Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Investigation Of Activated Carbon And Protein Polysaccharide Amendments In Capping Applications For Sediment Remediation, Mehdi Begag

Honors Scholar Theses

Contaminated sediment is a major environmental problem in numerous sites across the US and requires costly treatment to effectively remediate the sediment and prevent contaminants from entering the water column. Capping of contaminated sediment has emerged as the preferred treatment design as it is more cost effective and effectively isolates the contaminants in-situ. Powdered Activated Carbon (PAC) is commonly introduced in capping designs due to its high sorption capacity of organic contaminants. However, its low bulk density and fine particle size result in significant carbon resuspension during cap placement. This report provides experimental and modeling results focused on the effects …

Effect Of Micropiles On Clean Sand Liquefaction Risk Based On Cpt And Spt, Visar Farhangi, Moses Karakouzian, Marten Geertsema

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

Liquefaction is a hazardous seismic-based phenomenon, which causes an abrupt decrease in soil strength properties and can result in the massive destruction of the built environment. This research presents a novel approach to reduce the risk of soil liquefaction using jet-grouted micropiles in clean sands. The saturated soil profile of the study project mainly contains clean sands, which are suitable to more reliably employ simplified soil liquefaction analyses. The grouting is conducted using 420 micropiles to increase the existing soil properties. The effect of jet grouting on reducing the potential of liquefaction is assessed using the results of the cone …

Evaluation Of Low-Cost Depth Cameras For Agricultural Applications, Isabella C.F.S. Condotta, Tami M. Brown-Bandl, Santosh Pitla, John P. Stinn, Késia O. Silva-Miranda

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Low-cost depth-cameras have been used in many agricultural applications with reported advantages of low cost, reliability and speed of measurement. However, some problems were also reported and seem to be technology related, so understanding the limitations of each type of depth camera technology could provide a basis for technology selection and the development of research involving its use. The cameras use one or a combination of two of the three available technologies: structured light, time-of-flight (ToF), and stereoscopy. The objectives were to evaluate these different technologies for depth sensing, including measuring accuracy and repeatability of distance data and measurements at …

Biological Systems Engineering, Asmaa Abdella, Fernando Segato, Mark R. Wilkins

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The present work studied the optimization of aeration rate, agitation rate and oxygen transfer and the use of various batch fermentation strategies for xylanase production from a recombinant Aspergillus nidulans strain in a 3 L stirred tank reactor. Maximum xylanase production of 1250 U/mL with productivity of 313 U/mL/day was obtained under an aeration rate of 2 vvm and an agitation rate of 400 rpm using batch fermentation. The optimum volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient (kLa) for efficient xylanase production was found to be 38.6 h1. Fed batch mode and repeated batch fermentation was also performed with kLa was 38.6 h1. …

Sensitivity Analysis Of Data-Driven Groundwater Forecasts To Hydroclimatic Controls In Irrigated Croplands, Alessandro Amaranto, Francesca Pianosi, Dimitri Solomatine, Gerald Corzo-Perez, Francisco Munoz-Arriola

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

In the last decades, advancements in computational science have greatly expanded the use of artificial neural networks (ANNs) in hydrogeology, including applications on groundwater forecast, variable selection, extended lead-times, and regime-specific analysis. However, ANN-model performance often omits the sensitivity to ob- servational uncertainties in hydroclimate forcings. The goal of this paper is to implement a data-driven modeling framework for assessing the sensitivity of ANN-based groundwater forecasts to the uncertainties in observational inputs across space, time, and hydrological regimes. The objectives are two-folded. The first objective is to couple an ANN model with the PAWN sensitivity analysis (SA). The second objective …

The Siltcatcher: A Sediment-Capture System For Wetland Creation And Coastal Protection In Western Lake Pontchartrain, Andrew M. Wright

LSU Master's Theses

The West Lake Pontchartrain region faces a number of long-term environmental challenges due to anthropogenic climate disturbance and landscape modification, including sea level rise, increased storm surge risk, shoreline erosion, and wetland degradation. In response, this thesis applies recent research in the fields of landscape architecture and civil engineering to propose a dynamic, natural-systems solution for wetland creation and shoreline protection. The project envisions a series of breakwater-like structures in western Lake Pontchartrain positioned to slow water released from the nearby Bonnet Carré Spillway, causing suspended sediment to settle and create self-building and self-sustaining wetlands capable of keeping pace with …

Real-Time Pm10 Emission Rates From Paved Roads By Measurement Of Concentrations In The Vehicle's Wake Using On-Board Sensors Part 1. Scamper Method Characterization, Dennis R. Fitz, Kurt Bumiller, Charles Bufalino, David E. James

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

Based on emission factors derived from the AP-42 algorithm, particulate matter from paved roads has been estimated to be a major source of PM10 of geologic origin. This is an empirical formula based on upwind-downwind measurement of PM10 concentrations and is dependent solely on the silt loading of the pavement and the weight of vehicles. A number of upwind-downwind studies conducted in urban areas to validate this algorithm have been generally inconclusive because the PM10 concentration difference between upwind and downwind often is within the measurement uncertainty. In the approach presented here PM10 concentrations were measured directly behind a moving …

The Critical Role Of Humidity In Modeling Summer Electricity Demand Across The United States, Debora Maia-Silva, Rohini Kumar, Roshanak Nateghi

School of Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications

Cooling demand is projected to increase under climate change. However, most of the existing projections are based on rising air temperatures alone, ignoring that rising temperatures are associated with increased humidity; a lethal combination that could significantly increase morbidity and mortality rates during extreme heat events. We bridge this gap by identifying the key measures of heat stress, considering both air temperature and near-surface humidity, in characterizing the climate sensitivity of electricity demand at a national scale. Here we show that in many of the high energy consuming states, such as California and Texas, projections based on air temperature alone …

Investigating The Experimental Process For Partial Replacement Of Cement With Sugarcane Bagasse In The Construction Industry, Amany G. Micheal Prof., Rania Moussa, Nadin Dawoud

Centre for Advanced Materials

In the last few decades there has been speedily increasing in the agriculture and industrial wastes. This causes many environmental issues and raises the potential to contaminate the natural resources of living such as water, air and soil. Recently, the amount of organic waste produced daily has been rising, while it is poorly managed. It is either burned or disposed improperly, which effect negatively the environment and public health. On the other hand, during the cement production process many wastes, and pollutants are generated which have major negative impacts on the environment. Cement is considered as a substantial constituent of …

Capturing Spatial Variability In Maize And Soybean Using Stationary Sensor Nodes, Jasreman Singh, Derek M. Heeren, Yufeng Ge, Geng Bai

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

• Irrigation in agriculture maximizes crop yield and improves food security globally • Irrigation scheduling is strongly based on the ability to accurately estimate the appropriate amount and timing of water application • The timing of the irrigation can best be informed through the crop canopy stress, and the amount of irrigation is informed through soil moisture depletion

• Developing upper (non-water stressed) and lower (non-transpiring) baselines for irrigated and non-irrigated maize and soybean • Investigating the relationship between the canopy stress and the soil moisture stress

The canopy temperature stress and soil moisture depletion had stronger correlation for non-irrigated …

Lignin: A Likely Precursor Of A Significant Fraction Of Humic Substances Via Oxidative Transformations, Seyyedhadi Khatami

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Lignin is a major component of decaying terrestrial vegetation in soils and has been arguably reported to contribute substantially to the formation of soil carbon humus, and natural dissolved organic matter (DOM). To better understand the process by which this humification occurs, lignin and lignin-derived monomers were subjected to both biotic and abiotic oxidation processes. Two well-known oxidative transformation strategies were employed. The first involved the fungal degradation of brown-rot degraded wood subjected to a white-rot fungus (Phanerochaete chrysosporium) whose enzymes are particularly effective in lignin degradation via enzymatic oxidation. This enzymatic attack was monitored by ultrahigh resolution …

Fate And Transport Of Antibiotics And Antibiotic Resistance Genes In Runoff And Soil As Affected By The Timing Of Swine Manure Slurry Application, Renys Enrique Barrios, Himanshu Khuntia, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt, John E. Gilley, Amy M. Schmidt Schmidt, Daniel D. Snow, Xu Li

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Land application of swine manure slurry is a common practice to supplement nutrients to soil for crop production. This practice can introduce antibiotic residues and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) into the environment. Field testing is critical in identifying manure management practices effective in minimizing the environmental impacts of manure-borne antibiotic and ARGs. The objective of this study was to determine how the timing of swine manure application relative to rainfall events impacts the fate and transport of antibiotics and ARGs in surface runoff and manure-amended soil. Swine manure slurry was either broadcast or injected on test plots in the field. …

Occurrence And Persistence Of Antibiotics Administered To Cattle In A Newly Established Feedlot, Brittany Trejo

Department of Environmental Engineering: Theses and Other Student Research

The common practice of using therapeutic antibiotics in livestock farming is a worldwide phenomenon. Over the last decade, there has been a growing concern of antibiotics entering the environment via animal manure. Similar studies have focused on the occurrence and biological effects of antibiotics in land-applied animal feedlots; however, limited research has been conducted on the occurrence and persistence of antibiotics in animal feedlots. A study was conducted to investigate the occurrence and persistence of four injected antibiotics (ceftiofur enrofloxacin, florfenicol, and tulathromycin) and two continuously fed antibiotics (monensin and tylosin) in feedlot sediment, runoff, and sediment runoff. For antibiotics …

The Impacts Of Surface Gravity Waves On Buoyant Plume Dilution, Bruce William Husselbee

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A common practice in coastal areas is to collect, treat and discharge fluids including treated wastewater, stormwater or power plant effluent to areas of lesser impact. The discharge of these fluids, conveyed through pipelines into coastal areas, continues to be an important human health and environmental concern. The fluid discharged from these pipelines is often buoyant which allows for dilution and dispersion into these ambient waters.

Initial dilution, defined as the maximum concentration of a discharged fluid at the maximum rise in height within a buoyant plume, is critical in the consideration of the environmental impacts of a discharge into …

Investigation Of Tracer-Surfactant-Foam Processes In Shallow Subsurface Environmental Remediation: History-Matching And Performance Prediction, Hazem Fleifel

LSU Master's Theses

In-situ subsurface remediation has been widely used as an efficient means of cleaning up non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) from contaminated soils and aquifer. The use of tracer, surfactant, and foam are often considered to keep track of the propagation of injected fluids in the medium, dissolve and mobilize contaminants trapped by capillary forces, and overcome the level of heterogeneity and improve displacement and sweep efficiencies.

This study shows an actual remediation process to reduce NAPL within a military base in South Korea, by injecting tracer and surfactant solutions together for a duration of 10 days. The site consists of 5 …

Results Of Improvement Of The Technological Process Of Sorting Of Draged Seeds, R.K. Djamolov, E.T. Maksudov, K. Djamolov

Irrigation and Melioration

The article presents the results of experiments conducted to justify the parameters of the seed selection unit to improve the process of sorting seeds. The experiments were carried out by changing the angle of inclination of the seed tray to the horizontal plane from α = 390 to α = 540 and the radius of the lower part of the tray in the aisle R = 140-180 mm. The experimental results show that the bottom of the tray, made in the form of a semicircle, allows the seeds to move up the pipe when the seeds fall from the tray …

Enhanced Fluoride Removal In Biosand Filters Using Aluminum Oxide Coated Media And Modified Filter Design, Madison Leigh Rice

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In 2010, the UN formally stated that access to safe drinking water and sanitation is a human right. Yet, one in three people globally do not have access to safe drinking water. Contaminated drinking water can negatively impact the health of consumers. This is a challenge that disproportionally affects developing regions, where limited access to resources exacerbates the problem. One drinking water contaminant of concern is fluoride. Fluoride is often added in low concentrations to drinking water to enhance consumers’ dental health. However, when water with high concentrations of fluoride is consumed frequently, it can have negative health effects, such …

Enhanced Nitrogen, Organic Matter And Color Removal From Landfill Leachate By Biological Treatment Processes With Biochar And Zeolite, Bisheng Gao

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Leachate percolating through landfills must be collected and properly treated. However, high concentrations of ammonia (NH4+), refractory organic matter [measured as chemical oxygen demand (COD)], water color and heavy metals in leachate interfere biological processes in conventional wastewater treatment plants. Constructed wetlands (CWs) have been used in the past to treat leachate, but their design and performance has not been properly optimized. In particular, low cost adsorbent materials, such as zeolite and biochar, have the potential to adsorb ammonia and organic compounds, respectively. This increases their retention in the wetland and reduces their toxicity to microorganisms and plants in the …

Implementation Of Large-Scale Anaerobic Digestion Of Food Waste At The University Of South Florida, Karamjit Panesar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Food waste represents a major sustainability issue in the United States. Food waste represents 18% of landfill space and is the largest contributor of landfill methane emissions. US EPA’s Food Recovery Hierarchy recommends alternatives to landfilling food waste, including source reduction, food donation and anaerobic digestion.

The Student Green Energy Fund (SGEF) Food Recovery Project aims to follow suggestions outlined by the US EPA Food Recovery Hierarchy to encourage the University of South Florida (USF) to become a zero-waste campus. A multi-disciplinary approach aims to source reduce wasted food, look for opportunities for source reduction and anaerobically digest any remaining …

Evidence Of Arithmetical Uncertainty In Estimation Of Light And Water Use Efficiency, Meetpal S. Kukal, Suat Irmak Dr.

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

It was demonstrated that conventional resource use efficiency (RUE) estimation methodology is largely subject to arithmetic weakness. Extensive field research data on aboveground biomass (AGB), absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (APAR), and crop evapotranspiration (ETc) in maize, soybean, sorghum, and winter wheat confirmed this methodological bias for light use efficiency (LUE) and water use efficiency (WUE) estimation. LUE and WUE were derived using cumulated (data aggregates across samplings) and independent (data increments across samplings) approaches. Use of cumulated data yielded strong-but-false correlation between AGB and APAR or Etc, being a statistical artefact. RUE values from an independent (data increments across samplings) …

Three-Phase Hydrodynamic Simulation And Experimental Validation Of An Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor, Camila D' Bastiani, Jéferson Luis Alba, Gabriel Tomazzoni Mazzarotto, Severino Rodrigues De Farias Neto, Anthony Reynolds, David Kennedy, Lademir Luiz Beal

Articles

This research focuses on performing multiphase solid/liquid/gas CFD simulations of a UASB reactor in order to obtain a validated model that provides a clearer understanding of the hydrodynamic behaviour of the three phases in UASB reactors. Eulerian–Eulerian, laminar, three-dimensional, multiphase simulations are carried out using Fluent 16.2. The liquid phase velocity and flow profile are validated through PIV experiments. A liquid mean velocity difference of 8.45% is found between the experimental and numerical results, thus validating the CFD model. Shadowgraphy is applied successfully to validate the biogas phase velocity and bubble size. Based on the hydrodynamic analysis results, the reactor …

Predicting Escherichia Coli Loads In Cascading Dams With Machine Learning: An Integration Of Hydrometeorology, Animal Density And Grazing Pattern, Olufemi P. Abimbola, Aaron R. Mittelstet, Tiffany Messer, Elaine D. Berry, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt, Samuel Hansen

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Accurate prediction of Escherichia coli contamination in surface waters is challenging due to considerable uncertainty in the physical, chemical and biological variables that control E. coli occurrence and sources in surface waters. This study proposes a novel approach by integrating hydro-climatic variables as well as animal density and grazing pattern in the feature selection modeling phase to increase E. coli prediction accuracy for two cascading dams at the USMeat Animal Research Center (USMARC), Nebraska. Predictive models were developed using regression techniques and an artificial neural network (ANN). Two adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) structures including subtractive clustering and fuzzy c-means …

The Future State Of Mobility, Jerome Quandt

Purdue Road School

Formed in 2018, the Illinois Autonomous Vehicles Association (ILAVA) is a privately funded non-for-profit organization focused on establishing thought leadership in the state of Illinois, by identifying and addressing the current and emerging opportunities related to the inevitable growth of CAV technologies throughout the transportation network. Through the deployment of scalable and sustainable business solutions, facilitating industry education and establishing thought leadership, ILAVA is creating an ecosystem that defines Illinois as #TheFutureStateofMobility.

A Novel Self-Healing System: Towards A Sustainable Porous Asphalt, Shi Xu, Xueyan Liu, Amir Tabakovic, Erik Schlangen

Articles

Self-healing asphalt, aimed to produce a sustainable asphalt pavement using green technology, has been studied in the past two decades. Technologies including encapsulated rejuvenator and induction heating have been proposed, demonstrated in the laboratory, and gradually evaluated in field application. This paper looks into the synergy effect of the above two technologies, where induction heating serves as the asphalt damage repair mechanism, requiring just 2 min heating time and encapsulated rejuvenator will replenish (rejuvenate) aged asphalt binder and reinstate bitumen’s healing ability. Moreover, the increased temperature from induction heating could in turn accelerate the diffusion process of rejuvenator into aged …

A Bibliometric Analysis Of Soil Pollution Due To Microplastics, Sangita Dike, Sayali Apte

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Microplastic pollution is a global problem because of its ecological and socioeconomic impacts on the environment. The large size plastic waste, under the action of ultraviolet radiation, pressure, and wind or wave action, breaks down into particles smaller than 5 mm referred to as microplastic. This huge amount of microplastic enters the ecosystem eventually leading to soil pollution. It has been established that microplastics enter the food chain when animals eat or ingest contaminated food materials.and have an adverse effect on human health The present paper investigates, past researches in the area of microplastic pollution of soil, by a detailed …

Energy Saving Issues In Pumping Units, A.I. Anarbaev, D.B. Kodirov, R.A. Zakhidov, B. Usmanov

Irrigation and Melioration

The article presents the issues of energy saving, which are becoming increasingly relevant due to the constant increase in tariffs and the introduction of the demands on energy efficiency and energy conversation. To save energy at pumping units, the characteristics of controlling the electric drive of pumping stations with frequency-controlled control are considered. For adequate adjustment by the technological process of water movement and power supply, corresponding analytical dependencies are obtained. An analysis of the physical expressions of water pumping processes allowed us to determine energy-saving modes of operation and technologies for improving the efficiency of equipment.

Importance Of Creating A System Of Land And Cadastral Data For Subjects Of Agriculture, К. Rakhmonov, M.O. Abdurakhimova

Irrigation and Melioration

A separate model and model were developed for compiling cadastral maps used by the authors for agricultural organizations. The model is intended for enterprises operating in the Tashkent region. The article is based on the scientific and methodological order and the system of destruction of irrigated lands. Based on the experience of leading foreign countries in this area, the possibilities of introducing modern electronic computers in Uzbekistan are presented. The procedure for converting data into a specific algorithm is recommended for the formation of a system of land cadastral data in agricultural entities. It is necessary to create an information …

Apple Orchard Drip Irrigation Conditions Of The Tashkent Region Of Uzbekistan, Sardor Gulyamov, Bakir Serikbaev, Anvar Sherov

Irrigation and Melioration

The article presents the results of many years of theoretical experimental field research on drip irrigation of the apple orchard of the Golden variety in the conditions of the Tashkent region. Based on the analysis of climatic, soil, hydrogeological, geological, hydrological and economic conditions of the experimental plot, as well as biological features of the garden, the values of total water consumption, water consumption deficit, irrigation, irrigation rate and the number of irrigation by the bioclimatic method are determined.

Calculation Of The Placement Of Vertical Drainage Wells Near An Open Water Source In The Conditions Of Waterlogging Of Built-Up Areas, B.K. Saliev

Irrigation and Melioration

The article discusses the methodology for calculating the intercepting drainage well that reveals the upper layer of the multilayer horizon, and presents analytical dependencies based on the hydrodynamic theory and formulas for approximate calculation of the location of the axial line of the blocking drainage between the source of flooding and the protected built-up area from flooding. In particular, mathematical methods have been improved to solve the forecast problems of flooding in conditions of different pressure, based on the relationship between the depressions and the incoming flow of pressure water into the drainage well. The presence of underground pressure water …

Multisector Water Consumption Database: Surkhandarya Region Of The Republic Of Uzbekistan, М. Ikramova, С. Batishev, О. Ikramov, H. Kabilov, D. Nazaraliev, А. Khodjiev, I. Akhmedkhodjaeva

Irrigation and Melioration

The available water resources in the country are used by the different sectors of economy as industry, agriculture, energy, communal service and etc. In this case the water distribution within the river basin requires perfect information service and data exchange facilities. In the paper the developed unified multi-sector on-line database is presented aimed to monitor the water distribution among sectors of economy, database structure, and data exchange tools. The software works at operative mood, allows evaluating the combined water use efficiency by water users.