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Full-Text Articles in Environmental Health and Protection

Solar-Powered Microgrids In Northern California: An Opportunity For Resilience, Marina Riddle Dec 2023

Solar-Powered Microgrids In Northern California: An Opportunity For Resilience, Marina Riddle

Master's Projects and Capstones

Planned and unplanned power outages have been increasing in frequency and duration, negatively impacting all public sectors, and threatening public safety. These outages are deadly to those who rely on medical devices. As climate change-fueled extreme weather events (wildfires, earthquakes, storms, etc.) also increase in frequency, our electrical grid must be prepared to bounce back. Microgrids provide necessary redundancy and reliability. Through a novel GIS suitability analysis, based on solar radiation, land use type, local energy demand, distance to transmission lines, distance to roads, and slope, optimal locations for solar-powered microgrids throughout Northern California were determined. The counties of Fresno, …


Possible Impact Of Additives In Artificial Turf On Aquatic Life In The San Francisco Estuary, Elena Galkina May 2023

Possible Impact Of Additives In Artificial Turf On Aquatic Life In The San Francisco Estuary, Elena Galkina

Master's Projects and Capstones

The use of artificial turf fields as a replacement for natural turf has been increasingly promoted as a green solution to reduce water usage, maintenance costs, and the need for pesticides. However, the potential environmental impacts of artificial turf fields are poorly understood, particularly in the context of the San Francisco Estuary, which is one of the largest and most polluted estuaries in the United States. This paper investigates the potential contribution of artificial turf from sports fields to the microplastic and chemical pollution of the San Francisco Estuary during artificial turf’s use and maintenance life stage. The study synthesizes …