2023 NEWT REU Blog Entry # 5 – Leanh Nguyen

During the first part of the week, Naomi and I began working on our parts of the Hueco Tanks project: the Point of Entry and the Storage. For point of entry, we looked at various common filters in household systems such as reverse osmosis (RO), UV light, and chlorination to name a few. For storage, we began asking questions about a minimum size for the storage tanks and looking into different types of storage tanks (i.e. stainless steel, polyethylene, etc.) and insulation (i.e. fiberglass v. spray foam closed cell insulation). However, this is only the beginning step, and we will continue to work with the students from UTEP to determine how these solutions could be implemented and fit appropriately into each of the residents’ lives. Namely, we need to find solid reasons as to why we pick certain materials, tank sizes, etc. 

Then, on Thursday, Naomi and I began preparing various solutions for our arsenic detection tests using the Rodeostat. We hope to have the system operational by the end of this week and start testing as soon as possible. 

Stock and Working Solutions for Arsenic Detection

Connecting Rodeostat to the Faraday Cage

Placing Electrodes into the Beaker

Lastly, on Friday, we had another group discussion with the UTEP students and mentors regarding our progress this week. Overall, we need to finalize how we will share the poster and data with each other to edit. 

Once again, thank Dr. Jorge Loyo, Dr. Silvia Chavez, and Dr. Eva Deemer for this amazing opportunity and for all of the guidance and knowledge they have given me. 

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