A City and its River Research Team
As part of the Duke Bass Connections program, I was part of a team conducting research on contamination in the Durham Ellerbe Creek. Our team studied the effects of contamination on marine life by analyzing macroinvertebrate diversity in the field and looking at zebrafish development in controlled environments. In addition, we utilized mapping and data analysis to explore the correlation between contaminant risk and demographic distribution.
Individual Research
Throughout the year, I conducted individual research which would then be used as consultation for the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association (ECWA). My study explored the relationship between geographical characteristics and water quality, which in turn illustrates specific trends in how contaminants are transported in Ellerbe Creek. I also examined the effectiveness of indicators that were currently being used in research (DPG, sucralose, and AMPA). In order to carry out my research question, a significant amount of data analysis was required. The final product offers several considerations that should be made when trying to improve the health of Ellerbe Creek.
My final research paper, which was sent to ECWA, can be found below, and my R script used for data analysis can be found on this Github page.
Other Data Analyses
Using data collected at sites around Durham, our team was also able to use data from past surveys to analyze the correlation between several pollutants (nitrate, E. coli, magnesium, etc.) and development factors (road density, pipe density, percent developed land). The top graph to the right shows the correlation between potassium and road density using the data we collected.
We have also begun to study the relationship between demographics and contaminant concentrations. The bottom graph shows the relationship between nitrate concentration and medium household income.
Other team members have focused on using a PCA decomposition on the dataset of contaminant concentrations, drawing conclusions about how contaminants are related to one another.
Field Sampling and Macroinvertebrates
Our team conducts synoptic surveys four times each year, determining contaminant levels using a multi-probe and lab water analysis. There are 34 sites throughout the watershed in which water is tested. This data was used for several of the analyses described above and is a much more extensive study than ECWA's current testing practices, which only test at five sites throughout the watershed.
Our team also collected macroinvertebrate field samples, which were then identified, measured, and recorded in a lab setting. With this macroinvertebrate data, we could analyze how contamination affects the development of marine organisms.