ABSTRACT Proposal Number: CTS-9870365 Principal Investigator: C. Lasko A POWRE award. The research will focus on the potential use of chitosan, a biopolymer known to bind metal ions in solution, to remove the chromium (IV) from industrial waste water. Two methods will be used to determine the optimal conditions for binding, a stirred-batch method and a column method. Once the optimal conditions have been established, the method will be tested using waste water from a local industrial electroplating operation. A second objective of the study is to introduce undergraduate students to the scientific approach used in research. This specific research appeals to most environmental problems. This POWRE award is critical for the PI to maintain a research program and further her professional growth in a predominantly undergraduate institution.
