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Chemicals in New Orleans floodwater from residential neighborhoods posed little risk to people but may raise a long-term hazard to wildlife in Lake Pontchartrain, a new study reported Tuesday.
In general, water samples taken soon after the flood caused by Hurricane Katrina found that the water resembled normal rain runoff in its chemical makeup, said the study's lead author, John Pardue.
"We don't feel anything we've seen will point to any kind of a problem on the chemical side" for human exposure, said Pardue, director of the Louisiana Water Resources Research Institute at Louisiana State University.
Still, people returning to their homes should protect themselves from germs that may be left behind in the sludge, he said.
The study, funded by the institute, found high levels of fecal bacteria in the water, just as previously published testing by the federal
Environmental Protection Agency did. Normal rainwater in the area has high levels too because of leaky sewers, but Katrina flooding was different because of its sheer volume, Pardue said.
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