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Sessions

The AEESP Converging COVID-19, environment, health, and equity conference started on Oct. 16 and will continue through Nov. 20. Session Recordings and access to the quizzes are available by clicking the session links below.

The particular themes for the six sessions align with the Grand Environmental Engineering Challenges as stated by the National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine, and are:

October 16th @12-1:30 pm ET: COVID-19, systemic biases, and environmental engineering education
October 23rd @12-1:30 pm ET: COVID-19 and fostering informed decisions and actions
October 30th @12-1:30 pm ET: COVID-19 and the creation of efficient, healthy and resilient cities
November 6th @12-1:30 pm ET: COVID-19 and sustainably supplying food, water, and energy
November 13th @12-1:30 pm ET: COVID-19 and designing a future without pollution and waste
November 20th @12-1:30 pm ET: COVID-19 and climate change mitigation, and adaptation

Each session, as much as possible, will look at convergence around air, water, food, and people fostered by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the unfolding realities of the need to address inequities in our communities.

Youth Conference

COVID 19: Youth Moving Forward

1:30pm - 2:00pm

A follow-up to the AEESP Converging COVID-19: Environment, Health, and Equity conference series. We want to allow the younger generation of adults (high school, undergraduate, graduate, and early career) to come together and discuss issues relevant to youth and COVID-19.

2:00pm - 2:45 pm

2:00pm - 2:45pm

2:00 pm - 2:45 pm
Session 1 (Oct 16)

COVID-19, systemic biases, and environmental engineering education

12:00 - 12:05

Welcome & Overview by Session Chair Dr. Kimberly Jones

12:05 - 12:10

What does student resilience look like, and mean in STEM during COVID?

12:15 - 12:20

What experimental and modeling approaches can be infused with environmental engineering curriculum to address sociodemographic issues and equity?

12:20 - 12:25

How does a large conference address convergence in environmental engineering and science?

How does a large conference address convergence in environmental engineering and science?

12:10 - 12:15

How does environmental engineering provide agility for crises, and provide space for discussing biases?

12:25 - 12:30

How do we use education to address professional ethics?

Over the past 15 years, we have collaborated directly with citizens to expose several environmental injustices, environmental crimes, or most commonly examples of communities with poor quality and/or expensive water that do not violate federal safety laws. Our high-profile work, at the interface of citizen science, ethics, policy and environmental justice, has been the subject of intense criticism and public acclaim, and has resulted in criminal indictments, congressional hearings, new regulations, and billions of dollars in relief to affected communities. To train students interested in work in this public arena, we have developed a “Public inspired Science” approach that includes: 1) a graduate-level ethics class focused on practical case studies (Washington DC/Flint MI/Denmark SC), ethical dilemmas, scientific misconduct, moral courage, and whistleblowing, 2) field work with communities facing environmental injustices (real or perceived) using citizen science, 3) introspective discussions of altruism vs. self-interest, perverse incentives as threats to scientific integrity, and developing ethical street smarts, and 4) reflection on the evolving role of environmental engineers in society based on the above. We will describe our “Public Inspired Science” model, summarize its successes and critiques, and have trainees reflect on: “Given what you have now learned about engineering, would you want to persist in doing this work, and in your career as an environmental engineer?”
Session 2 (Oct 23)

COVID-19, and fostering informed decisions and actions

12:00 pm - 12:05 pm

Welcome & Overview by Session Chair Dr. Amy Stuart

12:05 - 12:10

What happens when you open your mouth?

12:10 - 12:15

What happens when you flush the toilet?

12:15 - 12:20

What information to share with people on mask making materials?

12:20 - 12:25

SARS-CoV-2 transmission: Influence of surface type and boundary layer flow on deposition, adhesion and persistence

How long does SARS-CoV-2 virus survive in the air and/or on surfaces? Studies have focused on either the influence of air circulation such as sampling after aerosolizing in air or via inoculating different types of surfaces. The question that needs to be asked to successfully utilize the answer to how long the virus survives in our indoor environment is: What conditions influence the transport of the virus in the boundary layer and subsequently result in either re-entrainment or adherence to the surface? This project investigates how airflow, boundary conditions, and surface properties can interactively impact the deposition, adhesion, persistence, and re-entrainment of SARS-CoV-2 like virus. The study using vaccinia and attenuated measles virus elucidated the adhesion mechanism using quartz crystal microbalance approaches and atomic force microscopy for stainless steel, glass, silica, copper and gold surfaces. Attachment and detachment mechanisms have been modeled using the voigt model, with surface charge/zeta potential appearing to play a significant role at constant flow rates. Aerosolized viral suspensions are allowed to deposit on QCM sensors under controlled flow conditions. Flow characteristics are captured using particle image velocimetry and supported by CFD simulations.

12:25 - 12:30

How to factor in exposure/dose response when figuring out risks?
Session 3 (Oct 30)

COVID-19, and the creation of efficient, healthy and resilient cities

12:00 - 12:05

Welcome & Overview by Session Chair Dr. Katherine Alfredo

12:05 - 12:10

How to ensure air you are breathing is safe. At home, at work, and in hospitals?

12:10 - 12:15

How to ensure the taps you are using are safe after being shut for so long?

12:15 - 12:20

Exposure science, everyday activities, and staying safe.

12:20 - 12:25

An Education and Research Agenda on Social Equity in Sustainable Urban Infrastructure Systems

For the past 8 years, I have led two large NSF Interdisciplinary Research Networks focused on developing environmentally sustainable, healthy and equitable cities with a focus on urban infrastructure and food systems. This presentation will provide a synthesis of the main research best practices to tackle social equity topics, major knowledge gaps, key insights from our network's and my own group's research, and integration with educational programming.

12:25 - 12:30

Envision Sustainable Infrastructure

Envision Sustainable Infrastructure
Session 4 (Nov 6)

COVID-19 and sustainably supplying food, water, and energy

12:00 - 12:05

Welcome and overview by Session Chair Dr. Pablo Cornejo

12:05 - 12:10

How can local supply chains support innovation in food production, and delivery?

12:10 - 12:15

Off-grid FEWS systems for remote Navajo communities during a pandemic

12:15 - 12:20

Removal, reduction, and partitioning: Managing pathogens in treatment and resource recovery system

12:20 - 12:25

Atmospheric Water Capture: A decentralized, off-grid emergency water supply

Limited access to clean water due to natural or municipal disasters, drought or contaminated wells is driving demand for point-of-use and humanitarian drinking water technologies. Atmospheric water capture (AWC) can provide clean drinking water off the centralized water grid by capturing water vapor present in ambient air and condensing the vapor to a liquid. Widespread application of AWC is currently limited because AWC production potential, energy requirement, best technology, and water quality as a function of climate and season are not parameterized. We use a bottom-up approach to overcome these research challenges: We define geographic and thermodynamic design boundary conditions for AWC and use this to drive development of novel climate-specific materials to produce clean drinking water. Geospatial models indicate opportunity space to develop AWC technologies for arid regions where solar radiation is abundant. Novel solar-light active photothermal nano-enabled desiccants can produce 2.5 L/m2 footprint/day in a semi-arid climate (relative humidity 40%), 3 times more water than a conventional desiccant system. Models and bench-scale experiments were paired with pilot-scale experiments to benchmark temporal water production, water quality and energy efficiency. Collected water from desiccant systems exceeds EPA organic and inorganic drinking water standards.

12:25 - 12:30

Antibiotic resistance in wastewater and biosolids, and fate after agricultural reuse

Globally, wastewater and biosolids are used to irrigate or amend soils, making them reservoirs and sources of antibiotic resistance. The emergence of antimicrobial resistance is projected to magnify even further during the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread use of antimicrobial therapies as part of the clinical care package. What remains unclear is time variation of antibiotic resistance in wastewater, and their fate in soil and on food crops after wastewater irrigation and biosolids amendment. Our data shows strong correlations between intI1and sul1, sul2, and blaCTX-m in wastewater suggesting their potential as indicators of multiple drug resistances. Associations between tetM and ermB suggest perceived linkage in genetic elements and likelihood of co-transfer. In a greenhouse study, wastewater effluent irrigation did not impact E. coli and enterococci levels in soil and on carrots. In amended soil, almost all E. coli were resistant to ampicillin in the beginning of the study and declined quickly to below detection by week seven. Antibiotic-resistant E. coli and enterococci decayed at significantly faster rates than total counterparts. E. coli were present on carrots at harvest, majority of which were resistant to ampicillin. Prevalence of multi-drug resistant E. coli declined significantly over time, while multi-drug resistant enterococci persisted. The survival of bacteria in soil and on carrots after biosolids amendment indicates transmission risks from harvested crops.
Session 5 (Nov 13)

COVID-19 and designing a future without pollution and waste

12:00 - 12:05

Welcome and overview by Session Chair Dr. Colleen Naughton

12:05 - 12:10

How are various sectors impacting air pollution during COVID-19, and what are the implications for future mitigation, with a special focus on underserved communities?

12:10 - 12:15

COVID-19 and solid waste impacts, envisioning a future without waste.

12:25 - 12:30

Working with communities & innovating with food waste and wastewater

12:15 - 12:20

A Robust Decision-Making Approach for U.S. Passenger Transport Decarbonization Under Uncertainty from COVID-19

Deeply decarbonizing the transport sector is an essential element in any climate stabilization scenario, but requires a major transition in energy use, vehicle technology, and enabling infrastructure. In a new era of advanced mobility represented by electrification, ride sharing, and automation, passenger transportation is expected to fundamentally change. This uncertainty presents a challenge for transportation decarbonization decision-making, and identifying the robust pathways and barriers to achieving climate policy objectives is needed. This research examines the pathways for meeting transport climate mitigation targets in the U.S. under deep uncertainty by assessing the implications of transitions in the passenger transportation sector. We use a robust decision-making (RDM) method to simulate the U.S. Light Duty Vehicle (LDV) future fleet stock, vehicle miles traveled (VMT), and penetration of new technology, and estimate the implications for liquid fuel consumption, electricity consumption, and CO2 emissions. We examined two strategies on when to introduce fuel economy improvements, electricity decarbonization, and EV adoption. Further, we considered three distinct scenarios for effects of COVID19 on LDV sales and VMT by assuming varying rates of recovery. By modeling the evolution of the U.S. LDV sector under deep uncertainty, we can identify the most robust pathways and decisions required to achieve energy savings and emissions reduction targets.

12:20 - 12:25

A future with Green Chemistry
Session 6 (Nov 20)

COVID-19, and climate change mitigation, and adaptation

12:00 - 12:05

Welcome & Overview by Session Chair Dr. Lilia A. Abron

Welcome and Overview by Session Chair

12:05 - 12:10

What’s needed to add COVID-19 to the disaster recovery toolbox?

12:10 - 12:15

Indoor Air Quality, climate adaptation, and environmental justice

Indoor Air Quality, climate adaptation, and environmental justice

12:15 - 12:20

Stormwater, climate adaptation, and equity.

Stormwater, climate adaptation, and equity.

12:20 - 12:25

Evaluating Correspondence of Changes in Indicators of Driving Behavior and Nitrogen Dioxide Observations during COVID-19 in US Cities

In this study, we evaluate how tropospheric nitrogen dioxide amounts changed as a result of COVID-19 responses and policies. We use high temporal and spatial resolution observations indicative of human behavior including mobility and driving direction requests as representative of the transportation sector, which contributes more than 50% of emissions of oxides of nitrogen. Specifically, we analyze how these representative values vary with in situ measurements and satellite-based column density observations of nitrogen dioxide over the pre-pandemic and pandemic period. As we are analyzing the reduction in passenger vehicle emissions, the geographic foci are urban Combined Statistical Areas where traffic and population are typically denser. Policy indicators such as stay-at-home orders are also considered. Though meteorology also plays a role in nitrogen dioxide amounts, clear correspondence between indicators of driving behavior and this pollutant are identified in select cities.

12:25 - 12:30

Using Insurance to Promote Community Resilience

Disaster and development are two sides of the same coin – a yin-and-yang of sustainability. As communities work to achieve sustainable development, disasters erase hard won gains. Alternatively, disasters provide an opportunity for zero-based sustainable development (i.e., “starting over from a clean slate”). Successfully managing the disaster-development paradigm includes identification and mitigation of the impacts of disasters before they occur. Insurance provides a financial hedge against disaster, and allows unmitigated impacts to be monetized and shared across global markets. Plans for the use of insurance payments, developed ahead of disasters, allow communities to rapidly adopt emerging technological solutions to sustainability and “build back better”. The speed with which a community can move from disaster, to relief, and back to development can be viewed as the resilience of the community (i.e., “bounce back”). COAST, the Caribbean Ocean and Aquaculture Sustainable faciliTy, was designed to promote climate smart food security in the fisheries sector in the Caribbean as an example of community resilience. COAST is similar in structure to the Outbreak and Epidemic insurance developed by the African Risk Capacity (ARC), which is being redeveloped for COVID-19. Environmental engineers and scientists need to be aware of how to integrate our technological solutions to sustainability into plans for the use of insurance payments to “build back better” after a disaster.

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Email
aeespconvergingcovid19@gmail.com
Phone
5105933647

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