POLLUTANTS IN THE

SUSQUEHANNA RIVER

By: Khadija Mitchell and

Rachel Warehime

SUSQUEHANNA RIVERDiscovering the pollutants in the river that have bad effects on the environment and trying to make a change

HISTORY About 444 square miles long through

New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland Benefits humans and animals by

providing drinking water, energy, fish for food, shipping ports, provides habitat for wildlife, and recreation

16th largest river in U.S. that drains into the Atlantic Ocean

Named after the native tribe Susquehannocks that lived along the river

PROBLEM It is aware that many pollutants are present

in the Susquehanna River. These pollutants are killing off wildlife by overproducing algae

The over production of algae causes the depletion of oxygen in the water, as well as the blockage of sunlight which both plants and animals need to survive

In 2005 known as “America’s Most Endangered River”

Previous traces of pollutants have been found such as Zinc, Copper, Phosphates, and many more

OUR MISSION Over three weeks, we plan to use

Inductively Coupled Plasma in order to detect trace metals by using argon plasma

We plan to use Ion Chromatography in order to determine the concentrations of the trace ions in the water samples

We will test for lead, copper, tin, sulfur, barium, titanium, zinc, iron, and nickel

We will test water samples from different areas of the river; Wrightsville Park, Long Level Marina, Lake Clark Marina, Craley Park

ICP

IC

METHOD: IC Collect and filter all water/sediment

samples Run 7 anion sample through IC for

reference Run water samples through the IC Collect results and determine which

metals were found Create calibration curves

METHOD: ICP Create standards of known metals at

10ppm, 20ppm, 30ppm, 40ppm, and 50ppm to run on ICP

Create standards of all samples at 10ppm, 20ppm, 30ppm, and 40ppm

Run samples on ICP and collect data Create calibration curves using the

results

CALCULATIONS/DATA

0 10 20 30 40 50 600

10000002000000300000040000005000000600000070000008000000

f(x) = 141950.121857143 x − 3484.73476190446R² = 0.99879456500654

Ba Calibration

Series1Linear (Series1)

0 10 20 30 40 50 600

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

120000

140000

160000f(x) = 3140.05152857143 x + 804.910619047616R² = 0.989880202181947

Cu Calibration

Series1Linear (Series1)

0 10 20 30 40 50 600

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

f(x) = 4000.97128571429 x + 79.18619047619R² = 0.999672301037356

Fe Calibration

Series1Linear (Series1)

0 10 20 30 40 50 600

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

f(x) = 470.866147142857 x − 313.158728571429R² = 0.999035539661092

Ni Calibration

Series1Linear (Series1)

0 10 20 30 40 50 600

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

f(x) = 393.6318 x − 78.0460000000003R² = 0.999569532243028

Pb Calibration

Series1Linear (Series1)

0 10 20 30 40 50 600

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

5000

f(x) = 88.9933971428572 x − 18.576561904762R² = 0.999673295822925

S Calibration

Series1Linear (Series1)

0 10 20 30 40 50 600

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

f(x) = 48.88146 x + 6.68913333333353R² = 0.999776818182879

Sn Calibration

Series1Linear (Series1)

0 10 20 30 40 50 600

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

300000

350000

400000

f(x) = 7651.38841428571 x − 1362.64185714288R² = 0.998529236195339

Ti Calibration

Series1Linear (Series1)

0 10 20 30 40 50 600

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

f(x) = 4510.02985714286 x + 3076.57190476191R² = 0.997246589324487

Zn Calibration

Series1Linear (Series1)

RESULTS: IC Wrightsville Park

Fluoride, chloride, nitrite, phosphate Lake Clark Marina

Fluoride, phosphate, nitrite Long Level Marina

Chloride, nitrite, phosphate Craley Park

Fluoride, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate

RESULTS: ICP Wrightville Park at 10ppm

Sulfur .445Tin .08Nickel .072Barium .072

20 ppmSulfur .343Nickel .048Barium .043Tin .044

RESULTS CONT. 30 ppm

Sulfur .40Tin .028Nickel .0165Barium .0156

40 ppmSulfur .49Tin .023Barium .014Nickel .018

RESULTS CONT. Lake Clark Marina 10ppm

Sulfur .169Barium .010Nickel .009Tin .014

20ppmSulfur .23Tin .0145Barium .005Nickel .008

RESULTS CONT. 30ppm

Sulfur .32Tin .01Barium .008Nickel .0094

40ppmSulfur .429Tin .011Nickel .008Barium .009

RESULTS CONT. Long Level Marina 10 ppm

Sulfur .153Tin .021Barium .006Nickel .004

20ppmSulfur .264Tin .052Barium .006Copper .0053

RESULTS CONT. 30 ppm

Sulfur .363Barium .006Tin .013Nickel .005

40 ppmSulfur .466Barium .0064Nickel .006Tin .011

RESULTS CONT. Craley Park 10 ppm

Sulfur .0194Tin .028Barium .042Nickel .003

20 ppmSulfur .254Tin .028Barium .011Copper .0058

RESULTS CONT. 30 ppm

Sulfur .404Tin .025Nickel .003Barium .023

40ppmSulfur .538Tin .023Barium .013Copper .007

RESULTS CONT. Sediment samples

Wrightsville ParkBarium .0056Sulfur .186

Craley ParkSulfur .21Barium .009 Iron .322Tin .035

ERRORS The second week of the experiment we

began to run IC but needed to make new regenerate to get acceptable results

We also attempted to run ICP, but there was not enough argon gas

The third week we had to make both new regenerate and eluent for the IC for acceptable results

We also could not detect any metals in our samples by using the ICP

CONCLUSION In the past, there have been many

pollutants detected in the river water and years later they are still detectable, although in much smaller amounts.

We chose this experiment to make others aware that traces are still found in the Susquehanna River and that hopefully changes will be made

HOW WE CAN HELP… Be aware of animal waste, mine

drainage, fertilizers, household cleaners, precipitation, and pesticides being dumped into the freshwaters of the susquehanna river

Recycle Conserve water Fencing or planting trees along the river Correct disposal of fertilizers and

pesticides

BIBLIOGRAPHY http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/

deputate/enved/watershed/bayquiz.htm http://www.greenworks.tv/radio/

earthtones/susquehanna.htm