Environmental Institute of Houston 1998 Annual Report The Environmental Institute of Houston • Annual 1998 Report • http://www.eih.uhcl.edu

University of Houston-Clear Lake University of Houston Houston, Texas University of Houston—Clear Lake

William A. Staples, Ph.D., President Edward J. Hayes, Ph.D., Senior Vice- President and Provost

University of Houston

Arthur K. Smith, Ph.D., Chancellor/President of the University of Houston System Edward P. Sheridan, Ph.D., Executive Vice-President and Provost Arthur Vailas, Ph.D., Vice-Chancellor for Research and Intellectual Property Management of the University of Houston System and Vice-President for Research of the University of Houston

Environmental Institute of Houston

Jim Lester, Ph.D., Director Glenn D. Aumann, Ph.D., Co-Director Tom Maloney, Assistant Director

University of Houston—Clear Lake Houston, Texas 77058-1098 Phone: 281 283-3950 FAX: 281 283-3044

University of Houston Houston, Texas 77204-5505 Phone: 713 743-9130 FAX: 713 743-9134 http://www.eih.uh.edu

Editorial Irv Rothman, Ph.D., Editor Debbie Bush, Senior Assistant Editor Photography: Art Bernhardt, University Media Services Phone: 713 743-9136 (Photo by Irv Rothman) Dr. Jim Lester, EIH director, consults with FAX: 713 743-9134 Debbie Bush, senior editorial assistant. Mrs. E-mail: [email protected] Bush designs and inputs web page content. EIH documents are installed in HTML format.

COVER—The green spaces of Houston begin at March 1999 its bayous. The Environmental Institute of Houston 1998 Annual Report

The University of Houston—Clear Lake The University of Houston Houston, Texas The City of Houston devotes considerable effort to the preservation of its natural habitat and forest land.

Copyright 1999 Environmental Institute of Houston Dr. Jim Lester, Director University of Houston—Clear Lake, 2700 Bay Area Boulevard, Houston, TX 77058, 281 283-3950 University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77058, 713 743-9138

March 1999 2 The Director’s Message The ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES Environmental 4 A Model System to Detect Chromosomal Rearrangements Institute of 6 A Novel Approach to Monitor Microbial Populations as an Indicator of Houston Environmental Change 8 Effect of Habitat Fragmentation on Demographic Structure of Small 1998 Annual Mammal Populations Report 10 Contamination Caused by S-Triazine Herbicides 12 Toxic Air Pollution Evaluation and Patterns in the Houston Area • 14 Investigation and Demonstration of Intervention Strategies to Improve Table of Water Qua lity on Country Club Bayou Contents 16 Houston: The Nation’s “Hot Spot” for Studying Volatile Organic Compounds 18 Green Giving: The Role of Financial Reporting in the Decision to Support Environmental Organizations 20 Full Costing of Remediation Alternatives to Improve Corporate Decisions with Environmental Impacts 23 Development of a GIS Data Set for Studying Environmental Problems in Southeast Texas 24 Experimental Tests of Captive Breeding Strategies 26 Effect of Environmental Pollutants on the Early Develop ment of the Rio Grande Chirping Frog, Syrrhophus cystignathoides campi, a Direct Developing Frog

GULF COAST AREA 28 Evaluation of the Ecotoxicology of Mercury in Lavaca Bay, Texas 29 An Environmental History of Galveston Bay: Bibliographic Sources 30 A History of the Shrimp Fishery in Galveston Bay 32 Genetic Diversity in Ruppia maritima and Halodule wrightii 34 Population Age Structure of Reef-Fishes on an Isolated Western Atlantic Reef (Flower Gardens, Texas) and the Belize Barrier Reef

ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY 36 Quantum Studies of Polymer Semiconductors 38 Design of Agents for the Control of Environmental Pathogens 40 Energy Conserving Window Coatings 42 The Development of Environmentally Benign Routes to the Synthesis of Polyolefins 44 Improved Technology for Pollution Prevention in Polyvinyl Chloride Manufacturing

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW 47 Case Studies in the Resolution of Volatile Environmental Disputes 48 The Impact of Key Federal Legislation on U. S. Patent Production with Environmental Applications

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION 51 Schoolyard Ecoscapes in Houston: A Website Catalogue 52 Environment and Literature 54 Implementation of an Alternative Transportation Fuels Curriculum

57 Principal Investigators 58 Environmental Notes 59 Advisory Board and Contributors EIH UHCL/UH before settlement. Resto ration of The riparian forest and prairie is pos- Directorʼs sible, but no longer easy. Too many introduced plants and ani- Message mals, such as Chinese tallow and the imported fire ant, are vying for space. Also standing in the HE RAPID APPROACH OF way of increased green space is year 2000 appears to bring our tolerance of urban sprawl and Tthe promise of fundamen- ugly cityscapes. Perhaps Dr. tal change. Perhaps we can fun- Basheer Khumawala’s studies of damentally change the structure “green giving” will shed some of our cities and our lives. Most light on how to enhance philan- of my life has been spent in thropy for this change. Houston and my wish for the Green Houston would not have new millennium is a Green a smog problem. There are many Houston. Changing this city from ways to reduce production of a mosaic of ugly sprawl and photochemical smog, but all of compromised natural space to a them require citizen cooperation, blend of healthy and sustainable, and some require new technolo- built and natural environments is gy. Living in the subtropics possible. First, we need to ask means plenty of natural sources what changes are needed to pro- of volatile organic compounds vide this impression and to (VOCs). The complex issue of deserve this label. anthropogenic and natural VOCs Once upon a time, Houstoni- was examined and reported by ans turned their backs on the bay- two graduate students working ous and streams running through with Dr. Susanne Gaddis. The this area and decided to use them Texas Natural Resource Conser- as sewers and ditches. In a Green va tion Commission (TNRCC) Houston, the primary value of and the Environmental Protec- bayous and creeks would be as tion Agency (EPA) recently aesthetic features and habitat. A changed their focus from VOC to major challenge to high quality NOx reduction in the search for running water comes from non- solutions to smog. Drs. Raj point source pollution and storm Chhikara and Floyd Spears are water. Dr. Ted Cleveland reports examining monitoring data from communities in which it is possi- on a study of the water quality TNRCC to detect correlation and ble to walk or bike to stores and improvement in one of Houston’s patterns to aid in the reduction of restaurants. How many people bayous suffering from nonpoint conditions that lead to ozone have died in vehicle accidents on source pollution. generation. Last year, Houston trips necessitated by urban The National Wildlife Federa- joined the Clean City program sprawl? How much tax money tion issued a report this year that that encourages the use of alter- has been spent on highways to Texas is a leader in multiple pay- native fueled vehicles. The Rail- subsidize sprawling, unplanned ments to owners of property dam- road Commission of Texas fund- growth? aged by floods. We in Houston ed EIH to train teachers for an While urban sprawl is a broad need a new policy on develop- alternative transportation fuels policy issue, EIH research is ment in flood plains, as our curriculum. Dr. Robert Jones and directed at the interface of specif- efforts to use bayous for the pre- Ms. Lynn Spachuk, the EIH ic environmental concerns and vention of flooding seem futile. Environmental Education Coor- faculty expertise. Some EIH Green Houston would have dinator, managed this training research is aimed at expanding more green space, particularly program. our knowledge to aid in identify- along bayous and creeks. This Smog elimination is impossi- ing harmful compounds and region is subtropical, and flora ble if we continue to develop in a gauging their impact on ecosys- and fauna haphazard manner, dependent as tems. For example, Dr. Michael were abun- we are on highways and personal Benedik is developing a test to 2 • EIH dant and automobiles to overcome the determine if compounds cause UHCL/UH diverse lack of planning. We need livable chromosome damage. Dr. Dan Wells is studying the develop- Dr. Theron Sage is building a GREEN SPACE—At the mental process of a frog that pro- bank of spatial information to Armand Bayou Nature vides a model for testing the help construct GIS (geographical Preserve in Clear Lake, a look- impact of environmental condi- information system) datasets. out tower enables visitors to tions on amphibia and other sen- This is a powerful method to observe Texas prairies and wildlife. sitive species. While Dr. Steven demonstrate changes in the status Blanke is using microbial popu- of land and water. research. Wellington and Angel lations as indicators of environ- Recent policies concerning are studying the genetic structure mental degradation, Dr. Sam wetlands and other natural of seagrasses to guide the acqui- Chen is describing the break- resources coupled with voluntary sition of material for replanting down products of a herbicide that efforts are enhancing the rehabil- seagrass beds. Wells and Meffert may produce effects different itation of some local areas. Two are engaged in the development from the parent product. The projects covering the history of of fundamental information on effects of mercury on human the Galveston Bay region the usefulness of keeping captive health are known, but Dr. (Melosi and Closmann; Weeks populations of rare organisms for Cynthia Howard is working to and Gallaway) provide knowl- future reintroduction into the track the impact of this heavy edge about the conditions that metal throughout the Lavaca Bay resto ra tion should strive to (Continued on page 56.) ecosystem. obtain. Characterizing impacts on In some cases, the tools are ecosystems is difficult to accom- available for ecological restora- EIH • 3 plish with words and charts, so tion, but in others, we need UHCL/UH Environmental Issues A Model System to Detect Chromosomal Rearrangements

ARGE SCALE PHYSICAL Michael J. Benedik, op an understanding of the changes to our chromo- Ph.D., Associate processes leading to chromoso- somes often lead to signif- mal re arrangements and to devel- L Professor, icant health problems. Some op tools that readily determine genetic diseases can be traced to Biochemical Sciences, which environmental factors chromosomal translocations lead- UH contribute to these events. This ing to the inactivation or loss of study may have an impact upon essential genes or to their inap- damage. the determination of which pollu- propriate expression. Such genet- This project establishes yeast tants contribute to this class of ic defects can be inherited or can as a model system for investigat- genetic disease. Findings may arise de novo. Chromosomal ing the mechanism by which affect regulatory policy regard- deletions or rearrangements can chromosomal translocations and ing these agents. also lead to the activation of rearrangements occur. The role Objectives oncogenes, which has been shown that cellular recombination and Development of a model system in many cases to lead to neoplas- repair enzymes, chromatin struc- requires the completion of three tic tumor formation. These types ture, chromosome location, and tasks: of events are often the result of environmental insults play in • Build test strains for detection an environ- these events will be investigated of gene activation by deletion mental using a highly sensitive genetic and translocation. insult lead- system to select and analyze • Determine rates of transloca- 4 • EIH ing to chro- these events. tion relative to other gene acti- UHCL/UH mosome Long-term goals are to devel- vation events. chromosome 1 and 2. We were to the activation of HIS3 expres- unable to obtain the clone for the sion. PCR experiments con- chromosome 12 site. Using the firmed that this was a reasonable genomic region from chromo- model for these events, which somes 1 and 2, we successfully were likely not translocation inserted the HIS3 cassette in each events. orientation and reassembled The three non reverting strains these clones into the yeast inte- were then tested for their rate of gration plasmid system. These HIS3 activation at much lower were then transformed into an frequencies. Larger scale experi- appropriate yeast strain, and sta- ments were preformed beginning ble integrants were selected. This with > 109 initial cells. We failed generated a total of four strains to to obtain His+ colonies even test, two sites, and two orienta- from this large-scale experiment. tions at each site. This finding suggests that the The first criterion, that these rate of translocation may be strains all behave functionally as lower than this, proving this his mutant strains, was met. All experimental system impractical. the strains failed to grow on Lastly, different regimes of media in the absence of histidine. mutagenesis were tested to see if This accomplished the first they had an effect on increasing objective. the rate of translocation to a The second objective was to detectable level. Both UV light test these strains for the rate of and chemical mutagens were translocations as opposed to tested. All failed to activate other events leading to His+ phe- translocation events to a detecta- notype. ble level. This task was performed by In conclusion, a system was selecting for colonies able to developed to directly select and grow in the absence of histidine analyze chromosomal transloca- (an His+ phenotype). Three of tion. This system appeared to ful- the strains failed to give His+ fill the required criteria but failed colonies at any frequency. The to detect the expected events. It is fourth strain gave such colonies likely that the rate of sponta- at a low frequency, < 10 colonies neous chromosome translocation per 106 cells plated after 48 is too low to be detected in such • Sequence a sample of junction hours. Although a low rate, this a simple microbial system. It points. was likely too high to be attrib- would be worthwhile, however, The first task was to build the uted to translocation events. To to test this system using agents tester strains to detect deletions ascertain whether these colonies known to induce chromosomal and translocations. This was arose as a result of pre-existing breakage. This effort will be accomplished by using an HIS3 events or not, plates were incu- attempted in the near future. cassette cloned into a yeast inte- bated and assayed over time. gration (non-replicating) plasmid New colonies arose over time, GREEN SPACE—The Armand and a yeast strain deleted for the suggesting these events were not Bayou prairie in Southeast HIS3 gene. The HIS3 cassette pre-existing in the population but Harris County preserves the lacks a promoter to allow its arose de novo. After 10 days grasslands and the wetlands. expression; hence, the strain will about 30 colonies per 106 plated be able to grow only on minimal cells were obtained. medium if some event allows the Why did this one strain gener- transcriptional activation on ate colonies at a much higher rate HIS3. than others? Analysis of the adja- Three regions of the yeast cent genomic sequence suggest- genome were selected into which ed that a transcriptional promoter to place the HIS3 cassette, these lay upstream and in the correct lay on chromosome 1, 2, and 12. orientation in this one strain, but We successfully amplified by not in the other three, such that EIH • 5 PCR and cloned the regions for simple deletion events could lead UHCL/UH We have performed seven Environmental Issues rounds of selection and cloned A Novel Approach to Monitor the enriched pool of aptamers. We are currently analyzing the Microbial Populations as an sequences of these aptamers to determine the consensus se- Indicator of Environmental quences that represent the select- ed aptamers. These apta mers will Change be further developed for analysis with novel detection probes Steven R. Blanke, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, and called molecular beacons. Trey Mahoney, graduate student, Biochemical Publications Sciences, UH Fu, H., S. R. Blanke, L. C. Matheakis, and R. J. Collier. COSYSTEMS CHANGE AS ing specific micro organisms. In “Selection of Diphtheria Toxin human beings continue to vitro selection is a technology Active-Site Mutants in Yeast. Eencroach upon the envi- which mimics natural selection Rediscovery of Glutamic ronment and consume precious in vitro at the molecular level. Acid-148 as a Key Residue,” natural resources. The effects of The overall process is cyclic Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 419 pollution and continued con- selecting and enriching for mole- (1997): 45-52. sumption of natural resources are cules with a desired properties Berti, P. J., S. R. Blanke, and V. revealed through subsequent from a complex, random pool. L. Schramm. “Transition State changes in various ecosystems. Through the repeated steps of Structure for the Hydrolysis of Environmental conditions affect enrichment and amplification NAD Catalyzed by Diphtheria the composition and density of under increasingly stringent Toxin,” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 119 microbial flora in these ecosys- selective pressures, the pool (1997): 12079-88. tems. nears functional homogeneity Blanke, S. R. “Bacterial Toxins Factors affecting the ecologi- such that all members possess the Engineered as Drug Delivery cal niche of a given microbial trait or property being selected. Systems Targeting Mammalian species include (1) moisture in The advantages of using Cells,” Seminars in Frontier the soil, which, in turn, modu- aptamers for diagnostic applica- Technology 22 (1997): 23-25. lates available oxygen supply, (2) tions include (1) extreme gener- Willhite, D. C. and S. R. Blanke. acidity, (3) temperature, and (4) ality of the approach, (2) poten- “Soluble Expression and One- the availability of organic matter. tial for automation, (3) ease of Step Purification of Recombi- Because specific microorganisms analysis, and (4) the ability of nant Bacillus anthracis occupy precise ecological niches, aptamers to discriminate between Protective Antigen,” Protein a highly specific and rapid assay, closely related molecules. and Peptide Letters (1998). (In targeting the presence and abun- We initially targeted bacterial press.) dance of particular microorgan- products for the selection of Ye, D., D. C. Willhite, and S. R. isms, would provide an early aptamers. The RNA or DNA nu- Blanke. “Identification of the detection system for subtle cleic acid probes to be generated, Intracellular Vacuolating Do- changes in microenvironments. called aptamers—from the Latin main of the Helicobacter pylori Our research has focused on a word aptus, meaning “to fit”— Vacuolating Cytotoxin,” J. of novel plan to generate nucleic fold into complex structures that Biological Chemistry (1998). acid-based probes, called exhibit the ability to recognize (Submitted for publication.) aptamers, to monitor the effects and bind specific target mole- Presentations of pollution and natural resource cules. A growing list of highly Blanke, S. R. “How Do Bacterial consumption on microbial flora specific aptamers has been isolat- Toxins Enter Cells?” Houston in the environment. ed and reported to target small Area Molecular Biology of We have utilized an emerging molecules, proteins, nucleic Infectious Diseases Group, powerful technology called in acids, and even macromolecular Houston, TX, Aug. 15, 1997. vitro selection (frequent ly termed complexes within human organs. Blanke, S. R. “Entry of Bacterial SELEX) for generating nucleic These investigations represent Toxins into Mammalian Cells: acid-based the first attempts at generating Mechanisms and Applica- probes aptamers targeting the complex tions,” Heart of Texas Micro- 6 • EIH called apta- matrix representing the surface biology Meeting, Houston, UHCL/UH mers target- of entire microorganisms. TX, Feb. 21, 1998. Blanke, S. R. “Synthetic Gene to ing Toxin,” 1998 Lost Pines July 1, 1999-June 30, 2001, Investigate the Structure, Molecular Biology Confer- $200,000. (Pending.) Function, and Chemical ence, Smithville TX, Oct. 9- “PCR-Based Diagnostics for the Mechanism of the Cholera 11, 1998. Rapid Detection of Microbial Toxin Catalytic Domain,” Funding Pathogens.” UH/NASA Tech- 1998 National American “Regulation of Host Cytokine nology Commercialization Chemical Society Meeting, Networks by Pseudomonas Incubator, July 1, 1999-Oct. Boston, MA. aeruginosa Exotoxin A.” 31, 2000, $96,926. Guynn, L., T. Mahoney, S. R. American Heart Association, “Mechanisms of ADP-ribosyl- Blanke, and M. J. Benedik. “A Texas Affiliate, July 1, 1998- transferase Regulation.” NSF Putative Serraratia marcescens June 30, 2000, $92,880. CAREER Award, March 1, Enterotoxin with Homology to “A Novel Role for the 1999-Feb. 28, 2003, $487,720. Clostridium difficile Type AB Helicobacter pylori Vacuola t- (Pending.) Toxins,” 1997 Lost Pines ing Toxin.” PEER, June 1, “Modulation of Targeted Protein Molecular Biology Confer- 1998-May 31, 1999, $5,000. Delivery into Mammalian ence, Smithville TX, Oct. 10- “Distribution of the Human Cells by Flow-Induced Shear 12, 1997. Pathogen Vibrio vulnificus in Stress.” The Whitaker Founda- Jin, W. H., C. Mazurek, K. Texas Coastal Waters.” Coastal tion, April 1, 1999-March 31, Muthuswamy, A. Gorny, K. Center, Nov. 1, 1998-July 31, 2002, $210,000. (Pending.) Nguyen, A. Tang, and S. R. 1999, $7518. “Molecular Mechanisms of the Blanke. “Investigating the “Mechanico-Transduction in Helicobacter pylori Vacuo la t- Chemistry of an Arginine- Regulation of Virulence Gene ing Toxin.” National Institutes Specific ADP-Ribosyltrans- Expression.” Arnold and of Health, Aug. 1, 1999-July ferase: Design and Construc- Mabel Beckman Foundation, 31, 2004, $925,437. (Pending.) tion of a Synthetic Gene Encoding the Cholera Toxin Catalytic Domain,” 1998 Structural Biology Symposi - um, Galveston, TX. Blanke, S. R. and W. H. Jin. “de novo Synthesis of a Gene Encoding the Cholera Toxin Catalytic Domain,” Gordon Conference on Microbial Tox- ins and Pathogenicity, Procter Academy, Andover NH, July 11-17, 1998. Marty, K. B., L. J. Guynn, M. J. Benedik, and S. R. Blanke. “In vitro Cytotoxicity of a Clionical Strain of Serratia marcescens,” 1998 Lost Pines Molecular Biology Confer- ence, Smithville TX, Oct. 9- 11, 1998. Jin, W., C. Mazurek, K. Muthuswamy, and S. R. Blanke. “Design and Construc- tion of a Synthetic Gene Encoding the Cholera Toxin Catalytic Domain,” 1998 Lost Pines Molecular Biology Con - ference, Smithville TX, Oct. 9- 11, 1998. Photo by Irv Rothman Ye, D., D. C. Willhite, and S. R. GREEN SPACE—The Tom Bass State Park at Blanke. “Mapping the Hwy 288 and Beltway 8 not only harbors an Functional Subdomains of the amphitheater and picnic grounds, but it is a nat- EIH • 7 Helicobacter pylori Vacuolat- ural preserve. UHCL/UH Environmental Issues Effect of Habitat Fragmentation on Demographic Structure of Small Mammal Populations

Guy N. Cameron, Ph.D., Professor, and Edwin H. Bryant, Ph.D., Professor, GREEN SPACE—The Armand Bayou Prairie Restora tion Project retains habitat for Texas wildlife. The Project offers opportunities for Biology, UH research into restoration techniques. Armand Bay ou offers a venue for the study of mammalian demography.

HE EFFECT OF HABITAT effects of fragmentation, M.S. analyses. Different subsets of the fragmentation on popula- student Beth Kruchek researched data will be used for all three Ttions is a major concern the importance of the upland/ studies. For example, the demo- for resource managers and con- wetland interface for small mam- graphic analysis will use all data, servation biologists. Most scien- mals, and Ph.D. student Valerie while the ecotone study and the tific studies of fragmentation Sparling analyzed small mammal radiotelemetry study will use have focused on forest habitats movements in response to habitat subsets. Ms. Kruchek has fin- and bird populations. The few fragmentation. Dr. Julie Robin- ished analyzing the data for the studies with mammals have son accepted a position with ecotone study and is beginning to focused on the impact of frag- NASA in August 1997; conse- write the results. Basically, she mentation of grasslands and quently, Dr. Guy Cameron and found that rice rats used both the forests. In the interest of seeking Jan Williams helped complete upland (coastal prairie) and low- a new, broader understanding of the field collections. land (marsh) during different the effects of fragmentation, this Salt marshes are habitats char- seasons. She is now evaluating project sought to understand the acterized by fluctuating condi- that usage to determine whether effect of fragmentation of coastal tions. Heavy rains and coastal animals used upland habitats dur- salt marsh on the population flooding hindered the beginning ing the winter distinctively for dynamics of the dominant small of fieldwork, and data could not refuge, reproduction, or food. mammal, the marsh rice rat be obtained from all sites. Her finding that rice rats used (Oryzomys palustris). Capture/recapture methods re- both habitats adds substance to Pilot studies and initial setup quire three consecutive days of the concern that wetland animals of field procedures were de- trapping. These were sometimes have requirements for their life scribed in the 1996-97 annual prevented when the entire site histories outside that habitat. report. The finalized program of was under water. At the termina- This is a critical point because field research began in August tion of field collections in only wetlands are legally protect- 1996 and terminated in Decem - December 1997, we had gathered ed while destruction of upland ber 1997. The research team ful- a total of 14 months of data habitats remains unchecked in filled individual roles but worked depending on the manner in the Galveston Bay area. together to collect field data. which data analysis techniques During the fall 1997 and early Post-doctoral fellow Dr. Julie are used to allow for missing val- spring 1998, Ms. Sparling and Robinson ues (Table 1). Ms. Williams devoted them- s t u d i e d At the termination of field selves to the radiotelemetry por- 8 • EIH demo- trapping, data were entered into tion of this study. Radios used in UHCL/UH graphic our database and are available for previous studies were remanu- Table 1. Successfully completed trapping sessions. X indicates complete data obtained, 0 indicates data is suspect due to influence of severe flooding, and blanks indicate trapping could not be conducted. Trapping sites are identified as P = Pierce Marsh, B = Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge, S = Galveston State Park, H = Highland Bayou, J = Jamaica Beach.

Unfragmented Sites Fragmented Sites Month # Pi P2 BI B2 SI S2 HI H2 H3 H4 JI J2

Oct 96 X O O Nov 1 X X X O X X X X X X Dec 2 X X X X Jan 97 3 X X X X X X X X X X X X Feb 4 X X X X X X X X X X X X Mar 5 X X X X X X X X X X X X Apr 6 O O X X X X X X O O X X May 7 X X X X X X X X X X X X Jun 8 X X X X X X X X X X X X July 9 X X X X X X X X X X X X Aug 10 X X X X X X X X X X X X Sept 11 X X X X X X X X X X X X Oct 12 X X X X X X X X X X X X Nov 13 X X X X X X X X X X X X Dec 14 X X X X X X X X X X X X factured to conduct pilot teleme- in Virginia in June 1998. Results try studies during late 1997. from these studies were well These studies provided data on received. Feedback is currently distances traveled by rice rats, being used to refine the analyses. and the effect of weight of the Analysis of the demography of transmitter. We concluded that rice rats in fragmented and rice rats moved very long dis- unfragmented habitats will com- tances but cannot tolerate a trans- mence in January 1999. mitter in excess of 3 grams. We now are ready to initiate a full- scale study on movements by rice rats to evaluate their use of fragmented habitats and to com- pare this use to their movements in unfragmented habitats. Unfortunately, Dr. Cameron moved out of state, and further study on the Galveston Bay rice rat system will have to await the availability of a new Principal Investigator or a student sent to Texas by Dr. Cameron. The latter is feasible if discussions with EIH prove fruitful. A preliminary analysis of our demography data was presented at the American Society of Mammalogists meeting in Oklahoma in June 1997 and at the International Theriological Congress in Mexico in September 1997. A preliminary analysis of the ecotone study was presented at the American EIH • 9 Society of Mammalogist meeting UHCL/UH vent, concentrating the ex tract, However, DEA alone had high Environmental Issues separating the compounds by enough yields to be separated Contamination chroma tography, and re-dissolv- and isolated from the extract. ing the individual compounds. Similarly, for cyanazine, the sta- Caused by Since most products gradually ble photolysis products were decompose as photolysis pro- deethyl cyanazine (DEC) and S-Triazine ceeds, the yield of products is deisopropyl cyanazine (DIG). very low. In addition, all the tri- Acute and chronic tests were Herbicides azine herbicides are hydrophobic performed to determine the toxi- and have very low water solubil- city of the triazine herbicides Sam Chen, Ph.D., ities; consequently, the starting atrazine and cyanazine in concentration is low. The combi- Daphnia pulex. Ms. Monica Assistant Professor, and nation of these two findings Schumann Pettigrew, a UHCL Cynthia Howard, Ph.D., increases the difficulty of obtain- graduate student in the environ- Associate Professor, ing a large amount of photolysis mental science program, was Biology and products. A larger volume of responsible for maintaining labo- Environmental Science, solution and a longer period of ratory cultures of Daphnia and time are required to produce ade- for running the toxicity tests. A UHCL quate quantity of products for total of 20 range-finding and toxicity tests. The second reason definitive acute tests were con- HE S-TRIAZINE HERBICIDES is self-explanatory. The use of ducted for atrazine and cyanazine are widely used pesticides animals for toxicity tests to determine LC50 concentra- Tfor the control of weeds in demands tremendous amounts of tions and NOECs (no effect con- corn and other crops. The extend- time and labor. In this study, centrations) to be used in the ed use of these compounds has Daphnia pulex was selected as chronic life table studies on each led to contamination problems. the test species, and atrazine and herbicide. GC-mass spectrome- At present, triazine herbicides cyanazine were chosen to repre- try was employed to verify con- can be found in many areas of the sent the triazine herbicides. centrations of each pesticide in United States including the Gulf Methods the test solutions. of Mexico. Photolysis of these A larger volume (approximately Stock individuals of D. pulex and other pesticides in aquatic 30 liters) of aqueous stock solu- for these experiments were environments is an important tions of atrazine and cyanazine obtained from Stillmeadow process in determining the fate of was prepared. For each photoly- Environmental in Houston. these synthetic chemicals. sis experiment, about 500 ml of Organisms were cultured in the Although the toxicity of triazine stock solution was exposed to laboratory at UHCL. Prior to the herbicides is considered mild, no simulated sunlight (filtered Xe start of each test, gravid individ- published data are available to light) for 30 minutes in the pres- uals were removed from the cul- prove that the photolysis prod- ence of light-activated semicon- ture and observed for the next 24 ucts are toxic or not toxic. ductor TiO2 as the catalyst. The hours as they dropped neonates. Obviously, there is a need for suspension was extracted with The 0-24 hour old neonates were more research in order to answer methylene chloride twice. The then used in the tests. In the the question. As part of an on- extract was then concentrated by range-finding experiments, Daph- going research project to under- evaporation of the solvent, and nia were exposed to one of up to stand the reaction products and the individual compounds were eight concentrations of herbicide mechanism, UHCL researchers separated by thin layer chro- in dilution series of 1:10 to deter- initiated a study of the toxicity of matography (TLC). The TLC gel mine the range of concentrations the photolysis products. containing the compounds was to be utilized in the definitive The extraction and purification removed from the TLC plates experiments. In subsequent of photolysis pro ducts are labor and extracted with methylene definitive tests, Daphnia were intensive. A typical procedure chloride. The identification of the exposed to a control or one of calls for dissolving the com- isolated degradation products five concentrations of herbicide; pounds in water, exposing the was carried out by gas chro- each test ran 48 hours and solution to simulated sunlight, matography-mass spectrometry involved 10 replicates per con- extracting the parent and daugh- (GC-MS) technology. The major centration. ter com- stable degradation products of Results pounds atrazine were deethyl atrazine An LC50 for atrazine and an 10 • EIH with an (DEA), dechloro atrazine (DCA) LC50 for cyanazine were esti- UHCL/UH organic sol- and deisopropyl atrazine (DIA). mated using Probit analysis. Definitive tests on each herbicide Atrazine and Cyanazine in were run multiple times in order Water,” Abstracts of the 18th to reduce statistical variation in Annual SETAC Meeting, Soci- the estimated LC50s. ety of Environmental Toxi- Chronic toxicity tests are cur- cology and Chemistry, San rently underway. NOECs deter- Francisco, CA, 1997. mined from the acute tests are Chen, S., C. Howard, M. being used as the concentrations Pettigrew, and H. Teague. to which Daphnia are being “Molecular Modeling Estima- exposed in 40-day complete life tion of Water Solubility and cycle tests. Organisms are being Bioconcentration Factor of monitored for survival and repro- Organic Pollutants,” Abstracts duction. Life tables comparing of the 18th Annual SETAC individuals exposed to herbicide Meeting, Society of Environ- versus control organisms will be mental Toxicology and Chem- constructed. istry, San Francisco, CA, 1997. Still to be tested are the break- Funding down products of atrazine and “Photolysis of Organophosphate cyanazine. These toxicity tests Pesticides in Water.” Welch will be conducted during the fall Foundation, $73,416, April semester as they become avail- 1998 (not funded). able.

Presentations Chen, S., C. Howard, M. Pettigrew, and H. Teague. “Assessment of Aquatic Toxic- ity of Photolysis Products of

GREEN SPACE—The Texas Gulf Coast sustains marshland and prairie providing nat- ural habitats for wildlife 25 miles from downtown Houston. EIH • 11 UHCL/UH Environmental Issues Table 1. VOCs with Significant Changes from 1992 to 1997 Toxic Air Pollution Increasing Trend Decreasing Trend No Trend n-nonane c-2-Pentene Trichlorofluormethane Evaluation 2,3-Dimethylbutane a-Pinene 1,2 Dichloroethane Toluene and 4-Methyl-1-Pentene c-2-Hexene 1,2,3-Trimethylbenzene b-Pinene Patterns Ethylbenzene n-Butane 2,2-Dimethyulbutane Propane in the 2-Methylheptane o-Xylene Houston Area 2,4-Dimethylpentane 1,3,5-Trimethylpentane 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene Raj S. Chhikara, Ph.D., p-Xylene Professor, and Floyd M. 3-Methylheptane Spears, Ph.D., n-Propylbenzene Associate Professor, Methylcyclopentane Statistics Program, UHCL IR POLLUTION DATA FROM scope of analysis is limited to the Texas Natural Re - those VOCs measured each year Asour ces Conservation from 1992 to 1997. The VOCs Com mission (TNRCC) has been having the highest measured con- evaluated, obtained from air centration in the Houston- monitoring sites in the Houston- Galveston area during that time Galveston area from 1992-1997. period were n-Bu tane (16.8 %), Data comprise measurements of Isobutane (14.4 %), Toluene numerous variables from the 11 (13.3 %), Iso penane (12.7 %), air monitoring sites in the and Ben zene (8.5 %). There was Houston-Galveston corridor. The a statistically significant decrease variables measured and frequen- (p < 0.05) in the concentration of cy of measurement vary from measured VOCs during that time one location to another. The vari- period. Among the 19 VOCs with ables of interest in this study significant changes in measured include criteria pollutants such as concentrations, only one, n- ground level ozone, carbon Nonane, increased significantly monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and (p < 0.05) (see Table 1). Most of nitric oxide, as well as numerous the significant changes were volatile organic compounds decreases that occurred in the (VOCs) that might contribute to years after 1994. the formation of ground-level It is difficult to compare the ozone. Data include meteorolog- VOCs across sites, since differ- ical measurement such as wind ent VOCs were measured at each speed, wind direction, and ambi- site. It was clear, however, that ent temperature. the monitoring site in Galveston VOC Analysis consistently showed the lowest A statistical analysis was con- concentration of VOCs. Monitor- ducted of 71 VOCs, available ing sites in Clute and at Haden from at least one of the air moni- Road and Clinton Drive in toring sites from 1992-1997. Houston were consistently Less than half of these were among the locations with the being measured at any of the highest concentrations of VOCs. monitoring sites during the first Predicting Ozone year of study, in 1992. VOCs Recently, Davis and his team of 12 • EIH were added for measurement researchers (1998) reported the UHCL/UH each year at the various sites. The outcome of an extensive analysis Figure. 1. Maximum Daily 1—Hr Average Ozone Concentrations of hourly ozone records from the the variables, considered individ- 1995. Houston-Galveston area moni- ually, showed a strong correla- Johnson, R. A. and D. W. toring stations from April to tion to ground-level ozone con- Wichern. Applied Multivariate October, 1981-1991. centrations. This low correlation Statistical Analysis. City, N.J.: In terms of modeling hourly could be attributed, in part, to the Prentice Hall, 1992. ozone concentrations, the most large amount of variability in the significant factors were the daily daily ozone concentrations mean ozone profile, the ratio of shown in Fig. 1, which represents maximum to the minimum daily a typical monitoring site in the ozone, and the timing of the peak Houston area in 1994. A set of ozone level. These three statisti- variables considered together cal factors were obtained based could, however, explain the vari- on the singular value decomposi- ability in ground-level ozone. tion of the data matrix, which Some potentially relative me- allows a determination of princi- teorological variables were not pal components. Although the included in data provided by factors listed above explained a TNRCC. When we obtain these substantial amount of the vari- additional variables, i.e., rainfall, ability in ozone, the effectiveness relative humidity, dew point, and of these statistics for classifying solar radiation, we will perform a days with respect to ground-level principal component analysis to ozone concentration was not identify the important statistical attempted, nor did we seek fur- factors to be used in modeling ther analysis of the effect of ground-level ozone. meteorology on the ozone level. References Our initial step in developing Davis, J. M., B. K. Eder, and P. a statistical model to include Bloomfield. “Regional and meteorological and other vari- Temporal Models for Ozone ables in predicting ground-level Along the Gulf Coast.” Case ozone concentrations was to Studies and Environmental study its relationship to other cri- Statistics. N.Y.: Springer- teria pollutants, VOCs, and mete- Verlag, 1998. orological variables. A data GHASP. “Danger in the Air: analysis, involving both inter- Toxic Air Pollution in the and intra-correlations was per- Houston-Galveston Corr idor.” formed with respect to the differ- (Dec. 1996). EIH • 13 ent types of variables. None of HARC. Houston Environment. UHCL/UH Environmental Issues Investigation and Demonstration of Intervention Strategies to Improve Water Quality on Country Club Bayou

Theodore Cleveland, Ph.D., Associate Professor; Hui Zhu, graduate research assistant; Mackrena Linares and James Deaver, undergraduate research assistants, Civil and Environmental Engineering, UH

OUNTRY CLUB BAYOU, Hughes Street Bridge. Samples Twice-weekly sampling and known by nearby resi- collected at the bridge by the analysis indicate that the open Cdents as “Slaugh ter house City of Houston Health portion of the bayou recovers Ditch,” is located in southeast Department confirm these histor- with distance—low dissolved Houston. The bayou drains from ical observations. oxygen at Hughes Street (<0.8 east to west connecting to Brays At times, the water at the out- ppm) reaches expected ambient Bayou. The upper portion of the fall just upstream of the Hughes concentrations (4-5 ppm) by 66th bayou is conveyed in a concrete Street Bridge does not meet state Street (about one-fourth river- channel that was initially poured water quality standards for a non- mile). The bayou responds to in the early 1900’s. The lower designated stream. While symp- rainfall events with an increase in portion of the bayou from the tomatic treatment is technologi- turbidity and improvement of the Hughes Street railroad bridge to cally feasible, the purpose of this other water quality parameters, the confluence with Braes Bayou research is to document an inves- suggesting dilution by runoff but is an open, unlined channel. tigation protocol to locate sources increased loading of solids. Figure 1 is a portion of a recent of pollution and evaluate possi- The current land-use in the USGS map of the study area. ble intervention strategies to mit- area ranges includes residential, Sometime between 1922 and the igate the effects of pollution. light-industrial, and several large late 1930s, the bayou west of The investigation protocol manufacturing facilities. The Evergreen Cemetery was cov- uses thematic mapping to gener- covered portion of the storm ered over—reportedly as part of ate a scoring system to identify sewer system appears to belong a WPA project. In 1948, the open locations where sources of pollu- to the City of Houston, while the portion from Evergreen Ceme- tion are likely.1 Field monitoring ownership of the open portion is tery to Hughes Street (the of selected water quality parame- still under investigation. The Hughes Tool Complex) was cov- ters and computer simulation of ownership is important in deter- ered. Figure 1 shows the result of water quality are also key com- mining intervention strategies. these two periods with the ponents of the investigation. Our investigation has not discov- remaining portion from Hughes Once source locations are ered any discharge permits Street Bridge east to Brays identified, computer simulation issued by any authority for dis- Bayou, being all that remains of of selected intervention strategies charge into Country Club Bayou. the original riparian corridor. will be used to rank different On-going effort includes ex- Pollution of the bayou has been approaches to improve the water pansion of the field-monitoring a problem for at least a dozen quality based on predicted effec- program upstream of Evergreen years. Currently suspected high tiveness, initial cost, and opera- Cemetery, use of the USEPA- nutrient loading somewhere in tional complexity. QUAL2 model to simulate the the covered portion of the bayou Important findings to date covered portion (negligible re- contributes to observed low dis- reveal that the black water is not aeration and zero photosynthe- solved oxygen values, a septic in the water column but rather is sis), and scoring of the map odor, and septic (black) color. the color of the bottom sediments themes to identify high-risk por- The out-fall from the covered of the bayou. The black sedi- tions of the bayou for intensive portion of the bayou to the open ments are ferrous sulfide, and investigation. portion is their presence is correlated with Partners involved in this pro- immediate- low dissolved oxygen and high ject are the Environmental Insti- 14 • EIH ly upstream dissolved sulfide that appear in tute of Houston ($12,600), the UHCL/UH of the the bayou at different times. Texas Natural Resources Conser- Figure 1. USGS Map of Country Club Bayou Area. (Circa 1980s). Dashed Line Represents Historical Open Ditch Portion. Solid Line is Present Day Open Ditch. Circles are Water Quality Monitoring Locations. The campus of the University of Houston is located at the south of the map. The parallelogram at the north entrance of the campus at the intersection of Cullen and route 45 is the area identified as the Hughes Street Bridge area. vation Commission (in-kind ser- Funding vices), and the City of Houston’s “Investigation and Demonstra - Wastewater Program ($56,000). tion of Intervention Strategies Reference to Improve Water Quality on 1Cleveland, T. G., T. Glanton, Country Club Bayou.” K. B. Goodwin, and D. Jeeter. “A Montgomery Watson Ameri- Systems Approach for Addres - cas, Ltd., Program Manager sing Storm Water Infiltration into for the Houston Wastewater Sewage Collection Systems,” in Program, $56,479. Collection Systems Proceedings “Sediment Control and Slope of Water Environment Federa- Stability in Earthen Channels,” tion, Annual Conference and Harris County Flood Control Exposition, Anaheim, CA, 1993. District Award, $59,946. 331-35.

EIH • 15 UHCL/UH Environmental Issues

Houston: The 1200 Nationʼs “Hot Spot” for 1000

Studying 800 Volatile Organic 600

Compounds per day Tons 400

Susanne Gaddis, Ph.D., 200 Assistant Professor, and

Roxane Richter and 0 Roberta Smith, Tyler Austin

research assistants, El Paso Brazoria Port Arthur Port Beaumont/

Communication, UHCL Antonio San Corpus Christi Dallas/Fort Worth Longview/Marshall/

FTER STUDYING RESEARCH Houston/Galveston/ and consulting several Source: TNRCC, State Implementation Plan, 1994. Aprivate and government sources on volatile organic com- Figure 1. VOC emmisions in major Texas cities. pounds (VOCs) over the course of several months, we were grat- Department, the Houston Air studies and industry allegations, ified to realize that the rationale Excel lence and Lea der ship pro- none were able and/or willing to behind focusing the VOC study gram, and from Dr. Winifred E. comment prior to our research in the Houston-Galveston area Hamilton (Galveston-Houston deadline. was indeed well founded. For Association for Smog Pre ven- Dr. Marty Spears gathered raw example, as shown in the follow- tion), Enayat Zareian (TNRCC TNRCC VOC data into compre- ing Texas Natural Resource Con- Houston bureau), Elizabeth hensive and original statistical servation Commission (TNRCC) Hendler (TNRCC Austin elements (see Table 1 in study (see Fig. 1), VOC emis- bureau), Neil Carman (Sierra Chhikara and Spears, p. 12). sions in the Houston/Galveston/ Club), Walter Crow (Radian Our research enabled us to draw Brazoria area far exceed VOC International), Richard Gay (new several generalized findings: emissions in other major Texas VOC emission control technolo- • Biogenic sources often con- cities like Austin, Dallas, and San gies), and Dr. Marty Spears tribute larger amounts of VOC Antonio. (University of Houston-Clear emissions than anthropogenic During our research, we Lake). (man-made) sources, based attended a variety of symposiums In addition, we investigated upon TNRCC data. and sites, including a State many sources via the Internet, • Controversies exist (even Implementation Plan public including Environmental Ab- among researchers) regarding hearing (March 20), the TNRCC stracts, industrial trade publica- the definition, reactivity or VOC monitoring site located on tions, and articles/information ozone-forming abilities, and Clinton Drive (June 3), and the from the Energy Information health/economic costs of Mayor’s Air Pollution Summit in Administration, TNRCC, the VOCs and the role of biogenic Houston (June 24). Environmental Protection Agen- VOC-producing sources. We collected VOC information cy, and the Houston Chronicle. • An overall decrease in the through research literature and Though several industrial/ amount of VOC emissions in interviews from several sources, chemical sources were contacted the Houston-Galveston area, including (Shell, Solvay, OxyChem, and based upon City of Houston, the City of Texas Chemical Council) to Houston Regional Monitoring, 16 • EIH Houston either refute and/or comment on and TNRCC data. UHCL/UH Health various VOC and grandfathered • External factors (such as wind, Table 1. Health effects of a selection of toxic VOCs

temperature, moisture, loca- tion, time of day, and season) can complicate the isolation of VOC sources, as well as the measurement of VOCs. • Several VOCs, such as ben- zene, toluene, and xylene have numerous adverse health effects, including cardiovascu- lar/blood, reproductive, respi- ratory, kidney, skin or sense organ, endocrine, developmen- tal, immuno-, and neuro- toxi- Source: TNRCC data, statistical analysis by Dr. Marty Spears (UHCL), 1998 city (see Table 1 and Fig. 2). Note: VOCs not present every year between 1992 and 1997 were excluded

Figure 2. Portion of measured VOCs in the Houston-Galveston area, 1992-1997

EIH • 17 UHCL/UH Overview cation of the MCPA’s position on Environmental Issues The merits of allocating joint this issue was provided.6 Green Giving: costs have been the subject of In 1978, the MCPA issued its debate for over thirty years. Statement of Position (SOP) No. The Role of Critics against the allocation 78-10,7 which attempted to clari- issue argue that the “educational” fy the joint cost allocation issue. Financial material included in fund-raising The intent of SOP 78-10 was to appeals is not related to a chari- permit joint cost allocation to a Reporting ty’s primary mission. They limited group of charities. believe that classification of any However, its requirements for in the portion of these expenses as pro- allocation were so general that Decision to gram costs is misleading and any organization could justify should not be permitted.1,2 Others allocating these costs.4 The next Support reason that without the ability to effort was the AICPA’s SOP 87- allocate costs, the fund-raising 2,8 which stated that allocation of Environmental expenses for organizations, joint costs was acceptable only if which include legitimate educa- it could be demonstrated that a Organizations tional material in fund-raising program function has been com- appeals, are unfairly burdened. pleted in conjunction with the Saleha B. Khumawala, The inability to assign joint costs appeal for donations. to multiple expense categories Despite continued attempts to Ph.D., Associate violates generally accepted settle the issue of joint cost allo- Professor, Accounting, accounting principles.3 cation involving fund-raising UH Before 1964, neither the expenditures, the risk remained accounting regulatory bodies nor that true fund-raising costs could PRIMARY CONCERN OF industry offered guidelines be camouflaged. Thus, the latest those who contribute regarding allocation of these effort to resolve the issues was money to not-for-profit costs. Each entity was free to issued by critics in the MCPA’s A 9 organizations is how much of allocate costs as management SOP 98-2. This standard permits each contribution directly bene- deemed appropriate.4 In 1964, the allocation of joint costs, but fits the cause for which the char- the National Health Council and requires any entity with allocated ity has been established. Expen- the National Social Welfare joint costs to disclose the follow- ditures for items other than pro- Assembly issued its Standards of ing: (a) the types of activities for gram expenses, such as adminis- Accounting and Financial which joint costs have been trative and fund-raising costs, Reporting for Voluntary Health incurred, (b) a statement that deplete the resources available and Welfare Organizations, such costs have been allocated, for providing services to the which forbade the practice of and (c) the total amount allocated intended beneficiaries of the allocating joint costs. Introduc- during the period and the portion organization. ing a standard that became allocated to each functional It is not usually possible to known as the “primary purpose” expense category (MCPA SOP operate a successful not-for-prof- rule, the industry began to 98-2). it organization without incurring require that the entire amount of Objective and Methodology some level of fund-raising costs. joint costs be recorded as either Our study seeks to examine the There is incentive, however, to program expenditures or fund- impact of the new allocation dis- minimize the amount of reported raising costs, depending on the closures on donors’ allocation of fund-raising costs in order to pre- primary purpose for which such contributions among competing sent results from operations costs were incurred.5 environmental organizations. An which seem efficient. One way In 1967, the American Institute experiment will be conducted as that charitable organizations can of Certified Public Accountants follows. Subjects will be given minimize amounts reported as (MCPA) published Audits of an income statement and certain fund-raising costs is by allocat- Voluntary Health and Welfare related footnotes for two envi- ing a portion of the costs of joint Organizations, its industry audit ronmental organizations. Indi- activities, such as those per- guide for certain not-for-profit viduals will be asked to assume formed jointly for educational and organizations. This audit guide the role of a member of a corpo- fund-rais ing did not specifically prohibit or rate committee responsible for purposes, to permit allocation of joint costs.5 selecting a recipient for a corpo- 18 • EIH program When the audit guide was updat- rate contribution. Financial infor- UHCL/UH services. ed in 1974, no additional clarifi- mation provided is available to assist participants in the selection 3M. Gorman of a beneficiary. and J. Some subjects will be provid- Ta n e n b a u m . ed with one income statement “New Rules that includes the joint cost alloca- Proposed for tion disclosures required by SOP Joint Activities 98-2 and one that does not. of NPO’s,” J. of Participants will be asked to ana- Accountancy lyze the available financial infor- (1993): 103-04, mation and decide whether to 107-08. select either organization as the 4K. L. contribution recipient. We expect Albrecht. that subjects will view more “Charity Fund- favorably (and more often select Raising: For the as the recipient of the corporate Needy or the contribution) the organization Greedy?” Busi - which provides the joint cost ness and Soc. allocation disclosure. Review 79 Another set of subjects will (1991): 38-41. review two income statements 5D. D. Robin - that include the joint cost alloca- son and H. K. tion disclosures required by SOP Folpe. “Joint 98-2. However, one organization Costs in Volun- will have a large percentage of tary Health and Photo by Irv Rothman joint costs allocated to program Welfare Organiza tions,” CPA GREEN SPACE—Nature trails services while the other will have Journal (April 1984): 32-39. are inviting in Memorial Park a large proportion of these costs 6J. K. McLaughlin and A. where landscapers protect nat- allocated to fund-raising expens- Farley. “Joint Costs in Voluntary ure by embedding stairs for hik- es. If financial information users Health and Welfare Organiza- ers that protect against erosion. utilize the information provided tions,” CPA Journal (Jan. 1988): in the joint cost footnote, we 46-53. Publications expect the organization that allo- 7American Institute of “Green Giving: The Role of cates more of the joint costs to Certified Public Accountants Financial Reporting in the fund-raising will be viewed more (AICPA). Statement of Position Decision to Support Environ - positively by the participants. No. 78-10: Accounting Princi- mental Organizations,” J. of Expected Contribution ples and Reporting Practices for Accounting and Public Policy. The results of this study will shed Certain Nonprofit Organizations. (To be submitted.) light on the effectiveness of the New York: MCPA, 1978. Presentations AICPA’s new SOP 98-2. The out- 8American Institute of Certi- “Green Giving: The Role of come may help policy makers fied PublicAccountants (MCPA). Financial Reporting in the and standard setters establish Statement of Position No. 87-2: Decision to Support Environ- guidelines for the allocation of Accounting for Joint Costs of mental Organizations,” American costs for joint educational and lnformational Materials and Accounting Assoc., Annual Mtg., fund-raising activities. Activities of Not-for-Profit Or- San Diego, CA, Aug. 1999. References gani zations That Include a Fund- 1C. Crossen. “Imperfect Pitch: Rais ing Appeal. New York: Organized Charities Pass of MCPA, 1987. Mailing Costs as ‘Public Educa - 9American Institute of tion,’” Wall Street Journal 216.84 Certified Public Accountants (Oct. 29, 1990): Al, A5. (MCPA). Statement of Position 2D. E. Ormsteadt. “Government No. 98-2: Accounting for Costs Regulation of Fund-Raising: A of Activities of Not- for-Profit Struggle for Efficacy,” New Organizations and State and Directions for Philanthropic Local Governmental Entities Fundraising (Financial Practices That Include Fund Raising. New for Effective Fundraising) 3 York: MCPA, 1998. (1994): 129-41. EIH • 19 UHCL/UH Environmental Issues Full Costing of Remediation Alternatives to Improve Corporate Decisions with Environmental Impacts

Miriam Heller, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Industrial Engineering, and Neelima Jain, graduate student, Industrial Engineering, UH

Figure 1. Class Diagram for Remediation

NVIRONMENTAL COMPLI- permitting, monitoring, regulato- decisions can translate into inef- ance costs have reached ry, and maintenance activities. ficient production and business Estaggering proportion. Additionally, contingency factors decisions. Remediation costs The largest share of these costs is may require adjustment using the must be properly accounted for applied toward remediation, probabilities of environmental and integrated with other costing which is now approaching $1 incidents, such as spills. Remedi- systems in a firm. trillion.1 The Gulf Coast, which ation costs are distinguished This research has built on pro- houses the largest petrochemical from manufacturing costs in totypical software that focused complex in the world, is particu- accounting methodology. Yet, on environmental costing to larly sensitive to remediation remediation activities directly address the full costs of alterna- costs. Costs associated with compete for financial and human tive remediation activities. This remediation are typically includ- resources with production as well has entailed rede signing and ed in non-manufacturing over- as proactive environmental pro- implementing the tool in an head. Some of these costs are grams, such as pollution preven- object-oriented platform, to facil- capital in tion. Remediation is consequent- itate three primary analyses: nature; ly related to production decisions · activity-based costing to 20 • EIH other costs through the budgeting process. ensure proper capture and UHCL/UH involve Thus, inefficient remediation accumulation of significant Figure 2. Select Activities from the Activity Library to Build the Cost Scenario in the tool as activity and costs; allows any object to be a cost resource libraries that the user · extensibility so that new activ- object. Several new, non-tradi- can employ to construct a sce- ities, costs, and information tional cost objects have been nario, as shown in Fig. 2. The can be added in real time; and identified to inform corporate tool is undergoing validation · analysis of costs as they decisions involving environmen- against a hypothetical site and progress through the system tal as well as remediation costs. actual sites for which estimated life-cycle and treatment trains. Providing cost information and actual costs exist are being In object-orientation, a primary along the organization hierarchy assembled. product is the structure of the is useful for validating the sys- References objects: the class hierarchy. The tem and comparing alternatives 1D. Gibby and R. Patella. class hierarchy depicted in Fig. 1. with the status quo. Rolling-up “Deductibility of Environmental has been developed for remedia- costs according to remediation Remediation Costs,” Journal Of tion activities. The hierarchy is type yields the life-cycle cost of Accountancy 12 (1993): 44. based on business object-orient- that alternative. Total require- 2D. Taylor. Business Engineer - ed architecture, developed in the ments for any resource are calcu- ing with Object Technology. New predecessor tool, ABECAS, lated by rolling-up all costs asso- York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., which extended Taylor’s2 work. ciated with that resource. 1995. The computer architecture con- The survey of traditional and Publications sists of three types of objects or some innovative remediation Heller, M., E. W. von Sacken, and object classes: organization, technologies has enabled identi- R. L. Gerstberger. “The Inte- process, and resource. This struc- fication of 40 remediation activi- grated Water Utility Business of ture also facilitates aggregation ties and 80 resources. Empirical the Future,” J. American Water along any of the classes. Aggre - cost data from industrial-based Works Associa tion (1999). gation of costs around any object costing manuals as well as gov- (Accepted for publication.) essentially renders that object a ernment reports have been col- “cost object,” a traditional cost lected for the resources, the ele- accounting term. However, the ments that incur cost or accrue EIH • 21 class hierarchy devised here benefit. These data are embedded UHCL/UH Heller, M., F. Berna zeau, and M. Heller, M. “Information Archi- R. Wiesner. “New Trends and tecture Needs for Sustainable Technol ogies,” in Treat ment Corporate Decision-Making,” Process Selection for Particle World Re sources Institute’s Removal. Ed. J. B. McEwen, BELL Work shop at Univ. of American Water Works Asso- Houston, Houston, TX, Feb. ciation Research Foundation, 20, 1998. Denver, CO, 1998. 321-42. Heller, M. “Overview of Life- Heller, M., S. Garlapati, and K. Cycle Assess ment,” Depart- Aithala. “Expert Membrane ment of Envi ron mental Sci ence System Design and Selection and Engi neering, Environmen- For Metal Finishing Waste tal Science and Engineering Water Treatment,” Expert 490, Rice Univ., Houston, TX, Systems with Applications 14 Feb. 6, 1998. (1998): 341-53. Heller, M., von E. W. Sacken, Shields, D., B. Beloff, and M. and R. L. Gerstberger. “The Heller. “Environmental Cost Integrated Water Utility Accounting for Chemical and Business of the Future,” Oil Companies: A Bench- AWWA Information Manage- marking Study,” in The Green ment & Technology Confer- Bottom Line. Ed. J. Stuart, ence, April 6, 1998. Greenleaf Publishing: Shef- Funding field, UK, 1998. “Bioremediation: Scientific, Qin, H., and M. Heller. “Inte- Social and Business Issues,” grating Reliability Modeling Co-PI:Name; Shell Inter- into an Activity-Based Life disciplinary Scholars Program Cycle Costing Framework for for 1996-1998, Feb. 1998-Jan. Sewer Systems,” in Advances 1999, $100,000. GREEN SPACE—Young hard- in Industrial Engineering Ap- “Feasibility Study to Develop an woods in Memorial Park, plications and Practice. Eds. J. Artificial Intelligence System approximately eight miles from G. Chen and A. Mital. San for Optimization of Water the University of Houston cam- Diego, CA, 1997. 2: 1027-32. Treatment Plant Operations.” pus, show the fruits of conser- vation practices. Presentations American Water Works Aithala, K. and M. Heller. Association, submitted May “Expert System for the 1998, $199,000. (Not funded.) Treatment of Metal Finishing “Material Flows Analysis in the Wastewater,” poster session, Semiconductor Industry.” Ful- Pollution Prevention—Green bright Scholar ship Board, Chemistry for Chemical and Sept. 1999-Aug. 2000; stipend. Petroleum Refining Industries “Membrane Systems Cost Symposium, EPA, GCHSRC, Estima tor Expert.” American and EESI Sponsored, Rice Desalt ing Association/U. S. Univ., Houston, TX, Oct., 29, Bureau of Reclamation, Sept. 1997. 1998-Aug. 1999, $40,000. Heller, M. “Environmental Account ing Information Ar - chi tectures for Life-Cycle/ Value Chain Decision-Mak- ing,” poster session, 1998 Gordon Research Conference on Industrial Ecology, Colby- Sawyer College, New London, NH, June 7-12, 1998.

22 • EIH UHCL/UH dence within the Houston- Galveston County Subsidence District (HGCSD). The data set was then used for instructional purposes in Geology 3037: Introduction to GIS. Raw data for the project were obtained from a variety of sources. Data on groundwater levels in the two major aquifers were obtained from the U.S. Geological Survey. Well data, provided by the HGCSD, listed the location, size, and pumpage rates of over 5000 water wells located within the subsidence district. HGCSD data described the relative changes in surface elevation (subsidence) over time. The most recent topographic maps of the study area (1957) were digitized and added to the data set. By combining the 1957 topographic maps with changes in elevation attributed to subsi- dence, a new digital elevation model (DEM) represented cur- Environmental Issues rent elevations. Since surface water hydrology is directly Development of a GIS Data Set for affected by changes in surface elevations, researchers added a Studying Environmental Problems map of the bayous within the in Southeast Texas study area to the data set. We included census data, obtained from TIGER files, so that the Theron D. Sage, Ph.D., Associate Professor, impact of subsidence on humans Environmental Science, UHCL could be quantified. Upon its completion, we demonstrated the OUTHEAST TEXAS, THE usable in environmental studies, GIS project to members of the AREA comprised of Harris, a form capable of examining Harris-Galveston County SFort Bend, Brazoria, more than one parameter at a Subsidence District, Harris Chambers, and Galveston coun- given location or analyzing the County Flood Control District, ties, is currently experiencing interaction of parameters that dif- and the Houston-Galveston Area rapid growth. This growth has fer spatially. Council. Partner ships for the brought with it serious chal- The purpose of this proposal exchange of data and mainte- lenges in the form of (1) natural was to develop a GIS data set nance have been formed with environmental hazards inherent which could be used to (1) aid each of these agencies. in the area and (2) anthropogenic interested non-profit parties Subsidence is an environmen- pollutants introduced into the seeking to solve environmental tal process that can be grasped soil, air, and water of the region. problems, either by supplying easily by students of various dis- Environmental problems rep- data or conducting the GIS study ciplines. Thus, GIS subsidence resented by these challenges are on their behalf and (2) study data provide pragmatic tools for a major concern among the environmental problems within a students in introductory GIS social, political, and economic GIS course scheduled at UHCL. classes. sectors of the population. All too Objectives of the study were often these groups have made met by developing an extensive decisions without the benefit of GIS database for use in monitor- EIH • 23 accessible data in a form readily ing the status and trends of subsi- UHCL/UH Environmental Issues Experimental Tests of Captive Breeding Strategies

Lisa M. Meffert , Ph.D., Research Associate Figure 1. Schematic diagram of the EIH protocol. A stock population was used to derive five initial populations of five male-female pairs Professor; Dan E. Wells, each. These populations were then split into two lines (five male- Ph.D., Professor; and female pairs each), which underwent six generations of one of the Nicholas M. Brown, two breeding schemes (i.e., the conventional design to minimize inbreeding versus a selection scheme to purge detrimental genes). graduate research assis- tant, Biology, UH the conventional captive breed- higher fitness than the selection ing strategy, compared to an scheme that allowed full-sib mat- alternative scheme to purge detri- ings (i.e., the selection scheme). mental genes. Pilot investigations into devel- HROUGH THE COURSE OF Progress oping microsatellite techniques the Twentieth Century, the Housefly populations were sub- for assays of neutral genetic vari- Tthreat to biological diver- jected to six generations of cap- ation have resulted in a genomic sity has increased at an alarming tive breeding under either the library and identification of a rate, and the fate of many species conventional captive breeding monomorphic locus. Specifically, depends upon captive breeding.1 design or a scheme to purge a Musca genomic library was Captive breeding programs detrimental genes (Fig. 1). prepared using Stratagene’s λZap assume that levels of genetic Fitness measures at the end of the II cloning vector. The genomic variation, fitness, and evolution- breeding protocol showed highly DNA was isolated from adult ary flexibility are positively cor- significant differences for the flies adapting a protocol for fruit related. Consequently, the stan- genetic constitution of the flies, digested to completion with dard captive breeding strategy is founders and their responses to EcoRI, ligated into the λZap II to minimize inbreeding and bal- the two breeding schemes (Table vector, and packaged using ance the genetic representations 1). Additionally, the breeding Stratagene’s packing extract. The of the founders with the intention scheme to restrict incest to the amplified library has a titer of of maximizing adaptive potential level of the first cousin matings 4.3×1010 pfu/ml with a total vol- for reintroduction of the species (i.e., the conventional breeding ume of 80 ml. The mean insert into the wild.1 strategy) resulted in significantly size is 3 Kb. The preliminary Theoretical and empirical studies have contested the central Table 1. Analysis of Variance tenets of this restoration strategy. If population bottlenecks in- SOURCE DF SS MS F P crease the frequencies of detri- mental genes,2,3 a strategy to Model 8 1.73 0.22 4.17 0.0001 maximize genetic diversity could Founder 4 0.84 0.21 4.03 0.0037 actually accelerate extinction. Scheme 1 0.60 0.60 11.56 0.0008 This EIH experiment was explic- Scheme (Founder) 3 0.80 0.27 5.13 0.0019 itly designed to test this potential Error 194 10.06 0.05 confound in attempts to save Corrected Total 202 11.78 endangered species. In particular, the ob jec tive of the project was to assay the Analysis of variance on the fitness of bottlenecked populations sub- short- and jected to two different breeding schemes for six generations. 24 • EIH Significant effects were found for the differences among founders long-term (“Founder”), breeding design (“Scheme”), and the responses of the UHCL/UH effects of founder populations to the breeding designs (“Scheme (Founder)”). screen for microsatellite varia- Publications “Developing High Resolution tion was conducted by Mohamed Meffert, L. M. “Experimental Molecular Assays for Meta- Noor at Cornell University, from Tests of Founder-Flush Specia- population Experiments.” NSF whom the fruit fly protocol was tion and their Implications for POWRE Program in Biology. obtained. Conservation Biology,” Bio - (Not funded.) Future Directions Science. (In review.) “Experimental Tests of Captive With such encouraging results, Funding Breeding Strategies.” NSF the project is being continued “Partitioning the Effects of Conservation and Restoration with partial support from the Immigration and Selection in Biology Program in Popula- National Science Foundation. Finite Populations.” NSF Pro - tion Biology, PI: L. M. The populations are now being gram in Population Biology. Meffert; 1998-2001, $245,000. “reintroduced” into an unpre- (Not funded.) dictably variable environment to test for evolutionary flexibility. Additionally, archived specimens will be assayed for genetic varia- tion at allozyme loci. The pilot investigations into developing microsatellite techniques are also ongoing. Significance Experiments such as this EIH project have documented the per- vasive threat of inbreeding depression from prolonged peri- ods of low population size. Ongoing research to examine the relationships among fitness, adaptability, and genetic varia- tion is critical for understanding how natural, captive, or invading populations recover from near- extinctions. References 1Creative Conservation: Interactive Management of Wild and Captive Animals. Eds. P. J. S. Olney, G. M. Mace, and A. T. C. Feister. Chapman and Hall, London, 1994. 2J. H. Willis and H. A. Orr. “Increased Heritable Variation Following Popula tion Bottle- necks: The Role of Domi- nance,” Evolution 47 (1993): 949-56. 3L. M. Meffert. “Experimental Tests of Founder-Flush Specia- tion and their Implications for Conservation Biology,” Bio - Science. (In review.)

GREEN SPACE—The bank along Buffalo Bayou in Metro- politan Houston. Allen Park- way on one side and Memorial Photo by Irv Rothman Drive on the other were EIH • 25 designed to follow the path of UHCL/UH the bayou, not to hide it. frog inhabiting the Houston area. double the dosage for the females Environmental Issues Unlike Xenopus, the model of (~10-20 µl of 0.2mg/ml) and to Effect of anuran development, Syrrhophus inject several days in a row. is confined to a more terrestrial As for our second objective, Environmental existence through out its life. It we have documented embryolog- buries its eggs under moist soil ical development from the time Pollutants on from where the froglets hatch. eggs were laid until the resorp- Because of these strikingly dif- tion of the yolk, post-hatching. the Early ferent modes of development, it The tail is the only remnant fea- is important to study direct ture of the tadpole stage. It is a Development developmental pathways and thin membrane, highly vascular- of the understand the factors which reg- ized, which might serve as a res- ulate and affect these pathways piratory organ during embry- Rio Grande before we can start addressing ological development. We have the effects of specific pollutants. divided S. cystignathoides campi Chirping Frog, The objectives were twofold: to development into 15 stages1 establish a captive breeding pro- based on major developmental Syrrhophus gram which provides easy access features (Fig. 1). to frogs at various stages and to We will construct a time table cystignathoides document early morphological to complement our stage table by campi, a Direct changes. following development at differ- With respect to our first objec- ent temperatures. At that point, Developing tive, we now have a captive pop- we will be ready to expose the ulation of 24 adults (at least three frogs to various pollutants and Frog gravid females—eggs are visible compare their development through the abdomen) and about against our stage/time table. 30 froglets. These individuals are Reference Dan E. Wells, Ph.D., being kept in 55 gallon terraria 1D. S. Townsend and M. S. Professor, Biology, UH mimicking their natural environ- Stewart. “Direct Development in ment. The substrate is made up of Eleutherodactylus coqui (Anura: MPHIBIAN POPULATIONS gravel and potting soil. Pothos Leptodactylidae): A Staging throughout the world plants provide vegetation for Table,” Copeia 2 (1985): 423-36. Ahave recently experi- cover and perching areas for the enced a decline and/or reduction frogs. Dead leaves, pieces of Publications in range. Even though in some wood, and rocks supply addition- Gutiérrez, L., C. Dai, and D. cases these declines can be al cover. The frogs are fed daily Wells. “Direct Development directly attributed to natural epi- with fruit flies and crickets. Once of Syrrhophus cystignathoides demics and to human distur- a week these insects are dusted campi.” (In preparation.) bance, in most cases there is no with vitamins to supplement the Presentations clear correlation. Researchers frogs’ diet. Wells, D. “The Rio Grande have postulated that environmen- We have started intraperitoneal Chirping Frog, Syrrhophus tal pollutants (global warming, hormonal injections (synthetic cystignathoides campi, A Web UV radiation, acid rain, pesti- gonadotropin releasing hor- Page,” http://wimp.nsm.uh. cides, petroleum contaminants, mone—GnRH) to induce mating. edu/Syrrhophus. etc.), acting singly or synergisti- At this point we are trying to cally, are indirectly responsible optimize the hormonal dosage. for these declines. Environmental Our first trial (~10-20 µl of pollutants can affect the immune 0.1mg/ml) resulted in some spo- system making organisms more radic chirping by the males susceptible to diseases, retard throughout the night. For the sec- growth and metamorphosis, or ond trial, we injected the same impair reproduction. dosage for two days in a row. We The Rio Grande Chirping frog, observed an increased level of Syrrhophus cystignathoides campi activity by all the males as well (Leptodact - as almost immediate chirping ylidae), is a upon injection. We have yet to 26 • EIH direct de- obtain a response from the UHCL/UH v e l op i n g females. Our current plans are to Stage 1: Fertilized egg (3mm) Stage 7: Tail and foot paddles

Stage 1: Cleavage furrows Stage11: Trunk disc pigmentation

Stage 3: Neural groove Stage 14: Embryo outside membrane

Stage 4: Limb and tail buds Final Stage: Newly hatched frog

Figure 1. The Stages of the Development of the Chirping Frog

EIH • 27 UHCL/UH Gulf Coast Area HE HEALTH OF TEXAS Lastly, cage studies were set up waterways and ecosys- at each site, using approximately Evaluation Ttems can be maintained 150 live grass shrimp collected only by constant monitoring. previously from a non-polluted of the Monitoring standards are deter- site on Galveston Island. Ecotoxicology mined by measurement models During the second sampling that enable assessment and help trip which occurred one week of government establish guidelines later, the grass shrimp in the cage for effluents and clean-up. studies were retrieved, frozen, Mercury The study objectives of this and transported to UHCL for Hg, research were to (1) use the Hg-Mt and SP analyses. in Sediment Quality Triad Bioassay sediments were approach1 to determine mercury sieved gently through a No. 18 Lavaca Bay, impacts in Lavaca Bay compared mesh screen to remove large Texas to Carancahua Bay, (2) deter- debris and organisms, then used mine Hg- metallothionein (Hg- to set 10-day exposure tests (six Mt) and stress protein (SP) replicates per site and reference; Cynthia Howard, Ph.D., induction and accumulation in each replicate contained 1 L sed- Associate Professor, different species occupying the iment overlain with 3 L lab sea- Biology and Lavaca Bay food web, and (3) water; 10 grass shrimp per repli- compare tissue levels of mercury cate). Environmental Sciences, in benthic macroinvertebrates, Bioassay test organisms had UHCL epifauna and nekton between been collected from Galveston contaminated and reference sites. Island and acclimated to lab con- These findings would be utilized ditions for 72 hours. Water quali- to develop a model for the eco- ty parameters (temperature, toxic impact of mercury on an salinity, dissolved oxygen, and estuarine ecosystem. pH) and survivor counts were Sediment Quality Triad evalu- recorded every day. Upon com- ations integrate sediment chem- pletion of the 10-day exposure istry with toxicity studies and period, survivors were removed benthic macroinvertebrate com- and frozen for Hg, Hg-Mt and SP munity studies to measure pollu- analyses. tion degradation. The project Bioassays were completed and design required field sampling during the next four months, we for sediments, benthos and nek- began the Hg-digestion proce- ton; cold vapor atomic absorp- dures on the sediment core sam- tion spectrophotometry (AAS) ples and completed Hg analysis for mercury and Hg-Mt analyses; by cold vapor AAS on some of and polyacrylamide gel elec- the samples. After a number of trophoresis for SP analysis. grass shrimp tissues for the SP Two sampling trips were taken analyses were processed, we to Lavaca and Carancahua Bays. began techniques for polyacry- On the first trip, sediment sam- lamide gel electrophoresis. More ples were collected from two test sample testing is required. sites in Lavaca Bay and from a Therefore, continuation funding reference site in Carancahua Bay. has been provided for completion At each site, approximately three during FY99. gallons of sediment were collect- Reference ed for the lab bioassays; sedi- 1P. M. Chapman. “The ment cores were collected in trip- Sediment Quality Triad licate and stored in lexan plastic Approach to Determining tubes for mercury analysis. Pollution-Induced Degradation,” Approximately 50 grass shrimp Sci. Total Environ. 97/98 (1990): (Palaemonetes pugio) were 515-825. seined at the three sites and 28 • EIH immediately frozen on dry ice for UHCL/UH Hg, Hg-Mt and SP analyses. We used a variety of research hensive, is a useful starting point Gulf Coast Area methods to complete our project. for any scholar seeking back- An In order to gather data on local ground on the Texas Gulf Coast collections, Mr. Closmann con- and its history. Environmental ducted personal interviews with The research was conducted key archivists and librarians in and documented by Charles History of the Houston-Galveston Area. Closmann from January until the These included, but were not first week of July, 1998. Martin Galveston Bay: limited to, personnel at Texas V. Melosi supervised the project A&M University in Galveston; while Christine Womack, project Bibliographic the University of Houston— administrator for the Institute for Sources Clear Lake; the Rosenberg Public History, assisted. Between Library; the Galveston County ten and fifteen bound copies of Historical Museum; the Houston this guide will be distributed to Martin V. Melosi, Ph.D., Public Library, Texas and Local local libraries and archives. This Professor, and Charles History Room; the Woodson document will be transmitted on Closmann, graduate Research Center at Rice the History Department’s web- student, History, UH University; and the Davis site at the University of Houston. Conservation Library, in League Texas A&M University in COMPREHENSIVE BIBLIOG- City. Mr. Closmann also con- Galveston has offered advice on raphy and source book ducted telephone interviews with this project and expect to include Ahas been prepared on the a much greater number of refer- this guide on their website. environmental history of Galves- ence librarians, museum direc- ton Bay. Although the original tors, and archivists at locations Presentations plan for this project emphasized throughout the region. When per- Melosi, M. V. “Water Supply and the “environmental” history of sonnel at important locations Wastewater Systems in the this region, UH researchers proved inaccessible, he refer- United States from Colonial wanted to include enough sour- enced recent published guides to Times to the Present,” Keynote ces on the economic, social, and archives and libraries. Speaker, Workshop on the political history of Southeast In each case, Closmann fo - Baltic Countries and the Sea, Texas so that prospective re- cused on the history of Galveston Univ. of Helsinki, Helsinki, search ers could study the ecolog- Bay and the needs of prospective Finland, 1998 and Tampere ical evolution of Galves ton Bay researchers. Hence, entries in the Univ. of Technology, Tampere, in relation to changing human first part of this finding guide Finland, 1998. impacts over time. Hence, we include not only pertinent Grants decided to produce not only a addresses, telephone numbers, “Federal Dam Development in guide to the scientific and envi- and e-mail addresses, but the United States.” National ronmental history of this region, descriptions of key manuscript Parks Service, Corps of but a useful resource on the collections on the environmental Engineers, and Bureau of social, economic, and political and ecological history of the Bay. Reclamation, $221,000. (On- history of the Bay area. Mr. Closmann also created a sub- going.) The research did not attempt to ject file index so that scholars “Federal Dam Development in duplicate a five-volume Galves- interested in a particular topic the United States.” Energy ton Bay Bibliography on the could go directly to the back of Laboratory, Aug. 1998, $5,183. oceanographic, biological, and this finding guide, look up their ecological aspects of this region subject, and cross-reference to an and its history published by the archive or library with useful Texas A&M University at Gal- documents. veston in 1993 under the spon- Finally, the guide includes a sorship of the Galveston Bay bibliography with approximately National Estuary Program. UH two hundred separate entries. researchers chose to emphasize These include books, articles, the major archival and special and primary source documents document collections on Galves- on the history of Galveston Bay ton Bay, a slightly different task and on the relationship between and one more relevant to the the physical environment and the scholar interested in primary development of this region. This EIH • 29 research. bibliography, while not compre- UHCL/UH Gulf Coast Area A History of the Shrimp Fishery in Galveston Bay

Priscilla Weeks, Ph.D., Research Associate, and Alecya Gallaway, Environmental Historian, EIH, UHCL Photo courtesy of Alecya Gallaway Shrimp ready for barrels on Galveston dock, 1920s

HIS HISTORY OF THE SHRIMP most economically important interested parties—are used to fishery combines the work fishery in Texas. resolve environmental issues Tof two researchers—oral Through their extractive activ- related to the Galveston Bay historian Alecya Gallaway and ities, settlers (and their descen- region. Representatives from anthropologist Dr. Priscilla dants) changed the landscape and environmental groups, business- Weeks. As such, it forms an seascape in dramatic ways. es, natural resource agencies, and important part of Ms. Gallaway’s Concerns about overfishing and local governments meet to dis- social and natural history of the the waste of unwanted species cuss watershed management, region and Weeks’ policy orient- caught in the net (bycatch) arose wetland preservation, environ- ed study of shrimp management. as early as the late 1800s, fore- mental risk, environmental edu- shadowing current management cation, and the subject of this History of Natural Resource issues such as bycatch reduction study, fisheries management. Use on Galveston Bay devices and limited entry. During Using the shrimp fishery as a Alecya Gallaway this period, the U.S. government case study, this project investi- tried to bolster the fishing indus- gates processes that support or First Nations and settlers were try by introducing exotic species, hinder such participatory attracted to the Galveston Bay such as shad and Pacific salmon approaches. area for its land based and aquat- to state waters. This move fore- What does history have to do ic natural resources. Fish, crus- shadowed recent strategies for with these new policy strategies? taceans, and mollusks were an enhancing the recreational fish- Stakeholder negotiation does not important part of the resource eries with the introduction of happen in a vacuum. Researchers complex. Although First Nations rainbow trout into lakes and are becoming increasingly aware favored mollusks, and early set- rivers. Promotion of the culture of the myriad ways in which tlers favored finfish and mol- of exotic carp species at the turn negotiation occur in a larger lusks, shrimp became the most of the century foreshadowed cur- social context. A broader under- important fishery by 1930. The rent shrimp aquaculture strate- standing contributes to success- capacity to freeze shrimp in the gies, which rely on Latin ful solutions. Factors originating 1920s gave rise to their export to American shrimp species. outside of the facilitation itself other parts of the country as well come into play when members of as to several countries abroad, Managing the Shrimp Fishery different stakeholder groups the most notable being Japan. Priscilla Weeks meet. Such factors include his- The region had several packing toric unequal relations between plants and canneries by the Agencies are increasingly stakeholders, past failed agree- 1930s. Although shrimp harvest- exploring new ways to involve ments, conflicting values, and ed from nat ural waters can not the public in management deci- varied economic relationships to satisfy cur- sions on commonly held natural the resource. These factors are rent market resources. A cluster of negotiated rooted in the historic relations 30 • EIH demand, it decision making processes stakeholder groups have with the UHCL/UH remains the involving stakeholders—i.e. resource and with each other. Furthermore, each group invests study the impact of historical fac- Third, the contours of the shrimp the bay with a unique set of tors on negotiation for several fishery are still changing as a meanings that guide their charac- reasons. First, it has historically result of limited entry and the ini- terization of the bay and relation- been and continues to be an tiation of bycatch reduction ship of human beings to the nat- important industry. Second, the devices. Fourth, new stakehold- ural life of the bay. It is variously principal investigator has worked ers in the form of national level understood as a site of work, a with fishery managers and environmental groups have visit- site of recreation, a site of scien- shrimp fisherman for about five ed the area and are pressing to be tific understanding, and as a site years and participated in their included in any new negotiations of religious sanctity. These negotiations to frame a limited that might occur between the meanings are forged over time entry program. Her involvement state and fishermen. and are related to wider values in the limited entry negotiation and economic strategies. offers a good vantage point from The shrimp fishery in Galves- which to compare past with pre- ton Bay was chosen as a case to sent and future negotiations.

Photo courtesy of Alecya Gallaway Net Shrimpers, 1920s, moored at Galveston Wharf

EIH • 31 UHCL/UH LMOST 90 PERCENT OF sea grasses in the Galves- Gulf Coast Area Aton Bay system have Genetic Diversity in Ruppia been decimated by coastal resi- dential development and dredg- maritima and Halodule wrightii ing. This may have serious con- sequences on Texas’s commercial fisheries and shrimp. Seagrasses Gerard Wellington, Ph.D., Professor, and Rachel such as Ruppia maritima and Angel, graduate research assistant, Biology, UH Halodule wrightii provide a nurs- ery environment for fish and shrimp larvae. Recent efforts to restore Ruppia maritima by transplanting have been relative- ly unsuccessful. This failure may be attributed to low genetic diversity of the donor population. Populations with a greater degree of genetic variation have a high- er probability of withstanding the shock of a rapid change in envi- ronmental conditions that results from being transplanted to a recipient site. Amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP) provide a way to determine the genetic diversity within and between populations without having to know the sequence of the ge- nome. Restriction digestion sites have adapters ligated to them which become the primer bind- ing sites. Selective primers limit the number of re stric tion frag- ments that are amplified allowing the restriction fragments to be analyzed on a polyacrylamide gel (see Fig. 1). AFLPs are able to identify individuals in a popula- tion, which restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) have been unable to do. Restric- tion fragments provide a pattern unique to individuals or clones, identified as fingerprints. With this information, we hope to determine the clonal structure of a population to see how this char- acterization might affect inbreed- ing depression. Results will identify the popu- lations most suitable for trans- Figure 1. The AFLP Procedure planting which will facilitate repatriation Funding of this “Genetic Diversity in Ruppia 32 • EIH important maritima and Halodule wrightii.” UHCL/UH species. U. S. Fish and Wildlife, $2,500. GREEN SPACE—Fifteen miles north of Clear Lake and seven miles south of the UH campus, life at the ranch carries on in nine- teenth century Texas tradi- tion. Urban cowboys raise cows and run barbed wire—to keep the animals in and the people out. Scenes above and below are found at the southern- most point of Cullen Bou- levard, a street that writes history as it extends its city miles past grazing cattle, coun try-style homesteads, and unpainted storefronts; past shopping centers and oil derricks awaiting ship- ment overseas; past Robertson Stadium, and the Texas Center for Superconductivity on the University of Houston Campus; and under the Gulf Freeway to the rail- road tracks east and west.

Photos by Irv Rothman

EIH • 33 UHCL/UH Gulf Coast Area Population Age Structure of Reef-fishes on an Isolated Western Atlantic Reef (Flower Gardens, Texas) and the Figure 1. Transverse section through the sagittal otolith (earbone) of a 90.1 mm (SL) adult Threespot damselfish (Stegastes planifrons). Belize Barrier Dark horizontal lines represent annual growth checkmarks. Based on Reef the growth lines, this individual was 14 years old when collected.

EEF FISHES HAVE A LARVAL are deposited on the otolith4 (Fig. Gerard Wellington, stage that they produce in 1). In addition to distinct daily Ph.D., Professor, and Rvast numbers.1 Larvae are bands that are deposited in larvae Chris Caldow, graduate dispersed into the planktonic and newly-settled young, bands student, Biology, UH milieu where they are subjected are formed at yearly intervals in to currents that can advect them many adult fishes.5 Age can be far from their natal reefs.2 estimated by counting the num- Despite a dispersive larval stage, ber of bands within an otolith. By viable populations of reef fishes repeating the process for a num- are maintained at localities great ber of individuals, the age com- distances from other potential position of the population can be sources of larvae. To examine the constructed. For the purposes of consequences of such isolation, investigation, we chose to exam- we analyzed the population age ine the otoliths in two species of structure of damselfish species at damselfish known to be common the Texas Flower Gardens (a throughout the Caribbean Sea potentially isolated offshore and the Gulf of Mexico, Bicolor location) and compared it with damselfish (Stegastes partitus) the Belize Barrier Reef (an and Threespot damselfish expansive reef system near the (Stegastes planifrons). mainland). Age structure analysis Initial research reveals that can be utilized to dem onstrate otoliths from different locations annual variation in recruitment of and different species have vary- the fish to the reef, as well as, ing degree of clarity in annual illustrate differences in mortality rings. This observation is concor- rates, life expectancies, and other dant with Fowler4 who found that life history traits.3 only two of three damselfish Information on age structure of species examined had readable a reef fish population can be annual rings; one of those species gained from the otoliths or ear had rings that were readable at bones of the fish. As reef fish one location only. Of the four 34 • EIH grow, alternating bands of damselfish populations we stud- UHCL/UH translucent and opaque materials ied, only the Threespot dam- Figure 2. Age-frequency distribution of the Threespot damselfish (Stegastes planifrons) collected from the Texas Flower Garden Reef in June 1998. Absence of representative cohorts at years 4, 10, and 12 indicate lower recruitment episodes or periods of high juvenile mortality. selfish from the Texas Flower recruitment can jeopardize the Coral Reef Fishes in the Gardens had clearly visible rings stability of those stocks and oth- Galapagos Archipelago,” (Fig. 1). Since only one species ers that are dependent on them. Bulletin of Marine Science showed clear annual lines, we References (1998). (In press.) postulate that genetic factors play 1P. F. Sale. “The Ecology of Funding a role in ring deposition. In addi- Fishes on Coral Reefs,” “Climate Change Impact on tion, since the rings were only Oceanogr. Mar. Biol. Ann. Rev. Insular Endemic Shorefish clear at one location, we suspect 18 (1980): 367-421. Populations.” NSF-OCE, that environmental factors also 2P. J. Doherty and D. M. SGER award, Jan.-Dec. 1998, play a role. Williams. “The Replenishment $19,640. Preliminary data show an of Coral Reef Fish Populations,” “ENSO Temperature Influences exponential decline in growth Oceanogr. Mar. Biol. Ann. Rev. on Larval Fish Growth Rates, rate of the Threespot damselfish 26 (1988): 487-551. Planktonic Durations, and collected from the Texas Flower 3J. H. Choat, L. M. Axe, and D. Recruitment Success.” NSF- Gardens. Threespot damselfish C. Lou. “Growth and Longevity OCE, $254,614. (Pending.) appear to achieve maximum in Fishes of the Family growth at about three years of Scaridae,” Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. age, increasing by about 10 mm 145 (1996): 33-41. in length over the succeeding 11 4A. J. Fowler. “Annulus years. As expected, the Three spot Formation in Otoliths of Coral damselfish population is com- Reef Fish—A Review,” in posed mainly of fish 1+ and 2+ Recent Developments in Fish years old with a large decline in Otolith Research. Eds. D. H. numbers of the older age classes Secor, J. M. Dean, and S. E. through the 14+ year class (Fig. Campana. South Carolina: Univ. 2). Patterns of variation in age- of South Carolina Press, 1995. class structure indicate that there 45-63. were periods of low recruitment 5R. J. Beamish. “Differences in (or high juvenile mortality) in the Age of Pacific Hake years 4, 10, and 12 (1994, 1988, (Merluccius productus) Using and 1986, respectively). These Whole Otoliths and Sections of preliminary results indicate large Otoliths,” J. Fisheries Res. variations in damselfish recruit- Board of Canada 36 (1979): 141- ment on reef at the Texas Flower 51. Gardens. Knowledge of variation in Publications recruitment is important in devel- Meekan, M., G. M. Wellington, oping effective management and L. Axe. “El Niño-Southern policies since exploitation of Oscillation Events Produce EIH • 35 stocks with high variability in Checkmarks in the Otoliths of UHCL/UH Environmental Technology gy of the sys tem. We Total Energy Functional and Trajectory de rive, within the Quantum Ran dom Phase Approxi mation Studies of (RPA) coupled Polymer equations of motion for the excited state Semiconductors amplitudes, the occupied single par- ticle orbitals and the Eric R. Bittner, Ph.D., nuclear coordinates. Professor, Chemistry, UH The RPA becomes very accurate as the RGANIC-BASED POLYMER density of states semiconductors exhibit a near the excitation Owide range of optical energy becomes associated with the quasi-one- large. Hence, our Figure 1. RPA energy plotted as a function of dimensional nature of the first methodology is well the excited state amplitude, Y, and classical few excited states. These proper- suited for extended coordinate R. The trajectory follows the opti- ties can be easily tuned over a systems in the con- mal adiabatic Born-Oppen heimer energy sur- wide range through chemical densed phase, such face via the RPA equations of motion. Along this path, the quantum excited state wavefunc- modification of the side chains. as -conjugated π tion and classical variables evolve according The tunability of these materials polymers and anten- to a unified set of dynamical equations. and their mechanical properties na molecules. Model make conjugated polymer de - calculations on an interacting N- computing the excited state vices very attractive for techno- electron SU(2) model give excel- dynamics in a linear polyene logical devices. Furthermore, the lent results compared to exact using our RPA method (CP/RPA) synthesis and manufacturing of solutions of the model. (See Fig. and using a standard configura- these materials does not involve 1.) tion interaction (CI) approach. In the production of heavy-metallic For realistic molecular calcula- all cases, our methods ran at least byproducts, such as GaAs, Th, tions, the method scales roughly four to six times faster than the and Rb, thus minimizing the as ~M x N2, where M is the num- standard approach. environmental impact of their ber of plane wave basis functions We are currently working on production. used to represent the electronic implementing our methods into a In this project, we focused wavefunctions and N is the num- full-scale simulation package upon the development of new ber of electrons. This scaling which will optimally run on par- theoretical methods specifically arises through the imposition of allel processing supercomputers. aimed towards understanding holonomic constraints which Future applications include mod- and predicting the optical and require the single particle orbitals eling of polaron formation in electronic properties of organic (the Kohn-Sham3 orbitals in optically excited conjugated based polymer semiconductors. Density Functional Theory) to be polymers, photo-induced reac- The two methods being devel- orthogonal, while the computa- tions such as cis to trans isomer- oped are based upon a unified tion and propagation of the RPA ization in stilbene, and similar treatment of the coupled time- wavefunction require the compu- systems which are of current dependent electronic and nuclear tation of two-body Coulomb experimental interest. motions of photo-excited sys- integrals between particle/hole Time Dependent Model tems. These methods are summa- states. Such terms are computed The photoluminescence of conju- rized below. by Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) gated polymer systems is appar- First Principles Treatment methods and can be computed ently controlled by the migration We developed a hybrid quantum/ easily. In short, our current esti- and eventual decay of classical method to perform ab mate is that the evolution of the particle/hole excitons. In quasi- initio molecular dy namics in excited state dynamics occurs one dimensional systems, such as electronically excited sys tems.1 with a modest increase (by a fac- trans-polyacetylene, the lifetime Our me thod uses a dynamical tor of four to 10) in computation- and dynamics of a particle/hole variational al effort over an ordinary ground exciton is determined by at least treatment2 state Car-Parrenello molecular three factors: (1) the dielectric 36 • EIH of the exci- dynamics run. In Fig. 2 we com- screening by the polymer chain UHCL/UH tation ener- pare computational efforts for and surrounding media, (2) the Computational Methods for Simulating Quantum Dynam- ics in the Condensed Phase, ENS, Lyon, France, Sept. 27, 98-Oct. 3, 1998. Bittner, E. R., and D. S. Kosov. “Car-Parrinello Molecular Dynamics of Excited State Surfaces,” Atomic and Molecular Interactions Gordon Research Conf., Colby Sawyer College, New London, NH, June 28, 1998-July 3, 1998. Bittner, E. R., D. S. Kosov, and M. N. Kobrak. “First Prin - Figure 2. Comparison between CP/RPA method vs. configuration ciples Molecular Dynamics of interaction (CI) with single excitations per MD time step as a function Electronically Excited Poly- of number of plane waves for a linear polymer. The triangles are the mers,” 5th Electronic Conf. on CP/RPA results and the squares represent the CI results. Computational Chemistry, Northern Illinois Univ., Nov. 2, concentration of defects such as Phys. Rev. Lett. 55 (1985): 2471. 1998. random cis (versus trans) lattice 3W. Kohn and L. J. Sham. Kobrak, M. and E. R. Bittner. “A sites, and (3) the relaxation of “Self Consistent Equations Time-Dependent Quantum polymer lattice through phonon Including Exchange and Mechanical Study of Exciton excitation. Amongst the open Correlation Effects,” Phys. Rev. Dynamics,” Electronic Proper- questions which we are attempt- A 140.4 (1965): 1133-38. ties of Organic Materials, ing to address is the extent to Gordon Research Conf., Salve which each of these effects plays Publications Regina Univ., RI, July 26-31, a role in determining the photolu- Bittner, E. R. and D. S. Kosov. 1998. minescence of conjugated poly- “Car-Parrinello Molecular Funding mer systems. Dynamics of Excited State “Theory and Simulation of We are developing a time- Surfaces,” J. Chem. Phys. Exciton Hopping Dynamics in dependent Wannier model of par- (1999). (In press.) Conjugated Polymers.” Petrol- ticle-hole dynamics which Bittner, E. R., D. S. Kosov, and eum Research Fund, March 1, explicitly treats the particle and M. N. Kobrak. “First Prin - 1998-Aug. 31, 2000, $20,000. hole as independent degrees of ciples Molecular Dynamics of “Quantum Simulations of Elec- freedom coupled by a screened Electronically Excited Poly- tronically Excited Materials.” Coulomb interaction. In the mers,” Int. J. of Chem. (1999). NSF, Jan. 1998, $462,781. absence of this coupling, the par- (Submitted for publication.) (Submitted.) ticle and hole evolve on potential Kobrack, M. N. and E. R. Bittner. “Theory, Simulation, and Dy - energy surfaces generated by the “Formation of Neutral, Spin namics of Electronically Excit- ionization potential (IP) and elec- 1/2 Solitons in a Particle/Hole ed Materials and Development tron affinity (EA) of the individ- Model for Photoexcited trans- and Incorpora tion of Comput- ual atoms in the chain. Defects Polyacetylene,” Phys. Rev. er-Based Tools into the Under- are introduced by increasing or Lett. (1998). (Submitted for graduate Physic al Chemistry decreasing the energy gap publication.) Curriculum.” NSF CAREER between the surfaces. We also Kobrack, M. N. and E. R. Bittner. AWARD, July 22, 1998, include the response of the lattice “A Particle/Hole Model for $300,000. (Submitted.) via a phonon expansion. This Conjugated Polymers: The “Quantum Simulations of Exci- model provides an unbiased test Role of Symmetry Breaking in ton Migration and Relax ation of the dependencies of the exci- Localization and Transport,” J. in Conjugated Polymers.” ton lifetime, binding energetics Chem. Phys. (1999). (Submit - Office of Naval Research, and migration upon the three fac- ted for publication.) Young Investigator Award, tors listed above. Presentations $348,543. (Not funded.) References Bittner, E. R. “Car-Parrinello 1E. R. Bittner and D. S. Kosov. Molecular Dynam ics of Elec- J. Chem. Phys. (1998). tronically Excited Systems,” EIH • 37 2R. Car and M. Parrinello. CECAM Workshop on UHCL/UH Environmental Technology Design of Agents for the Control of Environmental Pathogens

Jonathan M. Friedman, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, and Oluwatoyin Asojo, graduate student, Chemistry, UH

O CONTROL THE SPREAD OF drug-resistant biological Tenvironmental pathogens, we are developing a new class of antibiotic compounds that will be effective against many penicillin- resistant bacterial strains. Toward this end, we have determined the three-dimensional crystal struc- Figure 1. A preliminary crystal structure (α-Carbon atom backbone ture of an enzyme that catalyzes trace) of 2-keto-3-deoxy-D-arabino-octulosonate-8-phosphate syn- the production of a critical com- thase. ponent of bacterial outer mem- branes. This essential biochemi- to a resolution of 2.45 Ång - from about 45 percent to 27 per- cal building block is unique to stroms. This refinement process cent at 2.6Å resolution. Gram negative bacteria, is not will enable us to approach the In the course of this project we present in humans, and acts com- next stage of the drug design have also developed a new statis- pletely independently of the bio- process from a more reliable tical method for the improved chemical pathway that is inhibit- basis than is presently available. automatic identification of ed by penicillin and penicillin In the course of the project regions of disagreement between derivatives. period, we have collected multi- the model and experimental elec- The three-dimensional crystal wavelength x-ray diffraction data tron density. This experimental structure of the enzyme, KDO8P at the Brookhaven National three-dimensional crystallo- synthase (Fig. 1), may be used to Synchrotron Light Source and graphic electron density defines design effective inhibitors for have obtained an improved mol- the shape and connectivity of the this enzyme. Such enzyme ecular model of the protein that protein molecule within the crys- inhibitors will inhibit the growth better agrees with these higher tal and is obtained by direct and spread of environmental resolution data. Further correc- Fourier transform of crystallo- pathogens such as the bacteria E. tions are currently being incorpo- graphically-phased diffraction coli and Salmonella typhimurium rated into the three-dimensional data. The new statistical method that pose a potential threat to the molecular model. Crystallo- has aided us in the structure viability of food and water sup- graphic agreement factors for x- refinement process for KDO8P plies. The present molecular ray structures of proteins that synthase. model of the protein is being have been accurately determined refined to ensure that the atomic (to about 2.5Å resolution) typi- structure is consistent with mea- cally lie in the range of 19 per- sured x-ray cent to 24 percent. In the course diffraction of the project, the agreement fac- 38 • EIH data, which tor between the model and the x- UHCL/UH now extend ray diffraction data has improved GREEN SPACE—A short walk from downtown Houston are the banks of Buffalo Bayou where one may watch the reflection of the light in the water or study nature. Photos by Irv Rothman

EIH • 39 UHCL/UH Environmental Technology Energy Conserving Window Coatings

David M. Hoffman, Ph.D., Associate Professor, and Murielle

Valet, graduate student, Figure 1. Thermal ellipsoid plot of Zr[N(CH2CH3)2]I3, a possible pre- Chemistry, UH cursor to ZrN films, obtained from an x-ray crystallographic study.

HIN FILMS OF ZIRCONIUM synthesis of new zirconium pre- Hydride Cluster,” Organo- nitride (ZrN) exhibit low cursors. The class of potential metallics 16 (1997): 972-78. Treflectance in the thermal precursors targeted for synthesis, Kim, J., S. G. Bott, D. M. IR region. Architectural glass zircon amide-iodide compounds, Hoffman. “Synthesis and coated with a thin film of ZrN is based on the idea that they can Structural Characterization of would allow visible light to pass be readily reduced during the Indium Compounds with while it would at the same time film deposition process, a step Bidentate Amide Ligands,” J. reflect heat generating IR radia- we believe will be critically Chem. Soc., Dalton Trans. tion, thereby saving energy in important to successfully deposit (1998). (In press.) warm and cold weather climates. ZrN. A series of six zirconium Kim, J., S. G. Bott, and D. M. The best method for preparing amide-iodides, Zr(NR2)4-nIn (n = Hoffman. “Synthesis of Indi- films for large scale applications 1, 2 or 3 and R = CH3 or um Amide Compounds,” Inor - is metal-organic chemical vapor CH2CH3), have been prepared by ganic Chemistry 37 (1998): deposition (CVD), a technique in using the synthetic method illus- 3835-41. which films are formed from trated in equation (1). Suh, S. and D. M. Hoffman. “In - vaporized reagents via chemical dium Tris(alkylthiolate) Com- reactions. The technique itself is (4-n)Zr(NR2)4 + nZrI4 → pounds,” Inorganic Chemistry relatively simple and inexpen- 4Zr(NR2)4-nIn (n = 1, 2 or 3) (1) 37 (1998): 5823-26. sive, yet it typically produces Suh, S., D. M. Hoffman, Z. dense, powder-free films with Three of the new compounds, Zhang, and W.-K. Chu. high growth rates and uniform Zr[N(CH2CH3)2]I3, Zr[N(CH2 “Atmospheric Pressure Chem - coverage on substrates that need CH3)2]2I2, and Zr[N(CH3)2]3I, ical Vapor Deposition of little preparation. Remarkably have been definitively character- Fluorine-Doped Tin Oxide few reports may be found in the ized by single-crystal x-ray crys- Films,” Thin Solid Films literature on the chemical vapor tallographic studies (Fig. 1). The (1999). (In press.) deposition of ZrN films, and they most promising precursor candi- Suh, S., L. M. Atagi, D. C. Smith, involve very high deposition dates are Zr[N(CH2CH3)2]3I, a and D. M. Hoffman. “A New temperatures. distillable liquid, and Metal-Organic Precursor for The goal of this research is to Zr[N(CH3)2]3I, a sublimable the Low-Temperature Atmo- develop new low-temperature solid. Precursor volatility is an spheric-Pressure Chemical (< 700˚C) atmospheric-pressure important attribute if the com- Vapor Deposition of Zinc CVD routes to ZrN films that can pounds are to be used in a practi- Oxide Films,” J. Mater. Sci. accommodate window glass and cal chemical vapor deposition Lett. (1999). (In press.) other thermally sensitive sub- process. Preliminary chemical Suh, S., D. M. Hoffman, L. M. strates. Research includes the vapor deposition studies are in Atagi, D. C. Smith, J.-R. Liu, synthesis of new metal precur- progress. and W.-K. Chu. “Precursor sors, film depositions, and exten- Oxidation State Control of sive film cha r ac teri zation. Publications Film Stoichiometry in the Our initial Hoffman, D. M., D. Lappas, and Metal-Organic Chemical studies D. A. Wierda. “Alkene and Vapor Deposition of Tin Oxide 40 • EIH have focus - Alkyne Insertion Reactions of Thin Films,” Chem. Mater. 9 UHCL/UH ed on the a Rhenium(III) Alkoxo- (1997): 730-35. Photo by Irv Rothman Zhuang, W. W. and D. M. S. Perry. “Synthesis of GREEN SPACE—An expansive Hoffman. “Formation of a Ferroelectric Strontium greensward competes with the Houston skyline. The forested Novel Re3(µ-ethyne) Cluster Bismuth Tantalate Films From and the Possible Involvement Metal Alkoxide Precursors,” site fronts Memorial Free way of Re=Re Electrons in the Materials Research Society across from the Houston Police Memorial. Bounded on Bond ing,” J. Chem. Soc., Symposium Proc., Solid State the south by Allen Parkway, Chem. Commun. (1997): 295- Chemistry of Inorganic Buffalo Bayou flows past 96. Materials 453 (1997): 513-16. downtown and the Port of Zhuang, W. W. and D. M. Funding Houston to Galveston Bay. Hoffman. “Reactions of a “Chemical Synthesis of Oxide Trirhenium(III) Neopentoxide Films.” Texas Center for Cluster with Ethylene and Superconductivity/Materials Alkynes,” Organometallics 16 Research Science and (1997): 3102-08. Engineering Center, May 1, Zhuang, W. W., B. E. Truitt, and 1997-April 30, 1998, $35,000. D. M. Hoffman. “Synthesis of “A New Approach to the Homoleptic Neopentoxide and Chemical Synthesis of Early Hydrido-Neopentoxide Transition-Metal Nitride Thin Trirhenium(III) Clusters,” Films.” Advanced Research Inorg. Chem. 36 (1997): 3330- Program, Jan. 1, 1998-Dec. 31, 34. 1999, $78,000. Zhuang, W. W., D. M. Hoffman, “New Reactivity and Structures D. Lappas, and J. Cohen. for Rhenium Alkoxide “Synthesis and Structure of a Clusters.” Robert A. Welch Homoleptic Rhenium Thiolate Foundation, June 1, 1997-May Cluster,” Polyhedron 17 31, 2000, $126,000. (1998): 2583-86. Zhuang, W. W., S. G. Bott, A. Schmitz, and D. M. Hoffman. “Syntheses of Trirhenium Alkoxide Clusters in the Presence of Trimethylphos- phine,” Polyhedron 17 (1998): 879-9. Zhuang, W. W., L. Liu, N. Wu, Z. Hao, D. M. Hoffman, A. EIH • 41 Ignatiev, A. J. Jacobson, and S. UHCL/UH Environmental Technology The Development of Environmentally Benign Routes to the Synthesis of Polyolefins Scheme 1. Synthesis of New Ru-based Catalyst Precursors T. Randall Lee, Ph.D., o mers would not only circum- phenyl and cyclohexyl) were also Assistant Professor, and vent the use of hydrocarbon sol- characterized by single crystal x- Kayo U. Vizzini and vents, but would also permit the ray crystallography. As an exam- June-Ho Jung, graduate direct synthesis of functionalized ple, Fig. 1 shows the x-ray struc- 6 students, Chemistry, UH polyolefins. Further more, the ture of Ru(η -arene)CH2CH2 presence of functional groups in PPh2(CH3)2]. This compound HE ZIEGLER-NATTA POLY- the product polyolefins will per- possesses a piano stool geometry merization of olefins is an mit facile degradation and dis- with the two methyl groups cis to Teconomically viable syn- posal of used polyolefin products. each other. thetic method for the preparation At present, there are few Catalyst precursors were “acti- of technologically important examples of Ziegler-Natta cata- vated” by exposure to methylalu- polyolefins that serve as durable lysts that can polymerize either minoxane (MAO) or boron com- 1,2 3 + materials, fibers, and films. functionalized olefins or unfunc- pounds such as [H(Et2O)2] - Current Ziegler-Natta polymer- tionalized olefins in aqueous [B(C6H3(CF3)2)4] and B(C6F5)3. ization techniques, however, solution.4 We have targeted the These agents abstract one of the require the use of hydrocarbon development of ruthenium-based methyl groups leaving a coordi- solvents. Because of the negative catalysts after finding recent natively unsaturated metal center. impact of these solvents on the reports testifying that related In the presence of ethylene, how- environment, increasing pressure group eight metal complexes are ever, we found no evidence of has been placed on chemists and capable of initiating the ring- homopolymerization using these chemical engineers to develop opening metathesis polymeriza- “activated” species, despite using water-based methods for the syn- tion of polar functional mono- high pressures of the olefin. thesis of polymeric materials. mers in aqueous environments.5-8 We are currently investigating Water-based synthetic methods Correspondingly, we anticipate several different ligand systems are more environmentally friend- that new ruthenium-based in an attempt to modify the elec- ly than conventional hydrocar- Ziegler-Natta catalysts will be tronic and steric factors of these bon-based technologies because able to tolerate a wide variety of and related Ru complexes. Our hydrocarbons, which are derived olefins and/or solvents that con- modifications will be designed to from oil, can pollute the air and tain polar functionalities. promote the insertion of the ground. In addition, catalysts that We have synthesized a new olefin moiety into the methyl-Ru are active in aqueous solution family of ruthenium-based cata- bond, which is essential for the will likely tolerate the polar func- lyst precursors having the gener- occurance of polymerization. 6 tional groups present in mono- al formula [Ru(η -arene)CH2 Once we have demonstrated the mers, such as vinyl alco hols, CH2PR2(CH3)2] (R = phenyl, ability to generate an active Ru- esters and carboxylic acids. The cyclohexyl, ethyl) as shown in based polymerization catalyst, aqueous Scheme 1.9,10 We characterized we will explore the polymeriza- polymer- these species by NMR spec- tion of polar olefins as well as the 42 • EIH ization of troscopy and elemental analysis. development of aqueous poly- UHCL/UH polar mon - Two of the precursors (R = merization systems. 7B. M. Novak and R. H. Grubbs. “The Ring Opening Metathesis Polymerization of 7- Oxabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene Derivatives: A New Acyclic Polymeric Ionophore,” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 110.3 (1988) 960-61. 8L. R. Gilliom and R. H. Grubbs. “Titanacyclobutanes Derived from Strained, Cyclic Olefins: The Living Polymeriza- tion of Norbornene,” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 108.4 (1986): 733- 42. 9M. A. Bennett and A. K. Smith. “Arene Ruthenium(II) Complexes Formed by Dehydro- genation by Cyclohexadienes with Ruthenium(III) Trichlor- ide,” J. Chem. Soc., Dalton Trans. 2 (1974): 233-41. 10H. J. Werner and H. Kletzin. “Synthesis and Properties of Figure 1. The Single Crystal X-Ray Structure of Ru(η6-arene) Hexamethylbenzene(phosphine) dimethyl- and Dihydridorutheni- CH2CH2PPh2)(CH3)2 um(II) Complexes,” J. Organo- References Oxanorbornene Derivatives,” J. metallic Chemistry 228.3 (1982): 1H. R. Allcock, and F. W. Am. Chem. Soc. 110.22 (1988): 289-300. Lampe. Contemporary Polymer 7542-43. Chemistry. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1981. 2J. Boor. Ziegler-Natta Catalysts and Polymerization. Boston: Academic, 1979. 3L. K. Johnson, S. Mecking, and M. J. Brookhart. “Copoly- merization of Ethylene and Pro- pylene with Functional ized Vinyl Monomers by Palladium(II) Catalysts,” Am. Chem. Soc. 118.1 (1996): 267-68. 4L. Wang, R. S. Lu, R. Bau, and T. C. Flood. “Coordination Polymerization of Ethylene by Single-Component Rhodium Catalysts in Protic Solvents,” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 115.15 (1993): 6999-7000. 5R. H. Grubbs and W. Tumas. “Polymer Synthesis and Organo- transition Metal Chemistry,” Science 243.4893 (1989): 907- 15. 6B. M. Novak and R. H. Grubbs. “Catalytic Organometal- Photo by Irv Rothman lic Chemistry in Water: The GREEN SPACE—Drivers on Highway 288 at sun- Aqueous Ring-Opening Meta- set experience Texasʼ big sky. EIH • 43 thesis Polymerization of 7- UHCL/UH Environmental Technology first is direct chlorination, regulations on the use of chloro- Reaction (2), a liquid phase reac- carbons have restricted this mar- Improved tion between Cl2 and C2H4 in the ket. The current practice is to range 60-150˚C. destroy the chlorocarbons by Technology for thermal incineration or catalytic Pollution C2H4 + Cl2 → C2H4Cl2 (2) oxidation. Incineration requires very high temperatures for effi- Prevention in The second is oxychlorination, cient combustion. It can produce Reaction (3), using a supported toxic intermediate compounds Polyvinyl CuCl2 catalyst in the range 210- (PICs), gives NOx emissions, and 310˚C. is very expensive. Catalytic oxi- Chloride dation requires lower tempera- Manufacturing C2H4 + 1/2O2 + 2HCl tures, but conversions do not → C2H4Cl2 + H2O (3) exceed 98 percent unless extreme processing conditions are prac- James T. Richardson, Direct chlorination is very effi- ticed. In addition, many of the Ph.D., Professor, and cient, with the yield of EDC from catalysts used are sensitive to Cl C H in excess of 99 percent. poisoning. Both methods emit Laurene Girin, graduate 2 4 However, economic considera- large amounts of CO2 and the student, Chemical tions favor combining Reaction only recycle in the process is Engineering, UH (2) with Reaction (3), even HCl. though EDC selectivities in the Strategies to reduce and con- OLYVINYLCHLORIDE (PVC) latter are lower at around 96 per- trol these wastes require fore- is the second largest sell- cent. The reason is that HCl pro- thought and planning, especially Ping plastic, consuming duced during pyrolysis, can be since health and regulatory almost one-third of the chlorine used completely, thus avoiding requirements now play a greater 1 produced worldwide. Used to HCl disposal and decreasing Cl2 part in the overall economics. manufacture pipe, conduit, fit- import. Reactor outlet gases are The catalyst used in the oxychlo- tings, wire insulation, packing combined and quenched by rination stage has been well and home furnishings, PVC was washing with water, splitting the developed, and no further refine- produced in the U. S. at the rate stream into vent gas and a two- ments in selectivity appear likely. of 20 billion pounds per year in phase liquid mixture, which is Similarly, reactor and process 1996 (with 60 percent of this decanted into an aqueous phase design and operations have along the Texas Gulf Coast), and and crude EDC. The vent gas already been perfected to mini- will grow by about three percent contains a few percent EDC, mize by-products. Further steps per year for the foreseeable which is typically recovered by in making the EDC/VCM future.2 Polyvinylchloride is further condensation and solvent process more benign will require made from vinyl chloride absorption. The aqueous stream considerable improvement in monomer (VCM), which in turn contains HCl and must be treated recovery, recycling, and disposal comes from the pyrolysis of eth- before it is discharged. of the chlorinated by-products ylene dichloride (EDC) by The majority of organic conta- from the EDC purification sec- Reaction (1). minates are in the crude EDC tion. stream, which is treated with The purpose of this research is H2ClC-CClH2 → dilute caustic and then distilled. to perfect an alternate to catalytic H2C=CClH + HCl (1) Concentrations vary consider- incineration that promises not ably with operating conditions, only to eliminate chlorocarbon Since over 98 percent of EDC is but typical values are given in emissions by converting all the consumed by VCM production, Table 1.4 These emerge in the by-products to HCl for recycle, an integrated EDC plant com- light and heavy ends of the distil- but also to recover carbon and prises an important part of the lation stage and amount to about hydrogen as fuel. Recycle of all modern PVC process. Current one percent of the crude EDC fed components is maximized with a technology in the United States to the unit. This product totals process that will be essentially for making EDC is based on the 200 million pounds per year of emission-free. This alternative, “balanced” process, in which two chlorocarbon contamination in recently developed at the routes are the United States. University of Houston, involves used to pro- In the past, these compounds conversion of chlorinated hydro- 44 • EIH duce the were sold for recovery of chlori- carbons by catalytic steam UHCL/UH EDC.3 The nated solvents, etc., but current reforming, which proceeds via Table 1. Typical contaminate concentra- vaporized, mixed with occurs through pyrolysis if cat- tions in crude EDC steam and N2 and injected alytic conversion is maintained at just below the catalyst bed high levels (> 99.99 percent). to minimize thermal side We designed a catalyst bed in Compound Concentration reactions. Space velocities the form of a radial reactor made ppm ranged from 5000 to from ceramic foam and heated by Light ends: 500,000 hr-1 and tempera- radiant infrared lamps, so that the Methylene chloride trace tures from 400 to 1000˚C. catalyst reaches a higher temper- Chloroform 1,000 Water and HCl were ature than the surroundings.8 Carbon tetrachloride 2,000 removed from the product Conversion was constant at bet- Vinyl chloride 100 and the gas analyzed for ter than 99.9999+ percent for Chloroethane 400 chlorocarbons, CH , CO , over 400 hours, at which time 2-chloroethanol 200 4 2 CO, and H2 with appropri- activity decreased and uncon- 1,2-dicloroethylene trace ate gas chromatographs. verted TCE appeared. This led to 1,1-dichloroethane trace With a chlorocarbon carbon formation and to further 1,1,2-trichloroethylene 200 detection limit of 0.3 ppm deactivation. Although the car- Heavy ends: and a large sampling loop, bon was removed by combustion 1,1,2-trichloroethane 4,500 destruction levels of up to with oxygen and the original trichloroacetaldehyde trace 6-nines were measured. activity returned, conversion 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane 500 Typical results for declined at an accelerated rate. Pentachloroethane trace trichloroethylene are given This indicated that the original Dichlorobutene 100 in Table 2. deactivation was irreversible and Other 500 Parallel pyrolysis reac- did not result from carbon depo- tions also occur, producing sition. the following reactions (e.g. for a variety of intermediate com- References 1,1,1-trichloroethane): pounds that quickly destruct cat- 1F. Auchter, A. Leder, and Y. alytically. These also lead to Sakuma. Ethylene Dichloride CCl3CH3 + 2H2O → 2CO + heavy deposits of pyrolytic car- 651.5000—Chemical Economics 2H2 + 3HCl (4) bon that deactivate the catalyst. Handbook. Menlo Park: SRI To avoid this, the reactor was International, June 1992. 2 CO + H2O → CO2 + H2 (5) designed to minimize pyrolysis Chemical Industries News- in the preheat section and in the letter May-June (1995): 1. During earlier research,5-7 we free space of the catalytic bed. 3M. Randall. “Pollution conducted experiments on a wide Also, the catalyst must have very Prevention Strategies for the range of chlorocarbons such as high activity so that catalytic Minimizing of Industrial Wastes aliphatic solvents, chlorinated routes predominate. We demon- in the VCM-PVC Industry,” aromatics, and PCBs. Among strated that the most active cata- Environ. Prog. 13.4 (1994) 269. those in Table 1 covered in this lysts (e.g. Pt, Rh and Pd) are at 4Vinyl Chloride, Report No. work were methyl chloride and least 103 times faster than ther- 5C—Process Economics Pro- trichloroethane. The chlorocar- mal decomposition. Consequent- gram. Menlo Park: SRI Int’l., bon, typically a liquid, was ly, very little carbon deposition Dec. 1982. 5J. T. Richardson, J. D. Ortego Table 2. Steam Reforming of Trichloroethylene Jr., N. Coute, and M. V. Twigg. “Chloride Poisoning of Water Gas Shift Activity on Nickel Cat- Time, hr Conv % Product Composition, vol% (dry) alysts during Steam Reforming,” H2 CO CO2 HCl Catal. Lett. 41 (1996): 17. 0.87 99.999 33.1 4.6 21.7 40.6 6D. Ortego, Jr., J. T. 2.1 99.999 34.0 4.6 21.7 39.8 Richardson, and M.V. Twigg, 2.6 99.999 34.6 4.7 21.9 38.8 “Catalytic Steam Reforming of 3.3 99.999 34.5 4.9 20.9 39.7 Hydrocarbons: Methyl Chloride,” 4.0 99.999 34.2 4.8 21.8 39.2 Appl. Catal. B. Environ. 12 5.6 99.999 34.5 5.0 21.0 39.4 (1997): 339. 7N. Coute, J. D. Ortego, Jr., J. Catalyst: 23%Ni/ α-Al2O3 Temperature: 800˚C T. Richard- GHSV: 1.0 104 hr-1 son and M. × EIH • 45 H O/C: 13 V. Twigg. 2 “Catalytic UHCL/UH Steam Reforming of Chloro car- 1997 AIChE National Meeting, $53,000; Sept. 1, 1999-Aug. bons: Trichloroethane, Tri chloro- Houston, TX, April 1997. 31, 2000, $53,000. (Submit- ethylene and Perchloroeth ylene,” ted.) Appl. Catal. B. Environ. 1998. Funding (Submitted for publication.) “Catalyst Lifetime Studies for 8C. Moates and J. T. Chlo rocoarbon Reforming.” Richardson. “Destruction of Gulf Coast Hazardous Sub- Chlorinated Hydrocarbons by stances Research Center, Sept. Catalytic Steam Reforming,” 1, 1998-Aug. 31, 1999,

GREEN SPACE—Houston was founded by the Allen Brothers in 1836 as a commercial 46 • EIH venture. They sailed into Buffalo Bayou to mark off acres of land for development. UHCL/UH Metropolitan growth has obscured the farmland and homesteads they marketed. OME EXPLOSIVE ENVIRON- the resolution of environmental Environmental Law mental disputes in the disputes were providing a forum Case Studies SHouston and Gulf Coast for open, genuine communica- areas have been peaceably tion among stakeholders, ad - in the resolved, with formerly combat- dress ing scientific or technical ive participants now embracing a deficiencies when feasible, and Resolution of common remedy. In contrast, developing trust not only among other environmental disputes the various stakeholders but with Volatile simply fester until the wounds the procedures or process. consume the project, and no one Results to date have been the Environmental wins. Several factors lead to suc- presentation of a conference Disputes cess or failure in these instances. paper at a national conference Two notable examples of suc- and acceptance of a paper for cess in this arena are the Brio publication in a national journal. Lisa B. Gossett, J.D., Superfund Site and the project Assistant Professor, for deepening and widening of Publications Environmental the Houston Ship Channel. In the Gossett, L. B. “Case Studies in early 1990s, the community near the Resolution of Environ- Management, UHCL, the Brio Superfund Site was mental Disputes,” Proc. of the and Robin Chelf, divided, and the Environmental 23rd Annual Conference of the student research assis- Protection Agency became the National Association of Envi- tant, University of object of distrust as much as the ron mental Professionals, June Houston Law Center, parties potentially responsible for 1998. the contamination and cleanup. Gossett, L. B. and L. W. Lam. UH However, by the time of a public “Stakeholder Management: meeting in the spring of 1997, Case Studies in Resolving the community leaders, the EPA, Environmental Disputes,” and the industry group jointly Environmental Regulation and supported a revised remedy. Permitting (1998). (Accepted During a 1989 referendum on for publication.) the deepening and widening of Presentations the Houston Ship Channel, vari- Gossett, L. B. “Legal Implica- ous state and federal agencies tions of Certification and were divided. The environmental Registration of Environmental community opposed the project, Professionals,” 23rd Annual and proverbial war was threaten- Conference of the National ing to erupt on the issue. At pre- Association of Environmental sent, these agencies, environ- Professionals, June 1998. mental organizations, and the Gossett, L. B. “Section 401 Port of Houston have reached Water Quality Certification in consensus on a modified project Federal Permitting,” Environ- that appears to address the major mental Regulation and Permit- concerns of all parties. ting, 7.4 (1998): 81-89. This study examined the histo- Grants ry or these two case studies and Faculty Research Support Fund other environmental disputes, (FRSF) at UH-Clear Lake for and analyzed factors leading to presentation of “Case Studies success. This process included a in the Resolution of Environ- review of documents relating to mental Disputes” at the 23rd these cases and interviews with Annual Conference of the people involved in the resolution National Association of of these cases. The analysis Environmental Professionals, looked beyond just traditional June 1998, $600 from FRSF conflict resolution and mediation and $675 from SBA. practices into technical and pro- cedural factors that contributed to success. EIH • 47 Among factors contributing to UHCL/UH Environmental Law HE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN solid waste data are reported only U.S. patent issuance dates annually. Hence, U. S. patent The Impact Tfor environmentally relat- counts related to annual solid ed claims and reported levels of waste collection, nationally, de- of selected effluents for the period fined the data collection process. Key Federal 1970 to 1997 shows that govern- Filtering and reviewing patent ment pressure encouraged inves- abstracts became a formidable Legislation tigation. The logical argument task. To simplify research as underpinning the investigation much as possible, key words on was that key federal legislation related to solid waste were iden- promoted patent activity in tified through a review of works U.S. Patent response to environmental degra- focused in that area. A short list dation. Broadly construed, some of terms that appeared to be dis- Production statistical relation seemed feasi- tinct and reasonably complete with ble between rates and flows of guided the patent abstract search selected effluents and patents effort. Any patent containing one Environmental designed to aid in their control. of the search terms became a Methodology and Data Sources candidate for review. One Applications Investigation was entirely empir- researcher reviewed each candi- ical and based on secondary data. date patent abstract for rele- The U.S. patent office web site vance. The selected abstracts Robert F. Hodgin, D.A., provided access to all U.S. were then reviewed by the princi- Associate Professor, patents by keyword and category. pal investigator. One researcher Mid-Continent The search facility of greatest arrayed the filtered patent pool Technology Transfer value was the hypertext tool by patent issuance date. A total of Center, Economics; applied to patent abstracts. Other 452 patents comprised the rele- key information and data sources vant abstracts. Hiren Desai, graduate included the Environmental Pro- Key words used for screening researcher, tection Agency, the U. S. Depart- the patent abstracts appear below: Management ment of Commerce, and the Information Systems; Bureau of Labor Statistics. Keyword List and Hardik Kansupda, The first approach to the prob- Chemicals Pollution lem was to select an environmen- Data Prevention graduate researcher, tal effluent, measure it nationally Emissions Properties Computer Information over the period of interest, and Hazardous Reduction Systems, UHCL compile related economic mea- Level Solid sures by which to assess any Measurement Standards patent generation influence. Monitoring Toxic After several rounds of discus- Non-hazardous Waste sion and preliminary investiga- Pollutants tion, it became clear that limited resources prevented a full-scale Other data collected included investigation on air or water pol- annual U.S. population, U.S. lution. Hazardous waste was also industrial output, U.S. personal excluded because of its specific income, U.S. total employment, nature and fairly recent legisla- and the consumer price level, tive history. The default choice U.S. city average. A researcher became municipal solid waste. entered these data into a spread- Research was to focus on sheet for analysis. All variables, national measures of solid waste including the annual patent “pro- volume, then proceed to regional duction” count formed the base and state levels. Inconsistent file for analysis. The complete geographical bounds and missing time period covered by the data- data prevented all but the nation- base was 1976 to 1993. al geography to be explored Table 1 relates key federal leg- meaningfully. Further, the initial islation by year to municipal 48 • EIH data design called for both annu- solid waste generation nationally. UHCL/UH al and quarterly data. However, It can be argued, but not proved, Table 1. Key Legislation by Year either sign. No theory exists to mandate the expected sign and other “stories” can be told of the Year Legislation patent count influence on solid 1960 Stevenson-Wydler Technology Transfer Act waste. For example, the argu- 1965 Solid Waste Disposal Act ment that rising waste volume 1970 Resource Recovery Act begets additional patent genera- 1976 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act tion suggests a positive relation- 1986 Federal Technology Transfer Act ship. 1987 Marine Plastic Pollution Research and A plot (unadjusted) of the rele- Control Act vant patent counts by year 1989 National Competitiveness Act appears in Fig. 1. While the trend 1995 National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act is upward, much variation exists in the annual rate. [Technology Transfer Acts in Italic and Solid Waste Acts in Bold] Results Interpretation The results indicate that some Table 2. Statistical Analysis relationship appears to exist between per capita municipal solid waste generation and relat- N = 18 degrees of freedom = 14 ed patent count production on a Regression Coefficient t-Statistic Significance concurrent year basis, after Equation accounting for the effects of income and output per capita. Intercept 0.321570 3.96566 0.001 While the statistical reliability of PI 5.91E-06 4.07763 0.001 the patent count variable is not PC 0.822140 3.08701 0.008 highly significant, the result is IO 0.000876 1.74083 0.103 suggestive. R Square = 0.94 F Statistic 73.22 0.000 Other issues pertaining to the model must be discussed. First, that legislation in the 1960s, mid- is: the structure of the model is in dle 1970s, and middle 1980s reduced form. That fact com- opened the way for patents MSW = f(PI, IO, PC) bined with the question of directed at municipal solid waste causality (which truly comes reduction, modification, and The linear regression application first, patent generation or solid accommodation. It can be said, produced the following results. waste?) permits much specifica- with more confidence, that leg- The equation has an overall tion error to exist. Second, mea- islative awareness of environ- significant fit. Each independent surement error exists in all the mental issues was rising over the variable in the equation is highly variables, most blatantly in the 1960 to 1990 period. statistically significant, except municipal solid waste and patent Findings patent count. The patent count count variables. Municipal solid Ordinary least squares regression variable is significant at the 10 waste per capita data are precise became the assessment tool of percent level, which is moderate- only to the second digit. Patent choice by which to analyze the ly significant. At 10 percent sig- counts suffer from the choice of data. With no compelling reason nificance, and other things equal, key word choice and quality of to apply any other technique(s), the investigator will err one time patent abstract screening applied this widely accepted tool was the in ten rejecting the implicit to them. Third, only 18 serial logical first choice. Results from hypothesis that there is no rela- data records are assessed. After a the best multiple linear regres- tionship between patent counts “degrees of freedom” correction, sion model, applied to the 18 and municipal solid waste in the 14 degrees of freedom remain. observations, appear in Table 2. model above. The minimum ideal number of The dependent variable was total Somewhat troublesome is the degrees of freedom is about 30. municipal solid waste in thou- algebraic sign on the patent count Hence, deductions made from sands of tons per capita (MSW). variable. On first thought, one this analysis should be studied The independent variables were might wish to see a negative sign with caution. Finally, a good case personal income per capita (PI), to support the view that more can be industrial output per capita (IO), patents mean less municipal solid made that and patent count (PC). A general waste. On deeper reflection, the patent EIH • 49 form of the regression equation however, the coefficient can take count vari- UHCL/UH able should be lagged in time compared to the municipal solid waste data. Regression runs with a one, two, and three year lag, for the patent counts produced statis- tically insupportable results. Conclusion A statistical investigation into the influence of national legislation on U. S. patent production rele- vant to municipal solid waste generation provided some evi- dence that relevant patent gener- Figure 1. Municipal Solid Waste-Related Patent Count ation was positively related, after accounting for population and production effects. Data for the analysis were drawn from offi- cial sources. The results are sug- gestive but not conclusive. Limitations may be attributed to several sources. The data con- tain measurement error, the causal direction of the variables is arguable, the number of obser- vations is small, and the regres- sion test model quite simple. Additional work, using a similar approach, as well as alternative tests, would help to support or weigh against the conclusions drawn here.

GREEN SPACE—Within the environs of Houston, Memorial Park pro- vides virgin woodland, trails designed to protect the habitat, running 50 • EIH tracks for physical conditioning, tennis courts, playing fields, a UHCL/UH nature resource center for classroom instruction. Environmental Education Schoolyard Ecoscapes in Houston: A Website Catalogue Project Report

Carole Basile, Ed.D., Clinical Assistant Professor; Lydia Migliore and Elaine Begnaud, graduate research assis- tants; and Juan Cerda, undergraduate assistant, Curriculum and Instruction, UH Photo by Irv Rothman GREEN SPACE—A great oak tree in the ecosystem of Sam Bass State Park.

CHOOLYARD ECOSCAPES ARE schoolyard habitats. Through a The following schools partici- gaining popularity across series of photographs and anec- pated in the project: Sthe country. These outdoor dotes, schools who are beginning • River Oaks Elementary School science laboratories provide stu- to think about schoolyard • Welch Middle School dents with opportunities to (1) ecoscapes can visualize and learn • Lantrip Elementary School increase their knowledge and from projects others have com- • Red Elementary School understanding of the natural pleted. In addition, they will have • Piney Point Elementary School environment and humankind’s access to resource lists on a web- • Berry Elementary School relationship to its resources, (2) site that provide references to • Baker Jr. High School develop a sense of responsibility background information, chil- • College Park Elementary towards the natural environment, dren’s literature, and curriculum • San Jacinto Intermediate (3) study the features of the area, materials about Texas wildlife, • Pearl Hall Elementary such as native plants, ponds, plants, and birds. A section has • Bondy Intermediate and/or animals and their interre- been created for tips from local • Wild Peach Elementary lationships, (4) create a viable wildlife experts. This website • League City Elementary habitat for native plants and ani- will be an extension of the • Teague Middle School mals, and (5) promote minds-on Environmental Institute website. • Alice Johnson Jr. High School learning in an authentic ecosys- • LaPorte High School tem. Many organizations and agencies, including the National Wildlife Federation, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and U. S. Fish and Wildlife, are promoting school- yard ecoscapes as a learning environment for students of all ages. As a result of this project, 15 schools in the Houston metroplex will have an opportunity to share with others their thoughts, advice, and resources regarding EIH • 51 the building and maintaining of UHCL/UH Photo courtesy of Terrell Dixon NATURE WRITERS and friends on the Orion Society Forgotten Language Tour. Front row: (l. to r.) Richard Nelson, Laurig John Lane-Zucker, Janisse Ray, and Terrell Dixon. Back row: Carter Smith, Gary Nabhon, Gwenyth Wagner, Jack Archer, Alison Deming, Tate Hills, M. G. Gilliam, Sueellen Campbell, Walter Isle, Linda Walsh, and Robert Michael Pyle, author of The Thunder Tree: Lessons from an Urban Wildland (1993).

Environmental Education Environment and Literature

Terrell Dixon, Ph.D., Associate Professor, and James Langston, doctoral student and research assistant, English, UH

MERICAN ENVIRONMENTAL serious and accomplished envi- ond-half of the twentieth-centu- literature has traditional- ronmental literature has begun to ry, studying first how American Aly been focused on wil - expand its range of subject mat- literary history (Nathaniel derness experience and the pres- ter. Writers have begun to look at Hawthorne, Edith Wharton, and ervation of remote and wild land- the environmental significance of others) has dealt with the prob- scapes. Henry David Thoreau, urban landscapes, to consider the lem of poisons and how they are John Muir, John Burroughs, and increasingly important subject of understood in the collective his- others in the historical main- environmental restoration, and to torical psyche. After studying stream of America nature writing deal with the pressing health and closely Rachel Carson’s work, specialized in the genre of literary social problems created by toxic research moves to a study of con- non-fiction, celebrating nature as substances in our air, land, and temporary fiction including such a source of pleasure, knowledge food. Since the publication of key works as Don DeLillo’s and solace, and advocating wild- Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring White Noise and Jane Smiley’s A land preservation. The academic (1962), creative writers have Thousand Acres. The book will study of literature and the envi- grown progressively more con- deal with questions of environ- ronment has tended, in the main, cerned with the problem of toxi- mental racism, environmental to focus on such literature of cel- city, creating a distinguished justice, and environmental resto- ebration and preservation. body of literary non-fiction and ration as they appear in American In American literature of the fiction on this problem. literature of the last three second half Dixon’s research and literary decades. It will also explore why twentieth- criticism now in progress looks American literature differs from 52 • EIH c e n t u r y , at this literature and at what it the literature of other nations in UHCL/UH h o w e v e r, tells us about America in the sec- having a literature of toxicity. Dixon, T. and L. Smith. “Service Everyone has at least a Learning and Environmental chance of realizing a plea- Writing,” The Modern Lan - surable and collegial guage Association Newsletter, “ Special Issue on Innovations in wholeness with nature. But to Undergraduate Teaching A get there, intimate association (1998): 3-4. is necessary. A face-to-face Presentations encounter with a banana slug Dixon, T. “Ana Castillo and means much more than a Barbara Kingsolver: Environ- Komodo dragon seen on televi- mental Literature and the sion. With rhinos mating in the Problem Toxicity,” Annual living room, who will care National Meeting of the about the creatures next Dixon Photo courtesy of Terrell Western Literature Assoc., door? At least the skimmers Robert Michael Pyle Albuquerque, NM, Oct. 1997. are aware of nature. As for Dixon, T. “Inculcating Wilder- ness: Rick Bass, Robert the others, whose lives hold little place for nature, how can Michael Pyle, John Hanson they even care? Mitchell and Teaching Urban The extinction of experience is not just about losing Nature,” Annual National the personal benefits of the natural high. It also implies a Meeting of the American cycle of disaffection that can have disastrous consequences. Studies Association, Balt- As cities and metastasizing suburbs forsake their natural imore, MD, Nov. 1997. diversity, and their citizens grow more removed from per- Dixon, T. “Interrogating Place: sonal contact with nature, awareness and appreciation The Example of Katherine retreat. This breeds apathy toward environmental concerns Anne Porter,” Katherine Anne and, inevitably, further degradation of the common habitat. Porter Symposium, San Marcos, TX, May 1998. So it goes, on and on, the extinction of experience Dixon, T. “Service Learning: A sucking the life from the land, the intimacy from our con- Way to Teach Environmental nections. This is how the passing of otherwise common Literature in an Urban species from our immediate vicinities can be as significant Setting,” Annual National as as the total loss of rarities. People who care, conserve; Meeting of the Conference on people who don’t know, don’t care. What is the extinction College Composition and of the condor to a child who has never known a wren?”— Communication (CCCC), Robert Michael Pyle, The Thunder Tree: Lessons from an Chicago, IL, March 1998. Urban Wildland. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1993. 146-47. Dixon, T. “Teaching Urban Nature through University- City Partnerships: The Writers Research will identify the nature Chair,” Association of Depart- in Herman Park Program at the of the American character and lit- ment of English Bulletin 120 University of Houston,” 8th erary traditions and expressions (Fall 1998): 40-46. Annual Interdisciplinary Wil- that serve as major themes in lit- Dixon, T. “Inculcating Wildness: derness Conference, Reno, erature at the end of the century Rick Bass, Robert Michael NV, Feb. 1998. and at the beginning of a new Pyle, John Hanson Mitchell, Dixon, T. “The UH Scholars’ millennium. The work will and Teaching Urban Nature,” Community: Building Com- attempt to explain why American in The Nature of Cities. Eds. munity and Academic Success writers are more caught up with Michael Bennett and David at a Commuter Campus,” this social problem than writers Teague, U. of Arizona Press. Annual Meeting, Texas Deans in the other parts of the world. (Forthcoming, Fall 1999). of Humanities and Liberal Dixon, T. “Knowing Nature in Arts, Austin, TX, March 1998. Publications Katherine Anne Porter’s Short Dixon, T. “Environmentalism Fiction,” Southwestern Ameri- and Pro gress,” Interdisciplin- can Litera ture 24.2 (1999). ary Stud ies in Literature and Dixon, T. “Review of Arturo the Environment (Fall 1998). Longoria, Adios to the Dixon, T. “Getting and Spending Brushlands,” in Texas Books in EIH • 53 and the English Department Review. 18.1 (1998). UHCL/UH Environmental Education EVERAL AGENCIES OF THE the complete field-testing of the Texas state government ATF curriculum to resolve minor Implementation Scollaborated to create a discrepancies in content and ped- supplementary curriculum titled agogy. The second objective is of an “Alternative Transportation the correlation of the ATF cur- Alternative Fuels” (ATF) to integrate clean- riculum with the newly adopted fuels information into middle- TEKS for science and social Transportation school science courses. To studies. The accomplishment of encourage acceptance, the agen- these two objectives will enable Fuels cies (1) developed the materials the Texas Education Agency to with professional educators, most certify the ATF curriculum as Curriculum of whom were classroom teach- "conforming.” ers; (2) correlated the materials Next, one or two lessons have Robert M. Jones, Ed.D., with statewide standards estab- yet to be developed on electric - lished by the Texas Assessment fueled vehicles to balance the Professor, Education, of Academic Skills; and (3) bud- AFT elements now in existence. UHCL geted fifty dollars extra-duty pay A materials package and trainer’s or substitute-teacher pay for each support kit are under develop- teacher attending a workshop. ment for implementing the cur- This curriculum has been dissem- riculum. inated to Texas schools and Course designers and evalua- shows potential for use in other tors reviewed the entire ATF cur- regions. It may appear to schools riculum unit, resulting in correc- on a national basis. tions of errors and inconsisten- The composite curriculum ma- cies. terials themselves consist of a The cooperative learning mod- Telly-award-winning 13-minute el derived from the “Teaming video introduction (Way Cool Up!” model developed at the Fuels), 22 hands-on classroom University of Houston Clear activities, full-color posters and Lake was adapted for course other re sour ces. Activities were instruction. Alternative role titles field-tested by 50 Texas science and descriptions will be devel- tea ch ers and reviewed for accu- oped to supplement the “Race racy by eighteen technical ex- Team” model described in the perts. Workshop participants’ curriculum. written evaluations rate the over- Since the curriculum is inter- all quality of the training materi- disciplinary and involves sci- als 9.3 on a scale of 10 and the ence, mathematics, social stud- over all qual ity of the trainer, 9.5 ies, and language arts, current on a scale of 10. Ratings of the TAAS targets and TEKS objec- quality of materials range from a tives have been located in the low of 8.7 to a high of 9.7, and curriculum and documented. A ratings of trainer quality range complete correlation of the cur- from a low of 9.2 to a high of 9.9. riculum to the TEKS for grades During the fall semester, 1997, 6, 7 and 8 was completed. Lynn Spachuk, Environmental The following example of a Education Coordinator for the Grade 7 Science Knowledge and Environmental Institute of Skills statement indicates the Houston and Prof. Robert Jones cognitive and analytical skills conducted training for teachers one hopes to develop through using the ATF curriculum. In course design: “The student uses order to develop a broad capabil- critical thinking and scientific ity needed to service this curricu- problem solving to make in- lum, course designers must formed decisions. The student is achieve two primary objectives. expected to analyze, review, and Related tasks need to be defined critique scientific explanations, 54 • EIH and completed. including hypotheses and theo- UHCL/UH The first of these objectives is ries as to their strengths and Photo by Irv Rothman GREEN SPACE—Henry Moore, himself, chose the site of a sculpture he provided the City of Houston. It is placed on the bank of Buffalo Bayou for viewing by drivers heading toward downtown office buildings. weaknesses using scientific evi- A trainer’s kit with all materi- dence and information.” als will be assembled and pub- Designers compiled a less on- lished. The training session eval- by-lesson list of materials and uation instrument will be rewrit- consumables, identified sources ten into a quantifiable, machine of information, and analyzed scorable format with an open production costs. Usability fac- comment section. tors have been analyzed, such as An ongoing support, documen- ease of reproduction, paper qual- tation and updating service for ity, and related concerns. the rapidly changing area of Changes based on these findings alternative transportation fuels were designed for dissemination. will be established. Supplemental activities from A follow-up study with first the public domain will be devel- generation teachers in curriculum oped and tested for incorporation training will be developed and into the curriculum. An example returns analyzed for patterns and is model “milk carton cars” trends. developed by the Society of Motion Engineers (SAE) for the World in Motion curriculum. Other activities from air pollu- tion curricula are also pertinent. Researchers also developed a model for supplementing tradi- tional curricula by means of a “best-fit” curriculum strand. Strands of lessons from the fields of science, social studies, mathe- matics and language arts will be located and coded for incorpora- EIH • 55 tion into available curricula. UHCL/UH The Directorʼs Message GREEN SPACE—Buffalo Bayou winds eastward toward Allen (Continued from page 3.) Landing where the City of wild. Wellington is also part of much is due to economic benefits Houston began. the effort to characterize the from pollution prevention. Dr. Flower Gardens coral reefs and Robert Hodgin has analyzed the to provide baseline data for the correlation of environmental leg- management of this national islation and solid waste technolo- marine sanctuary. On a pragmat- gy patents filed. ic note, EIH is partnering with The contributions made by UH the U. S. Fish and Wildlife and UHCL faculty are very heart- Service to establish and maintain ening. Our institutions play a nature areas on schoolyards that major role in the greening of provide opportunities for envi- Houston, but so much more could ronmental education. be done, particularly with student Environmental awareness or involvement. I hope faculty affil- concern can have many effects. iates will continue to submit even Some people exposed to the more Green Houston projects for degradation of nature become EIH to support. inspired and contribute to a liter- ary legacy that includes some of our greatest writers as explained by Dixon. Some people become angry and litigious. The resolu- tion of such rancorous environ- mental disputes is the subject of Dr. Lisa Gossett’s study. Technology development is a role often played by universities and EIH supports those efforts that will yield a greener, more sustainable Houston. Dr. Jonathan Friedman is developing agents to control environmental patho gens. New resource effi- cient semi-conductors are being engineered by Dr. Eric Bittner. Dr. David Hoffman is synthesiz- ing chemicals that can be used for energy saving window coat- ings. A new process for poly- olefin production is the goal of Dr. T. Randall Lee. Dr. James Richardson is developing pro- cess changes to provide pollution prevention measures in PVC pro- duction, a major component of new construction. The development of new envi- ronmental technology is a bur- geoning field. It is difficult to perceive how much of the pres- sure for new technology is due to regulatory requirements and how

56 • EIH UHCL/UH Principal Investigators

Name Rank Affiliation Phone Mail Code E-Mail Carole Basile Clinical Asst. Prof. Curriculum and Instruction, UH 743-4961 ED 5872 [email protected] Michael J. Benedik Assoc. Professor Biochemical Sciences, UH 743-8377 BCHS 5934 [email protected] Eric R. Bittner Professor Chemistry, UH 743-2775 CHEM 5641 [email protected] Steven R. Blanke Asst. Professor Biochemical Sciences, UH 743-8392 BCHS 5934 [email protected] Edwin H. Bryant Professor Biology, UH 743-2651 BIOL 5513 [email protected] Guy N. Cameron Professor Biology, UH; Currently employed by the University of Cincinnati Sam Chen Asst. Professor Environmental Science, UHCL 283-3746* Box 68 [email protected] Raj S. Chhikara Professor Statistics Program, UHCL 283-3726* Box 60 [email protected] Theodore Cleveland Assoc. Professor Civil and Env. Engineering, UH 743-4280 CIVE 4791 [email protected] Terrell Dixon Assoc. Professor English, UH 743-2978 ENGL 3012 [email protected] Jonathan M. Friedman Asst. Professor Chemistry, UH 743-2747 CHEM 5641 [email protected] Susanne Gaddis Asst. Professor Communication, UHCL 283-3362* Box 146 [email protected] Lisa B. Gossett Asst. Professor Env. Management, UHCL 283-3257* Box 152 [email protected] Miriam Heller Asst. Professor Industrial Engineering, UH 743-4193 INDE 4812 [email protected] Robert Hodgin Assoc. Professor MCTTC, BPA, UHCL 283-3211* Box 200 [email protected] David M. Hoffman Assoc. Professor Chemistry, UH 743-3255 CHEM 5641 [email protected] Cynthia Howard Assoc. Professor Biology and Env. Science, UHCL 283-3745* Box 186 [email protected] Robert M. Jones Professor Education, UHCL 283-3562* Box 187 [email protected] Saleha B. Khumawala Assoc. Professor Accounting, UH 743-4829 ACC 6283 [email protected] T. Randall Lee Asst. Professor Chemistry, UH 743-2724 CHEM 5641 [email protected] Lisa M. Meffert Res. Asst. Prof. Biology, UH 743-2681 BIOL 5513 [email protected] Martin V. Melosi Professor History, UH 743-3090 HIST 3785 [email protected] James T. Richardson Professor Chemical Engineering, UH 743-4324 CHEE 4792 [email protected] Theron D. Sage Assoc. Professor Environmental Science, UHCL 283-3776* Box 446 [email protected] Floyd M. Spears Assoc. Professor Statistics Program, UHCL 283-3728* Box 317 [email protected] Priscilla Weeks Research Assoc. Env. Institute of Houston, UHCL 283-3792* Box 540 [email protected] Gerard Wellington Professor Biology, UH 743-2649 BIOL 5513 [email protected] Dan E. Wells Professor Biology, UH 743-2671 BIOL 5513 [email protected]

* 281 area code, 713 all others University of Houston Clear Lake, 2700 Bay Area Blvd., Houston, TX 77058 EIH • 57 University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-[Mail Code] UHCL/UH Environmental Notes

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Page 53 GREEN SPACE—A pond in Memorial Park provides habitat for wildlife. In a natural environment, the near- by nature park museum provides classes on the environment for school children and conservationists.

1997-1998 Advisory Board UH & UHCL Faculty C. F. "Buddy" Barnes, E. B. I. Advisory Board Members Gigi Bear, Shell Development, West Hollow Richard Allison, Administration Sciences, UHCL Dick Brown, Gulf Coast Waste Disposal Authority Glenn Aumann, Energy Laboratory, UH Marilyn Browning, Galveston Bay Estuary Program Regina Capuano, Geoscience, UH Bonnie Cockrell, A Bonnie Company Ted Cleveland, Environmental Engineering, UH Tracie Copeland, The Dow Chemical Company Terrell Dixon, English, UH Fran Coppinger-Pizzatola, Keep Texas Beautiful Lisa Gossett, Environmental Management, UHCL Ed Feith, Houston Lighting and Power Robert Jones, Education, UHCL Catriona Glazebrook, Audubon Society of Texas Martin Melosi, History, UH Brian Hanson, Celanese Chemical Company Theron Sage, Environmental Science, UHCL Marilu Hastings, HARC-Center for Global Studies Dennis Jones, Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept. Contributors Jim Kachtick, Occidental Chemical Corporation ARCO Chemical Beth Morian, Wilhelmina R. Morian Interests Enron Corporation George Regmund, Armand Bayou Nature Center Koch Industries Will Roach, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Maritech Kevin Shanley, SWA Group NOAA Linda Shead, Galveston Bay Foundation Gary Tannahill, Exxon Company, USA Mike Terraso, Enron Corporation 1998 Annual Report • EIH •

The Environmental Institute of Houston University of Houston—Clear Lake University of Houston Houston, Texas 77058 Phone: (281) 283-3950 FAX: (281) 283-3044 e-mail: [email protected] WWW: http://www.eih.uhcl.edu

Reviewed: 7/27/2021