Analytical Chemistry Commons^™

Data On Ion Composition And X-Ray Diffraction Patterns Of Biosolids From Wastewater Treatment Plants In Lufkin And Nacogdoches, Texas, Usa, Kefa Karimu Onchoke, Christopher M. Franclemont, Paul W. Weatherford

Faculty Publications

The data presented in this article is related to the research article entitled, “Structural Characterization and Evaluation of Municipal Wastewater Sludge (Biosolids) from two Rural Wastewater Treatment Plants in East Texas, USA”, Onchoke, KK, Franclemont, C.M., Spectrochim. Acta A, In press[1]. The XRD profiles and composition of biosolids from wastewater treatment plant is presented. This study describes the composition of XRD crystalline phase patterns of the wastewater sludge. After the removal of the Ka2 peaks the d-spacing and hkl values were determined. In addition, the ion chromatographic profile of the seven anions (NO₃^-, NO_{2 …}

An Overview Of Dynamic Heterogeneous Oxidations In The Troposphere, Elizabeth A. Pillar-Little, Marcelo I. Guzman

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Due to the adverse effect of atmospheric aerosols on public health and their ability to affect climate, extensive research has been undertaken in recent decades to understand their sources and sinks, as well as to study their physical and chemical properties. Atmospheric aerosols are important players in the Earth’s radiative budget, affecting incoming and outgoing solar radiation through absorption and scattering by direct and indirect means. While the cooling properties of pure inorganic aerosols are relatively well understood, the impact of organic aerosols on the radiative budget is unclear. Additionally, organic aerosols are transformed through chemical reactions during atmospheric transport. …

Enhanced Acidity Of Acetic And Pyruvic Acids On The Surface Of Water, Alexis J. Eugene, Elizabeth A. Pillar, Agustín J. Colussi, Marcelo I. Guzman

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Understanding the acid–base behavior of carboxylic acids on aqueous interfaces is a fundamental issue in nature. Surface processes involving carboxylic acids such as acetic and pyruvic acids play roles in (1) the transport of nutrients through cell membranes, (2) the cycling of metabolites relevant to the origin of life, and (3) the photooxidative processing of biogenic and anthropogenic emissions in aerosols and atmospheric waters. Here, we report that 50% of gaseous acetic acid and pyruvic acid molecules transfer a proton to the surface of water at pH 2.8 and 1.8 units lower than their respective acidity constants pK_{a …}

Cross Photoreaction Of Glyoxylic And Pyruvic Acids In Model Aqueous Aerosol, Sha-Sha Xia, Alexis J. Eugene, Marcelo I. Guzman

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Aerosols of variable composition, size, and shape are associated with public health concerns as well as with light-particle interactions that play a role in the energy balance of the atmosphere. Photochemical reactions of 2-oxocarboxylic acids in the aqueous phase are now known to contribute to the total secondary organic aerosol (SOA) budget. This work explores the cross reaction of glyoxylic acid (GA) and pyruvic acid (PA) in water, the two most abundant 2-oxocarboxylic acids in the atmosphere, under solar irradiation and dark thermal aging steps. During irradiation, PA and GA are excited and initiate proton-coupled electron transfer or hydrogen abstraction …

Photoelectrochemical Studies On Non-Noble Metal Based Catalysts Towards Tandem Solar Water Splitting, Arun Siddarth Sridhar

Dissertations

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting makes direct use of solar energy incident on semiconductor photoelectrodes, and it is a convenient, economic option to produce high purity hydrogen at low temperatures. The use of multiple light absorbers can increase overall solar energy utilization and provide a solution to the trade-off between overall band gap and band edge positioning of photoelectrodes specific to solar water oxidation and water reduction. The study of non-noble metal based catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reactions (OER) are essential for economic practical commercialization of photo-electrolyzers. This dissertation focuses on the use of a variety …

Legacy Contaminants In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Shelf, Jessica N. Landry

LSU Master's Theses

The Mississippi River watershed is the third largest in the world and drains from 31 states in the United States. Due to its route through the U.S., it passes through hundreds of EPA labeled Superfund sites as well as agricultural and suburban watersheds. These sites are known to have historical chemical contamination, and as a result chemicals can be transported by runoff down the Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico where their ultimate fate is unknown. Organochlorine chemicals are known to be persistent and are found in agricultural land as well as US EPA Superfund sites, especially DDT, PCBs, …

Analysis Of Veterinary Drug Residues In Imported And Domestic Crawfish Using Liquid Chromatography—Mass Spectrometry, Emily Kate Wall

LSU Master's Theses

Aquaculture production has greatly increased over the past few decades, and will continue to grow as the world fisheries become overfished and demand for seafood increases. With increased production comes more intense cultivation methods and heavy use of formulated feeds that may contain veterinary drug residues. Currently no antibiotics are allowed in the U.S. for crawfish aquaculture; yet, detectable levels of various antibiotics have been found in imported seafood samples.The FDA is responsible for testing aquaculture products entering the United States, but only has the capabilities to test a minimal amount of those imports. Additionally, for crawfish there is only …

Environmental Forensics Study Of Crude Oil And Petroleum Product Spills In Coastal And Oilfield Settings: Combined Insights From Conventional Gc-Ms, Thermodesorption-Gc-Ms And Pyrolysis-Gc-Ms, Michael A. Kruge, José Luis Gallego, Azucena Lara-Gonzalo, Noemi Esquinas

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

A representative set of five oil spill samples from four different regions displayed different product characteristics and different levels of weathering. Three of them were taken along shorelines affected by marine oil spill events, viz., Aboño and Prestige (Spain) and Deepwater Horizon (USA) and the other two were taken at inland oil spill sites (Angola and Kuwait). A multi-faceted environmental forensics approach revealed key molecular features. In addition to the conventional GC/MS analysis of saturated and aromatic fractions, the polar fractions also were analyzed, revealing a complex series of linear alkanones in those oil samples particularly enriched in aliphatics. Thermodesorption-GC-MS …

Testing The Underlying Chemical Principles Of The Biotic Ligand Model (Blm) To Marine Copper Systems: Measuring Copper Speciation Using Fluorescence Quenching, Tara N. Tait, James C. Mcgeer, Scott Smith

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Speciation of copper in marine systems strongly influences the ability of copper to cause toxicity. Natural organic matter (NOM) contains many binding sites which provides a protective effect on copper toxicity. The purpose of this study was to characterize copper binding with NOM using fluorescence quenching techniques. Fluorescence quenching of NOM with copper was performed on nine sea water samples. The resulting stability con- stants and binding capacities were consistent with literature values of marine NOM, show- ing strong binding with log K values from 7.64 to 10.2 and binding capacities ranging from 15 to 3110 nmole mg C ^{−1 …}

Multivariate Statistical Analyses Of Air Pollutants And Meteorology In Chicago During Summers 2010–2012, Katrina Binaku, Martina Schmeling

Chemistry: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Aerosol, trace gas, and meteorological data were collected in Chicago, Illinois during 2010–2012 summer air studies. Ozone, nitrogen oxides, acetate, formate, chloride, nitrate, sulfate, and oxalate concentrations as well as temperature, wind speed, wind direction, and humidity data were explored by both principal component analysis (PCA) and canonical correlation analysis (CCA). Multivariate statistical techniques were applied to uncover existing relationships between meteorology and air pollutant concentrations and also reduce data dimensions.

In PCA, principal components (PC) revealed a relationship of ozone and nitrate concentrations with respect to temperature and humidity, coupled with transport of species from the south in relation …

Unmanned Aerial Systems For Monitoring Trace Tropospheric Gases, Travis J. Schuyler, Marcelo I. Guzman

Chemistry Faculty Publications

The emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) has changed the composition of the atmosphere during the Anthropocene. Accurately documenting the sources and magnitude of GHGs emission is an important undertaking for discriminating the contributions of different processes to radiative forcing. Currently there is no mobile platform that is able to quantify trace gases at altitudes(UASs) can be deployed on-site in minutes and can support the payloads necessary to quantify trace gases. Therefore, current efforts combine the use of UASs available on the civilian market with inexpensively designed analytical systems for monitoring atmospheric trace gases. In this context, this perspective introduces the …

Evaluation Of A Filtration Sorbent For Remediation Of Arsenic In Groundwater, Clement Do

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

A commercially available product, PURA PhosLock, was identified and evaluated for use as a sorbent to remove dissolved arsenic (As) from drinking water. Although marketed as a product to remove phosphate in aquaria, it is composed of iron oxide hydroxide (i.e., FeO(OH)), which is also known to adsorb dissolved As species from water. Arsenic was measured using standard methods and Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. A first rough filtration test was performed to see if the PhosLock adsorbed As well. About 50 g of PhosLock was used to filter 10 L of tap water containing 100 ppb As. No detectable …

Phosphomolybdic Acid Catalysis Of Cellulose Hydrolysis, Troy R. Dolmetsch

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Renewable sources such as cellulose derived biofuels are sought after in order to replace fossil fuel sources that are currently used to meet energy demands. Cellulose is a biological polymer composed of a chain of glucose molecules. Hydrolysis of cellulosic materials then has potential to serve as a source of renewable energy in the form of biofuels. The crystalline structure of cellulose is very stable, and current methods of catalyzed hydrolysis are inefficient for industrial application. This project explores the use of phosphomolybdic acid (PMA) in water to catalyze hydrolysis of microcrystalline cellulose. Temperature of hydrolysis was varied from 40 …

Characterization Of Dust On Solar Devices In Southern Nevada, Jason Sylva

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Dust can impact the efficiency of solar energy collection devices, and in some arid environments, dust can reduce solar energy efficiency up to 30%. Reducing the impact of dust is therefore critical in the expansion of solar technology throughout regions where solar energy is utilized. Characterization of suspended and settled particulate matter can assist in developing strategies for dust mitigation. With the characterization of suspended and settled particulate in remote, rural, and urban environments, more informed decisions can be made regarding the selection of coating material on solar panels as well as developing cleaning and maintenance procedures. Particulate matter that …

Phthalate And Non-Phthalate Plasticizers In Indoor Dust From Childcare Facilities, Salons, And Homes Across The Usa, Bikram Subedi, Kenneth D. Sullivan, Birendra Dhungana

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

The quality of indoor environment has received considerable attention owing to the declining outdoor human activities and the associated public health issues. The prolonged exposure of children in childcare facilities or the occupational exposure of adults to indoor environmental triggers can be a culprit of the pathophysiology of several commonly observed idiopathic syndromes. In this study, concentrations of potentially toxic plasticizers (phthalates as well as non-phthalates) were investigated in 28 dust samples collected from three different indoor environments across the USA. The mean concentrations of non-phthalate plasticizers [acetyl tri-n-butyl citrate (ATBC), di-(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA), and diisobutyl adipate (DIBA)] were found …

Mass Loading And Removal Of Pharmaceuticals And Personal Care Products Including Psychoactives, Antihypertensives, And Antibiotics In Two Sewage Treatment Plants In Southern India, Bikram Subedi, Keshava Balakrishna, Derrick Ian Joshua, Kurunthachalam Kannan

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

Environmental contamination by pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) is barely studied in India despite being one of the largest global producers and consumers of pharmaceuticals. In this study, 29 pharmaceuticals and six metabolites were determined in sewage treatment plants (STPs) in Udupi (STP_U: population served ~150,000) and Mangalore (STP_M: population served ~450,000); the measured mean concentrations ranged from 12 to 61,000 ng/L and 5.0 to 31,000 ng/L, respectively. Atorvastatin (the most prescribed antihypercholesterolemic in India), mefenamic acid, and paraxanthine were found for the first time in wastewater in India at the mean concentrations of 395 …

Assessment Of Surface Water Contamination From Coalbed Methane Fracturing-Derived Volatile Contaminants In Sullivan County, Indiana, Usa, Nicholas Meszaros, Bikram Subedi, Tristan Stamets, Naima Shifa

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

There is a growing concern over the contamination of surface water and the associated environmental and public health consequences from the recent proliferation in hydraulic fracturing in the USA. Petroleum hydrocarbon-derived contaminants of concern [benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX)] and various dissolved cations and anions were spatially determined in surface waters around 14 coalbed methane fracking wells in Sullivan County, IN, USA. At least one BTEX was detected in 69% of sampling sites (n=13) and 23% of sampling sites were found to be contaminated with all of the BTEX. Toluene was the most common BTEX compound detected across all …

Investigating The Atmospheric Production Of Perchlorate: Inference From Polar Ice Cores, Thomas S. Cox

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Perchlorate (ClO₄) in the environment is of concern, because of potential health risks to humans, among other reasons. Evidence suggests that the majority of environmental perchlorate is formed in the atmosphere (likely in the stratosphere), in chemical processes involving ozone and stratospheric chlorine. A lack of knowledge in regards to the processes has resulted in a limited understanding of the environmental conditions and variables that influence perchlorate production and consequently perchlorate prevalence and variability in the environment. In this study, perchlorate was measured, using an established ion chromatography-­‐electrospray ionization-­‐tandem mass spectrometry (IC-­‐ESI-­‐ MS/MS) technique, in over 1,600 snowpit …

A Novel Method For Determination Of Ammonium Isotope Ratios With Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry, Rebecca J. Chmiel

Honors Theses

Nitrogen (¹⁵N) isotope tracer studies are an invaluable tool for understanding the rate of N transformations in the environment. A mechanistic understanding of N cycling is critical to management of excess N availability in freshwater and marine ecosystems. Conventional methods for measuring ¹⁵N:¹⁴N of dissolved inorganic nitrogen species are time consuming and require large sample volumes. Here, we present a technique for measuring ¹⁵N:¹⁴N in ammonium (NH₄⁺) using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). NH₄⁺ present in small volumes of sample (3 ml) is complexed with phenol via …

Caffeine Used As A Tracer Of Wastewater Contamination In South Florida, Stephanie Spence

Honors Program Theses

In this study, a method was developed to analyze caffeine levels of water samples collected in Miami, Florida. The method was used to determine caffeine concentrations in reclaimed water samples and environmental water samples using on-line solid phase extraction (SPE) high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). The rising use and disposal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products are becoming a concern as contaminants increasingly enter lakes, streams, and rivers without proper removal by traditional wastewater treatment processes. Caffeine may be used as a chemical tracer to indicate the presence of contamination in water samples and to …

Exposure Of Commercial Titanium Dioxide And Copper Hydroxide Nanomaterials On Basil (Ocimum Basilicum): A Life Cycle And Transgenerational Study, Wenjuan Tan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Although thousands of reports have shown that engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) can alter several agronomical, physiological, and biochemical parameters in plant and mammal systems, the effects of long-term exposure and varietal responses are scarce. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nano-TiO2) and copper hydroxide nanoparticles [nano-Cu(OH)2], which are widely used in agriculture, medicine, food industry, textile, among other areas, are among the ENMs with high production and consumption globally. Though reports indicate that these ENMs affected plant development and metabolism, their interactions with basil (Ocimum basilicum) are unknown. Basil is a popular culinary herb worldwide, featured in Asian and European cuisine and has more …

Relationship Of The Fractal And Chemical Characteristics Of Self-Assembled Natural Organic Matter, Dennis K. Gibson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Natural Organic Matter (NOM) is a heterogeneous mixture formed by the degradation of organic substances during early diagenesis in surficial environments. It has been shown that the interaction of the components that comprise this mixture has a significant impact on its microbial mineralization to CO₂. The extent of NOM selfassembly is emerging as an important factor in understanding its role in the global geochemical carbon cycle, and it is beginning to appear that it may be more important than the chemical composition of a sample. The overall goal of this research is to establish NOM’s self-assembled “architecture” and …

Heterogeneous Base Metal Catalyzed Oxidative Depolymerization Of Lignin And Lignin Model Compounds, John Adam Jennings

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

With the dwindling availability of petroleum, focus has shifted to renewable energy sources such as lignocellulosic biomass. Lignocellulosic biomass is composed of three main constituents, lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose. Due to the low value of cellulosic ethanol, utilization of the lignin component is necessary for the realization of an economically sustainable biorefinery model. Once depolymerized, lignin has the potential to replace petroleum-derived molecules used as bulk and specialty aromatic chemicals. Numerous lignin depolymerization strategies focus on cleavage of β-aryl ether linkages, usually at high temperatures and under reductive conditions.

Alternatively, selective benzylic oxidation strategies have recently been explored for …

Drinking Water Disinfection By-Products Detection, Formation And The Precursors Removal Study, Runmiao Xue

Doctoral Dissertations

"Haloacetic acids (HAAs) and trihalomethanes (THMs) are two groups of commonly found disinfection by-products (DBPs). Iodinated THMs and HAAs were observed after disinfection of water containing high level of iodide and are proved to be more toxic than their corresponding chlorinated and brominated species. In the presented dissertation, a novel rapid and sensitive high performance ion chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPIC-MS/MS) method has been developed for simultaneous analysis of all these HAAs, bromate, bromide, iodide, and iodate, seventeen compounds in total, without any tedious sample preparation. Besides an efficient analytical method for the detection of DBPs, seeking for a green disinfectant …

Environmental Emission Of Pharmaceuticals From Wastewater Treatment Plants In The Usa, Bikram Subedi, Bommanna G. Loganathan

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

The residual drugs, drug bioconjugates, and their metabolites, mostly from human and veterinary usage, are routinely flushed down the drain, and enter wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). Increasing population, excessive use of allopathic medicine, continual introduction of novel drugs, and existing inefficient wastewater treatment processes result in the discharge of large volumes of pharmaceuticals and their metabolites from the WWTPs into the environment. The effluent from the WWTPs globally contaminate ~25% of rivers and the lakes. Pharmaceuticals in the environment, as contaminants of emerging concerns, behave as pseudo-persistent despite their relatively short environmental half-lives in the environment. Therefore, residual levels of …

A Complex Legacy Of Contamination In Urban Estuarine Systems, Michael A. Kruge

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Industrialized urban waterways have typically suffered decades of contamination, varying in source and intensity as manufacturing and transportation practices evolved. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency designates locales with particularly severe contamination as Superfund sites. Among these, the Gowanus Canal and lower Passaic River in the New York/New Jersey harbor estuary illustrate a complex range of contamination types.

The 2.2 km Gowanus Canal, with sluggish circulation driven mostly by tides, accumulated fine-grained sediments (average thickness of 3 m) highly enriched in organic carbon (OC, mean 11 % but up to 49 %) derived from hydrocarbons, sewage, coal, char, and biomass, along …

Photocatalytic Reduction Of Fumarate To Succinate On Zns Mineral Surfaces, Ruixin Zhou, Marcelo I. Guzman

Chemistry Faculty Publications

The reductive tricarboxylic acid (rTCA) cycle is an important central biosynthetic pathway that fixes CO₂ into carboxylic acids. Among the five reductive steps in the rTCA cycle, the two-electron reduction of fumarate to succinate proceeds nonenzymatically on the surface of photoexcited sphalerite (ZnS) colloids suspended in water. This model reaction is chosen to systematically study the surface photoprocess occurring on ZnS in the presence of [Na₂S] (1–10 mM) hole scavenger at 15 °C. Experiments at variable pH (5–10) indicate that monodissociated fumaric acid is the primary electron acceptor forming the monoprotic form of succinic acid. The following …

The Effect Of Nitrate On The Release Of Glucose Into The Hemolymph Of Crayfish, Procambarus Clarkii, Alec R. Flores, Lee Kats, David Green, Gary Bucciarelli

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Pollutants can change the behaviors of invertebrate stream animals. The level of one common pollutant, nitrate (NO3), has been rising in many local rivers and streams throughout the United States due to increases in anthropogenic sources. Nitrate, heavily regulated for its toxic effects to human health, namely the aiding in the development of cancer, also dangerously affects aquatic species by converting oxygen-carrying pigments to forms that are incapable of carrying oxygen. To understand the stress effects of ambient nitrate exposure on P. clarkii, we collected hemolymph samples from red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) over a 48-hour period after exposure to …

Tracking Silver, Gold, And Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles Through Drinking Water Systems By Single Particle - Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry, Ariel Renee Donovan

Masters Theses

"Single particle (SP)-ICP-MS methods were developed to characterize and quantify Ti-containing, titanium dioxide, silver, and gold NP concentration, size, size distribution and dissolved metal element concentration in surface water and treated drinking water. The effectiveness of conventional drinking water treatments (including lime softening, alum coagulation, filtration, and disinfection) to remove NPs from surface water was evaluated using six-gang stirrer jar test simulations. Six-gang stirrers were used to simulate drinking water treatments including lime softening, alum coagulation, powdered activated carbon sorption, filtration, and disinfection by free chlorine. Lime softening effectively removed most nanoparticles added. Source and drinking waters from three large …

Single Particle-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry Technology Development For Metallic Nanoparticle Characterization In Complex Matrices, Yongbo Dan

Doctoral Dissertations

"As the rapid growing of nanotechnology, the release of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) into the environment is inevitable. After entering the real environment, ENPs tend to react with different components of the ecosystem (e.g. water, soil, air, plants) and make their characterization difficult. Analyzing ENPs in these complex matrices still remains as a grand challenge. ENPs characterization is normally the first step of risk assessment. Current analytical techniques have shown some limitations in revealing the unique characteristics of ENPs in complex matrices and reliable analytical techniques are in urgent need. Single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SP-ICP-MS) is an emerging …