CAREER: Molecular-Level Characterization of Bonding and Bioavailability of Monoaromatic Pollutants Associated wtih Dissolved Organic Carbon

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Mark Nanny 9732969 This is an award to support a project proposed in accord with the Guidelines for Submission of Proposals to the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program, NSF 97-87. As such, it has both a research and educational component. The investigator's research objectives are to conduct work that characterizes non- covalent reactions of dissolved organic carbon with water pollutants that affects their bioavailability, transferability in aquifers and other factors that can be applied to engineering design of systems to reduce the pollutional impact of leachate from landfills. The dissolved organic compounds he plans on using have been isolated from the Norman Landfill leachate and include humic acid, fulvic acid and hydrophilic organic matter. The investigator plans on using deuterium-labeled aromatic compounds such as toluene, ethylbenzene, nitrobenzene, phenol, aniline, benzoic acid and methoxybenzene derivatives in addition to pyridine and quinoline in the characterization of their reactions with natural organic carbonaceous substances. The Principal Investigator's educational component has an outreach component aspect for involving secondary school teachers, their students and undergraduates in environmental research focussed on an actual problem such as those associated with management of the leachate from a local landfill. This problem addresses environmental issues that are expected to motivate students because of their immediate importance, scientific and technological complexity. The investigator plans on inaugurating a summer program for high school students who will assist in designing a research project to be conducted by them during the succeeding academic year. The investigator also plans on implementation of the use of advanced analytical instrumentation in undergraduate classes and integrating the results of his research in the engineering design and implementation of systems for solving hazardous waste management problem s. ***