This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
Dr. Lee Bryant is awarded an NSF Earth Sciences Postdoctoral Fellowship to develop an integrated program of research and education at Duke University and the Swiss Federal Institute for Aquatic Science and Technology. Her research will explore Mn biogeochemical cycling at the sediment water interface using a freshwater reservoir oxygenation system as a full-scale 'natural laboratory' in which oxygen level can be controlled in an otherwise entirely natural aquatic ecosystem. Dr. Bryant has developed an innovative research plan that combines laboratory and field experiments, microbial analyses and computer simulation to elucidate Mn cycling as a function of oxygen availability. Laboratory microcosms will be used to simulate reservoir processes under controlled conditions. On-site field studies at an oxygenated reservoir in southwestern Virginia (Carvin's Cove Reservoir) will be conducted in parallel with the lab experiments. Microbial analyses will then be performed to characterize the relationship between microbial community structure in freshwater sediments and oxygenation. Newly gained knowledge of mechanisms governing biogeochemical Mn cycling will ultimately be validated using a mathematical model. Manganese (Mn) is an abundant metal in sediment that can significantly degrade drinking water quality. Treatment of source water with elevated Mn levels can be difficult due to the complexity of reduction-oxidation reactions controlling the solubility of Mn. Ultimately, by quantifying Mn biogeochemical processes as a function of oxygenation, the research will make a valuable contribution to the shifting global perspective on management of the water resources. The many new insights gained on Mn biogeochemical cycling may be applied to cycling of other chemical species (e.g, iron, arsenic).
An educational outreach component is cohesively integrated into the research. Dr. Bryant will be an active participant in the FEMMES (Females Excelling More in Math, Engineering and Sciences) outreach program at Duke. She will integrate hands-on activities on fundamental concepts of the research (e.g., sediment-water interactions, aquatic chemistry and water quality) into the FEMMES curriculum.
