Navy Sites Research Articles

Diversity and abundance of the functional genes and bacteria associated with RDX degradation at a contaminated site pre- and post-biostimulation.

Bioremediation is becoming an increasingly popular approach for the remediation of sites contaminated with the explosive hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX). Multiple lines of evidence are often needed to assess the success of such approaches, with molecular studies frequently providing important information on the abundance of key biodegrading species. Towards this goal, the current study utilized shotgun sequencing to determine the abundance and diversity of functional genes (xenA, xenB, xplA, diaA, pnrB, nfsI) and species previously associated with RDX biodegradation in groundwater before and after biostimulation at an RDX-contaminated Navy Site. For this, DNA was extracted from four and seven groundwater wells pre- and post-biostimulation, respectively. From a set of 65 previously identified RDX degraders, 31 were found within the groundwater samples, with the most abundant species being Variovorax sp. JS1663, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pseudomonas putida, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. Further, 9 RDX-degrading species significantly (p<0.05) increased in abundance following biostimulation. Both the sequencing data and qPCR indicated that xenA and xenB exhibited the highest relative abundance among the six genes. Several genes (diaA, nsfI, xenA, and pnrB) exhibited higher relative abundance values in some wells following biostimulation. The study provides a comprehensive approach for assessing biomarkers during RDX bioremediation and provides evidence that biostimulation generated a positive impact on a set of key species and genes. KEY POINTS: • A co-occurrence network indicated diverse RDX degraders. • >30 RDX-degrading species were detected. • Nine RDX-degrading species increased following biostimulation. • Sequencing and high-throughput qPCR indicated that xenA and xenB were most abundant.

스마트 군함 무선네트워크 구축 발전방향 - 시범사업 결과를 중심으로 -

The Navy tries to adopt 4th industrial revolution technology for her force development. One of these endeavors is a “Smart Battleship”. This program has been conducted as one of U-Experimental Programs. Suggestions have been found for better smart working environment on board because this was a pilot program. This article introduces the “Smart Battleship” program and suggests for future better smart environment program in the Navy. The suggestions will be following. First, the independent wireless communication system should links with pre-existing systems such as military intra-net, ship’s broadcasting system, ship’s communication system etc.. Second, additional cutting-edge technology should be applied to the smart ship environment such as Digital Twin, IoT, VR/AR etc.. Third, we need to consider what other commanding-posts should be linked to expand its network. The major goal of the program is to construct wireless communication environment in the ship. But we should expand the range from ships to all navy sites such as ports, fleet command, navy headquarter etc.. Fourth, we should plan the program in the perspective of total life cycle management. Even if the sunk-cost is high, the room for upgrade should be added in the first place. This is the way where nobody has walked. But, we should go for the place at the end of the road where nobody conquers.

Using Telehealth for Sexual Assault Forensic Examinations: A Process Evaluation of a National Pilot Project.

This project describes the first time live sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) services were provided via telehealth to support site clinicians conducting sexual assault forensic medical examinations for adult and adolescent patients. It involved six sites in three states, including rural, tribal, military, and community hospitals. The purpose of this process evaluation was to determine the extent to which patients consent to telehealth technology, examine how the technology worked, and explore the types of assistance. We reviewed information for sexual assault patients who presented at emergency departments (N = 215) and conducted telephone and online surveys with 178 clinicians who provided or received telehealth services. Between May 1, 2015, and March 31, 2018, 129 patients and site clinicians received services via telehealth and an additional 86 site clinicians received consultation advice via telehealth. Most patients consented and accepted SANE services via telehealth (86% overall and 97% in non-U.S. Navy sites). No significant technology problems were experienced for most interactions (92%). The assistance provided remotely by SANEs to site clinicians included guiding clinicians through history taking and documentation, forensic examination and evidence collection techniques, identifying and documenting injuries, and guiding clinical practice. Site clinicians reported, on average, a positive impact of the assistance on their confidence in providing an effective examination, their ability to provide their patient with the best care, and their sense of feeling supported. Results of this pilot suggest that using live telehealth services for sexual assault forensic examinations is a promising practice.

Distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from legacy spills at an Alaskan Arctic site underlain by permafrost

Widespread polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination resulting from petroleum spills at military and industrial sites along the Arctic Ocean Coast is a major issue in the Alaskan Arctic. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) consist of one or more fused aromatic rings and comprise a major portion of petroleum products like fuels. PAHs are commonly found in a variety of geomedia and are considered environmentally persistent, toxic, and carcinogenic. In the present study, the subsurface distribution of PAHs was investigated at a former U.S. Department of the Navy site in northern Alaska using laser-induced fluorescence coupled with ultraviolet optical screening tool (LIF-UVOST). The former Naval Arctic Research Laboratory (NARL) study site has historical presence just outside the city of Utqiaġvik, Alaska (formerly Barrow) and has a long history of petroleum spills since the early 1950s primarily at the Airstrip and Powerhouse sites. To determine the extent of PAH accumulation in the subsurface a total of 143 vertical soil profiles were characterized using LIF-UVOST during September 2015 (87 at the Airstrip site and 56 at the Powerhouse site). We also compared the intensities of different wavelengths (350 versus 500 nm) to estimate spill source and we found a substantial accumulation of PAHs in the surface and subsurface at both sites and vertical distribution of PAHs was primarily heterogeneous, varying as a function of probing locations and soil depth. Both sites were found to have no correlation between depth of the maximum fluorescence signal and depth of the probing refusal depth (top of permafrost). Using LIF-UVOST for the direct chemical sensing of PAHs proved to be a useful tool and revealed unique signature PAH fluorescence responses when comparing 350 and 500 nm intensities between the Airstrip and Powerhouse sites, likely attributable to the original source of the spill. Results from this project can be directly used for other potential studies, including planning remediation strategies and investigating local bodies of water for PAH transport.

Trace‐level perchlorate analysis of impacted groundwater by elevated gold ellipse dimer nanoantenna surface‐enhanced Raman scattering

Perchlorate (ClO4−) contamination has received increased attention the past two decades because of health concerns from its impact on thyroid function coupled with its environmental ubiquity and persistence. Here we demonstrate the detection of ClO4− below micromolar (&lt;1 × 10−6 moles l−1) levels using a portable Raman instrument integrated with novel elevated gold (Au) ellipse dimer nanoantenna surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) architectures. The ellipse dimer nanoantenna architectures demonstrate improved ClO4− detection limits over previously reported SERS substrates while maintaining good reproducibility. The impact of chloride (Cl−), nitrate (NO3−), and sulfate (SO42−) interferences on the detection efficiency is systematically evaluated; SO42− is found to exhibit the largest interference effect at low concentrations while at higher ion concentrations the interference effects among ions are similar. Additionally, ClO4− concentrations on the order of 1 mg l−1 are determined in groundwaters collected from an US Department of Defense Navy site demonstrating the applicability of these SERS architectures for the rapid, field detection of trace‐level ClO4− contamination within complex environmental samples. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Microbial community characterization and functional gene quantification in RDX-degrading microcosms derived from sediment and groundwater at two naval sites.

The explosive hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) has long been recognized as a problematic environmental pollutant, and efforts to remediate contaminated soils, sediments, and groundwater have been going on for decades. In recent years, much interest has focused on using bioremediation to clean up these sites. The current study investigated the microorganisms (16S rRNA genes, Illumina) and functional genes (xenA, xenB, and xplA) linked to RDX biodegradation in microcosms composed of sediment or groundwater from two Navy sites. For this, experiments included sediment samples from three depths (5 to 30ft) from two wells located in one Navy site. In addition, the groundwater upstream and downstream of an emulsified oil biobarrier was examined from another Navy site. Further, for the groundwater experiments, the effect of glucose addition was explored. For the sediment experiments, the most enriched phylotypes during RDX degradation varied over time, by depth and well locations. However, several trends were noted, including the enrichment of Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus, Arthrobacter, and Sporolactobacillus in the sediment microcosms. For the groundwater-based experiments, Pseudomonas, unclassified Rhodocyclaceae, Sphingomonas, and Rhodococcus were also highly abundant during RDX degradation. The abundance of both xplA and xenA significantly increased during RDX degradation compared to the control microcosms for many treatments (both groundwater and sediment microcosms). In a limited number of microcosms, the copy number of the xenB gene increased. Phylotype data were correlated with functional gene data to highlight potentially important biomarkers for RDX biodegradation at these two Navy sites.

A Novel ELF Radar for Major Oil Deposits

This letter proposes a novel extremely low frequency (ELF) radar for major oil deposits. Using our recently developed whole-Earth electromagnetic wave propagation model based upon the finite-difference time-domain method, we have determined that detection of the radial (vertical) component of the scattered H-field provides a sensitive means to detect oil fields that are located within several kilometers of the Earth's surface. As an example, we provide numerical simulations of ELF radar returns from a hypothetical Alaskan oil field excited by a 20-Hz pulse emitted from the former U.S. Navy site in Wisconsin. The proposed method would potentially provide means to rapidly and inexpensively conduct aerial surveys of thousands of square kilometers for significant oil deposits.

Triad case study: Marine corps base camp pendleton

The U.S. Navy Public Works Center (PWC) Environmental Department San Diego, California is home to the Navy west coast Site Characterization and Analysis Penetrometer System (SCAPS). SCAPS has been extensively used at several Navy sites since 1995 to provide real-time, highdensity data sets. The United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Triad approach provided an ideal framework for optimizing the use of the Navy SCAPS during a volatile organic compound (VOC) source investigation at Installation Restoration Site 1114 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. All three elements of Triad, systematic planning, dynamic work strategy, and use of real time measurement tools, were implemented to manage decision uncertainty and expedite the site management process. The investigation was conducted using the Navy SCAPS outfitted with a cone penetrometer), membrane interface probe and a direct sampling ion trap mass spectrometry detector which allowed for real- time collection of over 690 feet of continuous lithologic information and VOC concentration data. These data were used collaboratively with 24-hour turnaround EPA 8260B VOC groundwater results from temporary direct-push wells to support the conclusion of a limited source area. Implementation of the Triad approach for this investigation provided an expedited high-density data set and a refined Conceptual Site Model (CSM) in real time that resulted in cost savings estimated at $2.5 M and reduction of the site characterization and cleanup schedule by approximately 3 years. This project demonstrates how EPA’s Triad approach can be applied to streamline the site characterization and cleanup process while appropriately managing decision uncertainty in support of defensible site decisions.

Triad case study: Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

AbstractThe U.S. Navy Public Works Center (PWC) Environmental Department, San Diego, California, is home to the Navy West Coast Site Characterization and Analysis Penetrometer System (SCAPS). SCAPS has been extensively used at several Navy sites since 1995 to provide real‐time, high‐density data sets. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Triad approach provided an ideal framework for optimizing the use of the Navy SCAPS during a volatile organic compound (VOC) source investigation at Installation Restoration Site 1114 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. All three elements of Triad—systematic planning, dynamic work strategy, and use of real‐time measurement tools—were implemented to manage decision uncertainty and expedite the site management process. The investigation was conducted using the Navy SCAPS, outfitted with a cone penetrometer, membrane interface probe, and a direct sampling ion trap mass spectrometry detector, which allowed for real‐ time collection of over 690 feet of continuous lithologic information and VOC concentration data. These data were used collaboratively with 24‐hour turnaround US EPA 8260B VOC groundwater results from temporary direct‐ push wells to support the conclusion of a limited source area. Implementation of the Triad approach for this investigation provided an expedited high‐density data set and a refined conceptual site model (CSM) in real time that resulted in cost savings estimated at $2.5M and reduction of the site characterization and cleanup schedule by approximately three years. This project demonstrates how the US EPA's Triad approach can be applied to streamline the site characterization and cleanup process while appropriately managing decision uncertainty in support of defensible site decisions. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.