After Hurricane Harvey had passed the gulf was still flooded and wouldn't drain till several weeks later. Even though the water is gone now scientists still believe that the contaminants aren't. Sediment can tell scientists a lot about the flood. The contaminants get trapped in the mud and the amount of mud and sediment can tell scientists how the storm played out. Tim Dellapenna of Texas A&M University is examining the dioxins, heavy metals, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. The EPA believes the dioxins to have originated from a superfund toxic waste site nearby. Last week, the EPA also announced a plan to remove 212,000 cubic yards of contaminated materials. Dellapenna is also examining the mercury level of the water which is elevated than the normal amount. The purpose for all of this is not only to show the results in academic journals, but to help health officials plan for future disasters.
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/10/23/558334923/digging-in-the-mud-to-see-what-toxic-substances-were-spread-by-hurricane-harvey#
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