Discipline: Chemistry and Chemical Sciences
Subcategory: Water
Session: 1
Room: Exhibit Hall
Dominque Davis - Delaware State University
Co-Author(s): Kimberly Milligan PH.D. Delaware State University, Dover,DE
Delaware’s rivers and streams are the most polluted in the U.S., according to an Environmental Integrity Project report that evaluates the success of the Clean Water Act. Basically, they are too polluted to meet standards for uses such as swimming and recreation, aquatic life, fish consumption, and drinking. This research aims to study the effects of the hemp plant on the removal of heavy metals and bacteria from wastewater. In Delaware, water pollution is largely caused by the chemical industry, factory farming, slaughterhouses, and suburban expansion. Briefly, water samples were collected from Silver Lake Park in Dover, Delaware, and screened for heavy metals and bacteria using inductively-coupled plasma with mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and Idexx kits, respectively. Hemp plants were then grown in a controlled water tank containing contaminated water for 4 weeks, with aliquots of water removed and tested weekly for heavy metals and E. coli. Preliminary results show a decrease in contaminants over time. The results have been reported.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): NSF
Faculty Advisor: Kimberly Milligan PH.D, kmilligan@desu.edu
Role: Growing the Hemp Plant and Testing the wastewater