CAREER: Toward Resilient Stormwater Quality Practices: Biotransformation for Sustained Removal of Emerging Contaminants

暴雨径流是一个全国性的挑战，其范围随着人口和城市化的增加而增加。当雨水落在街道、屋顶和其他坚硬的表面上时，污染物可能被冲进河流和湖泊，影响水生生物和饮用水水源。绿色雨水处理是为了去除雨水污染物而开发的，作为这一问题的解决方案。尽管这项技术有可能将雨水从废物转化为宝贵的资源，但大多数系统中的处理机制却知之甚少。这种知识差距阻碍了这项技术的更广泛采用。为了解决这一差距，研究小组将使用尖端的化学和生物分析工具来了解细菌、真菌和植物如何与工程雨水过滤介质结合，以提高处理效率。对社会的更广泛影响包括更广泛地采用廉价、低维护的雨水处理系统，以改善水质和保护国家的饮用水水源。调查员将让大中学生参与到教与学的连续体中来，以提高科学素养。一个额外的好处是加强了来自不同背景的学生进入供水科学和工程领域的“管道”。这个职业项目的研究目标是提供对雨水绿色基础设施系统中耦合的生物和非生物过程的基本见解，以维持污染物的去除。该研究计划的具体目标是：1)发现生物增强雨水入渗介质的新方法；2)确定雨水污染物在植物中的吸收和转化；以及3)表征生物-非生物氧化还原耦合转化。先进的高分辨率质谱学与半靶向代谢组学相结合，将用于阐明新的污染物转化产物和途径。新的生物富集方法将被应用于创建具有氧化还原活性吸附表面的雨水过滤介质。利用X射线光电子能谱和电化学对雨水污染物转化过程中的电子穿梭进行表征。该研究计划将完全纳入正式评估的教育计划，以吸引公众关注水质问题，并激励和培训下一代科学家和工程师。教育目标将：1)创建8年级的水科学和工程内容单元，通过吸引大学生来满足教师对下一代科学标准的需求；2)接待STEM教育教师，以获得实践研究经验；3)在STEM节上让公众参与雨水质量主题；以及4)向现有的从业者和决策者传播研究成果。综合研究和教育计划将有助于推动社会在面对非点源污染物日益增加的影响时转向低能源水质解决方案，并将雨水从废物转化为资源。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Stormwater runoff is a national challenge that increases in scope as population and urbanization increases. When rain falls on streets, rooftops, and other hard surfaces, contaminants can be washed into rivers and lakes, impacting aquatic life and drinking water sources. Green stormwater treatment was developed to remove stormwater contaminants as a solution to this problem. Although this technology has potential to transform stormwater from a waste to a valuable resource, the treatment mechanisms in most systems is poorly understood. This knowledge gap prevents the wider adoption of this technology. To address this gap, the research team will use cutting-edge chemical and biological analytical tools to understand how bacteria, fungi, and plants combine with engineered stormwater filter media for enhanced treatment efficiency. The broader impacts to society include wider adoption of inexpensive, low-maintenance stormwater treatment systems to improve water quality and protect the Nation's drinking water sources. The investigator will engage college and middle school students in the teaching-learning continuum to increase scientific literacy. An added benefit is the enhancement of the 'pipeline' of students from diverse backgrounds into the field of water supply science and engineering.The research goal of this CAREER project is to provide fundamental insights into the coupled biological and abiotic processes in stormwater green infrastructure systems to sustain contaminant removal. Specific objectives of the research plan are to: 1) discover novel approaches to bioaugment stormwater infiltration media; 2) determine uptake and transformation of stormwater contaminants in plants; and 3) characterize coupled biological-abiotic redox transformations. Advanced high-resolution mass spectrometry coupled with semi-targeted metabolomics will be used to elucidate novel contaminant transformation products and pathways. New biological enrichment approaches will be applied to create stormwater filtration media with redox-active sorptive surfaces. Electron shuttling for stormwater contaminant transformation will be characterized using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electrochemistry. The research plan will be fully integrated into a formally-assessed education plan to engage the public on water quality and inspire and train the next generation of scientists and engineers. Educational objectives will: 1) create 8th grade water science and engineering content modules to meet teacher needs for next generation science standards by engaging university students; 2) host STEM education teachers for hands-on research experiences; 3) engage members of the public on stormwater quality topics at STEM festivals; and 4) disseminate research to current practitioners and decision makers. The integrated research and education plan will help move society toward low-energy water quality solutions in the face of increasing impacts from non-point pollutants and shift stormwater from a waste to a resource.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.