Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has projects on mercury fate in natural systems with a focus on Tampa Bay and gold mining areas of Guyana , and the use of mineral oxide sorbents to remove inorganic ions from contaminated sources (e.g. arsenic from groundwater and landfill leachate and phosphate from aquaculture facilities ). She is the faculty advisor for the USF chapter of Engineers for a Sustainable World and has a community project in East Tampa to integrate local K-12 curriculum with the monitoring and maintenance of the areas stormwater ponds (this project is a 2009 EPA P3 Phase II award).

Contaminant reduction in stormwater ponds in East Tampa and inidcators of local polluants. Stormwater ponds play a centrat role in water quality and flood control in Florida. East Tampa is a 7.5 sqaure mile commuunity with 31 storm water ponds, 3 of which are undergoing "beautification" by the community. This project will build on an EPA P3 Phase II award (www.ware-easttampa.com) and the REU student will assess heavy metal loads in the ponds and determine their effectiveness at water quality control. The student will specifically:

• understand/map the interconnectedness of stormwater ponds in East Tampa in relation to the bay.
• quantify water and sediment concentrations of select heavy metals.
• determine runoff loads and pond treatment capability.

Dr. Trotz with REU Student Barbara and graduate student Arlin Briley.

REU student project will look at the feasibility of phosphorous removal from aquaculture waste. Aquaculture is a rapidly growing area for world food production and the MOTE facility represents the only operational sturgeon farm in the US and one of the few aquaculture facilities also committed to research intensive activities. The student will

• collect water samples from facilities (both fresh and salt water tanks) located at the Mote Aquaculture Research Park in Sarasota, Florida.
• analyze samples for basic water quality parameters as well as concentrations of various phosphorous species.
• conduct batch and column reactors to test the conditions under which phosphorous removal from collected samples is most effective (e.g amount, type and particle size of mineral oxide sorbent, pH, etc.).

More information: Dr. Trotz's website