Brevard Research Rules

1
Brevard Research Rules

• Suzie Stempel
• Environmental Specialist
• Brevard County
• Natural Resources
• Management Office
• Stormwater Program

2
About Me

• Name Suzie Stempel
• Age 24

• Education
• Bachelors' Degree
• Environmental Science,
• Florida Institute of Technology
• Masters Degree
• Environmental Chemistry,
• University of Florida
• Current Position
• Environmental Specialist,
• Brevard County, NRMO, Stormwater program

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more about me

• Research Focus Water Pollution Science
• Masters Research- Determining Binding Constants
  for DOM and Hg in the Suwannee River
• Organic/molecular chemistry
• Current Work-
• Stormwater Monitoring program
• Do these Projects really work?
• Grant Research
• Gain additional knowledge about how stormwater
  effects the environment
• Useful in designing future projects
• Helping Graduate Students
• Learn more about the chemistry of stormwater
  systems

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Science Fair Ideas

• Household Products and Water Pollution
• How can household activities like car washing
  lead to the pollution of our local waters?
• Which household pollutant (used motor oil, used
  antifreeze, or detergent) has the largest effect
  on plants?
• Is my ipod a pollutant? The connection between
  e-waste and water quality.

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Science Fair Ideas

• Land Use and Water Pollution
• How does the water quality in Urban and Rural
  areas differ?
• Too much of a good thing- Can too much fertilizer
  actually hurt a plant?
• Does fertilizer affect aquatic and terrestrial
  plants the same way?

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Science Fair Ideas

• Natural Buffers and Water Pollution
• What Soil type is best at preventing the spread
  of pollutants?
• What role do wetland plants play as natural
  buffers to pollution?
• Which natural filter is most effective at
  removing stormwater pollutants?

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Tips
Time

• Make sure you allow enough time!
• Ask permission to borrow the materials you will
  need early.
• If you must purchase test kits, make sure to do
  so in time.
• Allow time to complete the experiment
• growing plants/etc can take a while!
• Allow time for things to go wrong!

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Tips
Design

• Write out at least a loose plan of the methods
  you need to follow to complete your project.
• Make sure that you clearly define the variables
  that you would like to study
• Design your project to limit the effects of other
  variables when possible
• Understand the importance of having a control
  group

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Tips
Record

• Youve made a plan, now record what you actually
  do!
• What went right/ wrong?
• Did you have to change anything?
• Take Pictures!
• Theyll be good for your report and theyll help
  you remember what you did.

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Tips
Think!

• Do some research about you topic BEFORE and AFTER
  you complete your experiment
• Before
• What have other people already learned?
• Why is YOUR project important?
• After
• How can you apply what you learned on a broader
  scale?
• What new questions were raised?
• What could the next step of this project be?

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Resources

• Project Tips
• Fair Way
• http//www.lib.fit.edu/pubs/scifair/portal.htm
• St. Johns Regional Water Management District
• Sjrwmd.com/education/fair.html
• Local Government
• http//natres.brevardcounty.us/
• Local Teachers

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Resources

• Research Information
• Water Cycle Information
• General water cycle information
• USGS-
• http//ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycle.html
• Water cycle info. For kids
• EPA-
• http//www.epa.gov/safewater/kids/flash/flash_wate
  rcycle.html
• More in depth water cycle information (slideshow)
• NASA
• http//observe.arc.nasa.gov/nasa/earth/hydrocycle/
  hydro1.html

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Resources

• Water Pollution Information-
• General groundwater issues
• The Groundwater Foundation
• http//www.groundwater.org/kc/kc.html
• General water pollution info.
• EPA
• http//www.epa.gov/ebtpages/watewaterpollution.htm
  l
• Ground water and drinking water standards
• EPA
• http//www.epa.gov/safewater/
• Water quality issues related to human health
• WHO
• http//www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/en/

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Resources

• Stormwater Information
• General Stormwater info.
• Natural Resources Defense Council
• http//www.nrdc.org/water/pollution/fstorm.asp
• Examples of local Stormwater problems and
  solutions
• Brevard County Stormwater Program
• http//www.brevstorm.org/
• General Stormwater info./ intro to NPDES program
• EPA Stormwater Program
• http//cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/home.cfm?program_id6\
• Stormwater info. for kids
• City of Oceanside, CA
• http//www.oceansidecleanwaterprogram.org/kids.asp

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Resources

• Topic-Specific Information
• Soil Types
• Rain.org
• http//www.rain.org/global-garden/soil-types-and-t
  esting.htm
• Natural Filters for water pollution
• Sierra Club
• http//maryland.sierraclub.org/action/p0088.asp
• EPA
• http//www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/pdf/protecti.pdf
• Nutrient overload
• USGS
• http//toxics.usgs.gov/definitions/eutrophication.
  html
• EPA
• http//www.epa.gov/maia/html/eutroph.html
• Urban Pollution
• Science Daily
• http//www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2000/09/00092
  9073033.htm

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Resources
Topic Specific info. Cont.

• Household water pollutants
• EPA
• http//www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/solution_to_pollutio
  n.pdf
• e-Waste
• National Geographic
• http//news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/11/11
  08_051108_electronic_waste.html
• Earth 911
• http//www.earth911.org/master.asp?slibaelectro
  nics/elec_faq.asp
• Green Biz
• http//www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID
  34728
• Materials
• Water quality testing kits
• Science fair Center
• ScienceFairCenter.com

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• ? Thanks ?

Any Questions?