"DR. MED" Team Recognized for Aquifer Test

Four science students from the STEM Academy in San Antonio, Texas, test the effects of medication runoff on the local aquifer for a U.S. Army–sponsored competition, win first prize, and are honored at the White House Science Fair.

Four young science students in San Antonio, Texas, recently answered the call of the U.S. Army to compete in a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) challenge.

Jocelyn Hernandez, Ricardo Rodriguez, Nathaly Salazar and Carlos Zapata, all 13-year-old students at the North East Independent School District's STEM Academy, formed Team DR. MED to investigate the effects of improper pharmaceutical disposal on the Edwards Aquifer, which supplies groundwater to San Antonio.

After painstaking tests of several common medications and analysis of their results, they found evidence that careless disposal of medicines could have negative consequences for aquifer ecology. Effects may range from birth defects in wildlife to antibiotic resistance, according to recent scientific research. "We need to promote public awareness to prevent this from hurting future generations and our environment," Salazar told www.army.mil.

Their study won regional first place for the eighth grade in the 2010–2011 eCYBERMISSION Competition. Each student was awarded $3,000 in U.S. Savings Bonds and a trip to Washington to participate in the White House Science Fair.

“I accepted the challenge because in the future I see myself as an aeronautical engineer, and eCYBERMISSION revolves around engineering and the STEM values, and I just thought it would be a great way to take that one step ahead of everybody else and stand out from the crowd,” team member Ricardo Rodriguez said in a YouTube video about the competition.

The U.S. Army program strives to promote STEM literacy and innovation among students in middle school through its eCYBERMISSION educational outreach program.