Department of Science & Engineering Students win National Paper Competition

03/17/10  Portland, OR

Department of Science & Engineering Students in Environmental & Biomolecular Systems win National Paper Competition.

Christina Brow and Alexandra Salter won two of five Student Paper awards at the Seventh International Conference on Remediation of Chlorinated and Recalcitrant Compounds competition.

Brow and Salter are graduate students studying environmental science and engineering in OHSU's Division of Environmental and Biomolecular Systems (EBS). Professor Paul Tratnyek, Salter's advisor and Associate Department head says, "These two awards reflect the continuing strength of the environmental science and engineering program, especially with respect to the characterization and remediation of contaminated groundwater."

Alexandra Salter's paper described the initial bench-scale material analysis and assessment of zero-valent zinc (ZVZ) for treating groundwater contaminated by 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP). The paper goes on to describe scaling calculations for the parameterization of large treatment columns in the field. The results are being used in a pilot project to determine a successful method of treating contaminated well water at a military base in California.