Long-Term Fate and Transport of Industrial Contaminants from the Las Vegas Wash to the Lower Colorado River(ABSTRACT)

摘要

Anthropogenic activities have significantly altered groundwater quality in the Las Vegas Valley since the first artesian wells were developed in the late-19th century. The construction and operation of the Basic Magnesium Incorporated (BMI) Facility in Henderson, Nevada in World War II significantly altered local groundwater chemistry and introduced persistent organic pollutants into local soils. Post? World War II operation of the BMI Facility to produce chlor-alkali products, organochloride pesticides, perchlorates, and metals led to contamination of Site soil and groundwater that persists to the present day, with at least one contaminant (perchlorate) contaminating the Lower Colorado River. The objective of this study to understand how overall anthropogenic activities have affected the Las Vegas Wash and Lower Colorado River and to develop a coherent and integrated strategy for Site remediation and long-term protection of water quality.