EFFECTS OF POORLY MAINTAINED CULVERTS ON METAL CONCENTRATIONS IN THE HEADWATERS OF THE TIOGA RIVER: A CASE STUDY IN PENNSYLVANIA

Poorly maintained rusty culverts can leach metals into the rivers that flow through them. The two most common types of metal culverts are galvanized steel and aluminum. High metal concentrations have adverse effects on stream health. For example, iron causes negative effects on invertebrate species and manganese can accumulate in fish, leading to further exposure for people who eat the fish.

I examined the effects of poorly maintained metal culverts on the concentrations of iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and aluminum (Al) by testing the metal concentrations in water and soil of the Tioga River headwaters in Alba, Pennsylvania, both upstream and downstream of the culverts. I also utilized a SONDE to measure, RDO, pH, ORP, temperature, and conductivity. These headwaters eventually flow into the Tioga Reservoir. I hypothesized that if culverts were leaching metals into the river, there would be higher concentrations of those metals in the water and soil downstream of the culverts vs. upstream. Aluminum was not detected at any of my test sites, nor did I find any statistical differences in the amounts of iron or manganese in the water samples upstream of the culverts compared to downstream.