Environmental engineers study West Virginia chemical spill

A chemical spill released 10,000 gallons of 4-MethylCycloHexane methanol into the Elk River, affecting water supplies and prompting a federal disaster declaration. Environmental engineer Jennifer Weitz received a RAPID grant to study the spill's impact on ecosystems and human health. Her team collected samples to analyze contamination and the chemical's properties. The research aims to understand long-term effects, such as chemical absorption in plastic pipes, and to inform future disaster prevention strategies.

What are the potential impacts of the chemical spill on ecosystems and human health?

How might the findings from the research contribute to future disaster prevention?