18. Citizen Science Approach to Well Water Testing

Dr. Andrew George, is a Community Engagement Scientist and professor at UNC Chapel Hill, his professional focus is community engagement in environmental problem-solving, democratic decision-making, environmental justice, and well-water resources.

Citizen Science (CS), also known as "crowdsourcing" or "crowd-sourced science," is the growing practice of public involvement in the gathering, analyzing, or sorting of scientific data for research purposes. Formally, citizen science refers to "the general public engagement in scientific research activities when citizens actively contribute to science either with their intellectual effort or surrounding knowledge or with their tools and resources"

With Dr. Andrew George, we discuss his citizen science approach to well water testing in North Carolina, the two BREDL chapters that are engaging in this testing, the difference between well water and utility water, the contaminants they’re finding, and how he’s engaging his UNC students in this research.

Contact and connect with Dr. Andrew George: [email protected] 

Articles on Dr. Andrew George’s work: https://ie.unc.edu/2018/11/26/unc-scientists-partner-with-virginia-tech-on-national-science-foundation-rapid-grant-to-study-well-contamination-in-aftermath-of-hurricane-florence/

Citizen-Science Approach: https://guides.library.ucla.edu/citizen-science https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2210670719317020

Well Water in NC: https://epi.dph.ncdhhs.gov/oee/wellwater/figures.html https://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2017/07/24/making-nc-well-water-safer/

Environmental Justice Communities: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/environmental-justice-your-community https://www.foresightdesign.org/blog/2017/7/19/xcd8aq95i73fy933hw4ppjappv346t

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