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

由于水中存在汞，北卡罗来纳州正在接受全州范围内的鱼类消费咨询。 汞通过食物网进行生物积累，可能对人类健康有害。 木材河中的几种鱼类受到甲基汞污染。 木材河流经罗伯逊县，那里居住着许多土著居民和非洲裔美国人。 罗伯逊县也位于沿着北卡罗来纳州海岸，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的水和沉积物中的汞含量。 该项目的智力价值方面将导致对受损流域，特别是少数民族社区附近的流域进行额外监测。 这项研究的更广泛的影响包括让代表性不足的少数民族参与真正的地球科学，并提供对淡水资源中汞污染的见解，并阐明这些问题的解决方案。该项目还将支持在历史上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，以评估污染和暴露的水平，可能达到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州中央大学的研究能力，这是一所历史上的黑人学院和大学，方法是：1）支持为STEM中代表性不足的群体成员的早期职业教师发展水文科学专业网络，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木材河沿着的两个地点收集水和沉积物样本，并分析其总汞和甲基汞。 将在现场测量水质参数，包括pH值、温度、溶解氧、浊度和电导率，以确定容易测量的水质参数与污染之间的关系。 更广泛的影响包括在地球科学领域发展多样化的劳动力。该项目将支持代表性不足的学生参与研究和科学传播。学生将提交摘要，在全国会议上展示数据，并将收集实验室技能，使他们在寻找工作和研究生课程时具有市场价值。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

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.