Summary of Project in Benin - Summer 2003

The project in Benin, Africa, was refocused during the summer of 2003 on Nitrate contamination in the central Benin province of Zou.  This project is focused both on delineating the source, transport pathway, and possible remediation of the Nitrate and on delineating the socio-political structures necessary to encourage the local population to work with the national government and national university so as to become self-sufficient in the development and protection of their water supply.
Sampling from well GEOCHEMISTRY I: Sampling from local well
While in the Zou region, we sampled from a number of wells that were locally being used for water supply.  The vast majority of these wells were based on hand-pumps and were in active use.  Here Ms. Pamela Crane and Dr. Silliman are shown working with representatives of the national government, the national university, and the local population in collecting a water sample.

laboratory preparation of samples GEOCHEMISTRY II: Sample Analysis.  
While some of the more sophisticated chemical analyses required shipping the samples back to labs in the U.S. and Canada, much of the basic chemistry was performed either in the field or in the laboratory of the Universite d'Abomey-Calavi in Benin.  Field measures included temperature, turbidity, pH, conductance, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and nitrates.  Shown in this image are Dr. Silliman, Pamela Crane and Erica McKenzie in the office/laboratory of Dr. Moussa Boukari, Chair, Department of Earth Sciences, Universite d'Abomey-Calavi.

Dug-out canoes in Vovio WELLS: Well Drilling in Vovio
As part of an ongoing project in western Benin, a new well has been drilled by the local population in the small fishing community of Vovio.  Vovio relies predominantly on fishing for their food supply and groundwater for freshwater (the lake shown in the image has very high salinity content).

Dancing in Vovio
gift of a goat
WELLS: Celebration
The population in Vovio wished to express their thanks for our efforts in securing their new well.  Hence, a brief ceremony was held that involved a village dance (here, Erica dances with one of the local men from the village) and presentation of a gift goat from our program to the village.





CONTINUING WORK:  The water samples that were collected during the summer of 2003 have been analyzed for major and trace elements, the parameters listed above, and for isotopic composition in terms of Nitrogren and Oxygen isotopes in the nitrates.  These data sets are providing us with the tools necessary to separate sources of the Nitrate in the Zou region.  This information, in turn, is forming the basis of the research project of Ms. Pamela Crane, a graduate student at Notre Dame.