured bedrock aquifers. TCE back-diffusion from low permeability zones and management of persistent TCE groundwater plumes caused by this long-term source zone pose major challenges for remediation.

Monitored natural attenuation (MNA) is a cost-effective remediation strategy that has gradually gained acceptance by regulators. Compared to extensive active …

Biodegradation Of Methyl Tert-Butyl Ether And Tert-Butyl Alcohol Using Bioaugmentation With Biowish® Aqua, Elizabeth Villanueva

Master's Theses

Aqua, a commercial product manufactured by BiOWiSH® Technologies, was utilized in this research to study its effectiveness to biodegrade methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and tert-butyl alcohol (TBA). Microcosms containing varying concentrations of MTBE and TBA as well as a growth media and mineral salt solution were examined. Analytical instrumentation used in this study included the use of a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC/MS) to determine concentrations of MTBE and TBA and a spectrophotometer to extrapolate approximate active biomass concentrations in each experiment. Four different environmental conditions were tested for both MTBE and TBA. The environmental conditions tested for each contaminant included: …

Sulfonated Styrene Grafted Sebs/Abs Made By Additive Manufacturing For Ion Exchange Applications, Avianna Elaine Gallegos

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

An interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) for cation exchange applications was synthesized from a blend of styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene (SEBS) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), which was 3D printed, grafted with crosslinked polystyrene (PS), and sulfonated. A method for styrene grafting was applied to reduce the damage to polymer phases caused by the sulfonation reaction. Styrene and divinylbenzene monomers were introduced to the IPN and induced with heat treatment to polymerize in situ. The graft copolymerization reaction was enhanced with varying quantities of benzoyl peroxide as a chemical initiator. The samples were subsequently sulfonated with chlorosulfonic acid in dichloroethane and functionalized for ion …

The Rise Of Terrorism In Africa And What It Means For U.S. Policymakers, Bridget Mary Hughes

Master's Theses

This thesis utilizes three case studies to measure the rise of terrorism in Africa. This qualitative data leads the reader to one ultimate question: what does the rise in terrorism in Africa mean for the United States (U.S.) and U.S. policymakers, National Security academia, students in National Security, if anything at all? The answer is: if civilian and military compounds are being targeted by these violent extremists, as these three case studies demonstrate, it is my recommendation that U.S. policymakers cease sending troops to the African theater and, instead, allocate funding to the citizens and nonprofits of the countries whom …

The Living Breakwaters Pdr Efforts Econcrete Resource Analysis, Guianina Ferrari, Shervon Stephens, Calvin O. Walters Jr.

Publications and Research

On October 29, 2012, Superstorm Sandy impacted 443,000 people and caused nearly $19 billion (about $58 per person in the US) worth of damage within New York City. As part of the New York City infrastructure reparation plan, the Living Breakwaters project in Tottenville addressed coastal resilience, allocating $100M of public funds to a series of artificial breakwaters by the southwest coast of Staten Island. Each breakwater is constructed and designed to mitigate water flow in storm events. ECOncrete, a primary element of the breakwater, is a specialty cast cementitious product that is marine organism-friendly that encourages biocalcification and photosynthesis. …

Sustainability And Health Impacts Of Pulse Crops In The United States Using Life Cycle Assessment, Prathamesh A. Bandekar

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Environmental sustainability and human health impact of pulses produced and consumed in the United States was assessed using life cycle assessment (LCA). The study included three objectives 1) to estimate environmental impact of current production and consumption practices in the United States using attributional LCA; 2) to estimate environmental and human health impact of iso-caloric diets containing varying amounts of pulses using Hybrid-LCA and Combined Nutritional and Environmental-LCA (CONE-LCA); and 3) to estimate environmental impact of increased demand for pulses using consequential LCA. Scope of the study varied for each objective with system boundary encompassing cradle-to-grave activities for objective 1 …

Influence Evaluation On Near-Road Concentrations Of Pm2.5 During Covid-19 Pandemic, Marcos Alan Banda Morales

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

SARS-CoV-2, also known as COVID-19, was discovered in Wuhan, China in late 2019and spread rapidly worldwide in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic and its quarantine periods influenced the number of people using their vehicles and the number of miles traveled, which correspondingly influenced the air quality of urban areas. The influence of the restrictions caused by the quarantine period on air quality differs from location to location. Previous research accounted for countries, but no research was done at the state level individually. This research attempts to evaluate the transportation-related air quality during the COVID-19 pandemic period using data from the Texas …

Direct Potable Reuse Piloting: Optimizing Chloramination, Operationalizing Ultrafiltration, And Understanding Zero Liquid Discharge Options, Marcela Carolina Herrera

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A pilot study was deployed at the John T. Hickerson Water Reclamation facility to analyze the viability of high recovery direct potable water reuse (DPR), aiming for zero liquid discharge (ZLD). This pilot consists of a chloramination system and ultrafiltration (UF) as pretreatment for reserve osmosis (RO) followed by UV-peroxide, granular activated carbon (GAC), and concentrate-enhanced recovery reverse osmosis (CERRO). Stabilizing the chloramination and UF system was the first step to ensure efficiency during the downstream processes. The formation of monochloramine is essential for the mitigation of biofouling of the UF membranes. The formation of monochloramine occurs by specific liquid …

A Case Study In Design, Construction, And Operation Of A Meromictic Solar Pond In Texas, Usa, Bianca Paola Meneses Brassea

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Over the last four decades, meromictic solar ponds have been the subject of limnological studies and engineering research. A case of practical interest is the salinity gradient solar pond (SGSP). SGSP science and technologies have been systemically advanced in El Paso, Texas. This dissertation aims to share lessons learned in designing, constructing, and operating the El Paso Solar Pond, a NaCl-based solar pond that achieved high-temperature performance over two decades, commencing in 1984. Many of the practical lessons learned have not been published and are thus not readily available in archival journals, and this contribution provides a remedy. The value …

Mango Surface Color Features Measurement Using Digital Image Processing, Md Towfiqur Rahman, Goutom Kumar, Md Abdul Momin

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Summary

Postharvest processing of agricultural produce is still done the conventional way in Bangladesh. Manual grading of agricultural produce, especially fruits and vegetables, is laborious and costly due to acute shortage of labor during the peak season, as well as difficulty maintaining the product quality. Machine vision system (MVS) applications are widely used nowadays as a non-destructive and cost-effective technology for automatically grading and sorting large volumes of produce in the packing house according to size, shape, color, texture, and surface defects. In this study, a simple MVS was constructed measuring different color features of mango fruit surface as a …

Framework For The Use Of Extended Reality Modalities In Aec Education, Barbara Oliveira Spitzer, Jae Hoon Ma, Ece Erdogmus, Ben Kreimer, Erica Ryherd, Heidi Diefes-Dux

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The educational applications of extended reality (XR) modalities, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR), have increased significantly over the last ten years. Many educators within the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) related degree programs see student benefits that could be derived from bringing these modalities into classrooms, which include but are not limited to: a better understanding of each of the subdisciplines and the coordination necessary between them, visualizing oneself as a professional in AEC, and visualization of difficult concepts to increase engagement, self-efficacy, and learning. These benefits, in turn, help recruitment and retention efforts …

Ligand-Promoted Dissolution Of Uranyl Phosphate Across Scales, Brennan Ferguson

All Dissertations

The formation of uranyl phosphate precipitate is a remediation strategy because the low solubility of uranyl phosphate minerals, like chernikovite, limits the mobility of uranium in contaminated soils. However, organic ligands can complex with aqueous metal cations to form more soluble species. For example, citrate is a commonly occurring organic ligand produced by plants and microbes that increases the solubility of uranium and therefore the dissolution of uranyl phosphate minerals in the uranyl phosphate-citrate system. This effect is an important control on the mobility of uranium in organic-rich, and near-surface vegetated environments. Nevertheless, key aspects of the citrate-uranyl phosphate system …