![]() Larvae are common prey for fish, who in turn are eaten by humans. Mercury levels in dragonfly larvae are an effective indicator of the overall risk to an ecosystem because of their position on the food chain. To try to answer that question, scientists are analyzing samples of dragonfly larvae. “One of the long-standing questions about mercury is why some places have relatively high mercury and other places have relatively low mercury and they can be fairly close together,” said Dr. Determining the factors that influence mercury risk in waterbodies, however, has long been a challenge. Mercury exposure, most commonly from fish caught in polluted waterways, can damage the human immune, endocrine, reproduction, and the central nervous systems. The toxic chemical not only can wreak havoc for ecosystems, but people too. In waterways across the country, high levels of mercury pose a serious threat. Students had to get hands-on during their work with the Dragonfly Mercury Project, collecting larvae in local waterways. That’s where the dragonfly larvae come in. ![]() The cities’ air and water quality, meanwhile, has also been damaged by years of excess fossil fuel burning, spewing harmful chemicals, including mercury. government has declared the area in need of intensive cleanup because of the presence of harmful materials. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund site, which means the U.S. ![]() The Nyanza Chemical Plant, in nearby Ashland, Mass., is now a U.S. The textile mills are no more but the impact of pollution from the area’s industrial past lives on. Waste from the cities’ rapidly growing populations also contributed to the problem, as much of the garbage and sewage ended up in the river. Much of the excess dye from this process was dumped directly into the Merrimack. These mills dyed their goods with pollutants like arsenic and sulfuric acid. The area was a major hub of the growing textile industry, and many mills sprung up along the banks of the Merrimack River. An Industrial PastĪt one point in the mid 1800s Lowell was the largest industrial center in the country. AMC launched this community science initiative to engage local youth in conservation and collect samples of dragonfly larvae from sites around the Merrimack River Watershed.īut why study dragonfly larvae, especially in urban areas like Lawrence and Lowell? The answer involves more than a century of industrialization, pollution, and everything that came after. Geological Survey, as part of the Merrimack Dragonfly Mercury Project. While AMC staff often talk with young people, this time was a little different: The students were presenting their own work.įor the past year, students at three local schools, as well as youth and community members involved with local organizations, have been working with AMC staff, along with partners at Dartmouth College, the National Park Service, and the U.S. ![]() On June 10 th, 2022, AMC staff met virtually with a group of middle and high school students from the cities of Lawrence and Lowell, Mass. Courtesy of the Dragonfly Mercury Project. The Merrimack Dragonfly Mercury Program not only gathers data, but inspires local students to think about their communities in new ways.
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