Toxic Groundwater Contaminants: An Overlooked Contributor to Urban Stream Syndrome?

Screening for common groundwater contaminants was performed along eight urban stream reaches (100s-1000s of m) at approximately 25-75 cm below the streambeds. Four sites had known or suspected chlorinated-solvent plumes; otherwise no groundwater contamination was known previously. At each site, between 5 and 22 contaminants were detected at levels above guideline concentrations for the preservation of aquatic life, while several others were …