The goal of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using advanced coagulation with Fe(VI) in coagulation-flocculation-sedimentation/ flotation systems for the pretreatment of SWRO desalination plants during algal bloom events. Algal organic matter (AOM) material extracted from marine diatom species (Chaetoceros affinis) was added to Red Sea water to mimic algal bloom conditions. Low dosage of Fe(VI) (<1 mg Fe/L) was very effective at improving feed water quality containing AOM (algal bloom conditions). Based on results from both a bench-scale DAF unit and Jar testing unit, 0.75 mg Fe/L of Fe (VI) proved to be effective at improving the raw water quality which is comparable to the performance of 1 and 3 mg Fe/L of Fe (III). The removal efficiency for both testing units with the use of Fe(VI) was up to 100% for algae , 99.99% for ATP, 99% for biopolymers and 70 % for DOC. The improvement in Fe(VI) performance is related to the simultaneous action of Fe(VI) as oxidant, disinfectant and coagulant. The performance of Fe(VI) coagulant was also evaluated with the use of coagulant aids (clays). The overall turbidity, DOC, biopolymers and algal cells removal was improved via using Fe(VI) and clays at very low dose. Generally, it was found that for the same pretreatment performance achieved, a much lower Fe(VI) dose was required compared to Fe (III), which make it important to study of cost effectiveness for using Fe(VI) instead of Fe(III) and estimate cost savings during algal bloom conditions. A detailed cost comparative study was conducted for Fe(III) vs. Fe(VI) coagulation process based on the removal efficiency. The use of Fe(VI) reduced the total pretreatment cost by 77% and sludge disposal cost by > 88% compared to the use of Fe(III) in the pretreatment process. The use of Fe(VI) reduces the operational and maintenance cost in SWRO desalination plant by 7% and the production cost by 4%. This study proved that the use of Fe(VI) during high turgidity and algal bloom conditions helped providing high raw water quality to the RO process with lower chemicals and operations cost as well as low chlorine and iron residuals.

No description available.

Excess nutrients from human activity trigger toxic cyanobacterial and algal blooms, creating expansive hypoxic dead zones in lakes, damaging ecosystems, hurting local economies, undermining food and water security, and directly harming human health. To identify when and where nutrients limit phytoplankton and cyanobacterial growth, and cyanotoxin concentrations across Utah Lake, USA we conducted four in-situ bioassay studies (563 cubitainers or experimental units) that experimentally added N, P or N+P over the spring, early summer, summer, late summer, and fall in lake water from the top 20 cm of the water column. For our purpose, we defined total phytoplankton as all prokaryotic or eukaryotic organisms containing chlorophyll-a. We evaluated changes in chlorophyll-a and phycocyanin concentrations; the abundance of cyanobacterial species and total phytoplankton species or divisions; cyanotoxin concentrations of the microcystin, anatoxin-a, and cylindrospermopsin; DIN, SRP, TP, and TN concentrations; and other water chemistry parameters. We found that the nutrient limitation of cyanobacteria, and to a lesser extent phytoplankton, was influenced by season and space. Cyanobacteria were often co-limited in the spring or early summer, limited by a single nutrient in the summer, and not limited by N or P in the late summer and fall. Alternatively, phytoplankton were co-limited from the summer into the fall in the main body of the lake and either N limited or co-limited continually in Provo Bay. Microcystis, Aphanocapsa, Dolichospermum, Merismopedia, and Aphanizomenon spp., and Aulacoseira and Desmodesmus spp. and two taxonomical categories of algae (i.e., unicellular and colonial green algae) were primarily associated with cyanobacteria and phytoplankton nutrient limitations. Concentrations of the three cyanotoxins demonstrated a seasonal signal and loosely followed the growth of specific cyanobacteria but was not dependent on total cyanobacterial cell density. The DIN and SRP were biologically available in all water and nutrient treatments with nutrient concentrations declining over the incubation period, suggesting that nutrient levels were not oversaturated. Our results offer insights into specific nutrient targets, species, and, and cyanotoxins to consider in the future to manage Utah Lake.

Algae are microscopic organisms with a great potential to produce biomass and lipids at productivities several times higher than terrestrial crops. To grow, these organisms consume carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas. This gas, emitted primarily by power plants after coal burning, can be effectively used for algae production, thus resulting in CO2 remediation and biomass beneficial utilization as feedstuff, industrial filler and biodiesel feedstock. However, since coal is a fuel mined from the earth’s crust, it contains heavy metals that are released during coal burning and inevitably enter the algal cultivation system, contaminating the water were algae is grown, the algal biomass and the products derived from such biomass. The distribution of heavy metals from flue gas in algal cultivation systems is unknown, yet necessary to advance this industry. This study focused on quantifying the distribution and effects that ten coal-derived heavy metals (Cu, Co, Zn, Pb, As, Se, Cr, Hg, Ni and Cd) will have on algae strain Scenedesmus obliquus and on the potential products derived from this algae.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Water is an essential resource for life on Earth, and monitoring its quality is an important task for mankind. However, the amount of water quality data collected by the traditional method is insufficient for the conservation and sustainable management of this important resource. This challenge will be exacerbated by increasing harmful algal blooms at the global scale. To fill this gap, Earth Observations (EO) have been proposed to help stakeholders make their decisions, but the use of EO for monitoring inland water quality is still in development. In this context, the main objective of this study was to improve the estimation of cyanobacteria via remote sensing data. To achieve this goal, the water type classification was first used to identify the dominant optically active constituents within aquatic environments. This information is crucial for understanding the optical properties of inland waters and selecting the best remote sensing algorithm for specific optical water types. The next research question was to develop a universal structure for retrieval of the inherent optical properties of several important aquatic systems around the world, which can be used as a corner stone for developing a globally applicable remote sensing algorithm. The third research topic of this dissertation is about removing the interference of chlorophyll-a with the absorption strength at 620 nm where phycocyanin exhibits its diagnostic absorption so that the estimation of phycocyanin concentration can be improved. Despite the novelty of the proposed remote sensing algorithms which are able to accommodate distinct water optical properties, there are abundant opportunities for improving the parameterization of the proposed models to retrieve inland water quality and optical properties when a global database of optical and water quality measurements is available. Considering the current advancement in spaceborne technology and the existence of a coordinate effort for global calibration and validation of remote sensing algorithms for monitoring inland waters, there is a high potential for operational assessment of harmful cyanobacterial blooms using the remote sensing algorithms proposed in this dissertation.

No description available.

Resource-efficient technologies are essential for economically viable biodiesel production. This work focuses on conversion of microalgal lipids and vegetable oils into fatty acid alkyl esters or biodiesel. Transesterification of waste cooking oil (WCO) and extractive-transesterification of wet microalgal biomass were investigated using microwave and ultrasound irradiations through several process parametric evaluation studies to elucidate the effects of different alcohols and catalyst types (homogeneous and heterogeneous), reaction time, and reaction temperatures. First, a brief overview of process steps involved in microalgal biodiesel production and associated energy consumption and research needs were discussed. Next, energy analysis of microalgal biocrude production via extractive-transesterification under microwave and ultrasound irradiations (individually) was performed. Then, the synergistic effect of microwave and ultrasound irradiations on extractive-transesterification of microalgal lipids was evaluated through a process optimization study using response surface methodology to determine the best process conditions. For this study, a maximum biocrude conversion of 51.2% was obtained when 20 g of algal paste was treated with 30 mL methanol, 1 wt.% catalyst, 7 min reaction time, and 140 W for MW and US (280 W total). Further, biocrude yield kinetics study revealed that the activation energy for this reaction was around 17, 298 J mol-1 K-1. A series of experimental studies were conducted to understand the roles and effects of various process related conditions including the power output and power density of microwave and ultrasound irradiations in biodiesel production. The two non-conventional heating techniques were compared for their process intensification effects. Ultrasound was applied either in continuous or pulse mode. Pulse sonication was found to be more suitable for simple transesterification reaction of WCO with a 98% biodiesel yield in 2.5 min (9:1 methanol to oil ratio, 1.25% catalyst, and 150 W power output) over 82% yield for continuous sonication under the same conditions. Followed by this, a detailed study was conducted to determine optimum pulse (ON and OFF time) sonication conditions. A 99% conversion yield was obtained for a pulse ON-OFF combination of 7s-2s. Additionally, the effect of different alcohols (ethanol, methanol, and ethanol-methanol mixtures) using pulse sonication was evaluated.

No description available.

Crude glycerol is the major byproduct of the biodiesel industry. There is an abundance of this byproduct and purifying it for use in industries such as food, pharmaceutical, or cosmetic is prohibitively expensive. Developing an alternative use for crude glycerol is needed. Utilizing it as a carbon source in the fermentation of algae is one potential method for using this under-utilized byproduct. In this research, crude glycerol is used in the mixotrophic production of the alga, Phaeodactylum tricornutum, which is an eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) producing diatom. Mixotrophic growth is when cells perform autotrophic and heterotrophic modes of growth concurrently. EPA is an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid that has been demonstrated to have a multitude of beneficial health effects, including maintaining human cardiovascular health, treating cancer and human depression diseases, and an anti-obesity effect. In this study, the potential of using crude glycerol in batch mode mixotrophic culture of P. tricornutum was investigated. Once the mixotrophic culture was established, parameters involved in increasing the biomass and EPA production were optimized. These included nitrogen source, level of supplemental carbon dioxide, and concentration of crude glycerol. Using nitrate, 0.08 M crude glycerol, and 3% (vol/vol) carbon dioxide led to the highest biomass productivity of 0.446 g L?? day?? and the highest EPA productivity of 16.9 mg L?? day?? in batch mode culture. The continuous culture of the mixotrophic culture was then performed following the batch culture optimization. The effects of dilution rate were observed in continuous culture with the parameters of nitrate as the nitrogen source, 0.08 M crude glycerol, and 3% (vol/vol) carbon dioxide held constant. The highest biomass productivity of 0.612 g L?? day?? was obtained at D = 0.24 day??. The highest EPA productivity of 16.5 mg L?? day?? was achieved at both D = 0.15 day?? and D = 0.24 day??. The maximum specific growth rate was estimated from the washing out dilution rate and was determined to be around 0.677 day??. Overall, it was found that crude glycerol increases the biomass and EPA productivity of Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Continuous culture with the use of crude glycerol can further increase these measurements. The potential for scaling up studies is demonstrated by these results and can help lead to a market for this abundant, little-used byproduct of the biodiesel industry. / Master of Science

Recent urbanization of Utah Valley, Utah, has highlighted the impacts of anthropogenically-driven eutrophication of Utah Lake, which may lead to more frequent harmful algal blooms. To examine changes in trophic state, three freeze cores were taken from Utah Lake (Goshen Bay, Provo Bay, and near the Provo Boat Harbor) to examine the extent of eutrophication since European settlement. 210Pb and 137Cs chronologies were constructed for all three cores, although due to low supported 210Pb in the Provo Boat Harbor core, an additional pollen analysis was performed. Lower juniper pollen counts in addition to higher POACEAE (grasses and cereals) counts above 27 cm suggests that land clearance was taking place and horizons above this depth are post-1850s, when Utah Valley was settled. Chronologies in Goshen Bay and Provo Bay show that horizons above 40 cm are post-1950s. Hydrogen index (HI) values derived from RockEval pyrolysis were used to characterize the organic matter in the cores. Material from all three cores show an up-section increase in HI, consistent with the increasing deposition of algal matter. δ15NATM and δ13CVPDB isotope ratios were also measured for organic matter in the cores. 15N shows enrichments upward in the cores, combined with a depletion in 13C across all three. δ15NATM values suggest increasing anthropogenic influence with time that may contribute to algal blooms and eutrophication. δ13CVPDB ratios become depleted towards the top of the core showing a change in the lake’s ecology which may be due to the introduction of invasive Phragmites. X-Ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was used to analyze mineralogical differences. Eastern Utah Lake and Goshen Bay cores contain 70-80 % calcite, 10-15% quartz and 10% dolomite. Provo Bay samples contain 50-60% calcite, 20-30% quartz, and 10% dolomite. The dominance of calcite suggests that the sediment is dominated by endogenic minerals, albeit with a greater contribution of detrital minerals in Provo Bay. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was used for elemental analysis. Concentrations of phosphorous and trace metals increase in the younger sediment of all three cores, suggesting greater anthropogenic influence on lake water with time. Overall, the rise in HI, P, trace metals, and 15N since European settlement suggests that the lake has become more eutrophic and anthropogenically-impacted in the last 170 years. This highlights the importance of understanding human impacts on water quality to help mitigate any future damage to Utah Lake’s ecology and waterways.