Grantee Research Project Results
2004 Progress Report: Managing Soil and Water Contamination Using Innovative Predictive and Remediative Treatment Techniques (SIP)
EPA Grant Number: R829422E01Title: Managing Soil and Water Contamination Using Innovative Predictive and Remediative Treatment Techniques (SIP)
Investigators: Shea, Patrick J.
Institution: University of Nebraska at Lincoln
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: August 5, 2002 through August 4, 2004 (Extended to August 4, 2005)
Project Period Covered by this Report: August 5, 2003 through August 4, 2004
Project Amount: $17,400
RFA: EPSCoR (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) (2001) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: EPSCoR (The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research)
Objective:
Objective of Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP)
The objectives of this SIP are to: (1) form a unique clustering of multidisciplinary expertise that will be strongly competitive for funding; (2) increase interactions between science and engineering; (3) increase the visibility and recognition of the University of Nebraska as an active contributor to the growing area of environmental remediation and restoration; (4) attract graduate and undergraduate students; and (5) promote technology transfer for environmentally responsible economic development in Nebraska and the region.
Progress Summary:
Form a Unique Clustering of Multidisciplinary Expertise That Will Be Strongly Competitive for Funding
We have continued to strengthen and expand collaborations between University faculty in Natural Resources, Chemistry, Physics, and Civil Engineering. Several multidisciplinary research, education, and demonstration proposals were submitted during this period. We were successful in obtaining additional new Nebraska Research Initiative funding for our proposal, “Building Surface Analysis into a New University Infrastructure in Environmental Science.” Principal investigators (PIs) include P.J. Shea (Natural Resources), M.A. Langell (Chemistry), P.D. Burrow (Physics), S.D. Comfort (Natural Resources), and T.C. Zhang (Civil Engineering). This research and education project includes Science and Engineering Environmental Research (SEER) PIs and a surface chemist (M. Langell).
S.D. Comfort, SEER I (R829422E02) co-PI, also received a grant from the U.S. Geological Survey 104b program for Fe0 treatment of PCB contamination, a Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP)-funded project with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for dithionite treatment of munitions-contaminated groundwater, and had contracts through Sandia National Laboratory and BWXT Pantex for permanganate and ozone treatment of munitions contamination.
Although a proposal was planned, the Department of Energy Laboratory Partnership program was not available in 2004. Additional new proposals submitted, but not funded include:
- “Novel Use of Graphitic Materials for Enhanced Remediation of Emergent and Common Groundwater Contaminants,” M.C. Morley (Civil/Environmental Engineer), P.J. Shea, and D.D. Snow (Environmental and Analytical Chemist), a 3-year $333,917 preproposal submitted to the Department of Defense (DoD) SERDP.
- “Corrosion Products and Their Effects on Iron Reactivity in Fe0-Promoted Remediation Processes: Cluster Modeling and Computer Simulation,” T.C. Zhang, a 2-year, $203,875 proposal submitted to the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation.
Increase Interactions Between Science and Engineering
In addition to the collaborative science and engineering research proposals listed above, Dr. Jang-Eok Kim, an environmental biochemist from Kungpook National University (Korea), presented a seminar, “Remediation through Bound Residue Formation of Xenobiotics with Humic Substances by Oxidative Catalysts,” describing his group’s research on the use of oxidoreductase enzymes to degrade pesticides and to promote humification and the formation of bound residues in soil. Dr. Kim began a one-year sabbatical with SIP PI and SEER co-PI Shea in January 2004. He is interested in coupling enzyme treatment with Fe0 as a remediation strategy and engineering this process in the field.
Increase the Visibility and Recognition of the University as an Active Contributor to the Growing Area of Environmental Remediation and Restoration
SEER II (R829422E02) PI Zhang gave an oral presentation at a Science To Achieve Results (STAR) grant seminar). Additional presentations at professional meetings and conferences further increased the visibility and recognition of our research and education activities.
Attract Graduate and Undergraduate Students
Three Natural Resources Ph.D. students, two Civil Engineering Ph.D. students, one Environmental Engineering M.S. student, an Environmental Toxicology M.S. student, and a Postdoctoral Research Associate and undergraduate student in Physics were supported in part or were otherwise affiliated with this project during the report period. Dr. Jeong Park successfully completed her Ph.D. dissertation and graduated from our degree program. Dr. Park currently is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Arkansas.
Mr. Jong-Sung Kim, M.S. (Kangwon National University, Korea), with experience in Fe0-promoted remediation of heavy metal contamination, began a one-year internship (funded by the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation) with our group in March 2004. Mr. Kim has applied to our environmental toxicology program and hopes to begin a Ph.D. program in January 2005. We received additional inquiries from potential students interested in basic and applied aspects of environmental remediation and in our growing Environmental Chemistry, Engineering, and Toxicology programs at University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
Promote Technology Transfer for Environmentally Responsible Economic Development in Nebraska and the Region
During Year 2 of the project, technology transfer was accomplished through presentations and publications.
Additional Activities
- Dr. Yong H. Huang joined SEER II PI Zhang as a postdoctoral research associate in October 2003.
- SIP PI Shea offered a new graduate course, “Readings in Environmental Remediation and Restoration.” Seven students have enrolled in the course.
- SEER I co-PI Comfort offered a new laboratory component with his “Soil Environmental Chemistry” course in the 2004 spring semester, for which five students enrolled in both the lecture and laboratory sections.
Future Activities:
The Nebraska U.S. EPA/EPSCoR program includes the following SIP plans:
- Additional presentations will be given at scientific meetings in Year 3 of the project.
- Additional publications will be prepared and submitted.
- After an unsuccessful initial submission, our multidisciplinary research group will submit another proposal to the DoD SERDP in 2005.
- A National Science Foundation Nanoscale Interdisciplinary Research Team program proposal will be submitted.
- We anticipate submitting a research proposal to the Department of Energy open solicitation in the area of environmental remediation.
- We will continue working with University of Nebraska-Lincoln administration to strengthen the toxicology component of our research and education program so that we can be competitive for future funding through the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Superfund Basic Research Program. Initial research funding may be sought through the University of Nebraska Research Cluster Program. Environmental Toxicology Program faculty are considering a Department of Education Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need FY 2006 program proposal.
- We will seek additional research funding through EPA, other federal and regional agencies, and state programs.
- Two M.S. students and two Ph.D. students are expected to complete their degree programs and at least two new students will begin graduate study in the third year of the project.
- In the third year, the SIP PI (and SEER II co-PI) will offer a revised graduate course, “Xenobiotics in the Environment” (Fate and ecotoxicological impacts of biologically foreign compounds in soil-water-plant environments; uptake, mechanisms of toxicity and metabolism in plants and other biota).
- Our group will host one or more seminar speakers at University Nebraska–Lincoln during the third year of the project.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 6 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
cleanup, restoration, environmental chemistry, physics, engineering, Northcentral, Nebraska, NE, Strategic Implementation Plan, SIP, Science and Engineering Environmental Research, SEER,, Scientific Discipline, INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, Geographic Area, Waste, Ecology, Contaminated Sediments, Remediation, Environmental Chemistry, State, Ecology and Ecosystems, Environmental Engineering, sediment treatment, predictive understanding, contaminated sediment, remediation technologies, reductive treatment, contaminated soil, hazardous waste, zero valent iron, groundwater remediation, contaminated groundwater, ecology assessment models, contaminated aquifersProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.