Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2012MA346B

Biopolymer Sorbents for Tungsten Removal

Institute: Massachusetts
Year Established: 2012 Start Date: 2012-03-01 End Date: 2013-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $5,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $10,052

Principal Investigators: Jessica Schiffman

Project Summary: High levels of tungsten were recently detected in Massachusetts Military Reservation groundwater. This prompted the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Defense to declare the metal as an emerging contaminant. This project aims to design and synthesize the renewable biopolymer chitosan into novel nano-constructs that will efficiently remove tungsten from dilute aqueous solutions. Undergraduate students will systematically identify the sorption properties and mechanisms for an assortment of chemically and physically modified chitosans. By varying the chemistry and morphology of the chitosans, tungsten will be adsorbed at maximum capacity. This study will enable the development of tungsten sorbents from the environmentally friendly biopolymer chitosan. Additionally, undergraduate students will be afforded with an opportunity to conduct scientific research: they will review primary literature, formulate hypotheses, interpret data, and communicate their results.