JACKSONVILLEA Jacksonville chemistry professor wants to help Alabama residents monitor pollution in their streams.
Dr. Blake Otwell, a self-described environmentalist, can do 14 different types of water quality tests in his hi-tech chemistry lab at Jacksonville State University's new science center.
He feels strongly that more testing is needed in state waterways.
"I can name you about 20 places in Calhoun County which would be good places to test the water quality," he said.
Many residents can't afford such tests, he said.
"Most environmental organizations don't have a lot of money. Some can't even purchase basic water quality kits," he said.
Otwell wants to do the testing free of charge; however, until he obtains additional funding, he will have to charge a nominal fee, he said.
He currently is testing one creek for an environmental group in Borden Springs. Otwell would like to expand his lab testing, which he said uses federally approved methods, to other waterways in Alabama, and he currently is soliciting interest from environmental groups across the state.
Otwell's pride and joy is a $31,000 ion chromatograph, which he's currently using to analyze chlorine, nitrate, phosphate, sulfate and fluoride.
Using other equipment, he can test the amount of dissolved oxygen in water, the total suspended and dissolved solids, and the amount of organic pollutants.
For the past 15 months, Otwell has been using a state Health Department grant to pay for equipment and weekly water testing at Terrapin Creek in Borden Springs. Otwell and others believe the pristine creek is threatened by hazardous metals from a strip mine operation, Hargal Mining of Texas, which is located upstream.
"We have the data in hand if anything happens," said Michael Smith, president of the Friends of Terrapin Creek. "If anything gets into the creek, we'll know it."
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For more information, contact Otwell at 782-5816 or chemprof@mindspring.com.
