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Professor, student conduct road salt research
Kevin Svitana
Department: Biology & Earth Sciences
Major: Environmental Studies
Class: 2011
Salt water isn’t just in the ocean. It could be in your tap if you live in Westerville. Kevin Svitana, assistant professor of biology and earth science at Otterbein, delivered a research presentation at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America (GSA), held in Minneapolis, MN, in October. Co-authored with student Lauren Kopas, “Real Estate Development and the Effects of Deicing Compounds on the Water Quality of Alum Creek” looks at the effect of deicing compounds (road salt) on the water quality in Alum Creek. Alum Creek is the main supply of drinking water for the city of Westerville. The increase in salt is related to the extensive development that has occurred along Polaris Parkway in the last decade. The following is a link to the presentation abstract. http://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2011AM/finalprogram/abstract_191540.htm

“As part of our Otterbein Lake work (the monitoring wells and ongoing monitoring in the vicinity of Otterbein Lake), we learned the city has been experiencing water quality issues related to salt in the creek water in the winter for the past several winters. So Lauren and I set out to develop a study that would look at the potential sources of the salt and to be able to predict when the elevated concentrations of salt would occur,” Svitana said. “Our study indicates there’s a correlation between weather patterns and salt levels and the source appears to be related to road and parking surfaces that have been constructed in the watershed over the past decades.” Svitana brings more than 20 years of experience to Otterbein and serves as chairperson for the environmental studies program. He teaches courses in geology, earth science, land use planning and environmental studies. His research focuses on hydrogeology, particularly on the assessment and remediation of groundwater and surface water resources. “Assuming we publish the results, we’re likely to present this to the city as consideration for using alternate methods pavement deicing. I also have a student planning on another follow-up study to determine if the creek water discharges to groundwater,” Svitana said.