Excellence in Research: Investigating the Water Quality of the Lumber River

由于水中含有汞，北卡罗来纳州正在全州范围内发布鱼类消费建议。汞通过食物网进行生物积累，可能对人体健康有害。木材河中的几种鱼类已被甲基汞污染。木材河流经罗布森县，那里居住着许多土著居民和非洲裔美国人。罗布森县也位于北卡罗莱纳海岸，过去曾遭受飓风袭击，造成了更多的水质问题。该项目旨在分析木材河中水和沉积物的汞含量。该项目的智力价值方面将导致对受损流域的额外监测，特别是少数民族社区附近的流域。这项研究的广泛影响包括让代表性不足的少数民族参与真正的地球科学，为淡水资源中的汞污染提供见解，并阐明这些问题的解决方案。该项目还将支持一所历史悠久的黑人学院和大学的早期职业研究员的发展。这项研究将产生水质数据，以评估污染水平和暴露，可能达到在木材河服务不足的人口。该项目还将有助于发展北卡罗来纳中央大学的研究能力，这是一所历史上的黑人学院和大学，通过1)支持水文科学专业网络的发展，为STEM中代表性不足的群体的早期职业教师提供支持，2)获得初步数据以建立工作假设，3)创建并提交具有竞争力的nsf卓越研究（EiR）提案。研究活动包括每月从Lumber河沿岸的两个地点收集水和沉积物样本，并分析它们的总汞和甲基汞。水质参数，包括pH值，温度，溶解氧，浊度和电导率，将在现场测量，以发展容易测量的水质参数和污染之间的关系。更广泛的影响包括发展地球科学领域的多样化劳动力。该项目将支持代表性不足的学生参与研究和科学传播。学生们将提交摘要，在全国会议上展示数据，并将收集实验室技能，这将使他们在找工作和研究生项目时具有市场价值。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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。

North Carolina is under a state-wide fish consumption advisory due to the presence of mercury in water. Mercury bioaccumulates through food webs and can be harmful to human health. Several fish species in the Lumber River have been contaminated with methylmercury. The Lumber River flows through Robeson county, where many indigenous populations and African-Americans reside. Robeson county is also located along the coast of North Carolina and has been battered by hurricanes in the past, creating more water quality concerns. This project seeks to analyze the mercury levels of water and sediment in the Lumber River. The intellectual merit aspect of this project will lead to extra monitoring of impaired watersheds especially those near minority communities. Broader Impacts for this research include engaging underrepresented minorities in authentic geoscience and providing insight to mercury contamination in freshwater sources and elucidate solutions to these problems. The project will also support the development of an early-career researcher at a Historically Black College and University. This research will generate water quality data to assess the level of contamination and exposure that may be reaching underserved populations in the Lumber River. The project will also serve to develop research capacity at North Carolina Central University, a Historically Black College and University, by 1) supporting the development of a professional network in the hydrological sciences for an early career faculty who is a member of underrepresented groups in STEM, 2) obtain preliminary data to build a working hypothesis and 3) create and submit a competitive NSF-Excellence in Research (EiR) proposal. The research activities involve collecting water and sediment samples on a monthly basis from 2 sites along the Lumber river and analyzing them for total mercury and methylmercury. Water quality parameters, including pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and conductivity, will be measured in situ to develop relationships between easily measured water quality parameters and contamination. Broader impacts include the development of a diverse workforce in earth sciences. The project will support participation of underrepresented students in research and science dissemination. Students will submit abstracts to present data at national conferences and will glean laboratory skills that will make them marketable as they look for jobs and graduate programs.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.