CAREER: Assessing the Potential for Natural and Enhanced Abiotic Transformation of Organic Pollutants in Natural Systems

University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus, Norman OK

Investigators

Abstract

0093332 Butler The National Research Council estimates that between 300,000 and 400,000 sites with soil and ground-water contamination exist in the United States, and that up to $1 trillion will be spent to clean up these sites over the next 30 years ( 1 ). To be effective, this cleanup effort will require a variety of remedial technologies. While natural attenuation is a demonstrated "technology" for the remediation of certain contaminated sites, the processes that constitute natural attenuation, including sorption, biodegradation, and abiotic transformation, are only generally understood. The least studied of these processes is probably abiotic transformation of organic pollutants by minerals, both alone and in the presence of natural organic matter--the focus of this proposed research. Abiotic transformations are likely to be particularly important under conditions inhospitable to microbial growth, such as high pollutant concentrations and low temperatures. Since these conditions prevail at many contaminated sites, it is important to quantify to the fullest extent possible the contribution of mineral mediated transformations to pollutant natural attenuation. The specific objectives of this research are: (1) identification of the pollutants and pollutant classes likely to undergo significant abiotic transformation in the presence of minerals and compounds representative of natural organic matter (NOM), (2) correlation of reaction rates with the molecular properties of the pollutant and NOM model compound, and with solution conditions such as pH, ionic strength, and temperature, and (3) identification and evaluation of techniques for enhancing abiotic pollutant natural attenuation. While there is international recognition of the need for interdisciplinary research on complex environmental problems such as pollutant natural attenuation, there is no consensus on how best to train scientists and engineers to conduct interdisciplinary research. The educational activities described in this proposal seek to train students in these strategies, and to identify effective practices for teaching environmental scientists and engineers to be interdisciplinary. Specific objectives include (1) implementation of an interdisciplinary undergraduate research program in which students from chemistry and environmental science and engineering departments serve as visiting researchers in each others' laboratories and (2) development of an interdisciplinary graduate course addressing pollutant natural attenuation. A suite of techniques will be employed to assess the effectiveness of these educational activities, including student portfolios and written self-assessments, student questionnaires, and interdisciplinary peer and faculty review of student reports and presentations.***