ENE806 - Feasibility Studies for Environmental Remediation


Syllabus

Spring Semester 2004

Course Objectives: At the end of this course you should be able to do the following:

 

  • Fully characterize an environmental engineering problem (this year’s example problem is related to drinking water safety and the role of indicator organisms in providing safe water) and be able to communicate its importance and extent to your peers.  
  • Formulate and execute an experimental plan to address the identified problem.
  • Be able to communicate the findings in writing to a peer-reviewed journal and present it in a conference.  

 

Problem Statement: Survival of current and future indicator organisms in drinking water treatment processes.

 

      Scope of Treatment Processes: The treatment processes will be mainly physico-chemical but it may include a biological process if it makes sense for a given drinking water source.

 

Tentative Schedule and List of Activities

 

MONTH 1: Basic Safety Training and Method Development
1 Biosafety Training to work in laboratory and handle sewage. Please assemble in the Teaching Laboratory, Engineering Building at the class time. Joseph will show you the laboratory, supplies and equipment that are available for use in your experiments, provide basic safety training, and also help you get the keys to the laboratory.
1/12
2 Carry out literature review to learn about all current and potential indicator organisms and how to monitor the current indicator organisms Chapter 2. Order the kits for selected methods through Joseph. Wk 1
3 Learn how to monitor E. coli and Enterococci . You can search the AOAC International website for test kits available for E. coli. Wk 2
4 Demonstrate that you have mastered the techniques reasonably well and the data that you will collect in the future will be reliable.  Thus collecting quality control data of your methods and skills is critical Wk 3-4
5 Evaluate if monitoring other potential indicator organisms is feasible (week 4). At the end of week 4, you must come prepared to discuss the list of all potential indicator organisms and methods to monitor them. This you can accomplish by carrying out a comprehensive literature search.  In addition to all other sources, I can also be useful for this purpose but you must take the initiative to collect this information.   Wk 4
6 Prepare the following two sections: “literature review” and “method development”. The format for these sections will be similar to what you will write for a journal article. Considering the nature of the problem this year, select Applied and Environmental Microbiology or Environmental Science and Technology as the journal format. Your report will be critically judged as per the requirements put forth by these journals. Do not mix them up. Choose one and follow strictly that one. In addition to the above two section, you should also present a plan that specifies how you are going to ensure quality in your data collection for the experiments planned in Month 2. Wk 5

Examination I: (individually scored for your knowledge of the literature review you have submitted as a group). Be prepared to explain concepts, and answer questions related to your literature review and methods development section.

MONTH 2: Treatability Experiments: Planning, Execution, and Data Analysis
7 Establish pilot scale treatment trains or units for treatment of wastewater of your choosing. Initially, one treatment option for each group is recommended Wk 5-6
8 Monitor treatment efficiency of the process selected (biological, chemical, or physical; chemical could be disinfection) Wk 7
9 Try alternative strategies to compare different treatment methods and different indicators Wk 8
10 Collect environmental sample and enumerate the indicator organisms (samples selected should be from human, animal, bird, lake, and river). Wk 8
MONTH 3: Data Analysis, Presentation, and Report Preparation
11 Write and submit a final journal article in the format you chose in the beginning. It must be submitted to the instructor as if he/she is the editor of the journal with cover letter, text, table, and figures nicely formatted in the format asked by the journal (AEM or ES&T). Submit both a hard copy and an electronic version. Wk 9
12 Also prepare and present a Power-point presentation of your suitable for a podium presentation (20 minutes per group). You may include a broader set of graphs and results compared to the journal paper that you will submit.  This will be done at the time of the scheduled final examination. Wk 10

FINAL EXAM- will contain a written test of your knowledge about the work you have conducted during the whole semester (individually scored).

 

Syed A. Hashsham

Assistant Professor
Email: hashsham@egr.msu.edu
Webpage
Phone: (517) 355 8241