Food waste (FW), brewery waste (BW), and fats, oils, and greases (FOG), are prevalent waste streams in municipalities across the country, particularly in the Pacific Northwest (PNW). Anaerobic digestion (AD), the microbial-mediated transformation of organic waste into methane-rich biogas, offers a sustainable, energy-generating, waste management solution for these wastes. Anaerobic...
Microplastics (MPs) are plastic particles less than 5 mm in diameter. These contaminants are increasingly found in the environment due to increased plastic production, use, and improper disposal. Detecting and measuring these contaminants in the environment has proven difficult, requiring the use of fate and transport models to assess MP...
Aromatic hydrocarbons represent a large class of environmental contaminants that have a broad range of structures, physicochemical properties, and toxicities. Arising from the burning of organic matter, particularly fossil fuels, they are both widespread and abundant in all environmental compartments. Both monoaromatic hydrocarbons (BTEX) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are...
A dissertation describing the results of a series of greenhouse experiments conducted to better understand phytoremediation in stormwater bioretention systems.
CisCis-Dichloroethylene (ciscis-DCE), 1,1,1-Trichloroethane (1,1,1-TCA), and 1,4-Dioxane (1,4-D) are chlorinated solvents used as solvents and degreasers in industrial cleaning agents that have become common groundwater contaminants. To develop an effective treatment method for these compounds, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and sodium alginate (SA) hydrogel beads were co-entrappcapsulated with Rhodococcus rhodochrous Strain ATCC...
Acid whey is the largest byproduct of the dairy industry but to date has few useful applications and is frequently discarded as a result. However, acid whey has a high carbon content, making it a suitable co-substrate for anaerobic co-digestion with raw sewage sludge. The synergistic effect of co-digestion has...
Nanoscale polymers (including nanoplastics) are widely present through commerce and make their way into the environment. As the improper disposal of plastic waste leads to continued accumulation and degradation of plastic pollution, the presence of plastic particles less than 1 micron (μm) in size (nanoplastics) will increase. Heightened concern over...
Chlorinated solvents are a class of widespread groundwater contaminants that are toxic, carcinogenic, and difficult to remediate at low concentrations. 1,4-dioxane, a suspected carcinogen, is often a co-contaminant found in mixtures of chlorinated solvent plumes. In-situ bioremediation methods of degrading these chemicals through aerobic cometabolism have shown promise. Permeable Reactive...
1,4-Dioxane (dioxane) and cis-dichloroethylene (cDCE) are compounds commonly found in industrial cleaning and degreasing agents that are frequently present as groundwater contaminants. In an effort to develop a more effective treatment method for these compounds, hydrogel beads were fabricated with either gellan gum or a combination of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)...
Industrial waste heat composed of saturated liquid water can be redirected to charge a thermochemical energy storage (TCES) system. This energy can be stored long-term in the inherently energy-dense chemical bonds and used for space heating. Initial reactor scale cycling experiments were conducted in tandem with TCES material improvements. Hydration...