Rapid: Response to Massive Sewer Blockage for Immediate Flood Mitigation and Future Remedies

第1部分本项目的重点是最近密歇根州马科姆县堵塞了一条直径11英尺的污水管道。堵塞威胁到未经处理的污水回流到成千上万的家庭。 堵塞的来源是大量积累的脂肪，油和油脂（FOG）由家庭，工业和餐馆排放到下水道。这种大规模的FOG积聚在大众媒体中被称为“脂肪山”，它们对环境的影响可能是严重的。为了避免地下室洪水泛滥，数百万加仑未经处理的污水被排入附近的克林顿河。这种排放威胁到河流和下游五大湖生态系统的健康。虽然FOG堵塞已经知道了好几年，但由于其罕见且不可预测的形成，我们对其详细化学结构的了解仍然缺乏。如此大规模的FOG阻塞的形成和计划清除为研究这些地层提供了难得的机会。该项目将利用实时视频，压力数据和先进的化学分析来促进我们对FOG堵塞物的物理和化学结构的理解。结果将用于确定与堵塞相关的潜在风险，并为未来有针对性的预防/缓解工作提供信息。一个公共宣传和教育计划将与密歇根科学中心一起制定，以提高认识和了解下水道备份的影响。 大规模下水道堵塞的最常见原因是脂肪、油、油脂（FOG）和固体（包括婴儿湿巾和其他产品）的高粘性和高密度聚集物的增长。这些增长也被称为“脂肪伯格”。考虑到大多数对人类健康有影响的有毒物质是亲脂性的（被脂肪吸引），这些积累很有可能造成重大的健康风险。本研究的目的是通过提取和评估内分泌干扰物，PFAS和其他新兴污染物（包括农药，药品和个人护理产品）的化学浓度来识别脂肪中的感兴趣污染物。 智力价值来自于从一次千载难逢的机会中获得的知识，以评估一个巨大的脂肪山，并重建与其在系统中的存在相关的水力条件。 该项目将带来有关脂肪山的化学和水力特性以及与其生长相关的环境因素的新信息。 由于与密歇根科学中心的合作，该项目将产生更广泛的影响。密歇根科学中心正在为博物馆设计一个教育中心，介绍这种堵塞的发生，以及公众可以采取的缓解措施。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Part 1This project focuses on the recent Macomb County, Michigan blockage of an 11-foot diameter sewage line. The blockage threatens raw sewage back-up into thousands of homes. The source of the blockage is a massive build-up of fats, oils, and greases (FOGs) discharged into the sewer by homes, industry, and restaurants. Such massive FOG buildups have been termed "fatbergs" in the popular press, and their impact on the environment is potentially severe. To avoid basement flooding, millions of gallons of untreated sewage have been discharged into the nearby Clinton River. Such releases threaten the health of the river and the downstream Great Lakes ecosystem. Although FOG blockages have been known for several years, our understanding of their detailed chemical structure is lacking due to their infrequent and unpredictable formation. The formation and planned removal of such a massive FOG blockage presents a rare opportunity to study these formations. This project will utilize real-time video, pressure data, and advanced chemical analysis to advance our understanding of the physical and chemical structure of FOG blockages. The results will be used to identify potential risks associated with blockage and inform future targeted prevention/mitigation efforts. A public outreach and education program will be developed in conjunction with the Michigan Science Center to increase awareness and understanding of the impacts of sewer backups. Part 2The most common cause of large-scale sewer blockage is the growth of highly viscous and dense conglomerations of fats, oils, grease (FOGs) and solids, including baby wipes and other products. These growths are also known as "fatbergs". Given that a majority of toxicants of concern to human health are lipophilic (attracted to fats), these accumulations have a high potential to pose a significant health risk. The objective of this study is to identify contaminants of interest in the fatberg by extracting and evaluating the chemical concentrations of EDCs, PFAS, and other emerging contaminants including pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products. The intellectual merit derives from the knowledge gained from a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to evaluate a massive fatberg and reconstruct the hydraulic conditions associated with its presence in the system. The project will lead to new information about the chemistry and hydraulic characteristics of fatbergs and the environmental considerations associated with their growth. Broader impacts from this project will arise due to the collaboration with the Michigan Science Center, which is designing an educational centerpiece for the museum about the occurrence of such blockages, and actions that the public can adopt to mitigate the occurrence.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.