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Engineers investigate possible lingering impacts from Elk River chemical spill--Science Nation
Engineers investigate possible lingering impacts from Elk River chemical spill
In January 2014, thousands of gallons of chemicals, including crude 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol, or MCHM, spilled into West Virginia's Elk River, near Charleston. The spill ultimately contaminated the local water supply and approximately 300,000 people were ordered by state officials not to drink or use their water, except for flushing, for up to 10 days. Fears of contamination, along with chemical odors for some, lingered for months. With support from a NSF rapid response research grant (RAPID), environmental engineer Andrew Whelton, then at the University of South Alabama, led a research team that went door-to-door taking water samples within days of the spill. The researchers wanted to better understand the degree to which spilled chemicals permeated plastic pipes in household plumbing systems. Whelton's research involves investigating what effect, if any, polyethylene potable water pipes have on drinking water quality, including worst-case scenarios, such as the Elk River chemical spill.
Original air date: April 13, 2015
Credit: National Science Foundation
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