ERE 796-04 Analysis of Ecological Treatment Systems

Fall 2009

 

Instructor: Dr. Wendong Tao                                                TA: Yuling He

Office: 422 Baker                                                                  Office: 410 Baker

Phone: 470-4928                                                                  Email:  sisi_000856@yahoo.cn

Email: wtao@esf.edu

 

Course Description

 

3 hours of laboratory/discussion.

Common laboratory exercises for a comprehensive analysis of engineered ecosystems, including water quality, hydraulic characteristics, vegetation, soil and gravel, and microbial community. Brief introduction to the principles of each laboratory exercise and potential applications to environmental engineering research. Discussion on experimental procedures and implications of the results.

 

Lecture/Discussion: 105 Baker

 

Lab: 108 Baker and Old Greenhouse #1

 

Semester Offering: Fall 2009

 

Credits: 1

 

Level: Graduate

 

Class Capacity: 6 (2 groups)

 

Suggested Readings:

  1. Metcalf & Eddy, Inc. 2003. Wastewater Engineering: Treatment and Reuse, 4th ed. McGraw HillHigher Education.
  2. Kadlec, R.H. and Wallace, S.D. 2009. Treatment Wetlands, 2nd ed. CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group.
  3. Ecological Engineering (ejournal).
  4. Water Research (ejournal).

Laboratory Sessions:

  1. Lab #1 (8/31): Lab safety and orientation of EcolEng Lab and Chemical Stockroom.
  2. Lab #2 (9/14): Environmental and Chemical Safety Training; water/wastewater solids analysis.
  3. Lab #3 (10/5): Water/wastewater oxygen demand – COD, sCOD, and BOD5.
  4. Lab #4 (10/12): NH3, NO2-, and NO3- in wastewater using Lachat QuickChem 8500 FIA+.
  5. Lab #5 (10/19&26): TKN, orthophosphate and TP in wastewater and plant/soil extracts.
  6. Lab #6 (11/2): Collection and treatment of gravel and sediment, gravel grain size analysis, and soil texture analysis.
  7. Lab #7 (11/9&16): Degradation kinetics – BOD5, COD, or N in batch reactors.
  8. Lab #8 (11/23&30): Batch adsorption and desorption tests for kinetics and isotherms.
  9. Lab #9 (12/7): Tracer study for hydraulic characteristics.
  10. Lab #10 (12/14): Microbial community – determination of chlorophyll-a, and enumeration of protozoa.

Course Outcomes

 

After completing this course, the students will be able to:

  1. Use common laboratory skills to characterize water/wastewater quality;
  2. Quantitatively characterize the components and internal processes of engineered ecosystems;
  3. Design engineering experiments to examine the effects of design and operating parameters on system performance.

Grading

  1. Group presentations (Lab # 2-9) and participation                       40%
  2. Individual lab reports (Lab # 5, 7-9)                                            60%

Presentations (10-15 minutes of results, discussion, and cautions/interferences) are given by groups in the next class. Lab reports by individual students are due 7 days after completion of each lab.