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At least 217 records · Page 12

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NASA NTRS2007

Sampling and Chemical Analysis of Potable Water for ISS Expeditions 12 and 13

The crews of Expeditions 12 and 13 aboard the International Space Station (ISS) continued to rely on potable water from two different sources, regenerated humidity condensate and Russian ground-supplied water. The Space Shuttle launched twice during the 12- months spanning both expeditions and docked with the ISS for delivery of hardware and supplies. However, no Shuttle potable water was transferred to the station during either of these missions. The chemical quality of the ISS onboard potable water supplies was verified by performing ground analyses of archival water samples at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) Water and Food Analytical Laboratory (WAFAL). Since no Shuttle flights launched during Expedition 12 and there was restricted return volume on the Russian Soyuz vehicle, only one chemical archive potable water sample was collected with U.S. hardware and returned during Expedition 12. This sample was collected in March 2006 and returned on Soyuz 11. The number and sensitivity of the chemical analyses performed on this sample were limited due to low sample volume. Shuttle flights STS-121 (ULF1.1) and STS-115 (12A) docked with the ISS in July and September of 2006, respectively. These flights returned to Earth with eight chemical archive potable water samples that were collected with U.S. hardware during Expedition 13. The average collected volume increased for these samples, allowing full chemical characterization to be performed. This paper presents a discussion of the results from chemical analyses performed on Expeditions 12 and 13 archive potable water samples. In addition to the results from the U.S. samples analyzed, results from pre-flight samples of Russian potable water delivered to the ISS on Progress vehicles and in-flight samples collected with Russian hardware during Expeditions 12 and 13 and analyzed at JSC are also discussed.

Straub, John E. II↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Testing and validation of the microbial environment of the NASA rodent spaceflight habitat water delivery system.

Sterilized, deionized water within a closed, self-sufficient system has been used in NASA spaceflight rodent studies for several decades. Within the specialized spaceflight rodent habitat, water is delivered through a compression spring-loaded bag system to maintain positive pressure. Refill of the drinking water occurs every 30 days by direct transfer of potable water from aboard the International Space Station (ISS). This enables long term use without a weekly water change out, which meets spaceflight requirements, but contrasts with the general guidelines for the sanitation of water delivery systems. Even though the water is iodinated to minimize microbial growth, rodents are fed a special diet of high moisture nutrient-rich food bars based on the AIN-93 diet that may contribute to microbial growth in this water system. We designed a ground study to assess the quality of drinking water that is given to rodents throughout a mission. We conducted the ground test using 20 female C57BL/6J mice housed in this specialized habitat to mimic the timeline of a 90-day mission as well as the environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, and pCO2) within the ISS. We used a novel sampling method to test water at 2-week intervals for the 90-days, and also after each 30-day refill of the water delivery system. Mice in standard vivarium cages with water bottles were also included for comparison to the habitat. The results showed that overall microbial load remained close to zero for the duration, while total organic compound concentrations increased from 1370g/L to 10650g/L over the course of 90 days but remained below the level of concern. Inorganic ions and pH were also found to be at acceptable levels. Overall, we conclude that this system is effective in delivering clean, potable water to rodents for the 90-day duration of current missions to the ISS.

water↗

DOE OSTI2024

gcamfaostat: An R package to prepare, process, and synthesize FAOSTAT data for global agroeconomic and multisector dynamic modeling

The gcamfaostat R package is designed for the preparation, processing, and synthesis of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Statistics (FAOSTAT) agroeconomic data. The primary purpose is to facilitate FAOSTAT data use in global economic and multisector dynamic models while ensuring transparency, traceability, and reproducibility. Here, we provide an overview of the development of gcamfaostat (v1.0) and demonstrate its capabilities in generating and maintaining agroeconomic data required for the Global Change Analysis Model (GCAM). Our initiative seeks to enhance the quality and accessibility of data for the global agroeconomic modeling community, with the aim of fostering more robust and harmonized outcomes in a collaborative, efficient, and open-source framework. One of the important features of the package is the possibility to construct the FAO Food Balance Sheets at the disaggregated commodity level (with over 500 commodities), which provides a comprehensive and detailed data input for a variety of analytical and modeling applications. The processed data and visualizations offered by gcamfaostat can also be valuable to a broader audience interested in gaining insights into the intricacies of global agriculture.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

DOE OSTI2022

Carbonate Composite Sorbents: A Novel Technology for Biogas Upgrading

With no signs of slowing, global warming and resource consumption continue to rise. Biogas has been shown to be a reliable renewable energy source in tandem to natural gas. Biogas is naturally sourced as a byproduct from dairy and food waste plants and can be upgraded to biomethane as an alternative to natural gas. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has developed carbonate composite sorbents which yield pipeline quality biomethane and cost less than traditional biogas upgrading technologies (e.g., water/chemical scrubbing, pressure swing adsorption). Laboratory-scale experiments using biogas and the composite sorbents resulted in absorption of 0.62 mol of CO 2 per kilogram of material, methane purity of >99% and an energy demand of <0.1 MJ/Nm 3 . The team is currently working on scaling up the production of the composite sorbent to kilogram quantities and to operate a small-scale pilot at a partnered test facility. To ensure market competitiveness, the team is currently working on improving the CO 2 loading capacity of the composite sorbent by optimizing the powder to polymer ratio and developing a confined coaxial powder extrusion method.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2023

Gas and Propane Combustion from Stoves Emits Benzene and Increases Indoor Air Pollution

Exposure pathways to the carcinogen benzene are well-established from tobacco smoke, oil and gas development, refining, gasoline pumping, and gasoline and diesel combustion. Combustion has also been linked to the formation of nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and formaldehyde indoors from gas stoves. To our knowledge, however, no research has quantified the formation of benzene indoors from gas combustion by stoves. Across 87 homes in California and Colorado, natural gas and propane combustion emitted detectable and repeatable levels of benzene that in some homes raised indoor benzene concentrations above well-established health benchmarks. Mean benzene emissions from gas and propane burners on high and ovens set to 350 °F ranged from 2.8 to 6.5 μg min –1 , 10 to 25 times higher than emissions from electric coil and radiant alternatives; neither induction stoves nor the food being cooked emitted detectable benzene. Benzene produced by gas and propane stoves also migrated throughout homes, in some cases elevating bedroom benzene concentrations above chronic health benchmarks for hours after the stove was turned off. Combustion of gas and propane from stoves may be a substantial benzene exposure pathway and can reduce indoor air quality.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2021

Sanitary Waste Landfill Effects on an Invasive Wild Pig Population

Being opportunistic omnivores, wild pigs (Sus scrofa) readily feed on edible garbage. Given the presence of substantial volumes of edible food waste, large multi-county and regional municipal sanitary waste landfills constitute attractive forage resources for pigs, providing a year-round anthropogenic source of potentially high-quality forage. Our objective was to assess the effects that a large regional landfill has on the local pigs foraging in that facility's waste disposal cells. The landfill, located on the United States Department of Energy's Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina, USA, became operational in 1998 and pigs began foraging there in 2001. By 2009 >100 pigs/night were observed foraging in the landfill, suggesting landfill establishment may have important consequences for population dynamics, public safety, and disease transmission. We evaluated changes in body mass, fetal litter size, numbers of pigs removed, and wild pig-vehicle collisions (WPVCs) before (1980–2000) and after (2001–2019) pigs began foraging in the landfill on SRS. Body mass during the after period increased to a greater extent for pigs in the vicinity of the landfill compared to pigs on the rest of SRS. Fetal litter size increased for pigs in the vicinity of the landfill, whereas it remained unchanged on the rest of SRS. Our density surrogate (number of pigs harvested) increased around the landfill during the after period by 2.9 times, whereas on the rest of the site it only increased by 53%. No WPVCs occurred adjacent to the landfill before 2001, but WPVCs increased along the 2 major roads bordering the landfill after 2001. Effects of sanitary waste landfills on wild pig populations scavenging there can present unique challenges to population management, control, public safety, and disease transmission. Potential approaches to address these challenges could be exclusion fencing to prevent access to the landfill's waste disposal cells or enhanced placement of waste cell covers to reduce access.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Evaluating the Impact of Agricultural Soil NOx Emissions on Air Quality Using Advanced Satellite, Ground-based, and Model Data

Soil moisture can also influence the concentration of atmospheric trace gases by moderating the emission of nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2) from agricultural fields. Human activities can play an important role in controlling the available soil moisture depending on irrigation demand and agricultural management. To further complicate matters, nitrogen fertilizer use has also been found to be a significant source of NOx emissions in agricultural areas. In fact, some of the highest emissions have been reported from fertilized soils in high-temperature agricultural regions, such as the Imperial Valley of California. Since NO2 is an important precursor to ozone formation in the troposphere, which is a leading cause of premature death in humans, it is critical to understand how natural and anthropogenic factors contribute to NOx emissions in these areas. O3 pollution is also a growing threat to global food security due to its detrimental impacts on crop production. This work uses a suite of satellite, ground-based, and model data to investigate how agricultural soil NOx emissions from natural (rainfall) and anthropogenic factors (irrigation, nitrogen fertilizer) govern air quality over California. We evaluate the capabilities of using SMAP retrievals and SMAP Land Information System (LIS) output for monitoring irrigation activities over the major agricultural areas of California by conducting intensive analyses of soil moisture and precipitation data. High-resolution trace gas observations from the new generation TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) sensor are used to characterize and monitor the variability of trace gases and air quality conditions associated with soil NOx emissions. We also synthesize satellite, ground-based, and agriculture data to estimate the separate contributions from rainfall, irrigation, and nitrogen fertilizer practices on soil NOx emissions and associated air quality conditions. Finally, unprecedented hourly trace gas retrievals from the NASA Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) geostationary satellite sensor are used to monitor the diurnal evolution of NO2 and O3 concentrations from soil NOx emissions.

Aaron R Naeger↗

NASA NTRS1993

The application of total quality management principles to spacecraft mission operations

By now, the philosophies of Total Quality Management have had an impact on every aspect of American industrial life. The trail-blazing work of Deming, Juran, and Crosby, first implemented in Japan, has 're-migrated' across the Pacific and now plays a growing role in America's management culture. While initially considered suited only for a manufacturing environment, TQM has moved rapidly into the 'service' areas of offices, sales forces, and even fast-food restaurants. The next logical step has also been taken - TQM has found its way into virtually all departments of the Federal Government, including NASA. Because of this widespread success, it seems fair to ask whether this new discipline is directly applicable to the profession of spacecraft operations. The results of quality emphasis on OAO Corporation's contract at JPL provide strong support for Total Quality Management as a useful tool in spacecraft operations.

Sweetin, Maury↗

NASA NTRS2002

In-Vessel Composting of Simulated Long-Term Missions Space-Related Solid Wastes

Reduction and stabilization of solid wastes generated during space missions is a major concern for the Advanced Life Support - Resource Recovery program at the NASA, Kennedy Space Center. Solid wastes provide substrates for pathogen proliferation, produce strong odor, and increase storage requirements during space missions. A five periods experiment was conducted to evaluate the Space Operation Bioconverter (SOB), an in vessel composting system, as a biological processing technology to reduce and stabilize simulated long-term missions space related solid-wastes (SRSW). For all periods, SRSW were sorted into components with fast (FBD) and slow (SBD) biodegradability. Uneaten food and plastic were used as a major FBD and SBD components, respectively. Compost temperature (C), CO2 production (%), mass reduction (%), and final pH were utilized as criteria to determine compost quality. In period 1, SOB was loaded with a 55% FBD: 45% SBD mixture and was allowed to compost for 7 days. An eleven day second composting period was conducted loading the SOB with 45% pre-composted SRSW and 55% FBD. Period 3 and 4 evaluated the use of styrofoam as a bulking agent and the substitution of regular by degradable plastic on the composting characteristics of SRSW, respectively. The use of ceramic as a bulking agent and the relationship between initial FBD mass and heat production was investigated in period 5. Composting SRSW resulted in an acidic fermentation with a minor increase in compost temperature, low CO2 production, and slightly mass reduction. Addition of styrofoam as a bulking agent and substitution of regular by biodegradable plastic improved the composting characteristics of SRSW, as evidenced by higher pH, CO2 production, compost temperature and mass reduction. Ceramic as a bulking agent and increase the initial FBD mass (4.4 kg) did not improve the composting process. In summary, the SOB is a potential biological technology for reduction and stabilization of mission space-related solid wastes. However, the success of the composting process may depend of the physical characteristics (particle size, porosity, structure, texture) of the SBD components which would require pre-processing of solid wastes before placing them in the SOB.

Rodriguez-Carias, Abner A.↗

NASA NTRS2009

ISS Expeditions 16 & 17: Chemical Analysis Results for Potable Water

During the twelve month span of Expeditions 16 and 17 beginning October of 2007, the chemical quality of the potable water onboard the International Space Station (ISS) was verified safe for crew consumption through the return and chemical analysis of water samples by the Water and Food Analytical Laboratory (WAFAL) at Johnson Space Center (JSC). Reclaimed cabin humidity condensate and Russian ground-supplied water were the principle sources of potable water and for the first time, European groundsupplied water was also available. Although water was transferred from Shuttle to ISS during Expeditions 16 and 17, no Shuttle potable water was consumed during this timeframe. A total of 12 potable water samples were collected using U.S. hardware during Expeditions 16 and 17 and returned on Shuttle flights 1E (STS122), 1JA (STS123), and 1J (STS124). The average sample volume was sufficient for complete chemical characterization to be performed. The results of JSC chemical analyses of these potable water samples are presented in this paper. The WAFAL also received potable water samples for analysis from the Russian side collected inflight with Russian hardware, as well as preflight samples of Rodnik potable water delivered to ISS on Russian Progress vehicles 28 to 30. Analytical results for these additional potable water samples are also reported and discussed herein. Although the potable water supplies available during Expeditions 16 and 17 were judged safe for crew consumption, a recent trending of elevated silver levels in the SVOZV water is a concern for longterm consumption and efforts are being made to lower these levels.

Straub, John E., II↗

NASA NTRS2014

International Space Station Potable Water Characterization for 2013

In this post-construction, operational phase of International Space Station (ISS) with an ever-increasing emphasis on its use as a test-bed for future exploration missions, the ISS crews continue to rely on water reclamation systems for the majority of their water needs. The onboard water supplies include US Segment potable water from humidity condensate and urine, Russian Segment potable water from condensate, and ground-supplied potable water, as reserve. In 2013, the cargo returned on the Soyuz 32-35 flights included archival potable water samples collected from Expeditions 34-37. The Water and Food Analytical Laboratory at the NASA Johnson Space Center continued its long-standing role of performing chemical analyses on ISS return water samples to verify compliance with potable water quality specifications. This paper presents and discusses the analytical results for potable water samples returned from Expeditions 34-37, including a comparison to ISS quality standards. During the summer of 2013, the U.S. Segment potable water experienced an anticipated temporary rise and fall in total organic carbon (TOC) content, as the result of organic contamination breaking through the water system's treatment process. Analytical results for the Expedition 36 archival samples returned on Soyuz 34 confirmed that dimethylsilanediol was once again the responsible contaminant, just as it was for comparable TOC rises in 2010 and 2012. Discussion herein includes the use of the in-flight Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) as a key monitoring tool for tracking these TOC rises and scheduling appropriate remediation action.

Straub, John E. II↗

DOE OSTI2024

Challenges in the Use of AI-Driven Non-Destructive Spectroscopic Tools for Rapid Food Analysis

Routine, remote, and process analysis for foodstuffs is gaining attention and can provide more confidence for the food supply chain. A new generation of rapid methods is emerging both in the literature and in industry based on spectroscopy coupled with AI-driven modelling methods. Current published studies using these advanced methods are plagued by weaknesses, including sample size, abuse of advanced modelling techniques, and the process of validation for both the acquisition method and modelling. This paper aims to give a comprehensive overview of the analytical challenges faced in research and industrial settings where screening analysis is performed while providing practical solutions in the form of guidelines for a range of scenarios. After extended literature analysis, we conclude that there is no easy way to enhance the accuracy of the methods by using state-of-the-art modelling methods and the key remains that capturing good quality raw data from authentic samples in sufficient volume is very important along with robust validation. A comprehensive methodology involving suitable analytical techniques and interpretive modelling methods needs to be considered under a tailored experimental design whenever conducting rapid food analysis.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2022

The quality of organic amendments affects soil microbiome and nitrogen-cycling bacteria in an organic farming system

Organic amendments are applied in organic farming systems to provide nutrients for crop uptake and to improve soil health. Compost is often favored over fresh manure for food safety reasons, while fresh manure can be a valuable source of readily available nitrogen (N). However, the potential for fresh versus composted manure to differentially affect soil microbial and N-cycling functional communities over multiple seasons remains unknown. We compared the effect of composted vs. fresh cattle manure on soil microbial communities using taxonomic and functional approaches. Soils were collected from field plots with three organic N treatments: control (no amendment), composted manure (compost, 224 kg/ha total N), and fresh manure (manure, 224 kg/ha total N) in an organic production system. Illumina amplicon sequencing was used to comprehensively assess the bacterial community (16S rRNA genes), fungal community (ITS), ureolytic community ( ureC ), chitinolytic community ( chiA ), bacterial ammonia oxidizers (AOB amoA ), and nitrite oxidizers ( Nitrospira nxrB ). The results showed that both compost and manure treatment significantly changed the soil microbial communities. Manure had a stronger effect than compost on soil bacterial and fungal community composition, as well as on the ureolytic and chitinolytic communities, while compost treated soils had higher microbial richness than manure treated soils. Both taxonomic and functional approaches showed that the microbial community was more responsive to fresh manure than to compost. Manure treated soil also had more complex microbial interactions than compost treated soil. The abundance and community composition of N-cycling functional groups often played more limited roles than soil chemical properties (soil organic carbon, extractable organic carbon, and pH) in driving N-cycling processes. Results from our study may guide strategies for the management of organic amendments in organic farming systems and provide insights into the linkages between soil microbial communities and soil function.

Ouyang, Yang↗

DOE OSTI2022

Improving Dose-Optimization Processes Used in Oncology Drug Development to Minimize Toxicity and Maximize Benefit to Patients

This review highlights strategies to integrate dose optimization into premarketing drug development and discusses the underlying statistical principles. Poor dose optimization can have negative consequences for patients, most commonly because of toxicity, including poor quality of life, reduced effectiveness because of inability of patients to stay on current therapy or receive subsequent therapy because of toxicities, and difficulty in developing combination regimens. We reviewed US Food and Drug Administration initial approvals (2019-2021) of small molecules and antibody-drug conjugates for oncologic indications to determine the proportion with a recommended dosage at the maximum tolerated dose or the maximal administered dose, to characterize the use of randomized evaluations of multiple dosages in dose selection, to describe the frequency of dose modifications at the recommended dosage, and to identify case examples that highlight key principles for premarket dose optimization during drug development. Herein, we highlight major principles for dose optimization and review examples of recent US Food and Drug Administration approvals that illustrate how investigation of dose- and exposure-response relationships and use of randomized dose trials can support dose optimization. Although there has been some progress, dose optimization through randomized dose evaluation in oncology trials is not routinely conducted. Dose optimization is essential to ensure that patients receive therapies which maximize efficacy while minimizing toxicity.

Oncology↗

NASA NTRS2008

Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) Potable Water System Verification Description

Peterson, Laurie↗

NASA NTRS2009

Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) Potable Water System Verification Description

The Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), also known as Orion, will ferry a crew of up to six astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), or a crew of up to four astronauts to the moon. The first launch of CEV is scheduled for approximately 2014. A stored water system on the CEV will supply the crew with potable water for various purposes: drinking and food rehydration, hygiene, medical needs, sublimation, and various contingency situations. The current baseline biocide for the stored water system is ionic silver, similar in composition to the biocide used to maintain quality of the water transferred from the Orbiter to the ISS and stored in Contingency Water Containers (CWCs). In the CEV water system, the ionic silver biocide is expected to be depleted from solution due to ionic silver plating onto the surfaces of the materials within the CEV water system, thus negating its effectiveness as a biocide. Since the biocide depletion is expected to occur within a short amount of time after loading the water into the CEV water tanks at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), an additional microbial control is a 0.1 micron point of use filter that will be used at the outlet of the Potable Water Dispenser (PWD). Because this may be the first time NASA is considering a stored water system for longterm missions that does not maintain a residual biocide, a team of experts in materials compatibility, biofilms and point of use filters, surface treatment and coatings, and biocides has been created to pinpoint concerns and perform testing to help alleviate those concerns related to the CEV water system. Results from the test plans laid out in the paper presented to SAE last year (Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) Potable Water System Verification Coordination, 2008012083) will be detailed in this paper. Additionally, recommendations for the CEV verification will be described for risk mitigation in meeting the physicochemical and microbiological requirements on the CEV PWS.

Peterson, Laurie↗

NASA NTRS2010

ISS Expeditions 16 through 20: Chemical Analysis Results for Potable Water

During the 2-year span from Expedition 16 through Expedition 20, the chemical quality of the potable water onboard the International Space Station (ISS) was verified safe for crew consumption through the return and chemical analysis of archival water samples by the Water and Food Analytical Laboratory (WAFAL) at Johnson Space Center (JSC). Reclaimed cabin humidity condensate and Russian ground-supplied water were the principal sources of potable water for Expeditions 16 through 18. During Expedition 18 the U.S. water processor assembly was delivered, installed, and tested during a 90-day checkout period. Beginning with Expedition 19, U.S. potable water recovered from a combined waste stream of humidity condensate and pretreated urine was also available for ISS crew use. A total of 74 potable water samples were collected using U.S. sampling hardware during Expeditions 16 through 20 and returned on both Shuttle and Soyuz vehicles. The results of JSC chemical analyses of these ISS potable water samples are presented in this paper. Eight potable water samples collected in flight with Russian hardware were also received for analysis, as well as 5 preflight samples of Rodnik potable water delivered to ISS on Russian Progress vehicles 28 to 34. Analytical results for these additional potable water samples are also reported and discussed.

Straub, John E., II↗

NASA NTRS2010

Crew Exploration Vehicle Potable Water System Verification Description

A stored water system on the crew exploration vehicle (CEV) will supply the crew with potable water for: drinking and food rehydration, hygiene, medical needs, sublimation, and various contingency situations. The current baseline biocide for the stored water system is ionic silver, similar in composition to the biocide used to maintain the quality of the water, transferred from the orbiter to the International Space Station, stored in contingency water containers. In the CEV water system, a depletion of the ionic silver biocide is expected due to ionic silver-plating onto the surfaces of materials within the CEV water system, thus negating its effectiveness as a biocide. Because this may be the first time NASA is considering a stored water system for long-term missions that do not maintain a residual biocide, a team of experts in materials compatibility, biofilms and point-of-use filters, surface treatment and coatings, and biocides has been created to pinpoint concerns and perform the testing that will help alleviate concerns related to the CEV water system.

Tuan, George↗