Mentor(s)

Stephen O’Shea, Chemistry, Roger Williams University

Project Location

Roger Williams University

Project Description

Biochemical conversion is a valuable requisite for predicting the fate and rate with which xenobiotics may be transformed in the soil-water sphere. The goal of this research is to further understand the in-situ transformations of halo-organics (HCs) in core ocean sediment and wet land samples under various oxidation/reduction potential conditions of Narragansett Bay RI. The analysis of sediment and soil pore water by ion chromatography (anion/cation) will elucidate the primary micro-organismal metabolic catabolic oxidant and potential abiotic oxidant and allow to easily ascertain substrate halide release rates. Measuring directly a site’s insitu capacity (soil/water) for transformation by treating it with a HC substrate that is capable of undergoing the fundamental processes of oxidation, reduction, and substitution lets the chemistry that occurs define the site. Both the nature and rates of these transformation can be assessed with carbon-labeled 13C2 substrates and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy analysis and head space gas chromatograph/mass spectroscopy.

This novel strategy aims to delignate Narragansett Bay varied biogeochemical insitu transformation of halo organics with minimal pretreatment and manipulation of soil/water sample in real time. The characteristics and rate of transformation of the HC substrate at these various sampled sites will be a predictor of the sites ability to respond to anthropogenic pollution event. This directed research work will also foster future scientific collaborations in furthering our understanding of HC biogeochemical cycling, identifying novel sources of atmospheric HC trace gases and key elemental HCs as building blocks of life.

This project gives hands on approach to environmental bioorganic chemistry and will complement a student’s science major’s courses. The project will allow the students to expand their breadth of knowledge in chemistry and will expose them to a number of varied techniques (not experienced in the general laboratories) making them more marketable in their career choices. From this study they will gain an appreciation of the biological processes at the mechanistic level and an understanding of the many subtleties in developing new compounds for applied applications. The students will be exposed to traditional laboratory instruments, their operations and applications UV/Vis, FTIR, NMR, ICP-OES spectroscopy which will be concurrent with the more sophisticated HPLC and GC with inline various detectors notably IC and MS.

This project involves lab work

Required/Preferred skills

Beginning junior science student – Chemistry, environmental science or biology major

Will the project require transportation to field sites? No

Is this project open to Surf Flex? Yes

In which core facilities might student conduct research? RI Center for Nanoscience & Nanotechnology

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