In-Situ Colloidal MnO2 Deposition and Ozonation of 2,4-Dinitrotoluene

Laboratory experiments are presented that demonstrate a novel in situ semipassive reactive barrier for the degradation of 2,4 dinitrotoluene created by coating aquifer surfaces by deposition of colloidal MnO2, which catalyzes ozone degradation and enhances contaminant oxidation. Ozone is added to the reactive barrier and is transported through the zone with the contaminants by existing hydraulic gradients. The communication presents the preliminary laboratory investigation demonstrating the viability of this method. Studies were conducted by coating Ottawa sand with colloidal MnO2. Results show that concentrations of MnO2 in the range of 0.2 mg/g can be deposited with no measurable change in hydraulic conductivity, that there is significant coverage of the sand material by MnO2, and the deposition was not reversible under a wide range of chemical conditions. Ozonation of 2,4-dinitrotoluene in the presence of MnO2- coated sand was demonstrated to result in pseudo-first-order degradation kinetics with respect to DNT with half-lives ranging from 28 to 22 min (at pH 6 and 7, respectively), approximately 25% faster than experiments performed in the absence of MnO2

Prisoners in the Face of Gladiators: Providing a Sword and Shield to Aliens in Removal Proceedings Through Court-Appointed Counsel

To an outside observer, immigration courts may appear identical to criminal courts. However, there is one critical distinction. In criminal court, defendants have a well-established right to court-appointed counsel if they cannot afford a lawyer. But there is no such right for aliens with removal orders. If they cannot afford an attorney, or if they do not have the good fortune to find a pro bono attorney, they must fight their case alone against an experienced government attorney. This is troubling because the consequences of an unjust removal order can be horrific: loss of employment, permanent separation from loved ones, torture, and death, just to name a few. Even James Madison, the Father of the Constitution, recognized that deportation is such a severe punishment that it is difficult to imagine a worse doom. By creating a right to court-appointed counsel, more aliens will be shielded from being sacrificed like unarmed prisoners to gladiators. Access to court-appointed counsel will also ensure that aliens in removal proceedings can get a fair shake by having an advocate that can act as both offensive sword and defensive shield

Man Hours: The Construction of a Poet

Man Hours : the Construction of a Poet is a collection of Kevin Gardner\u27s work designed to display the creative tools acquired in pursuit of a Master\u27s Degree in English, with a concentration in Creative Writing, at SUNY Brockport. This thesis attempts to take a close look at Gardner\u27s work in an effort to showcase these skills. As a more seasoned student of writing, significant and extensive life experience plays a key role in this collection. Growing up in the 1960s and 1970s, along with years of working in the construction industry, has influenced this collection in ways that supplement elements learned in the classroom. It is also the author\u27s attempt to examine and present these influences in a way that shows the blending of life experience and higher education to create poetry that has meaning while appealing to a broad audience

An Experimental and Analytical Approach to Understanding the Dynamic Leaching from Municipal Solid Waste Combustion Residue

This paper describes an experimental technique involving the use of small columns for generating significant quantities of leachate data from municipal solid waste (MSW) solid residues within a relatively short amount of time. Data analysis using the discretized mass balance equations descriptive of the system results in best estimates of governing transport parameters that can, in turn, be used to predict the long-term release of leachable components (As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, Zn, Ca, Mg, Na, K, Cl, SO4) from the solid matrix. Results indicate that both chemical solubility and physical transport are important factors affecting the flux of contaminants from the solid to the solution phase

Walking builds community cohesion: Survey of two New Hampshire communities looks at social capital and walkability

This brief reports the results of a survey conducted in 2009 of approximately 2,000 households in Portsmouth and Manchester, New Hampshire, to examine the connection between walkability and social capital. Authors Shannon Rogers, Kevin Gardner, and Cynthia Carlson report that higher levels of social capital are found in areas that are perceived to be more walkable, as measured by the number of places people can walk to in their community. In addition, walkability is influenced by concerns of safety, access, time, and health and by physical characteristics such as proximity, scale, and aesthetics. Given the link between walkability and greater social capital, and in turn the link between social capital and numerous positive outcomes, refitting communities with greater walkability can have short- and longer-term payoffs. The authors conclude that more walkable communities are healthier communities, and as the research in the brief shows, residents in them are more connected to one another not only by sidewalks but also through the social networks and social capital they form when they live in communities that encourage gathering and meeting face-to-face

Leaching Properties of Estuarine Harbor Sediment Before and After Electrodialytic Remediation

Electrodialytic remediation (EDR) can be used to extract heavy metals from a variety of different media. In this work, contaminated harbor sediments from two locations in the United States and one in Norway were subjected to EDR, and were compared with batch extractions conducted with the sediment. pH-dependent leaching tests were used to evaluate changes in leaching properties of treated and control sediments. Significant fractions of total concentrations were removed during treatment (35–95% with an average of 75% for all sediments and elements investigated). The release of elements in pH-dependent leaching tests, however, demonstrated equal or greater leaching from treated sediments in the neutral pH range. Dissolved organic carbon appears to be a significant contributor to post-treatment increases in leaching, and dissolution of significant iron and aluminum sorption sites is hypothesized to also play a role. This research highlights the importance of understanding contaminant speciation and availability, as total metals concentrations, in this particular case, do not relate to estimates of the environmental availability of metals (total concentrations were typically two to three orders of magnitude greater than concentrations released during pH-dependent leaching)