Jacqueline Quinn (engineer)

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Jacqueline Williams Quinn
Born (1967-07-19) July 19, 1967 (age 56)
Alma mater University of Central Florida
Georgia Tech
Scientific career
Institutions Kennedy Space Center

Jacqueline Quinn (born July 19, 1967) is an American engineer and inventor. She was one of the inventors of emulsified zerovalent iron, an environmentally safe material that can remove chlorinated solvent contaminants left from space exploration. She was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2018.

Contents

Early life and education

Quinn was an undergraduate student at Georgia Tech. [1] She moved to the University of Central Florida as a graduate student. Her doctoral research considered zerovalent permanent treatments using deep soil mixing and vitro-isolation. [2] She has continued to work on environmental cleanup throughout her scientific career.[ citation needed ]

Research and career

Quinn is an environmental engineer at NASA. [3] In the early years of space exploration, NASA used chlorinated solvents to degrease rocket engine parts. The solvents, dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLS), cause environmental contamination at government facilities. As they are heavier than water, they can sink into the ground and pollute water sources. To tackle DNAPLS, Quinn invented emulsified zerovalent iron (EZVI), an innovative material which puts zerovalent iron into a surfactant-stabilized emulsion. The emulsion, which is biodegradable, can be injected into soil, and absorbs the contaminant into the emulsion. Once absorbed, the zerovalent iron in the emulsion breaks down the contaminant. EZVI was awarded the NASA Government Invention of the Year.[ when? ] [4] Emulsified zerovalent iron has been used to decontaminate groundwater supplies at the Patrick Space Force Base, Cape Canaveral and Port Canaveral, and licensed to twelve different companies. [5]

Quinn has also worked to remove polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs), molecules that were historically added to paint to prevent it peeling, cracking or catching fire. [6] [7] PCBs are dangerous to animals and humans, and can damage both physical and mental health. [6] In 2016, the United Nations declared PCBs the world's most widespread contaminants. Quinn and her colleagues developed a benign reagent that could be used to attract and trap the contaminants. She showed that by incorporating this reagent into a drinking straw it could be used to capture PCBs in water. Working with her team at NASA, the technology evolved into SPEARs (the Sorbent Polymer Extraction and Remediation System), which included a spike-shaped polymer tube. [6] [8]

Quinn is part of the Kennedy Space Center project Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations (MSolo), a project that is looking for water on the Moon. [9] [10] The project looks to convert commercially available mass spectrometers into devices that can be used to analyze molecules on Mars. [11] MSolo will be included on the Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment-1 (PRIME-1) mission, part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services. [11] [12] [13]

Quinn was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2018. [14]

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emulsion</span> Mixture of two or more immiscible liquids

An emulsion is a mixture of two or more liquids that are normally immiscible owing to liquid-liquid phase separation. Emulsions are part of a more general class of two-phase systems of matter called colloids. Although the terms colloid and emulsion are sometimes used interchangeably, emulsion should be used when both phases, dispersed and continuous, are liquids. In an emulsion, one liquid is dispersed in the other. Examples of emulsions include vinaigrettes, homogenized milk, liquid biomolecular condensates, and some cutting fluids for metal working.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paint</span> Pigment applied over a surface that dries as a solid film

Paint is a material or mixture that, after applied to a solid material and allowed to dry, adds a film-like layer. As art, this is used to create an image, known as a painting. Paint can be made in many colors and types. Most paints are either oil-based or water-based, and each has distinct characteristics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polyvinyl chloride</span> Common synthetic polymer

Polyvinyl chloride (alternatively: poly(vinyl chloride), colloquial: vinyl or polyvinyl; abbreviated: PVC) is the world's third-most widely produced synthetic polymer of plastic (after polyethylene and polypropylene). About 40 million tons of PVC are produced each year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trichloroethylene</span> C2HCl3, widely used industrial solvent

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a halocarbon with the formula C2HCl3, commonly used as an industrial degreasing solvent. It is a clear, colourless, non-flammable, volatile liquid with a chloroform-like pleasant mild smell and sweet taste. Its IUPAC name is trichloroethene. Trichloroethylene has been sold under a variety of trade names. Industrial abbreviations include TCE, trichlor, Trike, Tricky and tri. Under the trade names Trimar and Trilene, it was used as a volatile anesthetic and as an inhaled obstetrical analgesic. It should not be confused with the similar 1,1,1-trichloroethane, which is commonly known as chlorothene.

Outgassing is the release of a gas that was dissolved, trapped, frozen, or absorbed in some material. Outgassing can include sublimation and evaporation, as well as desorption, seepage from cracks or internal volumes, and gaseous products of slow chemical reactions. Boiling is generally thought of as a separate phenomenon from outgassing because it consists of a phase transition of a liquid into a vapor of the same substance.

Electrocoagulation (EC) is a technique used for wastewater treatment, wash water treatment, industrially processed water, and medical treatment. Electrocoagulation has become a rapidly growing area of wastewater treatment due to its ability to remove contaminants that are generally more difficult to remove by filtration or chemical treatment systems, such as emulsified oil, total petroleum hydrocarbons, refractory organics, suspended solids, and heavy metals. There are many brands of electrocoagulation devices available, and they can range in complexity from a simple anode and cathode to much more complex devices with control over electrode potentials, passivation, anode consumption, cell REDOX potentials as well as the introduction of ultrasonic sound, ultraviolet light and a range of gases and reactants to achieve so-called Advanced Oxidation Processes for refractory or recalcitrant organic substances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iron nanoparticle</span>

Nanoscale iron particles are sub-micrometer particles of iron metal. They are highly reactive because of their large surface area. In the presence of oxygen and water, they rapidly oxidize to form free iron ions. They are widely used in medical and laboratory applications and have also been studied for remediation of industrial sites contaminated with chlorinated organic compounds.

A dense non-aqueous phase liquid or DNAPL is a denser-than-water NAPL, i.e. a liquid that is both denser than water and is immiscible in or does not dissolve in water.

In situ chemical oxidation (ISCO), a form of advanced oxidation process, is an environmental remediation technique used for soil and/or groundwater remediation to lower the concentrations of targeted environmental contaminants to acceptable levels. ISCO is accomplished by introducing strong chemical oxidizers into the contaminated medium to destroy chemical contaminants in place. It can be used to remediate a variety of organic compounds, including some that are resistant to natural degradation. The in situ in ISCO is just Latin for "in place", signifying that ISCO is a chemical oxidation reaction that occurs at the site of the contamination.

A permeable reactive barrier (PRB), also referred to as a permeable reactive treatment zone (PRTZ), is a developing technology that has been recognized as being a cost-effective technology for in situ groundwater remediation. PRBs are barriers which allow some—but not all—materials to pass through. One definition for PRBs is an in situ treatment zone that passively captures a plume of contaminants and removes or breaks down the contaminants, releasing uncontaminated water. The primary removal methods include: (1) sorption and precipitation, (2) chemical reaction, and (3) reactions involving biological mechanisms.

In situ chemical reduction (ISCR) is a type of environmental remediation technique used for soil and/or groundwater remediation to reduce the concentrations of targeted environmental contaminants to acceptable levels. It is the mirror process of In Situ Chemical Oxidation (ISCO). ISCR is usually applied in the environment by injecting chemically reductive additives in liquid form into the contaminated area or placing a solid medium of chemical reductants in the path of a contaminant plume. It can be used to remediate a variety of organic compounds, including some that are resistant to natural degradation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1,2,3-Trichloropropane</span> Chemical compound

1,2,3-Trichloropropane (TCP) is an organic compound with the formula CHCl(CH2Cl)2. It is a colorless liquid that is used as a solvent and in other specialty applications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zerovalent iron</span> Term denoting metallic iron, Fe(0), used for permeable reactive barrier in site remediation

Zerovalent iron (ZVI) is jargon that describes forms of iron metal that are proposed for used in Groundwater remediation.

Paint has four major components: pigments, binders, solvents, and additives. Pigments serve to give paint its color, texture, toughness, as well as determining if a paint is opaque or not. Common white pigments include titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. Binders are the film forming component of a paint as it dries and affects the durability, gloss, and flexibility of the coating. Polyurethanes, polyesters, and acrylics are all examples of common binders. The solvent is the medium in which all other components of the paint are dissolved and evaporates away as the paint dries and cures. The solvent also modifies the curing rate and viscosity of the paint in its liquid state. There are two types of paint: solvent-borne and water-borne paints. Solvent-borne paints use organic solvents as the primary vehicle carrying the solid components in a paint formulation, whereas water-borne paints use water as the continuous medium. The additives that are incorporated into paints are a wide range of things which impart important effects on the properties of the paint and the final coating. Common paint additives are catalysts, thickeners, stabilizers, emulsifiers, texturizers, biocides to fight bacterial growth, etc.

Emulsified Fuels are emulsions composed of water and a combustible liquid, either oil or a fuel. Emulsions are a particular example of a dispersion comprising a continuous and a dispersed phase. The most commonly used emulsion fuel is water-in-diesel emulsion. In the case of emulsions, both phases are the immiscible liquids, oil and water. Emulsion fuels can be either a microemulsion or an ordinary emulsion. The essential differences between the two are stability and particle size distribution. Microemulsions are isotropic whereas macroemulsions are prone to settling and changes in particle size over time. Both use surfactants and can be either water-in-oil, or oil-in-water or bicontinuous.

Bitumen froth treatment is a process used in the Athabasca oil sands (AOS) bitumen recovery operations to remove fine inorganics—water and mineral particles—from bitumen froth, by diluting the bitumen with a light hydrocarbon solvent—either naphthenic or paraffinic—to reduce the viscosity of the froth and to remove contaminants that were not removed in previous water-based gravity recovery phases. Bitumen with a high viscosity or with too many contaminants, is not suitable for transporting through pipelines or refining. The original and conventional naphthenic froth treatment (NFT) uses a naphtha solvent with the addition of chemicals. Paraffinic Solvent Froth Treatment (PSFT), which was first used commercially in the Albian Sands in the early 2000s, results in a cleaner bitumen with lower levels of contaminates, such as water and mineral solids. Following froth treatments, bitumen can be further upgraded using "heat to produce synthetic crude oil by means of a coker unit."

Nanoremediation is the use of nanoparticles for environmental remediation. It is being explored to treat ground water, wastewater, soil, sediment, or other contaminated environmental materials. Nanoremediation is an emerging industry; by 2009, nanoremediation technologies had been documented in at least 44 cleanup sites around the world, predominantly in the United States. In Europe, nanoremediation is being investigated by the EC funded NanoRem Project. A report produced by the NanoRem consortium has identified around 70 nanoremediation projects worldwide at pilot or full scale. During nanoremediation, a nanoparticle agent must be brought into contact with the target contaminant under conditions that allow a detoxifying or immobilizing reaction. This process typically involves a pump-and-treat process or in situ application.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Non-aqueous phase liquid</span> Liquid solution contaminants that do not dissolve in or easily mix with water

Non-aqueous phase liquids, or NAPLs, are organic liquid contaminants characterized by their relative immiscibility with water. Common examples of NAPLs are petroleum products, coal tars, chlorinated solvents, and pesticides. Strategies employed for their removal from the subsurface environment have expanded since the late-20th century.

Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment-1 (PRIME-1) is a robotic NASA experiment that is designed to search for water ice on the Moon at a permanently shadowed location near Shackleton Crater, close to the lunar south pole. The 36-kilogram PRIME-1 payload is scheduled for launch on a Falcon 9 in late 2024 as part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program on the Nova-C IM-2 mission.

Beth L. Parker is a hydrogeologist and professor at the University of Guelph who has made exceptional contributions to the science and practice of Contaminant Hydrogeology and the protection of groundwater from contamination, that have been adopted internationally to protect water supplies in Guelph and many other communities.

References

  1. ↑ "Jacqueline Quinn". ce.gatech.edu. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Evaluation of the constructability of a zero-valent permeable treatment wall using deep-soil mixing and vibro-installation techniques | WorldCat.org". www.worldcat.org. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  3. ↑ admin (September 3, 2016). "Jacqueline Quinn". Florida Inventors Hall of Fame. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  4. ↑ Group, SAE Media (March 2011). "Dr. Jacqueline Quinn, Environmental Engineer, NASA's Surface Systems Office, Kennedy Space Center, Florida". www.techbriefs.com. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  5. ↑ Herridge, Linda (May 15, 2018). "Jackie Quinn Inducted into National Inventors Hall of Fame". NASA. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 Hall, Loura (April 16, 2020). "Environmental Cleanup Courtesy of a NASA Cafeteria Brainstorm". NASA. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  7. ↑ "5 ways NASA tech is making life on Earth better". World Economic Forum. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Making Waves: How ecoSPEARS uses Green, Sustainable Technology to Clean Water". Pegasus Magazine. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  9. ↑ Faces of Technology: Meet Jackie Quinn, April 17, 2020, retrieved January 1, 2023
  10. ↑ WCJB Staff (June 26, 2021). "Dr. Jacqueline Quinn to speak at Cade Museum for state of innovation series". www.wcjb.com. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  11. 1 2 "Women-led team develops tools used to search for water on the Moon". www.mynews13.com. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  12. ↑ Administrator (May 20, 2020). "Meet 8 Visionary Teams Sending Instruments to the Lunar South Pole". Astrobotic. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  13. ↑ "NASA Reveals Moon Location for Ice Drilling Mission Next Year". Futurism. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  14. ↑ "NIHF Inductee Jacqueline Quinn Invented a Way for Cleaning Up the Environment". www.invent.org. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
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