Historic flooding occurred in areas in and around the Baton Rouge, Louisiana region in August 2016. Pond water samples were obtained from New Song Methodist Church in Prairieville, LA in September 2016 and from Fontenot Road in St. Amant, LA in March 2017 to determine the effects of flooding on environmental water quality near residential areas. A portable Vernier LabQuest 2 system was used to conduct basic water quality tests such as temperature, pH, turbidity, and total nitrates. Organic extractions were performed on the pond water samples, and the organic layers were analyzed via Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) to test for the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs were also extracted from a fresh fish sample using ethyl acetate for analysis. The LabQuest water quality tests revealed normal temperature, pH, turbidity, and total nitrate values; however, the GC/MS analysis revealed the presence of organic compounds, such as propylene glycol n-propyl ether and 1-ethoxy-butane, which is cause for concern. Additional quantitative analysis is recommended to determine the amounts of these contaminants present.

Identification of volatile organic compounds in flood waters using GC/MS

255th National Meeting (2018)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.