Heavy metals, PCBs and PAHs in marine organisms from four harbor locations on Guam: a pilot study
Denton GR, Concepcion LP, Wood HR, Eflin VS, Pangelinan GT. 1999. Heavy metals, PCBs and PAHs in marine organisms from four harbor locations on Guam: a pilot study. Water and Environmental Research Institute of the Western Pacific, University of Guam. Guam
The data presented herein represents Phase II of a two part program to evaluate levels of heavy metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatics (PAHs) in abiotic and biotic components of four harbor environments on Guam. Phase I focused on sediments and clearly identified areas of enrichment for all three contaminant groups in Agana Boat Basin, the outer portion of Apra Harbor, and the Merizo Pier area. The data from this investigation were presented and discussed at length in an earlier report (Denton et al. 1997). In the present study, all four harbors were revisited and dominant biotic representatives were collected in order to evaluate contaminant movement into marine food chains. The sampling sites ranged from relatively enriched through to relatively clean and were identified during Phase I of the study. The dominant biotic groups considered were algae, sponges, soft and hard corals, sea cucumbers, bivalves, and fish. Representatives of each were collected from all four harbor locations. In addition, a limited number of ascidians, an octopus, and a stomatopod crustacean were collected from Apra Harbor. The findings of the survey were evaluated, following a detailed comparative analysis with published findings, for similar and related species from elsewhere. It was concluded that Guam’s harbor environments are generally clean by world standards, although mild to moderate enrichment of the biota with arsenic, copper, lead, mercury, tin and PCBs was evident at certain sites.
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- Denton, Gary; Concepcion, Lucrina; Wood, H.; Eflin, Vance; Pangelinan, Greg
- Date of Issue
- 1999-06-30
- Publisher
- Water and Environmental Research Institute of the Western Pacific, University of Guam
- Units
- WAPA
- Keywords
- Algae, Bivalves, Coastal-Marine Systems, Contaminants/Hazardous Materials, Fish, Guam, hard corals, Heavy Metals, mantis shrimp, octopus, Pollutants, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatics (PAHs), Presence (Biodiversity), sea cucumbers, soft corals, sponges, Vouchers