Characterization and Adsorption of Arsenate and Selenite onto Kemiron

Kemiron, a commercially available, porous iron oxide sorbent was evaluated in batch systems for arsenate (As(V)) and selenite (Se(IV)) removal from aqueous solutions as a function of pH, ionic strength, and particle size (\u3c 38 μ m and between 250 and 425 μ m). BET surface area of Kemiron is 39.8 m2/g and Electron dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) studies found Kemiron to be 40.37% iron and 42.25% oxygen by mass. Langmuir isotherms best described the As(V) and Se(IV) removal at pH 7 with maximum adsorption capacity of 82 mg/g and 52 mg/g respectively. As(V) and Se(IV) sorption decreased as pH increased and both anions were unaffected by sodium nitrate (NaNO3) background electrolyte. As(V) sorption was not affected in surface water samples from the Hillsborough River. Batch kinetic models of the experimental data on the 250 to 425 μ m particle size yielded mass transfer coefficients of 0.0008 min−1 and 0.009 min−1 for As(V) and Se(IV) respectively

Teaching Sustainability Concepts Through An Applied Environmental Engineering Laboratory: Studying Storm Water Ponds At The University And In Local Communities

Stormwater ponds are vital for the control of floodwaters and the reduction in pollution loads reaching larger water bodies. Community awareness programs aim to reduce pollution in runoff from the built environment and this was the theme used to frame a class project which can be expanded to be an informal university wide awareness campaign. The University of South Florida (USF) is located in an impaired, closed watershed and its four stormwater ponds and wetlands area represent approximately 6.4% of the total area. A water quality monitoring program for these ponds is currently not in place and this class project was designed to provide a sustained way to gather that information and share with the rest of the university through the internet on the school’s Engineers for a Sustainable World (ESW) chapter website. The ESW chapter recently initiated a similar program in a nearby economically disadvantaged community, East Tampa, which is currently beautifying three of its stormwater ponds. The Environmental Engineering Laboratory at USF is a required 1 unit course offered in the Fall and Spring semester each year with a total enrollment of 60 students each semester. Students work in teams of 3 to conduct experiments and write reports for a series of labs that explore water quality measurements (e.g. pH, turbidity, DO, hardness, phosphorous) and treatment processes (e.g. chemical precipitation, flocculation and settling, sorption, photocatalytic oxidation). Class lectures not only cover experimental approaches, but also used online videos that addressed issues of sustainability. After the videos, students brainstormed on sustainability as it applies to the laboratory experience and were asked to answer questions on sustainability issues at the end of their written lab reports. They are also required to conduct a group project at the end of the semester that takes advantage of the experience gained in the lab and available resources. Though previous classes developed their own projects, a new structure was examined in 2008 which used the stormwater pond as a theme for an overall class project with each of the 20 groups responsible for a unique set of measurements of a unique parameter using techniques learned in class, but not necessarily included as one of the lab experiments. For example, one group used a Quanta HYDROLAB to collect water quality data in the field and pull water samples from each pond. These samples were then analyzed by the various groups for parameters like alkalinity, nutrient concentrations (N, P), hardness, TSS, TDS, and COD. The students shared this information on a class wiki and each group presented their findings at the end of the semester, paying particular attention to describe the experimental technique used since not all students would have had the opportunity to perform the experiment. The final data set was uploaded to the university’s ESW chapter website. This first class project established baseline conditions and subsequent classes will repeat the analyses thereby contributing to a long term monitoring program for the university. Opportunities to interface with other faculty through curriculum and research were explored for a truly integrated project that would include biological sampling and hydraulic measurements

Functional composites formed from colloidal polymer particles with photocatalytic metal oxide (MOx) nanoparticles

Microcomposites comprising titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles embedded within cross-linked, thermally responsive microgels of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) are disclosed. Interpenetrating linear chains of poly(acrylic acid) functionalize the nanoparticles for dispersal within the microgel framework. The microcomposites show rapid sedimentation, which is useful for gravity separation applications such as environmental remediation via photocatalytic degradation. The extent of loading of the TiO2 within the colloidal particles can be easily manipulated from 10% (weight) to a value as high as 75%. The microgel-titania composites showed rapid sedimentation, which is useful for gravity separation of these particles in photocatalytic applications. The settling of the microgel-titania composites occurred over minutes and was much faster than solid, impermeable spheres. As the content of TiO2 increased within the particles from 10% to 75%, the increased effective particle density led to significant decrease in the settling time from approximately 2200 seconds to approximately 100 seconds

‘Fit-for-Purpose’ Sustainability Index: A Simplified Approach for U.S. Water Utility Sustainability Assessment

The theoretical framework presented in this paper proposes a method for determining which practices will inform a set of key indicators provide a ‘snapshot’ sustainability assessment of U.S. urban water utilities. It describes the method used to gather data via two qualitative research approaches to inform a sustainability index: semi-structured interviews with an external advisory committee of 12 U.S. urban water utility leaders, and online surveys of water professionals using the freelisting technique. The utility leader interviews revealed public education and communication as the most frequently cited sustainable practice, followed by asset management, community return on infrastructure investment, financial management, green infrastructure, and resource recovery practices. The water professionals survey revealed resource recovery as the most frequently cited sustainable practice, followed by water conservation, asset management and financial management, and energy efficiency. A consensus did not emerge about what is needed to drive more widespread adoption of sustainability indictors. The most frequently cited barriers to more widespread adoption were the absence of a definition of sustainability, lack of incentives, and resource requirements

Sustainability and the Environmental Engineer: Implications for Education, Research, and Practice

Three case studies (Bolivia, Guyana, Florida) are presented that demonstrate how sustainability can be incorporated into environmental engineering education, research, and practice. They demonstrate how traditional measures of performance (e.g., function, economics, and safety) can be enhanced with additional measures of performance that integrate societal needs and a global perspective. The case studies also show how engineering practice can apply sustainability to an “engineering project” to transcend beyond the physical structure and include the social setting in which the project is located and importantly, the people who will operate, manage, and benefit from the project. This fits with the vision of the Environmental Engineering Body of Knowledge that “environmental engineering problem formulation and solution must be accomplished in the context of sustainability, must meet societal needs and must be sensitive to global implications.” Furthermore, adding the learning outcomes of caring and a human dimension to education is critical if sustainability is to become inherent in all environmental engineering practice

East Tampa - Jazzy Seniors: Photo compilation of an oral history

On January 25th, 2023 the Jazzy Seniors in East Tampa shared their stories with students enrolled in the University of South Florida\u27s anthropology department’s Environmental Justice seminar. Students were tasked with collecting oral history interviews with the Jazzy Seniors, conducting research into the past, present, and future of stormwater ponds in East Tampa, and then creating narrative films to share with the Jazzy seniors, and on social media and the internet. This book provides snippets of the interviews matched with the photographs taken during the event. The Environmental Justice seminar is led by faculty Dr. Christian Wells and American Society of Engineering Education postdoctoral fellow Dr. Michelle Henderson. Their efforts were supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation, WeRISE...Working to Eradicate Racism in Science and Engineering (WeRISE) through the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Education and Human Resources (IUSE: EHR) program. The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/werise_jazzyseniors2023/1000/thumbnail.jp