Funded Projects

The Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin invests in programs that recruit, retain and train students for Wisconsin’s water workforce.

Our funding is part of a statewide initiative, backed by the Wisconsin State Legislature and Gov. Tony Evers, to tackle 10 grand water challenges. We support K-12 outreach programs, hands-on coursework, undergraduate research opportunities and internships, career development, and field training experiences at the 13 Universities of Wisconsin.

Read 2024 Outcomes Report: Training Wisconsin’s Future Workforce

Micro- and Nanoplastics as Vectors for the Transport of Organic Contaminants in Freshwater Environments: Influence of Natural Organic Matter and Plastic Weathering

Original Project Description: Microplastics have been widely documented in fish, air and natural waters, and have been found in drinking water, sewage, soil and sediment. Nanoplastics have been shown to be even more toxic to organisms and could serve as vectors for transporting emerging contaminants and other organic pollutants into freshwater ecosystems. Researchers examined the interactions between these toxic plastics and selected organic contaminants to determine how natural organic matter affects how they break down in freshwater environments. This project trained four undergraduate students, fostered collaborative freshwater research between UW-Milwaukee and UW-Madison and produced baseline data that led to a grant from the National Science Foundation.

Outcomes: Faculty trained 16 summer interns, undergraduate and graduate students from UW-Milwaukee, in microplastics research and generated preliminary data for multiple proposals and peer-reviewed publications. Findings were used to help secure a $360,805 grant from the National Science Foundation.

Related research publications include:

• Lin, H., Bartlett, S.L. and Guo, L. 2023. Distinct variations in fluorescent DOM components along a trophic gradient in the lower Fox River-Green Bay as characterized using one-sample PARAFAC approach. Sci.Tot. Environ, 902: 165891. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165891
• Schutte, M.M., Kteeba, S.M. and Guo, L. 2024. Photochemical reactivity of water-soluble dissolved organic matter derived from microplastics and microfibers. Sci. Tot. Environ, 911, 168616. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168616
• Lin, P., Klump, J.V., and Guo, L. 2024. Chemical speciation, reactivity and long-term burial of sedimentary phosphorus in a seasonally hypoxia-influenced freshwater estuary. Sci. Tot. Environ., 948, 174957. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174957
• Kteeba, S.M. and Guo, L. 2024. Photodegradation processes and weathering products of microfibersin aquatic environments. Environ. Sci Technol. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.4c03667
• Zhou, Z, Lin, H., D’Sa, E.J., and Guo, L. 2024. A comparative study of optical and size properties of dissolved organic matter in the lower Mississippi River and Pearl River. Marine Chemistry, (in press). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marchem.2024.104453

Meeting presentations/abstracts that acknowledge supports from Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin:

• Patel, P., Kteeba, S.M. and Guo, L. 2022. Spectroscopic analysis of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in natural waters. Poster presentation at the Symposium of the 2022 ACS Project-SEED Program. Milwaukee. August 5, 2022
• Guo, L., Lin, P., Klump, J.V., Bartlett, S,L. and Robertson, D.M.2023. Chemical speciation, transformation, and deposition of phosphorus in Green Bay, Lake Michigan. Phosphorus: Lessons from 10+ Years of Numeric Standards for Wisconsin Waters.  Madison, WI, February 7, 2023.
• Gibbs, S.J., Kteeba, S.M. and Guo, L. 2023.Photochemical degradation of disposable face masks and polypropylene in the environment. Presentation at the 15th Annual UW-Milwaukee Undergraduate Research Symposium. April 28, 2023.
• Sollberger, M., Weidert, D., Kteeba, S.M. and Guo, L. 2023. Evaluating the photochemical degradation of biodegradable plastics. Poster presentation at the annual UR@UWM symposium. UW-Milwaukee, August 4, 2023.
• Thao, N. Kteeba, S.M. and Guo, L. 2023. Effects of pH and ionic strength on the optical and colloidal properties of natural DOM and plastic derivedDOM. Poster presentation at the Symposium of the 2023 ACS Project-SEED Program, UW-Milwaukee. August 11, 2023.
• Schutte, M.P., Kteeba, S.M. and Guo,L. 2023. Yields, characterization and photochemical reactivity of water-soluble dissolved organic matter from microplastics and microfibers. 2023 ACS Fall Meeting, August 13-17, 2023. San Francisco, CA (Abstract ID: 3908504).
• Kteeba, S.M. and Guo, L. 2023. Photochemical behavior and degradation products of microfibers in freshwater environments. 2023 ACS Fall Meeting, August 13-17, 2023. San Francisco, CA (Abstract ID: 3920637).
• Guo, L., Gibbs, S., and Kteeba, S.M. 2023. Photochemical Reactivity of Disposable Face Masks and Polypropylene in aquatic environments. The2023 AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA , December 11-15, 2023 (abstract ID: 1414866 or paper#: H53R-1562).
• Gibbs, S., Kteeba, S.M., and Guo, L. 2024. Characterization of dissolved organic matter of Disposable Face Masks during photochemical weathering in Freshwater environments.Presentation at the NCUR 2024 Conference, California State University, Long Beach, CA, April 8-10, 2024.
• Choi, J., Kteeba, S.M., Swigart, J.M. and Guo, L. 2024. Chemical and Optical Characterization of Produced Water from the Permian Basin Oil Field. Presentation at the NCUR 2024 Conference, California State University, Long Beach, CA, April 8-10, 2024.
• Thao, N., Krueger, S.J., Kteeba, S.M and Guo, L. 2024. Impact on photo degradation and thermal leaching on chemical properties of plastics-derived dissolved organic matter (DOM). Symposium of the 2024 ACS Project-SEED Program at UW-Milwaukee, August 7, 2024.

Deposition and Removal of Emerging Contaminants in the Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern

Original Project Description: The Greater Milwaukee Estuary faces pollution from emerging contaminants, such as PFAS and pharmaceuticals, posing risks to both the environment and public health. These contaminants are removed from the water through natural processes and accumulate in sediment, where they can persist for long periods, threatening organisms and humans who come in contact with them. The pollution history of these contaminants in the estuary remains poorly understood. This collaborative research project involves the analysis of sediment cores to study the contaminants’ history and behavior. The findings will aid in managing and remediating aquatic contaminations.

Outcomes: Participants included students from multiple states, many of whom had no prior exposure to freshwater science. Introducing these students to freshwater-focused research contributed to workforce development by expanding awareness and building foundational skills in the field. This project has involved high school, undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students, all of whom were trained on equipment by the Water Science and Engineering Laboratory. The project also served as a platform for hosting students through the Freshwater@UW summer research opportunities program. In addition, students participated in UW Graduate School events and training sessions offered through UW-Madison.

Students were trained to operate advanced analytical instruments, including the quartz crystal microbalance, and gained experience in data analysis and scientific communication. These skills increase their competitiveness for future positions in the freshwater sector and help produce specialists capable of working with high-tech instrumentation. The research conducted under this project generated new molecular-level knowledge on contaminant behavior in freshwater systems. These findings contribute to a better understanding of contaminant fate and may inform future strategies for improving contaminant removal from waterways. Presentation of the data at multiple national and regional conferences meeting raised awareness of Wisconsin’s water challenges and highlighted the research efforts taking place in the state. Preliminary results from this project were used to support the development of proposals submitted to federal funding agencies, which would extend the impact of the initial investment.