This collection includes most of the ASU Theses and Dissertations from 2011 to present. ASU Theses and Dissertations are available in downloadable PDF format; however, a small percentage of items are under embargo. Information about the dissertations/theses includes degree information, committee members, an abstract, supporting data or media.

In addition to the electronic theses found in the ASU Digital Repository, ASU Theses and Dissertations can be found in the ASU Library Catalog.

Dissertations and Theses granted by Arizona State University are archived and made available through a joint effort of the ASU Graduate College and the ASU Libraries. For more information or questions about this collection contact or visit the Digital Repository ETD Library Guide or contact the ASU Graduate College at gradformat@asu.edu.

Displaying 31 - 40 of 97
Filtering by

Clear all filters

153815-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Increased priority on the minimization of environmental impacts of conventional construction materials in recent years has motivated increased use of waste materials or bi-products such as fly ash, blast furnace slag with a view to reduce or eliminate the manufacturing/consumption of ordinary portland cement (OPC) which accounts for approximately 5-7%

Increased priority on the minimization of environmental impacts of conventional construction materials in recent years has motivated increased use of waste materials or bi-products such as fly ash, blast furnace slag with a view to reduce or eliminate the manufacturing/consumption of ordinary portland cement (OPC) which accounts for approximately 5-7% of global carbon dioxide emission. The current study explores, for the first time, the possibility of carbonating waste metallic iron powder to develop carbon-negative sustainable binder systems for concrete. The fundamental premise of this work is that metallic iron will react with aqueous CO2 under controlled conditions to form complex iron carbonates which have binding capabilities. The compressive and flexural strengths of the chosen iron-based binder systems increase with carbonation duration and the specimens carbonated for 4 days exhibit mechanical properties that are comparable to those of companion ordinary portland cement systems. The optimal mixture proportion and carbonation regime for this non-conventional sustainable binder is established based on the study of carbonation efficiency of a series of mixtures using thermogravimetric analysis. The pore- and micro-structural features of this novel binding material are also evaluated. The fracture response of this novel binder is evaluated using strain energy release rate and measurement of fracture process zone using digital image correlation (DIC). The iron-based binder system exhibits significantly higher strain energy release rates when compared to those of the OPC systems in both the unreinforced and glass fiber reinforced states. The iron-based binder also exhibits higher amount of area of fracture process zone due to its ability to undergo inelastic deformation facilitated by unreacted metallic iron particle inclusions in the microstructure that helps crack bridging /deflection. The intrinsic nano-mechanical properties of carbonate reaction product are explored using statistical nanoindentation technique coupled with a stochastic deconvolution algorithm. Effect of exposure to high temperature (up to 800°C) is also studied. Iron-based binder shows significantly higher residual flexural strength after exposure to high temperatures. Results of this comprehensive study establish the viability of this binder type for concrete as an environment-friendly and economical alternative to OPC.
ContributorsDas, Sumanta (Author) / Neithalath, Narayanan (Thesis advisor) / Rajan, S.D. (Committee member) / Mobasher, Barzin (Committee member) / Marzke, Robert (Committee member) / Chawla, Nikhilesh (Committee member) / Stone, David (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
154132-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
The purpose of this study was to determine the applicability of fluorescent microspheres as a surrogate to measure the removal of Cryptosporidium oocysts through the coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, and filtration steps of conventional water treatment. In order to maintain accuracy and applicability, a local water treatment facility was chosen as

The purpose of this study was to determine the applicability of fluorescent microspheres as a surrogate to measure the removal of Cryptosporidium oocysts through the coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, and filtration steps of conventional water treatment. In order to maintain accuracy and applicability, a local water treatment facility was chosen as the system to model. The city of Chandler Arizona utilizes conventional treatment methodologies to remove pathogens from municipal drinking water and thus the water, coagulant, polymer, and doses concentrations were sourced directly from the plant. Jar testing was performed on four combinations of coagulant, polymer, and fluorescent microsphere to determine if the log removal was similar to that of Cryptosporidium oocysts.

Complications with the material properties of the microspheres arose during testing that ultimately yielded unfavorable but conclusive results. Log removal of microspheres did not increase with added coagulant in the predicted manner, though the beads were seen aggregating, the low density of the particles made the sedimentation step inefficient. This result can be explained by the low density of the microspheres as well as the potential presence of residual coagulant present in the system. Given the unfavorable properties of the beads, they do not appear to be a suitable candidate for the surrogacy of Cryptosporidium oocysts in conventional drinking water treatment. The beads in their current state are not an adequate surrogate; however, future testing has been outlined to modify the experiment in such a way that the microspheres should behave like oocysts in terms of physical transportation.
ContributorsLinks, Alexander Glenn (Author) / Abbaszadegan, Morteza (Thesis advisor) / Alum, Absar (Committee member) / Fox, Peter (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
154188-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Quagga Mussels (Dreissena bugensis) are an invasive species of mollusk that have established themselves within the Colorado River system of Arizona since 2007. However, despite close proximity and frequent travel by recreational boaters between reservoirs, they have not yet infested the Salt River or Verde River systems. Laboratory experimentation was

Quagga Mussels (Dreissena bugensis) are an invasive species of mollusk that have established themselves within the Colorado River system of Arizona since 2007. However, despite close proximity and frequent travel by recreational boaters between reservoirs, they have not yet infested the Salt River or Verde River systems. Laboratory experimentation was done to test the survival rate of adult D. bugensis specimens in waters collected from Bartlett Lake (Verde River), Saguaro Lake (Salt River), and Salt River Project (SRP) canals (Salt River/Verde River/Colorado River blend) as well as Central Arizona Project (CAP) canals with the addition of turbidity to simulate high runoff storm events. Under each condition, adult survival for a time period of 21 days exceeded 98%, ruling out water chemistry or turbidity as a factor. Spawning was investigated using mussels collected from Lake Pleasant in August 2015. In 4 trials of serotonin dosage between 0.5 – 1.0 mMol, spawning was not successful. Calanoid copepod predation was also investigated by field sampling at Lake Pleasant, Saguaro Lake, and Bartlett Lake during September 2015. Calanoid copepods were identified in Lake Pleasant at a density of 104.22 individuals per cubic meter at a depth of 2 meters and 9.75 individuals per cubic meter at the surface. Calanoid copepods were not found in Bartlett Lake or Saguaro Lake, ruling out copepod predation as a factor. Finally, dissolved oxygen and temperature trends were analyzed in each reservoir. While temperature profiles are similar throughout the year, seasonal drops in dissolved oxygen below survivable concentrations for D. bugensis has been observed in both Saguaro Lake and Bartlett Lake but not Lake Pleasant, representing the most plausible explanation for no observed infestation.
ContributorsSokolowski, Matthew (Author) / Fox, Peter (Thesis advisor) / Abbaszadegan, Morteza (Thesis advisor) / Alum, Absar (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
156065-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Adenoviruses cause gastrointestinal illnesses and have been listed on the U.S. EPA’s Contaminant Candidate Lists (CCL). They are highly resistant to ultraviolet (UV) inactivation. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are known to improve inactivation of microorganisms and simultaneously oxidize organics. The bacteriophage P22 was selected as a surrogate for adenoviruses due

Adenoviruses cause gastrointestinal illnesses and have been listed on the U.S. EPA’s Contaminant Candidate Lists (CCL). They are highly resistant to ultraviolet (UV) inactivation. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are known to improve inactivation of microorganisms and simultaneously oxidize organics. The bacteriophage P22 was selected as a surrogate for adenoviruses due to their physical and genetic similarities.

The main objective of this study was to compare the synergic disinfection potential of titanium dioxide (TiO2) or peracetic acid (PAA) with UV for viruses and bacteria in water.

Both bench-scale and pilot-scale evaluation was done. A bench-scale collimated beam was included to evaluate the inactivation of P22 and E. coli by UV with and without TiO2 or PAA. A Purifics Photo-Cat system which is an integrated UV/ceramic membrane reactor was used for the pilot-scale TiO2-UV AOP experiments. For pilot-scale PAA-UV AOP experiments, an in-line D222 UV reactor unit provided by NeoTech Aqua Solutions, Inc. was used.

TiO2 doses of 1, 10, and 40 mg/L were applied in the collimated beam and the Photo-Cat system. Higher TiO2 doses resulted in a higher inactivation in the Photo-Cat and lower inactivation in the collimated beam apparatus. Adding 40 mg/L of TiO2 in the photo-Cat system improved P22 inactivation by 25% while it slightly decreased P22 inactivation in collimated beam apparatus.

PAA doses of 0.25 or 0.5 ppm were continuously injected upstream of the UV light and a 53% or 90% increase in inactivation was observed for E. coli, respectively, as compared to UV alone. However, P22 required higher dose with PAA-UV AOP and PAA concentrations of 1 or 10 ppm resulted in an 18% and 70% increase in the inactivation respectively, as compared to UV alone. Interestingly, when the same condition was applied to water with more organics (UVT 79%), E. coli exhibited the same level of susceptibility to PAA-UV AOP while P22 inactivation decreased.

The results provide new insight on the effectiveness and applicability of adding AOP to UV for microbial inactivation in water. PAA-UV AOP can potentially enhance existing UV disinfection systems with minimal chemical addition, and a simple retrofit to existing UV units.
ContributorsNikougoftar Zarif, Majid (Author) / Abbaszadegan, Morteza (Thesis advisor) / Fox, Peter (Committee member) / Conroy-Ben, Otakuye (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
156429-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Legionella pneumophila is a waterborne pathogen that causes Legionnaires' disease, an infection which can lead to potentially fatal pneumonia. In a culture-based technique, Legionella is detected using buffered charcoal-yeast extract (BCYE) agar supplemented with L-cysteine, Iron salt and antibiotics. These supplements provide essential and complex nutrient requirements and help in

Legionella pneumophila is a waterborne pathogen that causes Legionnaires' disease, an infection which can lead to potentially fatal pneumonia. In a culture-based technique, Legionella is detected using buffered charcoal-yeast extract (BCYE) agar supplemented with L-cysteine, Iron salt and antibiotics. These supplements provide essential and complex nutrient requirements and help in the suppression of non-target bacteria in Legionella analysis. Legionella occurs naturally in freshwater environments and for their detection; a sample is plated on solid agar media and then incubated for several days. There are many challenges in the detection of Legionella in environmental waters and the built environments. A common challenge is that a variety of environmental bacteria can be presumptively identified as Legionella using the culture-based method. In addition, proper identification of Legionella requires long incubation period (3-9 days) while antibiotics used in BCYE agar have relatively short half-life time. In order to overcome some of the challenges, Legionella has been genetically modified to express reporter genes such Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) that can facilitate its detection in process validation studies under controlled laboratory conditions. However, such studies had limited success due to the instability of genetically modified Legionella strains. The development of a genetically modified Legionella with a much rapid growth rate (1-2 days) in simulated environmental systems (tightly-controlled water distribution system) is achieved. The mutant Legionella is engineered by transforming with a specific plasmid encoding CymR, LacZ and TetR genes. The newly engineered Legionella can grow on conventional BCYE agar media without L-Cysteine, Iron salt and only require one antibiotic (Tetracycline) to suppress the growth of other microorganisms in media. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of L. pneumophila strain capable of growing without L-Cysteine. We believe that this discovery would not only facilitate the study of the fate and transport of this pathogen in environmental systems, but also further our understanding of the genetics and metabolic pathways of Legionella.
ContributorsAloraini, Saleh Ali A (Author) / Abbaszadegan, Morteza (Thesis advisor) / Fox, Peter (Committee member) / Alum, Absar (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
156495-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Quagga mussels are an aquatic invasive species capable of causing economic and ecological damage. Despite the quagga mussels’ ability to rapidly spread, two watersheds, the Salt River system and the Verde River system of Arizona, both had no quagga mussel detections for 8 years. The main factor thought to deter

Quagga mussels are an aquatic invasive species capable of causing economic and ecological damage. Despite the quagga mussels’ ability to rapidly spread, two watersheds, the Salt River system and the Verde River system of Arizona, both had no quagga mussel detections for 8 years. The main factor thought to deter quagga mussels was the stratification of the two watersheds during the summer, resulting in high temperatures in the epilimnion and low dissolved oxygen in the hypolimnion. In 2015, Canyon Lake, a reservoir of the Salt River watershed, tested positive for quagga mussel veligers. In this study, I used Landsat 7 and Landsat 8 satellite data to determine if changes in the surface temperature have caused a change to the reservoir allowing quagga mussel contamination. I used a location in the center of the lake with a root mean squared error (RMSE) of 0.80 and a correlation coefficient (R^2) of 0.82, but I did not detect any significant variations in surface temperatures from recent years. I also measured 21 locations on Canyon Lake to determine if the locations in Canyon Lake were able to harbor quagga mussels. I found that summer stratification caused hypolimnion dissolved oxygen levels to drop well below the quagga mussel threshold of 2mg/L. Surface temperatures, however were not high enough throughout the lake to prevent quagga mussels from inhabiting the epilimnion. It is likely that a lack of substrate in the epilimnion have forced any quagga mussel inhabitants in Canyon Lake to specific locations that were not necessarily near the point of quagga veliger detection sampling. The research suggests that while Canyon Lake may have been difficult for quagga mussels to infest, once they become established in the proper locations, where they can survive through the summer, quagga mussels are likely to become more prevalent.
ContributorsLau, Theresa (Author) / Fox, Peter (Thesis advisor) / Neuer, Susanne (Committee member) / Abbaszadegan, Morteza (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
156460-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Concrete is relatively brittle, and its tensile strength is typically only about one-tenth of its compressive strength. Regular concrete is therefore normally uses reinforcement steel bars to increase the tensile strength. It is becoming increasingly popular to use random distributed fibers as reinforcement and polymeric fibers is once such kind.

Concrete is relatively brittle, and its tensile strength is typically only about one-tenth of its compressive strength. Regular concrete is therefore normally uses reinforcement steel bars to increase the tensile strength. It is becoming increasingly popular to use random distributed fibers as reinforcement and polymeric fibers is once such kind. In the case of polymeric fibers, due to hydrophobicity and lack of any chemical bond between the fiber and matrix, the weak interface zone limits the ability of the fibers to effectively carry the load that is on the matrix phase. Depending on the fiber’s surface asperity, shape, chemical nature, and mechanical bond characteristic of the load transfer between matrix and fiber can be altered so that the final composite can be improved. These modifications can be carried out by means of thermal treatment, mechanical surface modifications, or chemical changes The objective of this study is to measure and document the effect of gamma ray irradiation on the mechanical properties of macro polymeric fibers. The objective is to determine the mechanical properties of macro-synthetic fibers and develop guidelines for treatment and characterization that allow for potential positive changes due to exposure to irradiation. Fibers are exposed to various levels of ionizing radiation and the tensile, interface and performance in a mortar matrix are documented. Uniaxial tensile tests were performed on irradiated fibers to study fiber strength and failure pattern. SEM tests were carried out in order to study the surface characteristic and effect of different radiation dose on polymeric fiber. The interaction of the irradiated fiber with the cement composite was studied by a series of quasi-static pullout test for a specific embedded length. As a final task, flexural tests were carried out for different irradiated fibers to sum up the investigation. An average increase of 13% in the stiffness of the fiber was observed for 5 kGy of radiation. Flexural tests showed an average increase of 181% in the Req3 value and 102 % in the toughness of the sample was observed for 5 kGy of dose.
ContributorsTiwari, Sanchay Sushil (Author) / Mobasher, Barzin (Thesis advisor) / Neithalath, Narayanan (Thesis advisor) / Dharmarajan, Subramaniam (Committee member) / Holbert, Keith E. (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
156630-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Monitoring human exposure to chemicals posing public health threats is critically important for risk management and for informing regulatory actions. Chemical threats result from both environmental pollutants and elected substance use (e.g., consumption of drugs, alcohol and tobacco). Measuring chemical occurrence and concentrations in environmental matrices can help to pinpoint

Monitoring human exposure to chemicals posing public health threats is critically important for risk management and for informing regulatory actions. Chemical threats result from both environmental pollutants and elected substance use (e.g., consumption of drugs, alcohol and tobacco). Measuring chemical occurrence and concentrations in environmental matrices can help to pinpoint human exposure routes. For instance, indoor dust, a sink of indoor environmental contaminants, can serve to assess indoor air contamination and associated human exposures. Urban wastewater arriving at treatment plants contains urine and stool from the general population, the analysis of which can provide information on chemical threats in the community and ongoing harmful exposures. Analysis of sewage sludge can serve to reveal the identity and quantity of persistent organic pollutants in cities and inform estimates of toxic body burdens in local populations.

The objective of this dissertation was to investigate the occurrence and quantity of select, potentially harmful, anthropogenic chemicals in various environmental matrices and to explore the diagnostic value of analytical assays for informing public health decision-making. This dissertation (i) is the first to report spatio-temporal variations and estrogenic burdens of five parabens in sewage sludge from at the U.S. nationwide scale; (ii) represents the first China-wide survey to assess the occurrence and toxic emissions of parabens, triclosan, triclocarban, as well as triclocarban metabolites and transformation products contained in Chinese sewage sludge; (iii) documents the first use of a dispersive solid phase extraction method for indoor dust to measure dust-borne parabens, triclosan and triclocarban and estimating associated human exposures from dust ingestion; and (iv) is the first U.S. study to assess population-level alcohol and nicotine consumption in three U.S. communities using wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE). Obtained data on baseline levels of selected emerging contaminants in sewage sludge and indoor dust can serve to inform the future monitoring needs, risk assessment, and policy making. This work showcases the utility of WBE and urban metabolism metrology via dust and sewage sludge analysis to assess human behavior (e.g., drinking and smoking) and exposure risks more rapidly, efficiently and anonymously than traditional approaches can.
ContributorsChen, Jing (Author) / Halden, Rolf U. (Thesis advisor) / Borges, Chad R (Committee member) / Abbaszadegan, Morteza (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
156779-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
This research summarizes the validation testing completed for the material model MAT213, currently implemented in the LS-DYNA finite element program. Testing was carried out using a carbon fiber composite material, T800-F3900. Stacked-ply tension and compression tests were performed for open-hole and full coupons. Comparisons of experimental and simulation results showed

This research summarizes the validation testing completed for the material model MAT213, currently implemented in the LS-DYNA finite element program. Testing was carried out using a carbon fiber composite material, T800-F3900. Stacked-ply tension and compression tests were performed for open-hole and full coupons. Comparisons of experimental and simulation results showed a good agreement between the two for metrics including, stress-strain response and displacements. Strains and displacements in the direction of loading were better predicted by the simulations than for that of the transverse direction.

Double cantilever beam and end notched flexure tests were performed experimentally and through simulations to determine the delamination properties of the material at the interlaminar layers. Experimental results gave the mode I critical energy release rate as having a range of 2.18 – 3.26 psi-in and the mode II critical energy release rate as 10.50 psi-in, both for the pre-cracked condition. Simulations were performed to calibrate other cohesive zone parameters required for modeling.

Samples of tested T800/F3900 coupons were processed and examined with scanning electron microscopy to determine and understand the underlying structure of the material. Tested coupons revealed damage and failure occurring at the micro scale for the composite material.
ContributorsHolt, Nathan T (Author) / Rajan, Subramaniam D. (Thesis advisor) / Mobasher, Barzin (Committee member) / Hoover, Christian (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
156825-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Being a remarkably versatile and inexpensive building material, concrete has found tremendous use in development of modern infrastructure and is the most widely used material in the world. Extensive research in the field of concrete has led to the development of a wide array of concretes with applications ranging from

Being a remarkably versatile and inexpensive building material, concrete has found tremendous use in development of modern infrastructure and is the most widely used material in the world. Extensive research in the field of concrete has led to the development of a wide array of concretes with applications ranging from building of skyscrapers to paving of highways. These varied applications require special cementitious composites which can satisfy the demand for enhanced functionalities such as high strength, high durability and improved thermal characteristics among others.

The current study focuses on the fundamental understanding of such functional composites, from their microstructural design to macro-scale application. More specifically, this study investigates three different categories of functional cementitious composites. First, it discusses the differences between cementitious systems containing interground and blended limestone with and without alumina. The interground systems are found to outperform the blended systems due to differential grinding of limestone. A novel approach to deduce the particle size distribution of limestone and cement in the interground systems is proposed. Secondly, the study delves into the realm of ultra-high performance concrete, a novel material which possesses extremely high compressive-, tensile- and flexural-strength and service life as compared to regular concrete. The study presents a novel first principles-based paradigm to design economical ultra-high performance concretes using locally available materials. In the final part, the study addresses the thermal benefits of a novel type of concrete containing phase change materials. A software package was designed to perform numerical simulations to analyze temperature profiles and thermal stresses in concrete structures containing PCMs.

The design of these materials is accompanied by material characterization of cementitious binders. This has been accomplished using techniques that involve measurement of heat evolution (isothermal calorimetry), determination and quantification of reaction products (thermo-gravimetric analysis, x-ray diffraction, micro-indentation, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy) and evaluation of pore-size distribution (mercury intrusion porosimetry). In addition, macro-scale testing has been carried out to determine compression, flexure and durability response. Numerical simulations have been carried out to understand hydration of cementitious composites, determine optimum particle packing and determine the thermal performance of these composites.
ContributorsArora, Aashay (Author) / Neithalath, Narayanan (Thesis advisor) / Rajan, Subramaniam D. (Committee member) / Mobasher, Barzin (Committee member) / Chawla, Nikhilesh (Committee member) / Hoover, Christian G (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018