Water

Biodegradation of a renewable surfactant in the class of C-glycosides by a mixed bacterial culture, isolated from New Haven water treatment plant was studied. Approximately 90% of the compound was degraded within 20 days leading to formation and further degradation of a metabolite. Liquid Chromatography-Mass spectrometry and Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance (FT-ICR)-Mass Spectrometry were employed to obtain the accurate mass and fragmentation pattern of the metabolite. NMR spectroscopy was done on the metabolite, which was isolated from the biodegradation broth using Liquid Chromatography techniques. Simultaneous processing of NMR and mass spectrometry data was done and the structure was tentatively elucidated. Experiments are in progress to isolate more of this metabolite in order to do carbon NMR. This research leads toward an insight into potential biotransformation pathway of C-glycoside compounds in the environment.

This project brings together students, faculty, citizens, and local, state and federal policy-makers in partnership to meet four aims: 1) critical review of current green infrastructure knowledge and implementation; 2) place-based characterization of hydrologic/nitrogen cycling by and socio-economic function of green infrastructure (south-, central- and northeastern urban seaboard); 3) GIS-supported geospatial optimization of hydrologic/nitrogen cycles by varying location of green infrastructure practices; 4) development of decision-support and policy recommendations for best-practice in green infrastructure investment.

Appropriate water reclamation and reuse practices are critical due to increasing water scarcity, concerns about the effect of wastewater discharges on receiving water, and availability of high-performing and cost-effective water reuse technologies.  However, incorporation of water reuse schemes into water/wastewater infrastructure systems is a complex decision-making process, involving various economical, technological, and environmental criteria.  System dynamics allows modeling of complex systems and provides information about the feedback behavior of the system.  We are applying our comprehensive system dynamics model of water/wastewater systems to various cities’ scenarios to determine potential for water reuse.

Literature from both academic and public sources is considered in order to provide a holistic perspective.  There are many tools available for stormwater management, but there is little evidence of systematic design processess and outcomes due to the lack of 1) large-scale environmental performace data; 2) cost-effectiveness studies that include life cycle costs; and 30 pricin and policy structures that engage broader stakeholders.  We presented a decision process based on systems thinking and show where current literature meets decision-making needs, where research gaps exist, and how research needs should be prioritized to support sustainable stormwater infrastructure implementation.  We are aslo starting data collection and model development of hydrology in the city of New Haven to test best management practices in model setting.

Major results from this life cycle analysis research have shown that new stormwater infrastructures can significantly improve water quality and aquatic ecosystem health, but at the cost of added resource consumption and elevated GHG emissions and human toxicity impacts during the infrastructures’ construction, operation, and maintenance phases. Given the impacts of climate change, infrastructures with larger treatment capacity and higher resiliency are needed in order to effectively alleviate the impacts associated with more intense, more frequent stormwater events.  Also, improvement in infrastructure design and engineering (e.g. using low-impact or recycled materials or enhancing treatment efficiency) can largely offset the extra environmental impacts caused by the need of infrastructure upsizing. Reducing land imperviousness is an effective substitute to building new stormwater infrastructures. Finally, results have also shown, the assessment and implementation of integrated stormwater infrastructure systems and integrated wastewater and stormwater management can better assist decision makings with tradeoff dilemmas.  

Major results from this life cycle analysis research have shown that new stormwater infrastructures can significantly improve water quality and aquatic ecosystem health, but at the cost of added resource consumption and elevated GHG emissions and human toxicity impacts during the infrastructures’ construction, operation, and maintenance phases. Given the impacts of climate change, infrastructures with larger treatment capacity and higher resiliency are needed in order to effectively alleviate the impacts associated with more intense, more frequent stormwater events.  Also, improvement in infrastructure design and engineering (e.g. using low-impact or recycled materials or enhancing treatment efficiency) can largely offset the extra environmental impacts caused by the need of infrastructure upsizing. Reducing land imperviousness is an effective substitute to building new stormwater infrastructures. Finally, results have also shown, the assessment and implementation of integrated stormwater infrastructure systems and integrated wastewater and stormwater management can better assist decision makings with tradeoff dilemmas.