Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID NJ_2023_DYSON-GOODEY

Metal complexation in New Jersey brownfield soils, a critical water quality issue

Institute: New Jersey
Year Established: 2023 Start Date: 2023-09-01 End Date: 2024-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $5,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $5,000

Principal Investigators: Eshariah Dyson, Nina Goodey

Project Summary: Soil metal contamination resulting from past industrial activities is a pervasive issue globally and can result in lowered soil function and decreased contaminant stabilization. To prevent or minimize the movement of toxic metal contaminants from soil to water, it is important to investigate how metals bind to the soil matrix. At Liberty State Park, a NJ brownfield on the banks of the Hudson River, there is an un-remediated section that is closed to the public because of high levels of metal contamination. Both barren and vegetated sites are present within this section and previous studies have shown a “metal cap” at a barren site where the metals are predominantly located at the surface (top 0-2 cm) layer. The goal of this project is to study metal-soil interactions and determine what metal complexes are present, how these complexes vary along depth and differ between barren and forested areas. Soil core samples will be collected and divided into 2 cm cross sections. Cross sections will be analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), selective sequential extraction (SSE), and X-ray dispersion spectroscopy (XRD). Combined, these methods will inform about soil-metal complex formation, revealing how the metals are distributed and attached within the soil. These findings will provide insights into what prevents metals from moving into nearby water supplies through hydrological processes such as leaching and runoff and help make predictions on how the transfer of metal contaminants may be impacted by changing conditions including temperature, pH, and salinity.