Research(1) Impact of In- and Out-of-State Power Plants on Semivolatile Pollutants in New York State
(2) Deposition and Ambient Concentrations of Semivolatile Organic Pollutants in the Lake Ontario Region The transport of semivolatile compounds is of international concern and abundant data currently exists to confirm the long distance transport of these contaminants to areas hundreds and thousands of kilometers from the origin. However, the role of volatilization and atmospheric deposition of these compounds for large bodies of water are still not well understood. In this work, we have established a land-based field sampling site on the shore of Lake Ontario, near Oswego, NY, where we are sampling for compounds such as PCBs, dioxins, and mercury. In addition, last April we completed a ten day cruise of Lake Ontario on the EPA research vessel Lake Guardian, and we are repeating this cruise in the fall of this year. While on the ship, we are taking daily samples of air, lake water, and precipitation for all of the above chemical species. Our ultimate goal is to try to understand the role that Lake Ontario plays in the cycling of these contaminants in the environment. This project is being funded by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and is in collaboration with Tom Holsen (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering) at Clarkson University, and James Pagano (Environmental Research Center) at SUNY Oswego. |
Dr. Michael S. Milligan