PROJECT PROFILE: CASH-MAP
CAmden Stormwater Heavy-Metal Analysis and mapping Project
About
This project analyzes stormwater samples collected from flooded roads in Camden, NJ, after heavy rain events. The samples were analyzed for lead (Pb) and other heavy metal contaminants (mercury, cadmium, arsenic) to identify potential heavy metal exposure to children and community members. Besides, GIS maps were created to investigate contaminant trends related to social and built environmental factors.
Camden has a rich industrial history, which has resulted in many different types of legacy contaminants deposited in soils around the city. Across the Delaware River in Philadelphia, it has been observed that the concentration of the toxic heavy metal lead (Pb) in the blood of children is correlated with the amount of Pb in the soil where the children live, suggesting that the children of Camden are also at risk for Pb poisoning. Alarmingly, Pb impairs the development of the central nervous system in children, leading to reduced cognitive ability and lower IQ. The situation in Camden is further complicated by the city’s combined sewer and stormwater infrastructure, which commonly floods into neighborhoods, parks, rivers, and creeks after moderate to heavy rain events that are increasing in frequency in the region due to climate change.
Rowan University was awarded a $25,000 grant from the South Jersey Institute for Population Health (SJIPH).
Please contact meenar@rowan.edu with any questions.
Camden
New Jersey
Project Team
Mahbubur Meenar, Ph.D. (Lead-PI, Rowan University) | Thivanka Ariyarathna, Ph.D. (Co-PI, Rowan University) | David Salas de la Cruz, Ph.D. (Co-PI, Rutgers University-Camden)
Community Partner
Shaneka Boucher (Social Responsibility Through Me, Camden)
Research Collaborators
Eli Moore, Ph.D., Research Chemist, U.S. Geological Survey | Jonathan Foglein, Laboratory Technician, Rowan University | Lei Yu, Ph.D., Professor, Chemistry, Rowan University
Posters
Poster presentation “Stormwater Heavy-Metal Distribution in Camden, NJ” by Angelina Lewis et al. (2024) at the annual meeting of Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry - Hudson Delaware Chapter, Princeton, NJ.
Poster presentation “CHITOSAN –UREA COMPOSITE FILMS: REMOVAL EFFICIENCY OF HEAVY METAL IONS" by Arturo Ochoa et al. (2024) at the American Chemical Society (ACS) National Conference in New Orleans, LA.
Poster presentation “Lead in Camden’s stormwater: connecting sample locations to environmental factors" by Graham Luther et al. (2024) at Rowan University Summer Undergraduate Research Program symposium, Glassboro.
Flooding in Camden
Read the report "Camden: Rising Above the Floodwaters" by New Jersey Future
Camden flooding pictures. Courtesy: CBS News
Photo: Susan Harris
Courtesy: NJ Future
Major Tasks
Collect stormwater samples from flooded streets after heavy rain events
Analyze stormwater samples for heavy metal contaminants (lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic) to identify potential heavy metal exposure to children and community members
Create maps of heavy metal concentrations and investigate contaminant trends related to environmental factors (e.g., built environment, social environment)
Instructions for participants (sample collections have been discontinued)
How to collet dust sample
How to collect water sample
CASH-MAP project introduction
Written instructions to collect dust and water samples >> Dust sampling instructions | Water Sampling Instructions
