We are Thankful for You!
During this season of gratitude, we wanted to take a moment to thank you for your support and dedication to the North and South Rivers Watershed Association. People like you help us keep our environment healthy for today, and future generations, beginning with the waters that flow through our neighborhoods and the land that surrounds them. The NSRWA relies on the generosity of our community to support and sustain our important ecological work. Our research team, supported by hundreds of citizen science volunteers, monitor our waterways, count wildlife to ensure habitat sustainability, and document the conditions of culverts and dams, which enables us to advocate within town governments to ensure funds are allocated towards restoration and repair.
Did You Know?
Did you enjoy a nice post-meal nap yesterday? Most people have heard the theory that turkey contains the amino acid tryptophan which can lead to that sleepy feeling. More recent research shows that things are more complicated than that and tryptophan isn’t the primary culprit of your grogginess. But did you know that tryptophan has unique properties that scientists are using as a water quality indicator?
Tryptophan is an essential amino acid found in many protein-based foods, including:
- Animal products: Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, cheese, and yogurt
- Plant-based proteins: Quinoa, soy, and buckwheat (groats)
- Nuts and seeds: Almonds, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and hemp seeds
- Whole grains: Oats
- Legumes: Chickpeas
- Other foods: Chocolate, dried dates, and bananas
Tryptophan is known to “fluoresce” in the ultra-violet region of light. This means that when you shine a light of a particular wavelength on the molecule, it will emit light of a longer wavelength. This means that its presence can be easily measured with sensors that detect that fluorescence. It turns out that many other types of organic matter also have this same property called “tryptophan-like fluorescence (TLF)”.
One example is human sewage which can be detected in water based on its TLF properties. Bacteria in our local waters can come from human waste sources like sewer treatment plants and combined sewer overflows. These bacteria can be harmful to swimmers, people eating shellfish, or anyone in contact with the polluted waters. But monitoring for bacteria can be time-consuming and slow to get results. As a result, several companies have developed sensors that can sit in a water body, quickly detect increased levels of TLF, and alert authorities about potential bacterial contamination. These innovative new tools can help us be quicker and safer about tracking water quality.