United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) had identified and recommended air quality monitoring to take place at 63 schools throughout the country. Unfortunately, tribal schools were not considered during the time USEPA conducted the analysis. The importance of identifying any air toxic pollutants affecting school children needs to be analyzed. Conducting an air monitoring toxic analysis on the Navajo Nation at Church Rock Elementary School, Church Rock, New Mexico (CRNM) was carried out. The current school location posed a concern, in regards to the surrounding stationary, mobile, and natural emissions emitted all types of toxic pollutants. USEPA sponsors various air monitoring program, which Tribal Air Monitoring Support (TAMS) program undertook, and offered tribal programs, organizations or agencies to utilized air monitoring equipment's. The air monitoring setup was conducted with the contract Eastern Research Group, Inc. (ERG) laboratory, where collection of 24-hour ambient air samples for 60 days on a 6-day sampling interval were performed. The analysis for volatile organic compounds (VOCs)were collected from canister samples using USEPA Compendium Method TO-15, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from polyurethane foam (PUF) and XAD-2 resin samples using USEPA Compendium Method TO-13A. Carbonyl compounds were collected by sorbent cartridge samples using USEPA Compendium Method TO-11A, and trace of metals from filters were sampled using USEPA Compendium Method IO-3.5 and FEM EQL-0512-202. A total of 53 VOC concentrations were greater than 1 μg/m3, where dichlorodifluoromethane, trichlorofluoromethane, chloromethane, dichloromethane, propylene, toluene, acrolein and acetylene were detected. A total of 23 carbonyl compound concentrations were greater than 1 μg/m3, where acetone and formaldehyde were measured. Naphthalene average with the highest average for PAHs, where phenanthrene and retene were the second and third highest averages. As for the metals the highest averages resulted from manganese, chromium and lead. Overall, the air toxic pollutants resulted from CRNM surrounding monitoring site were detected. Identifying the potential emitter source or sources cannot be assessed.

Since its launch by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification has been postured as the "gold standard" for environmentally conscious, sustainable building design, construction and operations. However, as a "living measurement", one which requires ongoing evaluation and reporting of attainment and compliance with LEED certification requirements, there is none. Once awarded, LEED certification does not have a required reporting component to effectively track continued adherence to LEED standards. In addition, there is no expiry tied to the certification; once obtained, a LEED certification rating is presumed to be a valid representation of project certification status. Therefore, LEED lacks a requirement to demonstrate environmental impact of construction materials and building systems over the entire life of the project. Consequently, LEED certification is merely a label rather than a true representation of ongoing adherence to program performance requirements over time. Without continued monitoring and reporting of building design and construction features, and in the absence of recertification requirements, LEED is, in reality, a gold star rather than a gold standard. This thesis examines the lack of required ongoing monitoring, reporting, or recertification requirements following the award by the USGBC of LEED certification; compares LEED with other international programs which do have ongoing reporting or recertification requirements; demonstrates the need and benefit of ongoing reporting or recertification requirements; and explores possible methods for implementation of mandatory reporting requirements within the program.

In 2009, cap and trade was at the forefront of political and environmental discussions. At this time, the American Clean Energy and Security Act passed in the United States House of Representatives. Market based systems are alternatives to traditional regulatory methods such as command and control. This study intended to assess the attitudes of environmental leaders who managed air emissions as a part of their job responsibilities. The attitude of these individuals would have influenced their acceptance of this method as a program to reduce environmental pollution and improve air quality. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the attitudes of South Carolinian Title V environmental leaders toward cap and trade. Additionally, the study intended to determine if experience impacted the attitudes of survey respondents. Lastly, the study determined if environmental leaders found current methods such as command and control effective in air pollution regulation. The survey used the Likert Method of Summated Ratings. Environmental leaders reviewed attitudinal statements about the various subjects. The leaders selected an agreement level which determined their attitudes toward the statement. Numerical response ratings evaluated the leader's attitude by experience level. The survey found that respondents had negative attitudes toward cap and trade. The respondents had a positive attitude toward traditional regulatory methods such as command and control. Lastly, the results concluded that environmental experience did not have an impact on the respondents' attitude toward cap and trade. Therefore, it can be concluded that the environmental leaders prefer traditional air pollution regulatory methods in comparison to alternatives such as cap and trade.

The purpose of drinking water regulations is to keep our drinking water safe from contaminants. This research reviewed federal regulation including the Contaminant Candidate List (CCL) regulatory process, the public health effects of six nitrosamines in drinking water, analyzes of occurrence data from Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 2) and suggests how nitrosamines can be regulated. Currently only total trihalomethanes (THM) and haloacetic acids (HA) are regulated at the federal level. However, California has notification action levels and Massachusetts has guidelines of 10 ng/L for nitrosamine concentration. Nitrosamine data collected under the UCMR 2 were analyzed to assess the occurrence and the effect of disinfectant type and source water type. The data showed that N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) was detected in drinking water at concentrations higher than the minimum reporting level (MRL) of 2 ng/L. Four nitrosamines including N-nitroso-diethylamine (NDEA), N-nitroso-di-n-butylamine (NDBA), N-nitroso-methylethylamine (NMEA) and N-nitroso-pyrrolidine (NPYR) and very low detections. N-nitroso-di-n-propylamine (NDPA) was not detected in the sample analyses. NDMA was primarily detected in public water systems using chloramines other than chlorine.

ABSTRACT In recent years, the total amount of air pollutant emissions in China was reduced year by year, but pollution is still very serious, especially in some big cities where the environmental pollution has worsened in the last 20 years. The "Law of the People's Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Atmospheric Pollution" ( LPCAP) was established in 1987. With the development of industrialization and air pollution changes, it had been revised twice in 1995 and 2000.The third revision of the law began in 2009 which was included in the "Eleventh five-year National People's Congress Standing legislative plan" and the State Council's 2009 legislative program. At present, the third revision of the LPCAP is in progress and MEP has completed the manuscript of the revised draft of the law. The purpose of this study is to explore the current situation of China's air pollution, as well as history of LPCAP, analysis of amendments in atmospheric legislation and the achievements of the LPCAP. Combined with China current situation, the research exposed some urgent problems of the Chinese atmospheric legislation which are related to: fã The issues of the regional Total Emission Control (TEC) policy and division. fã The issues of allocation of pollutant emission allowances and trade policy fã The issues of improving the pollution emission permit system. fã The issues of the mobile source emissions management. fã The issues of fuel management. fã The issues of the guarantee measures of the implementation of the LPCAP. In addition, the study compares the LPCAP with the U.S. CAA to offer some solutions for the third revised law and tries to find a fundamental solution for the flaws of China's existing Atmospheric Pollution Prevention legal system to be more Operable. As a result, the gap in air quality in China and the developed countries of the world will be narrowed and China will be better positioned for sustainable development.

Homemade overpressure chemical devices, commonly known as bottle bombs, are a current topic in the news media. These homemade overpressure chemical devices are a variety of homemade chemical bombs which are constructed by youth for amusement, mischief, or misbehaviors. These bombs are made from common household chemicals. The media is frequently presenting stories about the dangers of these homemade overpressure chemical devices. The media reports that this trend is spurred by the use of YouTube and other social media. As a result of the amount of information about homemade overpressure chemical devices on YouTube and other social media, youths can quickly learn how to fabricate and use these devices. However, these youths, like many in the community, are unaware of the hazards or legal consequences associated with this activity. At this time, reliable information about this form of homemade chemical bombs is limited. Therefore, this research project will explore the culture, fabrication, legality, and risks associated with these homemade chemical bombs. Then, the research will determine if the construction of these devices is a national problem as suggested by the news media and first responder organizations with an annually increasing number incidents, property damage, and injuries. The Center for Disease Control's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report for the week of July 18, 2003 presented the last and only known scientific attempt to determine the impact of homemade overpressure chemical devices on society. However, the Center for Disease Control was not able to get an accurate determination of the trends associated with homemade overpressure chemical devices due to the limitations of the data it reviewed. This research project looks at the data available from national databases, municipal databases, and the first responders of nine cities to determine the impact that Homemade Overpressure Chemical Devices are having on these communities within the United States. The research concluded that the number of Homemade Overpressure Chemical Devices cannot be gathered from either a national database or municipal databases. Interviews with first responders indicate that all areas of the United States are experiencing some Homemade Overpressure Chemical Device activity. However, this activity usually remains low until spurred on in a fad-like pattern.

The following research is a regulatory and emissions analysis of collocated sources of air pollution as they relate to the definition of "major, stationary, sources", if their emissions were amalgamated. The emitting sources chosen for this study are seven facilities located in a single, aggregate mining pit, along the Aqua Fria riverbed in Sun City, Arizona. The sources in question consist of Rock Crushing and Screening plants, Hot Mix Asphalt plants, and Concrete Batch plants. Generally, individual facilities with emissions of a criteria air pollutant over 100 tons per year or 70 tons per year for PM10 in the Maricopa County non-attainment area would be required to operate under a different permitting regime than those with emissions less than stated above. In addition, facility's that emit over 25 tons per year or 150 pounds per hour of NOx would trigger Maricopa County Best Available Control Technology (BACT) and would be required to install more stringent pollution controls. However, in order to circumvent the more stringent permitting requirements, some facilities have "collocated" in order to escape having their emissions calculated as single source, while operating as a single, production entity. The results of this study indicate that the sources analyzed do not collectively emit major source levels of emissions; however, they do trigger year and daily BACT for NOx. It was also discovered that lack of grid power contributes to the use of generators, which is the main source of emissions. Therefore, if grid electricity was introduced in outlying areas of Maricopa County, facilities could significantly reduce the use of generator power; thereby, reducing pollutants associated with generator use.

Second-generation biofuel feedstocks are currently grown in land-based systems that use valuable resources like water, electricity and fertilizer. This study investigates the potential of near-shore marine (ocean) seawater filtration as a source of planktonic biomass for biofuel production. Mixed marine organisms in the size range of 20µm to 500µm were isolated from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) seawater filtration system during weekly backwash events between the months of April and August, 2011. The quantity of organic material produced was determined by sample combustion and calculation of ash-free dry weights. Qualitative investigation required density gradient separation with the heavy liquid sodium metatungstate followed by direct transesterification and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) of the fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) produced. A maximum of 0.083g/L of dried organic material was produced in a single backwash event and a study average of 0.036g/L was calculated. This equates to an average weekly value of 7,674.75g of dried organic material produced from the filtration of approximately 24,417,792 liters of seawater. Temporal variations were limited. Organic quantities decreased over the course of the study. Bio-fouling effects from mussel overgrowth inexplicably increased production values when compared to un-fouled seawater supply lines. FAMEs (biodiesel) averaged 0.004% of the dried organic material with 0.36ml of biodiesel produced per week, on average. C16:0 and C22:6n3 fatty acids comprised the majority of the fatty acids in the samples. Saturated fatty acids made up 30.71% to 44.09% and unsaturated forms comprised 55.90% to 66.32% of the total chemical composition. Both quantities and qualities of organics and FAMEs were unrealistic for use as biodiesel but sample size limitations, system design, geographic and temporal factors may have impacted study results.

Maricopa County has exceeded the 24 hour National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for Particulate Matter 10 micrometers in diameter or smaller (PM-10) of 150 micrograms per meter cubed (μg/m3) since 1990. Construction and construction related activities have been recognized as the highest contributors to high PM-10 levels. An analysis of days exceeding 150 μg/m3 for four of Maricopa County‟s monitors that most frequently exceed this level during the years 2007, 2008, and 2009 has been performed. Noted contributors to PM-10 levels have been identified in the study, including earthmoving permits, stationary source permits, vacant lots, and agriculture on two mile radius maps around each monitor. PM-10 levels and wind speeds for each date exceeding 225 μg/m3 were reviewed to find specific weather or anthropogenic sources for the high PM-10 levels. Weather patterns for days where multiple monitors exceed 150 μg/m3 were reviewed to find correlations between daily weather and high PM-10 levels. It was found that areas with more earthmoving permits had fewer days exceeding 150 μg/m3 than areas with more stationary permits, vacant lots, or agriculture. The Higley and Buckeye monitors showed increases in PM-10 levels when winds came from areas covered by agricultural land. West 43rd Avenue and Durango monitors saw PM-10 rise when the winds came in over large stationary sources, like aggregate plants. A correlation between weather events and PM-10 exceedances was also found on multiple monitors for dates both in 2007, and 2009.