Research Projects 2004

The Development of MEMS-based Integrated Wireless Remote Biosensors
District of Columbia Drinking Water Blind Taste Testing Project
"DC H 20: What’s On Tap?”
Identification of PCB and Chlordane Sources in the Anacostia River Watershed
Effects of Pelletized Poultry Manure and Vegetable Production on Vadose Zone Water Quality
Assessment of Soil Erosion at a DC Park Facility and Its Potential Effect on the Quality of DC Water Resources

The Development of MEMS-based Integrated Wireless Remote Biosensors

Principal Investigator:         Dr. Esther T. Ososanya
                                           Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering                                            University of the District of Columbia

The main theme for this research, education, and training project related to environmental stress assessment for watershed management, ecological quality, and drinking water security. This project proposes the design and implementation of an integrated wireless, low-power embedded biosensor monitoring system for the acquisition and transmission of biological functions from aquatic animals. These signals can be used to measure the stress induced in aquatic animals due to water pollution. The proposed research is a collaboration between the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department, the Environmental Science Department, and the Water Resources Research Institute.

Oysters biological functions being monitored	Student examines biosensor probed oyster

This solar panel will be used to provide electrical energy for field research at the riverside when testing the bio-sensors.

District of Columbia Drinking Water Blind Taste Testing Project
Principal Investigator(s):       Dr. Lillie Monroe-Lord
                                              Dawanna James , MS
                                              Center for Nutrition, Diet and Health
                                              Cooperative Extension Service
                                              University of the District of Columbia

This project seeks to gather information on consumers’ consumption of the District’s drinking water. The overall goal is to determine the level of consumption of DC drinking water and make recommendations in order to increase consumption by individuals who live and work in the District of Columbia. The main objectives are to conduct drinking water Blind Taste Testing to a cross-sectional sample of individuals who live and/or work in DC and to determine the types of water being consumed and the factors related to the selection of drinking water by these individuals.
The Center for Nutrition, Diet and Health (CNDH) is conducting a double blind water taste testing project called "The District of Columbia Drinking Water Blind Taste Testing Project". The program is designed to determine the comfort level and water intakes of the residents and employees of the District of Columbia. The water taste samples consist of several different types of drinking waters. The program is conducted at community health fairs and after Sunday church services throughout the city. We have currently conducted this program at five area sites: the Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church Family Life Center "Be Healthy 4 Life Day", Miles Memorial C.M.E., Coalition for the Homeless "Healthcare Fair", the New Commandment Baptist Church "Community Resource Day", the UDC "Open House", and at the Shiloh Baptist Church "HIV Health Fair" facilitated by Ervin "Magic" Johnson. Results will be statistically analyzed and reported when the project is completed.

CNDH Student Interns	Interns assess taste test survey Information

“DC H 20: What’s On Tap?”

Principal Investigator:             Dr. Rovenia Brock-Riggins
                                               4-H/Youth Development Specialist
                                               Cooperative Extension Service
                                               University of the District of Columbia

Recent issues of lead and bacteria contamination in the District’s drinking water have become a major concern of the residents and policy-makers. The Water and Sewer Authority, responsible for distributing treated water to DC residents has taken the brunt of the blame and has developed mechanisms to disseminate water quality information to its clients. The Geographic Information System (GIS) is one method of reporting the status of the city’s water supply and the progress made by government entities responsible for the safety of said supply. However, the majority of DC residents are not familiar with this new technology and cannot interpret nor understand the results provided. This project will introduce the GIS technology as a water resources management tool to DC 4-H youth, ages 12 to 18. They will learn to collect water samples, input results into GIS using global positioning system (GPS) units, and interpret the data collected. The objective is to train future leaders in the field of water resources management. Two student interns from the Department of Education are currently developing the training curriculum to begin implementation at 16 DC Public Schools and 16 Community Centers, two per Ward. As the city seeks to improve the perception and possible quality of the water supply, the concepts of GIS, the new tool utilized for disseminating water resources data, may be useful to youth and DC residents as well.

Identification of PCB and Chlordane Sources in the Anacostia River Watershed
Principal Investigator:       Dr. Harriette L. Phelps
                                         Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences
                                         University of the District of Columbia

The 10 km freshwater Anacostia River estuary in Washington, DC, is one of three Areas of Concern in the Chesapeake Bay and is listed among America's 10 worst rivers.  Although the nearby Potomac River estuary is considered healthy, the Anacostia has resident fish (catfish) with many skin tumors and there are few living animals or clams in the sediments, probably due to high levels in sediments of PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from oil and burning fuel).  DC residents like to fish in the Anacostia in spite of fish consumption warnings due to high levels in fish tissues of chlordane (a banned insecticide) and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls from industry).   One suspected source of these toxic pollutants has been the contaminated sediments of the Anacostia estuary. But there has been little study of tributary sources of these contaminants which may be even more important. The planned development of the DC waterfront is increasing interest in the health of its Anacostia River.

        Translocation of molluscs for accumulation of water pollutants is considered a good method for detecting bioavailable low-level variable water contamination.   In earlier phases of this study, Corbicula clams from the nearby Potomac were placed in bags at sites in the Anacostia River estuary and in Anacostia.  After several weeks the clam tissues were analyzed for accumulation of EPA Priority Pollutants.  These included seven metals, 18 PAHs, 20 pesticides and 26 PCBs.  This clam translocation and bioaccumulation method has enabled us to begin to map sources of Priority Pollutants in the watershed. 

        Metals were higher than healthy Potomac clams at only one site.  PAHs were high at all but two Prince George's tributary sites.  Pesticides including chlordane were high at three tributary sites.  PCBs were high in one tributary.  The first research objective of the present study was to identify the furthest upstream sites in tributaries contributing to the fishing advisory bioavailable PCBs and chlordane.  This was accomplished for PCBs.  The second objective was to find minimum translocation time for maximum contaminant bioaccumulation, which was identified at two weeks.  UDC undergraduate students have been involved in all phases of this study and several papers have been presented by them at scientific conferences.

Student interns perform lab work.

Effects of Pelletized Poultry Manure and Vegetable Production on Vadose Zone Water Quality
Principal Investigator:            Dr. James Allen
                                              Agricultural Experiment Station
                                              University of the District of Columbia

The excess levels of phosphorous and nitrogen in the Chesapeake Bay have been attributed to the poultry industry’s storage of poultry manure and the farmland application of poultry manure as a fertilizer and soil amendment. The way the manure is stored causes phosphorous and nitrogen rich rain runoff, which enters the local waterways and ultimately ends up in the Bay.

Local waterway	Installation of lysimeters in field

Its use on farms causes these nutrients to leach into the water table, also reaching the Bay. Since a connection between the poor water quality of the Bay and the practices of the poultry industry in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia has been made; an agreement called The Chesapeake Bay Agreement has been signed. This agreement promises to reduce the phosphorous and nitrogen level of Bay water by 40% by the year 2010.

Perdue AgriRecycle, Inc. has cleaned, sterilized and pelletized the manure to decrease the rate of its nutrients releasing. This experiment was designed to determine the effectiveness of this new product on crop and vegetable production as well as monitoring the quantities of nutrients found in the vadose zone water. The vadose zone is an area of unsaturated soil above the ground water table. It is important to monitor this area because potential hazards can be detected before they reach the water table.

The type of soil water sampler that we used in this experiment to monitor the vadose zone water quality is a lysimeter. The lysimeter model used was a 1920F1 pressure/vacuum soil water sampler. It is a 2 foot long PVC tube that is 1.5 inches in diameter. There is a 2 bar porous ceramic cup connected to one end and two quarter inch tube connectors protruding from the other end, which is otherwise sealed. One of the connectors is for pressure/vacuum and the other is for collecting the water sample. A 2006G2 pressure/vacuum hand pump with gauge is used to extract the sample by connecting the hose to the pressure/vacuum connector and applying pressure, forcing the water sample out of the hose attached to the other connector and into the collection jar. The water sample will be out-sourced to a laboratory for analysis.

Twenty-four lysimeters were placed in the field at two different depths. This was done to get a good idea of the amount of leaching at the different depths and with the varying soil composition within the area of the field. Twelve lysimeters were placed at 18 inches deep and the other twelve at 36 inches deep. The twelve lysimeters that were placed at 36” each had a PVC pipe that was 1.5” in diameter and 1.5’ in length attached to it by means of a stainless steel coupler to protect the hoses coming out of the connection tubes.To draw the nutrients in the soil to the surface of the field, a bushel bag (56 lbs) of cover crop of rye was planted for the winter months.

Assessment of Soil Erosion at a DC Park Facility and Its Potential Effect on the Quality of DC Water Resources

 Principal Investigators:                     Inder J. Bhambri, Ph.D., P.E.
                                                          Philip L. Brach, Ph.D., P.E.
                                                          Ahmet Zeytinci, Ph.D., P.E.
                                                          Department of Engineering & Aerospace
                                                          Technology, UDC

Sediments transported from soil erosion contribute significantly to the total suspended solids (TSS) pollution load of DC water resources. According to the Anacostia River Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) for TSS report by DC Department of Health/Bureau of Environmental Quality, there are excessive concentrations of TSS in DC water resources. Potential pollution sources identified are combined sewer overflows, storm sewer overflow, and stormwater runoff or soil erosion. Recent observations indicate that many of DC Park/Recreation facilities have soil erosion problems, potentially contributing to increase TSS. This is especially so for the Spring Valley Park Facility located on 4900 Fordham St. N.W. Washington, DC. It has a stream in close proximity that receives eroded material. In an effort to reduce TSS load to DC water resources, a detailed assessment study of soil erosion at this Park Facility has been conducted.

This assessment includes sources and forms of soil erosion, annual soil loss from site, distance to water resources, soil transport mechanisms, and effects of total suspended solids on nearby water resources. A cost analysis with recommendations for corrective actions and site maintenance will be provided. This assessment can be used as a model for future assessments of DC Park facilities and similar recommendations implemented as corrective and/or maintenance actions.

In an initial visit to the park preliminary information regarding the topography, soil erosion problems, soil types and any existing corrective action in place will be documented. Thereafter the facility will be mapped using GPS technology. Sites with conditions that have the potential for soil erosion will be identified and characteristics documented by site inspection. Sod and/or soil samples will be collected from the site for evaluation in the laboratory. See page and erosion characteristics will be assessed using hydrology and soils test equipment.

Based on the field and laboratory studies the following outcomes will be reported:

• Identification of sites with existing soil erosion problems,
• Identification of sites with significant potential of soil erosion,
• An estimation of annual soil loss from the park,
• Preliminary engineering designs and cost estimates of potential corrective measures to minimize soil erosion,
• Propose design considerations for the prevention of future soil erosion,
• Preliminary engineering designs and cost analysis of containment measures for sites with existing significant soil erosion.

The University of the District of Columbia maintains an excellent state of the art soils laboratory which is equipped to perform virtually all test needed to evaluate erosion characteristics of soil. Additionally, a hydrological test apparatus will be used to study soil seepage, effect of rainfall on soil with and without sod, and flow of water through soil samples collected at the site. It is intended that this assessment will serve as a model to establish a “study procedure and process” that may be applied to other DC park facilities with similar problems.