Research Symposium

BIO

Paige Babushkin is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is earning dual degrees in Environmental Science and Public Health. She works with Dr. Ming Ye on projects quantifying pesticide and fertilizer dynamics via modeling. She will be continuing her education pursuing a masters degree at Columbia University’s Climate School.

Numerical Modeling of Pesticides and Fertilizers in South Florida

Abstract

Industrialized agricultural use of pesticides and fertilizers threatens water quality. In South Florida, where sandy soils, low elevation, and karst geology promote rapid contaminant transport, water sources are at an increased contamination risk. This study develops a Soil and
Water Assessment Tool (SWAT+) to model pesticide and fertilizer hydrologic transport in the Lake Trafford watershed in
Immokalee, Florida. Analyzing the modeling results has shown the limitations of SWAT+ modeling in regions such as South Florida.

Keywords: Agriculture, Modeling, Water Quality