A field sampling event was conducted to measure the concentrations of metals within the trunks of felled trees on a college campus east of New York City. Heavy metals, particularly chromium, were found present in the soils surrounding the sampled trees, allowing for a correlation coefficient to be calculated with soil and tree concentrations. A statistically significant Pearson correlation was found between these two concentrations among the samples. This study is aimed at providing researchers a starting point for their research a better understanding of local ecologies, prediction of future change, and dissemination of conservation efforts.

The degradation of the persistent compound perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in water by ultraviolet light in the presence and absence of hydrogen peroxide was examined. A laboratory experiment was designed to answer the question: is UV spectrophotometry feasible for PFOA research? Spectrophotometry was able to measure the degradation of PFOA, but a very high concentration was required. The 1 mg/L used is very concentrated when compared to the 70 ng/L suggested level in drinking water. A UV/Visible diode array scanning spectrophotometer was used to measure changes in PFOA concentrations after 15-minute exposures to ultraviolet light and ultraviolet light with hydrogen peroxide. A noticeable drop in concentration was measured for a 1 mg/L sample. The reaction kinetics were calculated and are likely skewed due to the greater concentration of experimental PFOA. These preliminary results will allow for the next phases of PFOA research to commence, including confirmation through liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry of low concentrations and developing bioremediation techniques.