CHEMICAL SIGNATURE OF TRACE ELEMENTS ALONG HOUSATONIC RIVER SEDIMENTS

The Housatonic River is about 149 miles long starting from Pittsfield, Massachusetts, through Connecticut, and into the Long Island Sound. Historically, the river has served as an energy source for numerous industries, including electricity, paper, textiles, and iron. Additionally, during industrial development and economic growth, the Housatonic River was a “dumping ground” for numerous businesses and private citizens. The river is infamous for the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) pollution by General Electric (GE) from the 1930s up until the 1970s. Various land use and human activities have thus detrimentally affected the quality of water within Housatonic River. To this effect, this project examined the impact of human activities on chemical signature of trace elements in stream sediments along Housatonic River with the view of evaluating mobilization and transport of solutes released along the downgradient segments of the entire river length from Massachusetts to Long Island Sound. A total of 45 river sediments samples were collected and analyzed for acid extractable, and basic soil parameters such as particle size, organic matter and soluble salts. In addition, 25 water samples were collected and analyzed for both cations and anions. Using a combination of statistical analysis, calculation of enrichment factors, GIS maps with overlays of land use activity, we further relate spatial concentrations of trace elements, and land use activities. Results showed concentrations of elements are log normally distributed, with high concentrations of Pb, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn associated with areas of significant human activities along the river.