Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Modeling The Effectiveness Of Bioremediation On Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether In Groundwater, Logan Bundy

Master's Theses

Methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) and its degraded form tertiary-butyl alcohol (TBA) are both known carcinogens that have contaminated groundwater aquifers across the United States. MTBE is a synthesized compound, once widely used as an additive in gasoline to increase oxygenation. Because of its popularity, MTBE was released into the environment primarily through fuel combustion and leaking underground storage tanks. These two compounds are known to be recalcitrant to most conventional physico-chemical treatment methods. Previous studies have suggested that bioremediation is effective at degrading MTBE and TBA in contaminated groundwater. Bioremediation involves the injection of oxygen, nutrients, and pre-adapted bacterial cultures …

Modeling Of Amine-Based Co2 Capture Process, Zafar Safarovich Turakulov

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

A significant factor influencing climate change is the release of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere as a consequence of human activities such as the combustion of fossil fuels. Climate change can be slowed down by taking action to mitigate industrial-scale CO₂ emissions. Currently, the most advanced technology for capturing CO₂ from industrial flue gases is the post-combustion CO₂ capture based on amine absorption. However, due to the high energy penalties of existing CO₂ capture technologies and insufficient carbon markets, it is necessary to develop methods that compete with these technologies or minimize their …

Occurrence, Fate, And Transport Of Microplastics From Wastewater Treatment Plants To Receiving Waters, Rayyan Mirza

Wayne State University Dissertations

Environmental pollution due to the widespread presence of microplastics (MPs) is an emerging global problem. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are considered a significant point source for MPs. The first aim of this study was to develop extraction and detection methods of MPs from complex wastewater and sludge samples in the Detroit WWTP to understand the occurrence and fate of MPs in WWTPs. The second aim was to understand the spatial and temporal distribution of MPs originating from the Detroit WWTP discharge point into the Detroit River by utilizing the Mike 21 Flow Model FM to simulate the movement of MPs …

Sources Of Variability And Uncertainty In Food-Energy-Water Nexus Systems, Heydi Calderon-Ambelis, Deepak R. Keshwani

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

A nexus approach contributes to the strategic allocation of resources to secure food, energy, and water for the world population. Integrated models considering the complex interactions across food, energy, and water (FEW) enhance decision-making and strategic planning towards resilience. However, a significant number of the existing integrated models leave unaddressed the inherent variability and uncertainty present in the FEW sectors. Here, we review the importance of characterizing variability over spatial and temporal scales and the importance of decreasing the uncertainty present within a FEW nexus systems. The review also discusses existing modeling tools that address variability and uncertainty on single …

Development And Validation Of An Analytical Modeling Tool For Solar Borehole Heat Exchangers, Adam Ornelles

All Theses

Current numerical modeling solutions used for subsurface heat flow, such as the Berkeley TOUGH codes, are often difficult to use and time-consuming compared to analytical modeling methods. However, current analytical modeling methods for subsurface heat flow and groundwater cannot accurately model the subsurface in 3 dimensions, a feature paramount to the planning and installation of thermal borehole heat exchangers used in environmental remediation.

This research developed a novel 3-dimensional analytical modeling tool for solar-powered borehole heat exchangers. The analytical modeling tool can plan thermal remediation systems while being more straightforward to operate than current numerical modeling software. By creating a …

A Review Of Harmful Algal Bloom Prediction Models For Lakes And Reservoirs, Jade Snyder Echard

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Anthropogenic activity has led to eutrophication in water bodies across the world. This eutrophication promotes blooms, cyanobacteria being among the most notorious bloom organisms. Cyanobacterial blooms (more commonly referred to as harmful algal blooms (HABs)) can devastate an ecosystem. Cyanobacteria are resilient microorganisms that have adapted to survive under a variety of conditions, often outcompeting other phytoplankton. Some species of cyanobacteria produce toxins that ward off predators. These toxins can negatively affect the health of the aquatic life, but also can impact animals and humans that drink or come in contact with these noxious waters. Although cyanotoxin’s effects on humans …

Modeling And Monitoring Of Water Quantity And Quality In Permeable Pavement Systems Using Geophysical Equipment, Abby Klimowicz

Honors Scholar Theses

Permeable pavements are a type of low impact development (LID) that reduces runoff by increasing the permeability of developed surfaces. Less runoff helps protect the surrounding ecosystems from erosion and pollution. Without pools of accumulating runoff, the potential for the development of ice on roads and parking lots is also decreased. However, sufficient research on the movement of water and the ions dissolved in it through the permeable pavement system has not been completed. In this study, geophysical equipment was used to observe how moisture, measured as volumetric water content (VWC), and ions, approximated by electrical conductivity, pass through constructed …

Understanding The Weather- And Soil-Related Variability In Agricultural Water Footprints: Case Study Of Maize And Soybeans Grown In The St. Joseph Watershed, Karleigh M. Krieg

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Introduced in 2002, the water footprint is a valuable tool for understanding the consumption of freshwater resources. The traditional approach to quantifying the water footprint is to sum the green, blue, and gray water footprint components. The green water footprint is the volume of water that comes from precipitation, is stored in the soil, and used by vegetation. The blue water footprint is the volume of surface or ground water that is withdrawn and applied to cultivated lands via irrigation. These components are based on the evapotranspiration of green and blue water resources, respectively. The gray water footprint is the …

Exposure Assessment Of Emerging Contaminants: Rapid Screening And Modeling Of Plant Uptake, Majid Bagheri

Doctoral Dissertations

"With the advent of new chemicals and their increasing uses in every aspect of our life, considerable number of emerging contaminants are introduced to environment yearly. Emerging contaminants in forms of pharmaceuticals, detergents, biosolids, and reclaimed wastewater can cross plant roots and translocate to various parts of the plants. Long-term human exposure to emerging contaminants through food consumption is assumed to be a pathway of interest. Thus, uptake and translocation of emerging contaminants in plants are important for the assessment of health risks associated with human exposure to emerging contaminants. To have a better understanding over fate of emerging contaminants …

Metalimnetic Oxygen Minimum In Green Lake, Wisconsin, Mahta Naziri Saeed

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Green Lake, located in Green Lake County, Wisconsin, has been experiencing summer Metalimnetic Oxygen Minima (MOM). The severity of the MOM has increased in recent years and the lake was listed as impaired in 2014. To investigate the MOM, the lake was monitored during 2017 and 2018 at two sites using moored temperature and oxygen sensors recording at 1-hour intervals. Using these data, a hydrodynamic model (Simstrat) was configured for the lake. A new model was then developed to simulate the oxygen changes in the lake. Productivity, respiration, sediment oxygen demand (SOD) and fluxes were included, and hydrodynamics were driven …

Modeling The Effects Of Wastewater Infrastructure Options On Water Quality In Greater Cleveland, Ohio, Mike Foster

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The city of Cleveland, OH, and the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District are in the process of an ambitious engineering project designed to reduce the amount of untreated wastewater that is discharged into Lake Erie and its tributaries. The project involves the construction of seven tunnels that will intercept combined sewer overflows for transport to wastewater treatment plants, along with upgrades to the treatment capacity of these plants. This report will examine the water quality impacts of this project, as well as the impact of six additional proposed management options, on the streams of Greater Cleveland and the Lake Erie …

A Comparison Of The Army Corps Of Engineers Hydrologic Modeling System And Autodesk Storm And Sanitary Analysis For Hydraulic And Hydrologic Analysis And Design, Foster Josef Heifetz Campbell

Master's Theses

Hydrological and hydraulic effects of urban development is one of the key issues of study for improved water management. The addition of impervious surfaces to once pervious land and re-routing open channels and flow paths can cause flooding or declining water levels within a watershed. Many studies of these issues have found that there can be multiple factors causing hydrological and hydraulic impacts, and it can be hard to analyze and develop effective solutions without appropriate drainage software packages. However, there are multiple software packages available for use, and determining the correct one to use for a specific challenge can …

The Role Of Ephemeral Stratification, Anoxia, And Entrainment In Mediating Spatiotemporal Trophic State Dynamics In A Lake Michigan Drowned River Mouth System (Mona Lake, Mi), Hayden Henderson

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Mona Lake, MI (a drowned river mouth system) has become eutrophic as result of cultural eutrophication. The integrated monitoring effort and subsequent modeling (LAKE2K) reported on here has shifted the management focus to internal phosphorus loads (60 percent of annual load, 90 percent of load during the stratified and anoxic period) as a necessary precursor to trophic state change. Sediment phosphorus release can yield extreme elevations (> 1 mgSRP/L) of bottom water soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), with blooms of potentially toxic cyanobacteria (largely Microcystis) occurring annually. Such blooms are ascribable to stochastic mixing and phosphorus entrainment to the surface waters, …

Monitoring And Evaluating The Influences Of Class V Injection Wells On Urban Karst Hydrology, James Adam Shelley

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The response of a karst aquifer to storm events is often faster and more severe than that of a non-karst aquifer. This distinction is often problematic for planners and municipalities, because karst flooding does not typically occur along perennial water courses; thus, traditional flood management strategies are usually ineffective. The City of Bowling Green (CoBG), Kentucky is a representative example of an area plagued by karst flooding. The CoBG, is an urban karst area (UKA), that uses Class V Injection Wells to lessen the severity of flooding. The overall effectiveness, siting, and flooding impact of Injection Wells in UKA’s is …

A Framework For Assessing Water Quality, Prioritizing Recovery Potential, And Analyzing Placement Of Best Management Practices, Tadesse Animaw Sinshaw

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Motivated by the U.S. EPA goals, this research developed a framework to support identification and restoration of nutrient-impaired water bodies. The study objectives were developing total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) prediction models, evaluating the impact of social indicators on assessing recovery potential, and developing a spatial decision support system for choice and placement of best management practices (BMPS). An artificial neural network was used to develop TN and TP predictive regional models for U.S. lakes using easily measurable and cost-effective variables. The performance of models was superior for regions trained with larger datasets and/or regions with lower temperature …

Water–Soil–Vegetation Dynamic Interactions In Changing Climate, Xixi Wang, Xuefeng Chu, Tingxi Liu, Xiangju Cheng, Rich Whittecar

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Previous studies of land degradation, topsoil erosion, and hydrologic alteration typically focus on these subjects individually, missing important interrelationships among these important aspects of the Earth's system. However, an understanding of water–soil–vegetation dynamic interactions is needed to develop practical and effective solutions to sustain the globe's eco-environment and grassland agriculture, which depends on grasses, legumes, and other fodder or soil-building crops. This special issue is intended to be a platform for a discussion of the relevant scientific findings based on experimental and/or modeling studies. Its 12 peer-reviewed articles present data, novel analysis/modeling approaches, and convincing results of water–soil–vegetation interactions under …

Geotechnical Laboratory Testing For 2-D Fem Analysis Of Geomorphic And Planar Sloped Caps And Covers For Sustainable Mine Refuse Deposition, Sun Hee Park

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis reports the findings of the application of Geomorphic Landform Design principles to the Royal Scot abandoned coarse coal refuse (CCR) pile located in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. The Royal Scot facility has many environmental concerns including severe erosion, acid-mine/rock drainage, and sediment transport. A cap and cover system is proposed to be implemented which incorporates the GLD principles. A two-layer cap and cover system will be used to reclaim the site and return it back to a stable state and reduce the production of acid-mine drainage. The system is composed of a hydraulic barrier composed of compacted CCR, …

Ncma Groundwater Model Using Usgs Modflow-2005/Pest, Brian Matthew Wallace

Master's Theses

A numerical model for the NCMA aquifer complex is presented. The objective of the study is to develop a numerical groundwater model for the NCMA aquifer system to enhance the understanding of subsurface groundwater flow. Infiltration, streamflow, pumping, and return flows are implemented to characterize the aquifer complex over time. The numerical model is calibrated to municipal and monitoring well data, average monthly water balances, and hydraulic contours. Transient aquifer inflows and outflows are assessed in the results of the study and are compared to balance terms from previous studies. The 2007 Todd Engineers Study subsurface inflows and outflows generate …

Application Of Qual2k Model To Macrophyte Rich Silver Bow Creek, Dylan Uecker

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Silver Bow Creek (SBC, Blacktail Creek to Warm Springs Creek) is a small urbanized stream in western Montana (MT) identified as impaired for nitrate, total nitrogen and total phosphorus on the 2014 303(d) list. Enrichment of SBC occurs primarily from a single municipal point source that results in excessive primary production, macrophyte growth, large diel waterquality swings, and nightly hypoxic conditions that likely impair aquatic life uses. The objective of this study is to apply QUAL2K (a surface water-quality model) to a 5.6 km long reach of SBC to predict in-stream dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations under different nutrient loading scenarios. …

Development Of Techniques For Assessing And Restoring Streams On Surface Mined Lands, Whitney Cole Blackburn-Lynch

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Surface mining is a commonly used method for extracting coal in the Appalachian Coalfields of the U.S. This mining practice produces excess spoil or overburden, which is often placed in adjacent valleys resulting in the creation of valley fills. These valley fills bury headwater streams, which in turn can negatively impact downstream ecosystems. In 2008, the University of Kentucky designed and constructed 1,020 m of ephemeral, intermittent and headwater streams on an existing valley fill (Guy Cove) as a proof-of-concept. The goal of the project was to evaluate whether or not a stream recreation could occur on mined lands, particularly …

Assessing Biofiltration Pretreatment For Ultrafiltration Membrane Processes, Andrea Cumming

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An engineered biological filtration (biofiltration) process treating a nutrient-enriched, low-alkalinity, organic-laden surface water downstream of conventional coagulation-clarification and upstream of an ultrafiltration (UF) membrane process was assessed for its treatment effectiveness. The impact of biofiltration pretreatment on UF membrane performance was evaluated holistically by investigating the native source water chemistry and extending the analysis into the drinking water distribution system. The biofiltration process was also compared in treatment performance to two alternative pretreatment technologies, including magnetic ion exchange (MIEX®) and granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption. The MIEX®, GAC adsorption, and biologically active carbon (BAC) filtration pretreatments were integrated with conventional …

Micro- And Macro-Scale Modeling Of Filter Aging: Effects Of Particle Poly-Dispersity And Fiber Cross-Sectional Shape, Ahmed M. Saleh

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study is to further advance the state of the art in developing self-sufficient methods to predict the performance of an aerosol filter. The simulation methods developed in this study are based on first principles and consequently, they do not rely on empirical correction factors. These simulation methods can be used to predict the instantaneous collection efficiency and pressure drop of a filter under dust-loading conditions. In the current study, 3-D micro- and macroscale CFD models are developed to simulate the service life of flat-sheet and pleated filters. These CFD micro- and macroscale models are also used …

Modeling-As-A-Service (Maas) Using The Cloud Services Innovation Platform (Csip), Olaf David, Wes Lloyd, Ken Rojas, Mazdak Arabi, Frank Geter, James Ascough, Tim Green, G. Leavesley, Jack Carlson

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Cloud infrastructures for modelling activities such as data processing, performing environmental simulations, or conducting model calibrations/optimizations provide a cost effective alternative to traditional high performance computing approaches. Cloud-based modelling examples emerged into the more formal notion: "Model-as-a-Service" (MaaS). This paper presents the Cloud Services Innovation Platform (CSIP) as a software framework offering MaaS. It describes both the internal CSIP infrastructure and software architecture that manages cloud resources for typical modelling tasks, and the use of CSIP's "ModelServices API" for a modelling application. CSIP's architecture supports fast and resource aware auto-scaling of computational resources. An example model service is presented: the …

Interactive Web-Based Flood Modeling At Country Wide Scale And Plantar Size Resolution, Fedor Baart, Jack Ha, Arthur Van Dam, Gennadii Donchyts, Martijn Siemerink

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

The flooding of rural and urban areas is an increasing hazard to society. Accurate and timely predictions are essential for the water manager to prepare and respond to these hazards. Predicting flooding requires a numerical model that represents the physical processes (rain, evaporation, infiltration, overland flow, groundwater flow). This model, fed with measurements, and possible measures, calculates the expected flooding. The traditional working method consists of a three step process: schematization setup, running and post-processing, with a total feedback time of hours. This process is suitable for confirmatory modeling. Most of the time, models are applied exploratory, requiring a different …

Analyses Of Groundwater Contribution To A Riverine Wetland, Farzad Mahmoodinobar

Dissertations

Rainfall, runoff, overbank flow and groundwater, all contribute water to wetlands. Each transport element is associated with unique modeling approaches and uncertainties. Transpiration is perhaps the hardest to quantify as it is subject to all the variability of plant growth. Transpiration causes land area to lose moisture and the loss amount depends on precipitation incidence, the temperature and type and extent of vegetation. Plants can intercept virtually all recharge during the growing season and almost none from late fall to early spring in northeastern United States. Thus, an improvement in the transpiration element can contribute considerably to an improved groundwater …

Renovation Of Ammonia Contaminated Produced Water Using Constructed Wetlands, Donald Beebe

All Dissertations

Pilot-scale wetland treatment systems were designed and constructed to evaluate renovation of simulated oilfield produced water contaminated with ammonia (20 mg/L ammonia-N). A process-based pilot-scale constructed wetland was designed to meet specific biogeochemical conditions for conversion of ammonia to nitrogen gas through microbial nitrification and denitrification. The process-based constructed wetland treated the simulated produced water to meet stringent discharge requirements (less than 1.2 mg/L ammonia-N). Clinoptilolite, a zeolite mineral, was evaluated for use in constructed wetlands to increase ammonia sorption and nitrification activity. Clinoptilolite increased wetland ammonia sorption capacity and served as a microbial carrier for nitrifying bacteria when ranges …

Using Qual2kw As A Decision Support Tool: Considerations For Data Collection, Calibration, And Numeric Nutrient Criteria, Andrew J. Hobson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Surface water quality in the United States is managed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under direction of the Clean Water Act. Designated uses are required for all state waters. Numeric or narrative water quality standards provide measures to determine if each waterbody meets the intended use. Narrative standards typically include vague terminology that is difficult to interpret and this has led EPA to encourage states to develop numeric criteria for nutrients in all its streams, rivers, and lakes. These numeric nutrient criteria are intended to stave off the harmful effects of over-growth of aquatic plants which can result …

Investigation Of Mercury Use, Release, Deposition, And Exposures In The Tampa Bay Area, Ryan Algernon Michael

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

I investigate the links between mercury use, release, deposition, and population exposure in Tampa Bay, with the focus of identifying levers for reducing population mercury exposures. To achieve this, I investigated the trends in mercury use and release by products and processes in the Tampa Bay area using a Material Flow Analysis. Analysis of USEPA National Emissions Inventory data over time (1999 - 2008) identified relevant air source emission categories, and explored and compared state and regional trends in mercury emissions. To understand source contributions to wet deposited mercury in the Tampa Bay area, I analyzed trends in mercury deposition …

Reverse Osmosis Desalination With Integrated Compressed Air Energy Storage: Conceptual Design And Modeling, Pooja Mahajan

All Theses

Growing fresh water needs have led to an interest in water desalination using reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. Energy consumption has a large share in the expenses incurred to drive a reverse osmosis desalination system. With depleting fossil fuel reserves, tapping renewable sources of energy is a promising alternative to meet the energy requirements. Wind power coupled to an RO desalination system is a potential means of delivering clean water using sustainable energy. This work investigates modeling of a conceptual wind-energy-driven RO desalination system that is made possible because of an air-pressure energy storage mechanism. Bench-scale experiments were performed on an …

Using Ground Penetrating Radar Signal Reflection To Model A Highly Transmissive Bedrock Aquifer, Daniel J. Brockmeyer Mr.

Master's Theses

The use of numerical modeling software to characterize groundwater contaminant fate and transport requires an understanding of the distribution of hydraulic properties of the aquifer. As the complexity of this distribution increases, a more sophisticated understanding is required. Modeling contaminant transport in bedrock aquifers requires that the spatial distributions of highly conductive geologic features are characterized along with the hydraulic transmissivities of those features (Shapiro, 2003). The goal of this research is to refine the numerical model of a highly transmissive crystalline aquifer by characterizing the spatial variability of the hydraulic transmissivity using the attenuation of the ground penetrating radar …