Profile

Favourite thing to do in science: Hop into my car, drive to the beach, take a sample and analyse that bathing water for bugs

About Me: Hi My name is Ann. I am a cool Mom (even if my kids disagree!!) and I work in a lab. I love music, especially dance music, love food and hate ironing!!

My Work: I work in a water lab. I get to travel around & take samples of drinking water from people's houses, I get to put on wellingtons and take samples from rivers & lakes and I get to hop into the sea to take samples of bathing water-in the summer when its hot! I test the samples for bugs so that kids that go to the sea side don't get sick if they accidently swallow some sea water, and make sure that the water in your kitchen tap is safe to drink- so you don't get diarrohea. I check the rivers & lakes to make sure the fish can survive.

My Typical Day: Some days I head straight for the lab and other days I might be heading to a river, a lake, a bathing water or some person's house. If I am sampling a river I might take 10 samples at various points along the river, if I am sampling drinking waters I might call to 10 different houses to take a sample of water from the kitchen tap. Back in the lab I might test the drinking water for Copper or for E. Coli and lots of other stuff. Or I could be writing a notice to be placed on a beach to let the public know the sea water is not fit to bathe in because lots of bugs were found in the sea. Or I could be testing a river for ammonia because high ammonia levels can be toxic for fish..

What I'd do with the money: I would give the money to Cork Nature Network. This is a voluntary group who organises marine talks for national schools. The school organises transport to the beach and Cork Nature Network gives a talk on marine life on the beach. The students get to see up close the different sea creatures that live in our waters.

My Interview

• How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

  Quirky

  Who is your favourite singer or band?

  Pink

  What's your favourite food?

  Tayto

  What is the most fun thing you've done?

  A sky dive in New Zealand

  What did you want to be after you left school?

  A Pilot

  Were you ever in trouble at school?

  Never!!!!!

  What was your favourite subject at school?

  Irish

  What's the best thing you've done as a scientist?

  Was involved in a project to improve the quality of bathing water in Cork

  What or who inspired you to become a scientist?

  I grew up near a National Park and was always interested in nature

  If you weren't a scientist, what would you be?

  A Nurse

  If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!

  Never to have grey hair! Be able to eat chocolate and not get fat, not to get old!!

  Tell us a joke.

  How do you make water Holy. Answer: Boil the Hell out of it.

My profile link:
https://watern19.imascientist.ie/profile/annreen/