The current study focuses on quantifying inorganic chemicals and tannic acids in beach water in coastal Georgia. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) is interested in using a rapid testing tool for bacteriological analysis for assessing the water quality of local beach water. One such technique is quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) which can generate data in a relatively shorter period of time and thus provide better prevention of waterborne diseases. Before the use of this technique, USEPA recommends that feasibility studies are needed to be carried out to ensure proper identification of various chemicals in the water that can interfere with the qPCR technique. The current project focuses on establishing a correlation between the growth of fecal bacteria with that of chemical contaminants found in local beach water. Water was collected from 16 different beach sites in Coastal Georgia in the past year. We are currently quantifying various chemicals such as total nitrogen, phosphorus, several metals, tannic acid by using Ion Chromatography (IC), Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), and High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) techniques. We hypothesize that certain organic or inorganic constituents found in beach water may inhibit the bacteriological analysis of the water while using the qPCR monitoring technique. Our ultimate objective is the improvement of the qPCR performance for better monitoring of water quality of beaches, real-time data reports to beach managers for advisory, and better prevention of waterborne diseases in a timely manner in the state of Georgia.

Quantitative analysis of inorganic chemicals in coastal Georgia beach water by mass spectrometry and chromatography techniques

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.