DAN BURGARD--RESEARCH INTERESTS
When I arrived at Puget Sound my research had focused primarily on the remote sensing of
mobile source (vehicle) emissions. The remote sensor is the Fuel Efficiency Automobile Test
(FEAT) that was initially developed at the University of Denver and has since been commercially
developed and marketed worldwide. I have continued the remote sensing research at Puget
Sound with seven different students as part of their senior thesis work. This line of study
involves the application of my long-term interests in analytical chemistry to environmental
problems. Recently these combined interests have taken me to aqueous environments and
quantifying trace levels of licit and illicit drugs in wastewater. All research opportunities for
undergraduates working with me will involve monitoring of real-world, environmental concerns.
Remote Sensing of Mobile Source Emissions
Background
My students use a Remote Sensing Device (RSD) to measure previously unmeasured or undermeasured in-use vehicles, vehicles that have been studied in the lab but not in-use, or to monitor
new trends in emissions from vehicles that have had recent changes in regulations. An RSD has
the benefit of being an unobtrusive and noninvasive technique to measure a large number of inuse vehicles with relatively low cost.
Research
My students have measured emissions from school buses with new catalytic technology to reduce
emissions.1 They have also measured marine vessels, a category of mobile source emissions that
had previously never been measured by an RSD.2 This included small recreational boats,
commercial tugboats, and ocean-going container and cruise ships. More recently my students
have measured on-road trucks and transit buses to determine if two new sets of emissions
regulations were having the intended effects on-road as were verified in the laboratory3 as well as
using the remote sensor to measure in-use emissions from train locomotives.4 Future research
will involve more work on measuring the emission control devices on trucks/buses/ships/etc…
Wastewater Monitoring
Background
Recently research groups both locally and internationally have been examining the possibilities of
detecting drugs in wastewater. Once detected, these groups have been able to approximate the
drug use occurring within a given community.5,6 The first tests were done in an Italian river to
determine the level of cocaine consumption from the surrounding population. The water results
showed very different consumption estimates than the official national estimates. The national
estimates were presumably determined using medical records, police reports, or reports from
official surveys.7 However, traditional methods suffer from bias either through under reporting in
self-administered surveys or underrepresenting the population with medical or police reports.
Sewer-based drug epidemiology has the promise to be an objective, complementary method in
determining community drug use.7
Research
We have applied sewage-based drug epidemiology to measure a variety of drugs from a variety of
wastewater sources. Initially we tested University of Puget Sound wastewater for Adderall and
Ritalin over the course of one academic year. Adderall (amphetamine salts) is a prescription drug
for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is common rumor
amongst students that taking non-prescription Adderall increases one’s ability to focus for long
periods of time and that this can be beneficial during midterms or final exams.8 According to one
survey, approximately 24% of students on a college campus reported having used Adderall or
other drug (without a prescription) for the purpose of improved academic performance.9 We
determined the amount of Adderall being used by our college community during final exams and
midterm exams was higher than during periods of low academic stress, in the case of one exam
period nearly 8× higher (~25%).10,11 We have also detected stimulants such as amphetamine and
methamphetamine in portable toilets at a truck weigh station. Current projects involve the
determination of trends in marijuana use in Tacoma since the introduction of legal recreational
cannabis in Washington State, as well as chiral analysis of other drug metabolites to determine
origin.
Participation in these projects includes learning about sample collection, method development,
and analysis. Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) is used to extract and concentrate trace amounts of
dug metabolites from wastewater samples. Analysis is performed on Liquid Chromatography
tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).
References (Puget Sound student authors denoted with *)
(1)
Burgard, D. A.; Provinsal, M. N.* On-Road, In-Use Gaseous Emission Measurements by
Remote Sensing of School Buses Equipped with Diesel Oxidation Catalysts and Diesel
Particulate Filters. J. Air Waste Manag. Assoc. 2009, 59, 1468–1473.
(2) Burgard, D. A.; Bria, C. R. M.*; Berenbeim, J. A.* Remote Sensing of Emissions from InUse Small Engine Marine Vessels. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2011, 45, 2894–2901.
(3) Hobbs, Andy. Professor and crew test bus emissions with light
http://www.federalwaymirror.com/news/123295983.html (accessed Nov 24, 2014).
(4) Glenn, S. UPS professor taking measure of Tacoma train emissions. Tacoma News Tribune,
2012, A1.
(5) Banta-Green, C. J.; Field, J. A.; Chiaia, A. C.; Sudakin, D. L.; Power, L.; de Montigny, L.
The spatial epidemiology of cocaine, methamphetamine and 3,4methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) use: a demonstration using a population
measure of community drug load derived from municipal wastewater. Addiction 2009, 104,
1874–1880.
(6) Zuccato, E.; Chiabrando, C.; Castiglioni, S.; Calamari, D.; Bagnati, R.; Schiarea, S.; Fanelli,
R. Cocaine in surface waters: a new evidence-based tool to monitor community drug Abuse.
Environ. Health Glob. Access Sci. Source 2005, 4, 10–1186.
(7) Burgard, D. A.; Banta-Green, C.; Field, J. A. Working Upstream: How Far Can You Go
with Sewage-Based Drug Epidemiology? Environ. Sci. Technol. 2014, 48, 1362–1368.
(8) Trudeau, M. More Students Turning Illegally To “Smart” Drugs : NPR
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100254163 (accessed Aug 14, 2012).
(9) Shillington, A. M.; Reed, M. B.; Lange, J. E.; Clapp, J. D.; Henry, S. College undergraduate
Ritalin abusers in southwestern California: protective and risk factors. J. Drug Issues 2006,
36, 999.
(10) Burgard, D. A.; Fuller, R.; Becker, B.*; Ferrell, R.*; Dinglasan-Panlilio, M. J. Potential
trends in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) drug use on a college campus:
Wastewater analysis of amphetamine and ritalinic acid. Sci. Total Environ. 2013, 450–451,
242–249.
(11) Moore, D.; Burgard, D. A.; Larson, R. G.*; Ferm, M.* Psychostimulant Use Among
College Students During Periods of High and Low Stress: An Interdisciplinary Approach
Utilizing Both Self-Report and Unobtrusive Chemical Sample Data. Addict. Behav. 2014.