Demonstration of Written Communication Skills: All examinations are by written project reports.

Transcription

1 CE 437/537 - ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN AND FIELD SAMPLING Spring 2001, Saturdays 9am to about 3:30 pm, actually we will finish earlier on most days 157 BEC Credit 3 hours. Prerequisite: CE 334 (or instructor s permission) Instructor: Bob Pitt Textbook: Burton, G.A. Jr., and R. Pitt. Stormwater Effects Handbook: A Tool Box for Watershed Managers, Scientists, and Engineers. CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton, FL pgs. Current Catalog Data: Experimental design, sensitivity analyses, water sampling, and flow monitoring. Receiving water chemical reactions. Field investigations. Prerequisite: CE 334 and CE hours (2.0S, 1.0 D). (Note: this is a combination classroom and laboratory class and meets from 9 am to about 4 pm on ten Saturdays.) Course Goals: To better understand sources of uncertainty and errors in engineering decision making. To practice project planning within limited resources. To practice calibration of conventional engineering design algorithms. Prerequisite by Topic: 1. Basic laboratory technique (as developed in CE 334). 2. Basic math skills and introduction to statistics (as developed in CE 444). Approximate Schedule and Topics: March 24 Introduction, safety, and environmental sampling March 31 Environmental sampling (cont.). April 7 Environmental sampling (cont.). April 14 Components of the assessment (unit 2 of Burton and Pitt) April 21 Components of the assessment (unit 2 of Burton and Pitt) April 28 Components of the assessment (unit 2 of Burton and Pitt) May 5 Field/laboratory (start of group field projects). Take home Exam due. May 12 No formal class meeting (group field projects). May 19 No formal class meeting (group field projects). May 26 No formal class meeting (group field projects). June 2 Final Exam (project presentations) Design Activities: The design of experiments and project management are fundamental aspect of this course. In addition, levels of necessary treatment of effluent to receiving waters are determined to sustain various use objectives. Computer Activities: Numerous statistical analysis techniques and graphical presentation software are extensively used in this class. Specialized software is also used by some project groups, while simple software solutions are also prepared by others. Laboratory Activities: Much of this class directly takes place in the environmental and hydraulic laboratories, plus the field. Several organized experiments and calibration activities are conducted on campus, while the team projects are conducted throughout the region on local waterways. Demonstration of Written Communication Skills: All examinations are by written project reports. Demonstration of Oral Communication Skills: The final examination is an oral presentation of the group project. Understanding of Ethical, Social, Economic, and Safety Considerations: Safety is an extremely important component of this class. Water safety, along with problems associated with field work in general, receives much recurring attention. ABET Category Content as Estimated by Faculty Member Preparing Course Description:

2 1. Engineering Science 2 Semester Hours or 67% 2. Engineering Design 1 Semester Hours or 33% Notes: 1) Environmental engineering practice requires cooperative efforts between many disciplines and other engineers. In addition, accuracy and complete documentation of procedures and information sources is mandatory. Any presentations (written or oral) must also be of a professional quality. In order to gain appropriate experience and to make your engineering education as relevant as possible to engineering practice, the following grading criteria will be used in this class: You are expected to attend all class sessions, except for unusual circumstances, and participate in class discussions. You are expected to complete all assignments in a timely manner. You may work together (even encouraged to work together) on these assignments, and they are expected to be of a professional caliber (neat, well documented, and correct). Routine homework assignments will be collected at the end of the term (on the day of the final). However, students may be periodically called upon to present and discuss homework solutions to the class. Special project assignments and labs (including possible take-home exams) will be collected for grading during the term. Not all project assignments will have obvious correct answers, nor will all needed information necessarily be given to you. You will probably be required to use the library and other resources to obtain needed information. Major assignments may at times seem vague, just as in the real world (not because your instructor is lazy or unorganized!). If you complete an assignment as given, and it is correct and presented in a professional manner, you will have done what is expected and will receive an above average grade. You will receive an excellent grade for work of an outstanding caliber. Therefore, the final letter grades in the class will not generally be arbitrarily divided by >90% A, 80-89% B, etc. I do not grade on a curve, but the grades are in order of performance and I look for clusters of performance. 2) Approximate grading: A take-home written examination will be given once during the term. A short presentation of the group projects will also be made on the day of the final exam. Grading: 25% Exam, 25% homework, 50% final exam project. 3) If you need to know your final class grade before it is mailed by the University, you must give me a stamped, self-addressed envelope at our last class meeting. It is against University regulations for the Departmental office to give out grades. Abbreviated Table of Contents from the Course-Pack: G.A. and R. Pitt. Manual for Evaluating Stormwater Runoff Effects, A Tool Box of Procedures and Methods to Assist Watershed Managers. CRC/Lewis Publishers, New York. Expected publication: Summer UNIT 1: The Problem of Stormwater Runoff Chapter 1: Introduction Overview: The Problem of Stormwater Runoff... Sources of NPS Pollution... Regulatory Program... Applications of the Handbook... Chapter 2: Receiving Water Uses, Impairments, and Sources of Stormwater Pollutants Beneficial Use Impairments... Likely Causes of Receiving Water Use Impairments... Major Urban Runoff Sources...

3 Chapter 3: Stressor Categories and Their Effects on Humans and Ecosystems Effects of Runoff on Receiving Waters... Stressor Categories and Their Effects... Receiving Water Effect Summary... UNIT 2: COMPONENTS OF THE ASSESSMENT Chapter 4: Overview of Assessment Problem Formulation Rationale for an Integrated Approach to Assessing Receiving Water Problems... Watershed Indicators of Biological Receiving Water Problems... Summary of Assessment Tools... Study Design Overview... Beginning the Assessment... Example Outline of a Comprehensive Runoff Effect Study... Case Studies of Previous Receiving Water Evaluations... Typical Recommended Study Plans... Chapter 5: Sampling Effort and Collection Methods Experimental Design: Sampling Number and Frequency... Data Quality Objectives (DQO) and Associated QA/QC Requirements... General Considerations for Sample Collection... Receiving Water, Point Source Discharge, and Source Area Sampling... Sediment and Pore Water Sampling... Chapter 6: Ecosystem Component Characterization Overview... Flow and Rainfall Monitoring... Soil Evaluations... Aesthetics, Litter & Safety... Habitat... Water and Sediment Analytes and Methods... Microörganisms in Stormwater and Urban Receiving Waters... Benthos Sampling and Evaluation in Urban Streams... Zooplankton Sampling... Fish Sampling... Toxicity and Bioaccumulation... Chapter 7 : Statistical Analyses and Data Interpretation Selection of Appropriate Statistical Analysis Tools and Procedures... Comments on Selected Statistical Analyses Frequently Applied to Receiving Water Data... Summary of Statistical Elements of Concern when Conducting a Receiving Water Investigation... Chapter 8: Data Interpretation Is There a Problem?... Evaluating Biological Stream Impairments using the Weight-of-Evidence Approach... Evaluating Human Health Impairments using a Risk Assessment Approach...

4 Identifying and Prioritizing Critical Stormwater Sources... UNIT 3: Tool Box of Assessment Methods Appendix A: Habitat Characterization The Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) (OEPA 1989)... Geographical Information... Riffle and Run Habitats:... Pool and Glide Habitats:... Computing the Total QHEI Score:... Stream Map... Water Quality... Physical Characterization... Procedure for Performing the Habitat Assessment... Quality Assurance Procedures... Appendix B: Benthic Community Assessment Rapid Bioassessment Protocol: Benthic Macroinvertebrates (USEPA 1989, 1999)... The Ohio EPA Invertebrate Community Index Approach (OEPA 1989)... A Partial Listing of Agencies that Have Developed Tolerance Classifications and/or Biotic Indices... References for Determining Family and Species... Appendix C: Fish Community Assessment Rapid Bioassessment Protocol V - Fish (USEPA 1989, 1999)... Appendix D: Toxicity and Bioaccumulation Testing Appendix E: Laboratory Safety, Waste Disposal, and Chemical Analyses Methods Fundamentals of Laboratory Safety... Basic Rules and Procedures for Working with Chemicals... Use and Storage of Chemicals in the Laboratory... Procedures for Specific Classes of Hazardous Materials... Emergency Procedures... Chemical Waste Disposal Program... Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)... Summary of Field Test Kits... Special Comments Pertaining to Heavy Metal Analyses... Stormwater Sample Extractions for EPA methods 608 and Calibration and Deployment Set-up Procedure for YSI 6000upg Water Quality Monitoring Sonde... Appendix F: Sampling Requirements For Paired Tests Appendix G: Water Quality Criteria EPA s Water Quality Criteria and Standards Plan -- Priorities for the Future... Compilation of Recommended Water Quality Criteria and EPA s Process for Deriving New and Revised Criteria... Ammonia... Bacteria... Chloride, Conductivity, and Total Dissolved Solids...

5 Chromium... Copper... Hardness, Total... Hydrocarbons... Lead... Nitrate and Nitrite... Phosphate... ph... Suspended Solids and Turbidity... Zinc... Sediment Guidelines... Appendix H: Watershed and Receiving Water Modeling Modeling Stormwater Effects and the need for Local Data for Calibration and Verification... Appendix I: Glossary Appendix J: Useful Information Sources