A Summary of Selected Data on Chemical Contaminants in Sediments Collected During 1984, 1985, 1986, and 1987
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 1988. A Summary of Selected Data on Chemical Contaminants in Sediments Collected During 1984, 1985, 1986, and 1987. National Status & Trends Program for Marine Environmental Quality. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS OMA 44. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Rockville, MD
WATER QUALITY: Ranks contaminant concentrations in sediments. Site locations are Sears Island, Pickering Island, Frenchman Bay and Penobscot Bay. Measured total pesticides, total DDT, total Polychlorinated Biphenyls, total Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons, total Organic Carbon, Antimony, Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, Copper, Lead, Mercury, Nickel, Selenium, Silver, Tin and Zinc. Pickering Island ranked in the upper 20 for total Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons. 'Since 1984, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Status and Trends (NS&T) Program has analyzed samples of surface sediment collected at about 200 coastal and estuarine sites throughout the United States. The chemical contaminants measured are chlorinated pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and 12 trace elements. Sediment characteristics such as grain size, which affect contaminant concentrations, have also been quantified. With few exceptions, the higher levels of contamination have been found among the 175 sites where the sediment is muddy rather than sandy. Most of the highest concentrations for any particular contaminant have been at the 20 sites near Boston, New York, San Diego, Los Angeles, or Seattle. Despite being sandy, sediments at two Lond Island Sound sites showed high levels of PAHs. Except for some sites near the Florida cites of Jacksonville, Tampa, Panama City, and Ft. Walton Beach, levels of contamination at sites in the Gulf of Mexico and in the southeastern United States were relatively low.' /STUDY LOCATIONS:/ /ISLANDS/Penobscot Bay/Sears Island/Pickering Island/Frenchman Bay
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Date of Issue
- 1988-11
- Publisher
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Units
- ACAD
- Keywords
- Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd), Copper (Cu), DDT & DDE, Frenchman Bay, Islands, Lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg), Penobscot Bay, Pesticides, Pickering Island, Sears Island, Selenium (Se), Silver (Ag), Water Quality, Zinc (Zn)