Brooke Damon

"Evaluating fluoride groundwater occurrence on Diné Bikéyah (Navajo Nation) using a community-engaged approach"

Advisor: Dr. Joseph Hoover

Tribal environmental resilience is linked with access to safe and reliable drinking water. Residents of the Navajo Nation who lack access to a public water supply often turn to hand pumps, windmills and other unregulated sources not monitored for contaminants to meet their domestic needs. Previous water quality studies in the Navajo Nation have investigated the occurrence and distribution of uranium and arsenic but there remains limited investigation of fluoride, a globally important contaminant that affects human and livestock health. Fluoride has been measured at high concentrations in communities of the Navajo Nation but there remains limited knowledge about the hydrogeological processes that lead to fluoride in groundwater. Therefore, this project seeks to 1) co-develop a community-based water quality assessment, and 2) create and deliver a set of environmental education lessons to grow Tribal environmental resilience for residents in a Navajo community.