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NASA NTRS1981

General description and operation of the agro-environmental system: Crop management modeling

Input for a data management system to provide farmers with information to improve crop management practices in Virginia requires monitoring of control crops at field stations, crop surveys derived from remotely sensed aircraft data, meteorological data from synchronous satellites, and details of local agricultural conditions. Presently models are under development for determining pest problems, water balance in the soil, stages of plant maturity, and optimum planting date. The status of the Cerospora leafspot model for peanut crop management is considered. Other models under development planned relate to Cylindtocladium Blackrot and Sclerotinia blight of peanuts, cyst nematode (Globerdena solanacearum) of tobacco, and red crown rot of soybeans. A software for program for estimating precipitation and solar radiation on a statewise basis is also being developed.

Gross, E.↗

DOE OSTI2013

Boston Architectural College Urban Sustainability Initiative

The Boston Architectural College's Urban Sustainability initiative is a demonstration project as defined by the National Energy Technology Laboratory. BAC's proposed project with the U.S. Department of Energy - NETL, is a large part of that overall initiative. The BAC's Urban Sustainability Initiative is a multi-part project with several important goals and objectives that will have a significant impact on the surrounding neighborhood including: energy conservation, reduction of storm water runoff, generation of power through alternative energy sources, elimination/reduction of BAC carbon footprint, and to create a vehicle for ongoing public outreach and education. Education and outreach opportunities will serve to add to the already comprehensive Sustainability Design courses offered at BAC relative to energy savings, performance and conservation in building design. At the finish of these essential capital projects there will be technical materials created for the education of the design, sustainability, engineering, community development and historic preservation communities, to inform a new generation of environmentally-minded designers and practitioners, the city of Boston and the general public. The purpose of the initiative, through our green renovations program, is to develop our green alley projects and energy saving renovations to the BAC physical plant, to serve as a working model for energy efficient design in enclosed 19th century and 20th century urban sites and as an educational laboratory for teaching ecological and sustainable technologies to students and the public while creating jobs. The scope of our project as it relates to the BAC and the U.S. Department of Energy- NETL combined efforts includes: Task I of the project is Phase II (Green Alley). Task I encompasses various renovation activities that will demonstrate the effectiveness of permeable paving and ground water recharge systems. It will aid in the reduction of storm water runoff into the Charles River Basin in one of its most significantly polluted sections and, will provide a green renovation mechanism for the redirected storm water of a public alley way. This activity is designed to improve the quality of water recharging the ground water and protecting the vulnerable wood pilings under many of the historic masonry buildings in Boston's Back Bay. Sustainable design research and system monitoring opportunities will also be incorporated, providing ongoing tools for public outreach and education through innovative signage and "virtual tour" technology. The monitoring will include a "building performance dash board" that reflects real time operating conditions and improvements in environmental and economic performance to be prominently displayed on the face of our 320 Newbury Street building (approximately 1.5 million people walk by annually). The project site and demonstration area is located at the rear of 951 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02115 and the parking area adjacent to Public Alley #444 in Boston's historic Back Bay. Task II of the project is Geothermal Solution. This task involves the installation of approximately seven Geothermal wells which will tap into the earth's constant underground temperatures to provide air-conditioning and heating for BAC facilities. The environmentally friendly geothermal system uses no fossil fuel, produces no emissions and runs silently, providing a sustainable model for commercial and residential buildings throughout Boston. Ultimately the combination of this project and other projects will assist in making the BAC "carbon-neutral", and could generate enough additional energy to provide free power to the Engine 33 and Ladder 15 Firehouse located at 941 Boylston Street. The project is located at the rear of 951 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02115 and the parking area adjacent to Public Alley #444 in Boston's historic Back Bay. Task III of the project is the Sustainability Design Curriculum at the BAC. The BAC is the nation’s largest independent, multi-disciplinary college of spatial design, and a leader in sustainable design education. The Sustainabiltiy Design program, in particular, focuses on energy efficiency,energy performance, energy modeling, energy and air quality principles, green building, renewable energy alternatives and much more. Additionally, the Urban Sustainability Initiative has an objective of providing courses relative to the BAC's demonstration project with DOE, the project’s period of performance activities, subsequent performance data and anticipated sustainability teaching tools. In keeping with BAC's practice based curriculum, students have been involved in the discussion and planning of this project since its inception and sustainability issues have become a part of other programs throughout the college as well. Students will continue to benefit from this hands-on learning opportunity. The project is located at 320 Newbury Street Boston, MA 02115. Task IV of the project is Program Management and Reporting. This task will involve BAC's oversight and general management of the entire project including subcontract administration, contracts administration, technical and financial reporting, design and renovation assistance, other deliverables in accordance with the Federal Assistance reporting Checklist and other contractual obligations and provisions.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2015

Temporal Characterization of Hydrates System Dynamics beneath Seafloor Mounds. Integrating Time-Lapse Electrical Resistivity Methods and In Situ Observations of Multiple Oceanographic Parameters

This study was designed to investigate temporal variations in hydrate system dynamics by measuring changes in volumes of hydrate beneath hydrate-bearing mounds on the continental slope of the northern Gulf of Mexico, the landward extreme of hydrate occurrence in this region. Direct Current Resistivity (DCR) measurements were made contemporaneously with measurements of oceanographic parameters at Woolsey Mound, a carbonate-hydrate complex on the mid-continental slope, where formation and dissociation of hydrates are most vulnerable to variations in oceanographic parameters affected by climate change, and where changes in hydrate stability can readily translate to loss of seafloor stability, impacts to benthic ecosystems, and venting of greenhouse gases to the water-column, and eventually, the atmosphere. We focused our study on hydrate within seafloor mounds because the structurally-focused methane flux at these sites likely causes hydrate formation and dissociation processes to occur at higher rates than at sites where the methane flux is less concentrated and we wanted to maximize our chances of witnessing association/dissociation of hydrates. We selected a particularly well-studied hydrate-bearing seafloor mound near the landward extent of the hydrate stability zone, Woolsey Mound (MC118). This mid-slope site has been studied extensively and the project was able to leverage considerable resources from the team’s research experience at MC118. The site exhibits seafloor features associated with gas expulsion, hydrates have been documented at the seafloor, and changes in the outcropping hydrates have been documented, photographically, to have occurred over a period of months. We conducted observatory-based, in situ measurements to 1) characterize, geophysically, the sub-bottom distribution of hydrate and its temporal variability, and 2) contemporaneously record relevant environmental parameters (temperature, pressure, salinity, turbidity, bottom currents) to detect short-term changes within the hydrates system, identify relationships/impacts of local oceanographic parameters on the hydrates system, and improve our understanding of how seafloor instability is affected by hydrates-driven changes. A 2009 DCR survey of MC118 demonstrated that we could image resistivity anomalies to a depth of 75m below the seafloor in water depths of 1km. We reconfigured this system to operate autonomously on the seafloor in a pre-programmed mode, for periods of months. We designed and built a novel seafloor lander and deployment capability that would allow us to investigate the seafloor at potential deployment sites and deploy instruments only when conditions met our criteria. This lander held the DCR system, controlling computers, and battery power supply, as well as instruments to record oceanographic parameters. During the first of two cruises to the study site, we conducted resistivity surveying, selected a monitoring site, and deployed the instrumented lander and DCR, centered on what appeared to be the most active locations within the site, programmed to collect a DCR profile, weekly. After a 4.5-month residence on the seafloor, the team recovered all equipment. Unfortunately, several equipment failures occurred prior to recovery of the instrument packages. Prior to the failures, however, two resistivity profiles were collected together with oceanographic data. Results show, unequivocally, that significant changes can occur in both hydrate volume and distribution during time periods as brief as one week. Occurrences appear to be controlled by both deep and near-surface structure. Results have been integrated with seismic data from the area and show correspondence in space of hydrate and structures, including faults and gas chimneys.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

NASA NTRS2006

Planned Environmental Microbiology Aspects of Future Lunar and Mars Missions

With the establishment of the Constellation Program, NASA has initiated efforts designed similar to the Apollo Program to return to the moon and subsequently travel to Mars. Early lunar sorties will take 4 crewmembers to the moon for 4 to 7 days. Later missions will increase in duration up to 6 months as a lunar habitat is constructed. These missions and vehicle designs are the forerunners of further missions destined for human exploration of Mars. Throughout the planning and design process, lessons learned from the International Space Station (ISS) and past programs will be implemented toward future exploration goals. The standards and requirements for these missions will vary depending on life support systems, mission duration, crew activities, and payloads. From a microbiological perspective, preventative measures will remain the primary techniques to mitigate microbial risk. Thus, most of the effort will focus on stringent preflight monitoring requirements and engineering controls designed into the vehicle, such as HEPA air filters. Due to volume constraints in the CEV, in-flight monitoring will be limited for short-duration missions to the measurement of biocide concentration for water potability. Once long-duration habitation begins on the lunar surface, a more extensive environmental monitoring plan will be initiated. However, limited in-flight volume constraints and the inability to return samples to Earth will increase the need for crew capabilities in determining the nature of contamination problems and method of remediation. In addition, limited shelf life of current monitoring hardware consumables and limited capabilities to dispose of biohazardous trash will drive flight hardware toward non-culture based methodologies, such as hardware that rapidly distinguishes biotic versus abiotic surface contamination. As missions progress to Mars, environmental systems will depend heavily on regeneration of air and water and biological waste remediation and regeneration systems, increasing the need for environmental monitoring. Almost complete crew autonomy will be needed for assessment and remediation of contamination problems. Cabin capacity will be limited; thus, current methods of microbial monitoring will be inadequate. Future methodology must limit consumables, and these consumables must have a shelf life of over three years. In summary, missions to the moon and Mars will require a practical design that prudently uses available resources to mitigate microbial risk to the crew.

Ott, C. Mark↗

NASA NTRS2010

Life Support and Habitation Systems: Crew Support and Protection for Human Exploration Missions Beyond Low Earth Orbit

Life Support and Habitation Systems (LSHS) is one of 10 Foundational Domains as part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration s proposed Enabling Technology Development and Demonstration (ETDD) Program. LSHS will develop and mature technologies to sustain life on long duration human missions beyond Low Earth Orbit that are reliable, have minimal logistics supply and increase self-sufficiency. For long duration exploration missions, further closure of life support systems is paramount, including focus on key technologies for atmosphere revitalization, water recovery, waste management, thermal control and crew accommodation that recover additional consumable mass, reduce requirements for power, volume, heat rejection, crew involvement, and which have increased reliability and capability. Other areas of focus include technologies for radiation protection, environmental monitoring and fire protection. Beyond LEO, return to Earth will be constrained. The potability of recycled water and purity of regenerated air must be measured and certified aboard the spacecraft. Missions must be able to recover from fire events through early detection, use of non-toxic suppression agents, and operation of recovery systems that protect on-board Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) hardware. Without the protection of the Earth s geomagnetic field, missions beyond LEO must have improved radiation shielding and dosimetry, as well as warning systems to protect the crew against solar particle events. This paper will describe plans for the new LSHS Foundational Domain and mission factors that will shape its technology development portfolio.

Barta, Daniel J.↗

DOE OSTI2015

Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) Environmental Remediation Using EPA's Model Evaluation Guidance to Move to Closure - 15588

The National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office (NNSA/NFO) has adapted the Environmental Protection Agency's guidance on environmental model evaluation as a framework for evaluating corrective action investigation models. Model evaluation is an important confidence building activity, which is needed to support closure of the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) Corrective Action Units (CAUs) associated with underground nuclear testing. Through this process, site-investigation models of groundwater flow and contaminant transport are reviewed and compared to new site-specific data to determine if the results can be used to support regulatory decisions required for closure and to achieve NNSA/NFO site management objectives. The regulatory decisions include identifying and establishing CAU regulatory boundaries; identifying institutional controls, including use-restriction boundaries; and developing a long-term closure monitoring program. A successful case study from Frenchman Flat, Nevada is used to illustrate the model evaluation process. Groundwater flow and transport from two of the 10 underground nuclear tests in Frenchman Flat had the largest potential for contaminating groundwater, and were selected for evaluation. Wells were drilled, logged, hydraulically tested, sampled, and analyzed for radionuclides and the data was evaluated with respect to previous site conceptualization and numerical model results. The approach and results of this process as applied to the PIN STRIPE test and how it helped build confidence to close the Frenchman Flat CAU is described in this case study. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2019

Mercury Remediation in Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Successes and Remaining Challenges

Mercury remediation is a high priority for the US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Environmental Management program in Oak Ridge, Tennessee because of large historical losses of mercury to the environment, and the potential health risks to humans and wildlife primarily through fish consumption. Remedial solutions for mercury contaminated aquatic systems are limited – many aquatic systems have diffuse sources of mercury (Hg) and depending on the environmental conditions, these low concentrations of inorganic Hg can result in fish consumption advisories due to the production of the more toxic methylmercury (MeHg) and its bioaccumulation and biomagnification. From the 1980s to the present, long-term monitoring of mercury concentrations in water and fish downstream of DOE facilities in Oak Ridge have provided an opportunity to assess the performance and effectiveness of various remedial and abatement actions to address mercury. Early actions in the mid-1980s focused on pollution control that positively affected mercury discharges to one local stream, including consolidation and elimination of untreated discharges, sanitary sewer relining, the construction of a pollution control facility, and the replacement of a contaminated settling basin. The 1990s were an intensive period of facility remedial actions designed to improve stream water quality and reduce mercury discharges. Actions included dechlorinating cooling water discharges, an additional phase of storm sewer relining, the addition of flow from a nearby reservoir, the addition of two small-scale mercury treatment systems, the bypass of stream flow around the settling basin, and the removal of high mercury-contaminated floodplain soils. Because of these multiple remedial actions total mercury concentrations in receiving streams decreased significantly; however, mercury concentrations in fish did not respond commensurately and remain a challenge to the present day. Although the mercury remedial strategy in Oak Ridge will continue to focus in the near-term on upstream facility source reduction, recent research suggests that understanding mercury transport, methylation, and bioaccumulation processes in the downstream environment is essential to reducing mercury fish concentrations. Since 2014, mercury remediation research and technology development activities have been underway to develop potential remedial solutions for the downstream environment, including use of sorbents to control soil leaching and the potential use of chemical or biological manipulations. The Oak Ridge mercury remediation story is a valuable case study for flowing systems that can inform our national-level understanding of potential mercury cleanup actions and their likely environmental response.

Peterson, Mark J.↗

NASA NTRS2021

Developing a Hydrological Monitoring and Sub-Seasonal to Seasonal Forecasting System for South and Southeast Asian River Basins

South and Southeast Asia is subject to significant hydrometeorological extremes, including drought. Under rising temperatures, growing populations, and an apparent weakening of the South Asian monsoon in recent decades, concerns regarding drought and its potential impacts on water and food security are on the rise. Reliable sub-seasonal to seasonal (S2S) hydrological forecasts could, in principle, help governments and international organizations to better assess risk and act in the face of an oncoming drought. Here, we leverage recent improvements in S2S meteorological forecasts and the growing power of Earth Observations to provide more accurate monitoring of hydrological states for forecast initialization. Information from both sources is merged in a South and Southeast Asia sub-seasonal to seasonal hydrological forecasting system (SAHFS-S2S), developed collaboratively with the NASA SERVIR program and end-users across the region. This system applies the Noah-MultiParameterization (NoahMP) Land Surface Model (LSM) in the NASA Land Information System (LIS), driven by downscaled meteorological fields from the Global Data Assimilation System (GDAS) and Climate Hazards InfraRed Precipitation products (CHIRP and CHIRPS) to optimize initial conditions. The NASA Goddard Earth Observing System Model - sub-seasonal to seasonal (GEOS-S2S) forecasts, downscaled using the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) General Analog Regression Downscaling (GARD) tool and quantile mapping, are then applied to drive 5-km resolution hydrological forecasts to a 9-month forecast time horizon. Results show that the skillful predictions of root zone soil moisture can be made one to two months in advance for forecasts initialized in rainy seasons and up to 8 months when initialized in dry seasons. The memory of accurate initial conditions can positively contribute to forecast skills throughout the entire 9-month prediction period in areas with limited precipitation. This SAHFS-S2S has been operationalized at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) to support drought monitoring and warning needs in the region.

Yifan Zhou↗

DOE OSTI2019

Mercury Remediation in Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Successes and Remaining Challenges - 19390

Mercury remediation is a high priority for the US Department of Energy's (DoE's) Environmental Management program in Oak Ridge, Tennessee because of large historical losses of mercury to the environment, and the potential health risks to humans and wildlife primarily through fish consumption. Remedial solutions for mercury contaminated aquatic systems are limited - many aquatic systems have diffuse sources of mercury (Hg) and depending on the environmental conditions, these low concentrations of inorganic Hg can result in fish consumption advisories due to the production of the more toxic methylmercury (MeHg) and its bioaccumulation and biomagnification. From the 1980's to the present, long-term monitoring of mercury concentrations in water and fish downstream of DOE facilities in Oak Ridge have provided an opportunity to assess the performance and effectiveness of various remedial and abatement actions to address mercury. Early actions in the mid-1980's focused on pollution control that positively affected mercury discharges to one local stream, including consolidation and elimination of untreated discharges, sanitary sewer relining, the construction of a pollution control facility, and the replacement of a contaminated settling basin. The 1990's were an intensive period of facility remedial actions designed to improve stream water quality and reduce mercury discharges. Actions included dechlorinating cooling water discharges, an additional phase of storm sewer relining, the addition of flow from a nearby reservoir, the addition of two small-scale mercury treatment systems, the bypass of stream flow around the settling basin, and the removal of high mercury-contaminated floodplain soils. Because of these multiple remedial actions total mercury concentrations in receiving streams decreased significantly; however, mercury concentrations in fish did not respond commensurately and remain a challenge to the present day. Although the mercury remedial strategy in Oak Ridge will continue to focus in the near-term on upstream facility source reduction, recent research suggests that understanding mercury transport, methylation, and bioaccumulation processes in the downstream environment is essential to reducing mercury fish concentrations. Since 2014, mercury remediation research and technology development activities have been underway to develop potential remedial solutions for the downstream environment, including use of sorbents to control soil leaching and the potential use of chemical or biological manipulations. The Oak Ridge mercury remediation story is a valuable case study for flowing systems that can inform our national-level understanding of potential mercury cleanup actions and their likely environmental response. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2017

A preliminary investigation of water usage behavior in single-family homes

As regional drought conditions continue deteriorating around the world, residential water use has been brought into the built environment spotlight. Nevertheless, the understanding of water use behavior in residential buildings is still limited. In this paper, we present data analytics and results from monitoring data of daily water use (DWU) in 50 single-family homes in Texas, USA. The results show the typical frequency distribution curve of the DWU per household and indicate personal income, education level and energy use of appliances all have statistically significant effects on the DWU per capita. Analysis of the water-intensive use demonstrates the residents tend to use more water in post-vacation days. In conclusion, these results help generate awareness of water use behavior in homes. Ultimately, this research could support policy makers to establish a water use baseline and inform water conservation programs.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

DOE OSTI2014

Evaluating Domestic Hot Water Distribution System Options with Validated Analysis Models

A developing body of work is forming that collects data on domestic hot water consumption, water use behaviors, and energy efficiency of various distribution systems. Transient System Simulation Tool (TRNSYS) is a full distribution system developed that has been validated using field monitoring data and then exercised in a number of climates to understand climate impact on performance. In this study, the Building America team built upon previous analysis modeling work to evaluate differing distribution systems and the sensitivities of water heating energy and water use efficiency to variations of climate, load, distribution type, insulation and compact plumbing practices. Overall, 124 different TRNSYS models were simulated. The results of this work are useful in informing future development of water heating best practices guides as well as more accurate (and simulation time efficient) distribution models for annual whole house simulation programs.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

DOE OSTI2014

Calendar Year 2013 Annual Groundwater Monitoring Report

Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico (SNL/NM) is a government-owned/contractoroperated laboratory. Sandia Corporation (Sandia), a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, manages and operates SNL/NM for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The DOE/NNSA Sandia Field Office administers the contract and oversees contractor operations at the site. Sandia conducts two types of groundwater surveillance monitoring at SNL/NM: (1) on a site-wide basis as part of the SNL/NM Long-Term Stewardship (LTS) Program’s Groundwater Monitoring Program (GMP) Groundwater Surveillance Task and (2) as site-specific groundwater monitoring at LTS/Environmental Restoration (ER) Operations sites with ongoing groundwater investigations. This Annual Groundwater Monitoring Report documents the results of the groundwater monitoring activities at SNL/NM for Calendar Year (CY) 2013. This report has been prepared to meet the environmental reporting requirements for the CY 2013 Annual Site Environmental Report, providing an annual update of groundwater data to regulators, stakeholders, and outside agencies. In addition, it serves as a valuable tool to inform the public about the groundwater quality at SNL/NM. This report includes both water quality sampling results and water level measurements.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2016

Towards catchment classification in data-scarce regions

Assessing spatial variation in hydrologic processes can help to inform freshwater management and advance ecological understanding, yet many areas lack sufficient flow records on which to base classifications. Seeking to address this challenge, we apply concepts developed in data-rich settings to public, global data in order to demonstrate a broadly replicable approach to characterizing hydrologic variation. The proposed approach groups the basins associated with reaches in a river network according to key environmental drivers of hydrologic conditions. This initial study examines Colorado (USA), where long-term streamflow records permit comparison to previously distinguished flow regime types, and the Republic of Ecuador, where data limitations preclude such analysis. The flow regime types assigned to gages in Colorado corresponded reasonably well to the classes distinguished from environmental features. The divisions in Ecuador reflected major known biophysical gradients while also providing a higher resolution supplement to an existing depiction of freshwater ecoregions. Although freshwater policy and management decisions occur amidst uncertainty and imperfect knowledge, this classification framework offers a rigorous and transferrable means to distinguish catchments in data-scarce regions. The maps and attributes of the resulting ecohydrologic classes offer a departure point for additional study and data collection programs such as the placement of stations in under-monitored classes, and the divisions may serve as a preliminary template with which to structure conservation efforts such as environmental flow assessments.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗

NASA NTRS2020

Area South of K7-516, SWMU 100 Operations, Maintenance, and Monitoring Report Kennedy Space Center, Florida

This Operations, Maintenance, and Monitoring Report documents groundwater interim measure activities from March 30, 2019 through December 31, 2019 at the Area South of K7-516 site located at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida. An air sparge (AS) system consisting of 16 AS wells was installed along the Barge Canal in 2012 to be protective of the Outstanding Florida Waters (OFW). The AS system was expanded in 2015 by installing 40 AS wells to remediate the hot spot (HS) area. Additional expansion activities were performed in 2018 through the installation of eight additional AS wells along the Barge Canal. Currently 24 OFW and 40 HS AS wells are in operation. This report includes performance monitoring events for the OFW and HS areas, along with an annual Interim Groundwater Monitoring (IGWM) event in the Western Area. The 516S site has been designated Solid Waste Management Unit 100 under KSC’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Corrective Action program. This document was prepared by Tetra Tech, Inc., for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity Contract 80KSC019D0011/80KSC019F0068. The OFW and HS AS systems are meeting the performance criteria and IM objectives of preventing contaminant migration and remediating groundwater within the treatment zone. Team consensus was reached to continue operation of the combined OFW and HS AS systems (Meeting Minute 2002-M02, Decisions 2002-D06, D09 and D04). Team consensus was also reached to continue semi-annual OFW performance monitoring and annual monitoring for the IGWM Western Area for the same wells sampled during 2019 events. In the eastern area, MW13, MW14, and MW15 will be reduced from semi-annual to annual frequency. For the HS Area, team consensus was reached to continue the current annual/biennial monitoring program (Meeting Minute 2002-M02, Decisions 2002-D02, D03, D05, D07 and D08).

Patrice L. Lehocky↗

NASA NTRS2023

Fire Station #1 Area, SWMU 116 Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Site Assessment Progress Report Kennedy Space Center, Florida

This Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Site Assessment (SA) Progress Report (SAPR) discusses the investigation activities and findings for the Fire Station #1 (FS1) Area (formerly known as Fire Station #4) located at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida (Figure 1-1). This site has been designated Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU) 116 under KSC’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action Program. This PFAS SA is being managed under SWMU 116 as the fire station was identified as a potential source of PFAS to the environment. This PFAS SAPR was prepared by Tetra Tech, Inc., for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity Contract 80KSC019D0011-80KSC019F0070. This is the first progress report to document on-going SA activities; supplemental progress reports will be provided as additional data is collected. During the SA, a total of six soil, 48 groundwater direct push technology (DPT), eight groundwater monitoring well, and one surface water sample were collected between October 2021 and March 2022. The samples were analyzed for 28 PFAS compounds using the Department of Defense Quality Systems Manual-compliant Method. SA sample results were used along with historical results to evaluate the extent of PFAS impacts to the environment in the FS1 Area. Data generated to date and prior results were screened against the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) May 2022 Tap Water Regional Screening Levels (RSLs) for groundwater and residential RSLs for soil (hazard quotient of 0.1). Surface water results were screened against the State of Florida Human Health Surface Water Screening Levels (SWSLs). Overall, results from the SA showed exceedances of the applicable screening criteria for soil, groundwater and surface water. Considering the current and historical dataset, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) is the prevalent PFAS compound, which is indicative of AFFF releases. Based on results of the SA, additional groundwater DPT and surface water sampling should be considered, focused on evaluating surface water bodies in the southeast portion of the Industrial Area, which discharge into the Banana River. Additionally, installation of monitoring wells should be considered to evaluate the interaction between groundwater and surface water in the FS1 Area.

PFAS↗

NASA NTRS2012

Development of Carbon Dioxide Removal Systems for Advanced Exploration Systems

"NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) program is pioneering new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities, and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit" (NASA 2012). These forays beyond the confines of earth's gravity will place unprecedented demands on launch systems. They must not only blast out of earth's gravity well as during the Apollo moon missions, but also launch the supplies needed to sustain a crew over longer periods for exploration missions beyond earth's moon. Thus all spacecraft systems, including those for the separation of metabolic carbon dioxide and water from a crewed vehicle, must be minimized with respect to mass, power, and volume. Emphasis is also placed on system robustness both to minimize replacement parts and ensure crew safety when a quick return to earth is not possible. Current efforts are focused on improving the current state-of-the-art systems utilizing fixed beds of sorbent pellets by seeking more robust pelletized sorbents, evaluating structured sorbents, and examining alternate bed configurations to improve system efficiency and reliability. These development efforts combine testing of sub-scale systems and multi-physics computer simulations to evaluate candidate approaches, select the best performing options, and optimize the configuration of the selected approach, which is then implemented in a full-scale integrated atmosphere revitalization test. This paper describes the carbon dioxide (CO2) removal hardware design and sorbent screening and characterization effort in support of the Atmosphere Resource Recovery and Environmental Monitoring (ARREM) project within the AES program. A companion paper discusses development of atmosphere revitalization models and simulations for this project.

Knox, James C.↗

NASA NTRS2017

Satellite Monitoring of Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Bloom Frequency in Recreational Waters and Drinking Water Sources

Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHAB) cause extensive problems in lakes worldwide, including human and ecological health risks, anoxia and sh kills, and taste and odor problems. CyanoHABs are a particular concern in both recreational waters and drinking water sources because of their dense biomass and the risk of exposure to toxins. Successful cyanoHAB assessment using satellites may provide an indicator for human and ecological health protection. In this study, methods were developed to assess the utility of satellite technology for detecting cyanoHAB frequency of occurrence at locations of potential management interest. The European Space Agency's MEdium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) was evaluated to prepare for the equivalent series of Sentinel-3 Ocean and Land Colour Imagers (OLCI) launched in 2016 as part of the Copernicus program. Based on the 2012 National Lakes Assessment site evaluation guidelines and National Hydrography Dataset, the continental United States contains 275,897 lakes and reservoirs greater than 1 ha in area. Results from this study show that 5.6% of waterbodies were resolvable by satellites with 300 m single-pixel resolution and 0.7% of waterbodies were resolvable when a three by three pixel (3 x 3-pixel) array was applied based on minimum Euclidian distance from shore. Satellite data were spatially joined to U.S. public water surface intake (PWSI) locations, where single-pixel resolution resolved 57% of the PWSI locations and a 3 x 3-pixel array resolved 33% of the PWSI locations. Recreational and drinking water sources in Florida and Ohio were ranked from 2008 through 2011 by cyanoHAB frequency above the World Health Organizations (WHO) high threshold for risk of 100,000 cells m/L. The ranking identified waterbodies with values above the WHO high threshold, where Lake Apopka, FL (99.1%) and Grand Lake St. Marys, OH (83%) had the highest observed bloom frequencies per region. The method presented here may indicate locations with high exposure to cyanoHABs and therefore can be used to assist in prioritizing management resources and actions for recreational and drinking water sources.

Cyanobacteria↗

DOE OSTI2018

An Assessment of the National Risk Assessment Program’s CO 2 Sequestration Leakage Modeling Tools, Subtask 6.1 – NRAP Assessment Topical Report

The CarbonSAFE East Sub-Basin project team explored and assessed the carbon sequestration site characterization National Risk Assessment Partnership (NRAP) Toolset, developed by the National Energy Technology Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for the NRAP. We ran the Integrated Assessment Model (IAM) tool using inputs derived from verified regional geologic data. We investigated CO 2 and brine leakage rates, and total CO 2 and brine leaked, from a hypothetical cemented injection well borehole to the nearest underground source of drinking water (USDW), identified as the St. Peter Sandstone, in a hypothetical monitoring well. The distance of the monitoring well from the injection well was varied to identify leakage variations with increasing distance from the injection well and to establish an area of review (AOR) for the project, and the effect of high and low wellbore cement permeability on model results was compared.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗