Water Resources Research Act Program

Principal Investigators: Sania Rose

Abstract: The sustainability goal has been implemented to restore the Anacostia River to become fishable and swimmable again by 2032. The city has implemented numerous projects for the restoration and remediation of the Anacostia River to reduce organic, inorganic and bacterial contamination, but managing the sources of contamination in the urban watershed has continued to be a major challenge. The objective of this research project is to determine if the Anacostia River Restoration Plan is effective in reducing PAHs, trace metals, and E. coli concentrations in the downstream tributaries of the Anacostia River. Also, if the concentrations are within the EPA limits or continues to exceed the EPA limit. This project will determine if there is a reduction or not based on the concentration of the PAHs, trace metals, and E. coli in the downstream tributaries of the Anacostia River in DC. Sediment and water samples will be collected from the downstream tributaries (Hickey run, Watts Branch, Lower Beaverdam Creek) of the Anacostia River in Washington DC. The sediment samples will be extracted using the digester following the EPA 280 method and the soil cell/hot block following EPA 3546 microwave extraction method. The sediment samples will be analyzed for PAHs using Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry and Induced Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry for the analysis of trace metals. The water samples will be analyzed for E. coli using Quanti-tray and Coliert-18 using Most Probable Number (MPN)/100 ml. The findings of this research project will be an indicator to confirm the impact of the implemented Anacostia Restoration projects on the water quality progress of the Anacostia River.