Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Institute for Environmental and Industrial Science
EPA Grant Number: R825503Center: The Waste Minimization And Management Research Center
Center Director: Cassidy, Patrick E.
Title: Institute for Environmental and Industrial Science
Investigators: Cassidy, Patrick E. , Venumbaka, S R
Institution: Texas State University
EPA Project Officer: Aja, Hayley
Project Period: March 1, 1998 through February 28, 2003
Project Amount: $2,922,066
RFA: Targeted Research Center (1998) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , Targeted Research
Objective:
The Waste Minimization and Management Research Center (WMMRC) exists as a major entity within the Technology Development Branch of the Institute for Environmental and Industrial Science (IEIS) on the campus of Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. The IEIS applies the multidisciplinary scientific and technological expertise of this hundred-year-old university to the solution of industrial and environmental problems. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provided primary funding for the WMMRC. The WMMRC’s mission is to apply the multidisciplinary scientific and technological expertise of Southwest Texas State University toward the utilization and mitigation of waste through the identification and optimization of resources and processes for the Texas petrochemical industry. The WMMRC will facilitate the formation of industrial partnerships to ensure that the concepts developed will be effective and, therefore, implemented.
The WMMRC’s short-term objective is to provide a small-scale laboratory to research and develop improved processes and methods for waste minimization and management. The WMMRC’s long-term objectives are to: (1) develop industrial partnerships and be a self-sufficient national research center; (2) focus on the product of research rather than on research alone; (3) provide an educated and trained workforce for Texas industry; (4) educate people on waste minimization and management; (5) create a supercritical fluid technology base for chemical processes; (6) provide information on industrial waste components; and (7) develop recyclable (polymeric) products.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
Shortly after the award of the grant, two business planning sessions involving key WMMRC personnel and principal investigators were held for the purpose of strategic planning. Through an assessment of our strengths, we identified three resource areas with the capability to address utilization and mitigation of waste in the Texas petrochemical industry. Our present areas of expertise, all branches of macromolecular science, include:
- Analytical Technology
- characterization of macromolecules
- separation science
- Polymer Science
- synthesis
- characterization
- recycling
- processing
- Biotechnology Science
- bioremediation
- biomodification
We then graphically envisioned the center’s relationship to the Texas petrochemical industry as a three-branched resource under the heading of “Macromolecular Science.”
The project titled “ Separation and Analysis of Non-Volatiles in Petroleum Industry Products” falls under the Analytical Technology Branch. The Polymer Science Branch covers the other active projects: “ Reduction/Elimination of Industrial Wastes Using Super-Critical CO 2 as a Medium for Addition and Condensation Polymerizations and Preparation of Interpenetrating Networks” and “Waste Minimization and Management of Low-Quality, By-Product Thermoplastics.” Two additional projects proposed and funded for Phase II are part of the biotechnology science segment. This method of organization, centered on our areas of established expertise, helps clarify the relationship between independent projects and shows how each project complements the Center’s focus of macromolecular science to address waste minimization and management in the Texas petrochemical industry. Future research projects will reflect and grow from this vision.
The findings of these projects are reported separately in the Final Reports for STAR Grant Nos. R825503C001 through R825503C005.
Accomplishments
The following is a list of the accomplishments achieved by ongoing research being performed at the WMMRC:
- 31 presentations have been made at professional meetings.
- 39 technical presentations have been made.
- 45 papers have been published.
- 4 book chapters and 1 book have been published.
- WMMRC staff has made 47 visits to industries and universities.
- 36 special visitors have toured WMMRC labs.
- 22 proposals have been submitted.
- 5 proposals have been funded to date.
- 3 proposals are pending to date.
- 17 research staff including postdoctoral fellows, 14 graduate students, and 29 undergraduate students have been supported.
- 10 high school teachers were hosted for the summer.
- Summer salary was provided to 5 faculty members.
A number of collaborations were established with other universities, government agencies, and numerous private companies by the activities of the WMMRC. These partnerships will be continued and expanded to ensure that the concepts developed will be effective and efficient. All the programs initiated in the Center helped to establish a strong, state-of-the-art infrastructure that will support continuing research efforts aimed at industrial waste minimization and management. This infrastructure and the attendant expertise provides the IEIS with many opportunities for extensive ongoing research activities. These continuing ongoing research efforts will assist in the development of the IEIS into a national research center for information and expertise related to waste minimization and management technology.
Journal Articles: 27 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
| Other center views: | All 63 publications | 32 publications in selected types | All 27 journal articles |
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Adams JL, McLean RJC. Impact of rpoS deletion on Escherichia coli biofilms. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 1999;65(9):4285-4287. |
R825503 (Final) |
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Aminabhavi TM, Rudzinski WE, Kulkarni PV, Antich P, Soppimath KS, Kulkarni AR. Polymeric membranes. Polymer News 2000;25(11):382-384. |
R825503 (Final) |
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Balzer GJ, McLean RJC. The stringent response genes relA and spoT are important for Escherichia coli biofilms under slow-growth conditions. Canadian Journal of Microbiology 2002;48(7):675-680. |
R825503 (Final) |
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Corbin BD, McLean RJC, Aron GM. Bacteriophage T4 multiplication in a glucose-limited Escherichia coli biofilm. Canadian Journal of Microbiology 2001;47(7):680-684. |
R825503 (Final) |
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Green JW, Rubal MJ, Osman BM, Welsch RL, Cassidy PE, Fitch JW, Blanda MT. Silicon-organic hybrid polymers and composites prepared in supercritical carbon dioxide. Polymers for Advanced Technologies 2000;11(8-12):820-825. |
R825503 (Final) |
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Hu XC, Blanda MT, Venumbaka SR, Cassidy PE. Ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of norbornene in supercritical carbon dioxide using well-defined metal carbene catalysts. Polymers for Advanced Technologies 2005;16(2-3):146-149. |
R825503 (Final) |
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Hughes EJ, McLean RJC. Illustrating the role of latex gloves as barriers to bacterial and viral pathogens. Journal of College Science Teaching 1999;28(4):259. |
R825503 (Final) |
not available |
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Kirkland BL, Lynch FL, Rahnis MA, Folk RL, Molineux IJ, McLean RJC. Alternative origins for nannobacteria-like objects in calcite. Geology 1999;27(4):347-350. |
R825503 (Final) |
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Koenig MK, McLean RJC. Influence of metal ions and temperature on the conformation of Escherichia coli K1 capsular polysaccharide. BioMetals 1999;12(1):47-52. |
R825503 (Final) |
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McLean RJC, Whiteley M, Hoskins BC, Majors PD, Sharma MM. Laboratory techniques for studying biofilm growth, physiology, and gene expression in flowing systems and porous media. Methods in Enzymology 1999;310:248-264. |
R825503 (Final) |
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McLean RJC. Original research projects as a major component of an undergraduate microbiology course. Journal of the College of Science Teaching 1999;29(1):38-40. |
R825503 (Final) |
not available |
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McLean RJC, Corbin BD, Balzer GJ, Aron GM. [16] Phenotype characterization of genetically defined microorganisms and growth of bacteriophage in biofilms. Methods in Enzymology 2001;336:163-174. |
R825503 (Final) |
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McLean RJC, Cassanto JM, Barnes MB, Koo JH. Bacterial biofilm formation under microgravity conditions. FEMS Microbiology Letters 2001;195(2):115-119. |
R825503 (Final) |
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Morris NS, Stickler DJ, McLean RJC. The development of bacterial biofilms on indwelling urethral catheters. World Journal of Urology 1999;17(6):345-350. |
R825503 (Final) |
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Persaud AT, Beauchemin D, Jamieson HE, McLean RJC. Partial leaching as an aid to slurry nebulization for the analysis of soils by ICP-MS with flow injection and mixed-gas plasmas. Canadian Journal of Chemistry 1999;77(4):409-415. |
R825503 (Final) |
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Prabakharan S, Teichman JMH, Spore SS, Sabanegh E, Glickman RD, McLean RJC. Proteus mirabilis viability after lithotripsy of struvite calculi. Journal of Urology 1999;162(5):1666-1669. |
R825503 (Final) |
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Rudzinski WE, Aminabhavi TM. A review on extraction and identification of crude oil and related products using supercritical fluid technology. Energy & Fuels 2000;14(2):464-475. |
R825503 (Final) |
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Rudzinski WE, Aminabhavi TM, Sassman S, Watkins LM. Isolation and characterization of the saturate and aromatic fractions of a Maya crude oil. Energy & Fuels 2000;14(4):839-844. |
R825503 (Final) |
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Rudzinski WE, Aminabhavi TM. Polymer analysis using gel permeation chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Polymer News 2000;25(6):213-214. |
R825503 (Final) |
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Rudzinski WE, Aminabhavi TM. Supercritical fluid technology in polymerisation reactions. Polymer News 2000;25(2):68-69. |
R825503 (Final) |
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Rudzinski WE, Kariduraganavar MY, Aminabhavi TM. Effective recycling of scrap rubber tires - alternative solutions. Polymer News 2001;26(11):392-396. |
R825503 (Final) |
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Rudzinski WE, Oehlers L, Zhang Y, Najera B. Tandem mass spectrometric characterization of commercial naphthenic acids and a Maya crude oil. Energy & Fuels 2002;16(5):1178-1185. |
R825503 (Final) |
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Rudzinski WE, Zhang Y, Luo X. Mass spectrometry of polyaromatic sulfur compounds in the presence of palladium (II). Journal of Mass Spectrometry 2003;38(2):167-173. |
R825503 (Final) |
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Rudzinski WE, Chipuk T, Dave AM, Kumbar SG, Aminabhavi TM. pH sensitive acrylic-based copolymeric hydrogels for the controlled release of a pesticide and a micronutrient. Journal of Applied Polymer Science 2003;87(3):394-403. |
R825503 (Final) |
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Shaker ZG, Browne RM, Stretz HA, Cassidy PE, Blanda MT. Epoxy-toughened, unsaturated polyester interpenetrating networks. Journal of Applied Polymer Science 2002;84(12):2283-2286. |
R825503 (Final) |
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Soppimath KS, Aminabhavi TM, Kulkarni AR, Rudzinski WE. Biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles as drug delivery devices. Journal of Controlled Release 2001;70(1-2):1-20. |
R825503 (Final) |
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Whiteley M, Ott JR, Weaver EA, McLean RJC. Effects of community composition and growth rate on aquifer biofilm bacteria and their susceptibility to betadine disinfection. Environmental Microbiology 2001;3(1):43-52. |
R825503 (Final) |
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Supplemental Keywords:
waste minimization, waste management, petrochemical industry, liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, thermoplastics, polymers, desulfurization, biofilm,, RFA, Scientific Discipline, INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, TREATMENT/CONTROL, Sustainable Industry/Business, POLLUTION PREVENTION, Sustainable Environment, Treatment Technologies, waste reduction, Environmental Chemistry, Technology, Technology for Sustainable Environment, Environmental Engineering, biofilm, cleaner production, sustainable development, waste minimization, supercritical carbon dioxide, biotechnology, polymer design, supercritical fluid reaction media, alternative chemical synthesisProgress and Final Reports:
Original Abstract Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R825503C001 Separation and Analysis of Non-Volatiles in Petroleum Industry Products
R825503C002 Reduction/Elimination of Industrial Wastes Using Supercritical CO2 as a Medium for Addition and Condensation Polymerizations and Preparation of Interpenetrating Polymer Networks
R825503C003 Waste Minimization and Management of Thermoplastics
R825503C004 Effective Control of Biofilms in the Petrochemical Industry
R825503C005 Collaborations and Technology Transfer
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.