We all know that oil spills pollute water. But what might be news is that they can also trigger the release of natural pollutants when the spills reach groundwater. This pollution domino effect is the topic of a current Water Resources Institute-funded study by Matt Ginder-Vogel at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He’s working with investigators Beth Parker from the University of Guelph and Jessica Meyer from the University of Iowa.

The team found the perfect real-world location for their two-year experiment in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, which is about 12 miles east of Madison. This is the site of multiple past organic hydrocarbon (or oil) spills from an organic solvent recycling plant.