Texas A&M University Enrichment Experiences in Engineering 2009

1. Texas A&M University Enrichment Experiences in Engineering 2009 Kamilah Warren MacArthur High School Aldine ISD *Dr. Bryan Boulanger* Texas A&M Civil Engineering Department

2. Education Undergraduate in Civil Engineering Master’s in Environmental Engineering PhD in Environmental Engineering Family Man Married in 2000 to Paula and now has three boys( Liam(5), Alden(3), and Neilan(1)). Dr. Boulanger

3. Part of his research is split between the developed world and the developing world. Developed –research looking at the fate and movements of contaminants in and through the environment. Developing –research in the relationship between sanitation, potable water, energy, and health. Other research projects include making Biodiesel and working with NASA to pre-treat urine for wastewater recovery. Research

4. Pranav Nagarnaik, PhD Student, Texas A&M, Environmental Engineering Program Education: M.S. Chemical Engineering, Syracuse University, 2007 B.S. Chemical Engineering, Nagpur University, 2005 Research Area: Environmental sources of pharmaceuticals and EDCs, treatment of healthcare facility wastewaters Ishan Desai, M.S. Student, Texas A&M, Environmental Engineering Program Education: B.Tech. Chemical Engineering National Institute of Technology of Surat, 2007 Research Area: Nano-metal oxide particle reactivity and surface adsorptivity Yousuf Jamal, Fulbright Scholar, M.S. student, Texas A&M, Environmental Engineering Program Education: M.S. E-Business Hamdard University, Karachi, Pakistan, 2001 B.Sc. Chem. Engg, Inst. of Chem. Engg & Tech, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan, 1998 Research Area: Biofuels from waste materials Dr. Boulanger's Research Students

5. Pranav’s Research Environmental sources of pharmaceuticals and EDCs, treatment of healthcare facility wastewaters.

6. Background In the US there are approximately 5,750 hospitals, 16,100 nursing homes, and 39,500 assisted living, and 1,900 continuing care retirement facilities. Question- what is the quantity of pharmacitiles that ends up in wastewater from these facilities?

7. Aims of the Research 1) Source characterization evaluating healthcare facilities as a source of PPCP’s to municipal sewer system. 2) Investigate chemical oxidation as a pre-treatment technology to reduce pharmaceuticals in water.

8. Ishan’s Research • Nano-metal oxide particle reactivity and surface adsorptivity.

9. Background • The impact of all forms of mercury on the human body is well documented. • Mercury can result in brain and kidney damage; can significantly affect fetal growth during pregnancy; cause cardiovascular symptoms. • The release of mercury into the environment are due to • Mobilization of naturally occurring mercury • Human activities causing release of mercury into the environment mainly by burning fossil fuels. • Re-mobilization of deposited mercury in soil, sediments, and water.

10. Background Continued…… Methyl mercury can bioaccumulation within tissues as tropic levels increase resulting in a greater biological impact.

11. Why Nano? Nanotechnology is the engineering and art of manipulating matter at the nanoscale (1-100nm). There is a growing need to create a low cost, durable, and more effective option for the removal of mercury from water. Nanotechnology has the ability to remove mercury from contaminated water and wastewater quickly and effectively at a low cost. Nanotechnology also gives you more surface area for reactivity with mercury.

12. Objectives of the Research Objective 1) Evaluate commercial nanoparticles for their ability to remove mercury from contaminated water samples. Objective 2) Create a novel nanoparticle to increase mercury removal observed by commercial nanoparticles.

13. Yousuf’s Research Biofuels from waste materials Biofuels are a promising solution to society’s quest for sustainable energy.  In the transportation sector, biodiesel is the leading alternative diesel fuel currently in use today.

14. Background While the use of biodiesel in the US is on the rise, as in Europe, the current rate of US biodiesel supply does not meet existing US diesel demand. The total requirement of transportation diesel fuel in US as of 2007 was 53 billion gallons .

15. Background Continued….. Currently, biodiesel production only produces enough biodiesel to supply 0.67% percent of diesel requirement (358 million gallons). According to the US Energy Information Administration, by 2030 US biodiesel production is expected to rise up to 1.2 billion gallons, but that will make up only 1.5 % of projected US diesel demand consumed in 2030. The number of diesel cars in the US is increasing and is expected to reach 11% of the domestic market by 2010. In order to increase future demand while also increasing the amount of diesel vehicles, the US market is currently attempting to double its biodiesel production.

16. Why Biodiesel? Current use of edible oils for biodiesel production presents problems to the sustainability of biodiesel as an alternative fuel because of the large environmental burdens of chemical agriculture. Therefore, use of alternative feed stocks for biodiesel production is required and new methods of production need to be evaluated and initiated. Many alternative feed stocks are waste streams of significant volume. Oils derived from algae fed the green fraction of municipal solid waste or biosolids, in particular, have the volume of realizable oils that if turned into biodiesel could approach US demand.

17. Potters for Peace Projectand Ron Rivera These ‘pots’ are forms of low-cost water treatment that can be used anywhere in the world to prevent needless deaths and poor health. These pots have proven to be from 98% - 100% effective at removing bacteria and viruses from water.

18. Since 2007, the Texas A&M University Water Project has been linking individuals in the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Culture with those in the Center for Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Civil Engineering to produce and distribute ceramic water filters. People involved Oscar Munoz – deputy director of The Colonias Program in the Center of Housing and Urban Devoplment at Texas A&M. Dr. Stephen Carpenter – associate professor of Art Education and Visual Culture at Texas A&M Dr. Bryan Boulanger – assistant professor in the Department of Civil Engineering as Texas A&M. Texas A&M students clean water for tx

19. Why the Colonias? • There are approximately 2,300 communities along the 1,434-mile Texas border in 14 counties contiguous to the Rio Grande.” In the colonias, more than half a million people live without running water in their homes or proper sewage.

20. More Work to be Done Even though the current ceramic filters do remove up to 98% of bacteria and viruses it does not remove harmful metals from drinking water such are arsenic and mercury. Therefore we are working to create a filter at the bottom of the bucket that can remove these metals.

21. NASA ResearchUrine Pretreatment for Wastewater Recovery

22. Research Jullianna Camacho and Texas A&M undergraduates Protect hardware and plumbing system from clogging with solid precipitation and biofilm formation.

23. Research Continued…… The current pretreatment method utilizes Oxone which is toxic and therefore not good for astronauts or reclamation system. Objective: to identify a non-toxic pretreatment alternative that is compatible with a distillation based water reclamation system. Objective: Determine % water recovery at proposed operating conditions

24. More work to be done • Disinfection of water: How do we disinfect water in space. • Research is being done with UV light because it rearranges DNA

25. Summary • The research presented above will help make the world a better place and even help man someday be able to live in space.

26. Classroom Ideas • Have students build their own water treatment system. • Have them explore the chemistry taking place at every level. • Relate real-world applications and why water treatment systems are so important.

27. Acknowledgements Thanks to Dr. Boulanger and his students Pravan, Ishan, Yousuf, and Jullianna for all they are doing and passing on the knowledge. Texas A&M University E3 program for this awesome opportunity. National Science Foundation for their financial support.