Water Quality Monitoring of an Urban Estuary and a Coastal Aquifer Using Field Kits and Meters: A Community-Based Environmental Research Project

Water quality is an important interdisciplinary environmental topic for project-based learning. An undergraduate summer research internship program at a public minority serving institution engaged environmental science majors in community-based research experiences. The research focused on the field monitoring of water quality for surface water and groundwater in urban areas of New York and New Jersey that have been heavily impacted by industrialization and urbanization. Groups of students collected water samples from the tidal section of the Passaic River and the Hackensack River, as well as the Newark Bay in New Jersey. Groundwater samples were also collected from a sandy coastal aquifer located in the East Shore of Staten Island, New York. Students analyzed water samples using a portable pH-EC meter, a portable colorimeter, or field test kits for various water quality parameters in the field or laboratory. Students prepared and presented research posters in conferences and at a local community event. The water quality monitoring project helped students to develop field and laboratory research skills, quantitative skills, collaboration skills, as well as written and oral communication skills. The research experiences enhanced students’ attitudes toward science careers and motivated students to pursue degrees in science. The community-based environmental project can be implemented in various undergraduate science courses focusing on the chemistry of natural waters to facilitate inquiry-driven learning and connect classroom learning to the real world.