Contributions of contamination and organic enrichment to sediment toxicity near a sewage outfall
Conference
·
OSTI ID:49528
- Coastal Water Research Project, Westminster, CA (United States)
Sediment and interstitial water toxicity and contamination were measured at 12 sites near the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts sewage outfall on the Palos Verdes (Calif.) shelf, a region contaminated with many metal and organic contaminants. The spatial pattern of biological effects (sea urchin growth and fertilization) was compared with chemical concentrations in sediment, interstitial water, and gonad tissue to identify potentially meaningful relationships. Tissue analyses indicated that sediment metals were not bioavailable and therefore unlikely to be a significant factor in the sediment toxicity test responses. Sediment DDTs, PCBs, and PAHs were bioavailable and showed significant correlations with sea urchin growth effects. Interstitial water toxicity was most strongly correlated with measures of organic enrichment (hydrogen sulfide, ammonia) and hydrocarbon contamination. Subsequent dose response experiments confirmed the important role of hydrogen sulfide in interstitial water toxicity but failed to demonstrate an effect of DDE (the most abundant sediment organic contaminant) on growth. Overall, variations in measured sediment characteristics accounted for a relatively small portion of the biological responses.
- OSTI ID:
- 49528
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9410273--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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