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ESF Researchers Receive GLRC Grant
A team of researchers from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry was among those receiving grants from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Syracuse-based Great Lakes Research Consortium (GLRC).
The ESF team, led by Assistant Professor Alexander B. Artyukhin, Department of Chemistry, received $24,789 to test a combined technology process for detecting new and unknown water pollutants missed by traditional screening practices that target known contaminants. Dr. John Hassett, Department of Chemistry, and Dr. Lemir Teron, Department of Environmental Studies will also be working on the project.
The team will analyze samples from Onondaga Lake and Lake Ontario to test the feasibility of using untargeted mass spectrometry technology paired with molecular networking to discover potential new pollutants, derivatives, or metabolites.
"The Great Lakes Research Consortium is pleased to support a wide range of projects from across New York state to address important issues including invasive species, harmful algal blooms, changing water levels in Lake Ontario, the identification of new and emerging contaminants, and the use of phosphorus sorption technology," said Dr. Gregory Boyer, Great Lakes Research Consortium director and professor in ESF's Department of Chemistry. "These small grant awards support first-of-their-kind and basic foundational research that is essential if we are to properly manage and conserve New York's critical freshwater resources."
In total $121,741 in grants were awarded for five research projects that will help restore and protect the health of New York's Great Lakes and surrounding communities.
"Our rapidly changing climate, coupled with increased threats from invasive species, nutrient pollution, and emerging contaminants, are challenging the health of Great Lakes ecosystems," DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said. "The research grants announced today will help New York State delve deeper into the science of these problems and broaden our ability to address these and future challenges."
This small-grants program is funded by New York's Environmental Protection Fund. The Great Lakes Research Consortium is an organization of 18 colleges and universities in New York state, plus nine affiliate campuses in Ontario, Canada, dedicated to collaborative Great Lakes research and science education. Its small grants program provides funding for small-scale research projects that take initiating steps to address critical Great Lakes issues and establish baseline data to support larger applied research and demonstration projects.