Monitoring the Oconee river basin and surrounding middle Georgia water reservoirs

CHED 252

Lindsey M. Peaden, lindsey_peaden@ecats.gcsu.edu1, Ben Barfield, ben_barfield@ecats.gcsu.edu1, Daniel C. Brooks, daniel_brooks@bobcat.gcsu.edu2, Katherine Harper, katherine_harper@ecats.gcsu.edu1, Steven Rowland, steven_rowland@ecats.gcsu.edu1, David Wilson, david_wilson1@ecats.gcsu.edu1, and Catrena H. Lisse, catrena.lisse@gcsu.edu2. (1) Department of Chemistry and Physics, Georgia College & State University, CBX 082, Milledgeville, GA 31061, (2) Department of Chemistry & Physics, Georgia College & State University, CBX 082, Milledgeville, GA 31061
The disciplines of environmental science and chemistry combine in an effort to monitor the water quality of the Oconee River Basin in Middle Georgia. A total of twenty eight testing locations scattered throughout eight counties in Georgia are monitored on a weekly basis. The testing locations are mapped using Global Positioning Systems to ensure that reproducibility studies are completed in the same locations. The research students have been trained using EPA guidelines on proper water sampling techniques. Various parameters such as pH, water temperature, free and total chlorine, nitrate, and orthophosphate are measured using on-site surface water testing kits. The water is also analyzed for the possible contamination of volatile organic compounds using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. This paper highlights the techniques used and summarizes their results from this combined effort.
 

Undergraduate Research Poster Session: Environmental Chemistry
2:30 PM-4:30 PM, Monday, 11 September 2006 Moscone Center -- Hall D, Poster

Division of Chemical Education

The 232nd ACS National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, September 10-14, 2006