The West Virginia Water Research Institute (WVWRI) spent the month of June testing the water quality of Tenmile Creek, a 40-mile tributary to the Monongahela River.

WVWRI Director Paul Ziemkiewicz and his team collected samples from three coal mine discharges into the creek as a result of water quality data from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) that suggested unusually high levels of radium.

Ziemkiewicz sent the results to Pace Analytical Services, a state-certified lab in Greensburg for analysis.

The results demonstrated that radium levels were no higher than 0.75 pCi/L, which is below the drinking water standard of 5 pCi/L set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).

Ziemkiewicz said the PADEP is currently re-sampling the creek and they plan to compare results when they conclude their work.

“Pace Analytical used the USEPA recommended methods for determining radium in drinking water, so our results should be highly reliable,” said Ziemkiewicz.

The WVWRI’s Three Rivers Quest (3RQ) REACH program provided the means for WVWRI to initiate this targeted study for radiological on Tenmile Creek. The study was instituted in response to concerns from community stakeholders.

“Results from this targeted study provide reliable data to local residents who are concerned about the quality of their streams,” said Melissa O’Neal, 3RQ project manager.

The 3RQ program has been monitoring the mouth of Tenmile Creek since 2009 for a suite of chemical parameters. Results from WVWRI are shared with the public on the program’s website.

-WVU-

as/07/27/15

CONTACT: Andrew Stacy, Public Relations Coordinator
304-293-7085; astacy@mail.wvu.edu

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