Research Translation Core

H. James Simpson, Jr., Principal Investigator
Meredith L. Golden, Principal Investigator

The Columbia University SRP Research Translation Core, "Collaborating with Government & the Public:  As & Mn Exposure via Groundwater", provides the framework for sustained communication among research projects, cores, governmental agencies, and interested parties through monthly seminars, the program website, and meetings. The central theme of the Columbia RTC is to work directly with selected governmental agencies responsible for minimizing human exposure to arsenic (As), manganese (Mn), and other contaminants through domestic water supplies derived primarily from groundwater. We are focusing on critical issues related to the specific missions of these agencies and our SRP research projects, in order to advance the integration of exposure data for As and Mn into an effective and operational framework for researchers and decisionmakers.

The RTC activities encompass four states (NJ, NY, NH, ME) and include collaborations with county, state, and federal agencies. Our approach integrates existing geophysical, geochemical, hydrological, and socio-demographic data for the Newark basin and adjacent areas of northern NJ and southern NY to assess natural and anthropogenic sources of and human exposures to elevated groundwater As and Mn. The RTC encourages and facilitates the identification and sharing of relevant data holdings by public and private parties. Our geospatial specialists integrate these multi-source data into accessible Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and produce maps that enhance both monitoring and regulatory decisionmaking. Data integration and visualization assist agencies and other stakeholders lacking GIS capacity and permit those with GIS to expand their capabilities.

These efforts also include field collaborations with government programs in Rockland County, NY and six other counties in the Hudson Valley. Landfills as potential sources for elevated groundwater As and Mn are being evaluated through joint field and laboratory measurements of iron (Fe) floc deposits, indicative of their mobilization in suboxic to anoxic groundwaters. Preliminary measurements of Fe floc chemistry adjacent to landfills indicate frequent high levels of As in areas that include large numbers of new homes using local groundwaters via private wells. Working with the USGS, RTC is applying molecular techniques for tracking bacterial sources in drinking water samples from Rockland County. Environmental isotope measurements are being taken in the Northeast U.S. to derive groundwater recharge histories related to As and Mn concentrations. As part of an investigation of potential impacts of elevated drinking water As on cognitive function in children, two of our research projects involve numerous measurements of groundwater chemistry in NH and ME. The new project data will be integrated into GIS formats compatible with those employed by the relevant government agencies to help evaluate patterns of exposure to As and Mn in groundwater. Information on exposure potential and treatment options will be shared with the public. Finally, the RTC will assist in the evaluation of low As and Mn water options in Bangladesh. In February 2007, Columbia will be hosting, along with the University of Dhaka and the UNDP, a symposium on “New Findings Concerning the Health Effects and Geochemistry of Arsenic”.