I have been very fortunate for the opportunity to work with UGA Marine Extension in Brunswick through my Public Service and Outreach assistantship. Currently, I am a doctoral student in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences in the College of Public Health, and as part of my dissertation research, I am studying personal care product contamination and the impacts this might have on coastal microbial communities.
My assistantship has brought me to one of the best places I have ever had the joy of conducting research: coastal Georgia. Though our drive from Athens to Brunswick is long, I look forward to my monthly journey out on the boat with Marty, Lisa and Katy to collect samples in the Frederica River and Dunbar Creek. This area was chosen as a unique study site because it has wastewater treatment outfall that discharges into the nearby estuary. Wastewater treatment plants use extensive processes to clean wastewater; however, trace levels of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are often observed in effluent.
As a researcher, I am interested in the levels of PPCP contamination and if PPCPs are associated with changing microbial communities. I am also looking at pathogens and fecal indicators to determine water quality in the estuary. This research is important because little is known in regards to how PPCPs might impact bacteria in coastal ecosystems. Furthermore, there is limited research specifically for coastal Georgia that looks at temporal and spatial gradients of PPCPs.
Additionally, I am involved with active student education and engagement during every trip to the coast. We have taken two to four graduate students enrolled in an environmental health science course down to the coast over the weekend and trained them in the field for environmental sample collection and basic laboratory microbial analyses. This has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my research efforts because I have had the opportunity to influence these students by giving them the opportunity to engage in a real-life research project.
Keri collects surface water.
We most recently went out on the boat in November to collect our last samples until the spring. This trip was exciting, but was not without its hiccups! For the first time since our initial trip in August, there was no threat of rain; however, the temperature had dropped significantly. We also had higher winds resulting in a bumpy hour-long boat ride to the sample site. While out in the estuary, we visited six sites on an outgoing tide and collected surface water, sediment and metadata for analysis back in the lab. Once sampling was complete, we grabbed a quick lunch and worked around the clock until all the samples had been completed.
This month also marks the initial startup of our outreach efforts with Katy Smith at UGA Marine Extension’s Brunswick Station. We are planning and developing education outreach materials for the local community that cover topics of PPCPs and the environment. Included will be information on PPCP contamination and what people can do to reduce their PPCP footprint. Stay tuned for more information!