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FAll 2001 Currents

Arsenic Use in 1960s Still Impacts Lake Quannapowitt According to sediment sampling performed by the Friends of Lake Quannapowitt and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, shallow sediments in Lake Quannapowitt show elevated arsenic concentrations. Research conducted by Doug Heath of FOLQ reveals that arsenic was introduced into Lake Quannapowitt beginning in 1961 in an effort to control overgrowth of aquatic plants and weeds. During June of 1962, approximately 33,000 pounds (16.5 tons) of sodium arsenite was applied to Lake Quannapowitt. Additional treatments for weed control were implemented during the 1960s. Unfortunately, the environmental impact of these actions is still evident in the sediments of Lake Quannapowitt.

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Arsenic Use in 1960s Still Impacts Lake Quannapowitt
Around the Watershed