Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Date

2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Earth Sciences

Committee Chair

Dorian Burnette

Committee Member

Debrah Leslie

Committee Member

Daniel Larsen

Abstract

This thesis investigates the impacts of glycol runoff on water quality before and after the installation of a consolidated deicing facility (CDF) at the Memphis International Airport (MEM). Deicing operations at airports are crucial for ensuring safe air travel during cold weather, yet they contribute to environmental concerns due to chemical runoff. Glycol runoff, mainly composed of ethylene and propylene glycol, poses risks to aquatic ecosystems, including oxygen depletion and biodiversity loss. This study focuses primarily on water quality in Nonconnah, Days, and Hurricane creeks around the MEM. The research assesses glycol's effects on water quality and macroinvertebrate populations in these creeks. Data analysis compared pre- and post-construction periods of the CDF and evaluated water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and glycol levels. These findings provide insights into the effectiveness of the new CDF in mitigating glycol pollution and inform future mitigation strategies to safeguard water quality and ecosystem health around airports. Special acknowledgements are given to Tiogo Environmental for sampling the water quality data, Waypoint Analytical for analyzing the data, and the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority for providing the data used in this study.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest.

Notes

Open Access

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