Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Effects Of Oxygen Tension On Nitrate Reduction By Pseudomonas Isolate, Hao-Jan Hsing

Theses

It is a generally accepted concept that nitrate reduction only occurs under anaerobic conditions. Oxygen inhibits denitrification. However many studies of nitrate reduction under low oxygen tension have shown what has been called aerobic denitrification. This project examines the process of aerobic denitrification.

Oxgyen affects cell growth and the amount of nitrate utilized. When oxygen is absent, the cell growth rate is lower and nitrate utlization is higher then when oxygen is present.

Nitrate is reduced to nirite under anaerobic conditions. Nitrite accumulation did not continue increase. But increased then decreased producing a "Z" shaped graph when plotted.

Measurement Of The Removal Of Selected Vocs From A Municipal Treatment Plant, Hong Yu

Theses

Industrial wastewater contains a variety of volatile chemical constituents. The large majority of the volatiles are organics. Many of these volatile or¬ganic compounds (VOCs) end up in the effluent to wastewater treatment plants. It is necessary to estimate the emission of the VOCs from sewerage plants in order to study the fate of these volatile organic compounds.

This study focuses on the estimation and comparison of the emission of 28 volatile organic compounds from the water and air in four operation units of Linden Roselle Sewerage Authority (LRSA) wastewater treatment plant. The removal rates of these target compounds have been …

Biomass Conversion Of Solid-Waste (Newsprint) Into A Clean Fuel (Ethanol) By Enzymic Hydrolysis And Fermentation, Nimesh V. Gandhi

Theses

A feasibility study has been performed with two bioprocesses for conversion of newsprint waste to an environmentally safe fuel (ethyl alcohol) and carbon dioxide.

The following areas were investigated to accomplish this task: one hour pretreatment of newsprint by attrition, saccharification of paper slurry to glucose by cellulase and cellobiase, effects of pH, temperature and concentration of enzymes on conversion of paper to sugar, fermentation of glucose to ethanol and carbon dioxide by immobilized yeast, and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of paper to ethanol and carbon dioxide using enzymes and immobilized yeast.

Results indicate that the enzymic hydrolysis of newsprint …

Preliminary Epidemiological Interpretation Of The Intrinsic And Extrinsic Factors Contributing To The Coverage And Participation Rates Of The Vaccination Program In Arssi, Ethiopia, Muchie Kidanu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many immunization programs in developing countries arr now undergoing a period of rapid utilization. Innovative strategies, such as immunization holidays, are being tried. Political commitment and enthusiasm are high. There is a strong desire by health professionals to protect the lives of many children from the untimely death and/or disability resulting from infectious diseases preventable by vaccination.

Evaluation of an immunization program can benefit other elements of the health system, particularly those that are not amenable to objective evaluation as immunization. In this case, immunization can serve as an indicator of the overall performance of the health system. The problems …

Community Structure Of The Macrobenthos In Back Bay, Virginia, Michael F. Lane

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

A study of the subtidal macrobenthos in Back Bay, Virginia was conducted to examine community structure in relation to sedimentary and water quality characteristics. Samples were collected in August and November of 1987 and February and May of 1988 at ten stations.

Three site groups and three temporal groups were identified by cluster analyses of species abundance. Species composition between site groups was relatively homogeneous and eight species accounted for most of the variation between site groups. A comparison of plots of the biological and physical data in discriminant space suggested that variations in the biological data between site groups …

Biodegradation Of Diflufenican Using Anaerobic Microbial Consortia, Velukumar T. Nanjagowder

Theses

In this thesis I examine the feasibility of using anaerobic microbial consortia from digested anaerobic sludge to degrade Diflufenican, a fluorinated herbicide released into the environment as a result of agricultural usage. The compound is manufactured by Rhone Poulenc and it is an active ingredient of agricultural herbicides. The anaerobic digested sludge served both as a source of microorganisms and as a growth medium. Initial studies were conducted by making a stock solution of 1 ppm concentration of Diflufenican in acetone, the optimal solubility of the compound as suggested in the material safety data sheet is 0.05 ppm in water. …

Location Analysis Of The Recycling Drop Off Program In Knox County, Tennessee, Carol Michelle Donoghue

Masters Theses

This study examines the drop-off recycling program in Knox County, Tennessee, in order to evaluate the convenience of the drop-off site locations. Measures of convenience were distance, level of recycling participation, and location of the site. Surveys were administered to 461 individuals participating in the program at the three Convenience Centers with drop-off recycling facilities. The spatial analysis compared the drop-off locations to the development patterns of the surrounding area.

The survey results indicate that more people are recycling now than before the beginning of the drop-off program. More than half of those surveyed recycle at least once a week …

Stable N-Chloraldimines And Other Chlorination Products Of Phenylalanine In Model Solutions And In A Wastewater, Barbara L. Conyers

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Model solutions of the amino acid phenylalanine were chlorinated to seven Cl/N mole ratios. The by-products were characterized using gas chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography, GC/MS, infrared spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. At the lower Cl/N ratios N-chlorophenylalanine and phenylacetaldehyde were identified as the main products while phenylacetonitrile and N-chlorophenylacetaldimine were the major products at Cl/N ratios of 2.0 and beyond. The concentration of phenylalanine in a municipal wastewater was determined. Using a radiotracer the chlorination products of phenylalanine in the wastewater at the 7 Cl/N ratios were identified as those seen in the model solutions. The distribution of …

Isolation And Characterization Of A Crude Extracellular Phenol Oxidase From A Recirculation Bioreactor, Yun Tang

Theses

The study of phenol biodegradation has been performed using calcium alginate entrapped activated sludge in a recirculation reactor. An effective recirculation reactor system may be used on the laboratory scale to produce phenol oxidase, Phenol oxidase was isolated and concentrated from the degradation solution of phenol by ultrafiltration and freeze-drying respectively,

The effects of various concentrations of phenol, pH, temperature, ionic strength, cations, anions and 2- chlorophenol were studied on the oxidation reaction of enzyme. The optimal conditions of activated sludge phenol oxidase are [phenol] = 100 ppm; pH = 6.0; temperature 37°C; ionic strength equivalent to 0.1 M Na …

Experiments In Aerobic And Anaerobic Biodegradation Of Methylene Chloride Using Activated Sludge, Vivek Chandrakant Sinkar

Theses

Biological removal of methylene chloride was studied under aerobic and anaerobic conditions using activated sludge cultures. Shaker flask experiments were conducted to test the ability of the microorganisms to degrade methylene chloride under aerobic conditions. Hydrogen peroxide was used a as source of dissolved oxygen to minimize physical removal of methylene chloride due to aeration. The effect of secondary substrates like glucose, cellulose acetate, ammonium acetate and nutrient broth on biodegradation of methylene chloride was studied. Biodegradation in the presence of surfactant and alkaline stress was also investigated.

No significant degradation was observed in all aerobic experiments.

Anaerobic sludge was …

Acid Recovery Of Cadmium And Lead From Immobilized Activated Sludge Used To Biosorb Metals, Chandrakanth Hartman

Theses

A study of the adsorption and subsequent desorption of heavy metals using various concentrations of hydrochloric acids has been performed.

To accomplish this task, the following areas were investigated : immobilization of the sludge, adsorption of heavy metals, various concentrations of acid used as stripping agents, examination of the relative fractions of heavy metals obtained using various stripping agents, and the actual concentration of the acid at a particular fraction.

It was observed that water helps in extraction of cadmium to a certain extent, but lead cannot be extracted with water. Also, water mixed with dilute hydrochloric acid is more …

Liquid-Vapor Equilibria And Henry's Law Constants For Volatile Organics In Surfactants, Qianping Peng

Theses

We present liquid vapor equilibria data and Henry's law constants for Methyl-ethyl Ketone, Toluene, Butyl Acetate, Acetone and i-Propanol in surfactants: Octylphenyl Decaethoxylate, Sorbitan Monooleate and Sodium Sulfonate at temperatures of 20 to 70 C.

The objective of this study is to determine the effect of applying surfactant absorption technique (neat surfactants) to volatile organic compounds (VOC's) for the removal of these species as organic vapors from air emission streams.

Liquid/vapor equilibrium data are presented as curves in several different ways:

i. Each individual VOC at four temperatures between 22 C to 70 C in the respective surfactants Octylpenyl Decaethoxylate, …

Catalytic Oxidation Of Trace Concentrations Of Chlorinated Hydrocarbons Over 1.5% Platinum On Alumina/Monolith, Yi Wang

Theses

The catalytic oxidation of chlorinated hydrocarbons CH₂Cl₂ (DCM) and C₂HCl₃ (TCE) was investigated over a 1.5% Pt on Al2O3/monolith at 150 to 450°C. The studies were conducted at space velocities from 1,000 v/v/hr to 30,000 v/v/hr. Chemical equilibrium calculations showed the potential conversion and products distribution. The reactivity and selectivity for destruction of these compounds with air over Pt catalyst were evaluated experimentally. This research was conducted in a tubular reactor system with associated feed and product flow measuring equipment. Feed and product streams were analyzed using gas chromatography (GC) with ECD, FID and …

Biological Coal Desulfurization, Ming Le

Theses

Sulfur removal from coal before combustion is of considerable interest to avoid emission of oxides of sulfur(SO_x). Chemical and physical methods have been developed for removing the inorganic sulfur component in coal. This component is generally associated with pyrites(FeS2). However, no commerical methods have been developed for the removal of the organic sulfur conponent. This study describes microbial methods for removing organically bound sulfur from coal. The specific goals of this study were to ascertain whether a robust biologically active population such as activated sludge biomass can remove organic sulfur from coal and to devise sulfur analytical methods …

Biodegradation Of Styrene In A Recirculation Reactor Using Immobilized Activated Sludge, Shreyans Dilip Shah

Theses

The performance of immobilized cells in the biological treatment of hazardous waste was investigated using a recirculating flow reactor in batch mode. A mixed culture activated sludge from a municipal waste water treatment plant was immobilized in calcium alginate gel, The bio-oxidation ability of these microbes towards a model toxin (styrene) was studied under closed system using dilute H₂O₂ solution as an oxygen source.
The process parameters studied were as follows:

1. Effect of flow rate of recycle stream,
2. Effect of biomass loading,
3. Effect of spiking concentration of styrene, and
4. Flow pattern and average residence time within the …

Is Rainbow Trout Condition Influenced By Invertebrate-Drift Density?, Randall B. Filbert

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Users of the Instream Flow Incremental Methodology CTFIM) commonly assume that there is a positive linear relationship between available habitat (WUA) and stream fish biomass. However, several studies have shown a lack cf correlation between WUA and biomass. Such poor relationships may occur if other factors limit fish abundance. Food availability is a potentially important factor limiting abundance of stream fishes and can affect blomass by influencing fish condition (individual weight). I collected rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) exposed to different levels of invertebrate-drift density to determine if condition was greater where food was more abundant. I also examined …

Microwave Treatment Of Hazardous Wastes : Chemical Fixation Of Insoluble Non-Volatile, Chemically Non-Reactive Organics In Soil, Naihong Zhu

Theses

Microwave treatment of hazardous wastes like dioxin-contaminated soil potentially fills a great need for a remediation technology which potentially can be applied in-situ: the EPA has concluded from a risk assessment study that it is the excavation and transportation of such wastes that poses the greatest risk. Studies have been carried out on a surrogate for dioxin, namely, 9,10-anthraquinone because it has similar chemical and physical properties but it is not toxic. It was found in microwave treatment studies that, at temperatures attainable in-situ, anthraquinone became non-extractable. A model was proposed which postulated that as water was removed from soil …

The Angler As Environmentalist: Oregon Trout And The Fight To Save The Wild Salmon Of The Columbia River, John P. Rosenberg

Dissertations and Theses

This paper traces the history of Oregon Trout, an environmental organization in Portland, Oregon, from its beginning in the fall of 1983 through the spring of 1990, when it filed petitions on behalf of four stocks of Columbia and Snake River salmon under the Endangered Species Act. It focuses on Oregon Trout's efforts to preserve the wild salmon of the Columbia River as a contemporary example of anglers acting as environmentalists to conserve threatened or endangered species. According to historian John Reiger in American Sportsmen and the Origins of Conservation, hunters and anglers have been acting in this role …

The Effects Of Urbanization On A Portion Of The Portage Creek Watershed: A Case Study On Surface Water And Groundwater Quality, Susan E. Rezek

Masters Theses

The surface water and groundwater quality in the study area of the Portage Creek watershed was analyzed to determine the possible effects of urbanization. Dry weather and wet weather surface water and groundwater samples were collected from June 1986 to November 1986 at selected stations in the watershed.

Water samples were analyzed for 26 inorganic and organic parameters. Most concentrations were below analytic method detection limits. The analytical data indicate that sodium and chloride are the principal contaminants resulting from urbanization. The probable source of the contamination is deicing salt applied to the City of Portage, Michigan streets.

Overall, the …

Analysis Of Chemical Contaminants In Tissue Samples From Two Species Of Fish, Michael David Reive

Theses

Interaction of marine species with chemical pollutants within the marine ecosystem is extremely complex and difficult to interpret. The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the effect of an exposure of treated municipal wastewater on winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) and striped bass (Morone saxatilis). Fish from two locations were exposed to different concentrations of wastewater. Half of the fish from each tank were sacrificed, and the remaining fish were given a depuration period in unpolluted water. Tissue samples were composited, soxhlet extracted and passed through a florisil cleanup column. Gas chromatography, was used to analyze for hexachlorobenzene, hexachlorobutadiene, Aroclor …

Prospects For Fisheries Development In West Africa, Steven K. Ireland

Theses and Major Papers

The production of food is a primary concern for the countries of Africa. Marine fisheries can contribute toward alleviating undernutrition and provide employment opportunities in developing countries. In West Africa there are substantial marine fisheries resources but there is a need for development and improved management of these resources. Fisheries development efforts have thus far achieved limited success in the region. However, there is considerable potential for increasing the contribution of fisheries to economic development if the problems of fisheries development can be overcome.

Alyeska, Sullom Voe And The Oil Pollution Act Of 1990: A Comparison Of Tanker Safety Regulation And Environmental Monitoring, Neil V. Kelly

Theses and Major Papers

The Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 highlighted deficiencies in the Trans Alaska Pipeline System's (TAPS) marine operation on both regulatory and operational levels. The United States Congress passed the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to promote the prevention of oil spills and to improve our ability to mitigate the effects of spills that occur. An oil terminal roughly analogous to the TAPS terminal at Valdez, Alaska, exists at Sullom Voe in the Shetland Islands, west of Norway and to the north of Scotland in the North Sea. The Sullom Voe terminal has had an environmental advisory group guiding policy …

The Impact Of Tourism On Block Island, Thomas Green

Theses and Major Papers

This thesis examines the impacts of tourism on the residents of Block Island. More specifically the study seeks to identify the specific areas of concern, as perceived by the residents, in three major areas of impact: economic, social and environmental. It was hypothesized that the residents of Block Island, a mature tourist destination area, had formulated perceptions of the impacts of tourism and that these perceptions, if analyzed, would identify protection of the environment and threats to the Island's lifestyle as major concerns. Factor analysis was employed to analyze survey responses from residents on questions regarding tourism on Block Island. …

Impacts Of The Unclos Iii Consent Regime On U. S. Marine Scientific Research, 1982-1989, Matthew Patrick Murphy

Theses and Major Papers

The 1982 Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS III) has given states jurisdiction over unprecedented scopes of ocean space. Marine scientific research is among the activities under coastal state control. This thesis examines five possible areas of impact of coastal state control on United States research programs. These are: 1. research which was denied outright, 2. reasons for denials, 3. research which was delayed, 4. the extent to which researchers avoid requests in the waters of restrictive states, and 5. the level of interest among UNOLS institutions in cooperative arrangements with foreign governments. The international legal framework for …

Malaysia And The Law Of The Sea, Mohd Fadzil Shuhaimi

Theses and Major Papers

The new legal regime of the oceans has brought many changes in the Malacca Strait. The most recent one in the enactment of the Malaysian Exclusive Economic Zone Act 1984 as corollary to its proclamation on the Exclusive Economic Zone in 1980. A year later, the Fisheries Act 1985 was enacted by Malaysia as a result of increasing needs to address new issues in fisheries protection and management in the Malaysian fisheries waters. The conclusion of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, among other things, has improvised the concept of transit passage in the straits …

The Siia: A Mechanism For Addressing Pollution Problems Plaguing New Jersey's Coastal Zone, Laurie J. Sands

Theses and Major Papers

New Jersey has been plagued in recent years by beach closures resulting from elevated bacteria levels after rainfall events. The Sewage Infrastructure Improvement Act (SIIA) was adopted to correct these problems by addressing both point and nonpoint sources of pollution found in discharges of stormwater. However, there are problems with the SIIA such as overly burdensome requirements, limited resources and lack of future funding and direction. This research identifies these problems and examines existing State and federal legislation to find the necessary components to correct these concerns. The results show that by pursuing a legislative amendment to the SIIA, redistributing …

The Oil Pollution Act Of 1990: A Solution Or A Problem?, Kevin M. Carey

Theses and Major Papers

The signing of the Oil Pollution Control Act of 1990, Public law 101-380, (OPA 90) on August 18, 1990 was a significant landmark in the struggle to control pollution by oil and the activities associated with the recovery, transport, and refinement of oil and associated products in the territorial waters of the United States, and was long overdue. The aftermath of the Exxon Valdez spill, which was the impetus that finally prodded Congress to pass the oil spill legislation that had been under consideration for years, has been filled with controversy over how the spill occurred, how the clean up …

Mariculture Management For Pohnpei State, Federated States Of Micronesia, Kevin Brooks Foster

Theses and Major Papers

The Marine Resources Division of Pohnpei State, Federated States of Micronesia is currently engaged in development activities that include the establishment of family scale mariculture projects for community members of remote villages and outer islands. The goal of this undertaking is to supplement subsistence and income generation ventures for community members through the wise use and exploitation of the marine environment. These aims may be jeopardized unless a management plan is devised that reflects the customary marine resource practices as embraced by islanders from each community. The intent of this thesis projects is to devise a mariculture management model that …

A Case Study: Process And Techniques Used In Land Preservation Strategies In The Crafton Hills, Yucaipa, California, Albert J. Kelley

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Developing A Second, Third, And Fourth Grade Environmental Unit On Water Education, Denise M. Price

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.