Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID IL_2024_Sloan

Using continuous water quality monitoring combined with stratified sampling to assess the presenceof emerging contaminants in the Upper Illinois River.

Institute: Illinois
Year Established: 2024 Start Date: 2024-09-01 End Date: 2025-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $15,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $15,048

Principal Investigators: John Sloan

Project Summary: Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) enter rivers from a variety of pathways and may have detrimental effects on ecosystems and human health. The National Great Rivers Research and Education Center and Southern Illinois University will examine how PFAS and microplastics are partitioned in three distinct hydrological compartments of the Illinois River floodplain including the main channel, backwater lakes, and floodplain wetlands. Our goal is to determine whether changing seasons and hydrological conditions impact how these CECs are transported through the river system. Our methodology will include extensive water and sediment sampling combined with advanced laboratory analysis to generate a robust dataset that will be statistically analyzed to identify significant trends and differences in the way PFAS and microplastics are partitioned in the river system. Knowledge created by this study will help guide decisions about how rivers and their floodplains should be managed to minimize detrimental effects from CECs.