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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 217 records · Page 12
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Beneficial Use Impairments, Degradation of Aesthetics, and Human Health: A Review

In environmental programs and blue/green space development, improving aesthetics is a common goal. There is broad interest in understanding the relationship between ecologically sound environments that people find aesthetically pleasing and human health. However, to date, few studies have adequately assessed this relationship, and no summaries or reviews of this line of research exist. Therefore, we undertook a systematic literature review to determine the state of science and identify critical needs to advance the field. Keywords identified from both aesthetics and loss of habitat literature were searched in PubMed and Web of Science databases. After full text screening, 19 studies were included in the review. Most of these studies examined some measure of greenspace/bluespace, primarily proximity. Only one study investigated the impacts of making space quality changes on a health metric. The studies identified for this review continue to support links between green space and various metrics of health, with additional evidence for blue space benefits on health. No studies to date adequately address questions surrounding the beneficial use impairment degradation of aesthetics and how improving either environmental quality (remediation) or ecological health (restoration) efforts have impacted the health of those communities.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1996

Engineering strategies for the design of plant nutrient delivery systems for use in space: approaches to countering microbiological contamination

Microbiological contamination of crops within space-based plant growth research chambers has been postulated as a potentially significant problem. Microbial infestations; fouling of Nutrient Delivery System (NDS) fluid loops; and the formation of biofilms have been suggested as the most obvious and important manifestations of the problem. Strict sanitation and quarantine procedures will reduce, but not eliminate, microbial species introduced into plant growth systems in space habitats. Microorganisms transported into space most likely will occur as surface contaminants on spacecraft components, equipment, the crew, and plant-propagative materials. Illustrations of the potential magnitude of the microbiological contamination issue will be drawn from the literature and from documentation of laboratory and commercial field experience. Engineering strategies for limiting contamination and for the development of countermeasures will be described. Microbiological control technologies and NDS hardware will be discussed. Configurations appropriate for microgravity research facilities, as well as anticipated bio-regenerative life support system implementations, will be explored. An efficiently designed NDS, capable of adequately meeting the environmental needs of crop plants in space, is considered to be critical in both the research and operational domains. Recommended experiments, tests, and technology developments, structured to allow the development of prudent engineering solutions also will be presented.

NASA Discipline Number 61-10↗
NASA NTRS1996

Volatile organic compounds detected in the atmosphere of NASA's Biomass Production Chamber

Atmospheres of enclosed environments in which 20 m2 stands of wheat, potato, and lettuce were grown were characterized and quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A large number (in excess of 90) of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were identified in the chambers. Twenty eight VOC's were assumed to be of biogenic origin for these were not found in the chamber atmosphere when air samples were analyzed in the absence of plants. Some of the compounds found were unique to a single crop. For example, only 35% of the biogenic compounds detected in the wheat atmosphere were unique to wheat, while 36% were unique to potato and 26% were unique to lettuce. The number of compounds detected in the wheat (20 compounds) atmosphere was greater than that of potato (11) and lettuce (15) and concentration levels of biogenic and non-biogenic VOC's were similar.

NASA Discipline Number 61-20↗
NASA NTRS1989

Potential utilization of algal protein concentrate as a food ingredient in space habitats

Green alga Scenedesmus obliquus was studied as one of the potential sources of macronutrients in a space habitat. Algal protein concentrate (70.5% protein) was incorporated into a variety of food products such as bran muffins, fettuccine (spinach noodle imitation) and chocolate chip cookies. Food products containing 20 to 40% of incorporated algal proteins were considered. In the sensory analysis the greenish color of the bran muffins and cookies was not found to be objectional. The mild spinachy flavor (algae flavor) was less detectable in chocolate chip cookies than in bran muffins. The color and taste of the algae noodles were found to be pleasant and compared well with commercially available spinach noodles. Commercially available spray-dried Spirulina algae was also incorporated so the products can be compared with those containing Scenedesmus obliquus concentrate. Food products containing commercial algae had a dark green color and a "burnt after taste" and were less acceptable to the panelists.

NASA Discipline Life Support Systems↗
DOE OSTI2020

Emerging Contaminants: Identification, Life Cycle, and Key Challenges - 20415

The term 'emerging contaminants' and its multiple variants has come to refer to previously overlooked compounds discovered in the environment which represent a potential threat to human and ecological receptors. These compounds may be discovered in the environment as new analytical techniques are developed and/or as new monitoring programs for drinking water and groundwater are implemented, while the threat to receptors may be realized through advances in understanding of toxicology and pathways to receptors. Emerging contaminants present unique and considerable challenges as demands to address them can outpace the understanding of their toxicity, their need for regulation, their occurrence, and techniques for treating the environmental media they affect. With these challenges in mind, this paper serves as a primer for understanding emerging contaminants. The paper will lay a foundation for understanding emerging contaminants through three key topics: 1. Who identifies emerging contaminants? An overview of the various stakeholder groups around the world working on identifying potential emerging contaminants and developing systems for screening potential candidates, prioritizing, and ultimately generating regulations will be provided. 2. How Chemicals Rise into Awareness as Emerging Contaminants. The process by which contaminants emerge through a cycle of awareness, characterization, management and regulation will be discussed. Current emerging contaminants will be discussed in the context of the life cycle: emerging contaminants where impacts to drinking water supplies are driving public awareness (e.g. per and polyfuoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and 1,4-dioxane), emerging contaminants impacted by changing regulatory standards or development and debate on toxicity (e.g., hexavalent chromium, 1,2,3-trichloropropane, trichloroethylene in vapor intrusion), and those with evolving understanding of impacts and usage (e.g., microplastics). 3. Key Challenges. Unique challenges associated with emerging contaminants, including visibility and public sensitivity, uncertainty and vulnerability, will be discussed. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Towards a program of record of inland water quality: Exploiting present and heritage multispectral sensors for maximum information extraction

Degradation of Earth’s inland water resources due to anthropogenic perturbations and climate anomalies at both local and global scales continues to place human health at substantial risk. There is now a growing necessity to develop pragmatic approaches that allow timely and effective extrapolation of local processes, to spatially resolved global products, and to promote operational and sustainable resource policy management. This research exploits recent advancements in bio-optical modeling, cloud computing, and machine learning to enhance our capacity to leverage present and heritage satellite data. Recent research suggests that sensors with low spectral resolution, such as Sentinel 2 and Landsat missions, contain enough hidden spectral variation which can be exploited using data-driven approaches. The availability of three decades of archival imagery will open doors to discover global trends of eutrophication and increased cyanobacteria dominance and provide valuable insight to the development of predictive methodologies. Preliminary efforts in synthetic emulation of global natural inland waters will be discussed and contextualized against satellite radiometric measurement uncertainty, satellite data product uncertainties and causal signal ambiguity over the visible wavelength range, supported by high quality field and image data for selected inland aquatic sites. Insights on water quality estimation via data-driven machine learning models versus matrix inversions will be discussed, and how we can exploit spectral-spatial relationships in high spatial resolution data. A cross-sensor synergistic approach with detailed uncertainty analysis based on optical water types, will allow for unprecedented global snapshots of fine scale ecological dynamics of inland waters.

Inland↗
NASA NTRS2012

NASA Ames DEVELOP Interns Collaborate with the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project to Monitor and Study Restoration Efforts using NASA's Satellites

In the past, natural tidal marshes in the south bay were segmented by levees and converted into ponds for use in salt production. In an effort to provide habitat for migratory birds and other native plants and animals, as well as to rebuild natural capital, the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project (SBSPRP) is focused on restoring a portion of the over 15,000 acres of wetlands in California's South San Francisco Bay. The process of restoration begins when a levee is breached; the bay water and sediment flow into the ponds and eventually restore natural tidal marshes. Since the spring of 2010 the NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) DEVELOP student internship program has collaborated with the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project (SBSPRP) to study the effects of these restoration efforts and to provide valuable information to assist in habitat management and ecological forecasting. All of the studies were based on remote sensing techniques -- NASA's area of expertise in the field of Earth Science, and used various analytical techniques such as predictive modeling, flora and fauna classification, and spectral detection, to name a few. Each study was conducted by a team of aspiring scientists as a part of the DEVELOP program at Ames.

Newcomer, Michelle E.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Multidecadal Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program assessing human impacts on aquatic ecosystems within the Oak Ridge Reservation in eastern Tennessee, USA

Human activities can be powerful drivers of ecosystem change within catchments. While most long-term catchment studies have been conducted at pristine sites, such studies are less common from sites more impacted by human activity. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program (BMAP) was developed in the mid-1980s to (1) assess compliance with environmental regulations, (2) identify causes of adverse ecological impacts, (3) provide data for human and ecological risk assessments, and (4) evaluate the effectiveness of remedial actions taken to mitigate the impacts of contaminants in soils, groundwater, and surface water by documenting ecological recovery on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), a federally owned 33,476-acre site in eastern Tennessee, USA, managed by the U.S. Department of Energy. The ORR is composed of multiple watersheds containing many small to mid-size streams. BMAP uses an integrated approach for determining stream health; its databases include long-term seasonal records of contaminant concentrations in water and biota, data from aquatic toxicity testing, and surveys of macroinvertebrate and fish assemblages from impacted and reference streams. These long-term data provide valuable records of degradation and recovery in catchment ecosystems. Our objective in this work is to describe our study system and data series in order to increase awareness of the availability of these long-term data to the catchment science community.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

East Tennessee Technology Park Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program (2023 Fiscal Year Report)

In FY 2023, the East Tennessee Technology Park’s (ETTP’s) Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program (BMAP) consisted of two tasks that reflected different but complementary approaches to evaluating the effects of ETTP effluents on the ecological integrity of waters near ETTP. These tasks included (1) fish and clams bioaccumulation monitoring and (2) fish and benthic macroinvertebrate species richness and density monitoring. The sampling and analysis requirements for the ETTP BMAP in FY 2023 are outlined in the sampling and analysis plan (UCOR 2023).

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2024

East Tennessee Technology Park Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program - 2024 Fiscal Year Report

In FY 2024, the East Tennessee Technology Park’s (ETTP’s) Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program (BMAP) consisted of two tasks that reflect different but complementary approaches to evaluating the effects of ETTP effluents on the ecological integrity of waters near ETTP. These tasks included (1) fish and clam bioaccumulation monitoring and (2) fish and benthic macroinvertebrate species richness and density monitoring. The sampling and analysis requirements for the ETTP BMAP in FY 2024 are outlined in the sampling and analysis plan (UCOR 2023).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

East Tennessee Technology Park Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program—2025 Fiscal Year Report

In FY 2025, the East Tennessee Technology Park’s (ETTP’s) Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program (BMAP) consisted of two tasks that reflect different but complementary approaches to evaluating the effects of ETTP effluents on the ecological integrity of waters near ETTP. These tasks included (1) fish and clam bioaccumulation monitoring and (2) fish and benthic macroinvertebrate species richness and density monitoring. The sampling and analysis requirements for the ETTP BMAP in FY 2025 are outlined in the sampling and analysis plan (UCOR 2024). Major sampling sites for the BMAP are shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1997

The Controlled Ecological Life Support System Antarctic Analog Project: Prototype Crop Production and Water Treatment System Performance

The Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) Antarctic Analog Project (CAAP), is a joint endeavor between the National Science Foundation, Office of Polar Programs (NSF-OPP) and the NASA. The fundamental objective is to develop, deploy, and operate a testbed of advanced life support technologies at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station that enable the objectives of both the NSF and NASA. The functions of food production, water purification, and waste treatment, recycle and reduction provided by CAAP will improve the quality of life for the South Pole inhabitants, reduce logistics dependence, enhance safety and minimize environmental impacts associated with human presence on the polar plateau. Because of the analogous technical, scientific, and mission features with Planetary missions such as a mission to Mars, CAAP provides NASA with a method for validating technologies and overall approaches to supporting humans. Prototype systems for sewage treatment, water recycle and crop production are being evaluated at Ames Research Center. The product water from sewage treatment using a Wiped-Film Rotating Disk is suitable for input to the crop production system. The crop production system has provided an enhanced level of performance compared with projected performance for plant-based life support: an approximate 50% increase in productivity per unit area, more than a 65% decrease in power for plant lighting, and more than a 75% decrease in the total power requirement to produce an equivalent mass of edible biomass.

Bubenheim, David L.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Integration of Biological, Physical/Chemical and Energy Efficient Systems in the CELSS Antarctic Analog: Performance of Prototype Systems and Issues for Life Support

The Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) Antarctic Analog Project (CAAP) is a joint endeavor between the National Science Foundation, Office of Polar Programs (NSF-OPP), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The fundamental objective is to develop, deploy, and operate a testbed of advanced life support technologies at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station that enable the objectives of both the NSF and NASA. The functions of food production, water purification, and waste treatment, recycle, and reduction provided by CAAP will improve the quality of life for the South Pole inhabitants, reduce logistics dependence, enhance safety, and minimize environmental impacts associated with human presence on the polar plateau. Because of the analogous technical, scientific, and mission features with Planetary missions, such as a mission to Mars, CAAP provides NASA with a method for validating technologies and overall approaches to supporting humans. Prototype systems for waste treatment, water recycle, resource recovery and crop production are being evaluated in a testbed at Ames Research Center. The combined performance of these biological and physical/chemical systems as an integrated function in support of the human habitat will be discussed. Overall system performance will be emphasized. The effectiveness and efficiency of component technologies will be discussed in the context of energy and mass flow within the system and contribution to achieving a mass and energy conservative system. Critical to the discussion are interfaces with habitat functions outside of the closed-loop life support: the ability of the system to satisfy the life support requirements of the habitat and the ability to define input requirements. The significance of analog functions in relation to future Mars habitats will be discussed.

Bubenheim, David L.↗
NASA NTRS2019

2018 NISAR Applications Workshop: Agriculture and Soil Moisture

Agricultural lands cover the globe and play an essential role in not only sustaining a growing global population, but can have significant implications on the Earth system through land use change (e.g., deforestation, grazing, etc.). As such, countries around the world have dedicated programs for managing these lands. Accurate and timely information concerning the status of agricultural crops (soil moisture, crop health, crop type, etc.) is essential to those nations’ anthropogenic and ecological health as well as economy. The joint NASA/US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) workshop focused on advancing agriculture and soil moisture applications by using remote sensing data from the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission (expected launch 2022). Participants included representatives from the international agriculture community that are key players in facilitating integration of Earth Observations into decision support workflows including US Federal Agencies, nonprofits, and private sector. They included scientists, technicians, and program managers with a responsibility for data acquisition and exploitation such as product development, delivery, and use, as well as capacity building. Discussions were held over two and a half days to convey the broader agriculture and soil moisture community information needs, the mission and procedures for various representative participants and programs involved in the delivery of geospatial products, and the capabilities and status of the NISAR mission. Case studies were presented to demonstrate the current state of practice in the use of SAR remote sensing for applications of direct importance for the agriculture and soil moisture communities. Eleven organizations presented their information requirements in response to a set of questions provided by the NASA team, then the NASA team responded by describing the degree to which NISAR could meet these requirements. Discussion ensued about needed data product specifications to increase utility (e.g., projection, latency, etc.), tools and capacity building.

Stavros, Natasha↗
DOE OSTI2020

Achieving the End State for the Pahute Mesa Corrective Action Units at the Nevada National Security Site - 20355

Underground nuclear testing at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) ended in 1992. To address the impact of radionuclide contamination from underground nuclear testing on the groundwater resources of Nevada, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Environmental Management (EM) Nevada Program created the Underground Test Area (UGTA) activity to characterize the radionuclides in groundwater, understand the nature and extent of radionuclide migration, and forecast the distribution of radionuclides in groundwater for 1,000 years. The UGTA activity is regulated by the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO), an agreement negotiated between the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP), DOE, and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). DOE is close to achieving the end state (closure in place with monitoring and institutional control) for three of the five UGTA corrective action units (CAUs) on the NNSS. A number of challenges remain to achieve the end state of the other two CAUs, both located on Pahute Mesa. Pahute Mesa was the location of 82 underground nuclear tests, less than 10% of the total number of tests on the NNSS. Yet, Pahute Mesa contains slightly more than 60% of the total radionuclides (in curies). Based on groundwater sampling in monitoring wells, two radionuclide plumes have migrated several kilometers (km) in groundwater from selected test cavities and have crossed the boundary of the NNSS (yet remain within the boundaries of Federally controlled land). The path to achieve the end state continues to evolve as more data are collected and a better understanding of radionuclide migration in groundwater is developed. DOE has invested in drilling and sampling more than 50 characterization and monitoring groundwater wells over the past 25 years. The data indicate that the primary radionuclide of concern is tritium as it is about 89% of the total radionuclide inventory (in curies). As well, only tritium has been measured in groundwater outside of cavities at concentrations exceeding the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) standard. For one of the tritium plumes that has migrated across the NNSS boundary, the average rate of migration has been measured as about 45 meters (m) per year with the rate of migration at the leading edge of the plume of about 85 meters per year. At that rate of migration, the tritium plume will decay to safe levels and not reach the publicly accessible environment at concentrations above the SDWA standard. Other radionuclides, at concentrations below the SDWA standards, will be monitored to ensure they remain at safe levels. Consequently, the end state path forward for Pahute Mesa has evolved to take full advantage of the data from the monitoring network to constrain uncertainty in model forecasts and to reduce reliance on probabilistic simulations. The focus of the end state approach relies on developing a monitoring well network that is protective of human health by increasing confidence that no radionuclide plume in the groundwater will migrate undetected to the accessible environment, located about 22 km from the nearest up-gradient underground nuclear test. Using the measured data to remove uncertainty, the evaluation of radionuclide migration from Pahute Mesa is directed toward meeting the goals of the end state. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
NASA NTRS2020

Costa Rica & Panama Ecological Forecasting II: Identifying Current and Future Areas of Environmental Concern in La Amistad International Park to Inform Resource Management

Seven percent of all scientifically known life forms lie within the 202,230 square miles of Central America, making this area ecologically unique and increasing the need for environmental management. The Mesoamerican Biological Corridor forms a conservation partnership throughout Central America to establish a forested corridor of over 600 protected areas. Although conservation programs exist, deforestation still afflicts the area, putting strain on these diverse ecosystems. La Amistad International Park in southern Costa Rica and northern Panama in particular faces conflicting land use changes. Expanding agricultural development and urbanization, combined with concern over indigenous land rights, have raised questions about the implementation of sustainability goals and communication strategies within the region. To help address these issues, the NASA DEVELOP Costa Rica & Panama Ecological Forecasting II team continued a partnership with the Ministry of Environment and Energy in Costa Rica and the National Environmental Authority in Panama. The team created a Land Use Conflict Identification Strategy (LUCIS) model based on land cover maps for 2019 and 2029 that were created in term I using imagery from Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI). With partner input, the team applied weights to different objectives and combined suitability maps to identify areas of potential biodiversity conflict. Additionally, the team created a Short-term Forest Change (SFTC) Tool using Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, Landsat 8 OLI, and Sentinel-2 Multispectral Instrument to help the partners identify areas of immediate, major forest changes. The LUCIS model indicated higher agricultural growth when compared to the ecological category.

Ecological Forecasting↗
NASA NTRS2020

Costa Rica & Panama Ecological Forecasting II: Identifying Current and Future Areas of Environmental Concern in La Amistad International Park to Inform Resource Management

Seven percent of all scientifically known life forms lie within the 202,230 square miles of Central America, making this area ecologically unique and increasing the need for environmental management. The Mesoamerican Biological Corridor forms a conservation partnership throughout Central America to establish a forested corridor of over 600 protected areas. Although conservation programs exist, deforestation still afflicts the area, putting strain on these diverse ecosystems. La Amistad International Park in southern Costa Rica and northern Panama in particular faces conflicting land use changes. Expanding agricultural development and urbanization, combined with concern over indigenous land rights, have raised questions about the implementation of sustainability goals and communication strategies within the region. To help address these issues, the NASA DEVELOP Costa Rica & Panama Ecological Forecasting II team continued a partnership with the Ministry of Environment and Energy in Costa Rica and the National Environmental Authority in Panama. The team created a Land Use Conflict Identification Strategy (LUCIS) model based on land cover maps for 2019 and 2029 that were created in term I using imagery from Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI). With partner input, the team applied weights to different objectives and combined suitability maps to identify areas of potential biodiversity conflict. Additionally, the team created a Short-term Forest Change (SFTC) Tool using Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, Landsat 8 OLI, and Sentinel-2 Multispectral Instrument to help the partners identify areas of immediate, major forest changes. The LUCIS model indicated higher agricultural growth when compared to the ecological category.

Ecological Forecasting↗