Environmental Engineering Commons^™

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

Beyond: Undergraduate Research Journal

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

This study simultaneously tests six droplet …

Biochar-Based Filtration And Barrier Systems For Urban Stormwater Treatment, Krishna R. Reddy

Stormwater Drainage Conference

Conference that deals a wide range of issues dealing with stormwater drainage. Professor Krishna Reddy of University of Illinois Chicago presented an invited talk titled "Biochar-Based Filtration and Barrier Systems for Urban Stormwater Treatment"

Investing Hysteresis In Floodplain Dynamics Of Lakes In The Middle St. Johns River Using Sentinel-1 Sar Imagery, Keenan Hubbard

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Floodplain dynamics are often complex, with hysteresis potentially affecting the temporal relationship between flood stage and flood extent during subsequent inundation phases. This study leverages Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery to map flood extent in the Middle St. Johns River Lake floodplains and examine the presence of hysteresis during flood events. SAR scenes corresponding to river gauge readings were analyzed from the rising and falling limbs of a flood hydrograph. By comparing these flood maps, we assess differences in inundated areas at equivalent water levels during each stage of the flood event. The findings aim to enhance flood monitoring …

Effect Of Vehicular Electrification On Transportation Emissions In Florida, Shreya Sapkota Dhakal

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Vehicular emissions from fuel-based passenger cars emit an array of gases and particles that are detrimental for human health and the environment. In that regard, electric vehicles (EVs) present a viable, sustainable solution. This study investigated the impact of electrification of passenger cars on air quality in Florida, in five major urban counties namely Miami-Dade, Duval, Hillsborough, Orange, and Leon. Between 2018 and 2022, these counties experienced a significant increase of 219.50 ± 52.32% in EV adoption, coupled with a 11.55 ± 6.13% decrease in fuel-based vehicle usage. Herein, we characterize five pollutants primarily generated from fuel-based passenger vehicles- carbon …

Legacy Nutrient Transport By Overland Sheet Flow, John E. Gilley, Ryan P. Mcgehee, Kenneth M. Wacha

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The transport of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) from sites containing varying quantities of legacy nutrients was evaluated in this investigation. The data that were examined were collected during four previously reported field hydrologic studies performed in eastern Nebraska. Additional flow was introduced to the top of the rainfall simulation plots to replicate runoff conditions occurring along a hillslope. It was observed that both P and N delivery were influenced by runoff rate on sites where beef cattle manure or inorganic fertilizer had been applied. Legacy nutrient delivery appeared to have been influenced by the quantity of nutrients released at …

Nature-Based Solutions For Urban Stormwater Management, Nima Zafarmomen, Vidya Samadi, Susan Lunt

Forestry and Natural Resources

This paper explores Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for urban stormwater management, emphasizing their role in mitigating runoff, reducing flood risks, and improving water quality. Bioretention systems (BRS), green roofs, permeable pavements, and vegetated swales utilize natural processes such as infiltration, evapotranspiration, and filtration to manage stormwater while promoting urban resilience and supporting biodiversity effectively. The performance of these solutions depends on vegetation, soil, and climatic parameters, highlighting the need for context-specific design and implementation. While NbS present sustainable alternatives to conventional infrastructure, technical, economic, social, and institutional challenges require interdisciplinary collaboration and supportive policies to unlock their full potential.

A Smart System For Detecting Anatomic And Histological Symptoms Of Diseased Agricultural Plants, Rustam Baratov, Himola Sunnatillayeva, Alimardon Mamatovich Mustafoqulov

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

This study describes a novel agricultural plant disease detecting smart system, capable of handling measured plant body parameters and images received by high resolution camera at the same time. The proposed plant disease detection method is based on evaluation of the signals received by measured and controlled plant body physical parameters like resistance, temperature and capacitance of the plant stem and image processing. An analogue plant model based on an electrical circuit with distributed parameters was developed. In addition, in the article the block diagram of the smart system for the early detection of plant diseases, the circuit diagram, its …

Investigation Of Activated Carbon From Rice Waste Using Superheated Steam, Wael Abdelmoez, Jehan Tolba, Hiroyuki Yoshida, Sherif Ahmed Kamal

Journal of Engineering Research

Activated carbon is essential in many industries and applications, especially in removing odor and color in sewage treatment plants. The most common activated carbon used is generated from coconut shells, which are difficult to obtain in many countries, especially in the Middle East, as coconut trees do not grow in the environment there; therefore, it was essential to find local alternatives from the national agricultural waste. This study presents the investigation of activated carbon from rice husks using superheated steam in a rotary kiln. The effect of thermal activation on the porosity of the activated rice husks at different temperatures …

Quantifying Wellbore Effects During Co2 Sequestration In A Saline Aquifer, Uzoma Johnpaul Ajugwe

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a strategy for mitigating climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from large stationary sources like fossil-fuel-fired power stations. One method of CCS involves carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration in deep saline aquifers, where supercritical CO2 is injected into an aquifer. The success of such projects depends on accurate predictions of CO2 behavior within the subsurface, which are obtained through numerical simulations.

TOUGHREACT, a renowned simulation tool, models subsurface fluid flow, geochemical interactions, and solute transport, providing insights into the feasibility of CO2 sequestration projects. A critical aspect of these simulations is the apportioning of …

Multi-Parameter Optimization Of Brine Desalination Using Machine Learning, Elaf Mman Seif

Theses and Dissertations

Air Gap Membrane Distillation (AGMD) is a promising desalination technology with significant potential for addressing global water scarcity. However, the interplay of operational parameters significantly impacts its performance, making optimization a challenging task. This research focuses on brine desalination as a means to mitigate the negative environmental impacts of brine disposal which will eventually help in provide a sustainable solution for handling brine while producing freshwater. The study seeks to develop a predictive model and optimize the AGMD process for efficient brine desalination. To achieve this, Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) were utilized to develop predictive …

Study Of Capital And Operation Costs For Reverse Osmosis Desalination Plants, Habiba Mahdy Mohamed

Theses and Dissertations

Desalination is a progressively common solution to supply freshwater in numerous parts of the globe where this resource falls short. Among all desalination techniques, seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) is the most globally prevalent technology. Evaluating a desalination technology's cost-effectiveness is essential to ensure a well-designed plant can be implemented successfully and within an acceptable budget. In the Egyptian context, where water scarcity heightens the urgency of effective resource allocation, economic indicators such as capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operational expenditure (OPEX) are pivotal in shaping policy and planning decisions. Adopting this integrated financial perspective ensures that desalination projects are not only …

Using Hydrologic And Hydraulic Simulations To Predict Near-Term Effects Of Beaver Habitat Restoration On Flood Flows, Luke S. Stewart

Master's Theses

There is a growing need to predict the complex hydrologic and hydraulic effects of beaver-maintained wetlands. This study uses relatively simple inputs and a replicable methodology to predict flood flow impacts of beaver habitat restoration at the site design scale using the engineering industry’s customary hydrology and hydraulic modeling approach. This study focuses on Toro Creek, the primary drainage for a 15.2 square mile watershed on the California Central Coast.

A hydrologic model of Toro Creek watershed was developed in HEC-HMS to approximate saturated soil conditions typical of late-spring flooding events observed in the region. The hydrologic model was calibrated …

Effect Of Household Oil Contamination And Agricultural Soil Contamination On Phyllosilicate Nanocatalyst Performance During Pyrolysis Of Polyolefins, Joey Velasquez

Master's Theses

The effect of household oil and agricultural soil contamination on catalyst performance during polyolefin pyrolysis was simulated on mixed virgin plastic pellets by evaluating contamination influence on mixed plastic degradation temperatures. Three phyllosilicate nanocatalysts including Fulcat435, Fulcat22F and Y-Zeolite were evaluated in this work based on a literature review of catalyzed plastic pyrolysis and these catalysts’ ability to lower plastic decomposition temperature by 50 °C – 100 °C. These findings were confirmed in this research through thermogravimetric analysis of a polyolefin mixture and further developed in furnace experiments containing household oil and agricultural contamination. Household oil contamination deactivated each of …

An Inquiry Into The Physics Of Mixing And Floc Filtration, Andrew P. Pennock

Dissertations

Flocculation and clarification are two essential processes to deliver safe water at a reasonable cost to consumers. There are two major thrusts to the research presented in this dissertation. The first is to better characterize the physics and mixing parameters used for the design of hydraulic flocculators in the context of drinking water treatment plants. The second major thrust is to investigate floc filtration as a mechanism for the removal of primary particles during floc blanket clarification.

The intensity of mixing in environmental and chemical engineering applications is often characterized by the Camp and Stein velocity gradient. This parameter has …

Fire Fossils: Biomineral Infrastructures In Untangling Climates, Tanmayee More

Masters Theses

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

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

Enhancing Water Supply Resilience & Sustainability: Potential Solutions To Address Water Scarcity In Bogotá, Colombia, Sophia Alvarez Wong

Master's Projects and Capstones

Municipal water utilities are in urgent need of adapting to the intensifying impacts of climate change and population growth—key drivers of urban water scarcity worldwide. In rapidly expanding cities like Bogota, Colombia, these pressures have contributed to a severe water crisis driven by prolonged droughts, ecosystem degradation, increasing water demands, and overdependence on limited water sources. This study explores potential adaptation and management strategies that utilities can implement to sustainably strengthen supply system resilience and enhance water security, in the context of low- to middle-income regions. A series of comparative and case study analyses were conducted to assess the feasibility …

Removal Of Harmful Algal Bloom Toxin, Microcystin-Lr Via Graphene Coated Polymers, Justin Douglas Puhnaty

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates a novel 3D-printed graphene-coated polymer (GCP) for the removal of Microcystin-LR (MC-LR), a harmful cyanotoxin produced during harmful algal blooms (HABs). While graphene nanoplatelets (GnPs) exhibit high adsorption capacity, their powdered form limits practical application. To address this, GnPs were coated onto 3D-printed poly(lactic acid) (PLA) substrates, enabling enhanced handling for field deployment. Surface characterization using laser confocal microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis confirmed GnP distribution and coating uniformity. Batch adsorption experiments revealed pseudo-second-order kinetics, a maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) of 596 μg/g, and adsorption behavior best described by the Langmuir isotherm. Statistical analysis and comparison …

Efficient Wattle Design For High-Level Nuclear Waste Tanks, Jasmine B. Clarke

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

At the Hanford Site in Washington state and the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, there are underground steel tanks that hold high-level nuclear waste (HLW) and nearly 450 million curies of radioactivity. At these sites, some leaks have been detected in HLW tanks. While detecting these leaks allows for identification of the issue, it does not solve the problem or prevent the leakage of HLW contaminants into collection pans and secondary containment. Repairing these leaks poses potential threats to workers for exposure risk. To address this issue, the present research seeks to create and utilize an active barrier in …

Factors Affecting Dissolved Organic Matter Concentrations And Its Long-Term Change In Adirondack, Ny, Lakes., Amos Kiplimo Bungei

Theses - ALL

Lakes in Europe and North America have experienced increases in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations over the past few decades, a phenomenon called “browning”. Dissolved organic matter is a mixture of reduced organic compounds, such as humic and fulvic acids, derived from allochthonous organic matter from the watershed and autochthonous organic matter sources produced within surface waters. The long-term browning of lakes has far-reaching ecological consequences. First, changes in the attenuation of light and heat penetration affect thermal stratification, oxygen concentration gradient, biogeochemical cycling, and primary production in lake systems. Increases in colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) can shift the …

Assessing Changes In Emissions And Atmospheric Deposition Of Sulfur Dioxide And Nitrogen Oxides Under Policies To Decarbonize The Electricity Sector In The Us, Qasim Mehdi

Theses - ALL

In the United States, power generation significantly contributes to emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, two precursors to atmospheric reactive nitrogen and sulfur deposition. In this thesis, I explore the prospective changes associated with the decarbonization of the electricity sector in atmospheric emissions and deposition of nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), and ammonia (NH3), and the implications of these alterations for shifts in patterns of interstate air pollutant transport and exceedances of critical loads of nitrogen and sulfur deposition impacting the growth and mortality of tree species in the coterminous U.S. While existing research provides some understanding of …

Feasibility Analysis For The Implementation Of An Anaerobic Digestion System In The City Of Pittsburgh, Pa, Gianna L. Kolencik

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study is investigating the feasibility of an anaerobic digestion system

in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the old State Correctional Institute (SCI-Pittsburgh)

located at 1922 Westhall St. This location is immediately upstream of the Allegheny

County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) along the Ohio River. Municipal solid waste

from ALCOSAN may be used as the main form of feedstock. ALCOSAN produced

roughly 36,500 tons of dry sludge in the reporting year 2023-2024. Based on the volume

of dry sludge from ALCOSAN it is estimated that an anaerobic digestion system could

yield approximately 29,930,000 kWh of energy, which is enough to power over …

Household Point-Of-Use Faucet Filters For Lead Removal: Field Performance And User Experiences, Jeannie M. Purchase, Chantaly Villalona, Adrienne Katner, Kelsey Pieper, Marc Edwards

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Lead certified point of use (POU) faucet filters were field tested in two Louisiana cities in a total of 21 occupied homes during normal use and in two unoccupied homes with very high risk of water lead (Pb) contamination. In an unoccupied home with a 28 m lead service line (LSL) with average lead of 17 μg/L in flushed water, treatment by POU filters generally produced water with < 5 μg/L Pb even when tested to 200% of rated capacity. In the unoccupied home with a disturbed LSL, the water had erratic influent particulate lead of 9-3053 μg/L, and the POUs did not consistently produce water with < 10 μg/L Pb despite very high percentage removals. When testing POUs in occupied homes known to occasionally have lead over 5 μg/L, POUs always reduced lead to < 1 μg/L. In addition, POUs were also effectively removing high levels of iron and manganese present in the water of one city, but this also caused clogging before reaching half of their rated capacity. Laboratory experiments confirmed POU susceptibility to iron clogging.

Calculating The Radius Of The Earth Using Sunset Method: Comparison With Al-BīRūNi Method, Jana Kamal, Tayeb Brahimi

Effat Undergraduate Research Journal

This paper attempts to compare the earth's radius calculation based on the sunset or sunrise (moonset or moonrise) with the Method developed by the scientist Al-Bīrūni. The sunset sunrise method is used to calculate the earth radius by standing in front of a flat horizontal plane. In addition, the authors have use Al-Bīrūni's rule to calculate the radius. Furthermore, the error percent of both Al-Bīrūni and the sunset sunrise method were calculated as well. The results showed that the earth actual radius is 6371 km. Eratosthenes radius which is 6366 km is the closest to the actual earth radius, then …

Spatial Distribution Of The Bankfull Discharge Recurrence Interval Across Tennessee, Usa, Brayden P. Flanagan

Honors Theses

Stream restoration and water resources engineers use a wide variety of hydrological tools and refer to multiple databases to determine accurate watershed and stream characteristics required for site assessment and restoration projects. Regional curves provide significant watershed and stream data that stream restoration engineers use in various restoration projects. However, developing these curves is time-consuming, costly, and complex, as data collection and validation require extensive field studies at multiple sites within the restoration areas. This study evaluates whether pertinent information on regional curves and streamflow frequency could be combined to provide practical guidance on determining design peak flow discharges for …

Ghosts In Glass: Ghost Crabs (Ocypode Quadrata) As Judges Of Glass Sand For Coastal Restoration, Emily Parrish

Poster Presentations

Coastal erosion is heavily impacting coastal ecosystems across the Gulf. For instance, the state of Louisiana loses a football field worth of land every 100 minutes (Couvillion, 2017). The drastic loss of coastline highlights the dire need for restoration in the Northern Gulf Coast. An unexpected solution to this sediment loss may solve two major environmental issues at once by diverting millions of tons of glass waste from entering America’s landfills each year. By crushing glass to create sand and gravel for coastal restoration, we may generate a consistent and sustainable source of substrate. Our goal is to determine the …

Community Wastewater Treatment Resilience Assessment, Tristan Veal

All Theses

With the rising threat of climate change and cascading impacts from infrastructure failure there is a growing need to strengthen community resilience. Theoretical and practical resilience frameworks are available, but they vary in aim and scope; there is no standard tool to assess resilience. This research expands on the resilience matrix (RM) application methods of previous research completed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Clemson University. That work focused on drinking water treatment systems and developed a few dozen specific indicators, or metrics, to quantify resilience. This research adds wastewater infrastructure with the aim of identifying …

Hickory Street Square Revitalization, Spencer Knight, Grace Dungan, Tim Kula, Evan Lauritsen, Lindsey Mennenga

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The Hickory Street Square Revitalization Project seeks to transform a central public space in Sidney, Nebraska into a dynamic, community-oriented area that supports local events, economic activity, and cultural heritage. The project addresses six core objectives: 1) convertible street design, 2) parking lot reconfiguration, 3) public amenities, 4) event flexibility, 5) lighting and signage, and 6) old electric plant renovation. A conceptual design was developed by the design team (S.T.E.E.L. Sentinel Solutions) by synthesizing the most effective features of three preliminary alternatives, shaped further through community feedback and evolving project constraints. The final project design minimizes disruption to existing activity …

Assessing The Fate Of Antibiotic Resistance Genes In Wastewater Treatment Processes, Gunter A. Campbell

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The increasing need for clean water has paved the way for the creation of systems for reusing water, such as wastewater treatment plants (“WWTPs”), to provide potable water. But in recent years, such systems have raised concerns about the distribution of antibiotic resistance genes (“ARGs”). Bacteria are adapting to antibiotics by the evolution of resistance mechanisms, such as high mutation rates and horizontal transfer. The presence of ARGs, particularly tetracycline ("tetA") resistance genes, in wastewater effluents is of concern, as they can survive treatment, spread to bodies of water, and pose a threat to human health. In this study, the …

Feasibility Of Liquid Carbon Sources For Algae Growth, Brady S. Jones

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis explores the use of electrochemically produced aqueous bicarbonate as a novel liquid-phase carbon source for enhancing algal biomass productivity. Targeting the freshwater microalgae Chlorella Saccharophila, the study investigates its growth response to varying bicarbonate concentrations and compares the efficacy of liquid bicarbonate delivery with traditional gaseous CO₂ bubbling methods. Results demonstrate that Chlorella Saccharophila can sustain growth solely on bicarbonate, and that bicarbonate-fed cultures yielded higher biomass than those supplied with gaseous CO₂ or hybrid systems. These findings validate the potential of bicarbonate-based carbon delivery for scalable algae cultivation, offering key advantages such as gas-free operation, improved …

Analysis Of Hydrological Model Uncertainty In The Response Of Farmers' Decision Models: A Case Study From The Lower Mississippi River Basin Region, Aayush Khadka

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Ever since human have evolved on planet earth, they have been dependent on water resources for almost every aspect of their lives. From food production to industry, water has been an integral part of the ever-growing human civilization. Increasing reliance on water has resulted in development of effective and sustainable management strategies. However, water management has remained a complex task due to different human and natural stressors. Hydro-economic models are powerful tools that have been widely used to study water resource systems, management options, economic values, and infrastructures. They have been used to analyze the Water-Energy-Food nexus, climatic interactions, and …