Previous Projects

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Shiv Kapoor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Project Dates: 9/1/06 - 6/30/08

Database Development for Comparative Analysis of the Performance of Metalworking Fluids in Machining Operations

The investigators propose to develop a database that will aid industrial users in the selection of metalworking fluids (MWFs) that are economical and minimize environmental impact. The researchers will evaluate ten MWFs for a variety of parameters and the results of the tests will be formulated into a product performance matrix to be used by end users to choose fluids based on specific performance qualifications. A MWF performance model will be developed from experimental data that will allow prediction of the performance of fluids not specifically evaluated.

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Thomas Bierma, Department of Health Sciences, Illinois State University
Project Dates: 6/15/06 - 6/30/08

Expanded CMS Pilot Projects in SMEs

This project will build on earlier efforts to introduce the chemical management system (CMS) model into small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Illinois. The CMS model has been implemented at two SMEs in central Illinois and the companies saw substantial savings in material and energy costs during the first two years of implementation. The longer-term value of this approach is to improve the competitiveness of Illinois industries to ensure their financial viability into the future.

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Susan Morgan and Jianpeng Zhou, Department of Civil Engineering, Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville
Project Dates: 6/15/06 - 5/31/08

Developing the Basis for Creating Environmental Networking Organizations in Downstate Illinois

The project involves the evaluation of the potential for the development of environmental networking organizations in the metro-east region of St. Louis to elevate the awareness and increase the use of ISTC services by local industries. A large amount of hazardous waste is generated in Madison and St. Clair counties, indicating that there is a potential need for pollution prevention assistance in the region. The project will identify potentially interested parties, define the needs of industry, explore the feasibility and usefulness of creating networking organizations in these two counties in western Illinois, and develop a networking organization model. The researchers will then work with ISTC to implement the recommendations of the project.

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Guang Jin and Thomas Bierma, Department of Health Sciences, Illinois State University
Project Dates: 6/5/06 - 4/15/07

Whole-cell Biocatalysts for Producing Biodiesel from Waste Fats

This seed-level research project will focus on whether the micro-organisms that produce four popular lipases used in biodiesel synthesis can catalyze transesterification of yellow grease high in free fatty acids (FFA). The ability to use whole organisms in place of either alkali or purified enzyme catalysts could allow low-cost transesterification of high-FFA waste fats.

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Joshua Strege, University of North Dakota Energy & Environmental Research Center
Project Dates: 6/15/06 - 4/15/07

Low-temperature Diesel Fuels, Additives, and Chemicals from Vegetable Oils

With seed-level funding, these researchers are working to develop an economical process for converting vegetable oil into a biodiesel fuel suitable for use in cold weather. Among the benefits to farmers and biodiesel producers will be the local production of a fuel that does not have cloud point or gel point issues during winter months, the potential reduction in the cost of this fuel as compared to conventional biodiesel, and the probable elimination of any glycerin by-product that are likely to become costly waste streams as the biodiesel industry increases in scale.

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Manoj Mohanty, Southern Illinois University
Project Dates: 2/1/07 - 1/31/08

Correlations of Agrochemical Residues in Drinking Water and Birth Defects in Illinois

This project will investigate the relationship between conception rates, birth defects, and other adverse pregnancy outcomes and the concentration of agrochemicals, specifically atrazine, glyphosate, and nitrate, in drinking water supplies in Illinois. By its nature, this project will be a collaborative effort with several other agencies, including the Illinois Department of Health and the U.S. Geological Survey. The causes of nearly 60% of the birth defects are still unknown. It is expected that the results obtained in this study in Illinois will bring us a step closer to finding answers to some fundamental questions.

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Rita Dolan, Greenwood Environmental Consulting, Inc.
Project Dates: 2/5/07 - 11/30/08

Perchlorates in the Illinois Environment

The goal of this 22-month project is to examine the level of perchlorates at various sites in Illinois to determine if there is a contamination issue in Illinois drinking water supplies. Perchlorate is an inorganic ion that can affect human health by disrupting thyroid function. There is wide disagreement regarding acceptable exposure levels. The U.S. EPA has adopted a concentration of 24.5 ppb as a Drinking Water Equivalent Level and will likely regulate perchlorate. Currently, there is insufficient data to demonstrate whether there is a perchlorate risk in Illinois water supplies. Perchlorate has been detected in groundwater found near some federal facilities and manufacturing sites. This study will gather samples and/or data from eight sites in Illinois and analyze the samples to detect at-risk water supplies, or to demonstrate that perchlorate contamination is not an issue.

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Yanqing Lian and George Roadcap, Illinois State Water Survey, and Ximing Cai, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Project Dates: 6/1/06 - 5/31/08

Hydrologic and Hydraulic Modeling for the Restoration of the Calumet Marshes: Assessment of Runoff Scenarios

The researchers are constructing hydrologic and hydraulic models for the Calumet region in South Chicago. These models will be used as a basis for determining the best water management strategies for the Lake Calumet Cluster Site and the adjacent marshes and ponds that it potentially impacts. In collaboration with other projects in the area, the researchers expect to evaluate a combination of various measures to help in achieving water flow regime and water quality targets for the site restoration in the Lake Calumet region, which has been used for a waste management site in the past.

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Jeff Levengood, Illinois Natural History Survey, and Teresa Chow, Illinois Waste Management and Research Center
Project Dates: 6/1/06 - 9/15/07

Isoflavones in the Environment: A Pilot Study

The primary objectives of this seed-level pilot study are (1) to develop a robust analytical method for the separation of 16 isoflavones and metabolites in water and sediments/detritus, optimizing sensitivity and the separation of the compounds; (2) to explore the use of fluorescence and mass spectrometric detection to increase the sensitivity of detecting some analytes; and (3) to determine if isoflavones or their metabolites are present in measurable concentrations in water and detritus of amphibian breeding habitat in highly agricultural areas in Central Illinois, at a time when tadpoles of a variety of frog species are developing and actively feeding.

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Richard Halbrook, Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory, Southern Illinois University
Project Dates: 6/15/06 - 10/15/07

Mercury Concentrations in Wetlands associated with Coal-fired Power Plants in Illinois

In this seed project researchers will develop preliminary data and protocols for evaluating the current mercury status in wetlands surrounding coal-fired electrical generating plants in Southern Illinois. They will also provide a mechanism for monitoring and evaluating the efficacy of efforts to reduce mercury emissions in such environments.

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Karl Rockne, University of Illinois - Chicago
Project Dates: 10/18/06 - 6/30/08

Fate Analysis of Polybrominated Ethers in Anaerobic Digester Sludge

Knowledge of the fate of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the digester sludge of wastewater treatment plants is very limited. In this project the researchers will investigate whether BDE-209, the deca-brominated form, can be debrominated to more toxic and bioavailable congeners in wastewater treatment plants. Continued use of BDE-209 hinges on its non-toxicity so it is important to understand its reductive debromination potential. The field phase of the research will be comprised of a detailed analysis of PBDEs throughout the sludge treatment train in the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant and a reference plant in Chicago. The laboratory phase will focus on determining the potential and rate of reductive debromination in controlled studies. Data will be used to predict BDE dynamics under various digester conditions using a model developed as part of this project, providing the information necessary to conduct risk analyses for the continued use of BDE-209.

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Thomas R. Holm, Illinois State Water Survey
Project Dates 9/1/01-2/28/03

"Arsenic Geochemistry and Distribution in the Mahomet Aquifer"

Abstract:
The Mahomet Aquifer in central Illinois is the source of drinking water for many communities and thousands of private homes. Arsenic (As), a suspected carcinogen, has been found in some areas of the aquifer at concentrations that exceed the present maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 50 pgfL The MCL is being reviewed and may be set as low as 20tg/L. As a result, many more areas of the aquifer will exceed the As MCL. The aquifer is confined for most of its area and the available data indicate that the highest As concentrations may be found near the upper confining layer. One of the objectives of this proposed research is to characterize the depth distribution of As in the aquifer. A second objective is to determine As speciation in the aquifer system. Arsenic in ground water occurs in two chemical forms or species, As(III) and As(V). The chemical and toxicological properties of the two species are quite different. Thermodynamic calculations indicate that As(111) should be the predominant form in the aquifer system, but there have been very few measurements of As speciation in the system. Although water treatment plants inadvertently remove some As in conventional processes, such as iron removal and softening, the processes are probably not optimized for As removal. A third objective of this research is to determine the As-removal efficiency of some municipal water treatment plants that draw water from the Mahomet Aquifer. This information may help to improve As removal.

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Jeffrey M. Levengood, INHS, Richard Cahill, ISGS, Vernon M. Kleen, DNR, Jon Talbott and Gary Bordson, WMRC
Project Dates 4/1/02-3/31/04

"Risks to Black-Crowned Night-Herons (Nycticorax nycticorax) from Contaminated Sediments in the Calumet Region"

Abstract:
Sediments in the Calumet region contain elevated concentrations of organic and inorganic contaminants through heavy industrial activity, sewage and industrial discharges, landfills, and hazardous waste storage/disposal. Previous studies suggest that contaminants in sediments in this region may pose risks to wildlife. A colony of state-endangered Black-Crowned Night-Herons (BCNH) inhabits Indian Ridge and Big Marshes at Lake Calumet. This is one of the largest nesting colonies of this species in the state, and this high- profile population is of considerable interest to resource professionals, environmental groups, and the public. Individuals from this population are known to forage throughout the Calumet area, including wetlands around Lake Calumet and along the Little and Grand Calumet Rivers, areas characterized by elevated concentrations of environmental contaminants in sediments. Herons have been used extensively as bioindicators/biomonitors of environmental contamination. Their aquatic foraging habits may put them in contact with prey that accumulate/bioconcentrate high concentrations of environmental contaminants such as organochlorine pesticides, PCBs, and metals found in sediments in the Calumet area.

We propose to determine whether the Indian Ridge/Big Marsh colony of state-endangered BCNH are being exposed to elevated concentrations of priority contaminants of concern (PCOC) present in sediments in the Calumet Region, and whether such exposure is impacting this colony. We will accomplish these objectives by characterizing the relationships between concentrations of PCOC in sediments and aquatic prey items (fish, crayfish) at selected BCNH foraging sites, determining the concentrations of PCOC in food items collected at nests, and examining markers of reproductive effects.