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Contributions of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons to Non-point Source Runoff from the USCA Campus

 

 

Dr. Michelle Harmon

Michael Drinkwater

    Non-point source runoff arises from land areas such as neighborhoods, lawns, and parking lots and is considered to have a great impact on water quality in the United States. Fertilizers, pesticides, salts, and automobile oil are common water pollutants that are washed off of land by rainwater and then transferred through storm drains to our streams and rivers. Unfortunately, this runoff receives no type of water treatment and may have diverse impacts on the environment and our health. We would like to investigate how much our USCA campus contributes to the overall non-point source pollution of our community, particularly the petroleum hydrocarbons and associated by-products that wash off of our parking lots.