Environmental effects of dredging. Procedures for examining the relationship between sediment geochemistry and biological impacts of contaminants. Technical notes

Technical Report · Fri Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:111804

Brannon, J M; McFarland, V; Pennington, J C; Price, C B; Reilley, F J

The relationship between sediment-bound contaminants and biological uptake of these contaminants is complex because of the many physical, chemical, and biological factors that can affect the relationship (McElroy and Means 1988). Operational and procedural problems encountered in determining how a sediment- associated contaminant affects aquatic organisms cause additional complications. If sediment quality criteria (SQC) are to be used to regulate dredged material disposal, prediction of biological responses based on changes in sediment geochemistry, i.e., sediment physical and chemical properties, and sediment contaminant levels must be possible. Radioactive tracers can be used to evaluate the effects of changing concentrations of sediment contaminants on aquatic organisms if the assumption can be made that the contaminant does not degrade during the study. Spiking a sediment with contaminants has generally been accomplished by the addition of organic solvent carriers containing the contaminant to the soil or sediment (Adams, pg1 2.)

• Research Organization: Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS (United States). Environmental Lab.
• OSTI ID: 111804
• Report Number(s): AD-A--292638/4/XAB; WES-EEDP--04-10
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BIOASSAY
DREDGE SPOIL
DREDGING
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
GEOCHEMISTRY
SEDIMENTS
TOXICITY