Environmental Chemistry Commons^™

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 …

Utilization Of Papaya’S Sap (Carica Papaya L.) And Water Lettuce (Pistia Stratiotes) To Reduce Protein Amount On Liquid Tofu Waste, Muhammad Dzulfikar Farkhan, Naila Aliyahandra Anzani, Nabila Fikria Santoso

The International Student Science Fair 2018

Liquid waste from tofu production is one of the causes of environmental pollution. This condition happens because liquid tofu waste contain protein. Protein is metabolized by bacteria formed ammonia which emits foul odor. On this research, the protein amount in liquid tofu waste is reduced by the application of papaya’s sap and water lettuce. This research is divided into several steps. First, collecting the liquid tofu waste. second, tapping the papaya’s sap. Third, poured the papaya’s sap into the tofu waste. the next step is keep the mixture between tofu waste and papaya’s sap rest for 6, 18, and 24 …

Steric Effects Of Alkyl Ammonium Salts On The Combustion Of Exchanged Smectite Clays, Celeste A. Keith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bomb calorimetry was explored as a new method for determining the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of clays. Smectite clays were modified with several alkyl ammonium salts varying in number of carbons and the spatial orientation of the carbons about the central nitrogen atom. The clays used, standards purchased from the Source Clay Repository, have CECs of 44, 80, 88, and 120 meq/100 g. Theoretically, the combustion energy of the organo-clays should be approximately the same for each salt. Any differences in energy would be due to the different structures of the salts and how they are oriented in the interlamellar …

Heavy Metal Accumulation In Seagrasses In Southeastern Florida, Erin Smith

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Seagrass beds are among the most ecologically important systems in the marine environment. They provide the primary production to nearby coral reef and mangrove communities, and seagrasses comprise a large component of the diets of many marine organisms including fishes, small invertebrate species, and many protected species such as manatees and sea turtles. This consumption provides a pathway for many contaminants to enter the marine food web via the seagrasses. The coastal location of seagrass beds causes them to be especially susceptible to anthropogenic pollution, including accumulation of heavy metals, which has been shown to have many adverse health effects …

Investigation On The Dissociative Photoionization Mechanism Of Furfural, Investigation Of The Absolute Photoionization Cross Sections Of Three Potential Propargylic Fuels, And Ab Initio Analysis On Potential Superbases Of Several Hyperlithiated Species: Li3f2o And Li3f2(Oh)N (N = 1, 2, 3), Matthew Winfough

Master's Theses

This thesis presents the study photoionization cross sections of three different propargylic biofuels; dipropargyl ether, propargyl alcohol, and propargylamine, in chlorine radical-initiated combustion experiments at the Chemical Dynamics Beamline (9.0.2) at the Advanced Light Source of the Ernest Orlando Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California. Additionally, the unimolecular dissociative photoionization mechanism of furfural was studied using photoelectron photoionization coincidence (PEPICO) spectroscopy at the vacuum ultraviolet beamline at the Swiss Light Source of the Paul Scherrer Institut in Villigen, Switzerland. Dissociation products and mechanisms for furfural were identified over a photon energy range of 10.9 to 14.5 eV. Lastly, a study …

Assessment Of The Viability Of Microwell Plates As Sample Holders For Analytical Excitation-Emission Spectroscopy Of Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons In 75% Ethanol, Lauren M. Ridley-Hoffman

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the environment are a significant concern as many compounds in this class are potential carcinogens. PAHs resulting from petroleum spills can contaminate natural waters and the products obtain from them (fish and fish products in particular). Previous studies by Pena, et. al. on ethanolic extracts of organs from menhaden captured in the vicinity of the Deepwater Horizon (Macondo oil well) spill have shown that fluorescence excitation spectroscopy is a useful technique for detecting the presence of PAH metabolites and fluorescent vitamins. The study has also concluded that previous methods for analyzing PAHs using fluorescence spectroscopy used …

Predicting Spatial Patterns In Precipitation Isotope (Δ2h And Δ18o) Seasonality Using Sinusoidal Isoscapes, Scott T. Allen, James W. Kirchner, Gregory R. Goldsmith

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Understanding how precipitation isotopes vary spatially and temporally is important for tracer applications. We tested how well month‐to‐month variations in precipitation δ18O and δ2H were captured by sinusoidal cycles, and how well spatial variations in these seasonal cycles could be predicted, across Switzerland. Sine functions representing seasonal cycles in precipitation isotopes explained between 47% and 94% of the variance in monthly δ18O and δ2H values at each monitoring site. A significant sinusoidal cycle was also observed in line‐conditioned excess. We interpolated the amplitudes, phases, and offsets of these sine functions across the landscape, using multiple linear …

Hydrodeoxygenation Of Pinyon-Juniper Catalytic Pyrolysis Oil Using Red Mud-Supported Nickel Catalysts, Hossein Jahromi, Foster Agblevor

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Red mud (RM) is an alkaline waste generated in the Bayer process of alumina production. In the present study red mud supported nickel catalysts (Ni/RM) were prepared at different concentrations of nickel (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 65 wt.%) and used to hydrodeoxygenate (HDO) pinyon-juniper (PJ) catalytic pyrolysis oil. Increasing the nickel content improved the activity of Ni/RM catalysts for HDO reactions. Maximum organic liquid yield (68.6%) was obtained when 40%Ni/RM was used. The upgraded oil had oxygen content of 1.35 wt.% and higher heating value of 45.77 MJ/kg compared to 24.88 wt.% and 28.41 MJ/kg, respectively, for the …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Biodiesel Fuels From Furfuryl Alcohol And Spent Coffee Grounds, Amanda Raley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Biodiesel can be synthesized using several different triacylglycerides, alcohols, and catalysts. In this study, fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) and fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) were produced from their respective alcohols and coffee oil, using either a basic (K₂CO₃) catalyst or an acidic catalyst (H₂SO₄). Fatty acid furfuryl esters (FAFurEs) were produced using commercially-purchased cooking oils (canola, olive, corn, sunflower, and peanut) with furfuryl alcohol, a basic (K₂CO₃) catalyst, a co-solvent (THF), and an ionic liquid (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate). All samples were produced using either conventional heating methods …

Chloroform Extracts Of Ipomoea Alba And Ipomoea Tricolor Seeds Show Strong In-Vitro Antibacterial, Antifungal, And Cytotoxic Activity, Sims K. Lawson, Mary N. Davis, Carolyn Brazell

Research Horizons Day Posters

No abstract provided.

Temporal Changes In Dissolved Calcium In Stream And River Waters In Western Kentucky Watershed, Adam Martin

Scholars Week

Temporal Changes in Dissolved Calcium in Stream and River Waters in Western Kentucky Watershed

Geochemistry Of Archaeological And Marine Environments In Southwest Maine, Heather L. Bushie

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Two archaeological excavations for the University of Southern Maine collected sediment columns from select units for geological and chemical analysis. The Spiller Farms site is a Native American site located in Wells, Maine marking a transition period between the Pleistocene and Holocene epochs, 12,000 BP. The Malaga Island site was a historic mixed-race community at the north end of Casco Bay where sediment columns were obtained in near-shore and subtidal zones. The samples obtained from Malaga Island have been radiocarbon dated to 3800 +/- 30 BP at 23 meters below the low-tide line. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis is being conducted …

Kinetic Modeling Of The Atmospheric Photooxidation Of Reduced Sulfur And Nitrogen Compounds, Jesus Alejandro Berlanga

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Atmospheric aerosols encapsulate a wide variety of particles with different compositions, sizes and sources of origin. They also directly and indirectly affect climate by their interactions with sunlight, clouds, atmospheric chemical species, and even other suspended particles. To understand the atmospheric aerosol processes and the effects they have in global and regional climate is of utmost importance for the future establishment of environmental regulations and emission policies that affect aerosol precursor compounds in an effective and beneficial manner. In particular, aerosols are known to be formed from emissions from human activities, such as fossil fuel burning, agriculture, or concentrated animal …

Imidazolium Ionic Liquids As Multifunctional Solvents, Ligands, And Reducing Agents For Noble Metal Deposition Onto Well-Defined Heterostructures And The Effect Of Synthetic History On Catalytic Performance, Michael Drake Ballentine

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([BMIM]Tf2N) was investigated as a multifunctional solvent, ligand, and reducing agent for platinum deposition onto well-defined CdSe@CdS nanorods. Platinum deposition was carried out thermally and photochemically using Pt(acac)2 as the metal precursor. Thermal deposition was investigated in [BMIM]Tf2N with and without addition of a sacrificial reducing agent, and product topology was compared with the products obtained from polyol reduction using 1,2-hexadecanediol, oleic acid, and oleylamine in diphenyl ether. Photochemically induced platinum deposition was carried out at room temperature in [BMIM]Tf2N, and product topology was compared with the photodeposition products obtained from a toluene dispersion. Thermal deposition of platinum …

Synthesis Of Gd-Deta-Mam For The Capture And Release Of Phosphate In Water, Austin Macrae

Honors Capstones

Excess phosphorus in lakes from fertilizer runoff causes eutrophication, which in turn promotes algal blooms. These algal blooms can produce toxins that pollute drinking water for entire cities. A catch and release system for phosphate is proposed that features Gd-DETA- MAM, which is a derivative of Gd-TREN-MAM. Gd-TREN-MAM has been shown to selectively and reversibly bind phosphate in a pH dependent manner. The derivation aims to increase the binding affinity of phosphate by reducing steric hinderance around the gadolinium atom. The rational for this hypothesis is that the linear DETA backbone will have increased accessibility compared to a TREN backbone. …

Production And Composition Of Pyrogenic Dissolved Organic Matter From A Logical Series Of Laboratory-Generated Chars, Kyle W. Bostick, Andrew R. Zimmerman, Andrew S. Wozniak, Siddhartha Mitra, Patrick G. Hatcher

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Though pyrogenic carbon (pyC) has been assumed to be predominantly stable, degradation and transfers of pyC between various pools have been found to influence its cycling and longevity in the environment. Dissolution via leaching may be the main control on loss processes such as microbial or abiotic oxidation, mineral sorption, or export to aquatic systems. Yet, little is known about the controls on pyrogenic dissolved organic matter (pyDOM) generation or composition. Here, the yield and composition of pyDOM generated through batch leaching of a thermal series of oak and grass biochars, as well as several non-pyrogenic reference materials, was compared …

Using Spectral Methods To Obtain Particle Size Information From Optical Data: Applications To Measurements From Cares 2010, Dean B. Atkinson

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Multi-wavelength in situ aerosol extinction, absorption and scattering measurements made at two ground sites during the 2010 Carbonaceous Aerosols and Radiative Effects Study (CARES) are analyzed using a spectral deconvolution method that allows extraction of particle-sizerelated information, including the fraction of extinction produced by the fine-mode particles and the effective radius of the fine mode. The spectral deconvolution method is typically applied to analysis of remote sensing measurements. Here, its application to in situ measurements allows for comparison with more direct measurement methods and validation of the retrieval approach. Overall, the retrieved finemode fraction and effective radius compare well with …

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, …

Automating Data Analysis For Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography/Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry Non-Targeted Analysis Of Comparative Samples, Ivan A. Titaley, O. Maduka Ogba, Leah Chibwe, Eunha Hoh, Paul H.-Y. Cheong, Staci L. Massey Simonich

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Non-targeted analysis of environmental samples, using comprehensive two‐dimensional gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC/ToF-MS), poses significant data analysis challenges due to the large number of possible analytes. Non-targeted data analysis of complex mixtures is prone to human bias and is laborious, particularly for comparative environmental samples such as contaminated soil pre- and post-bioremediation. To address this research bottleneck, we developed OCTpy, a Python™ script that acts as a data reduction filter to automate GC × GC/ToF-MS data analysis from LECO^® ChromaTOF^® software and facilitates selection of analytes of interest based on peak area …

Using Natural Resources To Control The Fate Of Contaminants In The Environment, Lucia Rodriguez Freire

Sustainability Seminar Series

Environmental contamination poses an increased health risk to those communities living nearby impacted sites, and it is imperative to find sustainable remediation strategies to restore the natural systems. My research investigates natural biogeochemical processes and the use of ubiquitous materials to the design remediation solutions that are site-specific and take into consideration the needs of the affected communities. The first example is the investigation of uranium (U) accumulation in plants growing along the Rio Paguate, which flows through the Jackpile Mine, and open-pit U mine listed on the National Priority List as a Superfund site. Two villages of the Laguna …

Nanoporous Carbon-Based Co2 Reduction Catalysts: Exploring The Combined Effects Of Surface Chemistry And Porosity, Wanlu Li

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

For the first-time sulfur-doped, nitrogen-doped and sulfur, nitrogen-codoped nanoporous carbons were systematically studied as catalysts for CO₂ electrochemical reduction reaction (CO₂ERR). The Faradaic efficiencies (FE) of CO and CH₄ formation were calculated to evaluate the performance of these carbons. The best catalysts showed the FE of CO and CH₄ formation of 29% and 0.76%, respectively. It was found that the overall performance in CO₂ERR dramatically increased upon the reduction pretreatment of the carbons in N₂-saturated electrolyte before the CO₂ reduction process. The pretreated carbon showed the maximum FE of CO …

Organic Photochemistry: Remote Delivery Of Reactive Oxygen Intermediates Via A Heterogeneous Approach, Niluksha Walalawela Abeykoon

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Photosensitized oxidation reactions produce a number of intermediates species, which are generated in varying amounts over time. This complexity presents major challenges in the study of oxidation processes. Mechanistic efforts to separate and deliver reactive oxygen intermediates enable their controlled use in processes such as bacterial inactivation. This thesis describes a heterogeneous reaction approach taken to control the generation and delivery of reactive oxygen intermediates. The mechanistic details of photosensitized reactions were elucidated via synthetic, materials, and physical organic techniques to optimize the delivery of reactive oxygen intermediates. This thesis contains six chapters as described below.

Chapter 1 gives a …

Audiobook Of A World From Dust, Ben Mcfarland

Faculty Open Access Books

A World From Dust is a popular science book about the chemical sequence behind the evolution of creation.

It’s about how geology, biology, and chemistry worked together over billions of years, providing a hidden order under the random flow of genes and lava and water.

It’s about the chemical job that each element takes up in life, and how that job is predictable from its place on the periodic table.

It can be told as the story of many elements: how iron and sulfur gave a spark of life; how manganese was a key for oxygen; and how copper and …

Experiential Learning Activity: Biodiesel Inquiry Project, Ji Kim

Open Educational Resources

The activity described herein can be implemented in introductory chemistry and high school chemistry courses. The main goal of the project is to integrate a ubiquitous biodiesel production with experiential learning by providing a community-based project. The students work in groups, research the benefits of using biodiesel over petroleum-based diesel, collect waste cooking oil from home or restaurants, develop simple and cost-effective methods to produce biodiesel.

Photochemistry Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons With Environmentally Relevant Metals, John P. Haynes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The details of the work presented in this dissertation focus on simulated reactions in the atmosphere and water systems between persistent aromatic compounds and varying species of metals with an emphasis on iron. Bulk water suspensions of a standard soil and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were analyzed for soluble iron by inductively-coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) following a 16 hour reaction period using simulated sunlight. Significant increases in soluble iron were only seen with 2-3 ring linear PAH and carboxylic acids.

A two-stage study was conducted to investigate the potential for and possible mechanisms involving the photo-oxidation of PAH into …

The Investigation Of Lactoferrin Nitration: Quantification, Function, And Inhibition, Amani Yahya Alhalwani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lactoferrin (LF) is an iron-binding glycoprotein of molecular mass ca. 80 kDa that is predominantly found in mammalian body fluids. Lactoferrin is a multifunctional protein that has a wide range of properties such as antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and anti-allergic functions. Tyrosine residues in the protein play a part in many lactoferrin functions. Protein tyrosine nitration modification represents an oxidative and nitrosative stress process which can be caused by the exposure of proteins to oxidants from air pollution or disease. Understanding the way nitrated lactoferrin interacts with the biochemical environment of the body is thus important to the broader goal of …

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 …

A Modeling Toolbox For Permafrost Landscapes, Irina Overeem, Elchin Jafarov, Kang Wang, Kevin Schaefer, Scott Stewart, Gary Clow, Mark Piper, Yasin Elshorbany

USF St. Petersburg Campus Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Presence And Potential Sources Of Pharmaceutical And Personal Care Product Chemicals In Messalonskee Lake, Alyssa T. Kullberg

Honors Theses

Pharmaceuticals and personal care product chemicals (PPCPs) represent a large group of contaminants that are mostly not regulated in surface or drinking water and whose presence and environmental and health impacts are poorly understood. We investigated the presence and potential sources of 18 PPCPs in Messalonskee Lake. We collected samples four times over the summer of 2017 at 13 sites around the lake. Samples were tested for PPCPs using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. We detected five out of the 18 PPCPs we tested for at the ng/L level: caffeine, 1,7-dimethylxanthine, acetaminophen, sulfachloropyridazine, and amphetamine. PPCPs showed a significant positive correlation …

Stable Bromine Isotope Signature Of Bromoform From Enzymatic And Abiotic Formation Pathways And Its Application In Identifying Sources Of Environmental Bromoform In The Damariscotta River, Chengyang Wang

Honors Theses

Bromoform is a major source of atmospheric bromine. Most bromoform is produced by marine organisms including macroalgae and phytoplankton, using the enzyme bromoperoxidase (BPO). Bromoform can also be a byproduct of industrial processes such as water disinfection. Identifying sources of environmental bromoform is still a challenge. A novel technique of using quadrupole mass spectrometry coupled to a gas chromatography (GCqMS) was developed and optimized for Br isotope analyses. The study shows that GCqMS in single ion monitoring (SIM) mode can measure 81Br with precision of around ±0.7‰ (60pmol bromoform injected). This study aims to investigate stable Br isotopes of bromoform …