An ecological risk evaluation of sediment metal toxicity and bioavailability in a Gulf Coast estuary
- McLaren/Hart-ChemRisk, Portland, ME (United States)
A review of current and past environmental conditions of an estuarine ecosystem in Orange, Texas was conducted to evaluate the risk of chemical stressors on aquatic and terrestrial communities. Several investigations performed over a 10-year period focused on the collection and evaluation of surface waters, sediments, benthic communities, and fish populations in two ditches that drain processwater and stormwater from a site into an adjacent marsh and tidal-fresh bayou. Results indicated that concentrations of VOCs, SVOCs, and metals in surface waters were consistently non-detect or below AWQC. Sediments VOCs were generally non-detect, and SVOCs, particularly PAHs, were limited to only a few locations. Several metals were detected at elevated concentrations throughout the ditches, only occasionally in the marsh, and not at all in the bayou. Bulk sediment concentrations of Cu and Hg exceeded sediment quality guidelines more frequently and at higher concentrations than other metals. Empirical data distributions indicated that bulk sediment Cu and Hg concentrations in some areas of the ditches may be toxic to aquatic organisms. Measurements of AVS/SEM indicated that site metals were not significantly bioavailable, even without considering other complexing agents. Furthermore, methylmercury was not detected in any of the samples. Tissue concentrations of Cu and Hg in several species of fish and crab collected at the site were used to derive HQs for the osprey (Pandion haliaetus), and river otter (Lutra canadensis), which were well below 1.0 for Hg and less than 0.01 for Cu.
- OSTI ID:
- 455341
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-961149-; TRN: IM9716%%190
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 17. annual meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry: partnerships for the environment - science, education, and policy, Washington, DC (United States), 17-21 Nov 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of SETAC 17. annual meeting -- Abstract book. Partnerships for the environment: Science, education, and policy; PB: 378 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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