BE MUSES: Proposal for a Planning Grant: Implementing a Natural-based Process for Removing Contaminants in Water

norma a . Alcantar（工程- usf）， Elena Centeno（地质学- usam）， Karla Davis-Salazar（人类学- usf）， Rafael Huizar（地质学- usf）， Babu Joseph（工程- usf）， Michel Picquart（物理学- usam）， Mark Steward（地质学- usf）， Tomas Viveros（工业工程-UAM）这项BE/ MUSES计划资助的目标是开发一种基于经济上可行的“绿色技术”的水净化系统。调查其在墨西哥农村社区的适用性，并为一个完整的MUSES提案制定一个行动计划。目标是为农村社区的低收入居民生产一种经济上可行的水净化方法，使用仙人掌粘液和硅酸盐阵列，这些社区对现有的经济、社会和文化模式很敏感。这个项目超越了国界，因为它包括南佛罗里达大学（USF）的研究人员、墨西哥两所领先的公立大学：墨西哥国立自治大学（UNAM）和墨西哥大都会自治大学（UAM）以及墨西哥国家环境研究所（INE）。拟议的研究区域是墨西哥中部的Temamatla农村社区。它的位置（墨西哥城东南25英里/40公里）对这项研究至关重要，因为它靠近火山土壤，在火山土壤中，当地供水中钴、汞、镍、铜、锌、铁、锰、铬、碘、砷、钼和铅等重金属的浓度可能高于推荐值。这个项目更广泛的影响包括美国和墨西哥研究人员多学科参与与两国有关的问题，这些问题是由于两国的邻近和先前存在的关系。这种合作将促进研究、教育、培训、联网、未来伙伴关系的相互机会和基础设施，最重要的是，拟议的技术将改善目前与水有关的问题和极端需要地区的问题。该奖项将由Tom Waite， BES / ENG和Robert Wellek， CTS / ENG管理。

BE / MUSES :Implementing a Natural-based Process for Removing Contaminants in WaterNorma A. Alcantar (Engineering-USF), Elena Centeno (Geology-UNAM), Karla Davis-Salazar (Anthropology-USF), Rafael Huizar (Geology-UNAM), Babu Joseph (Engineering-USF), Michel Picquart (Physics- UAM), Mark Steward (Geology-USF), Tomas Viveros (Industrial Engineering-UAM)The objectives of this BE/ MUSES planning grant are to develop a water purification system based on an economically viable "green technology", investigate its applicability to a rural community in Mexico, and generate a plan of action for a full MUSES proposal. The goals are to produce an economically feasible method of water purification using cactus mucilage and silicate arrays for low-income inhabitants of rural communities that are sensitive to existing economic, social, and cultural patterns. This project transcends national boundaries as it includes collaborations between investigators at the University of South Florida (USF), two leading Mexican public universities: the 'Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico' (UNAM) and the 'Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana' (UAM), and the National Institute of the Environment (INE) in Mexico. The proposed area of study is the rural community of Temamatla in central Mexico. Its location (25mi/40 km southeast of Mexico City) is critical for this study owing to its proximity to volcanic soils where the concentration of heavy metals such as cobalt, mercury, nickel, copper, zinc, iron, manganese, chromium, iodine, arsenic, molybdenum, and lead in local water supplies may be higher than recommended values. The broader implications of this project include the multidisciplinary participation of American and Mexican researchers in issues that are relevant to both countries owing to their proximity and preexisting ties. Such collaboration will promote mutual opportunities and infrastructure for research, education, training, networking, future partnerships, and most importantly, the proposed technology will improve current water-related issues and problems in areas of extreme need. This award will be managed by Tom Waite, BES / ENG and Robert Wellek, CTS / ENG.