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Environmental Chemistry Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Environmental Chemistry

Seaweed As A Carrier For Microplastics, Stephanie M. Rodriguez Jan 2020

Seaweed As A Carrier For Microplastics, Stephanie M. Rodriguez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Analysis of seaweed as a vector for microplastics is an integral part of understanding the formation and deposition of micro-sized plastic waste in seawater. The project itself originated due to the influx of seaweed (and mismanaged plastic waste) residing on the shores of St. Kitts and Nevis and the constant deposition of plastic pollution intertwined within the seaweed. The natural occurrence of the two together lead to the consideration of fragmented plastics remaining on the seaweed. The objective of this research is to stain, identify, and quantify the concentration of microplastics sourced from both store-bought and environmental seaweed samples. A …


A Model Experiment To Investigate The Possibility Of Glyphosate Contamination In St. Kitts And Nevis, Winston Fu Jan 2020

A Model Experiment To Investigate The Possibility Of Glyphosate Contamination In St. Kitts And Nevis, Winston Fu

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum herbicide that is used globally to combat the spread of weeds among crops. Not all countries around the world have been using the herbicide. For example, island countries such as Dominica and St. Kitts and Nevis do not use the herbicide on their crops. However, St. Kitts and Nevis imports food and other agricultural products from around the world, leading to the hypothesis that glyphosate is contaminating the soil through those imported products. The aim of this research project was to determine if glyphosate is present in the island country of St. Kitts and Nevis. A …


In Situ Cultivation Of Potential Pah Degrading Bacteria From Coastal Sediment, Kyle Benkel Jan 2020

In Situ Cultivation Of Potential Pah Degrading Bacteria From Coastal Sediment, Kyle Benkel

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Oil spills can introduce potentially carcinogenic pollutants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), into coastal environments. Bioremediation uses the natural microorganisms in the environment to remove these pollutants. Traditional studies of these organisms are limited in the types of bacteria isolated due to the limitations of traditional culturing methods. In this study, diffusion chambers were used to culture and isolate potential PAH degrading bacteria from the coastal sediment obtained from the Chandeleur Islands. The diffusion chambers trapped bacteria in agar that contained 1 ppm benzo[a]pyrene. The bacteria were isolated from the diffusion chambers, and the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced …