Publications by authors named "Eban Bean"

Residential lawn management often includes fertilizer application to encourage healthy plant growth and support the aesthetic preferences of homeowners and communities. These inputs may negatively impact the environment by increasing nutrient export to aquatic ecosystems via surface runoff or leaching through soil into groundwater. Fertilizer management and nutrient export are of particular concern in karst areas like North-Central Florida, where the underlying karst geology leads to rapid, direct connections between surface and groundwater ecosystems.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study highlights the public health concern of leptospirosis, particularly in underdeveloped areas, but also examines its presence in developed subtropical coastal ecosystems like the Pensacola Bay System.
  • The research involved analyzing 132 water samples from various locations, focusing on fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) and using qPCR to identify the distribution of leptospirosis.
  • Results indicated a seasonal link between rainfall and increased levels of fecal bacteria and leptospirosis, emphasizing the effectiveness of qPCR for detecting pathogens in both natural and urban aquatic environments.
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There is a need to develop improved methods for water quality analysis. Traditionally, water quality analysis is performed in a laboratory on discrete samples or in the field with simple sensors, but these methods have inherent limitations. Ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy (UVAS) is a commonly used laboratory technique for water quality analysis and is being applied more broadly in combination with machine learning (ML) to allow for the detection of multiple analytes without sample pretreatments.

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Conventional water resource monitoring systems are usually expensive, have a low-temporal resolution, and lack spatial dimension entirely. These systems are typically available as stations or handheld devices. Pinpointing sources of pollution using these systems can be difficult.

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The use of organic amendments to enhance soil health is increasingly being identified as a strategy to improve residential landscapes while also reducing the need for external inputs (e.g., fertilizers, irrigation).

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Designed ecosystems are built as part of ongoing urban expansion, providing a suite of valued ecosystem services. However, these new ecosystems could also promote disservices by facilitating the colonization and spread of invasive species. We conduct the first assessment of the quantity and invasion of an overlooked designed ecosystem: stormwater ponds.

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Package treatment plants (PTPs) are facilities designed to treat onsite wastewater for small communities, commercial, and residential developments. PTPs are being utilized in a growing number of coastal communities. This study estimated the effects of coastal tourism on onsite wastewater nitrogen (N) inputs to a barrier island surficial aquifer (Bogue Banks, NC).

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The goal of this study was to gain a better understanding of the PO-P treatment efficiency of onsite wastewater systems (OWS) installed in nutrient-sensitive watersheds of the North Carolina Piedmont. Four OWS including two conventional and two single-pass sand filter (SF) systems were evaluated at sites with clay-rich soils. Piezometers were installed near all of the OWS, and down-gradient from the conventional OWS for groundwater collection and characterization.

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