Team:Gaston Day School/Description

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Cadmium Detector

     Cadmium leakage poses a serious threat to environmental health around the world as well as at our teams home. The surrounding areas of Duke Energy’s Buck Steam Station in North Carolina have unintentionally been affected with millions of tons of coal ash containing multiple toxic chemicals including cadmium. In a world moving towards the use of alternative fuels, this problem only stands to grow.

A history with heavy metal

     Since 2012, Gaston Day iGEM has focused on heavy metal detectors, further focusing on cadmium detection starting in 2013. The release of the ash at the Buck Stream Station has caused the water to become a health hazard with the potential to cause a wide range of complications: flu-like symptoms, kidney damage, fragile bones, and possibly death through prolonged exposure. This hard reality motivates us to work towards solutions, both locally and globally.