Trace Metal Analysis of Sediments in the Park River Watershed, Hartford, CT

1. Trace Metal Analysis of Sediments in the Park River Watershed, Hartford, CT Jonathan Gourley and Victoria Doñé Environmental Science Program Trinity College, Hartford CT

2. Acknowledgements • Trinity College’s Faculty Research Grant program • Trinity College undergraduate research students and faculty • Mary Rickel Pelletier – Park River Watershed Revitalization Initiative Photos by Kelsey Semrod

3. Regional basins with EPA designatedimpaired reaches Park River Watershed Hartford

4. 24 of the 69 causes of impairment in the Lower Connecticut are listed as “CAUSE UNKOWN” 35% 27.5% Of the approved TMDL studies for watershed- 76% are for E. Coli Data from US EPA Section 303(d) List Fact Sheet for Lower Connecticut Watershed

5. What role do toxic trace metals play in the impairment of the Park River Watershed?

6. Engage undergraduate students in long term research projects

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8. 1) Determine concentration of toxic trace metals in the Park River sediment • Watershed wide survey • Use Inductively Couple Plasma – Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) to analyze sediment samples using weak-acid digestion following method of Giddings et al. (2000)

9. 2) Identify local problem point sources Photo by Nathan Sell

10. 3) Compare sediment data to macroinvertebrate data

11. 4) Model downstream transport of toxic metals • Channelization and impervious runoff creates “flashy” storm events • What is the sediment’s “memory” of toxic trace metals? • What is the impact of contaminated Park River sediments on the Lower Connecticut watershed? Photo by Nathan Sell

12. Hartford, CT 1864

15. North Branch South Branch

17. Photo by Nathan Sell

19. Park River Watershed Impervious Surfaces 19 % 28%

20. Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Leachate point source discharges

22. Which toxic trace metals are found in high concentration in the Park River sediments? • Impervious runoff, point source discharges from metal finishing industry • Use Right To Know Network (RTK) to identify toxic metal discharges directly in to the River • Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd • 2008 - Established baseline concentrations in North Branch sediments

23. Sediment sample locations for trace metal analysis

25. SQG Range = 270 – 820 ppm PEC = 459 ppm upstream downstream

26. PEC = 149 ppm upstream downstream

27. SQG Range = 3-10 ppm Range 3-10 ppm PEC = 4.9 ppm upstream

28. Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Leachate point source discharges

30. Poor Good

31. Moving forward • Determine availability of metals to biota – conduct acid-volatile sulfide (AVS) study • Understand temporal variations in concentration; sediment memory • Determine toxic metal contribution of Park River to Lower CT watershed • Determine concentration of metals in water samples

32. FLOW

36. Contoured concentrations of Pb in sediments (ppm)

37. Conclusions • Significant difference in trace metal concentrations between north and south branch of the Park River • Significant difference in macroinvertebrate population of north and south branch • Indentified sampling locations with high trace metal concentrations that are good candidates for detailed contaminant plume analysis

38. Thank You! Photo by Nathan Sell