Kim Van Meter, assistant professor of geography, joined a multi-institutional team in a $2.2 million EPA-funded project to explore perchlorate contamination from fireworks in the nation’s water bodies. This research gains importance in the wake of a court ruling pressing the EPA to regulate perchlorate levels due to health concerns.
“Residual non-combusted perchlorate particles can settle on the ground or water surface and some studies have shown elevated concentrations of perchlorate in both surface and groundwaters occurring near the firework displays,” Van Meter said.
The project will span various locations, assessing perchlorate levels before and after fireworks events. The goal is to produce a comprehensive dataset that informs predictive models for water quality and potential regulations, ultimately protecting public health from firework-induced pollution.
