West Islip Senior Analyzes Oyster Shells At Brookhaven Lab

West Islip NY

08 June, 2021

11:16 AM

Description

Press release from the West Islip School District: June 8, 2021 West Islip High School research student Gianna Pillitteri presented her researchpaper, titled "Monitoring Environmental Changes Through the Lens of Oyster Shells Fromthe 1600s Through Today," on May 17 at Brookhaven National Laboratory's NationalSynchrotron Light Source II and Center for Functional Nanomaterials Users' Meeting. Thisannual meeting provides scientists with the opportunity to share their work in synchrotronradiation and nanoscale science research. While participating in BNL's Student Partnerships for Advanced Research andKnowledge program, Pillitteri has been analyzing oyster shells from the 1600s, 1800s andmodern era donated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission incooperation with Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program Director ChristopherPickerell. She analyzed the mineral content of the oyster shells using X-ray diffraction atthe X-ray Powder Diffraction beamline at the NSLS-II. She also used X-ray fluorescencespectroscopy at the Tender Energy X-ray Spectroscopy beamline to identify light elementspresent in the shells. Pillitteri's data analysis is ongoing, but so far she has found that theolder shells contain calcium phosphate, a mineral that is not present in the modern-dayshells. "Congratulations to Gianna and her research teacher Mary Kroll for this amazingaccomplishment," said Debbie Langone, West Islip's director of science and engineeringtechnology. This press release was produced by the West Islip School District. The views expressed here are the author's own.