HYDROCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF FARMINGTON RIVER, HARTFORD COUNTY, CT

The Farmington River, stretching 46.7 miles long, meanders through much of the northwest corner of Connecticut. It is the longest tributary of Connecticut River, flowing through several towns such as Canton, Collinsville, Burlington, Unionville, Farmington, Avon, Simsbury, East Granby and Windsor. This study focused on geochemical evaluation of water chemistry along the entire section of the Farmington River in Hartford County with the view of determining possible human activities that can potentially impact water chemistry and usability. A total of twenty-five (25) water samples were collected from various locations. At each of the sampling location, basic physiochemical parameters that include, pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), total dissolved solids (TDS), and electrical conductivity (EC) were determined. Water samples collected for major ions, and trace elements were acidified with drops of nitric acid after filtering with 0.45µm filter paper. In the laboratory, samples were later analyzed using Inductive Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES), while anion concentrations that include F, Cl, Br, NO₃, SO₄, and PO₄ were analyzed using Ion Chromatograph (IC). Results showed relatively high concentration of chloride ion, and detectable nitrate concentrations; while major ions and trace elements concentrations are widely variable from the upstream segment of the Farmington River around Canton, to the downstream segment around East Windsor, up to the confluence of the Connecticut River. Overall, our results reflect quality and the impact of human activities on the Farmington River within Hartford County, CT.