Transcript Slide 1

Texas A&M University
Enrichment Experiences in Engineering 2009
Kamilah Warren
MacArthur High School
Aldine ISD
*Dr. Bryan Boulanger*
Texas A&M Civil Engineering Department
Education
Undergraduate in Civil Engineering
Master’s in Environmental
Engineering
PhD in Environmental Engineering
Family Man
Married in 2000 to Paula and now
has three boys( Liam(5), Alden(3),
and Neilan(1)).
Part of his research is split between the developed world and
the developing world.
– Developed –research looking at the fate and movements of
contaminants in and through the environment.
– Developing –research in the relationship between
sanitation, potable water, energy, and health.
Other research projects include making Biodiesel and working
with NASA to pre-treat urine for wastewater recovery.
Pranav Nagarnaik, PhD Student, Texas A&M, Environmental Engineering
Program
Education:
M.S. Chemical Engineering, Syracuse University, 2007
B.S. Chemical Engineering, Nagpur University, 2005
Research Area: Environmental sources of pharmaceuticals and EDCs, treatment of
healthcare facility wastewaters
Ishan Desai, M.S. Student, Texas A&M, Environmental Engineering Program
Education: B.Tech. Chemical Engineering National Institute of Technology of Surat,
2007
Research Area: Nano-metal oxide particle reactivity and surface adsorptivity
Yousuf Jamal, Fulbright Scholar, M.S. student, Texas A&M, Environmental
Engineering Program
Education:
M.S. E-Business Hamdard University, Karachi, Pakistan, 2001
B.Sc. Chem. Engg, Inst. of Chem. Engg & Tech, University of the
Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan, 1998
Research Area: Biofuels from waste materials
Pranav’s Research
Environmental sources of pharmaceuticals
and EDCs, treatment of healthcare facility
wastewaters.
Background
In the US there are approximately 5,750
hospitals, 16,100 nursing homes, and 39,500
assisted living, and 1,900 continuing care
retirement facilities.
Question- what is the quantity of pharmacitiles that
ends up in wastewater from these facilities?
Aims of the Research
1) Source
characterization
evaluating healthcare
facilities as a source
of PPCP’s to
municipal sewer
system.
2) Investigate
chemical oxidation as
a pre-treatment
technology to reduce
pharmaceuticals in
water.
Ishan’s Research
Nano-metal oxide particle reactivity
and surface adsorptivity.
Background
The impact of all forms of mercury
on the human body is well
documented.
Mercury can result in brain and
kidney damage; can significantly
affect fetal growth during
pregnancy; cause cardiovascular
symptoms.
The release of mercury into the
environment are due to
1. Mobilization of naturally occurring
mercury
2. Human activities causing release
of mercury into the environment
mainly by burning fossil fuels.
3. Re-mobilization of deposited
mercury in soil, sediments, and
water.
Background Continued……
Methyl mercury can bioaccumulation within tissues as
tropic levels increase resulting in a greater biological
impact.
Why Nano?
Nanotechnology is the engineering and
art of manipulating matter at the
nanoscale (1-100nm).
There is a growing need to create a low
cost, durable, and more effective option
for the removal of mercury from water.
Nanotechnology has the ability to
remove mercury from contaminated
water and wastewater quickly and
effectively at a low cost.
Nanotechnology also gives you more
surface area for reactivity with mercury.
Objectives of the Research
Objective 1) Evaluate commercial
nanoparticles for their ability to remove
mercury from contaminated water
samples.
Objective 2) Create a novel nanoparticle
to increase mercury removal observed by
commercial nanoparticles.
Yousuf’s Research
Biofuels from waste materials
Biofuels are a promising solution to society’s quest
for sustainable energy. In the transportation
sector, biodiesel is the leading alternative diesel
fuel currently in use today.
Background
While the use of biodiesel in the US is on the
rise, as in Europe, the current rate of US
biodiesel supply does not meet existing US
diesel demand. The total requirement of
transportation diesel fuel in US as of 2007 was
53 billion gallons .
Background Continued…..
Currently, biodiesel production only produces enough
biodiesel to supply 0.67% percent of diesel requirement
(358 million gallons).
According to the US Energy Information Administration,
by 2030 US biodiesel production is expected to rise up to
1.2 billion gallons, but that will make up only 1.5 % of
projected US diesel demand consumed in 2030.
The number of diesel cars in the US is increasing and is
expected to reach 11% of the domestic market by 2010.
In order to increase future demand while also increasing
the amount of diesel vehicles, the US market is currently
attempting to double its biodiesel production.
Why Biodiesel?
Current use of edible oils for biodiesel production presents problems
to the sustainability of biodiesel as an alternative fuel because of the
large environmental burdens of chemical agriculture.
Therefore, use of alternative feed stocks for biodiesel production is
required and new methods of production need to be evaluated and
initiated.
Many alternative feed stocks are waste streams of significant
volume.
Oils derived from algae fed the green fraction of municipal solid
waste or biosolids, in particular, have the volume of realizable oils
that if turned into biodiesel could approach US demand.
Potters for Peace Project
and Ron Rivera
These ‘pots’ are forms of low-cost water
treatment that can be used anywhere in the
world to prevent needless deaths and poor
health.
These pots have proven to be from 98% - 100%
effective at removing bacteria and viruses from
water.
Since 2007, the Texas A&M University Water Project has been
linking individuals in the Department of Teaching, Learning, and
Culture with those in the Center for Housing and Urban
Development and the Department of Civil Engineering to produce
and distribute ceramic water filters.
People involved
Oscar Munoz – deputy director of The Colonias Program in the
Center of Housing and Urban Devoplment at Texas A&M.
Dr. Stephen Carpenter – associate professor of Art Education and
Visual Culture at Texas A&M
Dr. Bryan Boulanger – assistant professor in the Department of Civil
Engineering as Texas A&M.
Texas A&M students
clean water for tx
Why the Colonias?
There are approximately
2,300 communities along
the 1,434-mile Texas
border in 14 counties
contiguous to the Rio
Grande.” In the colonias,
more than half a million
people live without
running water in their
homes or proper sewage.
More Work to be Done
Even though the current
ceramic filters do
remove up to 98% of
bacteria and viruses it
does not remove
harmful metals from
drinking water such are
arsenic and mercury.
Therefore we are working
to create a filter at the
bottom of the bucket
that can remove these
metals.
NASA Research
Urine Pretreatment for Wastewater
Recovery
Research
Jullianna Camacho and Texas A&M
undergraduates
Protect hardware and plumbing system
from clogging with solid precipitation and
biofilm formation.
Research Continued……
The current pretreatment method utilizes
Oxone which is toxic and therefore not
good for astronauts or reclamation system.
Objective: to identify a non-toxic
pretreatment alternative that is compatible
with a distillation based water reclamation
system.
Objective: Determine % water recovery at
proposed operating conditions
More work to be done
Disinfection of water:
How do we disinfect
water in space.
Research is being done
with UV light because it
rearranges DNA
Summary
The research presented above will help
make the world a better place and even
help man someday be able to live in
space.
Classroom Ideas
Have students build
their own water
treatment system.
Have them explore the
chemistry taking place
at every level.
Relate real-world
applications and why
water treatment
systems are so
important.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Dr. Boulanger and his students
Pravan, Ishan, Yousuf, and Jullianna for
all they are doing and passing on the
knowledge.
Texas A&M University E3 program for this
awesome opportunity.
National Science Foundation for their
financial support.