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Spatial data acquired from credible sources and created using analytical methods for the Gulf of Mexico. This collection contains information on public and industrial infrastructure, environmental, and socioeconomic factors. Much of these data were originally collected to measure the potential impacts of oil spills and the collection has continued to build into a robust and wide-ranging spatial database available on EDX Spatial.
Electrical meters are devices that measure consumer electricity usage. The data collected by these meters is necessary for utility billing and electrical grid management but can also be used to assess the environmental impact of buildings. Prior research has found that unprotected metering data could potentially be used to infer some information about the behaviors of building tenants by detecting changes in electricity usage. For example, a period of low electricity usage could suggest that the tenants are not in the building. As smart metering becomes more common, there is a growing need for data privacy protections for metering data that do not negatively impact the quality and availability of data used for energy management and billing applications. To identify potential solutions, we developed a Python-based data aggregation platform to analyze the potential efficacy of privacy-enhancing technologies for energy metering applications. This platform aggregates groups of metering sites into virtual buildings, which could potentially detach changes in electrical activity from individual tenants, making it more difficult to track the activity of a specific tenant. To further protect data during analysis, this project utilizes homomorphic encryption as part of its initial approach. Homomorphic encryption offers a means of protecting energy consumption data while permitting mathematical operations to be performed without the need to know the data contents. This allows for data to be processed into usable statistics without revealing energy consumption information. A series of homomorphic encryption libraries were evaluated to determine their applicability and limitations in the context of metering data. The use of these techniques may help to reassure consumers and encourage further adoption of smart grid infrastructure.
Genetically modified industrial production microbes and their associated bioproducts have emerged as an integral component of a sustainable bioeconomy. However, the rapid development of these innovative technologies raises biosecurity concerns, namely, the risk of environmental escape. Thus, the realization of a bioeconomy hinges not only on the development and deployment of microbial production hosts, but also on the development of secure biosystems and biocontainment designs. Current laboratory-based biocontainment testing systems do not accurately reflect the complexities found in natural environments, necessitating an environmentally relevant analysis pipeline that allows for the detection of rare escapees within a complex soil microbiome and differentiation between closely related strains. To this end, we have developed an approach that utilizes soil mesocosms and integrated digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) system to evaluate the efficacy of novel biocontainment strategies. We demonstrate the utility of this approach by modeling contamination with industrial microbial chasses versus their biocontained counterparts. Here we demonstrate the broad utility of this system by highlighting findings from strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae that are contained with an inducible toxin anti-toxin system, strains of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 contained via gene knockout or toxin anti-toxin system, and strains of Escherichia coli that are contained via genomic recoding. We also show that ddPCR can be used to detect gene copies from E. coli equal to those counted by traditional spot plating assays. The resultant data demonstrates that this system has broad utility across diverse microbial chassis and biocontainment strategies and enables researchers to track the fate of our contaminating microbe with high sensitivity in the soil. The findings presented here support the use of this mesocosm-based approach to assess the environmental impact of industrial microbes and to validate biocontainment strategies.
Underwater acoustic telemetry is an important tool for studying the behavior of aquatic animals and assessing the environmental impact of man-made structures such as water power turbines. However, current design of the acoustic telemetry system lacks the ability to transmit collected data continuously in real-time and requires manual retrieval of the recorded measurements, leading to a long delay of data retrieval, high operational cost associated with manpower as well as safety risk for the operators. In addition, there is no efficient way to monitor the status of the acoustic telemetry system, including acoustic transmitters and receivers. For example, if multiple receivers in an array fail, the detection efficiency could be significantly reduced. Herein, we developed a cloud-based, real-time underwater acoustic telemetry system that can be used to estimate behavior or survival of tagged aquatic animals and monitor environmental parameters in near-real-time (< 2 hours). The system incorporates microcontrollers and integrated circuits to create real-time data communication and processing units with a cloud-based service that processes the transmitted data stream to derive behavior and survival information of the tagged animals.
A simplified procedure is presented for determining water current velocities and diffusion coefficients. Dye drops which form dye patches in the receiving water are made from an aircraft. The changes in position and size of the patches are recorded from two flights over the area. The simplified data processing procedure requires only that the ground coordinates about the dye patches be determined at the time of each flight. With an automatic recording coordinatograph for measuring coordinates and a computer for processing the data, this technique provides a practical method of determining circulation patterns and mixing characteristics of large aquatic systems. This information is useful in assessing the environmental impact of waste water discharges and for industrial plant siting.
A study was made of the spatial registration of fluoride and phosphate pollution parameters in central Florida by utilizing remote sensing techniques. Multispectral remote sensing data were collected over the area and processed to produce multispectral recognition maps. These processed data were used to map land areas and waters containing concentrations of fluoride and phosphate. Maps showing distribution of affected and unaffected vegetation were produced. In addition, the multispectral data were processed by single band radiometric slicing to produce radiometric maps used to delineate areas of high ultraviolet radiance, which indicates high fluoride concentrations. The multispectral parameter maps and radiometric maps in combination showed distinctive patterns, which are correlated with areas known to be affected by fluoride and phosphate contamination. These remote sensing techniques have the potential for regional use to assess the environmental impact of fluoride and phosphate wastes in central Florida.
A description is given of the NASA Global Atmospheric Sampling Program (GASP), taking into account the onboard system which collects atmospheric data automatically, the extensive atmospheric measurement capability, and the data handling and distribution procedure. GASP was implemented to assess the environmental impact of aircraft exhaust emissions in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. Global air quality data are to be obtained for a period of five to ten years. Measurements of pollutants not related to aircraft exhaust emissions, such as chlorofluoromethanes, are now included. GASP systems are operating on a United Airlines 747, two Pan Am 747s, and a Qantas Airways of Australia 747. Real-time, in-situ measurements are conducted of ozone, water vapor, carbon monoxide, and oxides of nitrogen. Chlorofluoromethanes are measured by laboratory analysis. Typical GASP data show significant changes in ozone, carbon monoxide, and water vapor related to crossings of the tropopause.
The programmatic data for the reference concept of the Manned Space Platform is presented. Details regarding work breakdown structure (WBS) and dictionary, the facilities and equipment required to produce the modules, the project schedule and logic diagram, a preliminary assessment of environmental impacts and details regarding the estimated costs for the reference concept are included. The proposed WBS which was developed to provide summary and system level segregation of the nonrecurring and recurring portions of the Manned Space Platform project is also included. The accompanying dictionary outlines the function and activities contained within each WBS element. The facility and equipment required to produce the various modules is discussed. Generally, required equipment is within the existing state of the art although the size of some of the items to be manufactured is a consideration. A preliminary manufacturing flow was also provided. The project schedules presented consist of the Master Project Summary Schedule, the Master Project Phasing Chart and the Logic Network.
As a result of the 1991 Persian Gulf war, between mid-January and June 1991, the Persian Gulf was contaminated with an estimated 4 to 6 million barrels of crude oil, released directly into the Gulf from refinement facilities, transhipment terminals, and moored tankers along the coast of Kuwait, and precipitated from oil fire smoke plumes. To assess the environmental impact of the oil, an international team of marine scientists representing 14 nations was assembled under the auspices of the United Nations International Oceanic Commission and the Regional Organization for Protection of the Marine Environment to conduct detailed surveys of the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman, including hydrographic, chemical, and biological measurements. To supplement the field surveys and to serve as an aid in data interpretation, astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis photographed water features and coastal habitats in the Persian Gulf during mission STS-45 (24 March to 02 April 1992). The astronauts collected 111 hand-held, color photographs of the Gulf (72 70-mm photographs and 39 5-inch photographs) from an altitude of 296 km (160 n.mi.). The photographs reveal distributions in water turbidity associated with outflow from the Shatt-al-Arab and water circulation along the entire coast of Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, coastal wetlands and shallow-water habitats, and sticks appearing in the sunglint pattern, which appear to be oil.
This handbook provides guidance and assistance to NASA officials in carrying out their responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act and the applicable NASA procedures (14 CFR 1216.3, Attachment A to NMI 8800.7). The handbook, as was contemplated by the regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality, stresses the need for environmental analysis from the time of early planning through environmental assessment and environmental impact statement preparation to implementation of the subject action, and provides for necessary follow up. It stresses the need for NASA officials to draw upon all the appropriate disciplines from the natural and social sciences plus the environmental design arts in planning and decision making on actions which may have an impact on the human environment. The handbook is applicable to NASA Headquarters and field installations.
The topics covered include the following: defining research needs; understanding land use change; improving policy analysis -- research on the decision-making process; designing policy instruments and institutions to address energy-related environmental problems; assessing impacts, vulnerability, and adaptation to global changes; and understanding population dynamics and global change.
NASA technology played an important part in the Mt. St. Helen's aftermath, not only in scientific studies, but also in disaster assessment and relief operations. A particular problem was maintaining communications with rescue ground crews and evacuation helicopters operating in the smoke-obscured area. The key element came from NASA's ATS-3 satellite, which is capable of beaming to and receiving signals from small, simple antennas on the ground, and a communications jeep developed by the Air Force. NASA also helped to assess the environmental impact of the eruption. A specially-instrumented aircraft operated by several NASA Centers took samples of the volcanic material at various points over the U.S. and tracked the volcano's plume. A NASA instrumented balloon penetrated the plume and the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment Satellite tracked the global spread of the volcanic "veil."
Airborne imaging spectroscopy has evolved dramatically since the 1980s as a robust remote sensing technique used to generate 2-dimensional maps of surface properties over large spatial areas. Traditional applications for passive airborne imaging spectroscopy include interrogation of surface composition, such as mapping of vegetation diversity and surface geological composition. Two recent applications are particularly relevant to the needs of both the oil and gas as well as government sectors: quantification of surficial hydrocarbon thickness in aquatic environments and mapping atmospheric greenhouse gas components. These techniques provide valuable capabilities for petroleum seepage in addition to detection and quantification of fugitive emissions. New empirical data that provides insight into the source strength of anthropogenic methane will be reviewed, with particular emphasis on the evolving constraints enabled by new methane remote sensing techniques. Contemporary studies attribute high-strength point sources as significantly contributing to the national methane inventory and underscore the need for high performance remote sensing technologies that provide quantitative leak detection. Imaging sensors that map spatial distributions of methane anomalies provide effective techniques to detect, localize, and quantify fugitive leaks. Airborne remote sensing instruments provide the unique combination of high spatial resolution (<1 m) and large coverage required to directly attribute methane emissions to individual emission sources. This capability cannot currently be achieved using spaceborne sensors. In this study, results from recent NASA remote sensing field experiments focused on point-source leak detection, will be highlighted. This includes existing quantitative capabilities for oil and methane using state-of-the-art airborne remote sensing instruments. While these capabilities are of interest to NASA for assessment of environmental impact and global climate change, industry similarly seeks to detect and localize leaks of both oil and methane across operating fields. In some cases, higher sensitivities desired for upstream and downstream applications can only be provided by new airborne remote sensing instruments tailored specifically for a given application. There exists a unique opportunity for alignment of efforts between commercial and government sectors to advance the next generation of instruments to provide more sensitive leak detection capabilities, including those for quantitative source strength determination.
Global momentum is building towards a circular economy capable of keeping plastics in use and out of waste streams. Given that 79% of all plastic produced since 1950 has accumulated in landfills or the natural environment,rapid implementation of various end-of-life (EoL) management technologies will be needed to reach this target. However, it can be challenging to develop an effective plastic EoL strategy when the available options - chemical or molecular recycling, energy recovery, upcycling, downcycling, closed-loop (plastic-to-plastic) or open-loop (plastic-to-x) recycling, among others - can generate products ranging from low-grade to virgin-quality plastic and from fuels to value-added chemicals. We present a flexible material flow model capable of analyzing the effects of both plastic-to-plastic and plastic-to-x EoL management strategies on the U.S. PET economy. This Plastic Parallel Pathways Platform (4P) assesses the environmental impacts, costs, and circularity of a PET system in which waste is managed through six potential EoL pathways: landfill, incineration with energy recovery, pyrolysis to fuel oil, upcycling to glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP), mechanical recycling to low-grade PET, and chemical recycling (glycolysis) to bottle-grade PET. We compare the pathways across multiple metrics using multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) and then use a brute force algorithm to predict an optimal combination of EoL pathways to minimize greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and costs and maximize circularity. This work highlights the need to implement a diverse portfolio of EoL strategies in parallel to enable a PET economy that meets environmental, economic, and circularity requirements simultaneously.
The Constellation Environmental Impact Statement (Cx EIS) requires that an assessment be performed on the environmental impact of sonic booms during the reentry of the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV). This included an analysis of current planned vehicle trajectories for the Crew Module (CM) and the Service Module (SM) debris and the determination of the potential impact to the overflown environment.
This environmental assessment examines the potential environmental consequences, both adverse and beneficial, of the 40 kW fuel cell system system field test operation. The assessment is of necessity generic in nature since actual test sites were not selected. This assessment provides the basis for determining the need for an environmental impact statement. In addition, this assessment provides siting criteria to avoid or minimize negative environmental impacts and standards for determining candidate test sites, if any, for which site specific assessments may be required.
Access to reliable and sustainable energy in remote areas remains a pressing global challenge, significantly affecting economic development and the quality of life. This study focuses on the implementation of fully off-grid wind–biogas hybrid power systems to address this issue, with a focus on remote healthcare camp facilities. This paper investigates the performance of a hybrid renewable energy system within the context of one of Jordan’s northern remote areas, the Zaatari Syrian Refugee Camp, assessing its efficiency and environmental impact by taking the Zaatari hospital as the case study. Simulations were conducted to evaluate system components, including wind turbines, biogas generators, and diesel generators. A comprehensive evaluation was conducted, encompassing both the operational efficiency of the system and its impact on the environment. This study also considered various scenarios (SC#), including grid availability and autonomy levels, to optimize system configurations. The techno-economic assessment employed the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) as a key performance indicator, and sensitivity analyses explored the impact of diesel costs and wind power fluctuations on the system. Additionally, environmental assessment was conducted to evaluate the environmental effects of hybrid systems, with a specific focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This investigation involved an examination of emissions in three different scenarios. The results indicate that the lowest LCOE that could be achieved was 0.0734 USD/kWh in SC#1 with 72.42% autonomy, whereas achieving 100% autonomy increased the LCOE to 0.1756 USD/kWh. Additionally, the results reveal that in scenarios SC#2 and SC#3, which have a higher proportion of diesel generator usage, there were elevated levels of NO x and CO 2 emissions. Conversely, in SC#1, which lacks diesel generators, emissions were notably lower. The proposed hybrid system demonstrates its potential to provide a reliable energy supply to healthcare facilities in remote regions, emphasizing both economic feasibility and environmental benefits. These findings contribute to informed decision making for sustainable energy solutions in similar contexts, promoting healthcare accessibility and environmental sustainability.