Passive Sampling Project – Arizona

By: Lisa Jones (MESTECH).

On Wednesday, November 11th, I arrived in Phoenix, Arizona. This is the first leg of what will be a 6-week trip.
I would like to thank Rolf Halden and his team, in particular Erin Driver, Joshua Steele and Marcia Spurlock for making the whole visit run very smoothly and for the wonderful, warm reception!

Day 1 involved making my way to Arizona State University where members of Rolf Halden’s research group welcomed me and set me up for a lunchtime seminar. Before the talk we toured the ASU Gallery of Scientific Exploration. A collection of meteorites and interactive demos with groups of school kids visiting and touring the area.

At lunchtime the research group assembled and, over BBQ, we talked through the DCU Water Institute and projects we are involved in right now. ASU were very interested in our work with passive samplers and involvement in the SCORE Cost action on sewage biomarkers. The presentation kicked off a great group discussion.

After lunch we toured the labs and took a closer look at the latest model of the active sampler. This sampler is involved in many different projects and the proximity to some Superfund sites makes sampling very interesting.

Day 2 was an early start, and a real treat, a trip to the Grand Canyon! PhD students Erin Driver and Joshua Steele brought me on an all-day day trip 3.5 hours north of Phoenix to the Grand Canyon. While temperatures in Phoenix were about 28C the elevation near Flagstaff and the Canyon had us down to 5C. Passing from areas of desert and cacti to pine trees and snow, all in the space of only a few hours.
We followed the Bright Angel trail and went for an 8km hike down into the canyon and back. The views were spectacular and the company couldn’t have been better. We had a great time and I hope to visit ASU again soon!

With Joshua Steele and Erin Driver after hiking into the Grand Canyon.