Evaluation of proposed sediment quality criteria for metals in marine and freshwater surficial sediments
- Science Applications International Corp., Hackensack, NJ (United States)
- Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, MN (United States)
A proposed approach to sediment quality criteria (SQC) for five metals (copper, cadmium, zinc, nickel, and lead) was evaluated with surficial sediments collected from Lake Michigan and the Virginian Province of the east coast of the US Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program of the US Environmental Protection Agency. Concentrations of acid volatile sulfide (AVS), simultaneously extracted metals (SEM), total metals, and total organic carbon were measured in the sediments. Interstitial (pore) water concentrations of the five metals also were measured in the freshwater sediment samples. Overall, > 90% and 59% of surficial marine and freshwater sediments contained detectable AVS, respectively. Approximately 90% of the marine sediments contained greater concentrations of AVS that total SEM (molar sum of copper, cadmium, zinc, nickel, and lead); suggesting minimal bioavailability of the five metals. A smaller proportion of the freshwater samples (30%) contained greater concentrations of AVS than total SEM. However, pore water concentrations of the five metals were uniformly low and never exceeded approximately 0.3 toxic units using an additive toxicity model based on Final Chronic Values from EPA Water Quality Criteria.
- OSTI ID:
- 203582
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9511137--; ISBN 1-880611-03-1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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