By Katie Burbridge, Abi Baldwin

Faculty Mentor: Ben Kisila

Abstract

The South Fork Shenandoah river flows north through the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. The river supports recreational activities, wildlife, and agriculture. Historically and in the modern day, the river has been the site of many industrial facilities, mines, and wastewater treatment plants which have polluted the water. A notable example is the DuPont textile mill in Waynesboro, which paid a settlement of 50 million dollars in 2016 for releasing mercury into the South River from 1929 to 1950. To this day, regulations on the number of fish consumed in streams up to 100 miles away from the Waynesboro DuPont textile factory are in effect.

Heavy metals such as Hg, Pb, As, Cu, Zn, Mn, Cd, Ca, and Fe can be released into the environment from sources such as mining, industrial emissions, urban and agricultural runoff, soil erosion, and natural rock weathering. In small quantities, trace metals are essential to life. However, when concentrations rise above a certain level they become toxic and can bioaccumulate. In humans, these metals can cause a wide variety of health problems including nervous system damage, heart disease, and cancer.

This study will use water and sediment samples to analyze the distribution and concentration of mercury and other trace metals in the South Fork Shenandoah River. It will also use eDNA analysis to monitor biodiversity. The results will give a modern understanding of the environmental contamination, which will protect the health of residents of the subbasin and support future conservation and cleanup initiatives.