Soil Distrurbed by Municipal and Agricultural Waste Loads from Natural Storm Disasters: Impact of Nitrogen Trace Gas Emissions in Eastern North Carolina Due to Hurricane Floyd

Duke University, Durham NC

Investigators

Abstract

0000488 Peirce This is an award to support research to advance our understanding of processes responsible for nitrogen production, transformation and transport in soil that were made possible by studying the extremely large disturbances caused by the hurricane in September of 1999 (designated as Hurricane Floyd) that adversely impacted the environmental quality of rural and urban regions of North Carolina. The proposal leading to this award was submitted to NSF under the Special Guidelines for an SGER (Small Grant for Exploratory Research) in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (NSF 94-2). The research to be conducted under this SGER will be coordinated with research being conducted under NSF Grant No. 98-03746 in which the investigator is studying the significance of nitric oxide flux from sludge-amended soils under conditions that simulate field application. Results of the research supported by the SGER are expected to provide the basis for further research on the potential for biologically augmenting and enhancing the decontamination of soil that has been polluted by gasoline, lubricating oil and diesel fuel that has leaked from underground storage tanks or otherwise entered soil where the hydrocarbons pose a potential for contaminating groundwater. ***