Service-Learning Project Examples

Measurement of Road Salts in Water

Course: 14.332 - Environmental Engineering Lab

Instructor: Clifford Bruell

Partner: Town of Dunstable and Board of Health

 

Partnership and Project Description: The Town of Dunstable Board of Health partnered with the Environmental Engineering Lab course students through Dr. William Moeller’s long time participation on the town board and board of health.  The Environmental Engineering Lab students conducted a Measurement of Road Salts in Water, Laboratory Exercise as a service-learning research and education activity.  The Town of Dunstable had expressed concerns regarding potential fresh water well contamination from road salts during the New England winter season.  The town Board of Health invited the students to gather, analyze and compare well water samples.  The laboratory class analyzed water using chloride probes to screen well water samples, taken at numerous locations in Dunstable, MA, for evidence of NaCl contamination resulting from road deicing activity. The goal of the screening effort was to identify the extent and intensity of NaCl contamination and to determine the location of potential “hot spots”.

 

This SLICE project provided students with the opportunity to learn more about the proper calibration and use of specific ion probes (i.e., chloride probe) and associated analysis of field data.  In addition, the community obtained an initial screening of the NaCl levels that reported elevated NaCl levels occurring at six of the sixteen locations sampled within Dunstable, MA.  A letter was sent to the town board along with a copy of a representative student laboratory report indicating NaCl levels and locations within Dunstable, MA.  Results and analysis of additional samples collected at additional locations conducted by the instructor were also shared with the town for use in local decision-making.  This was the first time that this type of service-learning project was conducted within the town of Dunstable.  In the future, there is hope to expand the scope of the project by linking the sample analysis of both ground waters and surface waters not only to the topography but also to the hydrology of Dunstable (i.e., to conduct some mass balances of NaCl movement into and out the region).  Hopefully, such an analysis may be conducted in conjunction with the 14.460 Water Resources Engineering courses taught by Prof. Zhang.