ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMODYNAMICS OF SEDIMENT POLLUTANTS INSIDE HOMES IN NEW ORLEANS,LOUISIANA,FOLLOWING HURRICANE KATRINA

摘要

The flooding of residential areas of New Orleans,Louisiana,by hurricane Katrina resulted in the deposition of large amounts of sediment in these areas1.The finest sediment particles,comprised of silts and clays,made their way into the home by a selective winnowing/filtration process,shown below in Figure 1.During flooding,large particles are filtered from entering the home,because water to flood the house must seep through small cracks in doors and windows.The fine particles then settle out inside the home after the floodwaters stagnate.Finally,when the floodwaters are pumped back into Lake Pontchartrain,settled contaminated particulates remain behind,where the semi-volatile organics partition between the sediment and the air inside the home.