TRACE METAL DISPERSAL IN THE SOUTH BRANCH OF THE PARK RIVER WATERSHED AND ITS POSSIBLE IMPACT ON CONNECTICUT RIVER SEDIMENTS, HARTFORD, CT

The Park River is an impaired urban river that flows through the city of Hartford and surrounding municipalities and ultimately into the Connecticut River. A major factor that contributes to the deterioration of the sediment quality in the south branch of the Park River is the observed high concentration of trace metals discharged directly into the stream. We examine the downstream dispersal of trace metals Pb, Ni, Co, and Cu from their point sources to determine to what extent trace metal contamination impacts the sediments of the Connecticut River. The concentrations of metals were analyzed using the ICP-OES. The online Right-to-Know Network was also used to determine the historical amounts of reported metal discharges into the Park River. In the Connecticut River (upstream of the city of Hartford), Pb concentrations range from approximately 1-29 ppm. In the Park River, the Pb concentrations range from 40-250 ppm and suggest that the Park River sediment could be a significant source of anthropogenic trace metals into the Connecticut River.