Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Events for January
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Alternative Sources of Energy: Identifying and studying the feasibility of promising sources
Fri, Jan 19, 2007 @ 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker:Dr. Matin Lackpour
Ph.D., P.E.
DWP, Fleet Engineering, Los Angeles, CAAbstract
The alternative sources of energy are renewable energy sources which have been proven to be technically and economically feasible for commercial production. They are mainly available as nonpollutant electric power source. Nevertheless, quantifying the cost of energy from power generating technologies such as alternative source of energy is very essential to comparing their economic characteristics to those of competing technologies such as fossil fuels, and to determine the impact on consumers. Although a great deal has been done to determine the feasibility of alternative sources of energy, there is a degree of confusion regarding which source is the most feasible source for a particular climate, and which methodology should be practiced to compute cost of energy, how different methodologies compare and differ, how cost of energy is presented, and how these cost estimates are applied or utilized. This presentation will illustrate and aim at a quick review of the feasibility, commercial availability, environmental issues, possible political, legal and ethical issues, as well as institutional management issues of wind energy as a viable alternative source of energy which environmentally is friendly and benign.To achieve the goal of this seminar, the presentation will try to identify three compelling issues regarding wind energy as the most promising source of energy. The three major questions which will be addressed are: (a) What is the most promising alternative source of energy of Southern California among wind energy, ocean energy, solar energy, and geothermal energy? (b) Does the most promising source of energy identified have economic feasibility? (c) Does the most promising source of energy identified have commercial availability?
Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - 156
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Evangeline Reyes
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Anemonphilous (Wind-Dispersed) Pollen: Allergenic and Dynamic Bioaerosol Particles
Wed, Jan 24, 2007 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker:Dr. Richard Flagan,
Department of Chemical EngineeringCaltechAbstract:Pollen has long been linked to asthma, but pollen grains are too large to penetrate beyond the nasal region when inhaled. We have been investigating the mechanisms that enable the allergens found in these large particles to enter the lower airways where they can trigger asthmatic attacks. Botanists have observed that pollen ruptures when immersed in water, spilling its cytoplasmic material. They further hypothesized that the pollen fragments released in this process can be entrained into the air to form an allergenic, respirable aerosol. This rupture, which was observed by Brown in the early investigations of Brownian motion, results from osmotic pressure differences between the cytoplasmic fluids and the surrounding water. Our investigations have identified the special circumstances that allow such small particles to be entrained into the air. Our studies of pollen and pollen allergen release mechanisms have also revealed remarkable mechanisms of pollen release that challenge previous understanding of the limits to forces and motions attainable by living organisms.Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - rielian Hall, Room 203
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Evangeline Reyes
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Corrective Action at Tiered-Permitted Hazardous Waste Facilities
Fri, Jan 26, 2007 @ 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker:John Geroch
P.G.
Supervising Hazardous Substances Scientist
California Department of Toxic Substances Control
Tiered Permitting Corrective Action Branch, Cypress, CAAbstractCorrective action is the term used by federal and state law to refer to the process for cleanup at hazardous waste facilities. In California DTSC is the agency responsible to implement corrective action at facilities permitted under both state and federal law. DTSC is one of six boards, departments and offices that is part of the California Environmental Protection Agency.This presentation will briefly explain the corrective action process and provide some examples of how DTSC implements this process in the cleanup of hazardous waste facilities. This presentation will also explain how the results of the site investigation are used to develop a conceptual site model in preparation for development of a remedial action plan.Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - rielian Hall, Room 156
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Evangeline Reyes
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Importance of biofilms in environmental mercury methylation and persistence of enteric bacteria ...
Wed, Jan 31, 2007 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Title: Importance of biofilms in environmental mercury methylation and
persistence of enteric bacteria in beach sandSpeaker:
Dr. Jennifer Jay,
UCLAAbstract:Microbial research has undergone a significant shift over the last decade, as we now recognize that the majority of bacteria in the environment live in attached communities, or biofilms. This talk concerns the role of biofilms in two research areas relevant to public health: I. The cycling of mercury (Hg) in the environment. In aquatic systems, inorganic Hg is microbially transformed to methylmercury, a very toxic form of Hg(II) that is readily biomagnified through food webs. While it is known that microbial uptake of Hg by planktonic cultures is influenced by the extracellular speciation of Hg in aquatic systems, Hg uptake in biofilm cultures is understudied. Working first with Escherichia coli O55 as a model gram-negative biofilm-forming organism, and then with two coastal wetland isolates of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans, we found that the presence of a biofilm does not alter the relative availability of the dominant Hg species in both sulfidic and oxic conditions. Interestingly, we observed much higher Hg methylation rates in biofilm cultures compared to planktonic cultures. Results on the geochemical controls on Hg methylation at our coastal wetland field site and in wetland mesocosms will also be presented. II. The persistence of enteric bacteria in sediments. Biofilms also play an important role in the survival of enteric bacteria in beach environments. We observed very high levels of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) in sediments at enclosed beaches, and both field and laboratory microcosm results support the hypothesis that the quiescent environment rather than sediment characteristics can explain the elevated sediment FIB levels observed at enclosed beaches.Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - rielian Hall, Room 203
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Evangeline Reyes