This is an award to provide support for planning a research project to study biological processes for treatment of surfactant solutions that have been used to flush contaminants from soil. The specific contaminant she plans to study is creosote and the biological process is planned to be conducted in a sequencing batch bench- scale reactor. Creosote, the soil contaminant the investigator plans to study, has been used as a wood preservative for many years and has contaminated much soil in the vicinity of installations conducting wood preservation. Results of this project are expected to include preliminary data on conditions under which this contaminant can be biologically degraded and a full research proposal that will be submitted to NSF in accord with conditions listed in NSF 90-121, Research Planning Grants and Career Advancement Awards for Women Scientists and Engineers.
