Many at YSU study waterway in depth

By Caitlin Cook

TheNewsOutlet.org

YOUNGSTOWN

Without hesitating, Lauren Schroeder trudges into the Mahoning River with this warning: What was seeping into his weathered, once-white tennis shoes is “nasty stuff.”

Knee high in water, with a fishermen’s hat atop his head, Schroeder, a retired professor of evolution and ecology at Youngstown State University, said he has been monitoring the river’s water for decades.

“In the 1960s, there was an environmental movement that was just awakening and a big press for environmental organizations, environmental studies and cleaning up the environment. I got caught up in that,” Schroeder said.

Schroeder and several of his YSU colleagues have spent decades studying the polluted river and trying to develop solutions for it.

More than 30 years after Schroeder’s work with the river began, however, the Mahoning remains highly polluted despite collaborative efforts from river cleanup enthusiasts.

In studies performed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, significant levels of toxic chemicals were found in the sediment, including heavy metals such as lead, zinc, copper, iron, cadmium, chromium and organic toxins.

“The heavy metals generally are not toxic to humans by contact. But they enter the food chain, thereby adversely affecting the biotic life of the river,” Schroeder said. “Bottom-feeding fish like carp and bullheads take up and concentrate the metals in their tissues. Eating these contaminated fish could cause adverse effects in humans.”

In a study designed by Schroeder, YSU researchers want to identify unique algae organisms called diatoms — thinking that they could help identify the river’s most-polluted areas.

Diatoms reflect the quality of the environment in which they live. The sea shell-like diatoms naturally secrete a cell wall that is like glass, which acts as a barrier and allows diatoms to preserve themselves, Schroeder said. There are more than 300 types of diatoms found throughout the Mahoning.

“Each one has a particular set of environmental conditions where it grows the best in, and these conditions are different for each of these diatoms. So, if we go look at the diatoms that are present and we know what conditions they prefer, we can judge the quality of the river based on the computation of these diatom communities,” Schroeder said.

Scott Martin, chairman of YSU’s civil engineering department, said many at the university have been attracted to studying the river.

Martin first became involved with the river watershed basin more than 27 years ago. He and a graduate student work with Schroeder’s research to prioritize dams for removal in an effort to restore the river’s natural flow.

“That decision will ultimately be made by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, who would need to provide permits for any dam removal,” Martin said.

In the YSU biology department, Carl Johnston is working on sediment remediation. The study looks to identify the indigenous bacteria that live within the contaminated sediment and apply what they learn to a cleanup.

“Once we work with the organisms, we may be able to add either oxygen or some other nutrient or amendments that will stimulate the native bacteria,” he said.

Johnston said much testing will be needed to find the best way of treating different parts of the river because of the differences in pollution levels and types.

The NewsOutlet, which pairs student journalists with professionals, is a collaboration among Youngstown State University, Kent State University, the University of Akron, The Vindicator, Akron Beacon Journal and Rubber City Radio.