EAR-PF Whole-stream metabolism dependence on particulate organic carbon and microbes from urban point sources

Jennifer Drummond博士已获得美国国家科学基金会EAR博士后奖学金，在西班牙布兰内斯高级研究中心和内华达州里诺沙漠研究所开展研究和教育活动。该项目的总体目标是研究废水处理厂（WWTP）废水中的颗粒有机碳和微生物如何影响接收流的代谢。这项工作将提高对城市活动引起的环境变化对河流生态系统功能的影响的理解。这些信息可用于指导有关平衡可持续水资源的人类和环境需要的管理和决策。该项目解决了一个全球关注的问题，研究成果将与西班牙、欧洲和美国的众多受众分享。教育计划将包括对大规模开放在线课程的贡献和对MOVILAB的参与。MOVILAB前往不同的村庄，让当地的孩子和成年人有机会在学习当前环境主题的同时获得实践经验。研究计划将包括实验、实地和实验室工作，以及计算开发和分析。该项目将产生关于以下机制的独特数据集：(i)城市渠道中颗粒有机碳（POC）和微生物的运输和保留行为，以及（ii）这如何影响受污水处理厂影响的河流生态系统的代谢。此外，将开发一个计算模型，将溶质、POC和微生物的运输和保留与河流的代谢活动结合起来。该模型可用于连接溶质和颗粒保留的尺度，并研究流内代谢的控制机制。该奖项由国际科学与工程办公室资助。

Dr. Jennifer Drummond has been granted an NSF EAR Postdoctoral Fellowship to carry out research and education activities at the Center for Advance Studies in Blanes, Spain, and the Desert Research Institute in Reno, NV. The overall aim of the project is to examine how particulate organic carbon and microbes from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents influence the metabolism of recipient streams. This work will improve the understanding of the impacts of environmental alterations derived from urban activity on stream ecosystem functioning. The information can be used to guide management and policy decisions related to balancing human and environmental needs for sustainable water resources. The project addresses a worldwide issue of concern and the research results will be shared with multiple audiences in Spain, Europe, and the United States. The education plan will consist of contributions to a massive open on-line course and participation in MOVILAB. The MOVILAB travels to different villages and gives local kids and adults the opportunity to have hands-on experience while learning about current environmental topics.The research plan will include experimental, field and laboratory work together with computational development and analysis. The project will result in a unique data set on the mechanisms underlying (i) transport and retention behavior of particulate organic carbon (POC) and microbes in urban channels and (ii) how this affects the metabolism of WWTP-influenced stream ecosystems. Furthermore, a computational model will be developed that combines transport and retention of solutes, POC, and microbes with the metabolic activity of the stream. This model can be used to link scales of solute and particle retention and examine the controlling mechanism of in-stream metabolism.This award was supported with funding from the Office of International Science & Engineering.