Enrichment Experiences in Engineering    for Secondary Math / Science Teachers and Preservice Teachers

Water, Water….. Everywhere? Water Purification

Mary LeBoulanger

Emmett J. Conrad High School

Dallas ISD

Working with:

Dr. Bryan Boulanger

Environmental and Water Resources Division

Zachry Department of Civil Engineering

Texas A&M University

                                                                                         

  Enrichment Experiences in Engineering    for Secondary Math / Science Teachers and Preservice Teachers

https://ceprofs.civil.tamu.edu/bboulanger/

Our group’s long-term collaborative vision is to address community specific water and energy needs by developing programs that couple innovative education approaches and appropriate technology based solutions needed to improve communities and achieve sustainability. We are currently focused on three areas of research/outreach:

1. Risk management of environmental contaminants 2. Sanitation & Water Treatment Alternatives 3. Alternative fuels development

Boulanger Research GroupMultidisciplinary, Cross-Scale Research for Better Environmental Science ©

Dr. Bryan Boulanger

                                                                                         

  Enrichment Experiences in Engineering    for Secondary Math / Science Teachers and Preservice Teachers

One of the many reasons that water treatment is important

                                                                                         

  Enrichment Experiences in Engineering    for Secondary Math / Science Teachers and Preservice Teachers

Children’s Safe Drinking WaterDr. Greg Allgood,

Contaminated drinking water is a major problem. More than one billion people do not have access to safe water. Diarrhea caused by drinking contaminated water remains a leading cause of illness and death among infants and children in the developing world. About 1.8 million children die every year due to diarrheal diseases. More children die from diarrheal illnesses like cholera and dysentery than from HIV/AIDS or malaria combined. There is conclusive evidence that simple, low-cost interventions at the community level can dramatically improve the quality of household stored water and greatly reduce the risk of diarrheal disease and death. It is well documented that simply providing safe, clean, drinkable water can reduce deadly diarrhea and other devastating diseases by about 50%.

                                                                                         

  Enrichment Experiences in Engineering    for Secondary Math / Science Teachers and Preservice Teachers

Risk management of environmental contaminants

Characterization of societal sources of pharmaceuticals and endocrine disruptors

to the environmentTreatment of pharmaceutical containing

wastewatersHormone cycling

Analytical methods development

Pranav Nagarnaik, Ph.D Student, Texas A&M, Environmental Engineering Program

Education: M.S. Chemical Engineering, Syracuse University, 2007

B.S. Chemical Engineering, Nagpur University, 2005Research Area: Environmental sources of pharmaceuticals and EDCs, treatment of healthcare facility wastewaters

Anticipated Graduation: May 2010

                                                                                         

  Enrichment Experiences in Engineering    for Secondary Math / Science Teachers and Preservice Teachers

What did they find?84% of phenotypic females in the wild salmon tested positive for the male genetic marker. In contrast, none of the hatchery raised females tested positive.

Offspring spawned by mating of real males with sex-reversed males would be either XY or YY instead of all XY, the outcome of normal male to normal female mating. YY would never happen normally. This would lead to a steady decrease in the number of normal females in the population. The fact that only 16% of females were normal (and some if not all of those may have been hatchery, not wild), appears consistent with that prediction.

High Incidence of a Male-Specific Genetic Marker in Phenotypic Female Chinook Salmon from the Columbia River.

                                                                                         

  Enrichment Experiences in Engineering    for Secondary Math / Science Teachers and Preservice Teachers

                                                                                         

  Enrichment Experiences in Engineering    for Secondary Math / Science Teachers and Preservice Teachers

Ishan Desai, M.S. Student, Texas A&M, Environmental Engineering Program

Education: B.Tech. Chemical Engineering National Institute of Technology of Surat, 2007

Research Area: Nano-metal oxide particle reactivity and surface adsorptivity

Anticipated Graduation: May 2009

Ishan is researching the use of a catalyst to increase effectiveness of the ceramic filter in the removal of mercury from water

                                                                                         

  Enrichment Experiences in Engineering    for Secondary Math / Science Teachers and Preservice Teachers

Yousuf Jamal, Fulbright Scholar, M.S. student, Texas A&M, Environmental Engineering ProgramEducation: M.S. E-Business Hamdard University, Karachi, Pakistan, 2001 B.Sc. Chem Engg, Inst. of Chem Engg & Tech, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan, 1998 Research Area: Biofuels from waste materialsAnticipated Graduation: M.S. May 2009

Yousuf is researching the use of biofuels from waste materials. This process would decrease water pollution while increasing fuel availability.

                                                                                         

  Enrichment Experiences in Engineering    for Secondary Math / Science Teachers and Preservice Teachers

Julianne Camacho- working with undergraduate students on a NASA project:

NASA’s future plans for long-term spaceflight will require a constant food and water supply. Consequently, a system must be developed to recover water in order to make longterm spaceflight feasible. Prior to collection, urine is pretreated in order to prevent cloggingof the small diameter collection tubes by biofilm formation and solids precipitation.

Aries rocket----- The next generation of rockets

Urine Pretreatment for Biological Water Recovery

Objective:Identify a non-toxic

pretreatment alternative that is compatible with a

biological water reclamation system.

Test stand for biological water recovery (JSC)

                                                                                         

  Enrichment Experiences in Engineering    for Secondary Math / Science Teachers and Preservice Teachers

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/kids/teachers_9-12.html

But really, why are they doing this?????

                                                                                         

  Enrichment Experiences in Engineering    for Secondary Math / Science Teachers and Preservice Teachers

                                                                                         

  Enrichment Experiences in Engineering    for Secondary Math / Science Teachers and Preservice Teachers

What am I doing here????

We have visited with our graduate students and Dr. Boulanger about all the projects that they are working on. We have chosen to work on water treatment for human use.

We will be working on the NASA project and on developing a filter that will remove arsenic from water that has been run through the ceramic filter. The ceramic filter will remove the biological contaminants and will remove debris but has not been shown to remove the arsenic that is found in the water of South Texas. We are working on a filter that will be located in front of the spigot that will have a catalyst that will remove arsenic from the drinking water.

I also have been privileged to go to East Texas and tag along while a group of students from Eastfield College in Dallas did environmental research. I met people that work in the area of my high school that are interested in collaborating with us to create an outdoor classroom and to help me in other areas with my students.

                                                                                         

  Enrichment Experiences in Engineering    for Secondary Math / Science Teachers and Preservice Teachers

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/kids/teachers_9-12.html

Acknowledgements include:Dr. Bryan BolangerPranav NaganaikIshan DesaiYousuf JamalJulianne CamachoKamilah WarrenEach of the E3 participantsAll of the faculty and staff that are working so hard to make this program a successAnd NSF for providing funds for this adventure