HEAVY METAL CONCENTRATIONS IN SEDIMENTS OF THE WHITE RIVER WATERSHED IN MUNCIE, INDIANA: A PRELIMINARY STUDY

Indiana occurs within the so-called ‘Rust Belt’ of the United States and has historically been recognized for steel production, manufacturing, automobile, and other industries. Muncie, Indiana, had a vibrant history of industrialization but was consequently exposed to a range of industrial pollutants, particularly heavy metals. The health and environmental implications of heavy metals have been documented by decades of research. In the 1970s, the United States enacted comprehensive environmental legislation to protect water, air, and land resources, ultimately resulting in drastic decreases in pollutant emissions. However, certain ecosystems such as river sediments may serve as long-term ‘sinks’ of legacy pollutants from former industries. There has been little study of possible pollution of White River sediment in Muncie. The current study is investigating the concentrations of heavy metals and metalloids (lead, copper, cadmium, chromium, nickel, arsenic) present in sediments of the White River throughout the city of Muncie. Sediment samples were collected from selected locations along the river following USEPA wading sampling method. Sediment samples were microwave-digested and analyzed via ICP-MS following USEPA methods 3050B and 6020B. Data will be analyzed to assess metal pollution using several metrics including pollution load index (PLI), contamination factor (EF), and geoaccumulation index (I_geo). The results of this ongoing study will provide a benchmark of historical pollution and may guide efforts to predict the behavior and fate of legacy metallic pollutants.