Why does this project matter?
When we began this project, we had a vegue idea we wanted to flesh out. We knew that high levels of manganese could cause severe health issues, and this issue was more common on native american reservations and areas with low income. Our goal was to create a sensor which could be useful for people who don't have the resources to have their water tested in a laboratory setting. We also knew that the constructs available through iGEM had very little in the area of manganese, and we believed that our work could be used by other teams down the line to do even greater things. From these initial motivations we researched more and began our work, and through every up and down of the season we kept looking towards our goal of a manganese sensor that was inexpensive and simple to use. From later research we found that high levels of mangnese also impacts areas in western region of our home state of Ohio, which allowed us closer access to experts on the subject. After speaking with members of the Ohio EPA and Miami Conservancy District, our project gained a more specified path forward, and we were able to work much more effeciently once we had some guidance. We hope that the results and constructs we produced here can be useful to people all around the world to combat mangnese toxcisity and the health problems it brings.
Initial Outreach Attempts
We created a script for emails and phone calls to simplify the process of reaching out to possible contacts:
For more information on the water contamination map, please visit epa.ohio.gov
We created a list of contacts which might be helpful for our project. This list was organized into the following categories:
- Water quality experts (this included EPA workers and local water treatment facilities)
- Scientists with experience with Mn, found through recent studies and papers of interest
- Companies which create water sensors, especially those which detect Mn
- Local farmers and families who might use well water
- Farmers were initially included as we thought our project might have agricultural significance, as soybeans (commonly grown in Ohio) are very sensitive to Mn levels in soil.
We began contacting the list mentioned above on July 25th, beginning with EPA officials. We looked to answer the following questions:
Questions for EPA Workers:- Are there any restrictions we should be aware of for our sensor? Any concerns for pollution?
- What are the areas struggling the most with high levels of manganese?
- How are manganese levels determined? Does this vary by region?
- How are high levels of manganese treated? What is the process for fixing a well/source with high levels of manganese?
- What is the cost in time and money of this process?
- What are some regions throughout the country which struggle the most with high levels of manganese in drinking and groundwater?
- How are manganese levels determined?
- Are there sensors on site or are samples sent to labs?
- Has your region had high levels of manganese at times in the past?
- If so, what was done to counteract the manganese?
- What is the price range of sensors on the market?
- What are their sensitivity and accuracy levels?
- How do they work/What process do they use?
- Are there any training requirements for using current sensors?
- What can be done to improve upon current sensors?
- Has high levels of manganese in the soil been an issue?
- Do you know anyone with which this has been an issue?
- Do you track manganese levels in soil at all?
- If so, how?
- How do you decide what plants to grow?
- What grows well in your soil?
- What do you need/want?
- What sells well?
After leaving quite a few voicemails and sending out many emails, one contact responded.
Greene County Water Department called back, after we interviewed them, they stated that the workers do not perform water testing at the facility. Instead, they send it to a lab to receive values. After the call was ended we realized that we should have asked for contact information for the lab they use for testing, but the department workers seemed confused by our questions, so we are unsure much would have come of such questioning.
The information was later corroborated by another contact who works at the Miami Conservatory District.
Our contact from the Miami Conservancy District was initially contacted through the help of our team mentors, as they reached out to their own connections. He agreed to meet with the team at a virtual meeting on August 4.
Field Expert: Mike Ekberg, Miami Conservancy District: Mike Ekberg is MCD’s manager for water resource monitoring and analysis. A hydrogeologist, Mike has been with MCD since 2000. He is responsible for all MCD operations concerning the collection of water quantity and quality data. Before coming to MCD, Mike worked as a hydrogeologist for the Ohio EPA and as a staff geologist for Dames and Moore in Cincinnati. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in geology from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, a Master of Science degree in geology from the University of Cincinnati, and an MBA — with an emphasis on project management — from Wright State University. (Pulled from mcdwater.org/resources/staff-bios/mike-ekberg/)
Meeting with Dr. Michael Ekberg, Water Monitoring and Analysis Manager at Miami Conservancy District
The questions asked are as follows:
What does your work entail as a hydrogeologist?- A mix between geology and hydrology. Mr. Ekberg has a background in earth sciences and applies that knowledge to studying groundwater. It is useful for understanding the limitations, optimizations, and uses of aquifers.
- This interest was developed from a young age, helped along by a geological study trip to a mountain range as a young adult. Water contamination seemed like a good fit for his experience with hydrology and as an environmental consultant.
- There has been a great change in technology since 2000, and it is often challenging to keep up. Studies as diverse as the human genome have made their way into hydrogeology. It is possible to look at the genetics of E.Coli to determine its origin location.
- In groundwater most contaminants are considered nuisance contaminants. These can cause industrial or aesthetic problems, and many groundwater sources have a very high hardness. This can lead to scale buildup and bad taste in water. Iron, nitrate, and manganese are also common contaminants; however, manganese is not considered a health hazard until reaching a level >300 μg/L.
- Testing is performed through both field sensors and laboratory procedures. Sample freshwater is removed from an aquifer using a bladder pump. Measurements are then taken for the pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, redox potential, and other basic data. This data can help predict what contaminants will likely be in the sample. The water is then stored in bottles, packed in ice, and shipped to the lab. Most parameters are tested in the lab, including manganese. These manganese tests are performed using the ICP method. The reporting limit for Mn is 5 μg/L, while the sensors can detect as low as 2.8 μg/L.
- A study of 12 wells found that approximately 5-10% of the wells have Mn levels above 50 μg/L. One well exceeded the health limit of 300 μg/L with a value of 408 μg/L. manganese is considered a common feature of groundwater in the Miami Valley.
- With moderate levels the Mn is not considered an issue, and many people with private wells do not test for Mn. We can only speculate why this is, but proposed reasoning is that many don't think so, or decide it is not worth the cost. Water with high levels of Mn might stain the laundry and taste bad, but is not often considered a major issue. Reverse osmosis processes can be used under a sink to remove the bad taste from one faucet. Many homes with wells have a water-softening system to improve taste and reduce build-up. There are systems which can be installed to specifically remove Mn from a household's water, involving resin that binds to Mn to remove it from solution. This requires maintenance, however.
- Levels are typically below the 300 μg/L health limit, with a range of >5 μg/L -400 μg/L in the current data set. An estimated 5-10% of local wells exceed the health limit.
- Work with the EPA was regulatory in nature. Public water sources were tested to ensure they were within regulations. There was more freedom to collect data and improve water quality.
The information we learned from Mike Ekberg was instrumental in our team's understanding of the process of water testing, and helped determine how we proceed with testing our sensor. He helped us by giving advice on procedures for preparing water samples, and helping us refine our target demographic for our project by pointing out areas of the state that do struggle with higher levels of Mn, namely NE ohio and water sources which rely on groundwater. We are very grateful for Mr. Ekberg's assistance in improving our project, and giving us a more specific focus.
Meeting with Michael Adams, President and CEO of Adams Robinson
Another contact who met with the team was Michael Adams, a founder of Adams Robinson. Our team of students and mentors traveled to the office building and met with Mr. Adams and two other leaders in the company. We shared our presentation with them, and the feedback they gave was very helpful in perfecting our presentation methods. We added more information to areas in our presentation which were confusing or lacked explanation. The experience of presenting in a professional setting also helped members gain more confidence for future presentations. After our PowerPoint presentation, the contacts asked questions about our project, allowing us more time to expand both their understanding and our experience. Our mentors also used this opportunity to ask questions similar to those which might be asked at our final presentation to the iGEM judges. Each of our members spoke about areas with which they were experienced. Through this meeting we were able to educate influential members of our community about iGEM, synthetic biology, and our project. We were also able to again corroborate that the standard practice is to send any water samples to an off-location lab for testing.
From this presentation and the feedback recieved, we learned how someone not closely involved in science might percieve our project. We learned that we need to spend a bit more time explaning the concept of a plasmid and emphasizing how cool they are. They also gave helpful feedback on our Proposed Implementaion, explaining that pH strips can sometimes be hard to read due to the many colors they produce; they recommended having a strip that gives a yes/no responce or has stages for safe, moderate, and dangerous levels of Mn. Calibration was hevily emphasized, as all the meters used on site need to be calibrated regularly to ensure accuracy. Our contacts explained that from an end user standpoint the only question that matters is "is there a problem?". They also encouraged us to think about how such a product would be presented in a store. What would the shelf life be? What are the dangers, and does the knowlege provided outweigh that risk for most people?
After our presentation was finished, the contacts shared with us their own project working with growing and maintaining coral. We saw first hand the beauty of well maintained coral, and learned of the extensive work required to maintain an appropriate environment for this stunning animal. Some of the coral we saw at this meeting was almost 50 years old, and had been some of the first polyps Mr. Adams had acquired it. We watched a feeding session, then went downstairs to see the extensive systems in place to maintain the correct temperature, light levels, water speed, and chemical concentrations in the water. They maintained about 150 gallons of water to ensure almost no fluctuation in temperature. There were also smaller corals in this area which could be used as backup or to ensure the water was adequate before it reached the main group. After many hours of sharing our projects back and forth, we left with not only a better understanding of how to present our project, but also a glimpse into the beautiful world of coral.
