Current Research

• Environmental Hazards of Gas Migration to the Earth's Surface, e.g., Explosions (Chilingar). Interrelationship among subsidence due to fluid withdrawal, seismic activity and gas migration to the surface. Locating blind faults and earthquake prediction from the rate of migration of various gases. (e.g., Radon, CO2, CH4, Helium).
• Bioelectroseismo Remediation (Chilingar). Excellent results have been achieved by combining application of D.C. current and vibroenergy with bioremediation.
• Sulfur Removal in Residual Oil Filtration at Ambient Temperature and Pressure (Yen, Klinair Environmental, GRD Inc.). Either nanotechnology of destruction adsorption by intermetallics or attack by hydroxyl radicals under ultrasound can remove considerable amount of sulfur species in oil. Initially the interest is centered on the microbiological desulfurization technology, which involves enzymes in a membrane imetic system. Since the first announcement in ACS Div. Fuel Chem., 33(4), 573 (1988), with the subsequent publicity in Bioprocessing Tech., 10 (1988); AlChE Conf. (1989), many requests from foreign countries are at hand. After the appearance of Bioprocessing and Biotreatment, Coal, 725 (1990); J. Chem. Tech. Biotech. 48, 71 (1990), many requests for information have been received. For sulfur filters using nontechnology or ultrasound, since the USC Chronicle article, Smart Filter Promises Worldwide Applications: Nanotech Device Remove Sulfur, Refines Crude, was published, about 200 e-mails have been received. Also, papers appearing in New Scientist, April, 1998: Chemical Engineering, May, 1998; Chemical Progress Alert, June, 1998, Chemical Engineering Progress, December, 1998; and other news media. Preliminary publications include: Proc. 7th UNITAR International Conference, Beijing 2, 2137 (1998); Proc. 3rd International Petroleum Conference Paper, New Delhi, 1999; J. Petrol. Sci. Tech. (2000).
• Membrane-Mimetic Chemistry based Utilization of Median Microwave or Ultrasound- Assisted Chemical Processes (Yen, Western Extraction, Enersouce Inc., Remsol USA, INTEVEP, Texaco, Navy, AERA). This combined pollution cleanup and processing concept is superior than the traditional pre- or post-pollution control measures, ranging from cracking and upgrading of fossil fuels to decontamination for disinfectant by-products from contaminated water by ultrasound method. 3rd and 4th UNITAR Conf. Paper; U.S. Patent 4,765,885, 1988 (22 claims); 4,891,131, 1990 (33 claims), 5,017,281, 1991 (21 claims); Canadian Patent 1,283,879, (47 claims). Review paper has been published in Russian, Geol. Nefti Gaza (Moscow) 8, 24 (1988); in Spanish, Ana. Quim (Madrid) 86, 175; and in English, Energy and Fuel, 4, 604 (1990); ibid. 7, 111 (1993); j. Pet. Sci. Eng., 8, 105 (1992); Chem . Eng. Comm., 117, 191 (1992); Energy Sources, 16, 439 (1994); In Situ and On-site Bioreclamation , 7, 31 (1995); 15th World Petroleum Congress, Forum 17 (1997); 7th UNITAR International Conference, 2, 2137 (1998); ACS Div. Pet. Chem., 44(2), 213 (1999). Also resulted in two books, Membrane-Mimetic Chemistry (1994) and Ashpaltene Particles (1994) and 4 Ph.D. Disstertations. A number of trade journals publicized the ultrasound work: Hydrocarbon Processing, 5, 27 (1992); Hazmat World, 7, 69 (1992); Energy, 24 (2), 41 (1999). There have been over 60 requests by letters, e-mail and phone calls. The chemical assisted ultrasound process also can be operated at either reductive or oxidative mode. MTBE and other oxygenators can be completely destroyed in water by the oxidative ultrasound method. For the in situ elimination of MTBE in groundwater, transducers can be mounted in a driller or pumphead housing in a contaminated aquifer. The added advantage is also the destruction of TCE and PCE therein by this process. The added chemicals (hydrogen peroxide and ferrous ion) do not interfere with drinking water qualities. (Chang's dissertation, ACS Div. Coll. Surf. Chem., 1999) Using down hole upgrading and the reservoir as a reactor, the heavy crude can be lifted to pipeline with improved oil qualities (reduction of viscosity and hetercyclics) under the chemical assisted ultrasound at reducing conditions. The reducing agent, hydrogen, can be produced in situ by any bimetallic catalyst (ACS Div. Fuel Chem., 44(1), 76, (1999).
• In Situ and On-Site Biotechnology Adopted for Geotechnical Applicationns (Yen, NSF, NCEL, National Brookhaven Lab, Pacific Earthquake Center). Biopolymer barrier and cover, bioencapsulation, bioremediation. Using Alcaligenes eutrophus together in soil matrix, the resulting intracellulosic polyesters (e.g., PHB) can decrease the relative timid permeability and increase the mechanical strength. Application of this concept is enormous, e.g., stabilization and prevention of soil erosion, mitigation of soil liquefaction during earthquakes, etc. Other polymers, such as xanthum gum or polymers derived from slime-forming bacteria also can be used. Two papers in MEOR-Recent Advances (1993); 2 papers in Applied Biotechnology for Site Remediation (1994); 7th Australia-New Zealand Conf. on Geomechanics (1995); North Am. Water and Env. Congress (1996); 10th International Biotech. Symp. Sydney (1996); Tarim Petroleum Exploration Bureau, Xingjang, China (1996); J. Petroleum Sci. Eng. 21, 223 (1998); 5th International Symp. on In-Situ and On-Site Bioremediation, 5(6), 175, (1999).
• Development of Biofilters for Air Pollution Control (Devinny; several sponsors). Biological treatment of contaminants in air discharged from industrial sources is a potentially low cost technology. The air is passed through a damp porous medium that supports a vigorous culture of microorganisms which degrade the contaminant. Devices are being developed for control of toxics, odors, and smog precursors at wastewater treatment plants and other installations.
• Improved Methods for Bioremediation of Soils (Devinny). Hazardous contaminants in soils can be removed by biodegradation if environmental conditions are adjusted appropriately. Laboratory experimentation is determining the effects of water content, surfactants, ultraviolet light, and added microorganisms on the speed and efficiency of the process. Particular emphasis is being given to high-molecular-weight compounds, which have resisted bioremediation in past efforts.
• Methods for Estimating the Environmental Costs Associated with a New Product (Devinny and Kumar; National Science Foundation). Manufacturers designing a new product have substantial experience and established methods for estimating the costs of materials, manufacture, distribution, advertising, and sales. They are less effective at estimating the costs which will arise from environmental concerns. These can include costs of regulatory compliance, personnel training, accidents and spills, lawsuits, and bad publicity. A fuzzy logic system is being developed to allow prediction of such costs from the characteristics of the product.
• Urban Environmental Sustainability: A Multidisci-plinary Doctoral Education Program (Devinny, Wolch, and others). Protecting the environment and the quality of life in cities requires the combined efforts of researchers from a variety of disciplines. The sustainable cities fellowship programs promotes work on air decontamination, open space preservation, water quality, and other topics of concern to cities.
• Mathematical Modeling of Sulfide Corrosion of Concrete (Devinny, Mansfeld, Rosen, Min, and Boehm). Sulfides produced in wastewater streams can condense on surfaces exposed to the air in wastewater collection systems where they are converted to sulfuric acid. The acid corrodes the concrete surfaces causing millions of dollars worth of damage. An improved mathematical model of the corrosion is being sought to further understand the microscopic aspects of the process. It requires solving a set of three coupled partial differential equations with moving boundary conditions. Manipulations of the model will allow assessment of a variety of corrosion control procedures.
• Modeling the Performance of Non-Bioactive and Bioactive Adsorption Processes for Removal of Organic Contaminants (Pirbazari; USEPA). Adsorption processes represent a fundamental technology for water purification and industrial wastewater treatment. Bioactive adsorption systems using activated carbon with biofilm growth are efficient and cost-effective for removal of organic contaminants including pesticides and solvents, and meet high water quality standards. Traditional design approaches for such systems require arduous, time-consuming and expensive pilot-scale studies before full-scale implementation. This research employs mathematical modeling techniques in combination with laboratory experiments for efficient and economic process design, coupled with dimensional analysis and similitude techniques for upscaling from laboratory scale to pilot scale, and eventually to full scale.
• Advanced Oxidation Processes for Drinking Water Treatment (Pirbazari; MWD). Advanced oxidation processes include the application of ozone, hydrogen peroxide, ultraviolet radiation, either individually or in combination. These processes mediated by free-radical reactions (involving hydroxyl, peroxyl and hydroperoxyl, methyl and phenyl species) are employed in water treatment for destruction of synthetic organic chemicals (SOCs). This research investigates the fundamental aspects of free-radical reactions and kinetics for degrading several organic contaminants including natural and synthetic organics. It also evaluates the formation of undesirable disinfection by-products such as aldehydes, ketones and haloacetic acids.
• Pyrolytic Destruction of Halogenated Hydrocarbons (Pirbazari and Benson; California Department of Health Services). Combustion of chlorinated hydrocarbons often leads to the formation of undesirable products including dioxins and dibenzofurans, well known carcinogens. Reductive pyrolysis is an energy conservative technology for the complete destruction of halogenated hydrocarbons without forming undesirable products. This research investigates the free-radical chemistry, thermodynamics and thermokinetics associated with the technology for process design and development.
• Integrated Ultraviolet Oxidation and Biotrickling Filtration for Treatment of Vapor-Phase TCE and PCE (Pirbazari; National Nano-Device Laboratory, Taiwan). Vapor-phase biological treatment of chlorinated VOCs of high concentration is often limited by the toxic effects of these compounds. This research focuses an ultraviolet (UV) oxidation process as a pretreatment strategy for decomposing high concentrations of TCE and PCE into more biologically degradable compounds for a second-stage biotrickling filters. Biotrickling filters are advantageous in this application due to the ease of pH control for long-term operation. This study also looks into the byproduct formation of TCE and PCE under direct photolysis, as well as the biodegradability of these by-products.
• Anaerobic Fluidized Bed Biofilm Process for Treatment of Reverse Osmosis Brine During Water Reclamation (Pirbazari; Orange County Water District). Water Factory 21 of the Orange County Water District is currently investigating the potential application of reverse osmosis for wastewater treatment and water reclamation. The reverse osmosis concentrate referred to as the "brine" contains high levels of ammonia, total dissolved solids, and heavy metals. The present research employs a fluidized bed biofilm reactor for the removal of ammonia from brine. A nitrification reactor converts ammonia to nitrate under aerobic conditions. Subsequently, a denitrification reactor reduces nitrate to nitrogen under anaerobic conditions. The study involves the optimization of process efficiency and the application of a mathematical model for predicting/simulating the process dynamics under different operating conditions.
• Sources of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) in the Atmosphere (Henry). Hourly measurements of forty-seven species of VOC are analyzed by multivariate statistical methods to estimate their atmospheric sources.
• Quantification of Perceived Visibility Degradation (Henry). This program is constructing a visual colorimeter, an instrument which allows reproducible measurement of humanly perceived brightness and color. Field studies carried out in National Parks in the southwest seek to relate observed changes in pollutant concentrations from urban areas and natural sources.
• Identification of landfill properties during earthquakes (Bardet; NSF). The performance of landfills during strong earthquake shaking is a matter of considerable concern which deserves to be studied more extensively than it has been. In this research, we investigate the dynamic properties of a particular landfill using strong motion recordings, available field measurements, and simplified physical models. The results of this study are useful to analyze the dynamic response of landfills and cap systems during low to moderate size earthquakes. We recommend the deployment of more field instruments on landfills to document their dynamic response during future earthquakes, and to develop large-scale laboratory tests to determine landfill material properties under large static and dynamic strains.
• Development of Mobile Exposure Facility to Conduct Inhalation Exposures to Ambient Particles (Sioutas; Air Resources Board, State of California). This is a 5 year program to construct, install and test Fine, Coarse and Ultrafine Particle concentrators. The concetrators will be designed and constructed so that they can be transported to different areas within the US Southwest.
• Southern California Airborne Particle Matter Center (Sioutas; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). This effort is a 5-year program, which includes studies of aerosol formation and transformation, and individual exposure to specific particulate properties. The proposed research will apply a broad range of experimental and numerical tools to study, systematically and comprehensively, ambient particulates, and their components, suspected of causing adverse health effects. The research will be guided by hypotheses that link particles with specific health effects observed in epidemiological studies. Intensive aerosol measurements will be coordinated with routine monitoring at sites established for ongoing research into the impacts of air quality on children in the Los Angeles Basin. Further, a new transportable Aerosol Concentrator facility will be deployed to these, and other sites to be identified by the science center team, to conduct shorter term human and animal exposure studies to coarse, fine and ultrafine ambient particles, enriched in concentration. The proposed work will also determine which, if any, of the existing or proposed epidemiological and toxicological study sites are strongly enriched in materials hypothesized to cause adverse health effects, and will pinpoint regional hot-spots for such exposure assessment.
• Experimental Characteristics of Aerosol Separators for Capture Effectiveness (Sioutas; Johns Hopkins University; Applied Physics Laboratory). This work is related to test requirements to evaluate the effectiveness of aerosol particle separators and to characterize the particle capture properties of various capture media used with aerosol sampling systems. The evaluation will help refine the design of the particle separators and determine the effectiveness of capture medium in the collection of air borne particles for the identification of microbial organisms.
• Controlled Laboratory Evaluation of Acute Cardiopulmonary Responses to Concentrated Particles (Sioutas; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Health Effects Agency). This project is a collaborative effort between the USC Schools of Engineering and Medicine. The goals of this project are to construct, install, and test two-stage fine particle concentrators in the Environmental Health Service's movable exposure laboratory at Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center. Human volunteers will be exposed to concentrated ambient fine particles in the mobile exposure laboratory (located at Downey, in the central portion of the South Coast Basin) under controlled and well documented conditions, at up to 10 times current ambient exposures in the South Coast Basin. The subjects' biomedical responses to these exposures (in comparison with clean-air control conditions) will be measured so as to detect respiratory irritation, airway inflammation, and alterations in cardiovascular function.
• Collection, Chemical and Toxicological Characterization of Ambient Coarse, Fine and Ultrafine Particulate Matter (Sioutas; Ministry of Housing, Planning and the Environment of the Netherlands). The goal of this research project is to provide a High-Volume Slit Impactor (HVSI) for coarse, fine and ultrafine collections of ambient particulate matter. This technology is currently being validated in extensive filed studies in the Netherlands. Upon completion of this evaluation, this technology will be used by scientists of the National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, in a study to collect and characterize the physicochemical and toxicological characteristics of ambient aerosols.
  

The Faculty

Selected Publications

• Allen, G.A., Sioutas, C., and Koutrakis, P. (1999). "Techniques for High- Quality Ambient Coarse Particulate Mass Measurements," Journal of Air and Waste Management Association, 49, pp. 133-141.
• Ban, T., Sato, T., and Yen, T.F. (1998). "Interfacial Activity of an- Alkylamines from Microbially Produced Spiculisporic Acid," Journal of Petroleum Science Engineering, 21, pp. 223-238.
• Bohm, M., Devinny, J.S., Jahni, F., and Rosen, G. (1998). "On a Moving- Boundary System Modeling Corrosion in Sewer Pipes," Applied Mathematics and Computation, 92, pp. 247-269.
• Chang, M., Kim, S., and Sioutas, C. (1999). "Experimental Studies on Particle Impaction and Bounce; Effects of Substrate Design and Material," Atmospheric Environment, 15, pp. 2313-2323.
• Chang, M., Sioutas, C., Kim, S., Gong, H., and Linn, W. (2000). "Reduction of Nitrate Losses From Filter and Impactor Samplers by Means of Concentration Enrichment," Atmospheric Environment, 34(4), pp. 309-325.
• Chilingar, G.V., Loo W.W., Khilyuk, L.F. and Katz, S.A. (1997). "Electrobioremediation of Soils Contaminated with Hydrocarbons and Metals," Energy Sources Journal, 19(2), pp. 129-146.
• Chilingar, G.V., Katz, S.A., and Vernik, L. (1999). "Prediction of Porosity and Lithology in Siliclastic Sedimentary Rocks using Cascade Neural Assemblies," J. Petrol. Sci. Engr., 22(1-3), pp. 141-150.
• Chitwood, D.E., Devinnny, J.S., and Reynolds, F.E. (1999). "Evaluation of a Two-Stage Biolfilter for Treatment of POTW Waste Air," Environmental Progress, 18(3), pp. 212-221.
• Devinny, J.S., Webster, T.S., Torres, E., and Basrai, S. (1996). "Biofiltration For Removal of PCE And TCE Vapors From Contaminated Air," Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Materials, 12(3), pp. 283-293.
• Dunn, K., and Yen, T.F. (1999). "Dissolution of Barite Sulfate Scale Deposits by Chelating Agents," Environmental Science and Technology, 33(16), pp. 2821- 2824.
• Dunn, K., Daniel, E., Shuler, P.J., Chen, H.J., Tang, Y., and Yen, T.F. (1999). "Mechanisms of Surface Precipitation and Dissolution of Barite: a Morphology Approach," Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 214, pp. 427-437.
• Henry, R.C., Wang, Y.J., and Gebhart, K.A. (1991). "The Relationship Between Empirical Orthogonal Functions and Sources of Air Pollution," Atmospheric Environment, 25A, pp. 503-509.
• Henry, R.C., et. al. (1997). "Reported Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds are not Consistent with Observations," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 94, pp. 6596-6599.
• Henry, R.C., et. al. (2000). "Color Perception Through Atmospheric Haze," J. Optical Society of America, Part A - Optics, Image Science, and Vision, 17, pp. 831-835.
• Hodge, D.S., and Devinny, J.S. (1995). "Modeling Removal Of Air Contaminants By Biofiltration," Journal of Environmental Engineering, 121(1), pp. 21-32.
• Kim, S., Chang, M.C., and Sioutas, C. (2000). "A New Generation of Portable Coarse, Fine and Ultrafine Particle Concentrators for use in Inhalation Toxicology," Inhalation Toxicology, 12(1), pp. 121-137.
• Pirbazari, M., Ravindran, V., Badriyha, B., and Kim, S.H. (1996). "Hybrid Membrane Filtration Process for Leachate Treatment," Water Research, 30 (11).
• Ravindran, V., Pirbazari, M., Badriyha, B., and Kim, S.H. (1996). "Modeling of Bioactive Carbon Adsorbers: A Hybrid Weighted Residual-Finite Difference Numerical Technique," Applied Mathematics and Computation, 76(2-3), pp. 99-131.
• Ravindran, V., Pirbazari, M., Benson, S.W., Badriyha, B.N., and Evans, D.H. (1997). "Thermal Destruction of Chlorinated Hydrocarbons by Reductive Pyrolysis," Combustion Science and Technology, 122(1-6), pp. 183-213.
• Ravindran, V., Kim, S.H., Badriyha, B.N., and Pirbazari, M. (1997). "Predictive Modeling for Bioactive Fluidized Bed Reactors: Application to Dairy Wastewater," Environmental Technology, 18(9), pp. 861-881.
• Ravindran, V., Stevens, M.R., Badriyha, B.N., and Pirbazari, M. (1999). "Modeling the Sorption of Toxic Metals on Chelant-Impregnated Adsorbent," AIChE Journal, 45(5), pp. 1135-1146.
• Schwartz, B.C.E., Devinny, J.S., and Tsotsis, T.T. (1999). "Degradation of PCE in an Anaerobic Waste Gas by Biofiltration," Chemical Engineering Science, 54, pp. 3187-3195.
• Sioutas, C., Kim, S., and Chang, M. (1999). "Development and Evaluation of a Prototype Ultrafine Particle Concentrator," Journal of Aerosol Science, 30 (8), pp. 1001-1012.
• Sioutas, C., Chang, M., Kim, S., Ferguson, S.T., and Koutrakis, P. (1999). "Design and Experimental Characterization of a PM1 and a PM2.5 Personal Sampler," Journal of Aerosol Science, 30(6), pp. 693-707.
• Wang, K.S., Dunn, K., Resch, R., Shuler, P.J., Tang, Y. Koel, B.E., and Yen, T.F. (2000). "Scanning Force Microscopy Study of Etch Pits Formed during Dissolution of a Barite (001) Surface in CDTA and EDTA Solutions," Langmuir, 16, pp. 649-655.