A pair of University of Pittsburgh at Bradford students spent their summer hiking the rivers and streams of McKean County — but it was more than recreation.

Madhav Ellini and Megan Lichner were working with Dr. Femi Oloye, assistant professor of chemistry, on a research project to measure metals in local waterways.

With summer dedicated to collecting samples, the students are now spending the fall testing their findings in the lab under Oloye’s guidance. Ellini, a pre-medicine student from Bradford, is also drafting a report for the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, which awarded Oloye a $5,000 mini grant to fund the project. That support, along with funding from Pitt-Bradford’s Student Undergraduate Research Program, allowed both students to focus on research instead of taking other summer jobs.

Such opportunities give undergraduates a competitive edge when applying to medical or graduate school — and allow them to contribute meaningfully to issues that affect their own communities.

Lichner, a forensic science major from Bradford, spent the summer learning and writing about PFAS – widely used, long-lasting chemicals found in the blood of people and animals worldwide. She also prepared samples for analysis using the university’s new liquid chromatography–mass spectrometer This instrument enables the separation of components in water samples and provides precise identification of each compound.

The research itself has significant implications. Trace metals such as iron, copper, chromium, lead and nickel can be toxic at elevated levels, posing health risks for anyone who drinks or swims in contaminated water. To assess local water quality, Oloye and his students measured pH, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen in water.

The team collected samples from 10 sites including rivers, creeks and reservoirs.

“The goal was to understand how both past and present human activities may have affected local water quality,” Oloye said.

The team measured metal concentration using atomic absorption spectrometry, a reliable technique for detecting tiny amounts of metal in water.

Results for the study were mixed. While levels of lead and nickel were below detectable limits and iron and copper levels were mostly within safe limits, the iron concentration at one site downstream of the Bradford area was above recommended guidelines for aquatic organisms.

Additionally, one site on the West Branch of the Tunungwant Creek showed levels of chromium above the Environmental Protection Agency’s current acceptable limits.

“Overall, the water quality in McKean County remains generally good, but this finding highlights the need for more detailed testing, especially to determine the specific form of chromium present and its possible sources,” Oloye said.

Oloye plans to continue that more detailed testing with future students, some of whom got an up-close look at the project during the university’s Provost Academy, a program for entering first-year students in which they take part in hands-on projects with faculty while getting to know the campus and their fellow students.

Oloye took his dozen students outside to collect samples in the field and introduced them to practical experience in environmental data collection and water monitoring at springs, dams and rivers. In future years, they may also work alongside Oloye to evaluate the health of rural waterways.