Sujay Kaushal
Associate Professor, UMD
Department of Geology and
Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Lecture begins at 6:30 p.m.
MilkBoy ArtHouse
7416 Baltimore Ave.
College Park, MD 20740
(Directions)
RSVP at go.umd.edu/scienceontapmar19.
Space is limited. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Happy hour specials will be available until 7 p.m.
Questions? Contact Abby Robinson
at abbyr@umd.edu or 301-405-5845.
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ABOUT THE TALK
Streams and rivers across the United States have become saltier and more alkaline over the past 50 years, thanks to road deicers, fertilizers and other salty compounds that humans indirectly release into waterways. The speaker will discuss this effect, which he and colleagues named "Freshwater Salinization Syndrome." The syndrome, which is prominent in the densely populated eastern United States including Maryland, affects drinking water safety, ecosystems and infrastructure. It can mobilize chemical mixtures or "chemical cocktails" from watersheds to streams and from pipes to drinking water. In some cases, the chemical cocktails can be harmful because they include toxic metals and nutrients. Symptoms of the syndrome can include infrastructure corrosion, contaminant mobilization and variations in coastal ocean acidification caused by increasingly alkaline river inputs. Unless regulated and managed, freshwater salinization syndrome can negatively impact ecosystem services such as safe drinking water, contaminant retention and biodiversity. In this talk, the speaker will discuss the causes and consequences of freshwater salinization syndrome.
This event is a partnership between the UMD College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences and The Clarice and MilkBoy ArtHouse, a local crossroads for dynamic entertainment, social gathering and creative dining in downtown College Park, Maryland. This event is also sponsored by the UMD Science Alumni Network.
