Environmental Studies Commons^™

Preliminary Study And First Evidence Of Presence Of Microplastics In Green Mussel, Perna Viridis From Phuket, Phaothep Cherdsukjai, Vararin Vongpanich, Pensiri Akkajit

Applied Environmental Research

Plastics can reach the coastal environment and could impact the marine environment. Mussels are marine organisms which are prone to be exposed to microplastics pollution. Therefore, in this preliminary study, the commercially important green mussel (Perna viridis) collected at the Koh Phee Canal in Phuket, Phuket Province, southern peninsular Thailand, was investigated. The collected mussels from aquaculture farm fell into three age groups, namely 1 year-1 month, 1 year-7 months, and 1 year-9 months. Results from the investigation showed 200 items of microplastics present in Perna viridis with 76 items (38%) in flushed water and 124 items (62%) …

Using Theory Of Planned Behavior To Determine Consumer Intention In Choosing Cloth Vs Plastic Bags, Zahra Batooli, Saeed Zarein-Dolab, Azam Mohamadloo, Mitra Rahimzadeh

Applied Environmental Research

Plastics bags waste presets serious danger to human and animal health. A descriptive study was conducted on 250 consumers who were shopping in different stores of Kashan city in Iran in 2020 to investigate the consumers’ intention, attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control towards reducing the consumption of plastic bags and using cloth bags based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Stratified sampling was applied to select the consumers to filled out a questionnaire developed based on the TPB in Farsi. A path analysis was used to investigate whether attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control would have …

Analysis Of Potential Site For Managed Aquifer Recharge Scheme In The Upper Greater Mae Klong Irrigation Project, Thailand, Yutthana Phankamolsil, Areeya Rittima, Sasipong Rantasewee, Yutthana Talaluxmana, Kritsanat Surakit, Allan Sriratana Tabucanon, Wudhichart Sawangphol, Jidapa Kraisangka

Applied Environmental Research

This study developed a groundwater flow model to propose the possible Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) scheme for sustainable use of groundwater in the Upper Greater Mae Klong Irrigation Project, Thailand. The site suitability for MAR scheme was assessed through the GIS–based Multi–Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) using the Simple Additive Weighted (SAW) method. Five key relevant factors namely; groundwater drawdown, soil texture, depth to groundwater table, land slope and distance to surface water source were chosen as assessment criteria and reclassified for the analysis of site selection for MAR scheme. The results illustrate the potential site for the managed aquifer recharge …

Assessment Of Organophosphorus Pesticide Residues In Water And Sediment Collected From The Southern Caspian Sea, Reza Golshani, Ghasem Ghorbanzadeh Zafarani, Maksim Rebezov, Samaneh Karbalaei, Tony R. Walker

Applied Environmental Research

Pollution of water resources by uncontrolled pesticide use is a serious health and environmental issue. In this study, concentrations of three organophosphorus pesticides (diazinon, malathion, and azinphos-methyl) in water and sediment samples from five estuaries (Sefidrud, Chalus, Babolrud, Tajan, and Gorganrud) along the Caspian Sea were investigated. Samples were collected from surface water and sediment during summer to autumn, and pesticides were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results indicated that salinity and turbidity in Gorganrud were higher (salinity: range 2–8%; turbidity: range 1–9%) compared to other stations. Higher diazinon (water: 0.08±0.06, sediment: 0.04±0.01), malathion (water: 0.09±0.06, sediment: 0.05±0.01) and …

Sustainable Energy Transition In Thailand: Drivers, Barriers And Challenges Of Waste-To-Energy At Krabi Province, Chariya Senpong, Dawan Wiwattanadate

Applied Environmental Research

Waste-to-Energy (WtE) has been considered as an option to eliminate Krabi’s problems of municipal solid waste (MSW) management. A survey on WtE potential as well as key drivers, barriers, and challenges to overcome the barriers was conducted in this study. The study found high WtE potential due to huge amount of many years accumulated MSW in couple with the increasing trend of new daily waste generation. Meanwhile, Krabi is an island having land limitation for landfill. The urgent need to eliminate the huge amount of MSW has become a key driver for WtE implementation. One more key driver of WtE …

Magnetization Of A Biochar Derived From Orange Peel And Its Application For The Removal Of Crystal Violet, Issam Boudraa, Sevde Ustun Odabasi, Maryam Bareera, Hassan Ayadi, Brahim Kebab, Hanife Buyukgungor

Applied Environmental Research

In this work, biochar synthesized from orange peel modified with magnetite was used as an alternative magnetic adsorbent for dye removal. The magnetization of the synthesized biochar was done using the co-precipitation method. The obtained composite was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Raman spectroscopy. The efficiency of magnetized biochar (OPB/Fe3O4) was studied in the process of removing crystal violet (CV) from an aqueous solution at different temperatures. The experimental data obtained for the kinetic studies were better fitted to the pseudo-second-order model, and the isotherms data were well fitted to the Langmuir model. The results …

Performance Of Porous Substrates For Domestic Wastewater Treatment Under Prolonged Hydraulic Retention Time, Pakawat Janyasupab, Arunothai Jampeetong

Applied Environmental Research

Physicochemical characteristics of porous substrates (longan biochar, corn biochar, and pumice) including specific surface area (SSA), pore volume (Vp), and cation exchange capacity (CEC) were determined. Longan biochar had the highest SSA, Vp, and CEC, followed by corn biochar and pumice. Then, columns filled with each of these 3 substrates together with gravel as a control treatment, were evaluated to compare wastewater treatment efficiency under different hydraulic retention times (HRTs). Each system had been acclimatized with wastewater for 8 weeks. Then, influent and effluent were analyzed at 1, 3, 5, and 7 day intervals. Water analysis revealed that biochar-based systems …

Disinfection By-Product Precursor Removal By Biochar Derived From Agricultural Waste, Sorawit Ritthisoonthorn, Yuvarat Ngernyen, Lippakorn Songnangrong, Warodom Rattanaboonta, Watsa Khongnakorn, Panitan Jutaporn

Applied Environmental Research

Biochar made from agricultural waste products can be used as a low-cost adsorbent targeting dissolved organic matter (DOM). In water treatment plant (WTP), DOM reacts with chlorine-based disinfectant and forms carcinogenic disinfection by-products. The objective of this study was to investigate the applicability of bamboo biochar derived from wood vinegar production waste as an adsorbent for DOM removal and subsequently trihalomethane formation potential (THM-FP) reduction. Raw biochar (BCRaw) and 800°C post-heated biochar (BC800) was tested for its surface characteristics including scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Brunauer, Emmett and Teller analysis. The post-pyrolysis treatment increased the surface area …

Spatial Distribution Of Bioavailable Metal Concentrations And Total Metal Concentration-Depth Relationship Along The Sediment Profile Within Phuket Bay, Pensiri Akkajit, Danai Tipmanee, Kaimook Jaileak

Applied Environmental Research

Heavy metals in coastal sediments can adversely affect human health and the environment. The distribution and metal bioavailability of Pb and Zn in 21 sediment samples collected from Phuket Bay, Phuket, Thailand using the first-two steps of sequential extraction proposed by the Standards, Measurements and Testing programme (known as BCR) was determined. The results showed that Pb formed weak complexes contributing up to 11.2% to 33% of its total concentration (1.7 to 7.5 mg kg-1) in the first fraction (BCR1), while Zn in the BCR1 fraction ranged from 4.9% to 9.9%. The results suggest that Pb could easily enter the …

Identification Of Saline Water Intrusion Using Integrated Geoelectrical Method In The Coastal Aquifer Of Holo-Quaternary Formation, Lampung Bay, Rustadi -, Agus Setiawan, I Gede Boy Darmawan, Suharno -, Nandi Haerudin

Applied Environmental Research

Increased groundwater extraction from aquifers in Holo-Quaternary rock formations in Lampung Bay has caused saltwater intrusion. This indication appears in several community wells and can spread further inland. Therefore, this study aims to identify the distribution of areas exposed to saline water and the boundaries of areas that have not, especially in the Holo-Quaternary Formation. This research uses the geoelectric method integrated with salinity data and the Soil Penetration Test (SPT) analysis at four drilling points. A total of 4 lines of Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and 8 points of Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) have been acquired with a Schlumberger …

It Permeated Everything: A Lived Experience Of Slow Violence And Toxicological Disaster, Tara Jo Holmberg

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Impacts of disasters on individuals are dependent on numerous factors: local to international political dynamics, socioeconomics, geography, educational background, and outside support among others. Currently, much of disaster research focuses on those of natural origin, acute and large-scale environmental events, emergency management, and the ability of individuals, communities, and societies to prepare for, and recover from, likely known disasters in their region. However, there is a lack of data about individual experiences through ‘invisible’ anthropogenic disasters, especially those that fall under the umbrella of slow environmental violence (Davies, 2019; Rice, 2016). Through critical phenomenological autoethnography, I examine an individual experience …

The Diffusion Of A Discipline: Examining Social Marketing's Institutionalization Within Environmental Contexts, Liz Foote

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

As a social change discipline, social marketing has demonstrated its effectiveness in addressing many types of wicked problems. However, despite its utility in environmental contexts, it is neither well known nor widespread in its uptake in these settings. This study’s purpose is to reveal opportunities to drive the adoption, implementation, and diffusion (“institutionalization”) of social marketing within the domains of environmental sustainability and natural resource conservation. This research considers the use of social marketing as an innovative practice within a diffusion of innovations framework and uses a systems lens to examine early adopter social marketing professionals and the institutional contexts …

Exploring The Potential Of Online Education And College Students' Connection To Nature, Michael Weinstein

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

There is limited research examining the efficacy of online delivery for experiential, field-based, interdisciplinary coursework in environmental education geared towards undergraduate students, and how connection to nature can be understood through the theory of emerging adulthood. This research employed a convergent mixed methods approach to explore the experiences of 11 undergraduate students enrolled in an online, introductory ecology course, and how their experience of connection to nature was influenced through the course, technology-mediated nature embedded within the course, and how their identities as emerging adults were impacted by their connection to nature. Quantitative methods employed included pre/post surveys, while qualitative …

A Framework For Inland Cities To Prevent Marine Debris: A Case Study From Durham, North Carolina, Nancy Lauer, Michelle B. Nowlin

Faculty Scholarship

Land-based sources of litter are increasingly recognized as significant contributors to marine debris, and rivers can carry debris to the coast from far-inland sources. In this paper, we demonstrate the important role inland cities can play in the marine debris crisis by reducing their own marine debris contributions. Given this role, we provide a framework for inland cities to prevent plastic pollution along with the lessons learned from introducing these strategies in Durham, North Carolina, a mid-sized, inland city that drains to the ocean through the Cape Fear and Neuse River watersheds. This framework guides city officials, resource managers, and …

Water Quality Club, Haley Farr, Megan Pfeifer, Michaela Neal

Environmental Engagement in the Community (ENVR 319): Student Projects

Environmental Engagement in the Community Projects, fall 2021

Poster titled Water Quality Club for client Beyond School Bells.

Beyond School Bells With Dakota Staggs, Michaela Neal, Megan Pfeifer, Haley Farr

Environmental Engagement in the Community (ENVR 319): Student Projects

Environmental Engagement in the Community Projects, fall 2021

A presentation titled Beyond School Bells with Dakota Staggs.

Problem/challenge statement:

How can we effectively teach students about water quality?

• Create lesson plans that are fun and engaging

• Special focus on AltEn plant in Mead, Nebraska

Why is this issue important?

• AltEn is close to home, shows students how water pollution can cripple a community

Phlc Environmental Education Improvement Project, Quinn Kimball, Rachel Summers, Liam Doherty-Herwitz

Environmental Engagement in the Community (ENVR 319): Student Projects

Environmental Engagement in the Community projects, fall 2021

A poster titled PHLC Environmental Education Improvement Project for client Prairie Hill Learning Center (Hunter Armstrong).

Emissions Education: Grand Island & Norfolk, Kate Brashear, Jadon Basilevac, Jonah Mcdowell

Environmental Engagement in the Community (ENVR 319): Student Projects

Environmental Engagement in the Community projects, fall 2021

A poster titled Emissions Education: Grand Island & Norfolk for clients ICLEI and Conservation Nebraska.

Improving The Southern Heights Food Forest, Shawnna Lofland, Anne Kluthe, Favian Mendez

Environmental Engagement in the Community (ENVR 319): Student Projects

Environmental Engagement in the Community projects, fall 2021

A poster titled Improving the Southern Heights Food Forest for client Southern Heights Food Forest.

Creating Pollinator Rest Stops For Monarch Butterflies, Andrew Baker, Matthew Holte, Noah Johnson

Environmental Engagement in the Community (ENVR 319): Student Projects

Environmental Engagement in the Community project, fall 2021

A poster titled Creating Pollinator Rest Stops For Monarch Butterflies for client Lincoln Electric System (Melissa Landis).

Reduction Of Co2 Emissions In Grand Island, Awinita Bunner, Alexus Hansen, Brianna Ryan

Environmental Engagement in the Community (ENVR 319): Student Projects

Environmental Engagement in the Community projects, fall 2021

A poster titled Reduction of CO₂ Emissions in Grand Island for clients ICLEI and the City of Grand Island, Nebraska.

Transforming Transportation In The City Of Norfolk, Liam Downes, Valeria Facio Lom, Madison Zucco

Environmental Engagement in the Community (ENVR 319): Student Projects

Environmental Engagement in the Community projects, fall 2021

Poster titled Transforming Transportation in the City of Norfolk with the clients ICLEI and the City of Norfolk, Nebraska.

Platte Basin Timelapse Engagement In School Of Natural Resources, Emma Hastings, Ethan Lang, Jake Duffy

Environmental Engagement in the Community (ENVR 319): Student Projects

Environmental Engagement in the Community projects, fall 2021

A poster titled Platte Basin Timelapse Engagement in School of Natural Resources for client Brooke Talbott.

Soil Not Oil: An Assessment Of The Role Of Earth Jurisprudence In Restoring Biodiversity Conservation In The Indigenous Bagungu Community, In Uganda, Joslyn Primicias

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

An Earth-centered way of living is essential in Western Uganda, along with many more repressed regions affected by giant corporate evils. The purpose of this study was to assess the contribution of Earth Jurisprudence in the restoration of conservation in the Indigenous Bagungu community. More specifically, this study examines the customary laws and rituals used by the Bagungu, the strategies used to decolonize their culture, and their perspectives on foreign influence and globalization. Key-informant interviews were conducted with seven custodians and questionnaire-led interviews were administered to thirty-one clan members from the districts of Buliisa and Hoima. The study sample size …

A Phenological Analysis Of Páramo Vegetation Along An Altitudinal Gradient: The Influence Of Camelids On Andean Flora In The Páramo Of Chimborazo, Ecuador, Tessa Seifried

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study hopes to reveal the mechanisms behind camelid-plant interactions in the Chimborazo province of Ecuador, which is known for having a large population of domesticated alpacas (Vicugna pacos), along with wild vicuñas (Vicugna vicugna) that were reintroduced into the area 30 years ago. These camelid species, especially vicuñas, are understudied within Ecuador in regards to their effects on plant composition, diversity, and spatial phenology. To gain a better insight into this topic, three sites were chosen: a site inhabited by only vicuña, a site inhabited by only alpaca, and a site inhabited by both species. The vicuña site sat …

Political Processes Of Displacement In Infrastructure Development: The Case Of Aldeia Da Luz And The Alqueva Dam, Cordelia Walz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In 2002, the residents of Aldeia da Luz left their village for the final time, displaced to make room for the Alqueva Dam, a massive regional hydropower and irrigation project almost half a century in the making. The Alqueva Multipurpose Project was marketed by the Portuguese government as a way to develop the impoverished region of the Alentejo and bring innovation to the agricultural sector. The village of Luz was the only physical obstacle to this goal and, therefore, its residents were dispossessed, sacrificed for the development of the greater Alentejo region. However, unlike many other large-scale infrastructure projects that …

Beach Suitability For Nesting Olive Ridley Sea Turtles (Lepidochelys Olivacea), Playa Malena, Azuero Peninsula, Panama, Soleil Foy

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Sea turtle species all over the world are facing continuous declines in their populations partly due to diminished viable nesting habitat. Understanding sea turtle nesting preferences and the suitability of beaches for reproductive success is necessary in order to sustain their populations and ensure their conservation. Olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) are one of the species experiencing this trend, especially in the Eastern Pacific. This study examined the beach suitability of a site known as Playa Malena in the Azuero Peninsula in Panama for Olive ridley nesting. This site was compared to the suitability of 7 other …

Greenhouse Gas Inventory Of Transportation And Driving Habits At Gettysburg College, Flavia Soctto D'Antuono, Megan G. Wojnar

Student Publications

By tracking the overall emissions put out by a college campus, mitigation strategies can be researched to lower total emissions. This study utilized a survey for both the student body and faculty and staff members at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. This survey allowed this study to answer three research questions; what is the total number of Scope 3 emissions at Gettysburg College, how do these findings compare to findings from 2009 and the 2016 STARS report for Gettysburg College, and if any potential mitigation strategies are welcomed by the campus community. This study examined five major driving related emission …

Analyzing Alternative Modes Of Transportation & Carbon Footprint In Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Sean M. Gallagher, Paul C. Krakoviak

Student Publications

As millions of students embark on their journey of college, many use different forms of transportation in and around their respective areas. The aim of this study incorporates the analysis of various forms of transportation, as well as each transportation method's marginal greenhouse gas emissions and marginal cost per mile in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Data was collected by testing each mode of transportation on a short trip to the local Walmart. The results show that the two modes of transportation that contributed the least to greenhouse gas emissions were biking and walking. The results for other modes of transportation that constitute …

Field Study Of Potential Relocation Sites For The Adams County Farmers’ Market, Patrick J. Canty, Michael S. Iodice

Student Publications

Farmers markets are an essential part of a community's culture and provide a vital service to all of its members. Currently, the Adam’s County Farmers Market is at a crossroads, as the lease it has on its current location is up and they must consider where they will go next. The purpose of this study is to assist the market in finding the best location in Gettysburg by analyzing the potential sites and providing a numerical score to compare each site. Four potential locations were used in this study: Constitution Lot, Lutheran Seminary, Recreation Park and the Existing site location. …