Environmental assessment of creosote-treated pilings in the marine environment

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:230904

Butala, J H ^[1]; Webb, D A ^[2]; Jop, K M; Putt, A E ^[3]

---

1. Duquesne Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States). School of Pharmacy
2. Koppers Industries, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
3. Springborn Labs., Wareham, MA (United States)

A comprehensive ecological risk assessment was conducted to evaluate the environmental impact of creosote-treated pilings in the marine environment at Moss Landing Harbor, Moss Landing, California. Four areas of investigation comprising the risk assessment were (1) evaluation of environmental conditions around existing creosote-treated pilings (2) investigating effects related to restoration of pilings (3) assessing creosote migration into surrounding environment, one year after pile-driving and (4) confirmation of creosote toxicity in laboratory studies. Biological and chemical evaluation of the impact of creosote-treated pilings was conducted on surface sheen, water column and sediment samples collected at Moss Landing Harbor. Water samples (surface sheen, water column and sediment pore water) were evaluated using short-term chronic exposures with Mysidopsis bahia, while bulk sediment samples were evaluated with 10-day sediment toxicity tests with Ampelisca abdita. Samples of surface, column water and sediment were analyzed for the constituents of creosote by GC mass spectrometry. In addition, a sample of neat material used to preserve treated pilings represented a reference for the polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Verification of organism response and analyses of field collected samples was performed by conducting 10-day A. abdita sediment and 7-day M. bahia elutriate exposures with creosote applied to clean sediment collected at Moss Landing, Evaluations were also performed to determine the effects of photoinduced toxicity on test organisms exposed to PAHs. The biological and analytical results of the field and laboratory exposures are being used to evaluate and determine risk of creosote-treated pilings on the marine environment.

• OSTI ID: 230904
• Report Number(s): CONF-9511137--; ISBN 1-880611-03-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS
CALIFORNIA
CREOSOTE
CRUSTACEANS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
FIELD TESTS
HARBORS
INTERSTITIAL WATER
MONITORING
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
SEDIMENTS
SENSITIVITY
SHRIMP
TOXICITY
WATER POLLUTION