Meeroff, Daniel E.

Landfills receive odor complaints from local residents potentially resulting in
legal ramifications and decreasing quality of life of the neighboring communities.
However, analytical technologies to objectively measure odors in the field that will
reflect human odor perceptions at a reasonable price do not currently exist. Hydrogen
sulfide (H2S) is detectable by humans at low odor thresholds and may be one of the main
nuisance odors emanating from landfills. For the first time, hOBPIIa complexed with 1-
AMA has been used to detect H2S concentrations by spectrofluorometry. The optimal
ratio of hOPBIIa-to-1-AMA was determined to be approximately 1:1. A strong linear
regression model was generated to predict H2S concentrations from peak fluorescent
emission intensity measurements within a range of 0-8.3 g of H2S. A novel
experimental exposure chamber prototype was developed that has the potential to be
incorporated into a portable sensor because it is compact.

Methanol additives used in fracking fluids are harmful
to both the environment and to public health. This
is because methanol is a hazardous air pollutant and
can contaminate the groundwater. The EPA estimates
32.5 tons of methanol is released into the environment
each year. The aim of this study is to test the
removal efficiency of methanol additives from fracking
fluids using advanced oxidation technology with
hydrogen peroxide and ultraviolet energy instead of
more expensive methods such as flash evaporation.
The first experiment tested different dilutions of water
and methanol (30-1000 ppm) with five percent hydrogen
peroxide. Then, the samples were exposed to
ultraviolet radiation for several time periods ranging
from 30 seconds to 15 minutes. Results showed 97.3%
or higher removal at 20 minutes. Continued research
in this field will allow for fracking wastewater to be
treated effectively, so that it is safe to discharge into
the environment.

One of the factors recognized as affecting the dispersion of landfill odors off-site
are complex meteorological conditions. A major issue is lack of consistent means to
identify the odors and their intensity. The aim of this research was to investigate the
influence of meteorological parameters (temperature, humidity, pressure, wind direction,
wind speed, precipitation accumulation and weather conditions) on the frequency of odor
complaints from nearby neighborhoods. Methods involved collection of ten years of data
on odor complaints and weather conditions to determine if there were commonalities.
Sophisticated statistical analyses employed did not reveal any relationships between odor
complaints and weather alone. Need for substantial improvement of detailed information
is recognized. To help identify the factors that influence odor complaints- a revised odor
complaint form, along with operational adjustments, were recommended. An “Odor Threat Assessment Level” is proposed to assist landfill site personnel in managing daily
operations, based on weather conditions.

Calcium carbonate precipitation and formation of clog particles inside the leachate
collection pipe can cause catastrophic failures in landfill operation. This study focuses on
quantifying the effectiveness of electronic scale control to reduce the clog formation within
the pipe network. A field scale model (40ft × 20ft) was constructed, featuring side-by-side
flow of electronically treated and untreated composite leachate. Data obtained in the first
phase of this study indicate that electronic scale control system does not have any
statistically significant effect on water quality parameters. The second phase of this study
identified calcite (CaCO3) to be the predominant phase present in the precipitates using
XRD/XRF diffraction pattern analyzed through a search match calculation program
(MATCH! Version 3.2.0) which concur with the previous studies. Furthermore, Rietveld
refinement using FullProf Suite confirms that there were no differences between the treated
and untreated precipitate based on the phases identified in the respective samples.

The Solid Waste Authority (SWA) of Palm Beach County collects leachate from its landfill in a gravity pipe leachate collection system (LCS), which is experiencing clogging due to calcium carbonate scale. An investigation was conducted to determine the solids composition and provide engineering solutions to this challenge.
During testing, it was found that aerated leachate produced foam, which after vibration and evaporation, formed crystalline solids similar to those found in the SWA LCS. The following tests were conducted to determine the water quality of the leachate and the properties of the solids: pH, turbidity, chemical reactivity, biological growth, surface characteristics, and microscopic analysis.
After five days of evaporation, the solids collected in all samples represented 46-47% of the leachate’s initial weight. On visual observation, the leachate remnants left both a crystalline and a dark slimy solid, with larger particles in the aerated samples, a possible source of the clogging.

Construction workers are exposed to fine particulate inhalation hazards during stucco removal. The ultimate goal of this research is to test a new chemical-assisted method that will reduce workers’ exposures to safer levels. To that end, the minimum specimen size must be determined that will replicate this hazardous work environment. Samples of concrete stucco surfacing material (CSSM) of various sizes ranging from 1-in×1-in. to 8-in.×16-in. were applied to masonry blocks. These specimens were tested to determine the minimum size needed to produce 150-mg/m3 (one order of magnitude larger than the OSHA exposure limit of 15-mg/m3) of airborne particulate in a 1-m3 test chamber when removed with a chipping hammer. Testing results revealed that 5-in.× 5-in. specimen size yielded on average 180-mg/m3 of particulates.

This thesis was about finding a recovery method for TiO2, using a TiO2 recovery technology, which was high enough to be economical ($10 - $15 per 1,000 gallons) to be adopted by wastewater treatment plants. When comparing recovery technologies, the top three which were investigated further through experimentation were a centrifuge, sedimentation tank, and microfilter membrane. Upon experimentation and research, the TiO2 recovery efficiencies of these technologies were 99.5%, 92.5%, and 96.3%, respectively. When doing economic analysis on these technologies comparing TiO2 efficiencies and capital and operational costs, the centrifuge was the most preferred economic option. Also, its cost did were in the economical range ($10 - $15/1,000 gallons) which makes even this technology economical. Besides that, important and valuable information about TiO2: settling behavior, particle size and zeta potential, interactions with COD, and filter operations (particle characterization) were discovered for future research and future testing on this issue.

The objective of this research was to determine if mature landfill leachate could be treated to a level so that it was safe to discharge to the environment. The treatment method was an Advanced Oxidation Process. The process utilized Titanium Dioxide and UV. Three different reactor types were used, falling film, flow through and falling film + Electron Magnetic Oxygen Hydrogen (EMOH). To improve removal pre-treatment with titanium dioxide settling were conducted in conjunction with treatment in a reactor. The best removal was obtained with pre-treatment with titanium dioxide settling, followed by the falling film + EMOH reactor. In 8 hours, removal was 63% for COD, 53% for ammonia, 73% for alkalinity and 98% for calcium hardness. The kinetics found in this experiment show that full treatment times for safe discharge vary between contaminates. For complete removal of all tested contaminates to safe discharge regulations requires 185 hour of treatment.