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| Fiscal Year 2007 |
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| Fiscal Year 2005 |
| Fiscal Year 2004 |
To view faculty research from the most recent fiscal year, visit our Recent Research page.
To view all previously funded research, please visit our Annual Report Archive.
Fiscal Year 2007
A Quantitative Approach to Linking Temporal Variations of Groundwater Level with Nitrogen Cycling in New Jersey Wetlands
Associate Professor Daniel Giménez1 and Professor Joan Ehrenfeld2
1Department of Environmental Sciences
2Dept. of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Wetlands are considered one of the most valuable terrestrial ecosystems because of their multiple functions, including as regulators of biogeochemical cycles. Previous research has demonstrated that New Jersey wetlands located in developed areas experience rapid and frequent wet/dry periods. At the core of this proposal is the hypothesis that data analysis techniques in combination with site-related information can separate and identify the factors determining the dynamics of groundwater fluctuation at a site. Furthermore, we hypothesized that these factors interact with spatial variation in soil properties to determine N cycling in wetland soils. Specific hypotheses of the research are: 1) wavelet and multifractal analyses of wetland hydrographs can provide statistical descriptions of flashy signals, and identify short- and long-frequency components of water table dynamics, and 2) temporal patterns of nitrification and denitrification (“hot moments”) are better explained by the hydrological patterns elucidated and quantified in objective 1 than they are by spatial variability in soil properties alone.
Our goal is to apply multifractal and wavelets analyses to an existing database of long hydrograph records from wetlands in New Jersey, and carry out new analyses of soil conditions and N cycling in two sites selected on the basis of the hydrograph analyses. This is considered a pilot study to demonstrate the feasibility and environmental significance of the method, and as a basis for proposals for more comprehensive examination of these objectives.
Contact information:
Associate Professor Daniel Giménez
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Telephone: (732) 932-9800 X6205; Fax: (732) 932-8644
Email: gimenez@envsci.rutgers-edu
Professor Joan Ehrenfeld
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Telephone: (732) 932-1081; Fax: (732) 932-8746
Email: ehrenfel@rci.rutgers.edu
Biogeochemistry of Pb transformations mediated by phosphate-releasing bacteria
Assistant Professor Nathan Yee
Department of Environmental Sciences
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Lead (Pb) is a toxic heavy metal found in many contaminated sites in New Jersey. The subsurface transport of Pb in groundwater is strongly affected by its chemical speciation. In order to accurately predict the fate and transport of Pb in contaminated aquifers, a detailed understanding of the biogeochemical processes that affect Pb transformations in soils and sediments is required.
A common Pb mineral found in Pb contaminated soils is cerussite (PbCO3). Recently, we have isolated a bacterium from a contaminated soil in New Jersey that appears to transform cerussite into highly insoluble Pb-phosphate minerals. The mechanisms controlling this mineral transformation process are currently unknown. In this study, we employed X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy to examine the biotic/abiotic transformation of PbCO3 into insoluble Pb-phosphate minerals. The objective of this study was to resolve microbial and chemical contributions involved in the Pb mineral transformation process.
The principal findings are: 1. preliminary results suggest that cerussite undergoes solid-phase transformation during incubation with GP-19S, and 2. control experiments show that abiotic reactions can also induce cerussite transformation.
Contact Information:
Assistant Professor Nathan Yee
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Telephone: (732) 932-9800 x6221; Fax: (732) 932-8644
Email: nyee@envsci.rutgers.edu
Female Hormones in Surface Water of Central/Northern New Jersey: Impacts of Combined Sewer Overflows vs. Treated Wastewater Discharge
Associate Professor Weilin Huang with Professor Peter Strom
Department of Environmental Sciences
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
We proposed to detect and quantify female hormones ― a major class of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) ― in the surface water of Central/Northern New Jersey. This study is especially important for densely populated Central/Northern New Jersey where treated wastewater (TWW) is a major component of surface water and combined sewer overflows (CSO) have caused substantial problems in several watersheds. Low but constant contamination with female hormones in surface water may adversely affect the reproductive behavior of animals such as fish, posing large ecological risks. Our study would provide data on the level and the source (TWW vs. CSO) of female hormone contamination in the watersheds of Central/Northern New Jersey. It could help determine whether future effort is needed, and which source ― TWW or CSO ― we should pay most attention to for reducing the ecological impact of the female hormones in these watersheds.
The specific objectives of this study are to:
1) collect water and colloid samples from two watersheds of North/Central New Jersey during and after major storms;
2) analyze the female hormones in the samples following published laboratory procedures and with liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) or gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS);
3) quantify the loading of the hormones from different sources to the studied watersheds.
We have completed the analytical method development and the results showed that three estrogen compounds can be separated and quantified with both LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS. After validating the two methods with field samples, we will conduct systematic water sampling and analyze the chemicals with either or both methods.
Contact information:
Associate Professor Weilin Huang
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Telephone: (732) 932-9800 X6206; Fax: (732) 932-8644
Email: whuang@envsci.rutgers-edu
Professor Peter Strom
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Telephone: (732) 932-9800 X6216; Fax: (732) 932-8644
Email: strom@envsci.rutgers.edu
Integrated Assessment of Economic and Water Quality Impacts of Agricultural Best Management Practices in Upper Cohansey River Watershed
Assistant Professor Zeyuan Qiu 1 with Assistant Professor Christopher Obropta 2
1Dept. of Chemistry and Environmental Science
New Jersey Institute of Technology
2Dept. of Environmental Sciences
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
The goal of this research is to provide a science-based information analysis to policy makers who want to maximize water quality benefits while minimizing economic costs when implementing multiple conservation practices in a watershed. The supporting objectives are (1) to estimate the economic and water quality impacts of various agricultural best management practices (BMPs) being implemented in the Neshanic River watershed. The working hypothesis of this objective is that there is a poor understanding of the costs and water quality benefits of BMPs being implemented; and a detailed information on costs and benefits of BMPs is essential to understand the linkages between BMPs and water quality effects in a watershed scale; and (2) to
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Figure 1. Derived hydrologically sensitive areas and critical source areas in the Neshanic River Watershed. |
evaluate the potential of controlling agricultural pollution to achieving locally defined water quality goals through optimal placement of BMPs in the watershed by integrating the results of the estimated costs and water quality benefits in the first objective with an optimization programming model. The working hypothesis of the objective is that spatial variability of natural resource conditions in a watershed has profound impacts on the water quality of conservation practices at the watershed scale.
Contact Information:
Assistant Professor Zeyuan Qiu
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Telephone: (973) 596-5357; Fax: (973) 596-3586
Email: qiuz@njit.edu
Assistant Professor Christopher Obropta
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Telephone: (732) 932-9800 x6209; Fax: (732) 932-8644
Email: obropta@envsci.rutgers.edu
Impacts of Organic Matter Heterogeneity on Desorption and Availability of Sediment-Bound PCBs
Assistant Professor Weilin Huang with Assistant Professor Lisa Totten
Department of Environmental Sciences
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
This study will quantify the rates of desorption of toxic compounds known as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from various natural organic matter fractions of sediments from the estuarine portion of the Hudson River, thereby predicting the bioavailability of sediment-associated PCBs in the Estuary. The results of this research will increase understanding of the cycling and bioavailability of PCBs in the Hudson River/Estuary system and will aid water quality modelers in developing bioaccumulation models in support of the ongoing effort to develop a TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) for PCBs in the Estuary.
This research will also facilitate an interpretation of the environmental risks associated with the dredging of portions of the Upper Hudson that is scheduled to occur in the next few years as part of the Record of Decision between USEPA and General Electric (USEPA 2001). This dredging may lead to the resuspension and mobilization of substantial amounts of PCB-contaminated sediment in the Upper Hudson . This research will provide a quantitative approach for evaluating the impact of this resuspended sediment on PCB bioavailability in the NY/NJ Harbor Estuary. In addition, the results of this research should be applicable to estuarine systems in general.
This study will investigate the role of each of the three sediment organic matter (SOM) fractions in the desorption and bioavailability of PCBs bound on sediments. The major hypotheses are that the sediments in the Hudson River Estuary and NJ/NY Harbor contain both coaly material and black carbon, and that these types of particulate organic matter (POMs) dominate the desorption and environmental availability of bound PCBs.
Contact information:
Assistant Professor Weilin Huang
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Telephone: (732) 932-9800 X6206; Fax: (732) 932-8644
Email: whuang@envsci.rutgers.edu
Assistant Professor Lisa Totten
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Telephone: (732) 932-9800 X6218; Fax: (732) 932-8644
Email: totten@envsci.rutgers.edu
A Study to Link Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition
with Surface and Ground Water Nitrogen and Denitrification
Capabilities in an Urban New Jersey Wetland
Barbara Turpin1, Sybil Seitzinger2 and Beth Ravit3
1Department of Environmental Sciences
2Institute for Marine and Coastal Science
3Environmental Science Graduate Program
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Wetlands play an important role in efforts to reduce both the amount and the impact of excess nitrogen (N) that emanates from anthropogenic sources, those related to human development. Excess N release has led to elevated nitrate (NO3-) levels in both surface and ground waters in much of the country (Boyer et al. 2002, Mosier et al. 2002, Carpenter et al. 1998, Howarth et al. 1996). Nitrate is water soluble and once this pollutant is released it easily moves through watersheds, ultimately entering coastal estuaries, where excess N leads to eutrophication, oxygen depletion due to excessive nutrients.
Urban sources of N inputs to surface and ground waters include extensive use of fertilizers, animal waste, septic systems, leaking sewer pipes, and vehicle exhaust to the atmosphere (Luo et al. 2003), while anthropogenic alterations of urban wetland hydrology may lead to a reduction in system denitrification capacity (Groffman et al. 2002). Recent studies have documented increased surface and ground water N loadings in the NY/NJ metropolitan region as a result of atmospheric deposition (Gregg et al. 2003, Castro et al. 2003). Wetlands contribute to the amelioration of this problem by converting organic and inorganic N species to an inert gaseous form through the microbially mediated process of denitrification (Mitsch & Jorgensen 2004, Kadlec & Knight 1996). The wetland denitrification function is especially important to humans living in heavily urbanized areas such New Jersey, where concentrations of NO3- in surface waters tend to increase as the percent of urban land use increases (USGS 2001).
Teaneck Creek Conservancy (hereafter “TCC”), a private non-profit organization, has been granted a long-term license to manage a 46-acre site within the Bergen County Park system. Supported by funding from the NJ Wetland Mitigation Council (NJWMC), TCC has subcontracted with Rutgers University, USGS, and TRC Omni Environmental Corporation to restore and enhance 20 acres of urban wetlands within the public park.
The overall goal of the Teaneck Creek restoration project is to maximize system denitrification capabilities following wetland enhancement and restoration. The objectives of the baseline monitoring studies are to determine the concentration of organic and inorganic N entering and leaving the Teaneck Creek system, and to measure the denitrification capabilities of the system pre- and post-restoration. These values will be combined in an “Urban Hydrologic Model,” which will link surface and ground water hydrology, atmospheric N deposition and denitrification within the Teaneck Creek Conservancy system.
Expected results of the atmospheric N deposition research include increased knowledge related to the amounts, and potentially the sources, of atmospheric N deposition into a highly urbanized NJ wetland system. The specific objectives of this proposal are to characterize the amounts and the chemical composition of total N species, inorganic and organic, present in the atmospheric wet and dry N deposition within the Teaneck Creek site.
Contact Information:
Associate Professor Barbara Turpin
Dept. of Environmental Sciences
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Telephone: (732) 932-9800 X6219; Fax: 732.932.8644
Email: turpin@envsci.rutgers.edu
Professor Sybil Seitzinger
Institute for Marine and Coastal Science
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Telephone: (732) 932-6555 X342; Fax: (732) 932-1792
Email: sybil@marine.rutgers.edu
Dr. Beth Ravit
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Telephone: (201) 774-1614; Fax: (201) 767-6931
Email: ravit@aesop.rutgers.edu
Fate of Brominated Flame Retardants in New Jersey Wastewater Treatment Facilities
Donna E. Fennell,
Lisa A. Totten, and
Uta Krogmann
Department of Environmental Sciences
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Wastewater treatment facilities (WWTF) are called upon to prevent macropollutants such as biochemical oxygen demand, nitrogen and phosphorous from entering aquatic systems. Increasingly they are also expected to remove trace persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals (PBTs). This class of chemicals includes emerging pollutants such as the brominated flame retardants, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (CDD/Fs), PBDEs are hydrophobic, associated with organic matter, and are resistant to aerobic degradation. Thus these compounds tend to accumulate in wastewater treatment sludges.
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Chemical structure of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE). The compound may contain up to 10 bromine substituents. |
Few data are available on concentrations of PBDEs in sewage, sludges and biosolids (treated sewage sludge). We will document the presence and level of PBDEs in New Jersey sewage, sludges and biosolids from selected WWTF. Additionally, we will determine whether environmentally relevant congeners of PBDEs are transformed or detoxified during anaerobic digestion. Anaerobic bacterial dehalogenation has been shown to be an effective method of removal or detoxification of halogenated environmental pollutants in groundwater, soils and sediments. Exploitation of dehalogenating bacteria for detoxification during anaerobic digestion of municipal wastewater treatment sludges may also be possible.
For example, the bacterium Dehalococcoides ethenogenes strain 195 was originally isolated from an anaerobic digester enrichment. This organism dehalogenates tetrachloroethene (PCE) to vinyl chloride (VC) and ethene, an environmentally acceptable end product. D. ethenogenes strain 195 also exhibits diverse dechlorination ability on a wide range of aromatic pollutants including selected congeners of chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, chlorinated dibenzofurans, chlorinated biphenyls and chlorinated naphthalenes. In a related NJWRRI-funded study, an anaerobic digester mixed culture enrichment containing D. ethenogenes strain 195 dehalogenated a hexachlorodibenzofuran congener, however it did not dehalogenate octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin or the flame retardant decabromodiphenyl ether. Municipal anaerobic digester sludges from four New Jersey wastewater treatment facilities were examined for the presence of Dehalococcoides. Dehalococcoides-like bacteria were not detected by direct or nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of community DNA using Dehalococcides-specific PCR primers. Tetrachloroethene added to the sludges was dehalogenated to trichloroethene and dichloroethene with no formation of vinyl chloride or ethene. This dechlorination pattern may indicate the presence of dehalogenating bacteria other than Dehalococcoides. On-going experiments are examining dehalogenation of decabromodiphenyl ether in the sludges.
Contact Information:
Assistant Professor Donna E. Fennell
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Telephone: (732) 932-9800 X6204; Fax: (732) 932-8644
E-mail: fennell@envsci.rutgers.edu
Assistant Professor Lisa A. Totten
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Telephone: (732) 932-9800 X6218; Fax: (732) 932-8644
E-mail: totten@envsci.rutgers.edu
Associate Professor Uta Krogmann
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Telephone: (732) 932-9800 X6207; Fax: (732) 932-8644
E-mail: krogmann@envsci.rutgers.edu
High-resolution geophysical imaging as a novel method for non-invasive characterization of contaminated wetlands: application to Kearny Marsh
Lee D. Slater
Earth & Environmental Sciences
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ
High-resolution geophysical techniques have been adopted for the investigation of contaminated, shallow water wetlands. Our research site is Kearny Marsh, a freshwater wetland within the Hackensack Meadowlands of New Jersey. The geophysical technologies employed in this study include (1) rapid reconnaissance mapping with terrain conductivity and magnetic gradiometry, and (2) automated, continuous acquisition, electrical imaging surveys. The reconnaissance surveys have defined the spatial extent of contaminant sources entering the marsh and shed new light on the primary source zones impacting this wetland. The in survey electrical imaging has constrained the vertical dimensions of suspected source zones and is currently being used in a time-lapse mode to detect contaminant fluxes from source zones.
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Contact Information:
Assistant Professor Lee D. Slater
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark
Telephone: (973) 353-5109
Email: lslater@andromeda.rutgers.edu
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