Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2012ME256B

Investigating the Impact of Pollutants in Street Dust on the Long Creek Watershed, South Portland, ME: Collaborative Research Between USM, CCSWCD, and LCWMD

Institute: Maine
Year Established: 2012 Start Date: 2012-03-01 End Date: 2013-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $18,983 Total Non-Federal Funds: $45,305

Principal Investigators: Lucille Benedict, Kate McDonald

Project Summary: This collaborative undergraduate research project between University of Southern Maine, the Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District, and Long Creek Watershed Management District is dedicated to exploring the levels, trends, and fate of chloride, metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and dioxins in street dust and their effects on sediment and surface water quality within the Long Creek Watershed. This project will investigate the effectiveness of periodic street sweeping on contaminant accumulation in street dust in the watershed and evaluate the extent of street dust contamination in surface water and sediment.