This week has been both exciting and somewhat sad. I had a farewell lunch with my lab on Thursday and very much enjoyed it but was also saddened by the fact I probably will not see these people again once I leave Hong Kong. I will especially miss my advisor Elsie who I couldn’t have had a chance of success at this project without. I feel the same way about Eric’s lab as we have spent many hours with them going to various restaurants and enjoying some finer points of Hong Kong Eric and I would not have found on our own. Not only have I enjoyed the Hong Kong culture but living in a city like this I have had the opportunity to try Islamic, Indian, Japanese and most every other type of food I can think of. I will be sad to leave the constant stream of new experiences as sometimes life in the USA makes a person a creature of habit.

So far from the research I have conducted I expect to see several correlations from my experiments. I expect correlations between the amount of industrial activity/urbanization for the respective sampling site and the amount of Natural Organic Matter (NOM) or (for our purposes) Total Organic Carbon (TOC); precursors of DBPs. I also expect that I will see strong correlation between the amount of TOC and THM/HAA values. Research has shown that chlorination nearly always affects the amount of TOC only anomaly sites have shown to be different . I will also be using data from previous toxicity experiments such as the Tetramitus test and Microtox test which examine the level of toxicity using bioluminescence and zooplankton respectively. I hope to see correlations with the previously mentioned DBPs as well as correlations between the toxicity tests and a UV254 test I conducted earlier. The AMES test, also a toxicity indicator should give us similar correlations. A final relationship I expect to see is between certain metals such as Copper or Chromium and DBPs as these metals have a strong binding methods with organic matter produced during chlorination. We will see soon! I will am scheduled to have a very rough draft to my professor by mid August.

As this is my first time working on a research project there are several lessons I have learned when working with others; especially on an international level. Working on research projects takes time. Being committed and passionate to a research project is a must and carefully choosing a topic is very important. Also creating good relationships with the people you are working with is essential. I have made good connections with my advisor and professor; I feel that we are working toward a common goal to better understand how we can prevent harmful products in our drinking water. Remembering that I am part of a larger project and that I am representing Eckerd fuels my desire to produce my best work. At an international level producing quality work could mean another opportunity to work at the university or it could mean gaining respect for your school or for yourself as a scientist . I have also realized that there are several universal themes which you will never be chastised for; hard work, respect, and good attitude go a long way anywhere regardless of project or goals.

At least that is what I am told from the side of the Hong Kong Coke cans. But many things are not quite what you are familiar with in China. A short half-a-day plane trip over the North Pole will hurl you into China’s affluent culture. Our first days were spent touring Beijing; home of the 2008 summer Olympics. We’ve climbed the Great Wall of China and toured several world renowned historical sites such as the Forbidden City, Imperial Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Ming Tombs, and Tiananmen Square. We also viewed how native items such as jade, freshwater pearls, copper vases, silk, and tea are utilized for the Chinese economy. Our group enjoyed these once in a lifetime experiences in just the first three days of our China adventure.

From Beijing we traveled to Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU); my home for the next seven weeks. HKBU’s friendly atmosphere and hospitality makes you feel right at home though your 10,000 miles away. We have enjoyed the company of the HKBU faculty and students; they have spared no time or expense of their own to ensure our happiness. The professors look for input in your research and offer you plenty of background information to be sure you are comfortable with your research topic. They have also introduced us to the fine cuisine Hong Kong has to offer such as dim sum which is a series of steamed dishes composed primarily of chicken, pork, beef and vegetables. But that does not mean one should not try things out of your comfort zone. Items such as the lovely silk moth or chicken’s feet which both offer new tastes you will not get in the states; I can personally attest to this. China has already offered me more experiences than I could have asked for and I am looking forward to beginning my research on disinfection bi-products (DBP’s) in the aquatic environment and drinking water and how these DBP’s have produced carcinogenic and genotoxic properties.