Hamden’s Quinnipiac University said several professors and students will use a $24,000 grant from a local foundation to study the impact of pollutants in the Quinnipiac River.
QU has received a similar grant each year from the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven since 2010.
The river is known to contain plastic additives like diethylhexyl phthalate and benzyl butyl phthalate.
Last year the QU team, led by chemistry professor Harry Pylypiw and assistant biology professor Courtney McGinnis, discovered phenothiazine, which is also used in plastics manufacturing.
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Long-term exposure can cause skin irritation, organ damage and other health effects, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
