Project Overview

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Project Overview

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The Problem: Harmful Algal Blooms

HABs release toxins, which contaminate human food sources and damage human health. They strip the water of dissolved oxygen, which creates a condition known as hypoxia, where there isn't enough oxygen to allow fish to survive. Furthermore, they block sunlight, which prevents submerged aquatic vegetation growth.

Our Solution: Clay Flocculation

Clays form large aggregates with algal cells, which sink to the bottom of the water column, where the algae dies due to lack of sunlight. The team will determine the optimal clay mixture to treat Microcystis aeruginosa, a type of cyanobacteria that forms widespread blooms in the Chesapeake Bay.

This is a video we produced showing our clay mixture sinking an algal culture in a test tube.

Here's an example of a similar mixture working in the real world.

video used with permission of Dr. G. Pan, environmental chemistry professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences

Team Organization: Subgroup Division

Our team has divided into five subgroups to allow us to focus on a number of different aspects of the project.

  Clay Flocculation is developing the ideal clay mixture to sink the bloom through experimental means.
  Impacts is studying the after-effects of sinking the bloom, including any effects or prevention methods for possible toxin release and the incorporation of submerged aquatic vegetation seeds to absorb excess nutrients released and to promote future stability in the ecosystem.
  Socioeconomics is looking to gauge the public sentiment toward our project and encourage a favorable public response toward our proposed actions.

  Modeling is seeking a way to mathematically model the flocculation process that can predict the performance of clay mixtures when applied to algal blooms.

Timeline

Spring 2009 - Begin laboratory work, complete survey questionnaires, develop preliminary model.

Fall 2009 - Continue laboratory work, gain IRB approval/administer surveys, extend mathematical model.

Spring 2010 - Complete laboratory work (finalize clay mixture), execute field experiments, conduct data analysis.

Fall 2011 - Begin writing thesis.

Spring 2011 - Present results at thesis conference.