Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science Seminar

October 14, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Hilo Campus, Wentworth 9

TITLE: X-rays and Laser Beams: Mapping Lead contamination across the Upper Midwest from Isle Royale National Park to La Crosse, WI

SPEAKER: Dr. Ryan Perroy
Dept. of Geography and Environmental Science UH Hilo

Soil lead contamination presents a well known hazard to ecological systems and public health. Assessing risk associated with this contamination requires detailed knowledge of its spatial distribution, yet soil contamination studies are often limited by small sample sizes and sparse transect data due to high sample costs and processing times. X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analysis offers a non-destructive and rapid technique for quantifying the total elemental composition of soil and sediment samples. When combined with lidar and other topographic surveying data, it is possible to quickly map and visualize spatial contamination distributions to apply towards risk assess-ments and remediation efforts. This talk will present on-going work from two lead-contaminated sites in the Upper Midwestern United States. The first is from the lighthouse complex on remote Passage Island within Isle Royale National Park on Lake Superior, the second from a former trap shooting range located in an urban wetland in southwestern Wisconsin.


Event Sponsor
Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science, Hilo Campus

More Information
Donald Price, 808-974-7365, donaldp@hawaii.edu, http://tcbes.uhh.hawaii.edu/

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