Iowa students at Central Lee High School in Donnellson and at Knoxville Middle School in Knoxville are recipients of the 2009 Student Grant from the University Hygienic Laboratory.

The Student Grant program provides laboratory expertise and mentoring for junior high and senior high school students to assist them in completion of science projects.

Olivia Rairden, a junior at Central Lee High School, was awarded the grant for her project that examines water systems for the presence of estrogen and other pharmaceuticals.

Olivia Rairden (left) with UHL's Karla Benninghoven

"Pharmaceuticals are beginning to become an issue with our water systems," Olivia said in her application. "The majority of people do not fully understand the effects they can have on the environment by simply washing something down the drain."

The Hygienic Laboratory's Terry Cain, chemist, and John Vargo, environmental program manager, are mentors for the testing, which is being conducted at the Iowa City laboratory.

A team of six students at Knoxville Middle School looked for the dirtiest and cleanest places in their school based on the presence and absence of bacteria and how it relates to traffic in those areas. The students also are evaluating the effectiveness of current cleaning methods.

"Our objective is to find out which areas of our school are the most and least clean," the team said in their application. "We would also like to be part of devising a plan to provide a safe and clean learning environment for both ourselves and our classmates. Our results could provide support for the importance of our custodial staff during these times of budget cuts."

Dawn Jackson, a public health microbiologist at the Hygienic Laboratory, will serve as the mentor for the testing, which will be conducted at the laboratory in Ankeny.

Knoxville Middle School teacher Sara Finnegan (front row, left) poses with her students who won the Hygienic Laboratory Student Grant award and principal Brian McNeill (back row, right). Students are (front row from left) Rachel Morgan, Jocelyn Beaver, and Carrie Adrian. Pictured in the back row are Ben Thomas, Justin Karns and Brendan Finan.