Island End River is a short tributary of the Mystic River in Massachusetts.[1] It is notable for its environmental history, which consisted of steady and severe pollution from the 19th century to the 1950s, with concerted cleanup efforts beginning in the early 21st century.
| Island End River | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mouth | |
• location | Mystic River |
| Basin features | |
| Cities | Everett, Chelsea |
The river was polluted originally through the direct release of wastewater from a coal tar processing plant located along it, resulting in the buildup of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on the river bottom.[2] It was partly dredged in 2007, but its sediments remained heavily contaminated.[2] Its water quality also remained extremely poor, but, as the result of sewage control efforts by the cities of Chelsea and Everett, substantially improved by 2019.[3] Much of the river runs through a culvert, which is in poor condition; the city of Everett began restoring parts of it to the surface in 2021.[4]
Because of the concentration of PAHs in its sediments, Island End River has served as a useful site for scientific studies of microbial biodegradation.[5][6]
References
edit- ^ "Island End River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
- ^ a b "Island End River | Hazardous Waste | Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program". darrp.noaa.gov. NOAA Restoration Center. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
- ^ Daniel, Seth (August 20, 2020). "Island End River Work by Everett, Chelsea Gets Glowing Reviews – Chelsea Record". Chelsea Record.
- ^ Daniel, Seth (March 21, 2021). "Island End River Unearthed in a Parking Lot – Everett Independent". Everett Independent.
- ^ Hayes, L. A.; Lovley, D. R. (2002). "Specific 16S rDNA Sequences Associated with Naphthalene Degradation under Sulfate-Reducing Conditions in Harbor Sediments". Microbial Ecology. 43 (1): 134–145. ISSN 0095-3628.
- ^ Chin, Kuk-Jeong; Sharma, Manju L.; Russell, Lyndsey A.; O'Neill, Kathleen R.; Lovley, Derek R. (2008). "Quantifying Expression of a Dissimilatory (bi)Sulfite Reductase Gene in Petroleum-Contaminated Marine Harbor Sediments". Microbial Ecology. 55 (3): 489–499. ISSN 0095-3628.