Concern about heavy metal pollution has increased during the
past decade in which studies have shown that heavy metals are accumulating
in the environment and that these metals, in excess, are
toxic to organisms, including man. Because of this concern, scientists
have suggested the use of indigenous organisms as monitors...
An automated instrument based on a single-board microcomputer
was developed for use in voltammetric analyses. Operator input of
numerous experiment parameters allows any type of voltammetric
analysis to be implemented and multiple scans to be run unattended.
A three operational amplifier potentiostat is used to control
the cell voltage and...
Heavy metals, such as copper, zinc, and cadmium, are ubiquitous in stormwater and potentially toxic to aquatic organisms at low concentrations. Removal of heavy metals contamination by conventional treatment is expensive and does not always reduce metals concentrations low enough to ensure safety of all aquatic species. This research seeks...
Sediments are the major compartment in aquatic environments for many materials of toxic or nutrient concern. The lack of knowledge of the phase associations of toxic metals in sediments is the largest deficiency in our understanding of the environmental hazard posed by metal contamination. This study examined the sedimentary partitioning...
More than 30,000 potential Superfund sites have been identified. Heavy metals are contaminants at many of these Superfund sites. The average cost of cleanup a single-typical Superfund site currently stands at $20 million, and it is expected that the cost may escalate to $50 million within the next decade. Problems...
The development of microfluidic devices for heavy metal extraction is presented in this dissertation. Various research areas, covering subjects from photochromic compound syntheses to microchip fabrication techniques are explored to develop microfluidic devices capable of extracting heavy metal ions from drinking water. Through integration of the beneficial characteristics of both...
Ozone was found to quickly reduce the concentration of lead in a prepared
solution when the solution pH of said solution was greater than 7.0. When a solution
having a pH of greater than 7.0 was filtered the concentration of lead was less than
approximately 1.0 ppm. 1.0 ppm is...
Succinic acid, a low molecular weight dicarboxylic acid was used to leach out
heavy metals from Willamette Valley soil (contaminated separately with lead, copper,
and zinc) in form of water-soluble organo-metal complexes. The research tasks included
developing synthetic contaminated soils representative of those found at Superfund sites
and making heavy...
Microorganisms can be a valuable tool in assessing the toxicity of heavy metals. The soil respiration rate is a commonly explored endpoint. I utilized a fully automated respirometer incorporating an infrared gas analyzer (IRGA) and developed a method for measuring the effect of Zn on soil microbial populations. Zinc, in...