OU Graduate Student Developing Solutions for Water Problems in Ethiopia

-

By Jana Smith, Director,
Strategic Communications for R&D
University of Oklahoma

A University of Oklahoma environmental science graduate student will travel to Ethiopia in June to test materials she has been investigating as possible solutions to fluorosis—a widespread problem in the Rift Valley, where high levels of fluoride in the drinking water result in dental and skeletal disease.

Laura Brunson, graduate student in the OU College of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science, works with researchers in the OU Water Center on global water challenges, specifically fluorosis. Left untreated, fluorosis causes darkening of the teeth and bone deformities. In Ethiopia, the side effects of fluorosis are clearly health related, but have a cultural aspect as well. Novel approaches to this problem are needed to produce effective solutions—solutions not readily available in rural, impoverished areas of countries like Ethiopia.

Brunson has been investigating inexpensive, sustainable and locally available solutions, such as adsorption—a useful technology for fluoride removal from drinking water because it does not require energy input outside of gravity and, depending on the material used, can be very effective at removing fluoride to meet the World Health Organization standard. She has been investigating fluoride removal using several novel materials including aluminum coated wood and bone chars.

Bones charred at a high temperature are effective in the removal of fluoride from water, but Brunson is investigating other materials with similar properties of bone char because some communities do not like the idea of treating water with bones. Wood char is one possibility, but it has to have a coating for it to work as well as bone char. Brunson will test these materials in Ethiopia this summer. “It’s important to test the materials in the location where they will actually be used,” she says.

When Brunson can determine the effectiveness of the materials, the next step is building awareness in the region. A sustainable treatment plant will be needed and this will require community support. On this aspect of the project, Brunson is working with a group of students from the OU Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth to develop and implement a business model for the bone char technology. Incorporating the model into Ethiopian communities will help to ensure the project’s success.

Brunson is also working with Paul Spicer, an OU anthropologist, to conduct surveys in the area to understand the values, motivation and interests of the Ethiopian people. “We need to know what the Ethiopian people think about their water and what their treatment preferences are,” says Brunson. Spicer will spend one week in the area on this crucial part of the project. According to Brunson, “A project often fails because no one takes the time to understand the concerns of the people who are affected.”

On this visit, Brunson hopes to gain a better understanding of the materials she has been investigating as part of her graduate research project, but more important, she hopes to find a solution to the water problem in the Rift Valley of Ethiopia.

Brunson is a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow, adjunct instructor in the College of Business and CCEW project inventor. Learn more about the research activities of the OU Water Center at http://water.ou.edu.

Follow OU Research at http://www.ou.edu/content/research/home/research_communications.html or on Twitter at http://twitter.com/OUResearch.

Popular posts from this blog

OU Engineering Students Shine in Community Projects

-
Image
At the University of Oklahoma, a transformative course called Pathways to Engineering Thinking is leaving a mark on OU students and the community. In the first-year engineering course, over 800 students across 16 sections collaborated to tackle real-world challenges presented by community partners. Their projects ranged from developing prosthetic limbs for injured animals to creating innovative solutions for community gardens and zoos. The course aims to guide students through the engineering design process, emphasizing collaborative teamwork and problem-solving skills.  This semester’s projects reached many areas of the community. Partnerships with the OU Food Pantry, OU Community Garden, Oklahoma City Zoo, OU Engineering K-12 Outreach, a local dog rescue and the City of Norman provided students with real-world challenges to address. Each team delved into issues presented by the partners, working toward delivering functional design solutions by the semester’s end. The heart of the cou
Read more

OU Students Take on Habitat Challenge: Sooners Without Borders Constructs Ramp, More in Iowa

-
Image
In early January, six students from Sooners Without Borders at the University of Oklahoma headed to Des Moines, Iowa, teaming up with Habitat for Humanity. Their goal: construct an accessibility ramp for a local family. Their mission was part of Habitat’s Collegiate Challenge program, providing year-round volunteer opportunities for college students. The students, all from the Gallogly College of Engineering at OU, embraced the challenge. Formerly Engineers Without Borders, Sooners Without Borders had changed its name to be more inclusive of all majors at OU, says Lisa Morales, the group's staff adviser. “A lot of projects used to focus on clean water and students had the opportunity to travel abroad. Once Covid happened, we had to shift the focus of Sooner Without Borders,” Morales said.  In Des Moines, the project expanded beyond the ramp, involving tasks like installing kitchen cabinets and flooring for a new home. Morales says she was impressed with the student’s adeptness with
Read more

OU Engineering Welcomes 14 New Faculty Members for 2023-24

-
Image
OU Engineering has welcomed 14 new faculty members for the 2023-24 academic year. This marks a milestone in the college's growth journey, with faculty numbers increasing from just over 100 in 2017 to 175 in 2023. OU Engineering is committed to expanding its faculty ranks, aiming for over 200 faculty members by the 2025-26 academic year, says OU Engineering Dean John Klier. To achieve this goal, the college has initiated more than 20 faculty searches. The State of Oklahoma continues to acknowledge the need for more engineers. They recently responded to OU Engineering’s request for additional recurring funding. The funding will play a crucial role in offering undergraduate student tuition waivers, supporting graduate students and helping recruit new faculty and staff. These positions will be phased in over the next three years. "OU Engineering extends its gratitude for the ongoing support from the State of Oklahoma as it continues to address the growing demand for engineers,&quo
Read more