Award Data

As the number of mobile source emissions in the United States increases, it is necessary to further reduce the emission of CO, NOx, and hydrocarbons from such sources to provide safe air quality, especially in urban environments. Significant reductions in pollution emissions can be achieved using advanced engine controls based on real-time measurements of CO, NOx, and hydrocarbon concentrations i ...

A number of very high-volume liquid chemicals form azeotropes with water and can be dehydrated to required purity levels only through the use of entrainers or drying agents. The handling and disposal of these additional chemicals present significant environmental risks. Recently, membrane pervaporation using both polymeric and inorganic membrane modules has been commercialized as a method to deh ...

Combined sewage outflows (CSOs) are a major contributor to water pollution in the United States. The impact of peak stormwater loads on sewage treatment plants leads to the discharge of significant amounts (1.26 billion gallons) of untreated sewage each year. The bacterial load represented by this discharge directly contributed to more than 2,200 beach closings in the year 2000, numerous closing ...

Copper compounds have been used for centuries in marine antifoulants to inhibit biofouling. This anthropogenic copper is a potential problem in confined basins and in regions that experience limited mixing. In this research project, E Paint Company will explore the feasibility of developing novel self-polishing coatings that exploit natural methods of biofouling control to produce effective and ...

More than 70 percent of U.S. arsenic consumption¿representing approximately 37 million pounds of arsenic per year¿is used to produce chromated copper arsenate (CCA), a wood preservative. Weathered lumber in decks, docks, playground equipment, and garden construction can leach significant amounts of arsenic into soil and water, where it poses health risks to humans and animals. Effective Decemb ...

There has been an alarming increase in toxic cyanobacteria during the past 2 decades, with numerous poisonings reported from Australia to the United States. The increased toxic risks led the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to include cyanotoxins on the 1998 Contaminant Candidate List. However, most cyanobacterial blooms are not toxic. Further, bloom toxicity will change over time. T ...

The proposed research will demonstrate a diesel particulate matter (PM) exhaust aftertreatment technology that exceeds the performance of the catalyzed diesel particle filter (CDPF) technologies currently being tested by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Using a unique microwave-sensitive silicon carbide fiber filter cartridge, Industrial Ceramic Solutions¿ microwave-regenerated pa ...

To comply with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency¿s (EPA) directive of 10 ppb levels for arsenic in drinking water, there is an urgent need to develop new, simple, and effective treatment systems that can be qualified as best available technologies (BAT) to remove this toxic substance from water. Towards this goal, Materials Modification, Inc. (MMI) proposes to develop a novel arsenic-remo ...

Electronic waste (e-waste) is one of the most rapidly growing waste problems worldwide and has reached crisis proportions. The crisis relates not only to quantity, but also to the toxic nature of e-waste. Vast amounts of toxic materials such as lead, beryllium, mercury, cadmium, and brominated flame retardants are contained within the growing mountains of e-waste around the world. The United St ...

Current aircraft coating systems consist of a top coat, chromated primer, and conversion coating, and typically are used for a maximum of only 6 years due mainly to decreased top coat performance. The entire coating system is removed by sanding or media-blasting down to bare metal, and an entirely new coating system is reapplied. This is primarily done because no method for selectively stripping ...