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Effects of Airport Runoff Pollution on Water Quality in Bay Area Sites Surrounding San Francisco and Oakland Airports

Author(s): Elisabeth Walters1, Kerri Spuller2

1. Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep 2. Boise State University

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Summary:
Airports contribute to pollution through point source and non point source pollution, which can have a negative effect on water quality and aquatic life. The purpose of the study was to determine if runoff pollution from SFO and OAK airports…

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Airports contribute to pollution through point source and non point source pollution, which can have a negative effect on water quality and aquatic life. The purpose of the study was to determine if runoff pollution from SFO and OAK airports impacts water quality in the Bay Area. We tested water quality at 12 sites surrounding two airports in the Bay Area. We tested for pH and the presence of specific metals and nitrates. As a result of the analysis, we found that the presence of zinc, copper, chromium and nitrate increases as we get closer to the airport. The pH remained constant throughout the sites. We concluded that airport pollution is a likely source of elevated concentrations of some heavy metals and nitrates in the San Francisco Bay.

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Version 1.0 - published on 14 Feb 2023 doi:10.25334/1D0C-BB38 - cite this