Contact: Jack Bailey
(304) 766-4109
jbaile19@wvstateu.edu
 

 
INSTITUTE, W.Va. — Bhuparaj Bhattarai, a graduate student at West Virginia State University (WVSU), recently won first place in the Renewable Energy, Natural Resources and Environment poster category at the Association of 1890 Research Directors (ARD) Biennial Research Symposium. 

The project, titled “Methane Emissions in the Sediment of Highly Impacted Appalachian River,” aimed to understand the biochemical methane production potential and variation of archaeal populations within the sediment of the Kanawha River in West Virginia. Bhattarai's WVSU faculty mentor was Dr. David Huber, professor of biology. 

Rivers and streams are natural methane sources, contributing to global greenhouse gas emissions despite their relatively small size and land coverage. However, due to their dynamic nature, the factors influencing the extent and magnitude of emissions from flowing water bodies still needs to be determined. Research exploring the contribution of rivers to global greenhouse gas emissions has been limited. Therefore, Bhattarai’s study aimed to enhance understanding of the methane production potential and variation of archaeal populations within the sediment of the Kanawha River. 

The research results concluded that the methane production potential from river sediment varied between locations and within layers in the exact location. 

USDA-NIFA-2021-38821-34706 and Evans Allen funds supported Bhattarai’s work.        

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