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(1 - 7 of 7)
- Title
- DETERMINING EMISSIONS FROM LANDFILLS AND CREATING ODOR BUFFER DISTANCES.
- Creator
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Guarrieloo, Nicholas, Cooper, David, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
With population growing every year, more and more people are looking for places to live. This can lead to construction of houses near and around landfills. As homes get closer to landfills, the odors these landfills produce become more of a problem, and lead to an increase in odor complaints. Modeling these odors and recommending odor buffer distances will help determine limits on how close to landfills new homes should be allowed. This should help reduce future odor complaints. To solve this...
Show moreWith population growing every year, more and more people are looking for places to live. This can lead to construction of houses near and around landfills. As homes get closer to landfills, the odors these landfills produce become more of a problem, and lead to an increase in odor complaints. Modeling these odors and recommending odor buffer distances will help determine limits on how close to landfills new homes should be allowed. This should help reduce future odor complaints. To solve this problem one must accurately estimate odorous gas emissions from the landfill. Often odors can be indicated by methane emissions. A new technique using hundreds of ambient VOC concentrations, which are taken from landfills on a quarterly basis, was used to invert and solve the Gaussian dispersion equation for methane emissions. In this technique, Voronoi diagram theory was used to automatically locate numerous point sources for optimal positioning relative to receptors. The newly solved methane emission rates can now be input into a dispersion model, and the resulting methane concentrations used as surrogates for odors around the landfill. One of the most important steps in the analysis is to determine which model is best to use for odor modeling. There are many considerations that go into this decision, such as how much time it takes to run the model, how accurate the model is, and how easy the model is to use. Two current models CALPUFF and AERMOD were compared. In the modeling, methane was used as a surrogate for the odors. Since landfills handle many different combinations of waste, the type of odor may vary from landfill to landfill. In this test case, H2S was assumed to be the main contributor to the odor emitted from the landfill, and the H2S-to-methane ratio was used to estimate downwind H2S concentrations from the modeled methane concentrations. Once an air dispersion model is selected, it can be used to model odors and to develop a graphical screening method to show where these odors are most likely to occur and how strong they will be. This can be used to determine how close to a landfill homes can be built without having significant odor impacts bothering these new residents. Also, this tool can be used for improving landfill gas management. Several example scenarios include the possibility of not enough soil cover placed on the waste, leaks from an aging collection system, or cracks in the collection piping created by the settling of waste.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- Identifier
- CFE0002527, ucf:47646
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002527
- Title
- Human Factor Effects of Simulating Battlefield Malodors in Field Training.
- Creator
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Pike, William, Proctor, Michael, Shumaker, Randall, Sims, Valerie, Ness, James, Burgess, Deborah, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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In order to explore how to better utilize simulated odors for live training, a study of 180 United States Military Academy at West Point cadets was undertaken to determine whether pre-exposure to a simulated malodor may result in an amelioration of performance issues, as well as improving performance of a complex task. Exposure to malodors has long been shown to increase stress and escape behavior, and reduce performance of complex tasks, in addition to degrading other human factor areas....
Show moreIn order to explore how to better utilize simulated odors for live training, a study of 180 United States Military Academy at West Point cadets was undertaken to determine whether pre-exposure to a simulated malodor may result in an amelioration of performance issues, as well as improving performance of a complex task. Exposure to malodors has long been shown to increase stress and escape behavior, and reduce performance of complex tasks, in addition to degrading other human factor areas. However, desensitization to a particular odor through a process known as olfactory adaptation, could ameliorate these performance issues. In this study, cadets were assigned to one of three conditions: Adaptation (odor/odor, to denote presence or absence of the simulated malodor in each of two phases), No Adaptation (no odor/odor), or Control (no odor/no odor). Participants wore a device to track electrodermal activity, a predictor of stress. Participants spent 12 minutes in a tent taking a quiz involving a common military task. After two minutes, a scent delivery system was turned on, delivering either the simulated malodor (burnt human flesh) or no odor. Participants exited the tent after the full 12 minutes and rated the air quality of the tent. They repeated the exercise in a second tent, with a similar quiz. Metrics of interest included perceived intensity and detection time, common metrics for gauging olfactory adaption, as well as electrodermal activity, escape behavior, and task performance. Results indicate participants in the Adaptation condition were partially desensitized to the malodor. Performance metrics did not show any statistical significance for stress, escape behavior, or performance improvement for the Adaptation condition, although there was a strong negative correlation of performance and perceived mental demand. Performance improvement and stress results were trending in the expected directions. This study differed from previous work in olfactory adaptation studies by linking adaptation to performance during a relevant complex task, and provides valuable lessons for future olfactory studies. From a more applied viewpoint, this study also provides insight for future research into the incorporation of malodors in live training.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007357, ucf:52097
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007357
- Title
- URBAN INFILLING IMPACTS ON FLORIDA SOLID WASTE FACILITIES.
- Creator
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Nalamothu, Ravi, Reinhart, Debra, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Increasing urbanization in the US is leading to development or re-development of lands adjacent to solid waste facilities and these lands are being considered for residential communities and commercial projects. Thus, the potential for nuisance complaints against the pre-existing solid waste facility operations has become an increasing reality. The objective of this study was to develop a methodology to gather scientific and quantifiable data related to potential nuisances caused by landfills...
Show moreIncreasing urbanization in the US is leading to development or re-development of lands adjacent to solid waste facilities and these lands are being considered for residential communities and commercial projects. Thus, the potential for nuisance complaints against the pre-existing solid waste facility operations has become an increasing reality. The objective of this study was to develop a methodology to gather scientific and quantifiable data related to potential nuisances caused by landfills to determine setbacks and buffer zones near landfill and transfer station operations. Appropriate recommendations for these setbacks were made from case studies conducted at two landfills in Florida. The study involved making measurements related to odor, noise, litter and dust. Impact on housing prices was also evaluated by analyzing publicly available house price data. In this study volatile organic compound (VOC) concentration was used as a surrogate measure for gaseous impacts. The mass flux of VOCs was measured on the landfills using the dynamic flux chamber method. The ultimate purpose of flux measurements was to provide input data for dispersion modeling to analyze the extent of odor impact around the landfills, which is outside the scope of this study. Ambient measurements were also made around Landfill A for validating the dispersion model. Although there are no significant health and odor impacts caused by the landfill, higher background concentration extend 1.2-1.5 km from the landfill center on the Southeast side of the landfill. Litter from the road sides around the landfills was collected and catalogued based on size and material type. Litter count per site obtained for both landfills was less than the 2001 and 2002 state-wide counts. The difference was statistically significant. Noise measurements were made at landfills during incineration and landfilling. Based on average measurements (Leq) obtained at various distances from WTE facility and landfilling activity, and considering EPA recommended noise level of 55 dB(A) for a quiet neighborhood, a set back distance of 1.6-1.9 km was recommended. Impact on house prices near the landfills was done for four landfills in Florida. Analysis showed that three out of four landfills had significantly impacted the house price within 0.6-0.8 km from the edge of the landfill. Dust measurements were made at Landfill B using particulate samplers, quantifying the dust associated with landfilling. Measured values were below National Ambient Air quality Standard (NAAQ) for PM10. Finally, recommendations were developed to mitigate some of these nuisances
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- Identifier
- CFE0001948, ucf:47444
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001948
- Title
- DETERMINING FLORIDA LANDFILL ODOR BUFFER DISTANCES USING AERMOD.
- Creator
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Figueroa, Veronica, Cooper, C. David, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
As U.S. landfills continue to grow in size, concerns about odorous gas emissions from landfills are increasing. For states that are expanding in population, such as Florida, odors from landfills are a major concern because new housing developments, needed to accommodate the rapid population growth, are creeping closer and closer to the existing landfills. As homes get closer to landfills, odor complaints are likely to become more frequent, causing landfill managers increased problems with...
Show moreAs U.S. landfills continue to grow in size, concerns about odorous gas emissions from landfills are increasing. For states that are expanding in population, such as Florida, odors from landfills are a major concern because new housing developments, needed to accommodate the rapid population growth, are creeping closer and closer to the existing landfills. As homes get closer to landfills, odor complaints are likely to become more frequent, causing landfill managers increased problems with public interactions. Odor buffer zones around landfills need to be established to give municipalities tools to help prevent the building of future homes too close to landfills. Using the latest air dispersion model, AERMOD, research predicted downwind odor concentrations from a Central Florida landfill. Accurate estimates of methane emissions throughout a Central Florida landfill were determined using a new technique developed as part of this research that uses hundreds of ambient air VOC measurements taken within a landfill, as receptors. Hundreds of point sources were placed on the landfill, and the standard Gaussian dispersion equations were solved by matrix inversion methods. The methane emission rates were then used as surrogates for odor emissions to predict downwind odor concentrations via AERMOD. By determining a critical zone around a landfill with regards to odor, stakeholders will be able to meet regulatory issues and assist their communities. Other beneficial uses from this research include: determination of existing gas collection system efficiencies, calculation of fugitive greenhouse gas emissions from municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills, and improved landfill gas management.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- CFE0002200, ucf:47910
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002200
- Title
- HYDROGEN SULFIDE FLUX MEASUREMENTS AND DISPERSION MODELING FROM CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION (C&D) DEBRIS LANDFILLS.
- Creator
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Eun, Sangho, Reinhart, Debra, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Odor problems are a common complaint from residents living near landfills. Many compounds can cause malodorous conditions. However, hydrogen sulfide (h2s) has been identified as a principal odorous component from construction and demolition (c&d)debris landfills. Although several studies have reported the ambient concentrations of h2s near c&d landfills, few studies have quantified emission rates of h2s. The most widely used and proven technique for measuring gas emission rates from...
Show moreOdor problems are a common complaint from residents living near landfills. Many compounds can cause malodorous conditions. However, hydrogen sulfide (h2s) has been identified as a principal odorous component from construction and demolition (c&d)debris landfills. Although several studies have reported the ambient concentrations of h2s near c&d landfills, few studies have quantified emission rates of h2s. The most widely used and proven technique for measuring gas emission rates from landfills is the flux chamber method. Typically the flux chamber is a cylindrical enclosure device with a spherical top which limits the gas emission area. Pure zero grade air is introduced into the chamber, allowed to mix with emitting gases captured from the landfill surface, and then transported to the exit port where concentrations can be measured. Flux measurements using the flux chamber were performed at five different c&d landfills from june to august, 2003. The flux rates of h2s measured in this research were three to six orders of magnitude lower than the flux rates of methane reported in the literature. In addition to the h2s flux measurements, dispersion modeling was conducted, using the epa dispersion model, industrial source complex short term (iscst3), in order to evaluate impacts on landfill workers and communities around the landfills. The modeling results were analyzed to estimate the potential ground level maximum h2s concentrations for 1-hr and 3-min periods and the frequency (occurrences per year) above the h2s odor detection threshold for each landfill. Odor complaints could be expected from four among five landfills selected for this study, based on 0.5-ppb odor detection threshold.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2004
- Identifier
- CFE0000169, ucf:52837
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000169
- Title
- Monitoring and Modeling to Estimate Hydrogen Sulfide Emissions and Dispersion from Florida Construction and Demolition Landfills to Construct Odor Buffering Distances.
- Creator
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Bolyard, Steven, Cooper, Charles, Mackie, Kevin, Randall, Andrew, Zhang, Husen, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Emissions of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) from construction and demolition (C & D) landfills can result in odors that are a significant nuisance to nearby neighborhoods and businesses. As Florida's population continues to grow and create development pressures, housing is built closer to existing landfills. Additionally, new landfills will be created in the future. This research project was undertaken to develop a detailed modeling methodology for use by counties and other landfill owners to provide...
Show moreEmissions of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) from construction and demolition (C & D) landfills can result in odors that are a significant nuisance to nearby neighborhoods and businesses. As Florida's population continues to grow and create development pressures, housing is built closer to existing landfills. Additionally, new landfills will be created in the future. This research project was undertaken to develop a detailed modeling methodology for use by counties and other landfill owners to provide them with an objective and scientifically defensible means to establish odor buffer zones around C & D landfills. A technique for estimating methane (and odorous gas) emissions from municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills was recently developed by researchers at the University of Central Florida. This technique was based on measuring hundreds of ambient methane concentrations near the surface of the landfill, and combining that data with matrix inversion mathematics to back-solve the dispersion equations. The technique was fully documented in two peer-reviewed journal articles. This project extends that methodology. In this work the author measured ambient H2S concentrations at various locations in a C & D landfill, and applied those same matrix inversion techniques to determine the H2S emission rates from the landfill. The emission rates were then input into the AERMOD dispersion model to determine H2S odor buffer distances around the landfill.Three sampling trips to one C & D landfill were undertaken, data were taken, and the modeling techniques were applied. One problem encountered was that H2S emissions from C & D landfills are typically about 1000 times smaller than methane emissions (from MSW landfills). Thus, H2S ambient concentrations often are near the detection limits of the instruments, and the data may not be as reliable. However, this approach could be used for any particular C & D landfill if the appropriate amount of data were available to characterize its emissions with some certainty. The graphical tool developed in this work shows isopleths of (")H2S(") concentrations at various distances, and color codes the isopleths into a (")green-yellow-red(") scheme (analogous to a traffic signal) that depicts zones where private landowners likely will not detect odors, where they may experience some odors, or where they likely will experience odors. The (")likelihood(") can be quantified by selecting the Nth highest hourly concentrations in one year to form the plot. In this study, N was conservatively selected as 8. Requiring that concentrations be at or below the 8th highest concentration in a year corresponds to a 99.9% probability of not exceeding that concentration at that distance in any future year. The graphical tool can be applied to any C & D landfill but each landfill is different. So this technique depends on having a fairly good estimate of the rate of emissions of H2S from the landfill in question, and at least one year's worth of hourly meteorological data (wind speed, direction, and stability class) that is representative of the landfill location. The meteorological data can be obtained with relative ease for most locations in Florida; however, the emission data must be obtained from on-site measurements for any given landfill.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004272, ucf:52879
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004272
- Title
- Development of Novel Redox Sensors and Processes Towards Biological Applications.
- Creator
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Patel, Jigna, Yestrebsky, Cherie, Clausen, Christian, Hampton, Michael, Harper, James, Diaz, Diego, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Research on the cure and early detection of diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's is becoming of great interest due to the increasing number of people affected by them every year. An accurate and quick detection of various damaging species is highly critical in treatments of such diseases not only for exploring possible cures but also for early detection. If these diseases are detected during the initial stages than the possibility of curing them is much higher. Motivated by...
Show moreResearch on the cure and early detection of diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's is becoming of great interest due to the increasing number of people affected by them every year. An accurate and quick detection of various damaging species is highly critical in treatments of such diseases not only for exploring possible cures but also for early detection. If these diseases are detected during the initial stages than the possibility of curing them is much higher. Motivated by this, many researchers today have developed numerous types of sensing devices that can detect various physiological and biological compounds. However, most of these sensors are enzyme based. They have several setbacks such as the lack of sensitivity, restricted selectivity, short shelf life, and biological fouling. To overcome these obstacles, we examine the use of nanoceria modified Pt and Au electrodes for the detection of glucose and reactive oxygen species such as hydrogen peroxide. Amperometric detection of glucose and hydrogen peroxide is critical for biological applications for diabetes and possible Alzheimer's and Parkinson's patients. This dissertation focuses on the exploration of non-enzymatic detection of glucose and reactive oxygen species which has the prospective to be used for biological applications, in addition to an investigation of an odor control technology that uses these reactive oxygen species for the treatment of wastewater plants. The combination of bi-metallic composites with nanoceria showed increased oxidation ability towards glucose and hydrogen peroxide. The following dissertation expands on the relationship between bi-metallic nanoceria composite materials and its electro-oxidation of glucose and hydrogen peroxide towards biological sensing along with an investigation of an odor control technology that utilizes generates hydroxyl radical fine particle mist for the degradation of hydrogen sulfide odor in wastewater treatment plants.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0005227, ucf:50585
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005227
