A large number of chemical toxins, particularly heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, and copper, accompany the unintended release of petroleum into the environment. With the purchase of analytical lab equipment, the Chemistry Department at Nicholls State University has increased the ability of students and faculty to study levels of these toxins in the Barataria Estuary. The equipment has also helped facilitate collaborations with scientists at the USDA laboratory in New Orleans to study sugar cane processing issues.
