Filtering by
- All Subjects: Sustainability
- Creators: Parrish, Kristen
![136656-Thumbnail Image.png](https://d1rbsgppyrdqq4.cloudfront.net/s3fs-public/styles/width_400/public/2021-05/136656-Thumbnail%20Image.png?versionId=6L8bnNy6fm99yx84YDpFNd1Iy3L2Rkh5&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIASBVQ3ZQ42ZLA5CUJ/20240619/us-west-2/s3/aws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20240619T045239Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=120&X-Amz-Signature=7f468e4f7556badaf6441df64115c5ea1808f03d32cc8a9d746287cc5b04208a&itok=AESeI_kX)
![137819-Thumbnail Image.png](https://d1rbsgppyrdqq4.cloudfront.net/s3fs-public/styles/width_400/public/2021-05/137819-Thumbnail%20Image.png?versionId=3N6qx.xu4Nx7amTqu0keHbg60DW0eLIr&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIASBVQ3ZQ42ZLA5CUJ/20240614/us-west-2/s3/aws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20240614T050529Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=120&X-Amz-Signature=093005ecd14dd27917021116750a4e055b6ba549f3307bf5e8672f36a7f6bc34&itok=8YxVYywa)
![134108-Thumbnail Image.png](https://d1rbsgppyrdqq4.cloudfront.net/s3fs-public/styles/width_400/public/2021-05/134108-Thumbnail%20Image.png?versionId=VBzyhfemuVXEtMu88ii5.ohQEOANdJHe&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIASBVQ3ZQ42ZLA5CUJ/20240619/us-west-2/s3/aws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20240619T115507Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=120&X-Amz-Signature=4a2783191aa2ac4b78d7031a49085b92b04cb4385a3a22dd4485d8b9f357da8e&itok=P2RAmeJ-)
![135209-Thumbnail Image.png](https://d1rbsgppyrdqq4.cloudfront.net/s3fs-public/styles/width_400/public/2021-05/135209-Thumbnail%20Image.png?versionId=jSHmxF935M5hUiPi1ENMIeUGCiMgB7od&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIASBVQ3ZQ42ZLA5CUJ/20240619/us-west-2/s3/aws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20240619T101548Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=120&X-Amz-Signature=3cde08aeb307c3be96c095f1e0b6f824639d89ffa266319df458879f49efdd94&itok=mJgWwmD5)
![134597-Thumbnail Image.png](https://d1rbsgppyrdqq4.cloudfront.net/s3fs-public/styles/width_400/public/2021-05/134597-Thumbnail%20Image.png?versionId=nYZzm88n3XIlU0GhsqGOdOldr0.blCiv&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIASBVQ3ZQ42ZLA5CUJ/20240619/us-west-2/s3/aws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20240619T115507Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=120&X-Amz-Signature=9b35162d83415969713d84cd40a5732493d2913066a6b92b36da534c26238034&itok=XuCO2Kfm)
Plasticizers are plastic additives used to enhance the physical properties of plastic and are ubiquitous in the environment. A class of plasticizer compounds called phthalate esters that are not fully eliminated in wastewater treatment facilities are relevant to the ecological health of downstream ecosystems and urban areas due to their ecotoxicity, tendency for soil accumulation, and the emerging concern about their effects on public health. However, plasticizer concentrations in a constructed wetland environment have rarely been studied in the United States, prompting the need for a method of plasticizer quantification in the Tres Rios Constructed Wetlands which are sustained by the effluent of the 91st Avenue Wastewater Treatment Plant in Phoenix, Arizona. The concentrations of four common plasticizer compounds (dimethyl: DMP, diethyl: DEP, di-n-butyl: DnBP, and bis(2-ethylhexyl): DEHP phthalate) at five sites across the wetland surface water were quantified using solid-phase extraction followed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The sampling period included four sample sets taken from March 2022 to September 2022, which gave temporal data in addition to spatial concentration data. Quantification and quality control were performed using internal standard calibration, replicate samples, and laboratory blanks. Higher molecular weight phthalates accumulated in the wetland surface water at significantly higher average concentrations than those of lower molecular weight at a 95% confidence level, ranging from 8 ng/L to 7349 ng/L and 4 ng/L to 27876 ng/L for DnBP and DEHP, respectively. Concentrations for dimethyl phthalate and diethyl phthalate were typically less than 50 ng/L and were often below the method detection limit. Average concentrations of DnBP and DEHP were significantly higher during periods of high temperatures and arid conditions. The spatial distribution of phthalates was analyzed. Most importantly, a method for successful ultra-trace quantification of plasticizers at Tres Rios was established. These results confirm the presence of plasticizers at Tres Rios and a significant seasonal increase in their surface water concentrations. The developed analytical procedure provides a solid foundation for the Wetlands Environmental Ecology Lab at ASU to further investigate plasticizers and contaminants of emerging concern and determine their ultimate fate through volatilization, sorption, photodegradation, hydrolysis, microbial biodegradation, and phytoremediation studies.
![156680-Thumbnail Image.png](https://d1rbsgppyrdqq4.cloudfront.net/s3fs-public/styles/width_400/public/2021-09/156680-Thumbnail%20Image.png?versionId=ikef_nf.EEq_RQagaVSZoZqgmd_87Bn1&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIASBVQ3ZQ42ZLA5CUJ/20240619/us-west-2/s3/aws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20240619T115507Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=120&X-Amz-Signature=c9b3169cc34aced4fa5533fd61fb222aa1cf3dfd09fccda6d2b4bffb61312c24&itok=BoSxyeap)
New quantitative sustainability indices are proposed to capture the energy system environmental impacts, economic performance, and resilience attributes, characterized by normalized environmental/health externalities, energy costs, and penalty costs respectively. A comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment is proposed which includes externalities due to emissions from different supply and demand-side energy systems specific to the regional power generation energy portfolio mix. An approach based on external costs, i.e. the monetized health and environmental impacts, was used to quantify adverse consequences associated with different energy system components.
Further, this thesis also proposes a new performance-based method for characterizing and assessing resilience of multi-functional demand-side engineered systems. Through modeling of system response to potential internal and external failures during different operational temporal periods reflective of diurnal variation in loads and services, the proposed methodology quantifies resilience of the system based on imposed penalty costs to the system stakeholders due to undelivered or interrupted services and/or non-optimal system performance.
A conceptual diagram called “Sustainability Compass” is also proposed which facilitates communicating the assessment results and allow better decision-analysis through illustration of different system attributes and trade-offs between different alternatives. The proposed methodologies have been illustrated using end-use monitored data for whole year operation of a university campus energy system.
![153951-Thumbnail Image.png](https://d1rbsgppyrdqq4.cloudfront.net/s3fs-public/styles/width_400/public/2021-08/153951-Thumbnail%20Image.png?versionId=zRkNtFAvJihwgLXkVTu8ZM_YCcG.iOdS&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIASBVQ3ZQ42ZLA5CUJ/20240619/us-west-2/s3/aws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20240619T102334Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=120&X-Amz-Signature=9e6c2cfb7031be90eccc469e8edd769df0962b82accf615a17aeeb0cf3350d29&itok=6poMNHMX)
Two main strategies have emerged for integrating sustainability grand challenges. In the stand-alone course method, engineering programs establish one or two distinct courses that address sustainability grand challenges in depth. In the module method, engineering programs integrate sustainability grand challenges throughout existing courses. Neither method has been assessed in the literature.
This thesis aimed to develop sustainability modules, to create methods for evaluating the modules’ effectiveness on student cognitive and affective outcomes, to create methods for evaluating students’ cumulative sustainability knowledge, and to evaluate the stand-alone course method to integrate sustainability grand challenges into engineering curricula via active and experiential learning.
The Sustainable Metrics Module for teaching sustainability concepts and engaging and motivating diverse sets of students revealed that the activity portion of the module had the greatest impact on learning outcome retention.
The Game Design Module addressed methods for assessing student mastery of course content with student-developed games indicated that using board game design improved student performance and increased student satisfaction.
Evaluation of senior design capstone projects via novel comprehensive rubric to assess sustainability learned over students’ curriculum revealed that students’ performance is primarily driven by their instructor’s expectations. The rubric provided a universal tool for assessing students’ sustainability knowledge and could also be applied to sustainability-focused projects.
With this in mind, engineering educators should pursue modules that connect sustainability grand challenges to engineering concepts, because student performance improves and students report higher satisfaction. Instructors should utilize pedagogies that engage diverse students and impact concept retention, such as active and experiential learning. When evaluating the impact of sustainability in the curriculum, innovative assessment methods should be employed to understand student mastery and application of course concepts and the impacts that topics and experiences have on student satisfaction.
![154149-Thumbnail Image.png](https://d1rbsgppyrdqq4.cloudfront.net/s3fs-public/styles/width_400/public/2021-09/154149-Thumbnail%20Image.png?versionId=NIl7Nw_86QaTHXWukeGvcvbQMEGefBZ3&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIASBVQ3ZQ42ZLA5CUJ/20240619/us-west-2/s3/aws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20240619T115507Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=120&X-Amz-Signature=e6b264fd55ed176b4b7f9193d03b59484e77d22e720caae04be6cd5df43d7672&itok=DvDVIw9Q)
![154130-Thumbnail Image.png](https://d1rbsgppyrdqq4.cloudfront.net/s3fs-public/styles/width_400/public/2021-09/154130-Thumbnail%20Image.png?versionId=M4AWAI0hc4oba9kYCHt.Er156o0qdAcw&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIASBVQ3ZQ42ZLA5CUJ/20240619/us-west-2/s3/aws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20240619T111857Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=120&X-Amz-Signature=f5725102e179e70be973436d4504ae7412546b62d3745a5426da62d687924341&itok=sexH_z68)
This thesis attempts to achieve the research objectives by examining the LEED certified buildings on the Arizona State University (ASU) campus in Tempe, AZ, from two complementary perspectives: the Macro-level and the Micro-level. Heating, cooling, and electricity data were collected from the LEED-certified buildings on campus, and their energy use intensity was calculated in order to investigate the buildings' actual energy performance. Additionally, IEQ occupant satisfaction surveys were used to investigate users' satisfaction with the space layout, space furniture, thermal comfort, indoor air quality, lighting level, acoustic quality, water efficiency, cleanliness and maintenance of the facilities they occupy.
From a Macro-level perspective, the results suggest ASU LEED buildings consume less energy than regional counterparts, and exhibit higher occupant satisfaction than national counterparts. The occupant satisfaction results are in line with the literature on LEED buildings, whereas the energy results contribute to the inconclusive body of knowledge on energy performance improvements linked to LEED certification. From a Micro-level perspective, data analysis suggest an inconsistency between the LEED points earned for the Energy & Atmosphere and IEQ categories, on one hand, and the respective levels of energy consumption and occupant satisfaction on the other hand. Accordingly, this study showcases the variation in the performance results when approached from different perspectives. This contribution highlights the need to consider the Macro-level and Micro-level assessments in tandem, and assess LEED building performance from these two distinct but complementary perspectives in order to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the actual building performance.