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Publication

Nonpoint source arsenic contamination of soil and groundwater from legacy pesticides

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Mark A. Higgins, Senior Technical Specialist, Hydrogeologist at Haley & Aldrich, has co-authored a technical paper for the Journal of Environmental Quality. The article, Nonpoint source arsenic contamination of soil and groundwater from legacy pesticides, evaluates the potential for arsenic contamination in the groundwater in former Connecticut orchards, which used the pesticide widely from the 1890s to 1950s. Meredith J. Metcalf of Eastern Connecticut State University and Gary A. Robbins of the University of Connecticut co-authored the article with Mark.

The study had three main objectives:

  • Conduct field studies to characterize arsenic and lead distributions in soils and wells near historic orchards.
  • Identify areas where concentrations exceeded drinking water standards.
  • Determine whether historic orchards deserved greater consideration as potential contributing nonpoint sources of arsenic to groundwater in Connecticut.

Read the full report on the Journal of Environmental Quality’s website.