The unsaturated zone could provide an effective barrier against pathogenic microbes entering the groundwater. Knowledge relating to microbial fate in this zone is therefore important for increased understanding of groundwater vulnerability. This thesis examines the published literature that is related to the transport, retention and survival processes that apply to the fecal indicator bacterium Escherichia coli in unsaturated porous media. The main focus concerns the research findings under steady-state flow in homogeneous filter media, and under unfavorable attachment conditions, which are the most common in the natural environment. Experimental results in the literature for the pore-, column- and field-scale are examined and compared to commonly applied theories and modeling approaches. An analysis of the main factors that influence attenuation and biofilm formation is provided. Further, the findings are illustrated in a model of an unplanted, vertical flow constructed wetland. The results indicate that retention at the solid-air-water interface is a major attenuation process. In addition, they suggest that the flow velocity (as dependent on the grain size and the saturation) is a key influencing factor. However, it has not yet been established how the research findings relating to the main processes and influencing factors can be incorporated into predictive models; in the literature, a multitude of models have been proposed and alternative theories could describe the same observation. In this study, the transport and fate of Escherichia coli in different sand filters is, therefore, modeled using various literature models - derived under similar experimental conditions - in order to assess the possibility to compare and generalize the equations, evaluate their implications considering the different saturation settings and filter depths, and to define the spectra of the reduction efficiencies. It is discovered that the bacterial attenuation behaviors vary largely. This calls for clarification regarding the underlying processes. Future research is also recommended to include the ef-fects of structured filter media and sudden changes in the flow rate. / QC 20111208

Climate change, water stress, and rapid population growth have increased the need to manage water resources through innovative sustainable technologies. Decentralized systems such as membrane treatment trains have become increasingly important to provide high volumes of potable water to millions of people. Pressure-driven membrane systems have dominated separation processes due to their low cost, small footprint, ease of operation, and high permeate quality. Conventionally, pressure-driven membranes are classified into microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF), and reverse osmosis (RO). MF and UF membranes operate under low pressure (< 7 bar, <~100 psi). They can separate a variety of large particles such as bacteria, natural organic matter, suspended solids, and colloids. In contrast, NF and RO membranes are more energy-intense due to operating at high pressures (7 – 80 bar, ~100 – 1200 psi) and can remove small molecules such as ions, pharmaceuticals, and heavy metals. Fouling is a primary challenge with membranes that compromises the membrane performance, increases energy consumption, and reduces the membrane lifetime. Many strategies are used to address fouling, such as pre-treatment (pH adjustment, screening, coagulation), membrane modification (chemical and morphological properties), and membrane cleaning (physical, chemical). However, such strategies increase operational expenditures, produce waste products that can impact the environment, and negatively impact membrane lifetimes. Recently, electrically conductive membranes (ECMs) have been introduced to address the challenges with traditional membranes. They contain conductive surfaces that offer self-cleaning and antifouling properties across the surface in response to electrical potential externally applied to them. ECMs are advantageous as compared to traditional membranes because (a) they are more effective in treating foulants as they target foulants at the membrane/solvent interface, (b) they are more economical and environmentally friendly as they reduce the need for chemical consumption, and (c) they can be responsive to fouling conditions as their antifouling mechanisms can be easily manipulated by changing the applied current type (positive, negative, direct current, alternating current) to match the foulant. ECMs have been formed from all categories of membranes (MF, UF, NF, MD, FO, and RO) with a range of applications. Despite the remarkable progress in demonstrating their excellent antifouling performance, there are many hurdles to overcome before they can be commercialized. Two of these are (a) a fundamental understanding of their underlying mechanisms, (b) surface materials that can withstand extreme chemical and electrical conditions. In this work, we have comprehensively discussed antifouling mechanisms with respect to surface polarization and elaborated on the impact of electrically-induced mechanisms on four major fouling categories. i.e., biofouling, organic fouling, mineral scaling, and oil wetting. In addition, we characterized surface properties of a common electrically conductive composite membrane composed of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). We then investigated the impact of cross-linkers in CNT/PVA network on transmembrane flux, electrical conductivity, hydrophilicity, and surface roughness. In addition, we proposed standard, practical, and straightforward methodologies to detect and quantify the electrochemical, physical, and mechanical stability of ECMs, using chronoamperometry and cyclic voltammetry, an evaluation of polymer leaching from membranes, and micro mechanical scratch testing, respectively. Our methods can readily be extended to all membrane-based separation processes and different membrane materials (carbonaceous materials, ceramics, metal-based, and polymers). To demonstrate the antifouling properties of ECMs, we challenged ECMs with mixed-bacterial cultures in a flow-through system. Although ECMs showed high rejection, comparable flux, and excellent self-cleaning performance under application of electrical potential, understanding the relationship between applied electrical currents and antifouling mechanisms demands a well-controlled investigation. To this end, we quantified the impact of electrochemically-induced acidic conditions, alkaline conditions, and H2O2 concentration on model bacteria, Escherichia Coli. We first quantified the electrochemical potential of CNT-based ECMs in generating stressors such as protons, hydroxyl ions, and H2O2, under a range of applied electrical currents (± 0-150 mA). Next, these individual stressors with identical magnitude were imposed on E. Coli cells and biofilms in batch and flow-through systems, respectively. This thesis guides researchers to understand the underlying antifouling mechanisms associated with ECMs, how to match the mechanisms to the application of ECMs, and offers benchmarks for making practical ECMs. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The urge for more sustainable living motivated the Stockholm Tiny House Expo. The project aims to build a floating, sustainable, man-made island for living and working outside of Stockholm. This paper proposes a waste management method with possible energy recovery for the island. It introduces a comprehensive system that integrates decentralized wastewater treatment with energy generation through anaerobic treatment. A by-product of the wastewater treatment process, the sludge, is combined with food waste to generate energy through biogas. The island’s organic waste (wastewater and food waste) is thereby managed sustainably. The results of this report require further research. The energy supply from the biogas reactor was calculated to be 52.19 MWh. The wastewater treatment process was designed with an objective of 90% reduction of BOD5, to comply with the Swedish regulations for wastewater discharge to natural bodies of water, including the ocean. The system's total volume proposed is 11.25 m3, which is the sum of the volumes of all the reactors, or tanks, needed to complete the treatment.

Equilibrium isotherms and the adsorption kinetics of heavy metals onto chitosan were studied experimentally. Chitosan, a biopolymer produced from crustacean shells, has applications in various areas, particularly in drinking water and wastewater treatment due to its ability to remove metallic ions from solutions. The adsorption capacity of chitosan depends on a number of parameters: deacetylation degree, molecular weight, particle size and crystallinity. The purpose of this work was to study the adsorption of copper, zinc, mercury, and arsenic on chitosan produced from shrimp shells at a laboratory level. The experimental work involved the determination of the adsorption isotherms for each metallic ion in a batch system. The resulting isotherms were fitted using the Langmuir model and the parameters of the equation were determined. Kinetic studies of adsorption for different metallic ions at different concentrations and with different particle sizes were performed in batch and column systems. Simplified models such as pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, and intra-particle diffusion equations were used to determine the rate-controlling step. Some preliminary studies were carried out to address the application of chitosan as an adsorbent in the removal of heavy metals or other metallic ions from natural water and wastewater. The regeneration of chitosan was also studied. The results showed that the adsorption capacity depends strongly on pH and on the species of metallic ions in the solution. The optimum pH value for the metallic cation adsorption was between 4 and 6, whereas for arsenic adsorption it was about 3. When the pH is not controlled, the adsorption capacity is independent of the initial pH with the solution reaching a final pH of about 7. It was also found that the Langmuir equation described very well the experimental adsorption data for each metallic ion. The adsorption capacity for the metals on chitosan follows the sequence Hg&gt;Cu&gt;Zn&gt;As. The study of the adsorption kinetics of these metallic ions shows that the particle size has a significant influence on the metal uptake rate for copper; but that it has only a slight influence on the adsorption rate of zinc and mercury in the range studied. Arsenic adsorption exhibited an interesting behaviour which depends strongly on the pH of the solution; the uptake increased at short adsorption times and then decreased at long times. The analysis of kinetic models showed that the pseudo-second-order adsorption mechanism is predominant, and the overall rate of the metallic ion adsorption process is therefore controlled by adsorption reactions and not by mass transfer for the range of particle sizes examined in this study. With regard to the regeneration of chitosan, it was found that sodium hydroxide is a good agent for zinc and arsenic desorption, whereas ammonium sulphate and sodium chloride were the most suitable for copper and mercury desorption, respectively. The ability of chitosan to remove arsenic from natural water, and copper and zinc from mining waste water was verified. The use of these results for designing purposes is a subject for future work. / QC 20101104

The changes that we are seeing and anticipating are largely due to human behaviour. Arctic sea ice is at the lowest levels ever recorded. The volume of Arctic ice has decreased dramatically over the past decade. . The consequences of losing the Arctic ice cover are expected to be enormous if the ice is no longer able to reflect sunlight, as the region could warm more than it is now. And water quality would go to its lowest levels since the flooding levels is higher.  Industry also is considered as major source of water pollution; it produces pollutants very harmful to people and the environment. Many industrial plants use freshwater surfaces for the transfer of waste from the factory to rivers, lakes and oceans. This could lead to increased ocean temperatures with unknown effects on the weather system. Moreover, the natural habitats of many species are being destroyed. Environmentally destructive practices and the increasing number of people living in harm's way can exacerbate natural disasters. Through forest degradation and river engineering. Filling wetlands, destabilizing the climate, we are changing the natural system so that its ability to protect us diminishes. Cities around industrial locations can lose their vigor and vitality just as surely as a once hot product can lose its cutting edge cool. Meanwhile working on city development into ecological perspective means gathering all the systems together in circular system make post industrial future cities greener place to live and fresher attractive centres.

Despite claims of nearly 100% access to potable drinking water in the US, issues of drinking water quality, accessibility, and equity persist in many regions of the country. Drinking water is a common health concern in rural communities, where social, geographic, and economic challenges can inhibit the provision of reliable municipal water. Households without access to municipal water often rely on private wells, which are solely the responsibility of the homeowner to test, treat, and maintain, or roadside springs. These water sources often do not employ water treatment and users can therefore be uniquely susceptible to environmental contaminants. The goal of this research was to examine point-of-use (POU) treatment options that can be used by individuals to improve their drinking water quality and reduce exposure to common contaminants prior to consumption. Two drops (~0.10 mL) of unscented, household bleach in one gallon of spring water is a simple, low-cost treatment option that successfully inactivates total coliform and E. coli and provides an appropriate free chlorine residual (> 0.5 mg/L) over a 1-month time period, without exceeding free chlorine taste thresholds (< 2 mg/L). Efforts to distribute information on this disinfection protocol to spring users in southern West Virginia and southwestern Virginia were well-received; however, only 60% of surveyed spring users report that they plan to implement the protocol. POU faucet filters have been successfully implemented in homes reliant on municipal water to reduce metal contaminant levels in drinking water. Few studies have assessed the effectiveness of these filters in improving water quality in homes reliant on private wells. Faucet-mounted POU filters distributed to homes reliant on private wells in Virginia and southern West Virginia statistically significantly lowered levels of Ba, Cd, Cr, Total Coliform, U, Cu, Pb, Al, Fe, Mn, Zn, and Sr in tap water. However, levels of many contaminants of interest still exceeded at least one Safe Drinking Water Act regulation/recommendation in several filtered samples. Additionally, less than half of study participants reported that they liked using the filters with several citing issues with flowrate. Faucet-mounted POU filters can also be a useful tool in assessing exposure to contaminants at the tap. The acid flow-through method of metals recovery has previously proven to be successful in recovering dissolved Pb from dosed filters. In this study, the acid flow-through extraction method was applied to water spiked with high or low levels of Pb, Fe, or Cu. While faucet-mounted activated carbon filters successfully removed Pb and Cu from dosed influent (>91% removal), filter behavior under influent Fe concentrations of greater than 300 ppb was extremely variable. The acid flow-through method of metals extraction provided some recovery from filters dosed with high and low concentrations of Pb (38.9-70.4%). Recovery of Cu and Fe was variable, likely in part due to Fe and Cu leaching from filter media, suggesting that alternative methods of metals extraction and recovery from POU faucet filters dosed with Fe and Cu, or other common water contaminants (e.g., As, Ba, Cd), must be explored. While POU treatment can be useful in improving drinking water quality in rural households, limitations to adoption persist and must be addressed along with efforts to protect drinking water quality in homes in a more permanent, sustainable way. / Doctor of Philosophy / Drinking water quality is a common health concern in rural communities, where social, geographic, and economic challenges can make municipal water quality unreliable. Households without access to municipal water often use private wells and sometimes roadside springs for drinking water. These water sources are often untreated which can expose users to environmental contaminants such as bacteria or metals. The goal of this research was to study point-of-use (POU) treatment options that can be used by individuals looking to improve their drinking water quality and reduce their exposure to common contaminants, perhaps while waiting for more permanent improvements and upgrades. Household bleach is a simple, low-cost way of lowering levels of bacteria in roadside spring water that is being used as drinking water. Two drops of unscented, household bleach in one gallon of spring water successfully kills total coliform and E. coli bacteria and provides an enough leftover chlorine to continue to disinfect the water for 1-month. This information was given to spring users in southern West Virginia and southwestern Virginia and, while most people who provided feedback found the information useful, only 60% of surveyed spring users report that they plan to implement this protocol. Point-of-use faucet filters have been found to successfully reduce metals contaminant levels in drinking water in homes that use municipal water. However, few studies have tested the effectiveness of POU faucet-mounted filters in lowering contaminant levels in water in homes reliant on private wells. Faucet-mounted POU filters given to homes reliant on private wells in Virginia and southern West Virginia lowered levels of many contaminants of interest in tap water, including lead, copper, iron, and total coliform bacteria. However, in some of the filtered samples, levels of many of these contaminants were higher than at least one Safe Drinking Water Act regulation. Less than half of study participants reported that they liked using the filters with several stating that they had issues with low flowrate. Faucet-mounted POU filters can also be a useful tool in better understanding exposure to contaminants at the tap. The acid flow-through method of metals recovery has previously proven to be successful in recovering lead, and other metals, that are collected inside the filters during water treatment. In this study, an extraction method using acid was tested on filters that treated water with high or low levels of lead, iron, or copper. The filters were successful in removing lead and copper from test water, but filters were not as consistently successful in removing iron from test water. The extraction method using acid provided some recovery from filters dosed with high and low concentrations of lead (38.9-70.4%). However, recovery of copper and iron was more inconsistent, suggesting that a different method of metals recovery may be necessary. While POU treatment can be useful in improving drinking water quality in rural households, there are limits to how useful it is in certain situations, such as when treating water with extreme water quality. In order to make sure rural households have access to safe drinking water, these limits need to be addressed and efforts need to be made to figure out a way to protect and supply drinking water in a more permanent way.

Clean drinking water is a vital part of our society and a basic human right. With an ever growing population and a decreasing quality of raw water, new methods need to be introduced to keep up with the demand for clean, biostable, and sustainable production of drinking water. The aim of this study is to evaluate Håbo municipality’s increasing usage of chemicals in their water treatment process and to investigate current and future possible technologies for water treatment for Håbo to make their process more sustainable. In this study four scenarios of different cost and change of today’s water treatment plants are presented, while our overall recommendation is to build a new facility. A new plant with new treatment methods such as ultrafiltration is most in line with Håbo municipality’s vision of decreasing chemical usage and sustainability, all while maintaining the water quality. Due to Håbo’s growing population and today’s water plants running close to maximum capacity, a new facility with a larger capacity should be considered.

Point-of-use (POU) drinking water treatment is a common method of providing drinking water in disaster relief situations when critical water infrastructure is damaged. In these cases, POU treatment devices can be used to treat local water until relief organizations set up more permanent water provision methods. One such POU technology is PŪR® Purifier of Water, a combined coagulation/flocculation and disinfection chemical treatment sachet produced by Procter & Gamble. PŪR® has been shown to treat contaminated water to meet water quality standards and guidelines set by the U.S. EPA for water purifiers and by the World Health Organization and The Sphere Project for emergency relief. However, the standard two-bucket method of use for PŪR® has two primary drawbacks: (1) the need for appurtenances that may not be readily available in disaster relief situations and (2) lack of a means to protect treated water from re-contamination post-treatment. An alternative to the two-bucket method is a waterbag system under development at the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. The waterbag is a ten-liter plastic bladder with integrated filter that incorporates an all-in-one approach to drinking water treatment during emergencies. In previous studies, the first version of the waterbag consistently met World Health Organization and The Sphere Project emergency drinking water guidelines, but did not meet the pathogen reduction requirements of the U.S. EPA Guide Standard and Protocol for Testing Microbiological Water Purifiers. A second (Mark II) version, with internal mixing baffles and a microfilter, was developed to overcome the inability of the first design to meet the U.S. EPA guidelines. The main purposes of the research presented herein were to (1) optimize the method of use and baffle configuration for the improved Mark II version of the waterbag, (2) determine ability of the waterbag to treat test waters with challenging initial water quality conditions, and (3) test the ability of the Mark II design and optimized method to meet the U.S. EPA Guide Standard and Protocol for Testing Microbiological Water Purifiers. For the first and second objectives, the main metric of treatment performance was the extent of flocculation, which was characterized by the turbidity of waterbag supernatant after 30 minutes of settling. The waterbag procedure was varied in several ways. The variables tested were mixing duration, mixing motion type, and the effect of a mixing delay. Several waterbag baffle designs were tested to determine the physical configuration of the waterbag which resulted in best turbulence during mixing. In addition, experiments were performed to test the ability of the Mark II waterbag to treat waters with various initial qualities, such as high organic carbon content and elevated E. coli concentrations. The results of these experiments helped to prepare for a final test in meeting the pathogen removal requirements of the U.S. EPA Guide Standard and Protocol for Testing Microbiological Water Purifiers. The procedure determined to be optimal for the Mark II waterbag treatment included five minutes of mixing using rapid 180° twisting motions at a moderate frequency of seventy 180°-twists per minute. The optimal baffle design was a 12.7 cm-wide internal mixing baffle with two cut circular holes for the promotion of turbulence during mixing. The desired post-treatment chlorine residual was achieved for different durations depending on initial organic carbon concentration. Optimal PŪR® dose to provide pathogen removals required by the U.S. EPA in the presence of Challenge Water conditions was two sachets per 10 L of water to be treated. The optimization of these design and operational procedures led to the ability of the Mark II waterbag to meet the pathogen, turbidity, pH, and non-microbiological constituent removals required by the U.S. EPA, The Sphere Project, and World Health Organization for emergency relief.

<p>Fluoride has been detected in groundwater in many places throughout the world and its concentration is often higher than the WHO standard of 1.5 mg/L. Too much fluoride can cause teeth and skeletal issues in the body and inhibit local economic growth. Fluoride concentration in the local groundwater in the Rajasthan region of India is above 5 mg/L and poses significant health risks to local people. Electrocoagulation and electrodialysis have been used for fluoride removal but information on their application for cost-effective removal of fluoride in groundwater is still limited. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate cost-effective defluoridation systems to remove fluoride from 5 mg/L to below 1 mg/L in the groundwater. Multiple electrocoagulation reactors were fabricated with an aluminum anode and copper/steel cathode. Fluoride concentrations decreased from 5 mg/L to below 1 mg/L within 2 hours of electrocoagulation under an applied potential of 8 V. Under a lower applied potential of 5 V, fluoride concentration was reduced to below 1 mg/L after 6 hours 30 minutes and further reduced to 0.191 mg/L after 9 hours 30 minutes. Our results showed that higher voltage led to higher removal efficiency at a cost of higher energy consumption. The results showed that aluminum alloy used as the anode released impurities into the water during electrocoagulation and could affect fluoride removal efficiency. In addition, synthesized groundwater with different hardness levels was prepared to simulate water quality in the groundwater in the Rajasthan region of India. The results showed that high hardness inhibited fluoride removal efficiency. An electrodialysis reactor was tested as well on the removal performance of anions, including fluoride and chloride. Fluoride concentration after one hour of electrodialysis did not decrease below 1 mg/L but showed a promising trend for effective fluoride removal. However, cation permeable membrane and anion permeable membrane are relatively expensive and could affect the overall cost-effectiveness of fluoride removal with electrodialysis. These results showed that both electrocoagulation and electrodialysis were effective in removing fluoride from groundwater. Their long-term performance and overall cost-effectiveness need further investigation.  </p>

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