Environmental Engineering

Environmental Engineering Process Laboratories (Cook Campus)

These laboratories are equipped to establish, monitor, and analyze physical, chemical, and biological processes in engineered and natural systems. A Gas Chromatography (GC) system equipped with Flame Ionization and Electron Capture detection is used for quantifying volatile compounds in gas samples. There are two high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) systems used for quantifying chemical pollutants or microbial metabolites. An Ion Chromatography (IC) system is available for quantifying dissolved charged chemical species in natural and treated water. An Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) system is available for the quantitation of trace elements in soils or water. A supercritical CO₂ extractor is used for activated carbon regeneration and extraction of organic pollutants from soil and sediment matrices. The laboratory is equipped for analyses of microbial communities via: phase-contrast microscopy for enumeration and identification; spread or membrane plating for selective cultivation; and DNA extraction, visualization, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification, and quantitative PCR for detection and identification. A UV-visible spectrophotometer, various ovens, dissolved oxygen meters, pH meters, and electronic balances are also available.

Physical and chemical processes are demonstrated using a computer-controlled flow-through reactor system with multiple sensors. The system allows students to establish and monitor processes in a plug flow reactor (PFR), a completely mixed flow reactor (CMFR), CMFRs in series, and other reactor configurations used in water and wastewater treatment. Jar test systems are available for investigation of interparticle interactions resulting in turbidity removal. Bench scale batch reactors are employed for investigation of chemical reactions, ion exchange, and adsorption processes. Computer software packages for activated carbon adsorber design, air stripper design, and modeling of pollutant distributions among multimedia are available.

Biological processes are investigated using small-scale reactors. Students establish anaerobic digesters that are monitored for COD removal, fatty acid production, and methane production. Nonlinear curve-fitting is used to parameterize a biokinetic model of the digestion process. Bioremediation techniques are tested in microcosms using soils collected by students. Removal of gasoline and chlorinated solvents are evaluated by monitoring contaminant profiles and microbial populations. In situ water quality is measured in the field using handheld meters equipped with probes for dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, and turbidity. Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), bacterial indicator plate counts, and nutrient (phosphorus and nitrogen) analysis are carried out using standard methods or commercial (Hach) kits.  

Environmental Engineering Laboratory (Busch Campus)  

This laboratory is equipped for performing the analysis of water and wastes and the unit processes associated with treatment. Molecular level and advanced analytical chemical measurements are available for complex environmental samples, including water and air matrices. The microbiological equipment includes a cell homogenizer for DNA extraction, quantitative PCR (qPCR), PCR, fluorescent microscope, microcentrifuge, electrophoresis equipment, gel imager, constant-temperature water baths, incubators, and laminar flow hoods. Analytical chemistry equipment includes an FTIR microscope, high-pressure liquid chromatograph (HPLC) with UV detection, a total carbon/total nitrogen analyzer, pH meters, field meters for conductivity/pH/ORP, chemical fume hood, drying and annealing ovens, centrifuge, mixing devices, chemical metering pumps, spectrophotometers (including Hach), and turbimeters. A variety of field sampling equipment, devices to simulate unit processes (e.g., jar test apparatus, annular biofilm reactor, sunlight simulator), and refrigerated storage is available.

Air Sampling and Analysis Laboratory (Cook Campus)

This laboratory is equipped to provide students with experience in ambient and indoor air sampling. Students learn how to use air flow rate and velocity measurement devices (i.e., wet test meter, dry gas meter, bubble calibrator, mass flow meter, rotameters, S-type and regular pitot tubes), particle samplers (i.e., Button inhalable aerosol sampler, IOM inhalable aerosol sampler, PM2.5 impactor, cyclone), particle measurement instruments (i.e., optical particle counter, condensation particle counter, aerosol mass photometer), and bioaerosol samplers (i.e., 1-stage Anderson impactor, 6-stage Anderson impactor, and portable bioaerosol samplers). Students gain experience in analyzing gases using Draeger tubes and ozone meters.

Soil and Water Laboratory (Cook Campus)    

This laboratory is equipped to teach students how to determine the properties of soils. Ovens and electronic balances are available for soil moisture content analysis. pH meters are available for characterization of soil and water samples. Instruments for manual or automated measurement of soil particle size distributions; and sensor-enabled measurement of soil water content and pressure potential are available. Pressure extractors and automatic systems to measure water retention curves and saturated hydraulic conductivity, along with two types of tension infiltrometers that can be connected to data loggers for automatically quantifying water movement through unsaturated soils and sediments enable study of flow in porous media. A physical aquifer model allows students to visualize and manipulate movement of water and contaminants in a groundwater environment.