This project will evaluate the impacts of microplastics, in combination with a common environmental estrogen (17-alpha ethinyl estradiol) on critical early life stages of a model species, the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas). Specifically, these data will seek to fill knowledge gaps in three areas; (i) the impacts of microplastics on fish at early life stages; (ii) the potential for transgenerational and multigenerational effects of exposure; and (iii) the effects of multiple environmental stressors on individuals. 

• Identify specific radicals and other reactive species that are photochemically generated in water bodies of the Calumet Watershed
• Quantify the rates of generation of such species
• Relate the rates of active species generation to the water composition
• Develop a general protocol for carrying out such studies
• Develop a predictive model for the observed phenomena
• Identify implications and impacts of the findings

My research plan has two main components: (1) Successfully 3D print a single flexible, oleophilic hair structure on a flat surface, using widely available and low-cost manufacturing methods to demonstrate capture performance. (2) Utilize the aforementioned design to scale-up and create a filter with multiple hairs to test printability and capture performance.

Microplastics are commonly found in water ways and are challenging to remove due to the wide range of particle size, shape, and chemical composition. A 2013 study reported that the surface of the Great Lakes accumulate an average of 43,000 microplastics particles per square kilometer and up to 466,000 microplastics per kilometer near major cities. A decade later, nearly 90% of samples taken from the surface of the Great Lakes exceeded safe levels for wildlife and people. This poses serious risk to public and environmental health since 21% of the world’s surface freshwater is contained in the Great Lakes (about 22.7 quadrillion liters). Nearly 40 million people depend on the Great Lakes for drinking water. However, because these particles are small and prevalent, often they make their way past water treatment facilities and contaminate drinking water. Current practices for particle removal include bubble, granular, and membrane filtration; however, these have various disadvantages like particle abundance and size dependency or requiring specific environmental conditions, of these the most common issues are clogging and limited-service life. Hence, the need for an environmentally friendly, low-cost, and scalable mechanism for microplastic capture is evident.

The ultimate goal of this proposed study is to develop a near-real-time system for flood inundation mapping and flood depth estimation, finally enabling timely assessments of community transportation network disruptions during flood events. As part of this effort, three key anticipated outcomes will be delivered: (1) An off-the-shelf flood inundation mapping model; (2) an algorithm that estimates flood depth by integrating flood inundation maps with digital elevation models, and (3) an algorithm that assesses transportation system disruptions by combining flood information with real-world road network data. 

The objectives of this project are:

• To develop optimal in vitro methodology for Asian carp muscle hydrolysis using largemouth bass (LMB) endogenous digestive enzymes obtained from adult LMB.
• To evaluate the effect of Asian carp muscle protein hydrolysates obtained using methodology in Objective 1 as a first feed for larval LMB.

• Calculate the loads of 17α- and 17β-estradiol, estrone, and estriol, nitrate, and dissolved reactive phosphorus exported from a subsurface tile drain and a receiving ditch
• Compare the export dynamics of nutrients and hormones in response to animal waste applications
• Assess the potential for nutrient best management practices (e.g., no-till, buffer strips, wetlands, etc.) to reduce hormone export from tile-drained agroecosystems