Persistent pollutants in biotic components of Tanapag Lagoon, Saipan, with emphasis on areas impacted by streams, storm water runoff and sewer

Author unknown

Prior to the last world war, Saipan was essentially a small, rural community, free of the environmental pressures seen on the island today. This area has undergone considerable urban growth and economic expansion in recent years. Such development has, in turn, greatly added to the waste disposal, urban runoff, chemical pollution and environmental management problems that the island currently has to deal with. Much of the coastline bordering the Tanapag Lagoon now supports a variety of commercial and industrial facilities. These include a major sea port (Saipan Harbor), two marinas, the largest power plant on island, a five-star hotel, several large garment factories, auto and boat repair shops, wood shops, government vehicle maintenance yards, a commercial laundry, and an acetylene gas producer. Wastes from many of these establishments are largely uncontained and uncharacterized, and in certain cases are either dumped on the business premises or piped directly into the environment. A number of freshwater streams flow into the lagoon during the wet season and provide a mode of transport for such land-based contaminants into the ocean. The same can be said for the stormwater runoff that inundates the coastal belt during prolonged periods of wet weather. It is noteworthy that overflows from sewer lines are also commonplace at such times. An area of immediate concern, and one that is frequently voiced by the local community, is that increasing pollution of Saipan’s nearshore waters on this side of the island could diminish or destroy coastal resources utilized for food by imparting characteristics that make them unfit for human consumption. We therefore propose to establish a reliable database for a range of contaminants in biotic components from Tanapag Lagoon with emphasis on those commonly harvested for food.