Chemistry Commons^™

Detection Of Radioactive Isotopes From The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant In The Kittitas Valley Of Washington State, Randle Affholter, Michael Braunstein, Cesar Mendoza, Anne Johansen

Student Published Works

Following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster in March, 2011, various radioactive isotopes were emitted from the plant [Ewing, 2011]. We hypothesized that emissions would bind to particulate matter, which then could be dispersed by wind currents and deposited across the planet. We analyzed an aerosol sample collected with a high volume cascade impactor in the Kittitas Valley of Washington state. NaI(Tl) gamma spectrometry revealed the presence of the isotopes ¹³²Te and ¹³¹I, consistent with the type of nuclear accident at Fukushima Daiichi.

Optimization Of Magnetic Powdered Activated Carbon For Aqueous Hg(Ii) Removal And Magnetic Recovery, Emily K. Faulconer, Natalia Hoogesteijn Von Reitzenstein, David W. Mazyck

Physical Sciences - Daytona Beach

Activated carbon is known to adsorb aqueous Hg(II). MPAC (magnetic powdered activated carbon) has the potential to remove aqueous Hg to less than 0.2 mg/L while being magnetically recoverable. Magnetic recapture allows simple sorbent separation from the waste stream while an isolated waste potentially allows for mercury recycling. MPAC Hg-removal performance is verified by mercury mass balance, calculated by quantifying adsorbed, volatilized, and residual aqueous mercury. The batch reactor contained a sealed mercury-carbon contact chamber with mixing and constant N₂(g) headspace flow to an oxidizingtrap. Mercury adsorption was performed using spiked ultrapure water (100 mg/L Hg). Mercury concentrations …

Analysis Of Illicit Drugs, Their Metabolites And Other Micropollutants In Water By Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Deepika P. Panawennage

Dissertations

The goal of this project is to develop liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) methods for the analysis of different, novel micropollutants in waste water and natural water. Micropollutants are compounds that can exert adverse environmental and human health effects at low concentrations. Most of these compounds include personal care products and pharmaceuticals, such as antibiotics and controlled substances. In the first part of this study, we focused in the analysis of illicit drugs and drug metabolites because these analyses have the potential to serve as markers of drug abuse. We have detected over sixteen different illicit drugs and their …

Analysis Of Bisphenol A (Bpa) In Local Waters And In Pvc Pond Liner, Brandon Bills

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Concentrations of the endocrine disrupter bisphenol A (BPA) were determined for three water samples from the watershed of Charleston, IL, USA. The analytical approach employed solid phase extraction in conjunction with GC/MS-SIM analysis and yielded a limit of detection of 30 ppt (parts per trillion). The local waterways Town Branch. Cassel Creek and Embarras River showed concentrations of 58(11) ppt, 89(3) ppt, and 32(9) ppt respectively. Additional measurements of BPA availability from aqueous laboratory extractions of a commercial PVC pond liner have been initiated. Preliminary results indicate significant BPA release from the pond liner, dependent upon extraction conditions.

Making Bread From Air: The World's Most Important Chemical Synthesis, Kurt W. Kolasinski

Chemistry Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Acetylcholine Esterase Activity And Muscle Contraction In The Sea Urchin Lytechinus Variegatus (Lamarck) Following Chronic Phosphate Exposure, S. Anne Boettger, James B. Mcclintock

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Synthesis And Flame Retardant Testing Of New Boronated And Phosphonated Aromatic Compounds, Vladimir Benin, Sravanthi Durganala, Alexander Morgan

Chemistry Faculty Publications

The present report describes the preparation and use of some dimethyl terephthalate derivatives in transition metal-catalyzed coupling reactions to produce new reactive flame retardants. Dimethyl iodoterephthalate and dimethyl 2,5-diiodoterephthalate were successfully employed in the preparation of phosphonic and boronic esters and acids. The latter were tested for heat release with a microcombustion calorimeter (ASTM D7309) to determine the potential for heat release reduction of these flame retardant molecules. The results showed that the addition of boronic or phosphonic acids greatly lowered the heat release, due to a condensed phase (char formation) mechanism. Adding ester groups to the boronic acids or …

Global And Long-Term Comparison Of Sciamachy Limb Ozone Profiles With Correlative Satellite Data (2002-2008), S. Mieruch, M. Weber, C. Von Savigny, A. Rozanov, H. Bovensmann, J. P. Burrows, P. F. Bernath, C. D. Boone, L. Froidevaux, L. L. Gordley, M. G. Mlynczak, J. M. Russell Iii, L. W. Thomason, K. A. Walker, J. M. Zawodny

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

SCIAMACHY limb scatter ozone profiles from 2002 to 2008 have been compared with MLS (2005–2008), SABER (2002–2008), SAGE II (2002–2005), HALOE (2002–2005) and ACE-FTS (2004–2008) measurements. The comparison is performed for global zonal averages and heights from 10 to 50 km in one km steps. The validation was performed by comparing monthly mean zonal means and by comparing averages over collocated profiles within a zonal band and month. Both approaches yield similar results. For most of the stratosphere SCIAMACHY agrees to within 10% or better with other correlative data. A systematic bias of SCIAMACHY ozone of up to 100% between …

Observation Of Sulfate Aerosols And So₂ From The Sarychev Volcanic Eruption Using Data From The Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (Ace), D. Doeringer, A. Eldering, C. D. Boone, G. González Abad, P. F. Bernath

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

[1] Infrared spectra measured by the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS) on the SCISAT satellite were used to analyze the Sarychev volcanic aerosol after the eruption in June 2009. Evidence of the Sarychev eruptions was first detected in July 2009 from enhanced SO₂ concentrations and atmospheric extinction. By February 2010, the atmosphere had returned to pre-Sarychev conditions. In July 2009, the volcanic plume was found between 8.5 km and 17.5 km in altitude at mid- and high latitudes (55°N–70°N). The first SO₂ and sulfate aerosol retrievals carried out using the infrared solar occultation spectra recorded with …

Process-Evaluation Of Tropospheric Humidity Simulated By General Circulation Models Using Water Vapor Isotopologues: 1. Comparison Between Models And Observations, Camille Risi, David Noone, John Worden, Christian Frankenberg, Gabriele Stiller, Michael Kiefer, Bernd Funke, Kaley Walker, Peter Bernath, Matthias Schneider, Debra Wunch, Vanessa Sherlock, Nicholas Deutscher, David Griffith, Paul O. Wennberg, Kimberly Strong, Dan Smale, Emmanuel Mahieu, Sabine Barthlott, Frank Hase, Omaira García, Justus Notholt, Thorsten Warneke, Geoffrey Toon, David Sayres, Sandrine Bony, Jeonghoon Lee, Derek Brown, Ryu Uemura, Christophe Sturm

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The goal of this study is to determine how H₂O and HDO measurements in water vapor can be used to detect and diagnose biases in the representation of processes controlling tropospheric humidity in atmospheric general circulation models (GCMs). We analyze a large number of isotopic data sets (four satellite, sixteen ground-based remote-sensing, five surface in situ and three aircraft data sets) that are sensitive to different altitudes throughout the free troposphere. Despite significant differences between data sets, we identify some observed HDO/H₂O characteristics that are robust across data sets and that can be used to evaluate …

Analysis Of Iasi Tropospheric O₃ Data Over The Arctic During Polarcat Campaigns In 2008, M. Pommier, C. Clerbaux, K. S. Law, G. Ancellet, P. Bernath, P.-F. Coheur, J. Hadji-Lazaro, D. Hurtmans, P. Nédélec, J.-D. Paris, F. Ravetta, T. B. Ryerson, H. Schlager, A. J. Weinheimer

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Ozone data retrieved in the Arctic region from infrared radiance spectra recorded by the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) on board the MetOp-A European satellite are presented. They are compared with in situ and lidar observations obtained during a series of aircraft measurement campaigns as part of the International Polar Year POLARCAT activities in spring and summer 2008. Different air masses were sampled during the campaigns including clean air, polluted plumes originating from anthropogenic sources, forest fire plumes from the three northern continents, and stratospheric-influenced air masses. The comparison between IASI O₃ [0–8 km], [0–12 km] partial columns and …

Process-Evaluation Of Tropospheric Humidity Simulated By General Circulation Models Using Water Vapor Isotopic Observations: 2. Using Isotopic Diagnostics To Understand The Mid And Upper Tropospheric Moist Bias In The Tropics And Subtropics, Camille Risi, David Noone, John Worden, Christian Frankenberg, Gabriele Stiller, Michael Kiefer, Bernd Funke, Kaley Walker, Peter Bernath, Matthias Schneider, Sandrine Bony, Jeonghoon Lee, Derek Brown, Christophe Sturm

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Evaluating the representation of processes controlling tropical and subtropical tropospheric relative humidity (RH) in atmospheric general circulation models (GCMs) is crucial to assess the credibility of predicted climate changes. GCMs have long exhibited a moist bias in the tropical and subtropical mid and upper troposphere, which could be due to the mis-representation of cloud processes or of the large-scale circulation, or to excessive diffusion during water vapor transport. The goal of this study is to use observations of the water vapor isotopic ratio to understand the cause of this bias. We compare the three-dimensional distribution of the water vapor isotopic …

Development Of Tailor-Designed Gold-Platinum Nanoparticles Binary Catalysts For Efficient Formic Acid Electrooxidation, Islam M. Al-Akraa Dr, Ahmad M. Mohammad Prof, Mohamed S. El-Deab Prof, Bahgat E. El-Anadouli Prof

Chemical Engineering

The modification of a glassy carbon (GC) electrode with platinum (PtNPs) and gold (AuNPs) nanoparticles is targeted to fabricate efficient anodes for the electrooxidation of formic acid (FA). A proper adjustment of the deposition sequence of PtNPs and AuNPs could eventually enhance the electrocatalytic activity of the electrode in such a way that suppresses the CO poisoning effect during FA oxidation. The highest catalytic activity is obtained at the Au/Pt/GC electrode (with PtNPs firstly deposited on the GC electrode followed by AuNPs). This superb enhancement is quantified by comparing the relative ratio of the direct vs. the indirect oxidation peaks …

Polysaccharide Ecocomposite Materials: Materials: Synthesis, Characterization And Application For Removal Of Pollutants And Bacteria, Simon Duri, Bilal El-Zahab, Chieu D. Tran

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

A novel, simple and totally recyclable method has been developed for the synthesis of nontoxic, biocompatible and biodegradable composite materials from cellulose and chitosan. In this method, [BMIm+Cl-], an ionic liquid (IL), was used as a solvent to dissolve and synthesize the [CEL+CS] composite materials. Since the IL can be removed from the materials by washing them with water, and recovered from the washed solution, the method is totally recyclable. XRD, FTIR, NIR and SEM were used to characterize the materials and to confirm that CEL and CS were successfully regenerated by the method without any chemical transformation. More importantly, …

Atr-Ftir Studies On The Kinetics Of Dimethylarsinic Acid (Dma) Surface Complexation With Iron(Oxyhydr)Oxides, Julia Tofan-Lazar Miss

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) is an organoarsenical compound that, along with monomethylarsonic acid, poses a health and an environmental risk, and a challenge to the energy industry. Little is known about the surface chemistry of DMA at the molecular level with materials relevant to geochemical environments and industrial sectors. The surface chemistry of phosphorus and arsenic compounds in their organic and inorganic forms is of great interest due to its role in controlling their transport, bioaccessibility and speciation. This thesis reports the first in-situ and surface-sensitive rapid kinetic studies on the adsorption and desorption of DMA to and from Fe-(oxyhydr)oxide films …

Laboratory Methods For The Advancement Of Wastewater Treatment Modeling, Holly E. Gray

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

To achieve the low levels of total phosphorus required in wastewater treatment plant effluent all chemical forms of phosphorus should be removed. The most refractory phosphorus in terms of removal is so-called “organic phosphorus”. This thesis explores potential relationships between dissolved organic matter and organic phosphorus and methods of removing organic phosphorus from waste water. Fluorescence spectroscopy will be used to characterize dissolved organic matter (DOM) in wastewater. The fluorescent DOM will then be monitored throughout the various wastewater treatment plants to investigate any changes throughout the treatment train. Correlations between fluorophore concentrations (concentrations determined for the different classifications of …

Characterizing Dissolved Organic Matter And Cu2+, Zn2+, Ni2+, And Pb2+ Binding In Salt Water And Implications For Toxicity, Rachael L. Diamond

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The binding of metal to dissolved organic matter in aquatic environments is important in controlling the bioavailability and potential toxicity of metals such as Zn²⁺, Pb²⁺, Ni²⁺ and Cu²⁺. The purpose of this research is to: (i) quantify binding capacity to different sources of marine organic matter at environmentally relevant concentrations; (ii) test fluorescence quenching and voltammetric method for use in seawater conditions and; (iii) compare predicted speciation parameters with toxicological observations in the same samples.

Information regarding the solubility of copper and copper compounds is important for risk assessment and can be …

Density Functional Theory Calculations On Hydrated Dimethylarsinic Acid And Iron Oxide Clusters, Adrian Adamescu

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Dimethylarsinic Acid (DMA) or (CH₃)₂AsO₂H is an important organoarsenical compound detected in arsenic speciation studies of environmental samples and synthesized during pyrolysis of oil shale. DMA was used historically as a herbicide on large agricultural fields and can be detected in the leachates of landfills rich in waste containing arsenic such as glass, alloys, and semiconductors, as well as biologically pre-treated municipal solid waste. Under certain soil conditions DMA can become bio-available and has the potential to be recycled to more toxic inorganic forms of arsenic. Bioavailability of DMA is largely controlled by the …

Effects Of Activated Carbon Surface Chemistry Modification On The Adsorption Of Mercury From Aqueous Solution, Emily K. Faulconer

Publications

Mercury (Hg), a naturally occurring element, is toxic and can lead to negative health impacts for humans and ecosystems. Activated carbon adsorption is effective in treating Hg-laden aqueous effluent for safe discharge. Two modifications of commercially available activated carbon were investigated: iron impregnation to allow for magnetic sorbent recapture and wet chemical oxidation to enhance aqueous Hg capture. The modified carbons were characterized by nitrogen adsorption-desorption, XRD, pHpzc, vibrating sample magnetometry, elemental analysis, and total acidity titration. The 3:1 C:Fe magnetic powdered activated carbon (MPAC) retained a high surface area of 790 m2 /g and was 95% magnetically recoverable, with …

Multi-Species Remote Sensing Of Vehicle Emissions On Sherman Way In Van Nuys California, Gary A. Bishop, Brent G. Schuchmann, Donald H. Stedman, Douglas R. Lawson

Fuel Efficiency Automobile Test Publications

As part of the 2010 Van Nuys tunnel study, researchers from the University of Denver measured on-road fuel-specific light-duty vehicle emissions from nearly 13,000 vehicles on Sherman Way (0.4 miles west of the tunnel) in Van Nuys, CA with its multi-species FEAT remote sensor a week ahead of the tunnel measurements. The remote sensing mean gram per kilogram carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), and oxides of nitrogen (NO_x) measurements are 8.9% lower, 41%, and 24% higher than the tunnel measurements respectively. The remote sensing CO/NO_x and HC/NO_x mass ratios are 28% lower and 20% higher than …

Emission Changes Resulting From The San Pedro Bay, California Ports Truck Retirement Program, Gary A. Bishop, Brent G. Schuchmann, Donald H. Stedman, Douglas R. Lawson

Fuel Efficiency Automobile Test Publications

Recent US EPA emissions regulations have resulted in lower emissions of particulate matter and oxides of nitrogen from heavy-duty diesel trucks. To accelerate fleet turnover the State of California in 2008 along with the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach (San Pedro Bay Ports) in 2006 passed regulations establishing timelines forcing the retirement of older diesel trucks. On-road emissions measurements of heavy-duty diesel trucks were collected over a three-year period, beginning in 2008, at a Port of Los Angeles location and an inland weigh station on the Riverside freeway (CA SR91). At the Port location the mean fleet age …

Modified Organoclay Containing Chelating Ligand For Adsorption Of Heavy Metals In Solution., Mary Akuyea Addy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Presence of a chelating ligand in the clay structure significantly improves its ability to immobilize heavy metals from contaminated sludge or wastewater. Two-step modification procedure comprising sequential pillaring and grafting of chelating agent to the modified clay is involved.

Montmorillonite and kaolin were chosen as typical examples of expandable and non-expandable clays, correspondingly. Modifications with silica and ferric oxide were targeted on development of mesoporous structure. Laboratory tests of the organoclay efficiency for purification of wastewater were conducted with the most promising sample, i.e. organoclay with the highest specific loading of chelating agent. Experiments were conducted with model wastewater containing …

The Tetrafluoroborate Salt Of 4-Methoxybenzyl N-2-(Dimethylamino)Ethyl-N-Nitrosocarbamate: Synthesis, Crystal Structure And Dft Calculations, Helene Hedian, Vladimir Benin

Chemistry Faculty Publications

The tetrafluoroborate salt of 4-methoxybenzyl N-2-(dimethylamino)ethyl-N-nitrosocarbamate was prepared in two steps, via the corresponding carbamate. Its crystal structure is monoclinic, space group P21/c. The unit cell dimensions are: a = 19.499(8) Å, b = 5.877(3) Å, c = 15.757(7) Å, α = 90°, β = 110.019(7)°, γ = 90°, V = 1696.5(12) Å3, Z = 4. The structure exhibits an unexpected, pseudo-gauche conformation with respect to the C2–C3 bond, due to a stabilizing hydrogen bond between the carbonyl oxygen (O1) and the hydrogen atom at the trialkylammonium center (H3n), with a distance between them of …

Preparation And Characterization Of A Composite Of Gold Nanoparticles And Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes And Its Potential For Heterogeneous Catalysis, Anne Shanahan, James Sullivan, Mary Mcnamara, Hugh Byrne

Articles

A single-walled carbon nanotube-supported gold nanoparticle composite was prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning transmission electron microscopy/scanning electron microscopy/transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, atomic absorption spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption, Raman spectroscopy, and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The Au particles were found to be crystalline, with a well-defined and narrow particle-size distribution, centered around 7 nm. The activity and selectivity of the composite for solventless aerobic oxidation of a secondary alcohol were examined, and a conversion efficiency of 95% was obtained.

Excellent Adventures In Global Collaboration, Glenn W. "Max" Mcgee, Aracelys Rios

Publications & Research

No abstract provided.

The Vinylguaiacol/Indole Or Vgi ("Veggie") Ratio: Assessing Relative Contributions Of Terrestrial And Aquatic Organic Matter To Sediments, Michael A. Kruge, Kevin K. Olsen, Jaroslaw W. Slusarczyk, Elaine Gomez

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

In studies of the organic matter (OM) fraction of marine, estuarine, fluvial, or lacustrine sediments, one of the most fundamental distinctions to be made is that between terrestrial and aquatic OM. To supplement the parameters commonly used for this purpose (e.g., C/N and stable isotope ratios), we proposed the Vinylguaiacol/Indole or VGI ("Veggie") ratio, defined as [vinylguaiacol / (indole + vinylguaiacol)] using data produced by analytical pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry of dried, homogenized sediment samples [1]. The ratio employs the peak areas of these two compounds on the mass chromatograms of their molecular ions (m/z 150 and 117, respectively). Major pyrolysis …

Characterization Of Uranium Species In Sediments Under Iron And Sulfate Reducing Conditions Using Synchrotron-Based Techniques, Don Q. Pham, John Bargar

STAR Program Research Presentations

Uranium is one of the most common and problematic contaminants at legacy Department of Energy sites. Groundwater contamination is particularly problematic because it occurs at depth, is present in large volumes, and cannot be easily accessed for clean-up. One method of remediation being investigated is the bioreduction of soluble U(VI) to insoluble U(IV) complexes through the in-situ stimulation of metal-reducing bacteria. Understanding the structure of these uranium complexes can help us determine their fate and stability in groundwater and map out the biological process of uranium reduction by metal-reducing bacteria. In this study, we used the synchrotron-based techniques, X-ray absorption …

Do Wind Turbines Affect Weather Conditions?: A Case Study In Indiana, Meghan F. Henschen, Brittany Herrholtz, Lacey Rhudy, Kathryn Demchak, Brian Doogs, Joshua Holland, Erik Larson, Johnny Martin, Matthew Rudkin

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

Wind turbines are becoming increasingly widespread in the United States as the world looks for cleaner sources of energy. Scientists, policymakers, and citizens have strong opinions regarding the positive and negative effects of wind energy projects, and there is a great deal of misinformation about wind energy circulating on the Web and other media sources. The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of how the rotation of hundreds of turbines can influence local weather conditions within a wind farm and in the surrounding areas. This experiment measures temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind speed, wind direction, relative humidity, …

Application Of Raman Spectroscopy To Lubricants, Lubricated Surfaces And Lubrication Phenomena, David W. Johnson

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Recent advances in lasers and detector technologies and the development of low-cost instruments and fiber-optic probes have brought about an explosion in the lubrication systems being studied by Raman spectroscopy. This article provides examples of the use of Raman spectroscopy in the study of lubrication phenomena, including the characterization of liquid lubricants, lubricant additives, and solid lubricants; the study of vapor-phase lubrication; and the use of coated nanoparticles as lubricants.

Determination Of Selected Heavy Metals In Some Creeks In A Tennessee City., Ann Ejimole Item

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Concentrations of Ni, Cu, Zn, Fe, Cd, and Pb were determined in six different creeks within a city in Tennessee using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Mean concentrations of Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, and Fe in the sites examined reveal that they exceed the USEPA recommended limits. High concentrations of Cu (0.130 mg/L), Zn (13.7 mg/L), Ni (0.267 mg/L), and Cd (0.010 mg/L) were observed in site B and Fe (3.01 mg/L) in site E relative to other sites. The concentration of Pb (0.795 mg/l) was higher in site A. Higher concentrations of Cu, Zn, and Fe were detected in samples …