Master of Environmental Studies Capstone Projects Copyright (c) 2013 University of Pennsylvania All rights reserved. http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones Recent documents in Master of Environmental Studies Capstone Projects en-us Sun, 31 Mar 2013 01:35:25 PDT 3600 The Compost Activist: An Educational Website to Promote Composting http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/51 http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/51 Fri, 29 Mar 2013 10:25:44 PDT Any material thrown into the trash may contribute to global climate change (Fig. 1). This is alarming, since the US generates 250 million tons of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) annually; per capita, each person generates 4.43 pounds of waste per day (EPA, 2012e). Some of this material is recycled or incinerated for energy, but most waste is discarded in landfills. The abundance of organic waste in landfills – food scraps, yard trimmings, leaves, textiles, paper and paperboard – is of particular environmental concern. Compostable materials that decompose without oxygen produce large quantities of methane gas as well as trace quantities of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Although billions of federal dollars have been invested to harness this methane gas, experts debate if the capture rate is 17-20-49 or 75% (Brown, 2011). An effective strategy to avoid these toxic emissions is to divert recyclable and organic materials from landfill through recycling and composting. Composting is no longer a backyard initiative for gardeners; it is a climate change reduction strategy. However, a cultural shift is needed before composting is embraced as a sustainability strategy. Most composting experts agree that public education and outreach is needed to help individuals, communities and businesses separate organics from trash to promote national composting. Conclusive research has been published to prove the benefits of composting and mega-resources are available to promote composting. However, until now, there has not been a single, integrated website to guide concerned citizens from basic composting instruction, through the path of state regulation, and into the maze of policies and subsidies that shape the waste processing industry. After months of research, multiple in-depth interviews and a circuitous capstone journey, the culmination of this project is a website intended to transform a general environmentalist into a compost activist. Join the movement and visit www.compostactivist.org.

]]> Paige Hasling The Producer-Pollinator Dilemma: Neonicotinoids and Honeybee Colony Collapse http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/50 http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/50 Fri, 29 Mar 2013 10:25:43 PDT Neonicotinoid insecticides are the most important new insecticide class introduced in the past 40 years. They are the number one selling insecticide in the world, and are used on over 90% of the corn produced in the U.S. However, neonicotinoids could very likely be causing widespread and severe impairment to bee colonies, and possibly contributing to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). This is problematic since bees, and honey bees in particular, are the single most important pollinator for global agriculture. Pollination services contribute to one of every three mouthfuls of food consumed (Xerces Society, 2011). Direct pollination services were recently valued in a Cornell University study to be worth 16 billion dollars a year in U.S. farm income (Calderone, 2012). As more is learned about the nature of systemic neonicotinoids and their adverse effects on beneficial pollinators, a potential conflict between crop protection and pollinator conservation becomes clear, posing a dilemma between food production required to feed a growing global population and the risk of widespread colony collapses. The scientific community has been examining the phenomenon of CCD, and anecdotal links between the bee losses and the application of neonicotinoid insecticides, since it was first noticed by French beekeepers in 1994 and then in the U.S. in 2006. While previous studies failed to demonstrate links to CCD, a new generation of field-realistic studies has chronicled the synergistic and sublethal effects of neonicotinoids on individual bees and colonies over longerterm exposure using real-world foraging conditions. Recent studies strongly support the link between neonicotinoids and CCD (Henry et al., 2012; Whitehorn et al., 2012; Gill, Ramos-Rodriguez, and Raine, 2012; Lu et al., 2012; Tapparo et al., 2012; Krupke et al., 2012). However, independent researchers such as James Cresswell, Jim Frazier, and USDA scientist Jeffrey Pettis (Cresswell, 2011; Cresswell, Desneux, and vanEngelsdorp, 2012; Frazier et al., 2011; Frazier 2012; Grist.org) along with farming and crop protection interests and the producers of the neonicotinoid products all caution that there is not yet enough evidence to draw definitive conclusions, and that there are a variety of causal factors behind CCD. Can these pesticides continue to be used safely in the U.S. or do their risks to pollinators outweigh their benefits to humans and animals?

]]> Benjamin W. Reynard An Analysis of Rangeland Preservation in Western States http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/49 http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/49 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 09:35:53 PST Rangelands cover a vast portion of the U.S., providing myriad environmental services (e.g. clean water, open space, wildlife habitat). The majority of these working landscapes are privately owned and are situated on the wettest and most productive lands in the West, but ranchers often require access to public grazing lands to feed their cattle. Ranchers face narrow profit margins, and many are rich in land, but lack substantial cash income. As the nation’s population continues to grow, western rangelands become increasingly threatened by development. Subdivision and residential development of a ranch can negatively affect neighboring ranch businesses, displace native wildlife, and upset the local tax base. Each state addresses agricultural land preservation with a unique mix of tools, funding sources, and local expertise. Furthermore, federal land preservation funding is unevenly distributed across states, and public attitudes towards agriculture and Howell: An Analysis of Rangeland Preservation in Western States iii land conservation vary. Land trust organizations facilitate preservation using conservation easements, which keep working lands working and in private ownership, while restricting most development.

I explore the literature on rangelands, agricultural data, ballot measure trends, and case studies to present circumstances that facilitate and impede private rangeland preservation. In California, well-designed land planning tools support farms and ranches, but the state has relied on unsustainable debt financing to purchase agricultural conservation easements. Colorado has established a successful funding mechanism and an innovative tax credit program for conservation easements, but allows land-consumptive subdivision. Both states benefit from an agricultural land trust founded by their professional cattlemen’s associations. The California Rangeland Trust and the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust have earned the trust of livestock growers and use available state, local, and private funds to protect working ranches.

]]> Ian Howell Green Brook Flood Control Project: Saving Bound Brook http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/48 http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/48 Mon, 05 Nov 2012 12:00:46 PST Bound Brook, New Jersey sits between Middle Brook, Green Brook and a bend on the Raritan River in the Triassic Basin of New Jersey. Like many cities and towns all over the world, it was originally situated on the river to take advantage of fresh water for drinking, transportation and trade. As transportation networks have become centered around motor vehicles, the importance of river transportation and trade has become less important. However, communities continue to live within flood zones begging the questions: Why do towns continue to thrive on the river’s edge? Are river towns viable? Should they be encouraged and saved through the use of taxpayer dollars? Faced with these questions, the communities in the area surrounding Bound Brook spent many years convincing the national, regional and local authorities that saving Bound Brook was important and cost effective. The Army Corps of Engineers embarked on the Green Brook Flood Control Project, one of the most comprehensive and ambitious projects undertaken anywhere. The solution involved residential buyouts, wetlands mitigation, bridge reconstruction, railroad realignment, installation of large pumping stations, upgrading regional storm-water collection, flood-proofing, channel modifications, and levee and flood wall construction. The Bound Brook portion of the Green Brook Flood Control Project was to take a total of 12 years and cost more than $111 million to be shared by federal, state and local interests. As the project nears completion in 2012, I will review the history of Bound Brook, the Green Brook Flood Control Project, and the effectiveness of each remedial element of the flood control project.

]]> Robin Blackstone Valinski Trend Detection in Annual Temperature & Precipitation using the Mann Kendall Test – A Case Study to Assess Climate Change on Select States in the Northeastern United States http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/47 http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/47 Mon, 05 Nov 2012 12:00:45 PST The impact of climate change on annual air temperature and precipitation has received a great deal of attention by scholars worldwide. Many studies have been conducted to illustrate that changes in annual temperature and precipitation are becoming evident on a global scale. This study focuses on detecting trends in annual temperature and precipitation for the nine states in the Northeastern United States. For this study, the widely used modified Mann-Kendall test was run at 5% significance level on time series data for each of the nine states for the time period, 1900 to 2011. The resultant Mann- Kendall test statistic (S) indicates how strong the trend in temperature and precipitation is and whether it is increasing or decreasing. For temperature, all the states indicate statistically significant increasing trends, except for Pennsylvania and Maine that do not indicate statistically significant trends. In the case of precipitation, the states of New Hampshire and Maine do not show statistically significant results, while the other states show statistically significant increasing trends. On the contrary, linear trend line plotting indicates increasing trend in temperature for all nine northeastern states in the range of 0.00006 to 0.02 °F/yr, while a US EPA study demonstrates that the US average temperature rise is 1.3°F/century. [1] For precipitation, the linear trend line indicates a decreasing trend for Maine, while the other eight states have an increasing trend that ranges from 0.03 to 0.13 mm/yr.

]]> Neha Karmeshu The Environmental Benefits of Urban Agriculture on Unused, Impermeable and Semi-Permeable Spaces in Major Cities With a Focus on Philadelphia, PA http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/46 http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/46 Mon, 05 Nov 2012 12:00:44 PST Cities face many environmental challenges, including air and water quality issues, lack of sufficient green space, excess heat capture, polluted stormwater runoff and lack of ecological biodiversity. Urban agriculture presents a unique opportunity to utilize vacant or idle land and rooftops throughout cities for the production of healthy, pesticide-free food. Adding green spaces to a neighborhood, including community gardens and urban farms, is known to provide a number of social, health, economic and environmental benefits. Unfortunately, most studies have neglected to analyze the potential contributions of urban agriculture to improvement of ecological sustainability in cities. This study used a multi-pronged approach to examine the environmental benefits of urban agriculture on unused, vacant real estate or rooftops as compared to the alternative of leaving the land or space in its current state.

]]> Knizhnik L. Heather Understanding Tropospheric Ozone in a Montane Tropical Rainforest: An Analysis of Ozone Levels in the Luquillo Mountains of Puerto Rico http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/45 http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/45 Mon, 05 Nov 2012 12:00:42 PST The Luquillo Critical Zone Observatory (LCZO) is in the northeastern portion of Puerto Rico. This subtropical, humid and maritime region is one of the wettest in the Caribbean. One LCZO data set that has not been previously analyzed is ozone at the canopy level. Ozone generally has not been recorded or studied much in tropical regions of the world, but needs to be better understood since increasing numbers of people around the world will be living in the urban tropics. The data for this study has been collected since April 2008 from the Bisley Lower Tower, which also collects weather, climate and rainfall data. The purpose of this study is ultimately to understand the variations of canopy level ozone in this montane tropical rainforest. The study analyzed the ozone levels across time—hourly, monthly and seasonally. 8-hour averages were calculated to compare to US ozone standards. The ozone data was then combined with climate data to find correlations between ozone with temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, solar radiation and wind. From the results, overall the air quality of the Luquillo Mountains is good as compared to US ozone standards and to other forested or high elevation sites. The forest has plenty of VOCs, so the NOx are likely the limiting factor for ozone production, with climatic conditions also affecting the likelihood that ozone will form. Ozone varies temporally with sunlight, where it is highest at noon during each day and highest in the summer during each year. The highest ozone days did get over the US standards for ozone and occurred on hot, sunny dry days with relatively stagnant air. The air pollution that contributed the highest ozone days may not have come from one specific area, implying that pollution may be coming from many directions, which policies need to address.

]]> Chennery Fife Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plans on University Campuses: Challenges and Opportunities http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/44 http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/44 Tue, 29 Nov 2011 11:18:49 PST Under the Clean Water Act, Philadelphia is required to reduce its Combined Sewer Overflow volume by 85% (PWD, 2009). Other cities have constructed massive underground storage tunnels to capture overflows, but the Philadelphia Water Department has proposed a plan that places a fee on impervious cover and relies heavily on green infrastructure. There is an opportunity for the University of Pennsylvania to become a model institution for stormwater management and also to save money on Philadelphia’s stormwater charge. Sporadic green infrastructure projects will have some effect, but in order to be as efficient as possible in meeting the two aforementioned goals, it is necessary to coordinate green infrastructure projects through a stormwater management plan. The University of Pennsylvania is in the process of developing such a plan. This study describes the current stormwater management efforts being made at the University of Pennsylvania and examines the efforts of other universities in developing their own stormwater management plans, with the goal of gleaning innovative practices that can be recreated at other universities. While it is too early to determine which stormwater plans have achieved long-term success, a survey given to nine universities reveals common themes between plans. A common framework for a campus stormwater management plan was found to take inventory of existing infrastructure and campus conditions, develop a list of acceptable best management practices, develop an educational and outreach component, and develop an operation and maintenance v schedule for green infrastructure technologies. The most innovative plan in the study belongs to the Georgia Institute of Technology, which creates an Eco-Commons corridor on the most ecologically sensitive parts of campus, in which development is severely limited. Stormwater goals are met by using a regional approach, as opposed to a project-by-project approach, increasing the flexibility of new development on campus. Villanova University has also developed an excellent BMP research park, which also serves as an outreach component. The University of Pennsylvania should develop a plan that considers emulating these innovative practices and adding them to the common framework.

]]> Steven R. Gillard The Recycling of Organics: Opportunities for Municipal Programs and a Case Study for Philadelphia http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/43 http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/43 Tue, 29 Nov 2011 11:18:45 PST In 2009, food waste in the United States comprised 14.1% of municipal solid waste, the third largest category after paper and yard trimmings. With food scraps and other organics dominating a large portion of the waste stream, cities across the United States and Canada are slowly adopting organics diversion programs as they learn of the feasibility and paybacks of these programs on a municipal scale. The first part of this capstone examines existing trends in the development and execution of organics programs, including a few precedent examples, as well as techniques to motivate participation among residents. The second portion of this capstone explores the benefits and drawbacks of three viable organics recycling scenarios currently available to municipalities. These options include: increasing the use of food waste disposers in kitchens, developing a community-based network of composting sites, and implementing a city-wide curbside collection program. While these programs can be applied to any city, the third portion of this capstone looks at data specific to Philadelphia because Greenworks Philadelphia, the city’s comprehensive sustainability plan, includes a goal to divert 70% of solid waste from landfills by 2015. In the end, these organics recycling options are all feasible within Philadelphia, or any municipality, and this capstone provides the foundation for a city to make an educated decision as to which program would best fit the needs of its residents.

]]> Emily Marie Bush Unionville Serpentine Barrens: Analyzing the Relationship Between Soil Profiles and Forest Succession Rate http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/42 http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/42 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 09:06:15 PST The Unionville Serpentine Barrens are a part of Natural Lands Trust’s ChesLen Preserve in Unionville, Chester County, Pennsylvania. This area of the Preserve is underlain with serpentine rock (serpentinite), known for its high magnesium and low calcium content, which inhibit growth in most plants. However, certain plants are tolerant of these conditions, and a very few have evolved a set of traits that confine them almost exclusively to this soil.1 The Unionville Barrens exist today in large part because of disturbances such as corundum mining, wildfires, and grazing that have prohibited plant succession from grassland to forest. The Unionville Barrens are home to at least 15 plant species that are categorized as endangered, threatened, or rare.2 The inspection of a series of aerial photographs taken from 1937 to 2002 clearly shows the decline in area of serpentine grassland from 58.1 acres in 1937 to just 8.9 acres in 2002. In order to sustain the rare plant communities, the grassland must be conserved and, where possible, forested areas converted back to grassland. In order to prioritize grassland restoration areas to make the most efficient use of limited land management resources, it is necessary first to understand if, and how, the rate of succession from grassland to forest is associated with soil conditions or other measurable features of the landscape. This research analyzes the status of current plant communities and their associated soil depths and other characteristics as they relate to the aerial photographs. A grid of 105 points placed 65 meters apart was overlain on top of the Unionville Barrens restoration study area. Soil horizon depth and color, soil depth to bedrock, and surrounding plant communities were recorded at each of these points. Statistical and spatial analyses of these results determined that certain variables best retrospectively “predicted” the likelihood of a quick succession from grassland to woods, when examining this data against a chronosequence of aerial photographs from 1937 to 2010. It was assumed that areas that underwent rapid succession from grassland to woods would require too costly a disturbance regime to sustain the grasslands long-term. Therefore, the restoration priority areas will be selected based on areas where succession must have occurred recently, or where measurements indicated a slow succession rate.

]]> Elizabeth Haegele Lessons Learned from EPA's Climate Leaders Program: An Evaluation to Fortify Voluntary Environmental Initiatives http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/41 http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/41 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 09:06:13 PST A voluntary environmental program (VEP) called Climate Leaders was recently cancelled by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). To find out why and gather lessons learned, the program was examined using a three-pronged approach: 1) a meta-analysis of program evaluation theory literature, 2) a review of guides and external reports on Climate Leaders, and 3) interviews with former program participants and implementers. Findings reveal that environmental protection is best achieved by combining regulation with voluntary methods as they complement and buttress each other. Recommendations were compiled to help future VEPs minimize wasted resources and improve environmental conditions. These recommendations were vetted by industry, and ultimately contribute to a comprehensive “guiding framework” for the design, implementation, and evaluation of VEPs. Existing VEP models and evaluative tools still lack the perspective of several key disciplines, so additional program evaluations are necessary to capture all of the primary characteristics correlated with program success and complete the guiding framework.

]]> Vivian Futran The Practical Air Quality Planning and Self-Evaluation Guide for Biomass Projects http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/40 http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/40 Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:08:33 PDT The motivations of short-term and outsized profits lure many entrepreneurs to seek inclusion in the ever-growing biomass industry in Pennsylvania. This recent growth and the trend among those entrepreneurs that see their projects fail can be attributed mostly to the void of any useful guides on the biomass industry in Pennsylvania. This results in a lack of planning and confusing and contradictory information, which in turn results in a lack of useful information. In an effort to make more biomass projects successful, the research will result in a guide that will outline numerous environmental considerations for those entrepreneurs planning to start a business in the biomass industry. Often there is confusing and contradictory information about the biomass industry and exactly what the correct process is for obtaining all of the necessary air quality plan approvals and permitting needed for successful biomass projects. The primary focus of this guide will be to obtain a complete understanding of the various definitions of the biomass industry, outline the process and various steps of the air quality plan approval and permitting process and make recommendations for the implementation for successful projects. The criteria applied in evaluating the research included a practical review of the information obtained using professional working experience, a review and investigation of similar guides, textbooks and regulatory websites. The results of the research produced information about the biomass industry from all environmental media,but due to the longer time frames involved this guides main focus is in the air quality plan approval and permitting process. The results of the research produced information specifically in the areas of public support, funding opportunities, the relationships involving vendors, control devices, federal and state level particulate regulations, odor issues, opacity issues, fugitive emissions, stack testing, education, environmental permit management and pre-application meetings with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP). The results of the research also produced positive and negative results concerning why some biomass projects fail and why some succeed.

]]> William Dunagan The Global Development of a CSS-Based Service and Technology Market with a Focus on the US, France, and China http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/39 http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/39 Thu, 21 Apr 2011 11:26:11 PDT Cameron Rolfe McQuale Spatial Variation of Stable Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Ratios and C:N of Perennial Plant Species in the Steppe Grassland of Northern Mongolia http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/38 http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/38 Tue, 15 Feb 2011 07:29:46 PST Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios (δ13C and δ15N) and C:N are evaluated in individuals of three species (Festuca lenensis, Potentilla acaulis, and Pontentilla sericea) occurring across an elevation gradient along a south-facing slope. δ13C is a common proxy for water use efficiency (WUE) in plants, C:N is a proxy for nitrogen indicate variation in δ13C values (and hence WUE) that is significantly correlated with elevation (and thus water availability) in F. lenensis and P. acaulis, but show no such correlation in P. sericea. Variation in C:N (and thus NUE) is significantly correlated with elevation (and total soil nitrogen) in P. sericea only. That no species simultaneously increased bot WUE and NUE suggests a trade-off between the two. The apparent plasticity in WUE seen in F. lenesis and P. acaulis may explain their abundance along the slope, whereas P. sericea - which had the highest WUE - is significantly more abundant where soil moisture levels are low. δ15N results indicate variation in the isotope ratio that is significantly correlated with elevation in all three species. Locations higher on the slope, at the drier end of the aridity gradient, show higher levels of soil nitrate, a greater abundance of lichens and legumes, and decreased plant δ15N. These results are consistent with previous work showing strong topographic effects on local N-cycles, and also the potential that the upper slope is playing a crucial role in bringing nitrogen into the system.

A better understanding of these results, and how legume and lichen abundance will be affected by future increases in temperature and increases in grazing pressure, will help us predict the future plant community composition in the region. The future distribution of these important grazing species will be impacted by their physiological response to different soil moisture levels and the availability of soil nitrogen.

]]> Robert Goldman Combining DNA Barcoding and Macroinvertebrate Sampling to Assess Water Quality http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/37 http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/37 Tue, 15 Feb 2011 07:29:44 PST DNA barcoding (using a standardized sequence of the mitochondrial CO1 gene) was used to determine the aquatic insect species richness of two sites along White Clay Creek in Pennsylvania. Water quality assessment at the sites did not change from good (14.6, previous MAIS score 13.2) and fair (9.4, earlier MAIS 7.3), but barcoding increased the species richness and provided a much more detailed analysis by detecting cryptic species. Aquatic insect identifications by an amateur biologist and by expert taxonomists using traditional methods based on morphology were compared to DNA barcoding. The amateur biologist’s identifications were limited to order and family while expert taxonomists were able to identify 44 different species and DNA barcoding indicated 128 different species. 84% of the 1786 specimens that were submitted for barcoding generated a successful DNA sequence. DNA barcoding revealed the presence of more species than expert taxonomists identified as shown in the following listing of insect orders with comparison of numbers of species identified by expert taxonomists and DNA barcoding: Diptera (23 expert spp. and 128 barcoding spp.), Ephemeroptera (6 expert spp. and 16 barcoding spp.), Plecoptera (0 expert spp. and 6 barcoding spp), Trichoptera (9 expert spp. and 14 barcoding spp), and Coleoptera (6 expert spp. and 6 barcoding spp). Station 12 had an overall higher species richness and abundance of Chironomidae; Chironomids accounted for 63% of the specimens with 64 species. Chironomids made up only 30% of the specimens at Station 11 and EPT richness was higher. The increase in the abundance and species richness of Chironomidae at Station 12 supported the previous findings of a lower water quality than that occurring at Station 11. Barcoding, when combined with traditional aquatic macroinvertebrate sampling, provides the most accurate and cost effective method to determine the water quality of fresh water ecosystems.

]]> Tanya Dapkey Fish Production in Streams With and Without Natural Broan Trout Populations http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/36 http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/36 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 08:45:05 PST Brown trout (Salmo trutta) have been introduced into the waterways throughout the United States, including Pennsylvania, since the 1800’s. They may have limited interactions with native fish species in regions where they do not reproduce successfully, but where they do concerns have arisen regarding the impact they have on native species. Are brown trout having a negative effect on the native fish? If so, could they be outcompeting the natives to the point of localized extirpation? This project compared fish communities, densities, biomass and production in two similar stretches of stream in the White Clay Creek, one known to hold brown trout (the East Branch) and the other without (the Middle Branch). Fish in each branch were collected in June and October 2009 using backpack electrofishing equipment to determine species composition and abundance, population densities and community diversity. Fish were aged using scales and further examination revealed biomass and production of the species present. The fish communities within the branches were stable between June and October (Jaccards index = 0.75 for both branches), but differed between branches (Jaccards index = 0.64 in June and 0.58 in October). The stream without brown trout showed much lower density, biomass, and production of most species, which went counter to our hypothesis that fish would show lower levels of these factors in the presence of brown trout. Only the common shiner and longnose dace showed effects in each of these categories while favoring the branch without brown trout over the branch with brown trout. Although the results do show a possible negative correlation between these species and the brown trout, our study design did not allow us to rule out other factors. Also, the fewer number of fish in the Middle Branch as compared to the East Branch leads us to believe that something may be wreaking havoc with the natural balance of this section (e.g. land-use changes, environmental stressors or climatic factors). Continued research regarding brown trout interactions on the East Branch and stream quality of the Middle Branch is highly recommended.

]]> Scott Weisinger Environmental and Human-Health Consequences of the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster in Belarus http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/35 http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/35 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 08:45:04 PST On April 26, 1986, Unit 4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant exploded, causing the most severe disaster ever to occur in the history of domestic nuclear-power production. That explosion spread both fission products of the normal operation of the reactor and unexpended uranium fuel across a large area. In total, ~14 EBq5 radioisotopes were released from the reactor, some of the most harmful being 1.8 EBq of 131I, 0.085 EBq of 137Cs, 0.01 EBq of 90Sr, and 0.003 EBq of plutonium (2003-2005 Chernobyl Forum 22). More than 200,000 km2 of Europe received levels of 137Cs in excess of 37 kBq/m2; and ~70% of this area was in the Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia (2003-2005 Chernobyl Forum Report 22). Of these 3 most affected countries, Belarus suffered the greatest level of 137Cs, absorbing ~33.5% of the total amount emitted. Although Belarus was severely affected, the consequences of this event have not been well studied and a full accounting of the human-health and environmental effects has not been released for the country. This report reviews, analyzes, and combines key literature available to date to document the current state of knowledge upon which further research and appropriate management strategies can be initiated. The investigation finds that deposition was influenced by atmospheric winds and precipitation that caused radioactive rain to enter the country. 137Cs and 90Sr remained within the top 15 cm of the soils and livestock accumulated large doses of radiation that was transferred to foods. Gomel and Mogilev continue to produce milk that exceeds the Belarusian limit of 100 Bq/L, and several small farms have not been adequately remediated. 1.7 million ha of Belarusian forests and resources were contaminated, causing mutations, cytogenetic effects, and chromosomal aberrations in several organisms. But, radiation has decreased in both the Pripyat and Dnieper Rivers. ~134 emergency workers suffered from ARS; thyroid cancer and mental health have clearly increased following the accident and some studies have identified increases in non-thyroid cancer cases as-well.

]]> Valerie Frankel Acid Mine Drainage Pollution in the West Branch Schuylkill and Upper Schuylkill River, Schuylkill County Pennsylvania: A Case Study and Recommendations for the Future http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/34 http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/34 Thu, 16 Dec 2010 10:54:44 PST Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a huge environmental problem in Luzerne and Schuylkill Counties due to the mining of anthracite coal in the region. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, through water quality data, has developed a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for all streams and rivers in the state. The West Branch Schuylkill River and the Upper Schuylkill River are two areas where AMD has had an effect on the water quality. For this study, I am using the data from PADEP to determine if the remediation actions have had an effect on the West Branch Schuylkill River and Upper Schuylkill River, or if it is too soon to tell. For both of these streams, data were collected by PADEP from 1996 through 2003; the data consist of the pH of the water, the concentration of iron, aluminum, and manganese expressed in milligrams per liter (mg/L), and the percent reduction needed to maintain good water quality standards. Through tables and graphs, the most affected sites along the rivers are made known, and these are the sites that are high priority for remediation. Recommendations are made for the sites along the rivers that are a high priority for remediation, mainly the mine discharges. If the sources of pollution are controlled, then future generations will not have to deal with the effects of AMD on the rivers and their environments.

]]> Tara Sadak Collaboratively Addressing the Growth of the Port Industry to Ensure Environmnetal Justice http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/33 http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/33 Thu, 16 Dec 2010 10:54:43 PST The activities involved in the operation of the U.S. ports industry provide an enormous boost to the local and national economy. At the same time, however, they can have profound adverse impacts on public health and the environment. Moreover, these impacts disproportionately affect local communities, many of which are poor and minority. Due to the Supreme Court’s limitations to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the fact that ports are one of the most poorly regulated sources of pollution in the U.S., the need for new strategies to address this environmental injustice is as important as ever. One of the most promising avenues to address this growth and its’ accompanied adverse impacts is the use of collaborative problem solving. Collaborative problem solving allows for greater investment on the part of the various participants involved in the program and, most importantly, achieves the dual objectives of allowing for both industry growth and improved environmental quality.

]]> Matthew T. Lee Community Managed Water Projects and Poverty Reduction: A Case Study from Guatemala http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/32 http://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/32 Tue, 07 Dec 2010 08:33:22 PST This paper will discuss poverty and quality of life indicators such as income, education, access to water, water quality, health and community participation, in relation to two community managed water projects in the rural communities of Piedad II and Colonia Belen, located in the western region of Guatemala. Both projects were part of the United Nations Development Program's Small Grants Program's Community Water Initiative. A household survey was developed and given to women project beneficiaries in the summer of 2007 in order to gather data on the above indicators. At the time of this study, the project had already been completed in Colonia Belen, but was still under construction in Piedad II. The two communities are distinct, with Colonia Belen being smaller, more isolated, significantly poorer, and its access to water is much more limited in comparison to Piedad II. Data gathered in Colonia Belen is very uniform as all households are affected by the remote location and limited natural and economic resources of the region. Despite the high project costs in Colonia Belen (US$344.47 per person, more than half the cost of the project in Piedad II of US$115.02 per person), recipients may be willing to pay more because of greater tangible and perceived benefits, such as an average of 110 minutes of time saved by each person collecting water every day, in contrast to the 55 minutes saved by those collecting water in Piedad II. Even though Colonia Belen had access to sufficient amounts of potable water as a result of the new project, they were only consuming 33 liters of water per person per day, as opposed to those living in Piedad II who were consuming 186 liters of water per person per day before the project was completed. This paper concludes with a brief analysis of the costs and benefits of each project, recommendations for each project and the Community Water Initiative program in general, and a discussion of the relationship between different indicators of poverty.

]]> Sarah Martiny