Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Events for September
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Characterization of nanoparticles and colloids in aquatic systems:
Fri, Sep 01, 2006 @ 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker:Mamadou S. Diallo, Ph.D.Materials and Process Simulation Center, Beckman Institute 139-74
California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125
and
Department of Civil Engineering
Howard University, Washington DC, 20059Abstract:
Fulvic acids (FA) and humic acids (HA) constitute 30 to 50% of dissolved organic matter in natural aquatic systems. A commonly accepted view in the environmental chemistry literature is that FA and HA exist as soluble macroligands in aqueous solutions at low concentration and as supramolecular aggregates at higher concentration. The size, shape and structure of these aggregates are still the subject of ongoing debate. In this paper, we use small angle neutron scattering (SANS) to assess the effects of solute concentration, solution pH and background electrolyte (NaCl) concentration on the structure and size of Suwannee River fulvic acid (SRFA) aggregates in aqueous solutions. The qualitative features of the SANS curves and data analysis are not consistent with the view points that FA and HA form micelle-like aggregates or random coils in aqueous solutions. We find that SRFA forms fractal aggregates in aqueous solutions with size greater than 242 nm. The SRFA aggregates undergo a significant degree of restructuring in compactness as solution pH, solute concentration and NaCl concentration increase.Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - rielian Hall, Room 156
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Evangeline Reyes
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Passive in situ samplers for dissolved and sediment-associated organic contaminants
Fri, Sep 08, 2006 @ 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speakers:Keith A. Maruya
Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP), 7171 Fenwick Lane, Westminster, CA 92683 USA (keithm@sccwrp.org)
Ze-Yu Yang
State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, ChinaCoastal waterways draining highly urbanized landscapes serve as conduits of potentially toxic pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and chlorinated pesticides (e.g. DDTs and chlordanes) to the receiving estuarine/marine environment. Decades long discharge has resulted in contaminant accumulation in nearshore environments such as bays, harbors, marinas and rivermouths, impacting sediment and water quality. Because these compounds have very low aqueous solubility and current measurement technology is not cost-effective, however, little or no data for aqueous concentrations in situ exist, making the determination of loadings (e.g. Total Maximum Daily Loads or TMDLs) difficult at best. Recently developed passive samplers based on solid phase microextraction (SPME) technology and sorption to polyethylene (polyethylene devices or PEDs), however, have made it possible to quantify ultra-trace levels of pollutants in situ at a fraction of the cost and with a much quicker turnaround time than traditional techniques. Disadvantages associated with these passive sampling alternatives, however, are the extended time to reach equilibrium in situ as well as the degree of pre-deployment calibration required to determine equilibrium partitioning parameters. Over the past several years, SCCWRP and CAS have collaborated in cataloguing SPME parameters for a large number of organic analytes, including most organic contaminants that are currently being considered for regulation. A new collaboration between SCCWRP and LMU will calibrate PEDs for selected TMDL regulated organics, and in a subsequent phase, compare the performance of SPME and PED samplers under controlled lab and field conditions.Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - rielian Hall, Room 156
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Evangeline Reyes
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Integrated Multi-disciplinary Systems Research for Hazard Mitigation
Tue, Sep 12, 2006 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Faculty are invited to lunch at the University Club following the presentation. Please RSVP to Georgia Lum ext. 0-4885Speaker: Dr. Vilas Mujumdar, P.E., S.E.Earthquake Engineering Research Center Cluster Leader and ERC Program Director
Division of Engineering Education and Centers
National Science FoundationVilas Mujumdar is the Program Director responsible for oversight of 3 Earthquake Engineering Research Centers, and coordination of earthquake engineering integrated multidisciplinary research with other divisions of NSF. He manages the review and recommendation process for establishing new Engineering Research Centers in Civil Infrastructure and also coordinates public policy research for various Engineering Research Centers.After 25 years in private industry serving in various executive positions including CEO, Dr. Mujumdar joined the State of California, serving for 9 years as Chief of Operations with the Division of the State Architect. He received numerous awards for his work and many of his projects have been featured in publications such as Engineering News Record.Dr. Mujumdar is a registered Civil Engineer and Structural Engineer in California and is a professional engineer in many other states. He holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Civil Engineering, a Master of Business Administration and a doctorate in Public Administration specializing in seismic risk. He is a Fellow of American Concrete Institute, American Society of Civil Engineers, The Prestressed Concrete Institute, and The Institution of Structural Engineers (UK). He has served on and chaired numerous committees of ASCE, ACI, SEAOC, TMS and BSSC.Location: Ronald Tutor Hall (RTH) Room 306
Audiences: Epstein ISE, CE, and SPPD faculty and Graduate Students, CREATE researchers
Contact: Linda Mizushima
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A Physical Approach to Stochastic Dynamics
Wed, Sep 13, 2006 @ 02:00 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker:Jie Li
Cheung Kong Scholar Professor, Tongji University
Shanghai, P. R. ChinaAbstract: Where is the source of randomness? How to model a stochastic process? In the trodational Stochastic Dynamics, there exist a number of unresolved problems. In this presentation, the author tries to give a new physical approach to stochastic dynamics. By introducing stochastic modeling principle, we have got new models for earthquake ground motions and wind speed process, two kind of typical stochastic process. From these examples, it may be found that by introducing physical relationship into a stochastic system, the source of randomness would be revealed. And by introducing physical relationship, the essential relationship between the deterministic systems and the stochastic systems can be revealed as well. This will supply a new way to approach a series of hard problems, such as analysis of nonlinear stochastic systems, the reliability assessment of dynamical systems and the control of nonlinear stochastic systems. Furthermore, the above viewpoints show that, in the research on a objective reality, not only need to deal with the relationship among the physical phenomenon, but also need to investigate the transmit process of randomness.
Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - 203
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Linda Mizushima
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SOURCE APPORTIONMENT OF PAHS IN SEDIMENTS USING FACTOR ANALYSIS BY TIME RECORDS
Fri, Sep 15, 2006 @ 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
SOURCE APPORTIONMENT OF PAHS IN SEDIMENTS
USING FACTOR ANALYSIS BY TIME RECORDS:
APPLICATION TO LAKE MICHIGAN, U.S.ASpeakers:Dr. Erik R. Christensen
Department of Civil Engineering and Mechanics,
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USAABSTRACTApportionment of sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by a factor analysis model based on time records for-seven sediment cores from central Lake Michigan is reconsidered to provide a more quantitative treatment, and one additional factor (source). The effect of mixing depth was observed on the unmixed fluxes, and a computer program was developed for estimation of the average P AH fluxes from the reconstructed P AH records. The new factor analysis model with nonnegative constraints includes not only scaling but also back scaling which improved the source apportionment significantly. One core, CLM-A, was an outlier and was omitted from the analysis. Wood Burning was identified as a third major source of PAHs in the area (20% of the total PAH flux). The other two sources petroleum (traffic), 45%, and coal (coke oven emissions), 35%, became more apparent, where the contributions are based on the sum of concentrations of sixteen PAH compounds. A reduced mixing depth (1.0 - 1.5 cm) was found to be more appropriate than the originally estimated mixing depth (1.5 - 2.0 cm).Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - rielian Hall, Room 156
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Evangeline Reyes
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Recent developments in hydrometeorologic information for hydrologic and water resources application
Wed, Sep 20, 2006 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker:
Soroosh Sorooshian, Ph.D., N.A.EDistinguished Professor Civil & Environmental Engineering and Earth System Science, The Henry Samueli School of Engineering, University of California at IrvineAbstract:
The need for more effective management of water resources is greater than ever, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Water resources managers must utilize more sophisticated hydrologic prediction tools. Depending on the problems, the hydrologic information needed may range from hourly forecasts (i.e., in the case of flash floods) to seasonal to inter-annual (i.e., in the case of reservoir operation), and to decadal to century (i.e., in the case of water supply structural design).
Over the past 40 years and with the advent of digital computers, hydrologic models of various levels of sophistication have been developed. Furthermore, in the past two decades hydrologists, meteorologist and ecologists have teamed up to work on critical coupled land surface and atmospheric processes. One of the challenges facing the research community has been to identify and overcome some of the key bottlenecks hindering marked improvements in hydrologic forecasting in terms of extended lead time and accuracy.
In addition to a review of the above issues, this presentation will also describe the importance of improved precipitation observations and prediction for hydrologic forecasting as well as the role of large-scale initiatives such the GEWEX program in addressing hydrometeorolgical information gaps.
Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - riellian Hall, Room 203
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Evangeline Reyes
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Evaluating Extremely Impaired Drinking Water Sources
Fri, Sep 22, 2006 @ 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker:Stefan Cajina, P.E.
District Engineer, Central District
California Department of Health Services
Drinking Water ProgramAbstractThe primary goal of the California Department of Health Services, Drinking Water Program (CDHS) is to ensure that all Californians receive a reliable supply of safe drinking water. To this end, CDHS seeks to approve the use of only high-quality sources of drinking water. As populations increase, however, and domestic demands on the state's water resources grow, more water utilities are proposing to treat and distribute water from "extremely impaired" sources to their customers. CDHS may consider a drinking water source to be extremely impaired for various reasons, including high levels of contamination, a mixture of contaminants of health concern, proximity to known contaminating activities, or use of the source to intercept contaminants of health concern.The use of extremely impaired sources of drinking water may increase the health risk to the public, and should therefore be avoided when high-quality sources are available. In the past, some treatment projects involving extremely impaired sources have proved inadequate due to increasing contaminant levels or the appearance of unexpected contaminants. However, CDHS recognizes that many local water supplies need to be cleaned up, and that the resulting product water represents a significant resource that should not be wasted. In some situations, particularly when high-quality sources are overtaxed or unavailable, CDHS may consider the use of extremely impaired sources for domestic water supply. In such cases, the source water must be thoroughly and reliably treated to remove all contaminants of health concern. In order to approve such a project, CDHS must thoroughly evaluate the proposal and conclude that public health is adequately protected. In addition, the project must be acceptable to consumers. CDHS developed Policy Memorandum 97-005 Policy Guidance for Direct Domestic Use of Extremely Impaired Sources, to guide staff in the evaluation of such proposals.The evaluation process as set forth in Policy 97-005 consists of 12 essential elements:
1. Source water assessment
2. Full characterization of the raw water quality
3. Evaluation of source protection program
4. Evaluation of monitoring and treatment
5. Evaluation of human health risks associated with failure of proposed treatment
6. Identification of alternatives to the use of the extremely impaired source and comparison of potential health risks
7. Completion of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review of the project
8. Submittal of a permit application
9. Public hearing
10. CDHS evaluation
11. Finding that project meets or does not meet CDHS requirements for approval
12.Issuance or denial of permitBy completing the Policy 97-005 evaluation process, water utilities, CDHS, and the public can make informed decisions regarding the use of extremely impaired sources. Any treatment project that is approved by CDHS for domestic water supply may be expected to protect public health for the life of the project.
Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - rielian Hall 156
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Evangeline Reyes
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Natural Gas Geochemistry in the Tarim Basin, China and Its Indication to Gas Filling History
Fri, Sep 29, 2006 @ 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker:Dr. Tongwei Zhang
Power, Environmental, and Energy Research Center
California Institute of TechnologyAbstract:
Natural gases in the Tarim basin, China are primarily composed of methane, whose content is more than 70%, with variable contents of ethane (Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - 156
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Evangeline Reyes