Water- and sediment-quality effects on Pimephales promelas spawning vary along an agriculture-to-urban land-use gradient.

Science.gov (United States)

Corsi, Steven R; Klaper, Rebecca D; Weber, Daniel N; Bannerman, Roger T

2011-10-15

Many streams in the U.S. are "impaired" due to anthropogenic influence. For watershed managers to achieve practical understanding of these impairments, a multitude of factors must be considered, including point and nonpoint-source influence on water quality. A spawning assay was developed in this study to evaluate water- and sediment-quality effects that influenced Pimephales promelas (fathead minnow) egg production over a gradient of urban and agricultural land use in 27 small watersheds in Eastern Wisconsin. Six pairs of reproducing fathead minnows were contained in separate mesh cartridges within one larger flow-through chamber. Water- and sediment quality were sampled for an array of parameters. Egg production was monitored for each pair providing an assessment of spawning success throughout the 21-day test periods. Incidences of low dissolved oxygen (DO) in many of these streams negatively impacted spawning success. Nine of 27 streams experienced DO less than 3.1mg/L and 15 streams experienced DO less than 4.8mg/L. Low DO was observed in urban and agricultural watersheds, but the upper threshold of minimum DO decreased with increasing urban development. An increase in specific conductance was related to a decrease in spawning success. In previous studies for streams in this region, specific conductance had a linear relation with chloride, suggesting the possibility that chloride could be a factor in egg production. Egg production was lower at sites with substantial urban development, but sites with low egg production were not limited to urban sites. Degradation of water- and sediment-quality parameters with increasing urban development is indicated for multiple parameters while patterns were not detected for others. Results from this study indicate that DO must be a high priority watershed management consideration for this region, specific conductance should be investigated further to determine the mechanism of the relation with egg production, and water- and

Surface sediment quality relative to port activities: A contaminant-spectrum assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Shen; Hong, Bing; Ma, Jun; Chen, Yongshan; Xi, Xiuping; Gao, Jingbo; Hu, Xiuqin; Xu, Xiangrong; Sun, Yuxin

2017-10-15

Ports are facing increasing environmental concerns with their importance to the global economy. Numerous studies indicated sediment quality deterioration in ports; however, the deterioration is not discriminated for each port activity. This study investigated a spectrum of contaminants (metals and organic pollutants) in surface sediments at 20 sampling points in Port Ningbo, China, one of the top five world ports by volume. The spectrum of contaminants (metals and organic pollutants) was quantified following marine sediment quality guidelines of China and USA and surface sediment quality was assessed according to thresholds of the two guidelines. Coupling a categorical matrix of port activities with the matrix of sedimentary contaminants revealed that contaminants were highly associated with the port operations. Ship repair posed a severe chemical risk to sediment. Operations of crude oil and coal loadings were two top activities related to organic pollutants in sediments while port operations of ore and container loadings discharged metals. Among the 20 sampling points, Cu, Zn, Pb, and DDT and its metabolites were the priority contaminants influencing sediment quality. Overall, surface sediments in Port Ningbo had relatively low environmental risks but ship repair is an environmental concern that must be addressed. This study provides a practical approach for port activity-related quality assessment of surface sediments in ports that could be applicable in many world sites. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Precipitation, streamflow, suspended-sediment, and water-quality data for the U.S. Army Garrison Fort Carson and Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site, Colorado, 1966–2015

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, L.R.

2017-08-03

The U.S. Army Garrison Fort Carson (AGFC) and the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS) are facilities operated by the U.S. Department of the Army in southern Colorado. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of the Army, established a hydrologic and water-quality data-collection network at the AGFC in June 1978 and at the PCMS in October 1982. The data-collection networks are designed to assess the quantity and quality of water resources and monitor the effects of military training activities on streamflow and water quality. Two preexisting U.S. Geological Survey streamgages at the PCMS were incorporated into the data-collection network at the time it was established, providing periods of record that begin as early as 1966. This report presents and summarizes precipitation, streamflow, suspended-sediment, and water-quality data from 34 U.S. Geological Survey sites on or near the AGFC and the PCMS for the period of record at each site. (Streamflow data are presented as discharge in cubic feet per second.)At AGFC, daily sum precipitation ranged from 0 to 11.85 inches, daily mean discharge ranged from 0 to 836 cubic feet per second, and daily mean suspended-sediment discharge ranged from 0 to 39,900 tons per day. With the exception of total (unfiltered) mercury and filtered sulfate at two sites and filtered manganese at three sites, 95th percentile trace element concentrations and median total (unfiltered) metal concentrations were less than regulatory numeric standards for all samples. However, individual water-quality results occasionally exceeded respective regulatory numeric standards.At the PCMS, daily sum precipitation ranged from 0 to 4.59 inches, daily mean discharge ranged from 0 to 4,190 cubic feet per second, and daily mean suspended-sediment discharge ranged from 0 to 21,100 tons per day. Water-quality results, 95th percentile trace element concentrations, and median total (unfiltered) metal concentrations were less than

Site-Specific Innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reeh, Henrik; Hemmersam, Peter

2015-01-01

Currently, cities across the Northern European region are actively redeveloping their former industrial harbours. Indeed, harbours areas are essential in the long-term transition from industrial to information and experience societies; harbours are becoming sites for new businesses and residences...... question is how innovation may contribute to urban life and site-specific qualities....

Mining-Related Sediment and Soil Contamination in a Large Superfund Site: Characterization, Habitat Implications, and Remediation.

Science.gov (United States)

Juracek, K E; Drake, K D

2016-10-01

Historical mining activity (1850-1970) in the now inactive Tri-State Mining District provided an ongoing source of lead and zinc to the environment including the US Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site located in Cherokee County, southeast Kansas, USA. The resultant contamination adversely affected biota and caused human health problems and risks. Remediation in the Superfund site requires an understanding of the magnitude and extent of contamination. To provide some of the required information, a series of sediment and soil investigations were conducted in and near the Superfund site to characterize lead and zinc contamination in the aquatic and floodplain environments along the main-stem Spring River and its major tributaries. In the Superfund site, the most pronounced lead and zinc contamination, with concentrations that far exceed sediment quality guidelines associated with potential adverse biological effects, was measured for streambed sediments and floodplain soils located within or downstream from the most intensive mining-affected areas. Tributary streambeds and floodplains in affected areas are heavily contaminated with some sites having lead and zinc concentrations that are an order of magnitude (or more) greater than the sediment quality guidelines. For the main-stem Spring River, the streambed is contaminated but the floodplain is mostly uncontaminated. Measured lead and zinc concentrations in streambed sediments, lakebed sediments, and floodplain soils documented a persistence of the post-mining contamination on a decadal timescale. These results provide a basis for the prioritization, development, and implementation of plans to remediate contamination in the affected aquatic and floodplain environments within the Superfund site.

Mining-related sediment and soil contamination in a large Superfund site: Characterization, habitat implications, and remediation

Science.gov (United States)

Juracek, Kyle E.; Drake, K. D.

2016-01-01

Historical mining activity (1850–1970) in the now inactive Tri-State Mining District provided an ongoing source of lead and zinc to the environment including the US Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site located in Cherokee County, southeast Kansas, USA. The resultant contamination adversely affected biota and caused human health problems and risks. Remediation in the Superfund site requires an understanding of the magnitude and extent of contamination. To provide some of the required information, a series of sediment and soil investigations were conducted in and near the Superfund site to characterize lead and zinc contamination in the aquatic and floodplain environments along the main-stem Spring River and its major tributaries. In the Superfund site, the most pronounced lead and zinc contamination, with concentrations that far exceed sediment quality guidelines associated with potential adverse biological effects, was measured for streambed sediments and floodplain soils located within or downstream from the most intensive mining-affected areas. Tributary streambeds and floodplains in affected areas are heavily contaminated with some sites having lead and zinc concentrations that are an order of magnitude (or more) greater than the sediment quality guidelines. For the main-stem Spring River, the streambed is contaminated but the floodplain is mostly uncontaminated. Measured lead and zinc concentrations in streambed sediments, lakebed sediments, and floodplain soils documented a persistence of the post-mining contamination on a decadal timescale. These results provide a basis for the prioritization, development, and implementation of plans to remediate contamination in the affected aquatic and floodplain environments within the Superfund site.

Sediment quality in the north coastal basin of Massachusetts, 2003

Science.gov (United States)

Breault, Robert F.; Ashman, Mary S.; Heath, Douglas

2004-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, completed a reconnaissance-level study of bottom-sediment quality in selected lakes, rivers, and estuaries in the North Coastal Basin of Massachusetts. Bottom-sediment grab samples were collected from 20 sites in the North River, Lake Quannapowitt, Saugus River, Mill River, Shute Brook, Sea Plane Basin, Pines River, and Bear Creek. The samples were tested for various types of potentially harmful contaminants? including 33 elements, 17 polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 22 organochlorine pesticides, and 7 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixtures (Aroclors)?to benthic organisms (bottom-dwelling) and humans. The results were compared among sampling sites, to background concentrations, and to concen-trations measured in other urban rivers, and sediment-quality guidelines were used to predict toxicity at the sampling sites to benthic organisms and humans. Because there are no standards for human toxicity for aquatic sediment, standards for contaminated upland soil were used. Contaminant concentrations measured in sediment collected from the North Coastal Basin generally were equal to or greater than concentrations in sediment from uncontaminated rivers throughout New England. Contaminants in North Coastal Basin sediment with elevated concentrations (above back-ground levels) included arsenic, chromium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc, some of the PAHs, dichlorodiphenyltrichloro-ethane (DDT) and its metabolites, and dieldrin. No PCBs were measured above the detection limits. Measured concentrations of arsenic, chromium, and lead were also generally greater than those measured in other urban rivers throughout the conter-minous United States. With one exception (arsenic), local con-centrations measured in sediment samples collected from the North Coastal Basin were lower than concentrations measured in sediment collected from two of three urban rivers draining to Boston

SITE-94. Site specific base data for the performance assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geier, J.; Tiren, S.; Dverstorp, B.; Glynn, P.

1996-06-01

This report documents the site specific base data that were available, and the utilization of these data within SITE-94. A brief summary is given of SKB's preliminary site investigations for the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL), which were the main source of site-specific data for SITE-94, and an overview is given of the field methods and instrumentation for the preliminary investigations. A compilation is given of comments concerning the availability and quality of the data for Aespoe, and specific recommendations are given for future site investigations. It was found that the HRL pre-investigations produced a large quantity of data which were, for the most part, of sufficient quality to be valuable for a performance assessment. However, some problems were encountered regarding documentation, procedural consistency, positional information, and storage of the data from the measurements. 77 refs, 4 tabs

Effects of dredging operations on sediment quality. Contaminant mobilization in dredged sediments from the Port of Santos, SP, Brazil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Torres, Ronaldo J.; Santos, Fernando C.; Mozeto, Antonio A. [Lab. de Biogeoquimica Ambiental, Dept. de Quimica, Univ. Federal de Sao Carlos, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Abessa, Denis M.S.; Maranho, Luciane A.; Davanso, Marcela B. [Campus Experimental do Litoral Paulista, UNESP - Univ. Estadual Paulista ' Julio de Mesquita Filho' , Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Nascimento, Marcos R.L. do [Lab. de Pocos de Caldas (LAPOC), CNEN-Comissao Nacional de Energia Nuclear, MG (Brazil)

2009-10-15

Background, aim, and scope Contaminated sediments are a worldwide problem, and mobilization of contaminants is one of the most critical issues in environmental risk assessment insofar as dredging projects are concerned. The investigation of how toxic compounds are mobilized during dredging operations in the channel of the Port of Santos, Brazil, was conducted in an attempt to assess changes in the bioavailability and toxicity of these contaminants. Materials and methods Bulk sediment samples and their interstitial waters and elutriates were subjected to chemical evaluation and ecotoxicological assessment. Samples were collected from the channel before dredging, from the dredge's hopper, and from the disposal site and its surroundings. Results The results indicate that the bulk sediments from the dredging site are contaminated moderately with As, Pb, and Zn and severely with Hg, and that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations are relatively high. Our results also show a 50% increase in PAH concentrations in suspended solids in the water collected from the hopper dredge. This finding is of great concern, since it refers to the dredge overflow water which is pumped back into the ecosystem. Acute toxicity tests on bulk sediment using the amphipod Tiburonella viscana showed no toxicity, while chronic tests with the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus showed toxicity in the interstitial waters and elutriates. Results are compared with widely used sediment quality guidelines and with a sediment quality assessment scheme based on various lines of evidence. Conclusions The data presented here indicate that the sediments collected in this port show a certain degree of contamination, especially those from the inner part of the channel. The classification established in this study indicated that sediments from the dredged channel are impacted detrimentally and that sea disposal may disperse contaminants. According to this classification, the sediments are

Use of toxicity assessment to develop site specific remediation criteria for oil and gas facilities : guidance manual

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

The results of a two year study into the evaluation of toxicity-based methods to develop site-specific, risk-based cleanup objectives for the decommissioning of oil and gas facilities were compiled into a manual of guidance. The two basic approaches used in determining remediation criteria for contaminated sites are: (1) comparison of the concentrations of chemicals found on-site with broad regional or national soil and water quality objectives developed for the chemicals involved, and (2) site-specific risk assessment. Toxicity tests are used to test organisms such as earthworms, lettuce seeds, or larval fish directly in the soil, water or sediment suspected of being contaminated. The effects of any contamination on the survival, growth, reproduction, and behaviour of the test organisms are then evaluated. The manual provides guidance in: (1) using toxicity assessments within the regulatory framework of site decommissioning, (2) performing a toxicity assessment, and (3) developing site-specific criteria for a risk assessment. 18 refs., 3 tabs., 5 figs

Accounting for both local aquatic community composition and bioavailability in setting site-specific quality standards for zinc.

Science.gov (United States)

Peters, Adam; Simpson, Peter; Moccia, Alessandra

2014-01-01

Recent years have seen considerable improvement in water quality standards (QS) for metals by taking account of the effect of local water chemistry conditions on their bioavailability. We describe preliminary efforts to further refine water quality standards, by taking account of the composition of the local ecological community (the ultimate protection objective) in addition to bioavailability. Relevance of QS to the local ecological community is critical as it is important to minimise instances where quality classification using QS does not reconcile with a quality classification based on an assessment of the composition of the local ecology (e.g. using benthic macroinvertebrate quality assessment metrics such as River InVertebrate Prediction and Classification System (RIVPACS)), particularly where ecology is assessed to be at good or better status, whilst chemical quality is determined to be failing relevant standards. The alternative approach outlined here describes a method to derive a site-specific species sensitivity distribution (SSD) based on the ecological community which is expected to be present at the site in the absence of anthropogenic pressures (reference conditions). The method combines a conventional laboratory ecotoxicity dataset normalised for bioavailability with field measurements of the response of benthic macroinvertebrate abundance to chemical exposure. Site-specific QSref are then derived from the 5%ile of this SSD. Using this method, site QSref have been derived for zinc in an area impacted by historic mining activities. Application of QSref can result in greater agreement between chemical and ecological metrics of environmental quality compared with the use of either conventional (QScon) or bioavailability-based QS (QSbio). In addition to zinc, the approach is likely to be applicable to other metals and possibly other types of chemical stressors (e.g. pesticides). However, the methodology for deriving site-specific targets requires

Resuspension of polychlorinated biphenyl-contaminated field sediment: release to the water column and determination of site-specific K DOC.

Science.gov (United States)

Friedman, Carey L; Lohmann, Rainer; Burgess, Robert M; Perron, Monique M; Cantwell, Mark G

2011-02-01

Sediments from the New Bedford Harbor (NBH) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) Superfund site (Massachusetts, USA), contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), were resuspended under different water column redox conditions: untreated, oxidative, and reductive. The partitioning of PCBs to the overlying water column was measured with polyethylene samplers and compared to partitioning without resuspension. Greater concentrations of total aqueous (freely dissolved + dissolved organic carbon (DOC)-associated) PCBs were found in all resuspended treatments for PCBs with mid-range K(OW)s, but no difference was observed in total aqueous concentrations among different redox conditions. The magnitude of increased concentrations depended on resuspension time and congener K(OW), but ranged from approximately one to eight times those found without resuspension. In a parallel study, DOC was flocculated and removed from smaller-scale NBH sediment resuspensions. In situ K(DOC)s were determined and used to calculate freely dissolved and DOC-associated fractions of the increase in total aqueous PCB concentrations due to resuspension. The importance of DOC-associated PCBs increased with increasing K(OW). In situ K(DOC)s were approximately one to two orders of magnitude greater than those calculated with a commonly used linear free energy relationship (LFER). The present study demonstrates that resuspension of contaminated sediments releases PCBs to the water column, of which a significant fraction are DOC-associated (e.g., 28, 65, and 90% for PCBs 28, 66, and 110, respectively). Results also imply that site-specific PCB K(DOC)s are superior to those calculated with generic LFERs. © 2010 SETAC.

Contaminants in surface water and sediments near the Tynagh silver mine site, County Galway, Ireland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O' Neill, A. [School of Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering, Queen' s University of Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland (United Kingdom); Phillips, D.H., E-mail: d.phillips@qub.ac.uk [School of Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering, Queen' s University of Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland (United Kingdom); Bowen, J. [School of Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering, Queen' s University of Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland (United Kingdom); Sen Gupta, B. [School of the Built Environment, Hariot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland (United Kingdom)

2015-04-15

A former silver mine in Tynagh, Co. Galway, Ireland is one of the most contaminated mine sites in Europe with maximum concentrations of Zn, As, Pb, Mn, Ni, Cu, and Cd far exceeding guideline values for water and sediment. The aims of this research were to 1) further assess the contamination, particularly metals, in surface water and sediment around the site, and 2) determine if the contamination has increased 10 years after the Environmental Protection Agency Ireland (EPAI) identified off-site contamination. Site pH is alkaline to neutral because CaCO{sub 3}-rich sediment and rock material buffer the exposed acid generating sulphide-rich ore. When this study was compared to the previous EPAI study conducted 10 years earlier, it appeared that further weathering of exposed surface sediment had increased concentrations of As and other potentially toxic elements. Water samples from the tailings ponds and adjacent Barnacullia Stream had concentrations of Al, Cd, Mn, Zn and Pb above guideline values. Lead and Zn concentrations from the tailings pond sediment were 16 and 5 times higher, respectively, than concentrations reported 10 years earlier. Pb and Zn levels in most sediment samples exceeded the Expert Group (EGS) guidelines of 1000 and 5000 mg/kg, respectively. Arsenic concentrations were as high as 6238 mg/kg in the tailings ponds sediment, which is 62 and 862 times greater than the EGS and Canadian Soil Quality Guidelines (CSQG), respectively. Cadmium, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn concentrations in water and sediment were above guideline values downstream of the site. Additionally, Fe, Mn and organic matter (OM) were strongly correlated and correlated to Zn, Pb, As, Cd, Cu and Ni in stream sediment. Therefore, the nearby Barnacullia Stream is also a significant pathway for contaminant transport to downstream areas. Further rehabilitation of the site may decrease the contamination around the area. - Highlights: • Tynagh silver mine in Co. Galway, Ireland is a source of

Water-quality, bed-sediment, and biological data (October 2015 through September 2016) and statistical summaries of data for streams in the Clark Fork Basin, Montana

Science.gov (United States)

Dodge, Kent A.; Hornberger, Michelle I.; Turner, Matthew A.

2018-03-30

Water, bed sediment, and biota were sampled in selected streams from Butte to near Missoula, Montana, as part of a monitoring program in the upper Clark Fork Basin of western Montana. The sampling program was led by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to characterize aquatic resources in the Clark Fork Basin, with emphasis on trace elements associated with historic mining and smelting activities. Sampling sites were on the Clark Fork and selected tributaries. Water samples were collected periodically at 20 sites from October 2015 through September 2016. Bed-sediment and biota samples were collected once at 13 sites during August 2016.This report presents the analytical results and quality-assurance data for water-quality, bed-sediment, and biota samples collected at sites from October 2015 through September 2016. Water-quality data include concentrations of selected major ions, trace elements, and suspended sediment. Samples for analysis of turbidity were collected at 13 sites, whereas samples for analysis of dissolved organic carbon were collected at 10 sites. In addition, samples for analysis of nitrogen (nitrate plus nitrite) were collected at two sites. Daily values of mean suspended-sediment concentration and suspended-sediment discharge were determined for three sites. Seasonal daily values of turbidity were determined for five sites. Bed-sediment data include trace-element concentrations in the fine-grained (less than 0.063 millimeter) fraction. Biological data include trace-element concentrations in whole-body tissue of aquatic benthic insects. Statistical summaries of water-quality, bed-sediment, and biological data for sites in the upper Clark Fork Basin are provided for the period of record.

Water Quality and Heavy Metal Concentrations in Sediment of Sungai Kelantan, Kelantan, Malaysia: A Baseline Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad, A.K.; Mushrifah, I.; Mohamad Shuhaimi Othman

2009-01-01

A study on water quality and heavy metal concentration in sediment at selected sites of Sungai Kelantan was carried out. Ten water samples were collected along the river for physical and chemical analysis and twenty-six water and sediment samples were collected for heavy metal analysis. Water was sampled at three different dates throughout the study period whereas sediments were collected once. In addition to heavy metal analysis, sediment samples were also analysed for texture, ph and organic content. The physical and chemical water quality analyses were carried out according to the ALPHA procedures. Result of water quality analysis (physico-chemical) indicated that Sungai Kelantan is characterised by excellent water quality and comparable to pristine ecosystems such as the National Park and Kenyir Lake. This river was classified into class I - class III based on Malaysian interim water quality standard criteria (INWQS). Heavy metals Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd was detected at low concentration in sediment samples, except for Fe and Mn. The presence of Fe and Mn in sediment samples was though to be of natural origin from the soil. Anthropogenic metal concentrations in sediment were low indicating that Sungai Kelantan has not experienced extreme pollution. (author)

Sediment and Runoff Losses following Harvesting/Site Prep Operations on a Piedmont Soil in Alabama

Science.gov (United States)

Johnny M. III Grace; Emily A. Carter

2001-01-01

Impacts of soil erosion on water quality from forest harvesting and site preparation have received increased concern in recent years. The study presented here was performed in Lee County, Alabama to investigate the impact of harvesting and site preparation on a 20-year-old loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantation on sediment and runoff yield....

Effects of sediment quality on macroinvertebrates in the Sunraysia region of the Murray-Darling Rivers, Australia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharley, David J. [Centre for Environmental Stress and Adaptation Research-Hoffmann Laboratory, Zoology Department, University of Melbourne, Level 2, Bio 21 Institute, 30 Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3010 (Australia)], E-mail: sharleyd@unimelb.edu.au; Hoffmann, Ary A. [Centre for Environmental Stress and Adaptation Research-Hoffmann Laboratory, Zoology Department, University of Melbourne, Level 2, Bio 21 Institute, 30 Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3010 (Australia); Pettigrove, Vincent [Research and Technology, Melbourne Water, PO Box 4342, Melbourne, Victoria 3001 (Australia)

2008-12-15

A field-based microcosm approach was tested to identify deterioration of sediment quality in waterways using freshwater macroinvertebrates. The method can potentially identify the nature of contaminants based on species-specific responses. Sediments were collected from the Murray and Darling Rivers and irrigation drains within the Sunraysia region of south-eastern Australia and compared to non-polluted reference sediment. Clean sediments were also spiked with fertiliser to test whether nutrients affected the aquatic fauna. Seven of the eight sediments from the Sunraysia region had a negative impact on the macroinvertebrates, in particular sediment from the Darling River, which supported an impoverished fauna. Three species of chironomid showed varied responses to sediment quality and, although it was hypothesised that nutrients may have impacted on the macroinvertebrate fauna, the results suggest that other pollutants are also involved. The field-based microcosm method proved effective for determining the impact of sediment quality on indigenous macroinvertebrates. - Sediment quality effects on freshwater macroinvertebrates are isolated.

Effects of sediment quality on macroinvertebrates in the Sunraysia region of the Murray-Darling Rivers, Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharley, David J.; Hoffmann, Ary A.; Pettigrove, Vincent

2008-01-01

A field-based microcosm approach was tested to identify deterioration of sediment quality in waterways using freshwater macroinvertebrates. The method can potentially identify the nature of contaminants based on species-specific responses. Sediments were collected from the Murray and Darling Rivers and irrigation drains within the Sunraysia region of south-eastern Australia and compared to non-polluted reference sediment. Clean sediments were also spiked with fertiliser to test whether nutrients affected the aquatic fauna. Seven of the eight sediments from the Sunraysia region had a negative impact on the macroinvertebrates, in particular sediment from the Darling River, which supported an impoverished fauna. Three species of chironomid showed varied responses to sediment quality and, although it was hypothesised that nutrients may have impacted on the macroinvertebrate fauna, the results suggest that other pollutants are also involved. The field-based microcosm method proved effective for determining the impact of sediment quality on indigenous macroinvertebrates. - Sediment quality effects on freshwater macroinvertebrates are isolated

Water-quality data from an earthen dam site in southern Westchester County, New York, 2015

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, Anthony; Noll, Michael L.

2017-10-11

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, sampled 37 sites in the reservoir area for nutrients, major ions, metals, pesticides and their degradates, volatile organic compounds, temperature, pH, and specific conductance during fall 2015. Data collection was done to characterize the local groundwater-flow system and identify potential sources of seeps from the southern embankment at the Hillview Reservoir. Water-quality samples were collected in accordance with standard U.S. Geological Survey methods at 37 sites in and adjacent to Hillview Reservoir. These 37 sites were sampled to determine (1) baseline water-quality conditions of the saturated, low-permeability sediments that compose the earthen embankment that surrounds the reservoir, (2) water-quality conditions in the southwestern part of the study area in relation to the seeps on the embankment, and (3) temporal variation of water-quality conditions between 2006 and 2015 (not included in this report). The physical parameters and the results of the water-quality analysis from the 37 sites are included in this report and can be downloaded from the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System website.

Evaluating Sediment Mobility for Siting Nearshore Berms

Science.gov (United States)

2016-04-01

placement of dredged sediment that may contain more fine silts and clays than are allowed for placement directly on the beach. The United States Army...used in the density and viscosity calculations. For this technical note an example study site is selected and the sediment mobility indexes are...acceleration due to gravity, sρ is the sediment density, ρ is the water density, v is the kinematic viscosity of water, crθ is the Shields

Quantifying and modeling soil erosion and sediment export from construction sites in southern California

Science.gov (United States)

Wernet, A. K.; Beighley, R. E.

2006-12-01

Soil erosion is a power process that continuously alters the Earth's landscape. Human activities, such as construction and agricultural practices, and natural events, such as forest fires and landslides, disturb the landscape and intensify erosion processes leading to sudden increases in runoff sediment concentrations and degraded stream water quality. Understanding soil erosion and sediment transport processes is of great importance to researchers and practicing engineers, who routinely use models to predict soil erosion and sediment movement for varied land use and climate change scenarios. However, existing erosion models are limited in their applicability to constructions sites which have highly variable soil conditions (density, moisture, surface roughness, and best management practices) that change often in both space and time. The goal of this research is to improve the understanding, predictive capabilities and integration of treatment methodologies for controlling soil erosion and sediment export from construction sites. This research combines modeling with field monitoring and laboratory experiments to quantify: (a) spatial and temporal distribution of soil conditions on construction sites, (b) soil erosion due to event rainfall, and (c) potential offsite discharge of sediment with and without treatment practices. Field sites in southern California were selected to monitor the effects of common construction activities (ex., cut/fill, grading, foundations, roads) on soil conditions and sediment discharge. Laboratory experiments were performed in the Soil Erosion Research Laboratory (SERL), part of the Civil and Environmental Engineering department at San Diego State University, to quantify the impact of individual factors leading to sediment export. SERL experiments utilize a 3-m by 10-m tilting soil bed with soil depths up to 1 m, slopes ranging from 0 to 50 percent, and rainfall rates up to 150 mm/hr (6 in/hr). Preliminary modeling, field and laboratory

Floodplain sedimentology and sediment accumulation assessment – Savannah River Site

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yeager, Kevin M. [Univ. of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (United States). Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences

2016-01-03

The primary goal of the larger research program, of which this work is one component, is to restore the hydrodynamics and energy gradients of targeted Savannah River Site (SRS) streams to a condition comparable to local natural streams or rivers of similar order, and to stabilize sediment transport (net degradation/aggregation) with the assumption that the faunal components of these systems will quickly recover on their own (e.g., Pen Branch; Lakly and McArthur, 2000). This work is specifically focused on the identification of near-stream floodplain areas that exhibit sediment deposition or erosion, and the quantification of these processes over a historical time scale (last ~100 years).

Ecological and human health sediment risk assessment for a hydrocarbon-impacted site in Lake Athabasca

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mcdonald, B.; Wagenaar, A.; LaPorte, J.; Misfeldt, G.; Chatwell, I.

2009-01-01

The operation of a public port facility near Uranium City, Saskatchewan has resulted in elevated levels of hydrocarbons in soil, groundwater and sediment. Remedial action in the uplands portion of the site was successful and a risk management approach was initiated for the aquatic portion of the site in order to resolve human health and ecological issues. Ecological risks were assessed using a sediment weight-of-evidence approach involving chemistry, toxicity, bioaccumulation and benthic community structure. Human health risks were assessed via fish consumption, water ingestion and direct contact according to Health Canada guidance. This presentation included an overview of the general risk assessment approach as well as site-specific data and findings. The primary focus was on the challenges confronted during the risk assessment process, such as the need to include alkylated PAHs as a COPC in the human health risk assessment and to evaluate ongoing propeller wash and sediment resuspension for sediment risk management, even though the facility is no longer operational.

Application of dimensionless sediment rating curves to predict suspended-sediment concentrations, bedload, and annual sediment loads for rivers in Minnesota

Science.gov (United States)

Ellison, Christopher A.; Groten, Joel T.; Lorenz, David L.; Koller, Karl S.

2016-10-27

-of-fit that included proximity of the model(s) fitted line to the 95-percent confidence intervals of the site-specific model, Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency values, model biases, and deviation of annual sediment loads from each model to the annual sediment loads calculated from measured data.Composite plots comparing Pagosa Springs DSRCs, Minnesota DSRCs, site-specific regression models, and measured data indicated that regionally developed DSRCs (Minnesota DSRC models) more closely approximated measured data for nearly every site. Pagosa Springs DSRC models had markedly larger exponents (slopes) when compared to the Minnesota DSRC models and the site-specific regression models, and over-represent SSC and bedload at streamflows exceeding bankfull. The Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency values for the Minnesota DSRC model for suspended-sediment concentrations closely matched Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency values of the site-specific regression models for 12 out of 16 sites. Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency values associated with Minnesota DSRCs were greater than those associated with Pagosa Springs DSRCs for every site except the Whitewater River near Beaver, Minnesota site. Pagosa Springs DSRC models were less accurate than the mean of the measured data at predicting SSC values for one-half of the sites for good/fair stability sites and one-half of the sites for poor stability sites. Relative model biases were calculated and determined to be substantial (greater than 5 percent) for Pagosa Springs and Minnesota models, with Minnesota models having a lower mean model bias. For predicted annual suspended-sediment loads (SSL), the Minnesota DSRC models for good/fair and poor stream stability sites more closely approximated the annual SSLs calculated from the measured data as compared to the Pagosa Springs DSRC model.Results of data analyses indicate that DSRC models developed using data collected in Minnesota were more effective at compensating for differences in individual stream characteristics across a

Effects of land disposal of municipal sewage sludge on soil, streambed sediment, and ground- and surface-water quality at a site near Denver, Colorado

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gaggiani, N.G.

1991-01-01

The report describes the effects of burial and land application of municipal sewage sludge on soil and streambed sediment and water quality in the underlying aquifers and surface water within and around the Lowry sewage-sludge-disposal area. The existing ground-water observation-well network at the disposal area was expanded for the study. Surface-water-sampling sites were selected so that runoff could be sampled from intense rainstorms or snowmelt. The sampling frequency for ground-water and surface-water runoff was changed from yearly to quarterly, and soil samples were collected. Four years of data were collected from 1984 to 1987 during the expanded monitoring program at the Lowry sewage-sludge-disposal area. These data, in addition to the data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey from 1981 to 1983, were used to determine effects of sewage-sludge-disposal on soil and streambed sediment and surface- and ground-water quality at the disposal area.

Risks to humans and wildlife from metal contamination in soils/sediments at CERCLA sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hitch, J.P.; Hovatter, P.S.; Opresko, D.M.; Sample, B.; Young, R.A.

1994-01-01

A common problem that occurs at DOD and DOE CERCLA sites is metal contamination in soils and aquatic sediments and the protection of humans and wildlife from potential exposure to this contamination. Consequently, the authors have developed a site-specific reference dose for mercury in sediments at the Oak Ridge Reservation and site-specific cleanup levels for certain metals, including arsenic and nickel, in soils at an Army ammunition plant. Another concern during remediation of these sites is that limited data are available to determine the direct risks to indigenous wildlife. Therefore, the authors have developed toxicological benchmarks for certain metals and metal compounds to be used as screening tools to determine the potential hazard of a contaminant to representative mammalian and avian wildlife species. These values should enable the Army and DOE to more accurately determine the risks to humans and wildlife associated with exposure to these contaminated media at their sites in order to achieve a more effective remediation. This effort is ongoing at ORNL with toxicological benchmarks also being developed for metal compounds and other chemicals of concern to DOD and DOE in order to address the potential hazard to

Metal availability in a highly contaminated, dredged-sediment disposal site: field measurements and geochemical modeling.

Science.gov (United States)

Lions, Julie; Guérin, Valérie; Bataillard, Philippe; van der Lee, Jan; Laboudigue, Agnès

2010-09-01

Two complementary approaches were used to characterize arsenic and metal mobilizations from a dredged-sediment disposal site: a detailed field study combined with hydrogeochemical modeling. Contaminants in sediments were found to be mainly present as sulfides subject to oxidation. Secondary phases (carbonates, sulfates, (hydr)oxides) were also observed. Oxidative processes occurred at different rates depending on physicochemical conditions and contaminant contents in the sediment. Two distinct areas were identified on the site, each corresponding to a specific contaminant mobility behavior. In a reducing area, Fe and As were highly soluble and illustrated anoxic behavior. In well-oxygenated material, groundwater was highly contaminated in Zn, Cd and Pb. A third zone in which sediments and groundwater were less contaminated was also characterized. This study enabled us to prioritize remediation work, which should aim to limit infiltration and long-term environmental impact. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Conceptual Site Model for Newark Bay—Hydrodynamics and Sediment Transport

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parmeshwar L. Shrestha

2014-02-01

Full Text Available A conceptual site model (CSM has been developed for the Newark Bay Study Area (NBSA as part of the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS for this New Jersey site. The CSM is an evolving document that describes the influence of physical, chemical and biological processes on contaminant fate and transport. The CSM is initiated at the start of a project, updated during site activities, and used to inform sampling and remediation planning. This paper describes the hydrodynamic and sediment transport components of the CSM for the NBSA. Hydrodynamic processes are influenced by freshwater inflows, astronomical forcing through two tidal straits, meteorological conditions, and anthropogenic activities such as navigational dredging. Sediment dynamics are driven by hydrodynamics, waves, sediment loading from freshwater sources and the tidal straits, sediment size gradation, sediment bed properties, and particle-to-particle interactions. Cohesive sediment transport is governed by advection, dispersion, aggregation, settling, consolidation, and erosion. Noncohesive sediment transport is governed by advection, dispersion, settling, armoring, and transport in suspension and along the bed. The CSM will inform the development and application of a numerical model that accounts for all key variables to adequately describe the NBSA’s historical, current, and future physical conditions.

Evaluation of surficial sediment toxicity and sediment physico-chemical characteristics of representative sites in the Lagoon of Venice (Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Losso, C.; Arizzi Novelli, A.; Picone, M.; Marchetto, D.; Pessa, G.; Molinaroli, E.; Ghetti, P. F.; Volpi Ghirardini, A.

2004-11-01

Toxic hazard in sites with varying types and levels of contamination in the Lagoon of Venice was estimated by means of toxicity bioassays based on the early life-stages of the autochthonous sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. Elutriate was chosen as the test matrix, due to its ability to highlight potential toxic effects towards sensitive biological components of the water column caused by sediment resuspension phenomena affecting the Lagoon. Surficial sediments (core-top 5 cm deep), directly influenced by resuspension/redeposition processes, and core sediments (core 20 cm deep), recording time-mediated contamination, were sampled in some sites located in the lagoonal area most greatly influenced by anthropogenic activities. Particle size, organic matter and water content were also analysed. In two sites, the results of physical parameters showed that the core-top sediments were coarser than the 20-cm core sediments. Sperm cell toxicity test results showed the negligible acute toxicity of elutriates from all investigated sites. The embryo toxicity test demonstrated a short-term chronic toxicity gradient for elutriates from the 20-cm core sediments, in general agreement both with the expected contamination gradient and with results of the Microtox® solid-phase test. Elutriates of the core-top 5-cm sediments revealed a totally inverted gradient, in comparison with that for the 20-cm core sediments, and the presence of a "hot spot" of contamination in the site chosen as a possible reference. Investigations on ammonia and sulphides as possible confounding factors excluded their contribution to this "hot spot". Integrated physico-chemical and toxicity results on sediments at various depths demonstrated the presence of disturbed sediments in the central basin of the Lagoon of Venice.

Sedimentation

Science.gov (United States)

Cliff R. Hupp; Michael R. Schening

2000-01-01

Sedimentation is arguably the most important water-quality concern in the United States. Sediment trapping is cited frequently as a major function of riverine-forested wetlands, yet little is known about sedimcntation rates at the landscape scale in relation to site parameters, including woody vegetation type, elevation, velocity, and hydraulic connection to the river...

DOE site-specific threat assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

West, D.J.; Al-Ayat, R.A.; Judd, B.R.

1985-01-01

A facility manager faced with the challenges of protecting a nuclear facility against potential threats must consider the likelihood and consequences of such threats, know the capabilities of the facility safeguards and security systems, and make informed decisions about the cost-effectivness of safeguards and security upgrades. To help meet these challenges, the San Francisco Operations Office of the Department of Energy, in conjunction with the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, has developed a site-specific threat assessment approach and a quantitative model to improve the quality and consistency of site-specific threat assessment and resultant security upgrade decisions at sensitive Department of Energy facilities. 5 figs

Mössbauer investigations to characterize Fe lattice sites in sheet silicates and Peru Basin deep-sea sediments

Science.gov (United States)

Lougear, André; König, Iris; Trautwein, Alfred X.; Suess, Erwin

A procedure to classify different Fe lattice sites, i.e., OH-group geometries, in the clay mineral content of deep-sea sediments was developed using Mössbauer spectroscopy at low temperature (77 K). This speciation is of interest with regard to the redox behavior, reactivity and color of marine sediments, since substantial iron redox transitions (associated with sediment color change) have been documented for the structural sheet silicate iron. Lattice site classification was achieved for the Fe(II) fraction, all of which is structural clay Fe(II) in the sediments under investigation. Whereas the major part of the Fe(III) is structural clay iron as well, there is a small Fe(III) fraction in oxide minerals. Therefore, further elaboration of the procedure would be required to also achieve lattice site classification for the Fe(III) fraction. Analysis of the Mössbauer spectra is based on computer fits, the input parameters of which were derived from a separate study of Fe(II)-rich pure chlorites. The procedure of classification is qualified to investigate, e.g., in laboratory experiments, the site-specific reaction rates and the effects on sediment color of iron redox transitions in the sheet silicate content of sediments. The new skills were successfully applied in environmental impact studies on the mining of polymetallic nodules from the Peru Basin deep-sea floor.

Incorporating Contaminant Bioavailability into Sediment Quality Assessment Frameworks

Science.gov (United States)

The recently adopted sediment quality assessment framework for evaluating bay and estuarine sediments in the State of California incorporates bulk sediment chemistry as a key line of evidence(LOE) but does not address the bioavailability of measured contaminants. Thus, the chemis...

Compilation, quality control, analysis, and summary of discrete suspended-sediment and ancillary data in the United States, 1901-2010

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Casey J.; Glysson, G. Douglas

2013-01-01

Human-induced and natural changes to the transport of sediment and sediment-associated constituents can degrade aquatic ecosystems and limit human uses of streams and rivers. The lack of a dedicated, easily accessible, quality-controlled database of sediment and ancillary data has made it difficult to identify sediment-related water-quality impairments and has limited understanding of how human actions affect suspended-sediment concentrations and transport. The purpose of this report is to describe the creation of a quality-controlled U.S. Geological Survey suspended-sediment database, provide guidance for its use, and summarize characteristics of suspended-sediment data through 2010. The database is provided as an online application at http://cida.usgs.gov/sediment to allow users to view, filter, and retrieve available suspended-sediment and ancillary data. A data recovery, filtration, and quality-control process was performed to expand the availability, representativeness, and utility of existing suspended-sediment data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in the United States before January 1, 2011. Information on streamflow condition, sediment grain size, and upstream landscape condition were matched to sediment data and sediment-sampling sites to place data in context with factors that may influence sediment transport. Suspended-sediment and selected ancillary data are presented from across the United States with respect to time, streamflow, and landscape condition. Examples of potential uses of this database for identifying sediment-related impairments, assessing trends, and designing new data collection activities are provided. This report and database can support local and national-level decision making, project planning, and data mining activities related to the transport of suspended-sediment and sediment-associated constituents.

Clearing the waters: Evaluating the need for site-specific field fluorescence corrections based on turbidity measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Saraceno, John F.; Shanley, James B.; Downing, Bryan D.; Pellerin, Brian A.

2017-01-01

In situ fluorescent dissolved organic matter (fDOM) measurements have gained increasing popularity as a proxy for dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations in streams. One challenge to accurate fDOM measurements in many streams is light attenuation due to suspended particles. Downing et al. (2012) evaluated the need for corrections to compensate for particle interference on fDOM measurements using a single sediment standard in a laboratory study. The application of those results to a large river improved unfiltered field fDOM accuracy. We tested the same correction equation in a headwater tropical stream and found that it overcompensated fDOM when turbidity exceeded ∼300 formazin nephelometric units (FNU). Therefore, we developed a site-specific, field-based fDOM correction equation through paired in situ fDOM measurements of filtered and unfiltered streamwater. The site-specific correction increased fDOM accuracy up to a turbidity as high as 700 FNU, the maximum observed in this study. The difference in performance between the laboratory-based correction equation of Downing et al. (2012) and our site-specific, field-based correction equation likely arises from differences in particle size distribution between the sediment standard used in the lab (silt) and that observed in our study (fine to medium sand), particularly during high flows. Therefore, a particle interference correction equation based on a single sediment type may not be ideal when field sediment size is significantly different. Given that field fDOM corrections for particle interference under turbid conditions are a critical component in generating accurate DOC estimates, we describe a way to develop site-specific corrections.

Relations of water-quality constituent concentrations to surrogate measurements in the lower Platte River corridor, Nebraska, 2007 through 2011

Science.gov (United States)

Schaepe, Nathaniel J.; Soenksen, Philip J.; Rus, David L.

2014-01-01

The lower Platte River, Nebraska, provides drinking water, irrigation water, and in-stream flows for recreation, wildlife habitat, and vital habitats for several threatened and endangered species. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Lower Platte River Corridor Alliance (LPRCA) developed site-specific regression models for water-quality constituents at four sites (Shell Creek near Columbus, Nebraska [USGS site 06795500]; Elkhorn River at Waterloo, Nebr. [USGS site 06800500]; Salt Creek near Ashland, Nebr. [USGS site 06805000]; and Platte River at Louisville, Nebr. [USGS site 06805500]) in the lower Platte River corridor. The models were developed by relating continuously monitored water-quality properties (surrogate measurements) to discrete water-quality samples. These models enable existing web-based software to provide near-real-time estimates of stream-specific constituent concentrations to support natural resources management decisions. Since 2007, USGS, in cooperation with the LPRCA, has continuously monitored four water-quality properties seasonally within the lower Platte River corridor: specific conductance, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity. During 2007 through 2011, the USGS and the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality collected and analyzed discrete water-quality samples for nutrients, major ions, pesticides, suspended sediment, and bacteria. These datasets were used to develop the regression models. This report documents the collection of these various water-quality datasets and the development of the site-specific regression models. Regression models were developed for all four monitored sites. Constituent models for Shell Creek included nitrate plus nitrite, total phosphorus, orthophosphate, atrazine, acetochlor, suspended sediment, and Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. Regression models that were developed for the Elkhorn River included nitrate plus nitrite, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, total phosphorus

Sedimentation and Its Impacts/Effects on River System and Reservoir Water Quality: case Study of Mazowe Catchment, Zimbabwe

Science.gov (United States)

Tundu, Colleta; Tumbare, Michael James; Kileshye Onema, Jean-Marie

2018-04-01

Sediment delivery into water sources and bodies results in the reduction of water quantity and quality, increasing costs of water purification whilst reducing the available water for various other uses. The paper gives an analysis of sedimentation in one of Zimbabwe's seven rivers, the Mazowe Catchment, and its impact on water quality. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model was used to compute soil lost from the catchment as a result of soil erosion. The model was used in conjunction with GIS remotely sensed data and limited ground observations. The estimated annual soil loss in the catchment indicates soil loss ranging from 0 to 65 t ha yr-1. Bathymetric survey at Chimhanda Dam showed that the capacity of the dam had reduced by 39 % as a result of sedimentation and the annual sediment deposition into Chimhanda Dam was estimated to be 330 t with a specific yield of 226 t km-2 yr-1. Relationship between selected water quality parameters, TSS, DO, NO3, pH, TDS, turbidity and sediment yield for selected water sampling points and Chimhanda Dam was analyzed. It was established that there is a strong positive relationship between the sediment yield and the water quality parameters. Sediment yield showed high positive correlation with turbidity (0.63) and TDS (0.64). Water quality data from Chimhanda treatment plant water works revealed that the quality of water is deteriorating as a result of increase in sediment accumulation in the dam. The study concluded that sedimentation can affect the water quality of water sources.

Chemical quality of water and bottom sediment, Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge, Lahontan Valley, Nevada

Science.gov (United States)

Thodal, Carl E.

2017-12-28

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service collected data on water and bottom-sediment chemistry to be used to evaluate a new water rights acquisition program designed to enhance wetland habitat in Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge and in Lahontan Valley, Churchill County, Nevada. The area supports habitat critical to the feeding and resting of migratory birds travelling the Pacific Flyway. Information about how water rights acquisitions may affect the quality of water delivered to the wetlands is needed by stakeholders and Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge managers in order to evaluate the effectiveness of this approach to wetlands management. A network of six sites on waterways that deliver the majority of water to Refuge wetlands was established to monitor the quality of streamflow and bottom sediment. Each site was visited every 4 to 6 weeks and selected water-quality field parameters were measured when flowing water was present. Water samples were collected at varying frequencies and analyzed for major ions, silica, and organic carbon, and for selected species of nitrogen and phosphorus, trace elements, pharmaceuticals, and other trace organic compounds. Bottom-sediment samples were collected for analysis of selected trace elements.Dissolved-solids concentrations exceeded the recommended criterion for protection of aquatic life (500 milligrams per liter) in 33 of 62 filtered water samples. The maximum arsenic criterion (340 micrograms per liter) was exceeded twice and the continuous criterion was exceeded seven times. Criteria protecting aquatic life from continuous exposure to aluminum, cadmium, lead, and mercury (87, 0.72, 2.5, and 0.77 micrograms per liter, respectively) were exceeded only once in filtered samples (27, 40, 32, and 36 samples, respectively). Mercury was the only trace element analyzed in bottom-sediment samples to exceed the published probable effect concentration (1,060 micrograms per kilogram).

Quality assurance during site construction. Pt. 4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Potrz, R.; Dilling, H.

1980-01-01

Quality control during the assembly of an pressure water reactor containment: 1.) Fundamental principles of the quality control: short explanation to the specification and job instruction. 2.) Quality control during the assembly: welding control, non destructive material test. 3.) Quality deviations: explanation of an repair-plan. 4.) Documentation: join together the workshop- and site documentation. (orig.)

Congener-specific model for polychlorinated biphenyl effect on otter (Lutra lutra) and associated sediment quality criteria

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Traas, T.P.; Luttik, R.; Klepper, O.; Beurskens, J.E.M.; Smit, M.D.; Leonards, P.E.G.; Hattum, van A.G.M.; Aldenberg, T.

2001-01-01

A model for risk assessment was built for simultaneous, congener-specific PCB bioaccumulation from sediment to fish to otters (Lutra lutra). Toxic equivalence factors (TEFs) were used to sum individual congeners in otters to a toxic equivalent concentration (TEQ) relative to

A comparison of sediment quality results with acid volatile sulfide (AVS) and simultaneously extracted metals (SEM) ratio in Vojvodina (Serbia) sediments.

Science.gov (United States)

Prica, M; Dalmacija, B; Roncević, S; Krcmar, D; Becelić, M

2008-01-25

The acid-volatile sulfide (AVS), simultaneously extracted metals (SEM), total metals, and pore-water metal concentrations were studied in Vojvodina (Serbia) sediments. In Serbia, there are no regulations concerning sediment quality standards and sediment management. Harmonization of legislation in the domain of environmental protection with EU requirements will increase the significance of the sediment issue. Sediment quality was assessed according to Dutch standards, but the results were also compared with Canadian and USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) guidelines for sediment quality. A comparison of the results based on different criteria for sediment quality assessment shows that they are sometimes contradictory. Therefore, a single approach to quality assessment may be insufficient. The Sigma[SEM]/[AVS] ratio was found to be greater than one at several locations that were already recognized as places of high risk based on Dutch standards. Some other samples had Sigma[SEM]/[AVS]AVS]>1 can cause increased toxicity because there are many other metal-binding phases in sediments. Metals that are associated with AVS may be released within sediments through storms, dredging activities, oxidation, etc., and may have adverse environmental impacts. This has to be taken into account during dredging, which is for some sediments necessary because the sediment is of class 4 (Dutch evaluation), because the dredging process will certainly increase the concentration of bioavailable heavy metals and disturb the sedimentation dynamics. The obtained results will be invaluable for future activities regarding dredging and sediment management in the country.

Integrative assessment of sediment quality in lower basin affected by former mining in Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonnail, Estefanía; Buruaem, Lucas M; Morais, Lucas G; Araujo, Giuliana S; Abessa, Denis M S; Sarmiento, Aguasanta M; Ángel DelValls, T

2017-06-13

The Ribeira de Iguape River (Southeast Brazil) is metal contaminated by mining activities. Despite it has been cataloged as "in via of restoration" by the literature, this basin is still a sink of pollution in some segments of the fluvial system. This study aimed to assess the sediment quality in the lower part of the RIR basin. The employed approach was based on biological responses of the freshwater clam Corbicula fluminea after 7-day exposure bioassays using as the reference site the Perequê Ecological Park. Toxic responses (burial activity and lethality) and biochemical biomarkers (GST, GR, GPx, LPO, MTs, AChE and DNA damage) were evaluated and then integrated with metal bioavailability and chemical concentrations to address the sediment quality in the area through the weight-of-evidence approach. A multivariate analysis identified linkages between biological responses and contamination. Results pointed that, despite being below the benchmarks of the US Environmental Protection Agency, there is slight metal contamination in the lower part of the basin which induces oxidative stress in C. fluminea; other toxic responses were sometimes attributed to As and Cr bioaccumulation. The sediment quality values (TEL-PEL values in mg/kg) were calculated for the current study for As (0.63-1.31), Cr (3.5-11.05), Cs (1.0-1.17), Cu (6.32-7.32), Ni (6.78-7.46), Ti (42.0-215), V (1.77-8.00). By comparison with other international guidelines, the sediment quality of the lower basin of the Vale de Ribeira does not identify a significant environmental risk.

Air quality measurements for site characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carter, M.W.; Conklin, W.C.

1982-01-01

Effective and timely site characterization is an important part of selecting a site for low-level waste disposal. Parameters measured can be compared with pertinent regulatory requirements, used for a reference base, helpful in evaluating environmental impacts, utilized in documenting changes in control programs, of value in modeling studies and other data uses, and beneficial in providing relevant sampling and methodology training. This paper will focus on specific air quality measurements which should be an inherent part of the site characterization program. The program is designed to measure, quantify, and identify contributions from site uses (operational procedures), atmospheric fallout, natural radioactivity, and vicinity and regional applications of radionuclides. The recommended air quality measurements program will be described in association with a reference site developd by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Particular attention will be devoted to the type and quality of information which is needed, the scope of sampling and measurements, the frequency of measurements, locations and numbers of sampling stations, the period of time needed for site characterization, and the proper uses of the information once it has been obtained. Adequate characterization of the site will be most important in final site selection and in the operation of the site as to periodically assessing environmental impacts and helping guide any remedial control efforts designed to meet regulatory requirements

Effects of fine sediment, hyporheic flow, and spawning site characteristics on survival and development of bull trout embryos

Science.gov (United States)

Bowerman, Tracy; Neilson, Bethany; Budy, Phaedra

2014-01-01

Successful spawning is imperative for the persistence of salmonid populations, but relatively little research has been conducted to evaluate factors affecting early life-stage survival for bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus), a threatened char. We conducted a field experiment to assess the relationship between site-specific environmental factors and bull trout embryo survival and fry emergence timing. Survival from egg to hatch was negatively related to percent fine sediment (construction and selection of spawning sites with strong downwelling appear to enhance hyporheic flow rates and bull trout egg survival, but early life-stage success may ultimately be limited by intrusion of fine sediment into the incubation environment.

Sorption of trace cesium on 21 Hanford Site sediment types

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Routson, R.C.; Barney, G.S.; Smith, R.M.; Delegard, C.A.

1980-03-01

Sorption of trace cesium (Cs) was measured on 21 Hanford Site sediment types. A Box-Behnken statistical design was used to develop empirical-statistical equations predicting 137 Cs sorption as a function of the equilibrium concentrations of macroions Na + , K + , and Ca +2 in solution over the concentration ranges of 3.0 to 0.001M, 0.2 to 0.002M, and 0.2 to 0.002M, respectively. These equations are required to estimate trace Cs transport from Hanford ground disposal sites. Average Cs sorption equations for the 21 sediments will be presented and discussed

Application of a new sediment contact test with Myriophyllum aquaticum and of the Aquatic Lemna test to assess the sediment quality of Lake Skadar

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stesevic, D.; Sundic, D.; Mijovic, S. [Montenegro Univ., Podgorica (ME). Faculty of Sciences; Feiler, U.; Heininger, P. [Federal Institute of Hydrology, Koblenz (Germany); Erdinger, L. [Heidelberg Univ. (Germany). Inst. of Hygiene; Seiler, T.B.; Hollert, H. [Heidelberg Univ. (Germany). Dept. of Zoology; RWTH Aachen (Germany). Inst. fuer Umweltforschung - Biologie V

2007-10-15

Goal, Scope and Background: Situated in the transboundary belt between Montenegro and Albania, the Lake Skadar is the largest freshwater reservoir in Southeastern Europe. Because of the wide range of endemic, rare or endangered plant and animal species it supports, Lake Skadar and its extensive adjacent wetlands are internationally recognised as a site of significance and importance (Ramsar site). Within the last 10 to 20 years, Lake Skadar was exposed to intensive pollution. For the assessment of the ecotoxic load of the sediments sampled in Lake Skadar, a triad approach was recently applied. Overall, a complex spectrum of ecotoxic loads was elucidated. The aim of the present study was to use plant-based bioassays for assessing the sediment quality of Lake Skadar in order to facilitate and complement the triad test battery. The newly developed sediment contact test with Myriophyllum aquaticum and the aquatic growth inhibition test with Lemna minor were applied to native sediments and pore water, respectively, allowing the investigation of different toxicity-effects caused by particle-bound pollutants as well as pollutants in the interstitial water. This investigation is the first application of the novel sediment contact test with Myriophyllum aquaticum to lake sediments. Materials and Methods: Sediment samples were taken from nine selected sites at Lake Skadar and investigated by the sediment contact assay with Myriophyllum aquaticum. The pore water was extracted from these sediment samples to be analysed in the aquatic growth inhibition test with Lemna minor. The results of the sediment contact tests were compared with each other and with those of the aquatic growth inhibition test. Results and Discussion: Both applied macrophyte biotests revealed distinct changes in the growth behaviour of the two macrophytes subsequent to the exposure to the investigated natural sediments of Lake Skadar. The Myriophyllum sediment contact test revealed significant toxicity in

Conceptualizing the role of sediment in sustaining ecosystem services: Sediment-ecosystem regional assessment (SEcoRA).

Science.gov (United States)

Apitz, Sabine E

2012-01-15

There is a growing trend to include a consideration of ecosystem services, the benefits that people obtain from ecosystems, within decision frameworks. Not more than a decade ago, sediment management efforts were largely site-specific and held little attention except in terms of managing contaminant inputs and addressing sediments as a nuisance at commercial ports and harbors. Sediments figure extensively in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment; however, contaminated sediment is not the dominant concern. Rather, the focus is on land and water use and management on the landscape scale, which can profoundly affect soil and sediment quality, quantity and fate. Habitat change and loss, due to changes in sediment inputs, whether reductions (resulting in the loss of beaches, storm protection, nutrient inputs, etc.) or increases (resulting in lake, reservoir and wetland infilling, coral reef smothering, etc.); eutrophication and reductions in nutrient inputs, and disturbance due to development and fishing practices are considered major drivers, with significant consequences for biodiversity and the provision and resilience of ecosystem functions and services. As a mobile connecting medium between various parts of the ecosystem via the hydrocycle, sediments both contaminated and uncontaminated, play both positive and negative roles in the viability and sustainability of social, economic, and ecological objectives. How these roles are interpreted depends upon whether sediment status (defined in terms of sediment quality, quantity, location and transport) is appropriate to the needs of a given endpoint; understanding and managing the dynamic interactions of sediment status on a diverse range of endpoints at the landscape or watershed scale should be the focus of sediment management. This paper seeks to provide a language and conceptual framework upon which sediment-ecosystem regional assessments (SEcoRAs) can be developed in support of that goal. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B

Site quality management of engineering projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang Yiqun

2008-01-01

Site quality management of an engineering project of NPIC was introduced in this paper. Requirements on organization and management, interfaces, and management of interior and exterior communication were put forward, by description of quality planning, process management, process monitoring and summarizing for the engineering projects. By the management of personnel, specifications and procedures, and the control of equipment, material and work surroundings, not only the safety is ensured, but also the quality and schedule of the engineering project were guaranteed, and so the expected quality goals were achieved. (author)

Water-quality conditions and suspended-sediment transport in the Wilson and Trask Rivers, northwestern Oregon, water years 2012–14

Science.gov (United States)

Sobieszczyk, Steven; Bragg, Heather M.; Uhrich, Mark A.

2015-07-28

In October 2011, the U.S. Geological Survey began investigating and monitoring water-quality conditions and suspended-sediment transport in the Wilson and Trask Rivers, northwestern Oregon. Water temperature, specific conductance, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen were measured every 15–30 minutes in both streams using real-time instream water-quality monitors. In conjunction with the monitoring effort, suspended-sediment samples were collected and analyzed to model the amount of suspended sediment being transported by each river. Over the course of the 3-year study, which ended in September 2014, nearly 600,000 tons (t) of suspended-sediment material entered Tillamook Bay from these two tributaries. 

Evaluation of the toxicity of sediments from the Anniston PCB Site to the mussel Lampsilis siliquoidea

Science.gov (United States)

Schein, Allison; Sinclair, Jesse A.; MacDonald, Donald D.; Ingersoll, Christopher G.; Kemble, Nile E.; Kunz, James L.

2015-01-01

concentrations of PCBs were associated with the highest concentrations of PAHs, PCDDs/PCDFs, and organochlorine pesticides. Specifically, sediments 08, 18, and 19 exceeded probable effect concentration quotients (PEC-Qs) of 1.0 for all organic classes of contaminants. These three sediment samples also had high concentrations of mercury and lead, which were the only metals found at elevated concentrations (i.e., above the probable effect concentration [PEC]) in the samples collected. Many sediment samples were highly contaminated with mercury, based on comparisons to samples collected from reference locations. The whole-sediment laboratory toxicity tests conducted with L. siliquoidea met the test acceptability criteria (e.g., control survival was greater than or equal to 80%). Survival of mussels was high in most samples, with 4 of 23 samples (17%) classified as toxic based on the survival endpoint. Biomass and weight were more sensitive endpoints for the L. siliquoidea toxicity tests, with both endpoints classifying 52% of the samples as toxic. Samples 19 and 30 were most toxic to L. siliquoidea, as they were classified as toxic according to all four endpoints (survival, biomass, weight, and length). Mussels were less sensitive in toxicity tests conducted with sediments from the Anniston PCB Site than Hyalella azteca and Chironomus dilutus. Biomass of L. siliquoidea was less sensitive compared to biomass of H. azteca or biomass of larval C. dilutus. Based on the most sensitive endpoint for each species, 52% of the samples were toxic to L. siliquoidea, whereas 67% of sediments were toxic to H. azteca (based on reproduction) and 65% were toxic to C. dilutus (based on adult biomass). The low-risk toxicity threshold (TTLR) was higher for L. siliquoidea biomass (e.g., 20,400 µg/kg dry weight [DW]) compared to that for H. azteca reproduction (e.g., 499 µg/kg DW) or C. dilutus adult biomass (e.g., 1,140 µg/kg DW; MacDonald et al. 2014). While mussels such as L. sili

Radiological impact of surface water and sediment near uranium mining sites.

Science.gov (United States)

Ivanova, K; Stojanovska, Z; Badulin, V; Kunovska, B; Yovcheva, M

2015-12-01

The aim of this study is to assess the radiological impact of surface water and sediment around uranium mining sites 20 years after their closing. The areas under observations are 31 former classical underground uranium mining and exploratory sites in Bulgaria, named as objects. The extraction and processing of uranium ores in the Republic of Bulgaria were ended in 1992. To assess the radiological impact of radionuclides field expeditions were performed to sample water and bottom sediment. The migration of uranium through surface water was examined as one of the major pathways for contamination spread. The range of uranium concentration in water flowing from the mining sites was from 0.012 to 6.8 mgU l(-1) with a geometric mean of 0.192 mgU l(-1). The uranium concentrations in water downstream the mining sites were approximately 3 times higher than the background value (upstream). The concentrations of Unat, (226)Ra, (210)Pb, and (232)Th in the sediment of downstream river were higher than those upstream by 3.4, 2.6, 2, and 1.7 times, respectively. The distribution coefficient of uranium reflects its high mobility in most of the sites. In order to evaluate the impact on people as well as site prioritization for more detailed assessment and water management, screening dose assessments were done.

Effects of sediment organic matter quality on bioaccumulation, degradation, and distribution of pyrene in two macrofaunal species and their surrounding sediment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Granberg, M. E.; Selck, H.

2007-01-01

Sediment dwelling macrofauna (infauna) are important vectors for the transfer of sediment-associated contaminants to higher trophic levels. Sedimenting organic matter constitutes an important food source for all benthic organisms and changes seasonally in terms of quantity and quality. Sediment...... organic matter (SOM) quality affects organism activity and feeding behaviour, and is therefore also likely to affect contaminant fate in benthic systems. We investigated the impact of SOM quality (enrichment with either labile Tetraselmis sp. or refractory lignin) on the accumulation and metabolism...... imply that bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of sediment-associated PAH should increase following fresh organic matter input, e.g. after sedimentation of phytoplankton blooms. We stress the importance of considering behavioural characteristics of infauna and the trophic situation of the system when...

Chironomid-based water depth reconstructions: an independent evaluation of site-specific and local inference models

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Engels, S.; Cwynar, L.C.; Rees, A.B.H.; Shuman, B.N.

2012-01-01

Water depth is an important environmental variable that explains a significant portion of the variation in the chironomid fauna of shallow lakes. We developed site-specific and local chironomid water-depth inference models using 26 and 104 surface-sediment samples, respectively, from seven

Suspended sediments from upstream tributaries as the source of downstream river sites

Science.gov (United States)

Haddadchi, Arman; Olley, Jon

2014-05-01

Understanding the efficiency with which sediment eroded from different sources is transported to the catchment outlet is a key knowledge gap that is critical to our ability to accurately target and prioritise management actions to reduce sediment delivery. Sediment fingerprinting has proven to be an efficient approach to determine the sources of sediment. This study examines the suspended sediment sources from Emu Creek catchment, south eastern Queensland, Australia. In addition to collect suspended sediments from different sites of the streams after the confluence of tributaries and outlet of the catchment, time integrated suspended samples from upper tributaries were used as the source of sediment, instead of using hillslope and channel bank samples. Totally, 35 time-integrated samplers were used to compute the contribution of suspended sediments from different upstream waterways to the downstream sediment sites. Three size fractions of materials including fine sand (63-210 μm), silt (10-63 μm) and fine silt and clay (<10 μm) were used to find the effect of particle size on the contribution of upper sediments as the sources of sediment after river confluences. And then samples were analysed by ICP-MS and -OES to find 41 sediment fingerprints. According to the results of Student's T-distribution mixing model, small creeks in the middle and lower part of the catchment were major source in different size fractions, especially in silt (10-63 μm) samples. Gowrie Creek as covers southern-upstream part of the catchment was a major contributor at the outlet of the catchment in finest size fraction (<10 μm) Large differences between the contributions of suspended sediments from upper tributaries in different size fractions necessitate the selection of appropriate size fraction on sediment tracing in the catchment and also major effect of particle size on the movement and deposition of sediments.

Characterization of quality of sediments from Paranaguá Bay (Brazil) by combined in vitro bioassays and chemical analyses.

Science.gov (United States)

Rizzi, Juliane; Pérez-Albaladejo, Elisabet; Fernandes, Denise; Contreras, Javier; Froehner, Sandro; Porte, Cinta

2017-07-01

The present study characterizes the quality of sediments from the Paranaguá Estuarine Complex (South Brazil). Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were determined in sediment samples together with a series of different in vitro bioassays. The fish hepatoma cell line (PLHC-1) was used to determine the presence of cytotoxic compounds and CYP1A- and oxidative stress-inducing agents in sediment extracts. Ovarian microsomal fractions from sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) were used to detect the presence of endocrine disrupters that interfered with the synthesis of estrogens (ovarian CYP19). Despite the relatively low levels of pollutants and no evidence of negative effects based on guideline levels, sediments collected close to harbors were enriched with CYP1A-inducing agents and they showed higher cytotoxicity. In contrast, sediments from internal areas inhibited CYP19 activity, which suggests the presence of endocrine disrupters at these sites. Overall, the selected bioassays and the chemistry data led to the identification of potentially impacted areas along the Paranaguá Estuarine Complex that would require further action to improve their environmental quality. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:1811-1819. © 2016 SETAC. © 2016 SETAC.

Characterization of water quality and suspended sediment during cold-season flows, warm-season flows, and stormflows in the Fountain and Monument Creek watersheds, Colorado, 2007–2015

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Lisa D.; Stogner, Sr., Robert W.

2017-09-01

From 2007 through 2015, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Colorado Springs City Engineering, conducted a study in the Fountain and Monument Creek watersheds, Colorado, to characterize surface-water quality and suspended-sediment conditions for three different streamflow regimes with an emphasis on characterizing water quality during storm runoff. Data collected during this study were used to evaluate the effects of stormflows and wastewater-treatment effluent discharge on Fountain and Monument Creeks in the Colorado Springs, Colorado, area. Water-quality samples were collected at 2 sites on Upper Fountain Creek, 2 sites on Monument Creek, 3 sites on Lower Fountain Creek, and 13 tributary sites during 3 flow regimes: cold-season flow (November–April), warm-season flow (May–October), and stormflow from 2007 through 2015. During 2015, additional samples were collected and analyzed for Escherichia coli (E. coli) during dry weather conditions at 41 sites, located in E. coli impaired stream reaches, to help identify source areas and scope of the impairment.Concentrations of E. coli, total arsenic, and dissolved copper, selenium, and zinc in surface-water samples were compared to Colorado in-stream standards. Stormflow concentrations of E. coli frequently exceeded the recreational use standard of 126 colonies per 100 milliliters at main-stem and tributary sites by more than an order of magnitude. Even though median E. coli concentrations in warm-season flow samples were lower than median concentrations in storm-flow samples, the water quality standard for E. coli was still exceeded at most main-stem sites and many tributary sites during warm-season flows. Six samples (three warm-season flow and three stormflow samples) collected from Upper Fountain Creek, upstream from the confluence of Monument Creek, and two stormflow samples collected from Lower Fountain Creek, downstream from the confluence with Monument Creek, exceeded the acute water-quality

Phytoremediation as a management option for contaminated sediments in tidal marshes, flood control areas and dredged sediment landfill sites.

Science.gov (United States)

Bert, Valérie; Seuntjens, Piet; Dejonghe, Winnie; Lacherez, Sophie; Thuy, Hoang Thi Thanh; Vandecasteele, Bart

2009-11-01

affected by polluted sediments, and the processes affecting pollutant bioavailability in the sediments. Studies that combine contaminated sediment and phytoremediation are relatively recent and are increasing in number since few years. Several papers suggest including phytoremediation in a management scheme for contaminated dredged sediments and state that phytoremediation can contribute to the revaluation of land-disposed contaminated sediments. The status of sediments, i.e. reduced or oxidised, highly influences contaminant mobility, its (eco)toxicity and the success of phytoremediation. Studies are performed either on near-fresh sediment or on sediment-derived soil. Field studies show temporal negative effects on plant growth due to oxidation and subsequent ageing of contaminated sediments disposed on land. The review shows that a large variety of plants and trees are able to colonise or develop on contaminated dredged sediment in particular conditions or events (e.g. high level of organic matter, clay and moisture content, flooding, seasonal hydrological variations). Depending on the studies, trees, high-biomass crop species and graminaceous species could be used to degrade organic pollutants, to extract or to stabilise inorganic pollutants. Water content of sediment is a limiting factor for mycorrhizal development. In sediment, specific bacteria may enhance the mobilisation of inorganic contaminants whereas others may participate in their immobilisation. Bacteria are also able to degrade organic pollutants. Their actions may be increased in the presence of plants. Choice of plants is particularly crucial for phytoremediation success on contaminated sediments. Extremely few studies are long-term field-based studies. Short-term effects and resilience of ecosystems is observed in long-term studies, i.e. due to degradation and stabilisation of pollutants. Terrestrial ecosystems affected by polluted sediments range from riverine tidal marshes with several interacting

Physicochemical and biological characterisation of different dredged sediment deposit sites in France

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Capilla, Xavier; Schwartz, Christophe; Bedell, Jean-Philippe; Sterckeman, Thibault; Perrodin, Yves; Morel, Jean-Louis

2006-01-01

The aim of this work is to determine sediment properties, metal contents and transfers of Cd and Zn from dredged sediments to plants. To this end 10 deposit sites with different contexts were visited in France. The main agronomic characteristics and metal contents for surface soil layers were measured, the plant species present at the sites, such as Brassicaceae and Fabaceae, were listed, and the distribution of their root systems described. Soil characteristics such as available P (Olsen) varied between sites, with values ranging from 0.01 to 0.49 g kg -1 . Total contents and enrichment factors were studied, highlighting metal contamination in most of the sites. Despite carrying out principal component analyses, it was not possible to group deposits by age or geographical localisation. However, deposits could be distinguished as a function of proximity of industrial facilities, sediment grain size and carbonate content. Associations between metals were also highlighted: (1) Cd, Pb and Zn, and (2) Al, Cr, Cu and Fe. Consequently, we propose classifying them as technogenic anthrosols. - The term technogenic arthrosols is suggested

Physicochemical and biological characterisation of different dredged sediment deposit sites in France

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Capilla, Xavier [Laboratoire des Sciences de l' Environnement a l' ENTPE, Rue Maurice Audin, 69 518 Vaulx-en-Velin Cedex (France); Schwartz, Christophe [Laboratoire Sols et Environnement, INPL (ENSAIA)/INRA UMR 1120, 2 avenue de la foret de Haye, BP 172, 54 505 Vandoeuvre les Nancy (France); Bedell, Jean-Philippe [Laboratoire des Sciences de l' Environnement a l' ENTPE, Rue Maurice Audin, 69 518 Vaulx-en-Velin Cedex (France)]. E-mail: bedell@entpe.fr; Sterckeman, Thibault [Laboratoire Sols et Environnement, INPL (ENSAIA)/INRA UMR 1120, 2 avenue de la foret de Haye, BP 172, 54 505 Vandoeuvre les Nancy (France); Perrodin, Yves [Laboratoire des Sciences de l' Environnement a l' ENTPE, Rue Maurice Audin, 69 518 Vaulx-en-Velin Cedex (France); Morel, Jean-Louis [Laboratoire Sols et Environnement, INPL (ENSAIA)/INRA UMR 1120, 2 avenue de la foret de Haye, BP 172, 54 505 Vandoeuvre les Nancy (France)

2006-09-15

The aim of this work is to determine sediment properties, metal contents and transfers of Cd and Zn from dredged sediments to plants. To this end 10 deposit sites with different contexts were visited in France. The main agronomic characteristics and metal contents for surface soil layers were measured, the plant species present at the sites, such as Brassicaceae and Fabaceae, were listed, and the distribution of their root systems described. Soil characteristics such as available P (Olsen) varied between sites, with values ranging from 0.01 to 0.49 g kg{sup -1}. Total contents and enrichment factors were studied, highlighting metal contamination in most of the sites. Despite carrying out principal component analyses, it was not possible to group deposits by age or geographical localisation. However, deposits could be distinguished as a function of proximity of industrial facilities, sediment grain size and carbonate content. Associations between metals were also highlighted: (1) Cd, Pb and Zn, and (2) Al, Cr, Cu and Fe. Consequently, we propose classifying them as technogenic anthrosols. - The term technogenic arthrosols is suggested.

Development of Site-Specific Water Quality Criteria for the Arpa Harbor Wastewater Treatment Plant in Tipalao Bay, Guam

Science.gov (United States)

2016-07-01

flats, estuaries, and coastal creeks. It is usually found within tidally influenced waters , but it may enter freshwater, ascending about 10...based on a dissolved metal concentration endpoint in the receiving body of water . In other words , the translator supports estimations of the fraction of...TECHNICAL REPORT 2068 July 2016 Development of Site-Specific Water Quality Criteria for the Arpa Harbor Wastewater Treatment Plant

Chemical Warfare Materiel in Sediment at a Deep-Water Discarded Military Munitions Site

Science.gov (United States)

Briggs, C. W.; Bissonnette, M. C.; Edwards, M.; Shjegstad, S. M.

2016-12-01

Understanding the release and transformation of chemical agent (CA) at underwater discarded military munitions (DMM) sites is essential to determine the potential risk to human health and impact on the ocean environment; yet few studies have been conducted at sites in excess of 250 m, the depth at which most U.S. CA munitions were disposed. Maritime construction workers installing cables or pipelines at a CA DMM site, as well as fishermen and scientific researchers deploying bottom-contact gear, represent possible exposure pathways to human receptors. The Hawai`i Undersea Military Munitions Assessment (HUMMA) sought to characterize a historic munitions sea-disposal site at depths between 400-650 m. During the 2014 HUMMA Sampling Survey, the Jason 2 remotely operated vehicle was used to collect sediments within two meters of suspected World War II chemical munitions, confirmed to be 100-lb M47 series bombs containing sulfur mustard. When environmental media was brought to the surface, samples were screened for distilled sulfur mustard (HD) and related agent breakdown products (ABP) (collectively referred to as chemical warfare materiel [CWM]). Detectable concentrations of HD and/or its ABP 1,4-dithiane were found in sediments collected at all CA DMM sites; HD was also detected at two control sites. The location and extent of munitions casing deterioration strongly influenced the distribution and level of CWM in sediment. The interior of the casing contained levels of CWM orders of magnitudes higher than that observed in the surrounding sediment at one meter distance, indicating the majority of the CWM is hydrolyzed as it is released from the munitions casing and a fraction of the fill materiel persists in the environment for decades following disposal. Although the potential for future site users to become exposed to CWA in recovered sediments and debris exists, the level of risk is significantly mitigated by the depth and location of the sea-disposal site.

Effects of hydrologic connectivity and land use on floodplain sediment accumulation at the Savannah River Site, South Carolina.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eddy, Jeremy Edward [Univ. of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (United States)

2017-12-28

Floodplains, and the sediment accumulating naturally on them,are important to maintain stream water quality and serve as sinks for organic and inorganic carbon. Newer theories contend that land use and hydrologic connectivity (water-mediated transport of matter, energy, and/or organisms within or between elements of the hydrologic cycle) play important roles in determining sediment accumulation on floodplains. This study hypothesizes that changes in hydrologic connectivity have a greater impact on floodplain sediment accumulation than changes in land use. Nine sediment cores from seven sub-basins were collected from the Savannah River Site (SRS), South Carolina, and processed for grain-size, radionuclide dating (7Be, 137Cs, 210Pb), particulate organic carbon (POC), and microscopy. Historical records, including aerial and satellite imagery,were used to identify anthropogenic disturbances in the sub-basins, as well as to calculate the percentages of natural vegetation land cover at the SRS in 1951, and 2014. LiDAR and field survey data identified 251 flow impediments, measured elevation, and recorded standard stream characteristics (e.g., bank height) that canaffect hydrologic connectivity. Radionuclide dating was used to calculate sediment mass accumulation rates (MARs) and linear accumulation rates (LARs) for each core. Results indicate that sedimentation rates have increased across all SRS sub-basins over the past 40-50 years, shortly after site restoration and recovery efforts began.Findings show that hydrologic connectivity proxies (i.e., stream characteristics and impediments) have stronger relationships to MARs and LARs than the land use proxy (i.e., vegetation cover), confirming the hypothesis. Asstream channel depth and the number of impediments increase,floodplain sedimentation rates also increase. This knowledge can help future stream restoration efforts by focusing resources to more efficiently attain stated goals, particularly in terms of floodplain

Results of bulk sediment analysis and bioassay testing on selected sediments from Oakland Inner Harbor and Alcatraz disposal site, San Francisco, California

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Word, J.Q.; Ward, J.A.; Woodruff, D.L.

1990-09-01

The Battelle/Marine Sciences Laboratory (MSL) was contracted by the US Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District, to perform bulk sediment analysis and oyster larvae bioassays (elutriate) on sediments from Inner Oakland Harbor, California. Analysis of sediment characteristics by MSL indicated elevated priority pollutants, PAHs, pesticides, metals, organotins, and oil and grease concentrations, when compared to Alcatraz Island Dredged Material Disposal Site sediment concentrations. Larvae of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, were exposed to seawater collected from the Alcatraz Island Site water, and a series of controls using water and sediments collected from Sequim Bay, Washington. Exposure of larvae to the Alcatraz seawater and the 50% and 100% elutriate concentrations from each Oakland sediment resulted in low survival and a high proportion of abnormal larvae compared to Sequim Bay control exposures. MSL identified that field sample collection, preservation, and storage protocols used by Port of Oakland contractors were inconsistent with standard accepted practices. 23 refs., 10 figs., 40 tabs

Distribution and partitioning of heavy metals in estuarine sediment cores and implications for the use of sediment quality standards

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. L. Spencer

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Total metal concentrations in surface sediments and historically contaminated sediments were determined in sediment cores collected from three estuaries (Thames, Medway and Blackwater in south-east England. The partitioning behaviour of metals in these sediments was also determined using a sequential extraction scheme. These data were then compared with sediment quality values (SQVs to determine the potential ecotoxicological risk to sediment dwelling organisms. When total metal concentrations in surface sediments are examined, no risk to biota in any of the estuaries is indicated. However, when historically contaminated sediments at depth are also considered, risks to biota are apparent and are greatest for the Thames, followed by the Medway and then the Blackwater. This suggests that regulatory authorities should examine vertical metal profiles, particularly in estuaries that are experiencing low sediment accumulation rates where historically contaminated sediments are in the shallow sub-surface zone and where erosion or dredging activities may take place. When metal partitioning characteristics are also considered, the risk to biota is comparable for the Medway and the Blackwater with the potentially bioavailable fraction presenting no ecotoxicological risk. Conversely, over 70% of metals are labile in the Thames Estuary sediments and toxic effects are probable. This suggests that the application of SQVs using total sediment metal concentrations may over- or under-estimate the risk to biota in geochemically dissimilar estuarine sediments. Keywords: sediment quality values, estuarine sediments, metal contamination, partitioning, sequential extraction

The Effect of Sediment Quality and Stocking Density on Survival and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effect of sediment quality and stocking density on the survival and growth of the sea cucumber Holothuria scabra reared in nursery ponds and in pens was studied at Aqua-Lab Farm in Toliara, south west Madagascar. Three types of sediment (micro-atoll, mangrove and seagrass bed) were tested for their food quality ...

Characterization of the quality of water, bed sediment, and fish in Mittry Lake, Arizona, 2014–15

Science.gov (United States)

Hermosillo, Edyth; Coes, Alissa L.

2017-03-01

Water, bed-sediment, and fish sampling was conducted in Mittry Lake, Arizona, in 2014–15 to establish current water-quality conditions of the lake. The parameters of temperature, dissolved-oxygen concentration, specific conductance, and alkalinity were measured in the field. Water samples were collected and analyzed for dissolved major ions, dissolved trace elements, dissolved nutrients, dissolved organic carbon, dissolved pesticides, bacteria, and suspended-sediment concentrations. Bed-sediment and fish samples were analyzed for trace elements, halogenated compounds, total mercury, and methylmercury.U.S. Environmental Protection Agency secondary maximum contaminant levels in drinking water were exceeded for sulfate, chloride, and manganese in the water samples. Trace-element concentrations were relatively similar between the inlet, middle, and outlet locations. Concentrations for nutrients in all water samples were below the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s water-quality standards for aquatic and wildlife uses, and all bacteria levels were below the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s recommended recreational water-quality criteria. Three out of 81 pesticides were detected in the water samples.Trace-element concentrations in bed sediment were relatively consistent between the inlet, middle, and outlet locations. Lead, manganese, nickel, and zinc concentrations, however, decreased from the inlet to outlet locations. Concentrations for lead, nickel, and zinc in some bed-sediment samples exceeded consensus-based sediment-quality guidelines probable effect concentrations. Eleven out of 61 halogenated compounds were detected in bed sediment at the inlet location, whereas three were detected at the middle location, and five were detected at the outlet location. No methylmercury was detected in bed sediment. Total mercury was detected in bed sediment at concentrations below the consensus-based sediment-quality guidelines probable effect

Continuous and discrete water-quality data collected at five sites on Lake Houston near Houston, Texas, 2006-08

Science.gov (United States)

Beussink, Amy M.; Burnich, Michael R.

2009-01-01

Lake Houston, a reservoir impounded in 1954 by the City of Houston, Texas, is a primary source of drinking water for Houston and surrounding areas. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Houston, developed a continuous water-quality monitoring network to track daily changes in water quality in the southwestern quadrant of Lake Houston beginning in 2006. Continuous water-quality data (the physiochemical properties water temperature, specific conductance, pH, dissolved oxygen concentration, and turbidity) were collected from Lake Houston to characterize the in-lake processes that affect water quality. Continuous data were collected hourly from mobile, multi-depth monitoring stations developed and constructed by the U.S. Geological Survey. Multi-depth monitoring stations were installed at five sites in three general locations in the southwestern quadrant of the lake. Discrete water-quality data (samples) were collected routinely (once or twice each month) at all sites to characterize the chemical and biological (phytoplankton and bacteria) response to changes in the continuous water-quality properties. Physiochemical properties (the five continuously monitored plus transparency) were measured in the field when samples were collected. In addition to the routine samples, discrete water-quality samples were collected synoptically (one or two times during the study period) at all sites to determine the presence and levels of selected constituents not analyzed in routine samples. Routine samples were measured or analyzed for acid neutralizing capacity; selected major ions and trace elements (calcium, silica, and manganese); nutrients (filtered and total ammonia nitrogen, filtered nitrate plus nitrite nitrogen, total nitrate nitrogen, filtered and total nitrite nitrogen, filtered and total orthophosphate phosphorus, total phosphorus, total nitrogen, total organic carbon); fecal indicator bacteria (total coliform and Escherichia coli); sediment

Nematode communities in contaminated river sediments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heininger, Peter; Hoess, Sebastian; Claus, Evelyn; Pelzer, Juergen; Traunspurger, Walter

2007-01-01

Nematode communities of eight sites from three river catchments were investigated in terms of the genera composition, feeding types, and life-history strategists. The sampling sites showed a gradient of anthropogenic contamination with heavy metals and organic pollutants being important factors in differentiating the sites. Nematode community structure was related to sediment pollution and the hydro-morphological structure of the sampling sites. Heavily contaminated sites were characterized by communities with high relative abundances of omnivorous and predacious nematodes (Tobrilus, c-p 3; Mononchus, c-p 4), while sites with low to medium contamination were dominated by bacterivorous nematodes (Monhystera, Daptonema; c-p 2) or suction feeders (Dorylaimus, c-p 4). The relatively high Maturity Index values in the heavily polluted sites were surprising. Nematodes turned out to be a suitable organism group for monitoring sediment quality, with generic composition being the most accurate indicator for assessing differences in nematode community structure. - Nematode community structure of river sediments is related to pollution and site structure

Nematode communities in contaminated river sediments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heininger, Peter [Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG), Am Mainzer Tor 1, 56068 Koblenz (Germany); Hoess, Sebastian [Ecossa - Ecological Sediment and Soil Assessment, Thierschstr. 43, 80538 Munich (Germany); Claus, Evelyn [Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG), Am Mainzer Tor 1, 56068 Koblenz (Germany); Pelzer, Juergen [Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG), Am Mainzer Tor 1, 56068 Koblenz (Germany); Traunspurger, Walter [University of Bielefeld, Department of Animal Ecology, Morgenbreede 45, 33615 Bielefeld (Germany)]. E-mail: traunspurger@uni-bielefeld.de

2007-03-15

Nematode communities of eight sites from three river catchments were investigated in terms of the genera composition, feeding types, and life-history strategists. The sampling sites showed a gradient of anthropogenic contamination with heavy metals and organic pollutants being important factors in differentiating the sites. Nematode community structure was related to sediment pollution and the hydro-morphological structure of the sampling sites. Heavily contaminated sites were characterized by communities with high relative abundances of omnivorous and predacious nematodes (Tobrilus, c-p 3; Mononchus, c-p 4), while sites with low to medium contamination were dominated by bacterivorous nematodes (Monhystera, Daptonema; c-p 2) or suction feeders (Dorylaimus, c-p 4). The relatively high Maturity Index values in the heavily polluted sites were surprising. Nematodes turned out to be a suitable organism group for monitoring sediment quality, with generic composition being the most accurate indicator for assessing differences in nematode community structure. - Nematode community structure of river sediments is related to pollution and site structure.

Effects of fine sediment, hyporheic flow, and spawning site characteristics on survival and development of bull trout embryos

Science.gov (United States)

Bowerman, Tracy; Neilson, Bethany; Budy, Phaedra

2014-01-01

Successful spawning is imperative for the persistence of salmonid populations, but relatively little research has been conducted to evaluate factors affecting early life-stage survival for bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus), a threatened char. We conducted a field experiment to assess the relationship between site-specific environmental factors and bull trout embryo survival and fry emergence timing. Survival from egg to hatch was negatively related to percent fine sediment (bull trout egg survival, but early life-stage success may ultimately be limited by intrusion of fine sediment into the incubation environment.

Metal concentrations in water and sediments from tourist beaches of Acapulco, Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Jonathan, M P; Roy, P D; Thangadurai, N; Srinivasalu, S; Rodríguez-Espinosa, P F; Sarkar, S K; Lakshumanan, C; Navarrete-López, M; Muñoz-Sevilla, N P

2011-04-01

A survey on the metal concentrations (As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, V, Zn) in beach water and sediments is reported from the tourist destination of Acapulco city on the Pacific coast of Mexico. The concentration of dissolved trace metals (DTMs) in beach water and acid leachable trace metals (ALTMs) in sediments indicated that they are anthropogenic in nature due to the increased tourist activities in the crowded beach locations. The statistical analysis indicates Fe and Mn play a major role as metal scavengers in both the medium (water and sediment) and the higher value of other metals is site specific in the study area, indicating that they are transported from the local area. Comparison results suggest that the beach water quality has deteriorated more than the sediments and special care needs to be taken to restore the beach quality. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multielemental characterization of sediments from rivers and reservoirs of a sediment quality monitoring network of Sao Paulo state, Brazil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Soares, Walace A.A.; Quinaglia, Gilson A., E-mail: wasoares@sp.gov.br, E-mail: gquinaglia@sp.gov.br [Companhia Ambiental do Estado de Sao Paulo (CETESB), SP (Brazil). Setor de Analises Toxicologicas; Favaro, Deborah I.T., E-mail: defavaro@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (LAN/CRPq/IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Lab. de Analise por Ativacao Neutronica

2013-07-01

The Environment Company of the State of Sao Paulo (CETESB) by means of its quality monitoring network does, systematically, the assessment of water and sediment quality in rivers and reservoirs in the Sao Paulo state. The quality evaluation is done by means 50 parameters in water and 63 for sediment that are considered the more representative for CETESB monitoring. In 2011 the network monitoring analyzed 420 points being 24 in sediments. In the present study the multielemental characterization (total concentration) of 13 sediment samples from 24 rivers and reservoirs belonging to the CETESB monitoring network were analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). The analytical validation according to precision and accuracy was checked through certified reference materials analyzes BEN (Basalt-IWG-GIT), SL-1 (Lake Sediment - IAEA) and Soil-5 (IAEA), that presents certified concentration values for all elements analyzed. The results obtained for multielemental characterization were compared to NASC values (North American Shale Composite) and the enrichment factor (EF) by using Sc as a normalizer element was calculated. The results showed higher enrichment values for As, Br, Cr, Hf, Ta, Th , U and Zn and rare earth elements (REE) Ce, Eu, La, Nd, Sm, Tb and Yb in many of the tested sediment samples indicating that there may be an anthropogenic contribution for these elements. The multielemental results were also compared to the granulometric composition of the sediment samples. Factorial and Cluster Analysis were applied and indicated that the elements distribution is controlled, mainly by the granulometric fractions of the sediments. (author)

Multielemental characterization of sediments from rivers and reservoirs of a sediment quality monitoring network of Sao Paulo state, Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soares, Walace A.A.; Quinaglia, Gilson A.; Favaro, Deborah I.T.

2013-01-01

The Environment Company of the State of Sao Paulo (CETESB) by means of its quality monitoring network does, systematically, the assessment of water and sediment quality in rivers and reservoirs in the Sao Paulo state. The quality evaluation is done by means 50 parameters in water and 63 for sediment that are considered the more representative for CETESB monitoring. In 2011 the network monitoring analyzed 420 points being 24 in sediments. In the present study the multielemental characterization (total concentration) of 13 sediment samples from 24 rivers and reservoirs belonging to the CETESB monitoring network were analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). The analytical validation according to precision and accuracy was checked through certified reference materials analyzes BEN (Basalt-IWG-GIT), SL-1 (Lake Sediment - IAEA) and Soil-5 (IAEA), that presents certified concentration values for all elements analyzed. The results obtained for multielemental characterization were compared to NASC values (North American Shale Composite) and the enrichment factor (EF) by using Sc as a normalizer element was calculated. The results showed higher enrichment values for As, Br, Cr, Hf, Ta, Th , U and Zn and rare earth elements (REE) Ce, Eu, La, Nd, Sm, Tb and Yb in many of the tested sediment samples indicating that there may be an anthropogenic contribution for these elements. The multielemental results were also compared to the granulometric composition of the sediment samples. Factorial and Cluster Analysis were applied and indicated that the elements distribution is controlled, mainly by the granulometric fractions of the sediments. (author)

Site-specific waste management instruction for the 100-KR-4 Operable Unit drilling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hadley, J.T.

1996-07-01

This site-specific waste management instruction provides guidance for the management of waste generated as a result of groundwater well installations in the 100-KR-4 Operable Unit (OU). The well installations are necessary to implement the Remedial Action (RA) option (pump-and-treat using ion exchange) to prevent discharge of hexavalent chromium at levels above those considered protective of aquatic life in the Columbia River and riverbed sediments

WAG 2 remedial investigation and site investigation site-specific work plan/health and safety checklist for the soil and sediment task

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holt, V.L.; Burgoa, B.B.

1993-12-01

This document is a site-specific work plan/health and safety checklist (WP/HSC) for a task of the Waste Area Grouping 2 Remedial Investigation and Site Investigation (WAG 2 RI ampersand SI). Title 29 CFR Part 1910.120 requires that a health and safety program plan that includes site- and task-specific information be completed to ensure conformance with health- and safety-related requirements. To meet this requirement, the health and safety program plan for each WAG 2 RI ampersand SI field task must include (1) the general health and safety program plan for all WAG 2 RI ampersand SI field activities and (2) a WP/HSC for that particular field task. These two components, along with all applicable referenced procedures, must be kept together at the work site and distributed to field personnel as required. The general health and safety program plan is the Health and Safety Plan for the Remedial Investigation and Site Investigation of Waste Area Grouping 2 at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee (ORNL/ER-169). The WP/HSCs are being issued as supplements to ORNL/ER-169

Quality of water and sediment in streams affected by historical mining, and quality of Mine Tailings, in the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Basin, Big Bend Area of the United States and Mexico, August 2002

Science.gov (United States)

Lambert, Rebecca B.; Kolbe, Christine M.; Belzer, Wayne

2008-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the International Boundary and Water Commission - U.S. and Mexican Sections, the National Park Service, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales in Mexico, the Area de Proteccion de Flora y Fauna Canon de Santa Elena in Mexico, and the Area de Proteccion de Flora y Fauna Maderas del Carmen in Mexico, collected samples of stream water, streambed sediment, and mine tailings during August 2002 for a study to determine whether trace elements from abandoned mines in the area in and around Big Bend National Park have affected the water and sediment quality in the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Basin of the United States and Mexico. Samples were collected from eight sites on the main stem of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo, four Rio Grande/Rio Bravo tributary sites downstream from abandoned mines or mine-tailing sites, and 11 mine-tailing sites. Mines in the area were operated to produce fluorite, germanium, iron, lead, mercury, silver, and zinc during the late 1800s through at least the late 1970s. Moderate (relatively neutral) pHs in stream-water samples collected at the 12 Rio Grande/Rio Bravo main-stem and tributary sites indicate that water is well mixed, diluted, and buffered with respect to the solubility of trace elements. The highest sulfate concentrations were in water samples from tributaries draining the Terlingua mining district. Only the sample from the Rough Run Draw site exceeded the Texas Surface Water Quality Standards general-use protection criterion for sulfate. All chloride and dissolved solids concentrations in water samples were less than the general-use protection criteria. Aluminum, copper, mercury, nickel, selenium, and zinc were detected in all water samples for which each element was analyzed. Cadmium, chromium, and lead were detected in samples less frequently, and silver was not detected in any of the samples. None of the sample concentrations of

Integrated use of biomarkers and bioaccumulation data in Zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) for site-specific quality assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Binelli, A; Ricciardi, F; Riva, C; Provini, A

2006-01-01

One of the useful biological tools for environmental management is the measurement of biomarkers whose changes are related to the exposure to chemicals or environmental stress. Since these responses might vary with different contaminants or depending on the pollutant concentration reached in the organism, the support of bioaccumulation data is needed to prevent false conclusions. In this study, several persistent organic pollutants -- 23 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners, 11 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), six dichlorodiphenyltricholroethane (DDT) relatives, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), chlorpyrifos and its oxidized metabolite -- and some herbicides (lindane and the isomers alpha, beta, delta; terbutilazine; alachlor; metolachlor) were measured in the soft tissues of the freshwater mollusc Zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) from 25 sampling sites in the Italian portions of the sub-alpine great lakes along with the measure of ethoxyresorufin dealkylation (EROD) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. The linkage between bioaccumulation and biomarker data allowed us to create site-specific environmental quality indexes towards man-made chemicals. This classification highlighted three different degrees of xenobiotic contamination of the Italian sub-alpine great lakes: a high water quality in Lake Lugano with negligible pollutant levels and no effects on enzyme activities, an homogeneous poor quality for Lakes Garda, Iseo and Como, and the presence of some xenobiotic point-sources in Lake Maggiore, whose ecological status could be jeopardized, also due to the heavy DDT contamination revealed since 1996.

Contamination of port zone sediments by metals from Large Marine Ecosystems of Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Buruaem, Lucas M; Hortellani, Marcos A; Sarkis, Jorge E; Costa-Lotufo, Leticia V; Abessa, Denis M S

2012-03-01

Sediment contamination by metals poses risks to coastal ecosystems and is considered to be problematic to dredging operations. In Brazil, there are differences in sedimentology along the Large Marine Ecosystems in relation to the metal distributions. We aimed to assess the extent of Al, Fe, Hg, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn contamination in sediments from port zones in northeast (Mucuripe and Pecém) and southeast (Santos) Brazil through geochemical analyses and sediment quality ratings. The metal concentrations found in these port zones were higher than those observed in the continental shelf or the background values in both regions. In the northeast, metals were associated with carbonate, while in Santos, they were associated with mud. Geochemical analyses showed enrichments in Hg, Cd, Cu, Ni and Zn, and a simple application of international sediment quality guidelines failed to predict their impacts, whereas the use of site-specific values that were derived by geochemical and ecotoxicological approaches seemed to be more appropriate in the management of the dredged sediments. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The use of amino acid indices for assessing organic matter quality and microbial abundance in deep-sea Antarctic sediments of IODP Expedition 318

Science.gov (United States)

Carr, Stephanie A; Mills, Christopher T.; Mandernack, Kevin W

2016-01-01

The Adélie Basin, located offshore of the Wilkes Land margin, experiences unusually high sedimentation rates (~ 2 cm yr− 1) for the Antarctic coast. This study sought to compare depthwise changes in organic matter (OM) quantity and quality with changes in microbial biomass with depth at this high-deposition site and an offshore continental margin site. Sediments from both sites were collected during the International Ocean Drilling (IODP) Program Expedition 318. Viable microbial biomass was estimated from concentrations of bacterial-derived phospholipid fatty acids, while OM quality was assessed using four different amino acid degradation proxies. Concentrations of total hydrolysable amino acids (THAA) measured from the continental margin suggest an oligotrophic environment, with THAA concentrations representing only 2% of total organic carbon with relative proportions of non-protein amino acids β-alanine and γ-aminobutyric acid as high as 40%. In contrast, THAA concentrations from the near-shore Adélie Basin represent 40%–60% of total organic carbon. Concentrations of β-alanine and γ-aminobutyric acid were often below the detection limit and suggest that the OM of the basin as labile. DI values in surface sediments at the Adélie and margin sites were measured to be + 0.78 and − 0.76, reflecting labile and more recalcitrant OM, respectively. Greater DI values in deeper and more anoxic portions of both cores correlated positively with increased relative concentrations of phenylalanine plus tyrosine and may represent a change of redox conditions, rather than OM quality. This suggests that DI values calculated along chemical profiles should be interpreted with caution. THAA concentrations, the percentage of organic carbon (CAA%) and total nitrogen (NAA%) represented by amino acids at both sites demonstrated a significant positive correlation with bacterial abundance estimates. These data suggest that the selective degradation of amino acids, as

Monitoring the impact of urban effluents on mineral contents of water and sediments of four sites of the river Ravi, Lahore.

Science.gov (United States)

Shakir, Hafiz Abdullah; Qazi, Javed Iqbal; Chaudhry, Abdul Shakoor

2013-12-01

We assessed the impact of urban effluents on the concentrations of selected minerals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Zn, Mn, Ni, and Hg) in river Ravi before and after its passage through Lahore city. Water and sediment samples were collected from three lowly to highly polluted downstream sites (Shahdera (B), Sunder (C), and Balloki (D)) alongside the least polluted upstream site (Siphon (A)) during high and low river flow seasons. All the mineral concentrations increased up to site C but stabilized at site D, showing some recovery as compared to the third sampling site. The trend of mean mineral concentration was significantly higher during the low than the high flow season at all the sites. The mean Hg concentrations approached 0.14 and 0.12 mg/l at site A which increased (%) up to 107 and 25% at site B, 1,700 and 1,317% at site C, and 1,185 and 1,177% at site D during low and high river flows, respectively. All mineral concentrations were much higher in the sediment than the water samples. Mean Cd (917%), Cr (461%), Cu (300%), Fe (254%), Pb (179%), Zn (170%), Mn (723%), Ni (853%), and Hg (1,699%) concentrations were higher in riverbed sediments sampled from site C in comparison with the sample collected at site A during low flow season. The domestic and industrial discharges from Lahore city have created undesirable water qualities during the low river flow season. As majority of the mineral levels in the river Ravi were higher than the permissible and safe levels, this is of immediate concern for riverine fish consumers and the users of water for recreation and even irrigation. The use of these waters may pose health risks, and therefore, urgent intervention strategies are needed to minimize river water pollution and its impact on fish-consuming communities of this study area and beyond.

Managing erosion, sediment transport and water quality in drained peatland catchments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marttila, H.

2010-07-01

Peatland drainage changes catchment conditions and increases the transport of suspended solids (SS) and nutrients. New knowledge and management methods are needed to reduce SS loading from these areas. This thesis examines sediment delivery and erosion processes in a number of peatland drainage areas and catchments in order to determine the effects of drainage on sediment and erosion dynamics and mechanics. Results from studies performed in peat mining, peatland forestry and disturbed headwater catchments in Finland are presented and potential sediment load management methods are discussed for drainage areas and headwater brooks. Particular attention is devoted to erosion of organic peat, sediment transport and methods to reduce the impacts of peatland drainage in boreal headwaters. This thesis consists of six articles. The first and second papers focus on the erosion and sediment transport processes at peat harvesting and peatland forestry drainage networks. The results indicate that in-channel processes are important in drained peatland, since the drainage network often constitutes temporary inter-storm storage for eroding and transporting material. Sediment properties determine the bed sediment erosion sensitivity, as fluffy organic peat sediment consolidates over time. As flashiness and peak runoff control sediment entrainment and transport from drained peatland areas, water quality management should include peak runoff management. The third, fourth and fifth papers studies use and application of peak runoff control (PRC) method to the peat harvesting and peatland forestry conditions for water protection. Results indicate that effective water quality management in drained peatland areas can be achieved using this method. Installation of the PRC structures is a useful and cost-effective way of storing storm runoff waters temporarily in the ditch system and providing a retention time for eroded sediment to settle to the ditch bed and drainage network. The main

Sediment-induced amplification and the collapse of the Nimitz Freeway

Science.gov (United States)

Hough, S.E.; Friberg, P.A.; Busby, R.; Field, E.F.; Jacob, K.H.; Borcherdt, R.D.

1990-01-01

THE amplification of ground motion by low-seismic-velocity surface sediments is an important factor in determining the seismic hazard specific to a given site. The Ms = 7.1 Loma Prieta earthquake of 17 October 1989 was the largest event in the contiguous United States in 37 years, and yielded an unparalleled volume of seismic data from the main shock and aftershock sequence1. These data can be used to image the seismic source, to study detailed Earth structure, and to study the propagation of seismic waves both through bedrock at depth and through sediment layers near the surface. Near the edge of San Francisco Bay, site conditions vary considerably on scales of hundreds of metres. The collapsed section of the two-tiered Nimitz Freeway in Oakland was built on San Francisco Bay mud, whereas stiffer alluvial sediments underlie a southern section that was damaged but did not collapse. Here we analyse high-quality, digital aftershock recordings from several sites near the Nimitz Freeway, and conclude that soil conditions and resulting ground-motion amplification may have contributed significantly to the failure of the structure.

Simultaneous Investigation of Sediment Transport and Water Quality Parameters Using An In Situ Measurement Device

Science.gov (United States)

Prochnow, J. V.

Though quality of surface waters has improved remarkably over the last twenty years, the contaminant load of soft cohesive sediments remained comparatively unimproved. That is why the new European water framework directive addresses contaminant loaded sediments and postulates criteria for assessing sediment quality. Surveys into contaminated sediment behaviour have revealed adsorption/desorption characteristics of individual toxins. Biomonitoring of pollutant pressure on specific benthic organ- isms on the other hand can be useful to elucidate potential dangers to aquatic ecosys- tems. However, it is yet unknown how a given contaminant loaded sediment will re- spond to different hypercritical flow conditions in terms of release rates and partition- ing of xenobiotica. On this account a small in situ measuring device (EROSIMESS) was constructed, that features simultaneous determination of suspended sediment con- centration (optical turbidity meter), dissolved oxygen levels, pH and temperature (membrane probes) under predefined hydraulic conditions. Samples of the suspen- sion can be withdrawn for subsequent chemical analysis. Bottom shear stresses up to 5N/m2 can be generated by means of a propeller that resides in cylindrical perspex tube (erosion chamber) two centimeters above the sediment bed. Baffles on the in- ner wall of the cylinder prevent a solid body rotation of the suspension by creating additional turbulence and a second propeller straight beneath the concentration me- ter inhibits the development of a concentration gradient within the chamber. A small CCD-camera is used to control positioning of the device. It can be used in water- depths up to 5m. The control unit consists of a trigger box and an ordinary laptop computer running LabView. EROSIMESS has been successfully used in various stud- ies on contaminant release, eutrophication, and SOD (sediment oxygen demand) in rivers (Spree: Germany; Maun: UK), reservoirs (Heimbach, Haus Ley: Germany), and

Effects of clay minerals and organic matter in formulated sediments on the bioavailability of sediment-associated uranium to the freshwater midge, Chironomus dilutus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crawford, Sarah E., E-mail: sarah.crawford@usask.ca [Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, 44 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B3 (Canada); Liber, Karsten, E-mail: karsten.liber@usask.ca [Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, 44 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B3 (Canada); School of Environment and Sustainability, 117 Science Place, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8 (Canada); Institute of Loess Plateau, 92 Wucheng Road, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006 (China)

2015-11-01

It is well established that bioavailability influences metal toxicity in aquatic ecosystems. However, the factors and mechanisms that influence uranium (U) bioavailability and toxicity in sediment have not been thoroughly evaluated, despite evidence that suggests different sediment components can influence the sorption and interaction of some metals. Given that dissolved U is generally accepted as being the primary bioavailable fraction of U, it is hypothesized that adsorption and interaction of U with different sediment components will influence the bioavailability of U in sediment. We investigated the effects of key sediment physicochemical properties on the bioavailability of U to a model freshwater benthic invertebrate, Chironomus dilutus. Several 10-day spiked sediment bioaccumulation experiments were performed, exposing C. dilutus larvae to a variety of formulated sediments spiked with different concentrations of U (5, 50 and/or 200 mg U/kg d.w.). Mean accumulation of U in C. dilutus larvae decreased significantly from 1195 to 10 mg U/kg d.w. as kaolin clay content increased from 0% to 60% in sediment spiked with 50 mg U/kg d.w. Similarly, higher organic matter content also resulted in a significant reduction of U bioaccumulation in C. dilutus larvae, indicating a reduction in U bioavailability. Concentrations of U in both the overlying water and sediment pore water displayed a strong positive relationship to U bioaccumulation in C. dilutus larvae (r{sup 2} = 0.77, p < 0.001 and r{sup 2} = 0.57, p < 0.001, respectively) for all experiments, while total U concentrations in the sediment had a poor relationship to U bioaccumulation (r{sup 2} = 0.10, p = 0.028). Results from this research confirm that sediment clay and organic matter content play a significant role in altering U bioavailability, which is important in informing risk assessments of U contaminated sites and in the development of site-specific sediment quality guidelines for U. - Highlights: • We

Diffusive flux of PAHs across sediment-water and water-air interfaces at urban superfund sites.

Science.gov (United States)

Minick, D James; Anderson, Kim A

2017-09-01

Superfund sites may be a source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to the surrounding environment. These sites can also act as PAH sinks from present-day anthropogenic activities, especially in urban locations. Understanding PAH transport across environmental compartments helps to define the relative contributions of these sources and is therefore important for informing remedial and management decisions. In the present study, paired passive samplers were co-deployed at sediment-water and water-air interfaces within the Portland Harbor Superfund Site and the McCormick and Baxter Superfund Site. These sites, located along the Willamette River (Portland, OR, USA), have PAH contamination from both legacy and modern sources. Diffusive flux calculations indicate that the Willamette River acts predominantly as a sink for low molecular weight PAHs from both the sediment and the air. The sediment was also predominantly a source of 4- and 5-ring PAHs to the river, and the river was a source of these same PAHs to the air, indicating that legacy pollution may be contributing to PAH exposure for residents of the Portland urban center. At the remediated McCormick and Baxter Superfund Site, flux measurements highlight locations within the sand and rock sediment cap where contaminant breakthrough is occurring. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:2281-2289. © 2017 SETAC. © 2017 SETAC.

Neutron activation analysis to the profile surface sediments from several sites on the Havana Bay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diaz Riso, O.; Gelen, A.; Lopez, N.; Gonzalez, H.; Manso, M.V.; Graciano, A.M.; Nogueira, C.A.; Beltran, J.; Soto, J.

2003-01-01

Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) technique was employed to analyze the surface sediments from several sites on the Havana Bay, Cuba. Measurements of heavy and trace elements in the sediments are reported. The results show that the concentration of the elements is site dependent. The data suggest that an anthropogenic input into the bay from domestic sewage and industries occurred

RELEVANCE OF ROOTED VASCULAR PLANTS AS INDICATORS OF ESTUARINE SEDIMENT QUALITY

Science.gov (United States)

Toxicity assessments and numerical quality assessment guidelines for estuarine sediments are rarely based on information for aquatic plants. The effect of this lack of information on contaminated sediment evaluations is largely unknown. For this reason, the toxicities of whole se...

Sedimentation and fouling of optical surfaces at the ANTARES site

Science.gov (United States)

ANTARES Collaboration; CAU CEFREM Collaboration; Amram, P.; Anghinolfi, M.; Anvar, S.; Ardellier-Desages, F. E.; Aslanides, E.; Aubert, J.-J.; Azoulay, R.; Bailey, D.; Basa, S.; Battaglieri, M.; Bellotti, R.; Beltramelli, J.; Benhammou, Y.; Berthier, R.; Bertin, V.; Billault, M.; Blaes, R.; Bland, R. W.; Blondeau, F.; de Botton, N.; Boulesteix, J.; Brooks, C. B.; Brunner, J.; Cafagna, F.; Calzas, A.; Capone, A.; Caponetto, L.; Cârloganu, C.; Carmona, E.; Carr, J.; Cartwright, S. L.; Cecchini, S.; Ciacio, F.; Circella, M.; Compère, C.; Cooper, S.; Coyle, P.; Cuneo, S.; Danilov, M.; van Dantzig, R.; de Marzo, C.; Destelle, J.-J.; de Vita, R.; Dispau, G.; Druillole, F.; Engelen, J.; Feinstein, F.; Ferdi, C.; Festy, D.; Fopma, J.; Gallone, J.-M.; Giacomelli, G.; Goret, P.; Gournay, J.-F.; Hallewell, G.; Heijboer, A.; Hernández-Rey, J. J.; Hubbard, J. R.; Jaquet, M.; de Jong, M.; Karolak, M.; Keller, P.; Kooijman, P.; Kouchner, A.; Kudryavtsev, V. A.; Lafoux, H.; Lagier, P.; Lamare, P.; Languillat, J.-C.; Laubier, L.; Laugier, J.-P.; Leilde, B.; Le Provost, H.; Le van Suu, A.; Lo Nigro, L.; Lo Presti, D.; Loucatos, S.; Louis, F.; Lyashuk, V.; Magnier, P.; Marcelin, M.; Margiotta, A.; Masullo, R.; Mazéas, F.; Mazeau, B.; Mazure, A.; McMillan, J. E.; Migneco, E.; Millot, C.; Mols, P.; Montanet, F.; Montaruli, T.; Moscoso, L.; Musumeci, M.; Nezri, E.; Nooren, G. J.; Oberski, J. E. J.; Olivetto, C.; Oppelt-Pohl, A.; Palanque-Delabrouille, N.; Papaleo, R.; Payre, P.; Perrin, P.; Petruccetti, M.; Petta, C.; Piattelli, P.; Poinsignon, J.; Potheau, R.; Queinec, Y.; Racca, C.; Raia, G.; Randazzo, N.; Rethore, F.; Riccobene, G.; Ricol, J.-S.; Ripani, M.; Roca-Blay, V.; Romeyer, A.; Rostovstev, A.; Russo, G. V.; Sacquin, Y.; Salusti, E.; Schuller, J.-P.; Schuster, W.; Soirat, J.-P.; Souvorova, O.; Spooner, N. J. C.; Spurio, M.; Stolarczyk, T.; Stubert, D.; Taiuti, M.; Tao, C.; Thompson, L. F.; Tilav, S.; Triay, R.; Usik, A.; Valdy, P.; Valente, V.; Varlamov, I.; Vaudaine, G.; Vernin, P.; Vladimirsky, E.; Vorobiev, M.; de Witt Huberts, P.; de Wolf, E.; Zakharov, V.; Zavatarelli, S.; Zornoza, Juan de Dios; Zún~Iga, J.; Aloïsi, J.-C.; Kerhervé, Ph.; Monaco, A.

2003-05-01

ANTARES is a project leading towards the construction and deployment of a neutrino telescope in the deep Mediterranean Sea. The telescope will use an array of photomultiplier tubes to detect the Cherenkov light emitted by muons resulting from the interaction with matter of high energy neutrinos. In the vicinity of the deployment site the ANTARES Collaboration has performed a series of in situ measurements to study the change in light transmission through glass surfaces during immersions of several months. The average loss of light transmission is estimated to be only ~2% at the equator of a glass sphere one year after deployment. It decreases with increasing zenith angle, and tends to saturate with time. The transmission loss, therefore, is expected to remain small for the several year lifetime of the ANTARES detector whose optical modules are oriented downwards. The measurements were complemented by the analysis of the 210Pb activity profile in sediment cores and the study of biofouling on glass plates. Despite a significant sedimentation rate at the site, in the 0.02-0.05 cmyr-1 range, the sediments adhere loosely to the glass surfaces and can be washed off by water currents. Further, fouling by deposits of light-absorbing particulates is only significant for surfaces facing upwards.

Effects of sediment organic matter quality on bioaccumulation, degradation, and distribution of pyrene in two macrofaunal species and their surrounding sediment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Granberg, Maria E.; Selck, Henriette

2007-01-01

Sediment dwelling macrofauna (infauna) are important vectors for the transfer of sediment-associated contaminants to higher trophic levels. Sedimenting organic matter constitutes an important food source for all benthic organisms and changes seasonally in terms of quantity and quality. Sediment...... imply that bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of sediment-associated PAH should increase following fresh organic matter input, e.g. after sedimentation of phytoplankton blooms. We stress the importance of considering behavioural characteristics of infauna and the trophic situation of the system when...

Application of parasound data for sediment study on methane seep site at Simeulue basin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiguna, Taufan; Ardhyastuti, Sri

2015-01-01

The Parasound data presents sea depth and sub-bottom profiler. In terms of geological terminology, parasound data represents significant recent surface sedimentary structures that valuable for the selection of subsequent sampling site such as sampling at methane seep site. Therefore, Parasound is used to detailing methane seep at surface sediment following seismic data interpretation. In this study, parasound is used to focus observe area especially for sediment study on methane seep site. The Parasound systems works both as narrow beam sounder use high frequency and as sediment echosounder use low frequency. Parasound acquisition applies parametric effect. It produces additional frequency by nonlinear acoustic interaction of finite amplitude waves. Parasound transducers have 128 elements on 1 m2 and need transmission power up to 70 kW. The results of this study are discovered large seep carbonate with porous surface which means there are gas expulsions passing through that rock

Resolving and modelling trace metal partitioning in a freshwater sediment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devallois, V.; Boyer, P.; Coulomb, B.; Boudenne, J. L.

2009-01-01

Elevated concentrations of trace metals in sediments pose toxicological risks to biota and may impair water quality. the sediment-water interface is the site where gradients in physical, chemical and biological properties are the greatest. Both chemical and microbiological transformation processes are responsible for cycling elements between water and sediments. (Author)

Design and methods of the Pacific Northwest Stream Quality Assessment (PNSQA), 2015

Science.gov (United States)

Sheibley, Rich W.; Morace, Jennifer L.; Journey, Celeste A.; Van Metre, Peter C.; Bell, Amanda H.; Nakagaki, Naomi; Button, Daniel T.; Qi, Sharon L.

2017-08-25

In 2015, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) project conducted the Pacific Northwest Stream Quality Assessment (PNSQA) to investigate stream quality across the western part of the Pacific Northwest. The goal of the PNSQA was to assess the health of streams in the region by characterizing multiple water-quality factors that are stressors to in-stream aquatic life and by evaluating the relation between these stressors and the condition of biological communities. The effects of urbanization and agriculture on stream quality for the Puget Lowland and Willamette Valley Level III Ecoregions were the focus of this regional study. Findings will help inform the public and policymakers about human and environmental factors that are the most critical in affecting stream quality and, thus, provide insights into possible strategies to protect or improve the health of streams in the region.Land-use data were used in the study to identify and select sites within the region that ranged in levels of urban and agricultural development. A total of 88 sites were selected across the region—69 were on streams that explicitly spanned a range of urban land use in their watersheds, 8 were on streams in agricultural watersheds, and 11 were reference sites with little or no development in their watersheds. Depending on the type of land use, sites were sampled for contaminants, nutrients, and sediment for either a 4- or 10-week period during April, May, and June 2015. This water-quality “index period” was immediately followed with an ecological survey of all sites that included stream habitat, benthic algae, benthic macroinvertebrates, and fish. Additionally, streambed sediment was collected during the ecological survey for analysis of sediment chemistry and toxicity testing.This report provides a detailed description of the specific study components and methods of the PNSQA, including (1) surveys of stream habitat and aquatic biota, (2) discrete

Calculating background levels for ecological risk parameters in toxic harbor sediment

Science.gov (United States)

Leadon, C.J.; McDonnell, T.R.; Lear, J.; Barclift, D.

2007-01-01

Establishing background levels for biological parameters is necessary in assessing the ecological risks from harbor sediment contaminated with toxic chemicals. For chemicals in sediment, the term contaminated is defined as having concentrations above background and significant human health or ecological risk levels. For biological parameters, a site could be considered contaminated if levels of the parameter are either more or less than the background level, depending on the specific parameter. Biological parameters can include tissue chemical concentrations in ecological receptors, bioassay responses, bioaccumulation levels, and benthic community metrics. Chemical parameters can include sediment concentrations of a variety of potentially toxic chemicals. Indirectly, contaminated harbor sediment can impact shellfish, fish, birds, and marine mammals, and human populations. This paper summarizes the methods used to define background levels for chemical and biological parameters from a survey of ecological risk investigations of marine harbor sediment at California Navy bases. Background levels for regional biological indices used to quantify ecological risks for benthic communities are also described. Generally, background stations are positioned in relatively clean areas exhibiting the same physical and general chemical characteristics as nearby areas with contaminated harbor sediment. The number of background stations and the number of sample replicates per background station depend on the statistical design of the sediment ecological risk investigation, developed through the data quality objective (DQO) process. Biological data from the background stations can be compared to data from a contaminated site by using minimum or maximum background levels or comparative statistics. In Navy ecological risk assessments (ERA's), calculated background levels and appropriate ecological risk screening criteria are used to identify sampling stations and sites with contaminated

Chronic toxicity of nickel-spiked freshwater sediments: variation in toxicity among eight invertebrate taxa and eight sediments

Science.gov (United States)

Besser, John M.; Brumbaugh, William G.; Ingersoll, Christopher G.; Ivey, Chris D.; Kunz, James L.; Kemble, Nile E.; Schlekat, Christian E.; Garman, Emily R.

2013-01-01

This study evaluated the chronic toxicity of Ni-spiked freshwater sediments to benthic invertebrates. A 2-step spiking procedure (spiking and sediment dilution) and a 2-stage equilibration period (10 wk anaerobic and 1 wk aerobic) were used to spike 8 freshwater sediments with wide ranges of acid-volatile sulfide (AVS; 0.94–38 µmol/g) and total organic carbon (TOC; 0.42–10%). Chronic sediment toxicity tests were conducted with 8 invertebrates (Hyalella azteca, Gammarus pseudolimnaeus, Chironomus riparius, Chironomus dilutus, Hexagenia sp., Lumbriculus variegatus, Tubifex tubifex, and Lampsilis siliquoidea) in 2 spiked sediments. Nickel toxicity thresholds estimated from species-sensitivity distributions were 97 µg/g and 752 µg/g (total recoverable Ni; dry wt basis) for sediments with low and high concentrations of AVS and TOC, respectively. Sensitive species were tested with 6 additional sediments. The 20% effect concentrations (EC20s) for Hyalella and Gammarus, but not Hexagenia, were consistent with US Environmental Protection Agency benchmarks based on Ni in porewater and in simultaneously extracted metals (SEM) normalized to AVS and TOC. For Hexagenia, sediment EC20s increased at less than an equimolar basis with increased AVS, and toxicity occurred in several sediments with Ni concentrations in SEM less than AVS. The authors hypothesize that circulation of oxygenated water by Hexagenia led to oxidation of AVS in burrows, creating microenvironments with high Ni exposure. Despite these unexpected results, a strong relationship between Hexagenia EC20s and AVS could provide a basis for conservative site-specific sediment quality guidelines for Ni.

Hanford Site environmental management specification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grygiel, M.L.

1998-06-10

The US Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (RL) uses this Hanford Site Environmental Management Specification (Specification) to document top-level mission requirements and planning assumptions for the prime contractors involved in Hanford Site cleanup and infrastructure activities under the responsibility of the US Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Management. This Specification describes at a top level the activities, facilities, and infrastructure necessary to accomplish the cleanup of the Hanford Site and assigns this scope to Site contractors and their respective projects. This Specification also references the key National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), and safety documentation necessary to accurately describe the cleanup at a summary level. The information contained in this document reflects RL`s application of values, priorities, and critical success factors expressed by those involved with and affected by the Hanford Site project. The prime contractors and their projects develop complete baselines and work plans to implement this Specification. These lower-level documents and the data that support them, together with this Specification, represent the full set of requirements applicable to the contractors and their projects. Figure 1-1 shows the relationship of this Specification to the other basic Site documents. Similarly, the documents, orders, and laws referenced in this specification represent only the most salient sources of requirements. Current and contractual reference data contain a complete set of source documents.

Hanford Site environmental management specification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grygiel, M.L.

1998-01-01

The US Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (RL) uses this Hanford Site Environmental Management Specification (Specification) to document top-level mission requirements and planning assumptions for the prime contractors involved in Hanford Site cleanup and infrastructure activities under the responsibility of the US Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Management. This Specification describes at a top level the activities, facilities, and infrastructure necessary to accomplish the cleanup of the Hanford Site and assigns this scope to Site contractors and their respective projects. This Specification also references the key National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), and safety documentation necessary to accurately describe the cleanup at a summary level. The information contained in this document reflects RL's application of values, priorities, and critical success factors expressed by those involved with and affected by the Hanford Site project. The prime contractors and their projects develop complete baselines and work plans to implement this Specification. These lower-level documents and the data that support them, together with this Specification, represent the full set of requirements applicable to the contractors and their projects. Figure 1-1 shows the relationship of this Specification to the other basic Site documents. Similarly, the documents, orders, and laws referenced in this specification represent only the most salient sources of requirements. Current and contractual reference data contain a complete set of source documents

How and why is aquatic quality changing at Nahanni National Park Reserve, NWT, Canada?

Science.gov (United States)

Halliwell, Douglas R; Catto, Steve

2003-01-01

Nahanni National Park Reserve is located at southwestern NWT-Yukon border. One of the first UNESCO World Heritage sites, Nahanni lies within Taiga Cordillera and Taiga Shield Ecozones. Base and precious metal mining occurred upstream of Nahanni prior to park establishment. Nahanni waters, sediments, fish, and caribou have naturally elevated metals levels. Baseline water, sediment and fish tissue quality data were collected and analyzed throughout Nahanni during 1988-91 and 1992-97. These two programs characterized how aquatic quality variables are naturally varying in space and time, affected by geology, stream flow, seasonality, and extreme meteorological and geological events. Possible anthropogenic causes of aquatic quality change were examined. Measured values were compared to existing Guidelines and site-specific objectives were established.

Uncertainty and variability in laboratory derived sorption parameters of sediments from a uranium in situ recovery site

Science.gov (United States)

Dangelmayr, Martin A.; Reimus, Paul W.; Johnson, Raymond H.; Clay, James T.; Stone, James J.

2018-06-01

This research assesses the ability of a GC SCM to simulate uranium transport under variable geochemical conditions typically encountered at uranium in-situ recovery (ISR) sites. Sediment was taken from a monitoring well at the SRH site at depths 192 and 193 m below ground and characterized by XRD, XRF, TOC, and BET. Duplicate column studies on the different sediment depths, were flushed with synthesized restoration waters at two different alkalinities (160 mg/l CaCO3 and 360 mg/l CaCO3) to study the effect of alkalinity on uranium mobility. Uranium breakthrough occurred 25% - 30% earlier in columns with 360 mg/l CaCO3 over columns fed with 160 mg/l CaCO3 influent water. A parameter estimation program (PEST) was coupled to PHREEQC to derive site densities from experimental data. Significant parameter fittings were produced for all models, demonstrating that the GC SCM approach can model the impact of carbonate on uranium in flow systems. Derived site densities for the two sediment depths were between 141 and 178 μmol-sites/kg-soil, demonstrating similar sorption capacities despite heterogeneity in sediment mineralogy. Model sensitivity to alkalinity and pH was shown to be moderate compared to fitted site densities, when calcite saturation was allowed to equilibrate. Calcite kinetics emerged as a potential source of error when fitting parameters in flow conditions. Fitted results were compared to data from previous batch and column studies completed on sediments from the Smith-Ranch Highland (SRH) site, to assess variability in derived parameters. Parameters from batch experiments were lower by a factor of 1.1 to 3.4 compared to column studies completed on the same sediments. The difference was attributed to errors in solid-solution ratios and the impact of calcite dissolution in batch experiments. Column studies conducted at two different laboratories showed almost an order of magnitude difference in fitted site densities suggesting that experimental methodology

Paleoenvironmental change as derived from loess sediment properties: Examples of last glacial loess sites from the Carpathian Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Lehmkuhl, Frank; Zeeden, Christian; Bösken, Janina; Eckmeier, Eileen; Hambach, Ulrich; Hauck, Thomas; Klasen, Nicole; Markovic, Slobodan; Obreht, Igor; Schulte, Philipp; Sümegi, Pal; Chu, Wei; Timar-Gabor, Alida; Veres, Daniel

2015-04-01

The project B1 within the CRC 806 "Our way to Europe" focuses on the "Eastern Trajectory" of modern human migration from Africa into Europe. The Middle East, and SE Europe constitute the principal areas to be investigated. SE Europe has become a special research focus since two early Homo sapiens individuals have been found at Oase Cave in the southern Banat. The fossils lack any stratigraphic context; cultural and environmental circumstances of these findings have remained unclear. In the neighbourhood of Oase Cave, however, several early Upper Palaeolithic sites, embedded in loess sequences were known since the 1950's. Some sites were re-investigated by our research team. Conceptionally we are following the idea of upland-lowland interaction, which combines parameters as sedimentary transport, sediment distribution, and paleosol development in different altitudes, all influenced by paleoclimate in space and time. Furthermore, some detailed studies concerning site-formation processes and the quality of open-air sites (sedimentary development, paleoecology, multilayering, reworking, human impact on soils and sediments) are being conducted at selected localities. Recent investigations of the loess-paleosol sequences (LPS) in SE Europe provided important environmental information which differ from "classical" ecological approaches derived from other European loess provinces. New luminescence dating results provide a sensitive chronology of environmental changes recorded in the LPS from both upland and lowland positions, giving the potential to link these.

Electrochemical peroxidation of PCBs and VOCs in superfund site water and sediments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scrudato, R.J.; Chiarenzelli, J.R. [SUNY, Oswego, NY (United States)

1996-12-31

An electrochemical peroxidation (ECP) process has been developed and used to degrade polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and volatile organic compounds (VOC)-contaminated water, sludge, and sediments at a New York State Federal and State Superfund Site. The process involves passing an oscillating low-amperage (<10 amps) current through steel electrodes immersed in an acidified water or sediment slurry into which hydrogen peroxide (<1,000 ppm) is added. The generated free radicals attack organic compounds, including organo-metallic complexes and refractory compounds including PCBs. PCB degradation ranged from about 30% to 80% in experiments involving Federal Superfund Site sediments; total PCBs were reduced by {approximately}97% to 68%, respectively, in water and slurry collected from a State Superfund subsurface storage tank. VOC bench-scale experiments involved chloroethane, 1,1-dichloroethane, dichloromethane, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, and acetone and after a 3-min ECP treatment, degradation ranged from >94% to about 99.9%. Results indicate the ECP is a viable process to degrade organic contaminants in water and sediment suspensions. Because the treated water suspensions are acidified, select trace metal sorbed to the particulates is solubilized and therefore can be segregated from the particulates, offering a process that simultaneously degrades organic contaminants and separates trace metals. 19 refs., 1 fig., 4 tabs.

Site specific information in site selection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aeikaes, T.; Hautojaervi, A.

1998-01-01

The programme for the siting of a deep repository for final disposal of spent nuclear fuel was started already in 1983 and is carried out today by Posiva Oy which continues the work started by Teollisuuden Voima Oy. The programme aims at site selection by the end of the year 2000. The programme has progressed in successive interim stages with defined goals. After an early phase for site identification, five sites were selected in 1987 for preliminary site characterisation. Three of these were selected and judged to be best suited for the more detailed characterisation in 1992. An additional new site was included into the programme based on a separate feasibility study in the beginning of 1997. Since the year 1983 several safety assessments together with technical plans of the facility have been completed. When approaching the site selection the needs for more detailed consideration of the site specific properties in the safety assessment have been increased. The Finnish regulator STUK has published a proposal for general safety requirements for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel in Finland. This set of requirements has been projected to be used in conjunction of the decision making by the end 2000. Based on the site evaluation all sites can provide a stable environment and there is evidence that the requirements for the longevity of the canister can be fulfilled at each site. In this manner the four candidate sites do not differ too much from each other. The main difference between the sites is in the salinity of the deep groundwater. The significance of differences in the salinity for the long-term safety cannot be defined yet. The differences may contribute to the discussion of the longevity of the bentonite buffer and also to the modelling of the groundwater flow and transport. The use of the geosphere as a transport barrier is basically culminated on the questions about sparse but fast flow routes and 'how bad channeling can be'. To answer these questions

Effects of land disposal of municipal sewage sludge on fate of nitrates in soil, streambed sediment, and water quality

Science.gov (United States)

Tindall, James A.; Lull, Kenneth J.; Gaggiani, Neville G.

1994-01-01

This study was undertaken to determine the effects of sewage-sludge disposal at the Lowry sewage-sludge-disposal area, near Denver, Colorado, on ground- and surface-water quality, to determine the fate of nitrates from sludge leachate, and to determine the source areas of leachate and the potential for additional leaching from the disposal area.Sewage-sludge disposal began in 1969. Two methods were used to apply the sludge: burial and plowing. Also, the sludge was applied both in liquid and cake forms. Data in this report represent the chemical composition of soil and streambed sediment from seven soil- and four streambed-sampling sites in 1986, chemical and bacterial composition of ground water from 28 wells from 1981 to 1987, and surface-water runoff from seven water-sampling sites from 1984 to 1987. Ground water samples were obtained from alluvial and bedrock aquifers. Samples of soil, streambed sediment, ground water and surface water were obtained for onsite measurement and chemical analysis. Measurements included determination of nitrogen compounds and major cations and anions, fecal-coliform and -streptococcus bacteria, specific conductance, and pH.Thirteen wells in the alluvial aquifer in Region 3 of the study area contain water that was probably affected by sewage-sludge leachate. The plots of concentration of nitrate with time show seasonal trends and trends caused by precipitation. In addition to yearly fluctuation, there were noticeable increases in ground-water concentrations of nitrate that coincided with increased precipitation. After 3 years of annual ground-water-quality monitoring and 4 years of a quarterly sampling program, it has been determined that leachate from the sewage-sludge-disposal area caused increased nitrite plus nitrate (as nitrogen) concentration in the alluvial ground water at the site. Soil analyses from the disposal area indicate that organic nitrogen was the dominant form of nitrogen in the soil.As a result of investigations at

Sediment quality and ecorisk assessment factors for a major river system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, V.G.; Wagner, J.J.; Cutshall, N.H.

1993-08-01

Sediment-related water quality and risk assessment parameters for the Columbia River were developed using heavy metal loading and concentration data from Lake Roosevelt (river km 1120) to the mouth and adjacent coastal zone. Correlation of Pb, Zn, Hg, and Cd concentrations in downstream sediments with refinery operations in British Columbia suggest that solutes with K d 's > 10 5 reach about 1 to 5 μg/g per metric ton/year of input. A low-suspended load (upriver avg. <10 mg/L) and high particle-surface reactivity account for the high clay-fraction contaminant concentrations. In addition, a sediment exposure path was demonstrated based on analysis of post-shutdown biodynamics of a heavy metal radiotracer. The slow decline in sediment was attributed to resuspension, bioturbation, and anthropogenic disturbances. The above findings suggest that conservative sediment quality criteria should be used to restrict additional contaminant loading in the upper drainage basin. The issuance of an advisory for Lake Roosevelt, due in part to Hg accumulation in large sport fish, suggests more restrictive controls are needed. A monitoring strategy for assessing human exposure potential and the ecological health of the river is proposed

The Study of Heavy Metals on Sediment Quality of Kuala Perlis Coastal Area

Science.gov (United States)

Zubir, A. A. Ahmad; Saad, F. N. Mohd; Dahalan, F. A.

2018-03-01

The contamination of heavy metals gives bad implications to the aquatic environment. Thus, a study was conducted to assess the sediment quality by using different contamination indices such as Enrichment Factor (EF), Geo-accumulation Index (Igeo), and Pollution Load Index (PLI). Each sediment sample was collected at the surface (0-15cm) at 5 locations based on the land use activity; jetty port (A), seaside restaurant (B), roadside area (C), power plant (D) and residential area (E). All samples were undergoes acid digestion and analyzed with AAS. Four elements identified from the sediment samples which are Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn were used to calculate the respective indices. Results show that, the highest EF value of Pb which categorized as very severe enrichment was at point E. Meanwhile minor enrichment was detected at point B for Cu while Cr and Zn at point A. Based on Igeo value the sediment quality along Kuala Perlis was in the unpolluted-moderately polluted condition (class 1). As for PLI it shows that the sediment of the coastal area is unpolluted (PLI<1). Therefore, this study revealed that, the main contributor of heavy metals in this area is Pb while the sediment quality of Kuala Perlis was in minor pollution condition.

Site-specific weed control technologies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Svend; Søgaard, Henning Tangen; Kudsk, Per

2009-01-01

Site-specific weed control technologies are defined as machinery or equipment embedded with technologies that detect weeds growing in a crop and, taking into account predefined factors such as economics, takes action to maximise the chances of successfully controlling them. In the article, we...... describe the basic parts of site specific weed control technologies, comprising of weed sensing systems, weed management models and precision weed control implements. A review of state-of-the-art technologies shows that several weed sensing systems and precision implements have been developed over the last...... of knowledge about the economic and environmental potential for increasing the resolution of weed control. The integration of site-specific information on weed distribution, weed species composition and density, and the effect on crop yield, is decisive for successful site-specific weed management.   Keywords...

British Columbia water quality guidelines (criteria): 1998 edition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nagpal, N.K.; Pommen, L.W.; Swain, L.G.

1998-08-01

British Columbia has developed water quality guidelines in order that water quality data can be assessed and site-specific water quality objectives can be prepared. The guidelines provide benchmarks for the assessment of water quality and setting water quality objectives. Guidelines are provided to protect the following six major water uses: drinking water, aquatic life, wildlife, recreation/aesthetics, agriculture, and industrial. Water quality encompasses the physical, chemical and biological quality of the water, sediment and biota. Among other quality criteria the guide provides maximum approved concentrations for nitrogen, aluminum, copper, cyanide, lead, mercury, and molybdenum. 30 tabs.

Sediment Chemistry and Toxicity in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey: Pre- and Post- Hurricane Sandy, 2012-2013.

Science.gov (United States)

Romanok, Kristin M.; Szabo, Zoltan; Reilly, Timothy J.; Defne, Zafer; Ganju, Neil K.

2016-01-01

Hurricane Sandy made landfall in Barnegat Bay, October, 29, 2012, damaging shorelines and infrastructure. Estuarine sediment chemistry and toxicity were investigated before and after to evaluate potential environmental health impacts and to establish post-event baseline sediment-quality conditions. Trace element concentrations increased throughout Barnegat Bay up to two orders of magnitude, especially north of Barnegat Inlet, consistent with northward redistribution of silt. Loss of organic compounds, clay, and organic carbon is consistent with sediment winnowing and transport through the inlets and sediment transport modeling results. The number of sites exceeding sediment quality guidance levels for trace elements tripled post-Sandy. Sediment toxicity post-Sandy was mostly unaffected relative to pre-Sandy conditions, but at the site with the greatest relative increase for trace elements, survival rate of the test amphipod decreased (indicating degradation). This study would not have been possible without comprehensive baseline data enabling the evaluation of storm-derived changes in sediment quality.

Assessment of sediment quality collected from the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, Sabah

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohd Suhaimi Elias; Mohd Suhaimi Hamzah; Shamsiah Abdul Rahman; Siong, Wee Boon; Nazaratul Ashifa Abdullah Salim

2012-01-01

Assessment of source and sediment quality was carried out on marine sediments collected from the Tuanku Abdul Rahman National Park. Enrichment factors (EF), pollution load index (PLI) and geo-accumulation index (Igeo) were used to identify the sources of pollution, degree of contamination and sediment quality, respectively. Elemental analyses of marine sediment samples were performed by using the Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA). Results from the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park of Sabah indicated that most of the elements are considered to be from lithological or natural origin with EF values of less than 2 except for As (10 stations), Cr (3 stations), Lu (5 stations), Mg (2 stations), Sb (6 stations) and U (3 stations). For the sediment quality, most of the study area can be categorised as unpolluted for most of the elements (Igeo value < 2) except for As, Cr, Lu, Mg, Sb and U. A few study areas were slightly low contaminated with As, Cr, Lu, Mg, Sb and U. The contamination of As, Cr, Lu, Mg, Sb and U in the study area can be categorised as moderate with Igeo values ranged from 1 to 2. Meanwhile, the results of PLI value for sediment were ranged from 0.93 to 1.47 (PLI < 50) indicating there are not required to perform drastic rectification measures for the screening of the elements in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park. Overall, assessment of the sediment quality at the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park showed a few elements such as As, Cr, Lu, Mg, Sb and U were slightly enriched while most of the elements were similar to background values. (author)

Climate Change Impacts on Sediment Quality of Subalpine Reservoirs: Implications on Management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marziali Laura

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Reservoirs are characterized by accumulation of sediments where micropollutants may concentrate, with potential toxic effects on downstream river ecosystems. However, sediment management such as flushing is needed to maintain storage capacity. Climate change is expected to increase sediment loads, but potential effects on their quality are scarcely known. In this context, sediment contamination by trace elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn and organics (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons PAHs, Polychlorinated Biphenyls PCBs and C > 12 hydrocarbons was analyzed in 20 reservoirs located in Italian Central Alps. A strong As and a moderate Cd, Hg and Pb enrichment was emphasized by Igeo, with potential ecotoxicological risk according to Probable Effect Concentration quotients. Sedimentation rate, granulometry, total organic carbon (TOC and altitude resulted as the main drivers governing pollutant concentrations in sediments. According to climate change models, expected increase of rainfall erosivity will enhance soil erosion and consequently the sediment flow to reservoirs, potentially increasing coarse grain fractions and thus potentially diluting pollutants. Conversely, increased weathering may enhance metal fluxes to reservoirs. Increased vegetation cover will potentially result in higher TOC concentrations, which may contrast contaminant bioavailability and thus toxicity. Our results may provide elements for a proper management of contaminated sediments in a climate change scenario aiming at preserving water quality and ecosystem functioning.

Prediction of suspended-sediment concentrations at selected sites in the Fountain Creek watershed, Colorado, 2008-09

Science.gov (United States)

Stogner, Sr., Robert W.; Nelson, Jonathan M.; McDonald, Richard R.; Kinzel, Paul J.; Mau, David P.

2013-01-01

In 2008, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments, Colorado Water Conservation Board, Colorado Springs City Engineering, and the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District, began a small-scale pilot study to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of a computational model of streamflow and suspended-sediment transport for predicting suspended-sediment concentrations and loads in the Fountain Creek watershed in Colorado. Increased erosion and sedimentation damage have been identified by the Fountain Creek Watershed Plan as key problems within the watershed. A recommendation in the Fountain Creek Watershed plan for management of the basin is to establish measurable criteria to determine if progress in reducing erosion and sedimentation damage is being made. The major objective of this study was to test a computational method to predict local suspended-sediment loads at two sites with different geomorphic characteristics in order to evaluate the feasibility of using such an approach to predict local suspended-sediment loads throughout the entire watershed. Detailed topographic surveys, particle-size data, and suspended-sediment samples were collected at two gaged sites: Monument Creek above Woodmen Road at Colorado Springs, Colorado (USGS gage 07103970), and Sand Creek above mouth at Colorado Springs, Colorado (USGS gage 07105600). These data were used to construct three-dimensional computational models of relatively short channel reaches at each site. The streamflow component of these models predicted a spatially distributed field of water-surface elevation, water velocity, and bed shear stress for a range of stream discharges. Using the model predictions, along with measured particle sizes, the sediment-transport component of the model predicted the suspended-sediment concentration throughout the reach of interest. These computed concentrations were used with predicted flow patterns and channel morphology to

Environmental Restoration Program quality system requirements for the Hanford Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cote, R.F.

1993-11-01

This document defines the quality system requirements for the US Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office, Environmental Restoration Program at the Hanford Site. The Quality System Requirements (OSR) for the Hanford Site integrates quality assurance requirements from the US Department of Energy Orders, the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-Party Agreement), and applicable industry standards into a single source document for the development of quality systems applicable to the Environmental Restoration Program activities. This document, based on fifteen criteria and divided intro three parts, provides user organizations with the flexibility to incorporate only those criteria and parts applicable to their specific scopes of work. The requirements of this document shall be applied to activities that affect quality based on a graded approach that takes into consideration the risk inherent in, as well as the importance of, specific items, services, and activities in terms of meeting ER Program objectives and customer expectations. The individual quality systems developed in accordance with this document are intended to provide an integrated management control system that assures the conduct of ER Program activities in a manner that protects human health and the environment

Technical summary of groundwater quality protection program at the Savannah River Site, 1952--1986. Volume 1, Site geohydrology and waste sites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heffner, J.D. [ed.] [Exploration Resources, Inc., Athens, GA (United States)

1991-11-01

This report provides information regarding the status of and groundwater quality at the waste sites at the Department of Energy`s (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS). Specific information provided for each waste site at SRS includes its location, size, inventory (when known), and history. Many waste sites at SRS are considered to be of little environmental concern because they contain nontoxic or inert material such as construction rubble and debris. Other waste sites, however, either are known to have had an effect on groundwater quality or are suspected of having the potential to affect groundwater. Monitoring wells have been installed at most of these sites; monitoring wells are scheduled for installation at the remaining sites. Results of the groundwater analyses from these monitoring wells, presented in the appendices, are used in the report to help identify potential contaminants of concern, if any, at each waste site. The list of actions proposed for each waste site in Christensen and Gordon`s 1983 report are summarized, and an update is provided for each site. Planned actions for the future are also outlined.

Uncertainty and variability in laboratory derived sorption parameters of sediments from a uranium in situ recovery site.

Science.gov (United States)

Dangelmayr, Martin A; Reimus, Paul W; Johnson, Raymond H; Clay, James T; Stone, James J

2018-06-01

This research assesses the ability of a GC SCM to simulate uranium transport under variable geochemical conditions typically encountered at uranium in-situ recovery (ISR) sites. Sediment was taken from a monitoring well at the SRH site at depths 192 and 193 m below ground and characterized by XRD, XRF, TOC, and BET. Duplicate column studies on the different sediment depths, were flushed with synthesized restoration waters at two different alkalinities (160 mg/l CaCO 3 and 360 mg/l CaCO 3 ) to study the effect of alkalinity on uranium mobility. Uranium breakthrough occurred 25% - 30% earlier in columns with 360 mg/l CaCO 3 over columns fed with 160 mg/l CaCO 3 influent water. A parameter estimation program (PEST) was coupled to PHREEQC to derive site densities from experimental data. Significant parameter fittings were produced for all models, demonstrating that the GC SCM approach can model the impact of carbonate on uranium in flow systems. Derived site densities for the two sediment depths were between 141 and 178 μmol-sites/kg-soil, demonstrating similar sorption capacities despite heterogeneity in sediment mineralogy. Model sensitivity to alkalinity and pH was shown to be moderate compared to fitted site densities, when calcite saturation was allowed to equilibrate. Calcite kinetics emerged as a potential source of error when fitting parameters in flow conditions. Fitted results were compared to data from previous batch and column studies completed on sediments from the Smith-Ranch Highland (SRH) site, to assess variability in derived parameters. Parameters from batch experiments were lower by a factor of 1.1 to 3.4 compared to column studies completed on the same sediments. The difference was attributed to errors in solid-solution ratios and the impact of calcite dissolution in batch experiments. Column studies conducted at two different laboratories showed almost an order of magnitude difference in fitted site densities suggesting that experimental

A preliminary assessment of the spatial sources of contemporary suspended sediment in the Ohio River basin, United States, using water quality data from the NASQAN programme in a source tracing procedure

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Y.-S.; Collins, A.L.; Horowitz, A.J.

2012-01-01

Reliable information on catchment scale suspended sediment sources is required to inform the design of management strategies for helping abate the numerous environmental issues associated with enhanced sediment mobilization and off-site loadings. Since sediment fingerprinting techniques avoid many of the logistical constraints associated with using more traditional indirect measurement methods at catchment scale, such approaches have been increasingly reported in the international literature and typically use data sets collected specifically for sediment source apportionment purposes. There remains scope for investigating the potential for using geochemical data sets assembled by routine monitoring programmes to fingerprint sediment provenance. In the United States, routine water quality samples are collected as part of the US Geological Survey's revised National Stream Quality Accounting Network programme. Accordingly, the geochemistry data generated from these samples over a 10-year period (1996-2006) were used as the basis for a fingerprinting exercise to assess the key tributary sub-catchment spatial sources of contemporary suspended sediment transported by the Ohio River. Uncertainty associated with the spatial source estimates was quantified using a Monte Carlo approach in conjunction with mass balance modelling. Relative frequency weighted means were used as an alternative way of summarizing the spatial source contributions, thereby avoiding the need to use confidence limits. The results should be interpreted in the context of the routine, but infrequent nature, of the suspended sediment samples used to assemble geochemistry as a basis for the sourcing exercise. Nonetheless, the study demonstrates how routine monitoring samples can be used to provide some preliminary information on sediment provenance in large drainage basins. ?? 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Site-specific waste management instruction for the 100-KR-4 Operable Unit drilling. Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hadley, J.T.

1996-08-01

This site-specific waste management instruction provides guidance for the management of waste generated as a result of groundwater well installations in the 100-KR-4 Operable Unit (OU). The well installations are necessary to implement the Remedial Action (RA) option (pump-and-treat using ion exchange) to prevent discharge of hexavalent chromium at levels above those considered protective of aquatic life in the Columbia River and riverbed sediments

Hydrodynamics and sediment transport at Muria Peninsula NPP Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heni Susiati; Berni A Subki; Harman A

2011-01-01

Coastal along the coast of the Muria Peninsula, particularly the location of the Muria NPP site candidate is a dynamic region, the interaction between physical oceanographic factors such as currents, waves and tides in the coastal sediments cause abrasion or accretion. Interactions have resulted in coastal dynamics needs to be considered in siting NPP is essential in order to plan. Capacity of hydro-oceanographic data is essential in order to plan the development of the Muria NPP. The process of selecting a safe site for hydro-oceanographic aspects carried out according to IAEA safety standards on site selection. For the evaluation stage of hydro oceanographic potential site (site survey stage), the analysis is more focused on the tidal along the northern coast, bathymetry, potential water resources and hydrologic systems in the Muria NPP siting locations, Jepara. The method used is a secondary, confirmation of field data collection and interpretation of modeling results. The results showed that the preparation for the construction of NPP need to be evaluated further to coastal conditions with respect to the increase coastal erosion in the area of prospective NPP siting. (author)

Quality of Streams in Johnson County, Kansas, and Relations to Environmental Variables, 2003-07

Science.gov (United States)

Rasmussen, Teresa J.; Poulton, Barry C.; Graham, Jennifer L.

2009-01-01

, biological quality improved at one rural sampling site, possibly because of changes in wastewater affecting the site, and declined at three urban sites possibly because of the combined effects of ongoing development. Rural streams in the western and southern parts of the county, with land-use conditions similar to those found at the State reference site (Captain Creek), continue to support some organisms normally associated with healthy streams. Several environmental factors contribute to biological indicators of stream quality. The primary factor explaining biological quality at sites in Johnson County was the amount of urbanization upstream in the watershed. Specific conductance of stream water, which is a measure of dissolved solids in water and is determined primarily by the amount of groundwater contributing to streamflow, the amount of urbanization, and discharges from wastewater and industrial sites, was strongly negatively correlated with biological stream quality as indicated by macroinvertebrate metrics. Concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in streambed sediment also was negatively correlated with biological stream quality. Individual habitat variables that most commonly were positively correlated with biological indicators included stream sinuosity, buffer length, and substrate cover diversity. Riffle substrate embeddedness and sediment deposition commonly were negatively correlated with favorable metric scores. Statistical analysis indicated that specific conductance, impervious surface area (a measure of urbanization), and stream sinuosity explained 85 percent of the variance in macroinvertebrate communities. Management practices affecting environmental variables that appear to be most important for Johnson County streams include protection of stream corridors, measures that reduce the effects of impervious surfaces associated with urbanization, reduction of dissolved solids in stream water, reduction of PAHs entering streams and

Geophysical bed sediment characterization of the Androscoggin River from the former Chlor-Alkali Facility Superfund Site, Berlin, New Hampshire, to the state border with Maine, August 2009

Science.gov (United States)

Degnan, James R.; Teeple, Andrew; Johnston, Craig M.; Marvin-DiPasquale, Mark C.; Luce, Darryl

2011-01-01

The former Chlor-Alkali Facility in Berlin, New Hampshire, was listed on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency National Priorities List in 2005 as a Superfund site. The Chlor-Alkali Facility lies on the east bank of the Androscoggin River. Elemental mercury currently discharges from that bank into the Androscoggin River. The nature, extent, and the speciation of mercury and the production of methyl mercury contamination in the adjacent Androscoggin River is the subject of continuing investigations. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Region I of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, used geophysical methods to determine the distribution, thickness, and physical properties of sediments in the Androscoggin River channel at a small area of an upstream reference reach and downstream from the site to the New Hampshire–Maine State border. Separate reaches of the Androscoggin River in the study area were surveyed with surface geophysical methods including ground-penetrating radar and step-frequency electromagnetics. Results were processed to assess sediment characteristics including grain size, electrical conductivity, and pore-water specific conductance. Specific conductance measured during surface- and pore-water sampling was used to help interpret the results of the geophysical surveys. The electrical resistivity of sediment samples was measured in the laboratory with intact pore water for comparison with survey results. In some instances, anthropogenic features and land uses, such as roads and power lines affected the detection of riverbed properties using geophysical methods; when this occurred, the data were removed. Through combining results, detailed riverbed sediment characterizations were made. Results from ground-penetrating radar surveys were used to image and measure the depth to the riverbed, depth to buried riverbeds, riverbed thickness and to interpret material-type variations in terms of relative grain size. Fifty two percent of the

Predicting pollutant concentrations in the water column during dredging operations: Implications for sediment quality criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wasserman, Julio Cesar; Wasserman, Maria Angélica V.; Barrocas, Paulo Rubens G.; Almeida, Aline Mansur

2016-01-01

The development of new dredging techniques that can reduce, or at least predict, the environmental impacts, is in high demand by governments in developing countries. In the present work, a new methodology was developed, to evaluate the level of metals contamination (i.e. cadmium, lead and zinc) of the water column, during a dredging operation. This methodology was used to evaluate the impacts of the construction of a new maritime terminal in Sepetiba Bay, Brazil. The methodology quantifies the amount of resuspended sediments and calculates the expected contaminants concentrations in the water column. The results indicated that sediment quality criteria were not compatible with water quality criteria, because the dredging of contaminated sediments does not necessarily yield contaminated water. It is suggested that the use of sediment quality criteria for dredging operations might be abandoned, and the methodology presented in this study applied to assess dredging's environmental impacts, predicting water contamination levels. - Graphical abstract: A graphic model showing transference of contaminants from the sediments to the water column. The dark sediment area represents the dredged sediments and the arrows emerging from them represent the resuspended sediments affecting the water column. - Highlights: •Developing countries demand for new dredging projects. •A new model evaluates concentrations of metals in the water, caused by dredging. •The model shows that water and sediment quality criteria are not compatible. •Local hydrodynamics have a strong influence on the contamination of the water. •Management of dredging operations reduces environmental contamination.

Evaluation of toxicity to the amphipod, Hyalella azteca, and to the midge, Chironomus dilutus; and bioaccumulation by the oligochaete, Lumbriculus variegatus, with exposure to PCB-contaminated sediments from Anniston, Alabama

Science.gov (United States)

Ingersoll, Christopher G.; Steevens, Jeffery A.; MacDonald, Donald D.; Brumbaugh, William G.; Coady, Matthew R.; Farrar, J. Daniel; Lotufo, Guilherme R.; Kemble, Nile E.; Kunz, James L.; Stanley, Jacob K.; Sinclair, Jesse A.; Ingersoll, Christopher G.; Steevens, Jeffery A.; MacDonald, Donald D.

2014-01-01

characterization of samples of whole sediment included analyses of grain size, TOC, and nutrients. Organic chemical characterization of samples of whole sediment included PCB homologs and select (13) PCB congeners, parent and alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organochlorine pesticides, and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins; and dibenzofurans. The PCB aroclors analyzed included 1016, 1221, 1232, 1242, 1248, 1254, 1260, 1262 and 1268. Analyses of whole sediment also included total metals, simultaneously extracted metals, and acid volatile sulfide. Chemical characterization of samples of pore water isolated from samples of whole sediment at the start of the sediment toxicity exposures or at the start of the sediment bioaccumulation exposures included metals, major cations, major anions, dissolved organic carbon, and additional water-quality characteristics. Concentrations of metals or PCBs in pore water during the sediment toxicity exposures or during sediment bioaccumulation exposures also were determined using peeper samples (for metals) or solid-phase microextraction (SPME) samplers (for PCBs). The bioavailability and bioaccumulation of PCBs in 14 sediment samples were investigated using SPME passive samplers and the 28-d L. variegatus whole-sediment bioaccumulation exposures In general the accumulation of PCBs consistently was predicted through the use of organic carbon normalization and equilibrium partitioning. In these sediments, PCB homologs were accumulated differently based on bioavailability and potential to accumulate in oligochaetes. As part of this assessment homolog specific biota sediment accumulation factor values were developed that could be applied across the larger site to predict tissue levels of PCBs. The whole-sediment toxicity tests done with H. azteca and C. dilutus met the established ASTM and USEPA test acceptability criteria. The most responsive H. azteca endpoints were day 42 survival normalized young per female and day 28 biomass and

Assessing the impact of preload on pyrite-rich sediment and groundwater quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Karikari-Yeboah, Ohene; Addai-Mensah, Jonas

2017-02-01

Pyrite-rich sediments would, invariably, undergo redox reactions which would lead to acidic aqueous environment containing solubilized toxic metal species. When such sediments are subjected to preload, a technique employed by geotechnical engineers to improve the load-bearing capacity of highly compressible formation, transient flow of pore water, accompanied by acidity transfer, would occur as a response. Despite the concomitant environmental and socio-economic significance, to date, there has been limited interdisciplinary research on the underpinning geotechnical engineering and geo-environmental science issues for pyrite-rich sediments under preload. In this study, we investigate the effect of pyrite-rich sediment pore water transfer under preload surcharge on the receiving environment and the impact on the groundwater speciation and quality. Sediment samples were obtained at close depth intervals from boreholes established within pristine areas and those subjected to the preload application. Soil and pore water samples were subjected to solid/solution speciation, moisture contents, soil pH and the Atterberg Limits' analyses using standard analytical techniques and methods. Standpipes were also installed in the boreholes for groundwater sampling and in situ monitoring of water quality parameters. It is shown that the imposition of preload surcharge over pyritic sediment created a reducing environment rich in SO 4 2- , iron oxide minerals and organic matter. This reducing environment fostered organic carbon catabolism to generate excess pyrite and bicarbonate alkalinity, which would invariably impact adversely on soil quality and plant growth. These were accompanied by increase in pH, dissolved Al, Ca, Mg and K species beneath the surcharge.

Data quality objectives summary report for 105-N Basin sediment disposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pisarcik, D.J.

1998-01-01

During stabilization of the 105-N Basin, sediments that have accumulated on 105-N Basin surfaces will be vacuumed, collected in the North Cask Pit of the basin complex, and eventually removed. The Environmental Assessment for the Deactivation of the N Reactor Facilities describes two potential disposition paths for the 105-N Basin sediment: transfer in slurry form to a double-shell tank if determined to be a transuranic waste, or disposal in solid form as a low-level waste. Interim storage of the sediments may be required if a transfer to the Tank Waste Remediation System cannot meet schedule milestones. Selection of a particular alternative depends on the final characterization of the accumulated sediment, regulatory requirements, cost/benefit analyses, and 105-N Stabilization Project schedule requirements. Revision 0 of this Data Quality Objectives (DQO) report was issued to describe a formal DQO process that was performed according to BHI-EE-01, Environmental Investigations Procedures, EIP 1.2, Data Quality Objectives, Revision 1. Since publication of Revision 0 of this report, important changes to the disposition strategy for 100-N Deactivation sediment material have been proposed, evaluated, discussed with the US Department of Energy and State of Washington Department of Ecology, and implemented. Revision 1 of this report documents these changes

Historical variations of Bera Lake (Malaysia) sediments geochemistry using radioisotopes and sediment quality indices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohammadreza Gharibreza; John Kuna Raj; Ismail Yusoff; Zainudin Othman; Wan Zakaria Wan Muhamad Tahir; Muhammad Aqeel Ashraf

2013-01-01

The Bera Lake basin is a lacustrine mire system and the largest natural lake in Peninsular Malaysia. Three cores were collected from the lake sediments in order to assess sediment quality and ecological risks for aquatic life and human health. An index analysis approach (C f , C d , E r , and IR) and fallout 210 Pb and 137 Cs radioisotopes were applied to assess the impacts of environmental evolutionary changes. Sediment chronology was determined using the Constant Rate of Supply model with the resultant ages verified by 137 Cs horizons. Although the general contamination factors indicate low risk conditions in Bera Lake the risks associated with individual layers ranged from moderate to considerable. Five deforestation phases can be identified in the dated sediment cores with distinct variations in heavy metal influxes since 1972. These phases are in excellent agreement with the dates of land clearance and development projects undertaken over the past four decades. This study has highlighted the capability of contamination factors and chronological methods in environmental evolutionary studies where catchments have experienced extensive land use changes. The destiny of heavy metal influxes into a lake can also be revealed using this methodology. (author)

Water-quality assessment of the Albermarle-Pamlico drainage basin, North Carolina and Virginia; a summary of selected trace element, nutrient, and pesticide data for bed sediments, 1969-90

Science.gov (United States)

Skrobialowski, S.C.

1996-01-01

Spatial distributions of metals and trace elements, nutrients, and pesticides and polychiorinated biphenyls (PCB's) in bed sediment were characterized using data collected from 1969 through 1990 and stored in the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water Data Storage and Retrieval (WATSTORE) system and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Storage and Retrieval (STORET) system databases. Bed-sediment data from WATSTORE and STORET were combined to form a single database of 1,049 records representing 301 sites. Data were examined for concentrations of 16 metals and trace elements, 4 nutrients, 10 pesticides, and PCB's. Maximum bed-sediment concentrations were evaluated relative to sediment-quality guidelines developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Energy, and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. Sites were not selected randomly; therefore, results should not be interpreted as representing average conditions. Many sites were located in or around lakes and reservoirs, urban areas, and areas where special investigations were conducted. Lakes and reservoirs function as effective sediment traps, and elevated concentrations of some constituents occurred at these sites. High concentrations of many metals and trace elements also occurred near urban areas where streams receive runoff or inputs from industrial, residential, and municipal activities. Elevated nutrient concentrations occurred near lakes, reservoirs, and the mouths of major rivers. The highest concentrations of arsenic, beryllium, chromium, iron. mercury, nickel, and selenium occurred in the Roanoke River Basin and may be a result of geologic formations or accumulations of bed sediment in lakes and reservoirs. The highest concentrations of cadmium, lead, and thallium were detected in the Chowan River Basin; copper and zinc were reported highest in the Neuse River Basin. Total phosphorus and total ammonia plus organic nitrogen

Waves, currents and sediment transport modelling at the Wave Hub site

OpenAIRE

Gonzalez-Santamaria, Raul

2013-01-01

Primary supervisory team: Qingping Zou and Shunqi Pan This research project uses an integrated modelling system to investigate the effects of a wave farm on nearshore sediment transport at the Wave Hub site. The Wave Hub project is a large scale demonstration site for the development of the operation of arrays of wave energy generation devices located at the southwest coast of the UK where multiple field measurements took place. Particular attention of this study was paid to th...

Methane emission in a specific riparian-zone sediment decreased with bioelectrochemical manipulation and corresponded to the microbial community dynamics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elliot S. Friedman

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Dissimilatory metal-reducing bacteria are widespread in terrestrial ecosystems, especially in anaerobic soils and sediments. Thermodynamically, dissimilatory metal reduction is more favorable than sulfate reduction and methanogenesis but less favorable than denitrification and aerobic respiration. It is critical to understand the complex relationships, including the absence or presence of terminal electron acceptors, that govern microbial competition and coexistence in anaerobic soils and sediments, because subsurface microbial processes can effect greenhouse gas emissions from soils, possibly resulting in impacts at the global scale. Here, we elucidated the effect of an inexhaustible, ferrous-iron and humic-substance mimicking terminal electron acceptor by deploying potentiostatically poised electrodes in the sediment of a very specific stream riparian zone in Upstate New York state. At two sites within the same stream riparian zone during the course of six weeks in the spring of 2013, we measured CH4 and N2/N2O emissions from soil chambers containing either poised or unpoised electrodes, and we harvested biofilms from the electrodes to quantify microbial community dynamics. At the upstream site, which had a lower vegetation cover and highest soil temperatures, the poised electrodes inhibited CH4 emissions by ~45% (when normalized to remove temporal effects. CH4 emissions were not significantly impacted at the downstream site. N2/N2O emissions were generally low at both sites and were not impacted by poised electrodes. We did not find a direct link between bioelectrochemical treatment and microbial community membership; however, we did find a correspondence between environment/function and microbial community dynamics.

In situ groundwater and sediment bioremediation: barriers and perspectives at European contaminated sites.

Science.gov (United States)

Majone, Mauro; Verdini, Roberta; Aulenta, Federico; Rossetti, Simona; Tandoi, Valter; Kalogerakis, Nicolas; Agathos, Spiros; Puig, Sebastià; Zanaroli, Giulio; Fava, Fabio

2015-01-25

This paper contains a critical examination of the current application of environmental biotechnologies in the field of bioremediation of contaminated groundwater and sediments. Based on analysis of conventional technologies applied in several European Countries and in the US, scientific, technical and administrative barriers and constraints which still need to be overcome for an improved exploitation of bioremediation are discussed. From this general survey, it is evident that in situ bioremediation is a highly promising and cost-effective technology for remediation of contaminated soil, groundwater and sediments. The wide metabolic diversity of microorganisms makes it applicable to an ever-increasing number of contaminants and contamination scenarios. On the other hand, in situ bioremediation is highly knowledge-intensive and its application requires a thorough understanding of the geochemistry, hydrogeology, microbiology and ecology of contaminated soils, groundwater and sediments, under both natural and engineered conditions. Hence, its potential still remains partially unexploited, largely because of a lack of general consensus and public concerns regarding the lack of effectiveness and control, poor reliability, and possible occurrence of side effects, for example accumulation of toxic metabolites and pathogens. Basic, applied and pre-normative research are all needed to overcome these barriers and make in situ bioremediation more reliable, robust and acceptable to the public, as well as economically more competitive. Research efforts should not be restricted to a deeper understanding of relevant microbial reactions, but also include their interactions with the large array of other relevant phenomena, as a function of the truly variable site-specific conditions. There is a need for a further development and application of advanced biomolecular tools for site investigation, as well as of advanced metabolic and kinetic modelling tools. These would allow a

Sediment quality guidelines for copper and zinc for filter-feeding estuarine oysters?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Birch, G.F.; Hogg, T.D.

2011-01-01

Sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) assess the ability of bottom sediment to sustain healthy infauna and water quality guidelines (WQGs) provide protection for a designated percentage of aquatic species. Filter-feeding marine species, e.g. oysters and mussels, acquire food from particles in the water column and protection of these animals is not provided by SQGs or WQGs. The current work investigated the relationship between metal (Cu, Zn) concentrations in total and fine-fraction ( -1 and -1 , respectively) for protecting oysters from exceeding human consumption levels (70 μg g -1 and 1000 μg g -1 , respectively). - A strong correlation between oyster tissue Cu and Zn concentrations and fine-fraction surficial sediment digested in 1 M HCl provided a sedimentary guideline which predicted tissue metal concentrations in oysters and established a level for protecting oysters from exceeding human consumption levels for these metals. The guidelines for fine surficial sediment developed in the present work accurately predicted oyster tissue concentrations in the field.

Bioavailability, ecotoxicity, and geological characteristics of trace lead in sediments from two sites on Negro River, Uruguay, South America.

Science.gov (United States)

Míguez, Diana M; Huertas, Raquel; Carrara, María V; Carnikián, Agustín; Bouvier, María E; Martínez, María J; Keel, Karen; Pioda, Carolina; Darré, Elena; Pérez, Ramiro; Viera, Santiago; Massa, Enrique

2012-04-01

Bioassays of two sites along the Rio Negro in Uruguay indicate ecotoxicity, which could be attributable to trace concentrations of lead in river sediments. Monthly samples at two sites at Baygorria and Bonete locations were analyzed for both particle size and lead. Lead was determined by atomic spectrometry in river water and sediment and particle size by sieving and sedimentation. Data showed that Baygorria's sediments have greater percentage of clay than Bonete's (20.4 and 5.8%, respectively). Lead was measurable in Baygorria's sediments, meanwhile in Bonete's, it was always below the detection limit. In water samples, lead was below detection limit at both sites. Bioassays using sub-lethal growth and survival test with Hyalella curvispina amphipod, screening with bioluminescent bacteria Photobacterium leiognathi, and acute toxicity bioassay with Pimephales promelas fish indicated toxicity at Baygorria, with much less effect at Bonete. Even though no lethal effects could be demonstrated, higher sub-lethal toxicity was found in samples from Baygorria site, showing a possible concentration of the contaminant in the clay fraction.

Standard operating procedures for collection of soil and sediment samples for the Sediment-bound Contaminant Resiliency and Response (SCoRR) strategy pilot study

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher, Shawn C.; Reilly, Timothy J.; Jones, Daniel K.; Benzel, William M.; Griffin, Dale W.; Loftin, Keith A.; Iwanowicz, Luke R.; Cohl, Jonathan A.

2015-12-17

An understanding of the effects on human and ecological health brought by major coastal storms or flooding events is typically limited because of a lack of regionally consistent baseline and trends data in locations proximal to potential contaminant sources and mitigation activities, sensitive ecosystems, and recreational facilities where exposures are probable. In an attempt to close this gap, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has implemented the Sediment-bound Contaminant Resiliency and Response (SCoRR) strategy pilot study to collect regional sediment-quality data prior to and in response to future coastal storms. The standard operating procedure (SOP) detailed in this document serves as the sample-collection protocol for the SCoRR strategy by providing step-by-step instructions for site preparation, sample collection and processing, and shipping of soil and surficial sediment (for example, bed sediment, marsh sediment, or beach material). The objectives of the SCoRR strategy pilot study are (1) to create a baseline of soil-, sand-, marsh sediment-, and bed-sediment-quality data from sites located in the coastal counties from Maine to Virginia based on their potential risk of being contaminated in the event of a major coastal storm or flooding (defined as Resiliency mode); and (2) respond to major coastal storms and flooding by reoccupying select baseline sites and sampling within days of the event (defined as Response mode). For both modes, samples are collected in a consistent manner to minimize bias and maximize quality control by ensuring that all sampling personnel across the region collect, document, and process soil and sediment samples following the procedures outlined in this SOP. Samples are analyzed using four USGS-developed screening methods—inorganic geochemistry, organic geochemistry, pathogens, and biological assays—which are also outlined in this SOP. Because the SCoRR strategy employs a multi-metric approach for sample analyses, this

Relating groundwater and sediment chemistry to microbial characterization at a BTEX-contaminated site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pfiffner, S.M.; Palumbo, A.V.; McCarthy, J.F.; Gibson, T.

1996-01-01

The National Center for Manufacturing Science is investigating bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon at a site in Belleville, Michigan. As part of this study we examined the microbial communities to help elucidate biodegradative processes currently active at the site. We observed high densities of aerobic hydrocarbon degraders and denitrifiers in the less-contaminated sediments. Low densities of iron and sulfate reducers were measured in the same sediments. In contrast, the highly-contaminated sediments showed low densities of aerobic hydrocarbon degraders and denitrifiers and high densities of iron and sulfate reducers. Methanogens were also found in these highly-contaminated sediments. These contaminated sediments also showed a higher biomass, by phospholipid fatty acids, and greater ratios of phospholipid fatty acids which indicate stress within the microbial community. Aquifer chemistry analyses indicated that the more-contaminated area was more reduced and had lower sulfate than the less-contaminated area. These conditions suggest that the subsurface environment at the highly-contaminated area had progressed into sulfate reduction and methanogensis. The less-contaminated area, although less reduced, also appeared to be progressing into primarily iron- and sulfate-reducing microbial communities. The proposed treatment to stimulate bioremediation includes addition of oxygen and nitrate. Groundwater chemistry and microbial analyses revealed significant differences resulted from the injection of dissolved oxygen and nitrate in the subsurface. These differences included increases in pH and Eh and large decreases in BTEX, dissolved iron, and sulfate concentrations at the injection well

Distribution and pollution, toxicity and risk assessment of heavy metals in sediments from urban and rural rivers of the Pearl River delta in southern China.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Rong; Bai, Junhong; Huang, Laibin; Zhang, Honggang; Cui, Baoshan; Liu, Xinhui

2013-12-01

Sediments were collected from the upper, middle and lower reaches of both urban and rural rivers in a typical urbanization zone of the Pearl River delta. Six heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) were analyzed in all sediment samples, and their spatial distribution, pollution levels, toxicity and ecological risk levels were evaluated to compare the characteristics of heavy metal pollution between the two rivers. Our results indicated that the total contents of the six metals in all samples exceeded the soil background value in Guangdong province. Based on the soil quality thresholds of the China SEPA, Cd levels at all sites exceeded class III criteria, and other metals exhibited pollution levels exceeding class II or III criteria at both river sites. According to the sediment quality guidelines of the US EPA, all samples were moderately to heavily polluted by Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn. Compared to rural river sites, urban river sites exhibited heavier pollution. Almost all sediment samples from both rivers exhibited moderate to serious toxicity to the environment, with higher contributions from Cr and Ni. A "hot area" of heavy metal pollution being observed in the upper and middle reaches of the urban river area, whereas a "hot spot" was identified at a specific site in the middle reach of the rural river. Contrary metal distribution patterns were also observed along typical sediment profiles from urban and rural rivers. However, the potential ecological risk indices of rural river sediments in this study were equal to those of urban river sediments, implying that the ecological health issues of the rivers in the undeveloped rural area should also be addressed. Sediment organic matter and grain size might be important factors influencing the distribution profiles of these heavy metals.

Can interpreting sediment toxicity tests a mega sites benefit from novel approaches to normalization to address batching of tests?

Science.gov (United States)

Sediment toxicity tests are a key tool used in Ecological Risk Assessments for contaminated sediment sites. Interpreting test results and defining toxicity is often a challenge. This is particularly true at mega sites where the testing regime is large, and by necessity performed ...

Geochemistry of Mine Waste and Mill Tailings, Meadow Deposits, Streambed Sediment, and General Hydrology and Water Quality for the Frohner Meadows Area, Upper Lump Gulch, Jefferson County, Montana

Science.gov (United States)

Klein, Terry L.; Cannon, Michael R.; Fey, David L.

2004-01-01

Frohner Meadows, an area of low-topographic gradient subalpine ponds and wetlands in glaciated terrane near the headwaters of Lump Gulch (a tributary of Prickly Pear Creek), is located about 15 miles west of the town of Clancy, Montana, in the Helena National Forest. Mining and ore treatment of lead-zinc-silver veins in granitic rocks of the Boulder batholith over the last 120 years from two sites (Frohner mine and the Nellie Grant mine) has resulted in accumulations of mine waste and mill tailings that have been distributed downslope and downstream by anthropogenic and natural processes. This report presents the results of an investigation of the geochemistry of the wetlands, streams, and unconsolidated-sediment deposits and the hydrology, hydrogeology, and water quality of the area affected by these sources of ore-related metals. Ground water sampled from most shallow wells in the meadow system contained high concentrations of arsenic, exceeding the Montana numeric water-quality standard for human health. Transport of cadmium and zinc in ground water is indicated at one site near Nellie Grant Creek based on water-quality data from one well near the creek. Mill tailings deposited in upper Frohner Meadow contribute large arsenic loads to Frohner Meadows Creek; Nellie Grant Creek contributes large arsenic, cadmium, and zinc loads to upper Frohner Meadows. Concentrations of total-recoverable cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc in most surface-water sites downstream from the Nellie Grant mine area exceeded Montana aquatic-life standards. Nearly all samples of surface water and ground water had neutral to slightly alkaline pH values. Concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and zinc in streambed sediment in the entire meadow below the mine waste and mill tailings accumulations are highly enriched relative to regional watershed-background concentrations and exceed consensus-based, probable-effects concentrations for streambed sediment at most sites. Cadmium, copper, and

Benthic Community Structure and Sediment Geochemical Properties at Hydrocarbon Seeps Along the Continental Slope of the Western North Atlantic

Science.gov (United States)

Demopoulos, A. W.; Bourque, J. R.; Brooke, S.

2015-12-01

Hydrocarbon seeps support distinct benthic communities capable of utilizing reduced chemical compounds for nutrition. In recent years, methane seepage has been increasingly documented along the continental slope of the U.S. Atlantic margin. In 2012 and 2013, two seeps were investigated in this region: a shallow site near Baltimore Canyon (410-450 m) and a deep site near Norfolk Canyon (1600 m). Both sites contain extensive mussel beds and microbial mats. Sediment cores and grab samples were collected to quantify the abundance, diversity, and community structure of benthic macrofauna (>300 mm) in relationship to the associated sediment environment (organic carbon and nitrogen, stable isotopes 13C and 15N, grain size, and depth) of mussel beds, mats, and slope habitats. Macrofaunal densities in microbial mats were four times greater than those present in mussel beds and slope sediments. Macrofaunal communities were distinctly different both between depths and among habitat types. Specifically, microbial mat sediments were dominated by the annelid families Dorvilleidae, Capitellidae, and Tubificidae, while mussel habitats had higher proportions of crustaceans. Diversity was lower in Baltimore microbial mat habitats, but higher in mussel and slope sediments compared to Norfolk seep habitats found at deeper depths. Multivariate statistical analysis identified sediment carbon:nitrogen (C:N) ratios and 13C values as important variables for structuring the macrofaunal communities. Higher C:N ratios were present within microbial mat habitats and depleted 13C values occurred in sediments adjacent to mussel beds found in Norfolk Canyon seeps. Differences in the quality and source of organic matter present in the seep habitats are known to be important drivers in macrofaunal community structure and associated food webs. The multivariate analysis provides new insight into the relative importance of the seep sediment quality in supporting dense macrofaunal communities compared

Uranium (VI) Sorption and Transport in Unsaturated, Subsurface Hanford Site Sediments - Effect of Moisture Content and Sediment Texture: Final Report for Subtask 2b

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gamerdinger, A.P.; Resch, C.T.; Kaplan, D.I.

1998-01-01

A series of experiments were conducted in fiscal year 1998 at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory as part of the Immobilized Low-Activity Waste-Performance Assessment. These experiments evaluated the sorption and transport of uranium, U(VI), under conditions of partial moisture saturation that are relevant to arid region burial sites and vadose-zone far-field conditions at the Hanford Site. The focus was on measuring breakthrough curves (from which distribution coefficient [K d ] values can be calculated) for U(W) in three Hanford Site sediments that represent different texture classes in two unsaturated moisture conditions. Previous research showed that K d values measured during transport in unsaturated sediments varied with moisture saturation

Sediment Origin Determination in the Sub-Catchment of Mistelbach (Austria) using Fatty Acids Biomarkers and Compound-Specific Stable Isotope Techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mabit, L.; Chen, X.; Resch, C.; Toloza, A.; Meusburger, K.; Alewell, C.; Gibbs, M.; Klik, A.; Eder, A.; Strauss, P.

2016-01-01

Compound-specific stable isotope (CSSI) signatures of inherent soil organic biomarkers allow discriminating and apportioning the source of soil contribution from different land uses. Plant communities label the soil where they grow by exuding organic biomarkers. Although all plants produce the same biomarkers, the stable isotopic signature of those biomarkers is different for each plant species. For agri-environmental investigations, the CSSI technique is based on the measurement of carbon-13 ( 13 C) natural abundance signatures of specific organic compounds such as natural fatty acids (FAs) in the soil. By linking fingerprints of land use to the sediment in deposition zones, this approach has been shown to be a useful technique for determining the source of eroded soil and thereby identifying areas prone to soil degradation. The authors have used this innovative technique to investigate a 3 hectares sub-catchment of Mistelbach situated 60 km north of Vienna. Using the 137 Cs technique, Mabit et al. (2009) reported a local maximum sedimentation rate reaching 20 to 50 t ha -1 yr -1 in the lowest part of this Austrian catchment. To test the ability of the CSSI technique to discriminate different sediment sources of these deposited sediments, representative soil samples from four main agricultural fields of the site were analyzed

Identifying the Correlation between Water Quality Data and LOADEST Model Behavior in Annual Sediment Load Estimations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Youn Shik Park

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Water quality samples are typically collected less frequently than flow since water quality sampling is costly. Load Estimator (LOADEST, provided by the United States Geological Survey, is used to predict water quality concentration (or load on days when flow data are measured so that the water quality data are sufficient for annual pollutant load estimation. However, there is a need to identify water quality data requirements for accurate pollutant load estimation. Measured daily sediment data were collected from 211 streams. Estimated annual sediment loads from LOADEST and subsampled data were compared to the measured annual sediment loads (true load. The means of flow for calibration data were correlated to model behavior. A regression equation was developed to compute the required mean of flow in calibration data to best calibrate the LOADEST regression model coefficients. LOADEST runs were performed to investigate the correlation between the mean flow in calibration data and model behaviors as daily water quality data were subsampled. LOADEST calibration data used sediment concentration data for flows suggested by the regression equation. Using the mean flow calibrated by the regression equation reduced errors in annual sediment load estimation from −39.7% to −10.8% compared to using all available data.

Suspended sediment and sediment-associated contaminants in San Francisco Bay

Science.gov (United States)

Schoellhamer, D.H.; Mumley, T.E.; Leatherbarrow, J.E.

2007-01-01

Water-quality managers desire information on the temporal and spatial variability of contaminant concentrations and the magnitudes of watershed and bed-sediment loads in San Francisco Bay. To help provide this information, the Regional Monitoring Program for Trace Substances in the San Francisco Estuary (RMP) takes advantage of the association of many contaminants with sediment particles by continuously measuring suspended-sediment concentration (SSC), which is an accurate, less costly, and more easily measured surrogate for several trace metals and organic contaminants. Continuous time series of SSC are collected at several sites in the Bay. Although semidiurnal and diurnal tidal fluctuations are present, most of the variability of SSC occurs at fortnightly, monthly, and semiannual tidal time scales. A seasonal cycle of sediment inflow, wind-wave resuspension, and winnowing of fine sediment also is observed. SSC and, thus, sediment-associated contaminants tend to be greater in shallower water, at the landward ends of the Bay, and in several localized estuarine turbidity maxima. Although understanding of sediment transport has improved in the first 10 years of the RMP, determining a simple mass budget of sediment or associated contaminants is confounded by uncertainties regarding sediment flux at boundaries, change in bed-sediment storage, and appropriate modeling techniques. Nevertheless, management of sediment-associated contaminants has improved greatly. Better understanding of sediment and sediment-associated contaminants in the Bay is of great interest to evaluate the value of control actions taken and the need for additional controls. ?? 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characteristics of Rainfall-Discharge and Water Quality at Limboto Lake, Gorontalo, Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luki Subehi

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Problems of high turbidity, sedimentation, water pollution and siltation occur at Limboto Lake, Gorontalo, Indonesia. The objective of this study was to analyze the rainfall-discharge relationship and its implications for water quality conditions. Secchi disk (water transparency, chlorophyll-a (chl-a, and total organic matter (TOM were measured in May 2012, September 2012 and March 2013 at three sites of the lake (L-1, L-2 and L-3 to observe the impacts on the surrounding catchment. Based on representative stations for rainfall data from 2004 to 2013, monthly averages of rainfall in March-May (166.7 mm and September (76.4 mm were used to represent the wet and dry period, respectively. Moreover, sediment traps at these three sites were installed in September 2012. Based on the analysis it is suggested that rainfall magnitude and land use change at the Alopohu River catchment influenced the amount of materials flowing into the lake, degrading the water quality. Specifically, the higher average rainfall in May (184.5 mm gave a higher average total sediment load (4.41 g/L/day. In addition, water transparency decreased with increasing chl-a. This indicates that the concentrations of sediment and nutrients, reflected by the high amount of chl-a, influenced the water quality conditions.

Data Used in Analyses of Trends, and Nutrient and Suspended-Sediment Loads for Streams in the Southeastern United States, 1973-2005

Science.gov (United States)

Staub, Erik L.; Peak, Kelly L.; Tighe, Kirsten C.; Sadorf, Eric M.; Harned, Douglas A.

2010-01-01

Water-quality data from selected surface-water monitoring sites in the Southeastern United States were assessed for trends in concentrations of nutrients, suspended sediment, and major constituents and for in-stream nutrient and suspended-sediment loads for the period 1973-2005. The area of interest includes river basins draining into the southern Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Tennessee River-drainage basins in Hydrologic Regions 03 (South Atlantic - Gulf) and 06 (Tennessee). This data assessment is related to studies of several major river basins as part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment Program, which was designed to assess national water-quality trends during a common time period (1993-2004). Included in this report are data on which trend tests could be performed from 44 U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System (NWIS) sampling sites. The constituents examined include major ions, nutrients, and suspended sediment; the physical properties examined include pH, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and streamflow. Also included are data that were tested for trends from an additional 290 sites from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Storage and Retrieval (STORET) database. The trend analyses of the STORET data were limited to total nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations. Data from 48 U.S. Geological Survey NWIS sampling sites with sufficient water-quality and continuous streamflow data for estimating nutrient and sediment loads are included. The methods of data compilation and modification used prior to performing trend tests and load estimation are described. Results of the seasonal Kendall trend test and the Tobit trend test are given for the 334 monitoring sites, and in-stream load estimates are given for the 48 monitoring sites. Basin characteristics are provided, including regional landscape variables and agricultural nutrient sources (annual variations in cropping and fertilizer use

Sediment quality guidelines for copper and zinc for filter-feeding estuarine oysters?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Birch, G.F., E-mail: gavin.birch@sydney.edu.a [Environmental Geology Group, School of Geosciences, Sydney University, NSW (Australia); Hogg, T.D. [Environmental Geology Group, School of Geosciences, Sydney University, NSW (Australia)

2011-01-15

Sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) assess the ability of bottom sediment to sustain healthy infauna and water quality guidelines (WQGs) provide protection for a designated percentage of aquatic species. Filter-feeding marine species, e.g. oysters and mussels, acquire food from particles in the water column and protection of these animals is not provided by SQGs or WQGs. The current work investigated the relationship between metal (Cu, Zn) concentrations in total and fine-fraction (<62.5 {mu}m) surficial sediment digested in a range of acids and chelating agents and oyster tissue metal concentrations. A strong correlation between oyster tissue Cu and Zn concentrations and fine-fraction surficial sediment digested in 1 M HCl provided a sedimentary guideline which predicted tissue metal concentrations in oysters and established a level (<45 {mu}g g{sup -1} and <1000 {mu}g g{sup -1}, respectively) for protecting oysters from exceeding human consumption levels (70 {mu}g g{sup -1} and 1000 {mu}g g{sup -1}, respectively). - A strong correlation between oyster tissue Cu and Zn concentrations and fine-fraction surficial sediment digested in 1 M HCl provided a sedimentary guideline which predicted tissue metal concentrations in oysters and established a level for protecting oysters from exceeding human consumption levels for these metals. The guidelines for fine surficial sediment developed in the present work accurately predicted oyster tissue concentrations in the field.

Phosphorus mobilization by sulfide oxidation in carbonate sediments from seagrass and unvegetated sites in the US Virgin Islands

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Henning; Pedersen, Ole; Koch, M. R.

PHOSPHORUS MOBILIZATION BY SULFIDE OXIDATION IN CARBONATE SEDIMENTS FROM SEAGRASS AND UNVEGETATED SITES IN THE US VIRGIN ISLANDS Sulfide produced by sulfate reduction (SR) can be oxidized by seagrass root O2 flux in shallow carbonate sediments low in Fe. The sulfuric acid produced from sulfide...... oxidation, as well as metabolic acids from aerobic respiration, has the potential to mobilize solid phase phosphorus (P) pools in support of seagrass nutrition. Fresh sediments from four US Virgin Islands sites were modestly acidified to near-neutral pH in slurries. Following sulfuric acid amendments...

Surface-Water Quality Conditions and Long-Term Trends at Selected Sites within the Ambient Water-Quality Monitoring Network in Missouri, Water Years 1993-2008

Science.gov (United States)

Barr, Miya N.; Davis, Jerri V.

2010-01-01

and Grand Rivers). The increase in total suspended solids concentrations could be because of soil erosion from land cultivated for row crops. Most trace element data examined in the study were highly censored and could not be used for flow-adjusted trend analyses. Water-quality conditions were assessed to explore relations between data from sites and to the State water-quality standards where applicable for selected constituents. Streamflow varied at each site because of drainage area, land use, and groundwater inputs. Dissolved oxygen and water temperature were similar at all sites except the urban site located on Wilson Creek. Specific conductance was similar between the most northern (South Fabius and Grand River sites) and the most southern sites (Current and Elk River sites). Total suspended solids concentrations were near the method reporting level at all sites, except the northern sites. Streams in northern Missouri are more turbid than streams in southern Missouri and are affected by large volumes of sediment deposition because of soil erosion from land cultivated for row crops. Geometric means of Escherichia coli were calculated from the recreational seasons within the study period. Only the Grand River site exceeded the whole-body-contact standard for frequently used waters. The South Fabius and Grand River sites and the Wilson Creek site had statistically larger densities of both fecal indicator bacteria types than the remaining sites.

Assessment of Wind Turbine for Site-Specific Conditions using Probabilistic Methods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heras, Enrique Gómez de las; Gutiérrez, Roberto; Azagra, Elena

2013-01-01

turbines, helping to the decision making during the site assessment phase of wind farm designs. First, the design equation for the failure mode of interest is defined, where the loads associated to the site-specific wind conditions are compared with the design limits of the structural component. A limit...... be very dependent on the site. The uncertainties on the wind properties depend on issues like the available wind data, the quality of the measurement sensors, the type of terrain or the accuracy of the engineering models for horizontal and vertical spatial extrapolation. An example is included showing two...

Sedimentation, sediment quality, and upstream channel stability, John Redmond Reservoir, east-central Kansas, 1964-2009

Science.gov (United States)

Juracek, Kyle E.

2010-01-01

A combination of available bathymetric-survey information, bottom-sediment coring, and historical streamgage information was used to investigate sedimentation, sediment quality, and upstream channel stability for John Redmond Reservoir, east-central Kansas. Ongoing sedimentation is reducing the ability of the reservoir to serve several purposes including flood control, water supply, and recreation. The total estimated volume and mass of bottom sediment deposited between 1964 and 2009 in the conservation pool of the reservoir was 1.46 billion cubic feet and 55.8 billion pounds, respectively. The estimated sediment volume occupied about 41 percent of the conservation-pool, water-storage capacity of the reservoir. Water-storage capacity in the conservation pool has been lost to sedimentation at a rate of about 1 percent annually. Mean annual net sediment deposition since 1964 in the conservation pool of the reservoir was estimated to be 1.24 billion pounds per year. Mean annual net sediment yield from the reservoir basin was estimated to be 411,000 pounds per square mile per year Information from sediment cores shows that throughout the history of John Redmond Reservoir, total nitrogen concentrations in the deposited sediment generally were uniform indicating consistent nitrogen inputs to the reservoir. Total phosphorus concentrations in the deposited sediment were more variable than total nitrogen indicating the possibility of changing phosphorus inputs to the reservoir. As the principal limiting factor for primary production in most freshwater environments, phosphorus is of particular importance because increased inputs can contribute to accelerated reservoir eutrophication and the production of algal toxins and taste-and-odor compounds. The mean annual net loads of total nitrogen and total phosphorus deposited in the bottom sediment of the reservoir were estimated to be 2,350,000 pounds per year and 1,030,000 pounds per year, respectively. The estimated mean annual

Effects-based spatial assessment of contaminated estuarine sediments from Bear Creek, Baltimore Harbor, MD, USA.

Science.gov (United States)

Hartzell, Sharon E; Unger, Michael A; McGee, Beth L; Wilson, Sacoby M; Yonkos, Lance T

2017-10-01

Estuarine sediments in regions with prolonged histories of industrial activity are often laden to significant depths with complex contaminant mixtures, including trace metals and persistent organic pollutants. Given the complexity of assessing risks from multi-contaminant exposures, the direct measurement of impacts to biological receptors is central to characterizing contaminated sediment sites. Though biological consequences are less commonly assessed at depth, laboratory-based toxicity testing of subsurface sediments can be used to delineate the scope of contamination at impacted sites. The extent and depth of sediment toxicity in Bear Creek, near Baltimore, Maryland, USA, was delineated using 10-day acute toxicity tests with the estuarine amphipod Leptocheirus plumulosus, and chemical analysis of trace metals and persistent organic pollutants. A gradient of toxicity was demonstrated in surface sediments with 21 of 22 tested sites differing significantly from controls. Effects were most pronounced (100% lethality) at sites proximate to a historic industrial complex. Sediments from eight of nine core samples to depths of 80 cm were particularly impacted (i.e., caused significant lethality to L. plumulosus) even in locations overlain with relatively non-toxic surface sediments, supporting a conclusion that toxicity observed at the surface (top 2 cm) does not adequately predict toxicity at depth. In seven of nine sites, toxicity of surface sediments differed from toxicity at levels beneath by 28 to 69%, in five instances underestimating toxicity (28 to 69%), and in two instances overestimating toxicity (44 to 56%). Multiple contaminants exceeded sediment quality guidelines and correlated positively with toxic responses within surface sediments (e.g., chromium, nickel, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), total petroleum hydrocarbon). Use of an antibody-based PAH biosensor revealed that porewater PAH concentrations also increased with depth at most sites. This

Hazard identification of contaminated sites. Ranking potential toxicity of organic sediment extracts in crustacean and fish

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karlsson, J.; Sundberg, H.; Aakerman, G.; Grunder, K.; Eklund, B.; Breitholtz, M. [Dept. of Applied Environmental Science (ITM), Stockholm Univ. (Sweden)

2008-09-15

Background, aim, and scope: It is well known that contaminated sediments represent a potential long-term source of pollutants to the aquatic environment. To protect human and ecosystem health, it is becoming common to remediate contaminated sites. However, the great cost associated with, e.g., dredging in combination with the large numbers of contaminated sites makes it crucial to pinpoint those sites that are in greatest need of remediation. In most European countries, this prioritization process has almost exclusively been based on chemical analyses of known substances; only seldom toxicity data has been considered. The main objective of the current study was therefore to develop a tool for hazard identification of sediment by ranking potential toxicity of organic sediment extracts in a crustacean and a fish. A secondary objective was to investigate the difference in potential toxicity between compounds with different polarities. Materials and methods Early life stages of the crustacean Nitocra spinipes and the fish Oncorhynchus mykiss, which represent organisms from different trophic levels (primary and secondary consumer) and with different routes of exposure (i.e. ingestion through food, diffusive uptake, and maternal transfer), were exposed to hexane and acetone fractions (semi-polar compounds) of sediment from five locations, ranging from heavily to low contaminated. Preliminary tests showed that the extracts were non-bioavailable to the crustacean when exposed via water, and the extracts were therefore loaded on silica gel. Rainbow trout embryos were exposed using nano-injection technique. Results and discussion Clear concentration-response relationships of both mortality and larval development were observed in all tests with N. spinipes. Also for rainbow trout, the observed effects (e.g., abnormality, hemorrhage, asymmetric yolk sac) followed a dose-related pattern. Interestingly, our results indicate that some of the locations contained toxic semi

Effects of the Upper Taum Sauk Reservoir Embankment Breach on the Surface-Water Quality and Sediments of the East Fork Black River and the Black River, Southeastern Missouri - 2006-07

Science.gov (United States)

Barr, Miya N.

2009-01-01

-based flocculent used in the lower reservoir. Suspended-sediment concentrations and turbidity measurements were largest at the site downstream from the lower reservoir. This is because of the large amounts of debris deposited in the lower reservoir from the breach, which in turn were redeposited into the East Fork Black River during releases. When these constituents were plotted over time, the concentrations decreased and were similar to the other two sites in the study. Trend analyses were studied at one site with historical data. No major trends were discovered for streamflow, turbidity, suspended-sediment concentrations, or suspended-sediment discharges before or after the event. Although long-term effects of the elevated turbidity, major trace metals, and suspended sediments in the study area as a result of the reservoir embankment breach are not expected, there could possibly be other effects not measured during this study that could potentially affect the surface-water quality, such as loss of riparian habitat, changes in biological ecosystems, and large-scale reworking of sediments.

Chemical quality of surface waters and sedimentation in the Saline River basin, Kansas

Science.gov (United States)

Jordan, Paul Robert; Jones, B.F.; Petri, Lester R.

1964-01-01

calcium bicarbonate type when the specific conductance is less than about 1,000 micromhos per centimeter, but it is of the sodium chloride type when the specific conductance is more than about 1,500 micromhos per centimeter. The water is off the calcium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, or sodium chloride type when the conductance is between 1,000 and 1,500 micromhos per centimeter. Most of the increase in mineralization of the water is caused by inflow of highly mineralized ground water. The ground-water inflow was estimated to be 22 percent of the total streamflow at Tescott in 1948 and 60 percent in 1952. Mineralization increases and water quality deteriorates progressively downstream along nearly the entire Saline River, especially in the part of the area directly underlain by the Dakota Sandstone between the vicinities of Fairport and Wilson: sodium and chloride are the principal constituents of water contributed by the Dakota. The total percentage of the salt in the Saline River that comes from oil-field brines is considered to be small. The water in the upper Saline River is of good quality for domestic use except that it is hard; the water in the lower Saline River is of poor quality for domestic use because most of the time it is highly mineralized, is hard, and contains high concentrations of chloride and sulfate. In the upper reaches of the river, the water is of good quality for irrigation. In the lower reaches, if the water were impounded in a reservoir, it would be of good quality for irrigation during years of high flow and of very poor quality during years of low flow. The water in the lower reaches is of poor quality for industrial use because it is highly mineralized most of the tinge. Relations of suspended-sediment discharge to water discharge were used with the long-term streamflow duration curves to compute the long-term aver age suspended-sediment discharges and concentrations at five indications. Sediment discharge is closely related to runoff. S

Preliminary studies of the total cation exchange capacity of sediments from two North Atlantic study sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hydes, D.J.; Hill, N.C.; Clarke, H.; Carpenter, M.S.N.

1983-01-01

Initially four different methods of measuring total cation exchange capacity were compared. There were two chemical methods (ammonium saturation with displacement into seawater, and barium saturation followed by replacement with magnesium) and two radiochemical methods (sodium-22 and caesium-134 saturation). The barium-magnesium and sodium-22 methods were then applied to sediment samples from Core D10164Pound1K from the Nares Fracture Valley, and Core D10554Pound11K from the eastern flank of the Great Meteor Rise. The material at site 10164 is a pelagic clay whereas at site 10554 it is carbonate ooze. The total cation exchange capacities (T.C.E.C.) of samples from the two sites are similar when measured by the sodium-22 method, the mean for Core 10164 was 21.7 meq/100g and 24.4 meq/100g for Core 10554. However for Core 10554 the barium-magnesium method gives a mean of 42.8 meq/100g. The difference in T.C.E.C. measured by the two methods appears to be due to the high calcite content of core 10554 sediment. Measured exchange capacities are lower than in coastal sediments. In deep sea sediments organic matter either makes a very small contribution to the T.C.E.C. (core 10164) or actually blocks exchange sites (Core 10554). Amorphous oxides of iron and manganese contribute between 20 and 50% of the T.C.E.C. (author)

Hydrogeologic framework, arsenic distribution, and groundwater geochemistry of the glacial-sediment aquifer at the Auburn Road landfill superfund site, Londonderry, New Hampshire

Science.gov (United States)

Degnan, James R.; Harte, Philip T.

2013-01-01

were present had low electrical resistivity, low dissolved oxygen, and high concentrations of arsenic. Low-resistivity zones in the underlying bedrock were associated with fractures that also may contain leachate. Although surveying the fractured bedrock was not a specific objective of this study, the results suggest that such a survey would help to determine if leachate and associated concentrations of arsenic are migrating downward into the fractured-bedrock-aquifer system. An uncalibrated, one-dimensional, reactive-transport model was used to assess several conditions that affect arsenic mobility. The results indicate that reductive dissolution and desorption from glacial sediments control dissolved arsenic concentrations. Parameter sensitivity analysis was used to identify key data that are needed in order to accurately assess the time required for arsenic concentrations to fall to levels below the maximum contaminant level at the site. Quantifying this time will require accurate characterization of carbon, sediment-surface sorption sites, and groundwater fluxes at the site.

Water-quality assessment of the Lower Susquehanna River Basin, Pennsylvania and Maryland; sources, characteristics, analysis and limitations of nutrient and suspended-sediment data, 1975-90

Science.gov (United States)

Hainly, R.A.; Loper, C.A.

1997-01-01

This report describes analyses of available information on nutrients and suspended sediment collected in the Lower Susquehanna River Basin during water years 1975-90. Most of the analyses were applied to data collected during water years 1980-89. The report describes the spatial and temporal availability of nutrient and suspended-sediment data and presents a preliminary concept of the spatial and temporal patterns of concentrations and loads within the basin. Where data were available, total and dissolved forms of nitrogen and phosphorus species from precipitation, surface water, ground water, and springwater, and bottom material from streams and reservoirs were evaluated. Suspended-sediment data from streams also were evaluated. The U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System (NWIS) database was selected as the primary database for the analyses. Precipitation-quality data from the National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) and bottom-material-quality data from the National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) were used to supplement the water-quality data from NWIS. Concentrations of nutrients were available from 3 precipitation sites established for longterm monitoring purposes, 883 wells (854 synoptic areal survey sites and 29 project and research sites), 23 springs (17 synoptic areal survey sites and 6 project and research sites), and 894 bottom-material sites (840 synoptic areal survey sites and 54 project and research sites). Concentrations of nutrients and (or) suspended sediment were available from 128 streams (36 long-term monitoring sites, 51 synoptic areal survey sites, and 41 project and research sites). Concentrations of nutrients and suspended sediment in streams varied temporally and spatially and were related to land use, agricultural practices, and streamflow. A general north-to-south pattern of increasing median nitrate concentrations, from 2 to 5 mg/L, was detected in samples collected in study unit streams. In streams that drain

Remote Sensing of Suspended Sediment Dynamics in the Mississippi Sound

Science.gov (United States)

Merritt, D. N.; Skarke, A. D.; Silwal, S.; Dash, P.

2016-02-01

The Mississippi Sound is a semi-enclosed estuary between the coast of Mississippi and a chain of offshore barrier islands with relatively shallow water depths and high marine biodiversity that is wildly utilized for commercial fishing and public recreation. The discharge of sediment-laden rivers into the Mississippi Sound and the adjacent Northern Gulf of Mexico creates turbid plumes that can extend hundreds of square kilometers along the coast and persist for multiple days. The concentration of suspended sediment in these coastal waters is an important parameter in the calculation of regional sediment budgets as well as analysis of water-quality factors such as primary productivity, nutrient dynamics, and the transport of pollutants as well as pathogens. The spectral resolution, sampling frequency, and regional scale spatial domain associated with satellite based sensors makes remote sensing an ideal tool to monitor suspended sediment dynamics in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Accordingly, the presented research evaluates the validity of published models that relate remote sensing reflectance with suspended sediment concentrations (SSC), for similar environmental settings, with 51 in situ observations of SSC from the Mississippi Sound. Additionally, regression analysis is used to correlate additional in situ observations of SSC in Mississippi Sound with coincident observations of visible and near-infrared band reflectance collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor aboard the Aqua satellite, in order to develop a site-specific empirical predictive model for SSC. Finally, specific parameters of the sampled suspended sediment such as grain size and mineralogy are analyzed in order to quantify their respective contributions to total remotely sensed reflectance.

Ecotoxicological assessment of sediments from the Port of Santos and the disposal sites of dredged material

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eduinetty Ceci P. M. Sousa

2007-06-01

Full Text Available The dredging of sediments from the Santos Channel is necessary to allow the navigation of ships operating in the Port of Santos. The disposal sites for such sediments are situated on the coastal zone, in front of the Santos Bay. The present paper aimed at evaluating the toxicity of sediments collected at the Santos Channel and at the former and current sediment disposal sites. Whole sediment tests with amphipods and elutriate assays with sea-urchin embryos were used. The samples from the Santos Channel were considered the most toxic: all the sediment samples from this area showed toxicity. Moreover, some samples from both former and new sediment disposal sites exhibited toxicity. Therefore, results showed that sediments from the studied areas present evidences of degradation; however, further studies are required to determine relationships between toxicity and contamination. Results also suggested that the disposal of dredged sediments should be re-evaluated.A dragagem dos sedimentos do Canal de Santos é necessária para permitir o trânsito de navios que operam no Porto de Santos. As áreas de disposição do material dragado estão situadas na zona costeira, em frente à Baía de Santos. Este estudo visou avaliar a qualidade dos sedimentos do Canal de Santos e das áreas de disposição atuais e antigas, utilizando testes de toxicidade de sedimento integral com anfípodos e de toxicidade de elutriatos com embriões de ouriço do mar. As amostras do Canal de Santos foram consideradas as mais tóxicas: todas as amostras dessa área foram consideradas significativamente tóxicas. Além disso, algumas amostras das áreas de disposição exibiram toxicidade. Os resultados mostraram, portanto, que os sedimentos apresentam evidências de degradação em sua qualidade, porém novos estudos devem ser conduzidos visando determinar as relações entre contaminação e toxicidade. Os resultados sugerem ainda que a disposição dos sedimentos dragados

Radionuclide transport in the "sediments - water - plants" system of the water bodies at the Semipalatinsk test site.

Science.gov (United States)

Aidarkhanova, A K; Lukashenko, S N; Larionova, N V; Polevik, V V

2018-04-01

This paper provides research data on levels and character of radionuclide contamination distribution in the «sediments- water - plants » system of objects of the Semipalatinsk test site (STS). As the research objects there were chosen water bodies of man-made origin which located at the territory of "Experimental Field", "Balapan", "Telkem" and "Sary-Uzen" testing sites. For research the sampling of bottom sediments, water, lakeside and water plants was taken. Collected samples were used to determine concentration of anthropogenic radionuclides 90 Sr, 239+240 Pu, 241 Am, 137 Cs. The distribution coefficient (K d ) was calculated as the ratio of the content of radionuclides in the sediments to the content in water, and the concentration ratio (F V ) was calculated as the ratio of radionuclide content in plants to the content in sediments or soil. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Age of a prehistoric "Rodedian" cult site constrained by sediment and rock surface luminescence dating techniques

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sohbati, Reza; Murray, Andrew; Porat, N.

2015-01-01

The construction age of a pavement in a “Rodedian” prehistoric cult site in Negev desert, Israel, is established by determining the burial age of (i) a cobble used in the pavement, and (ii) the underlying sediment. The quartz OSL age and the K-feldspar corrected IR50 age from the sediment...

Comparability of river suspended-sediment sampling and laboratory analysis methods

Science.gov (United States)

Groten, Joel T.; Johnson, Gregory D.

2018-03-06

Accurate measurements of suspended sediment, a leading water-quality impairment in many Minnesota rivers, are important for managing and protecting water resources; however, water-quality standards for suspended sediment in Minnesota are based on grab field sampling and total suspended solids (TSS) laboratory analysis methods that have underrepresented concentrations of suspended sediment in rivers compared to U.S. Geological Survey equal-width-increment or equal-discharge-increment (EWDI) field sampling and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) laboratory analysis methods. Because of this underrepresentation, the U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, collected concurrent grab and EWDI samples at eight sites to compare results obtained using different combinations of field sampling and laboratory analysis methods.Study results determined that grab field sampling and TSS laboratory analysis results were biased substantially low compared to EWDI sampling and SSC laboratory analysis results, respectively. Differences in both field sampling and laboratory analysis methods caused grab and TSS methods to be biased substantially low. The difference in laboratory analysis methods was slightly greater than field sampling methods.Sand-sized particles had a strong effect on the comparability of the field sampling and laboratory analysis methods. These results indicated that grab field sampling and TSS laboratory analysis methods fail to capture most of the sand being transported by the stream. The results indicate there is less of a difference among samples collected with grab field sampling and analyzed for TSS and concentration of fines in SSC. Even though differences are present, the presence of strong correlations between SSC and TSS concentrations provides the opportunity to develop site specific relations to address transport processes not captured by grab field sampling and TSS laboratory analysis methods.

Assessing condition of macroinvertebrate communities and sediment toxicity in the St. Lawrence River at Massena Area-of-Concern

Science.gov (United States)

Duffy, Brian T.; Baldigo, Barry P.; Smith, Alexander J.; George, Scott D.; David, Anthony M.

2016-01-01

In 1972, the USA and Canada agreed to restore the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Great Lakes ecosystem under the first Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. In subsequent amendments, part of the St. Lawrence River at Massena, New York and segments of three tributaries, were designated as an Area of Concern (AOC) due to the effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), lead and copper contamination, and habitat degradation and resulting impairment to several beneficial uses. Because sediments have been largely remediated, the present study was initiated to evaluate the current status of the benthic macroinvertebrate (benthos) beneficial use impairment (BUI). Benthic macroinvertebrate communities and sediment toxicity tests using Chironomus dilutus were used to test the hypotheses that community condition and sediment toxicity at AOC sites were not significantly different from those of adjacent reference sites. Grain size was found to be the main driver of community composition and macroinvertebrate assemblages, and bioassessment metrics did not differ significantly between AOC and reference sites of the same sediment class. Median growth of C. dilutus and its survival in three of the four river systems did not differ significantly in sediments from AOC and reference sites. Comparable macroinvertebrate assemblages and general lack of toxicity across most AOC and reference sites suggest that the quality of sediments should not significantly impair benthic macroinvertebrate communities in most sites in the St. Lawrence River AOC.

Toxicities and risk assessment of heavy metals in sediments of Taihu Lake, China, based on sediment quality guidelines.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yanfeng; Han, Yuwei; Yang, Jinxi; Zhu, Lingyan; Zhong, Wenjue

2017-12-01

The occurrence, toxicities, and ecological risks of five heavy metals (Pb, Cu, Cd, Zn and Ni) in the sediment of Taihu Lake were investigated in this study. To evaluate the toxicities caused by the heavy metals, the toxicities induced by organic contaminants and ammonia in the sediments were screened out with activated carbon and zeolite. The toxicities of heavy metals in sediments were tested with benthic invertebrates (tubificid and chironomid). The correlations between toxicity of sediment and the sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) derived previously were evaluated. There were significant correlations (pheavy metals based on SQGs, indicating that threshold effect level (TEL) and probable effect level (PEL) were reliable to predict the toxicities of heavy metals in the sediments of Taihu Lake. By contrast, the method based on acid volatile sulfides (AVS) and simultaneously extracted metals (SEM), such as ∑SEM/AVS and ∑SEM-AVS, did not show correlations with the toxicities. Moreover, the predictive ability of SQGs was confirmed by a total predicting accuracy of 77%. Ecological risk assessment based on TELs and PELs showed that the contaminations of Pb, Cu, Cd and Zn in the sediments of Taihu Lake were at relatively low or medium levels. The risks caused by heavy metals in the sediments of northern bay of the lake, which received more wastewater discharge from upper stream, were higher than other area of the lake. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Quality of streams in Johnson County, Kansas, 2002--10

Science.gov (United States)

Rasmussen, Teresa J.; Stone, Mandy S.; Poulton, Barry C.; Graham, Jennifer L.

2012-01-01

Stream quality in Johnson County, northeastern Kansas, was assessed on the basis of land use, hydrology, stream-water and streambed-sediment chemistry, riparian and in-stream habitat, and periphyton and macroinvertebrate community data collected from 22 sites during 2002 through 2010. Stream conditions at the end of the study period are evaluated and compared to previous years, stream biological communities and physical and chemical conditions are characterized, streams are described relative to Kansas Department of Health and Environment impairment categories and water-quality standards, and environmental factors that most strongly correlate with biological stream quality are evaluated. The information is useful for improving water-quality management programs, documenting changing conditions with time, and evaluating compliance with water-quality standards, total maximum daily loads (TMDLs), National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit conditions, and other established guidelines and goals. Constituent concentrations in water during base flow varied across the study area and 2010 conditions were not markedly different from those measured in 2003, 2004, and 2007. Generally the highest specific conductance and concentrations of dissolved solids and major ions in water occurred at urban sites except the upstream Cedar Creek site, which is rural and has a large area of commercial and industrial land less than 1 mile upstream on both sides of the creek. The highest base-flow nutrient concentrations in water occurred downstream from wastewater treatment facilities. Water chemistry data represent base-flow conditions only, and do not show the variability in concentrations that occurs during stormwater runoff. Constituent concentrations in streambed sediment also varied across the study area and some notable changes occurred from previously collected data. High organic carbon and nutrient concentrations at the rural Big Bull Creek site in 2003 decreased

Water Quality Sampling Locations Along the Shoreline of the Columbia River, Hanford Site, Washington

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peterson, Robert E.; Patton, Gregory W.

2009-12-14

As environmental monitoring evolved on the Hanford Site, several different conventions were used to name or describe location information for various sampling sites along the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River. These methods range from handwritten descriptions in field notebooks to the use of modern electronic surveying equipment, such as Global Positioning System receivers. These diverse methods resulted in inconsistent archiving of analytical results in various electronic databases and published reports because of multiple names being used for the same site and inaccurate position data. This document provides listings of sampling sites that are associated with groundwater and river water sampling. The report identifies names and locations for sites associated with sampling: (a) near-river groundwater using aquifer sampling tubes; (b) riverbank springs and springs areas; (c) pore water collected from riverbed sediment; and (d) Columbia River water. Included in the listings are historical names used for a particular site and the best available geographic coordinates for the site, as of 2009. In an effort to create more consistency in the descriptive names used for water quality sampling sites, a naming convention is proposed in this document. The convention assumes that a unique identifier is assigned to each site that is monitored and that this identifier serves electronic database management requirements. The descriptive name is assigned for the convenience of the subsequent data user. As the historical database is used more intensively, this document may be revised as a consequence of discovering potential errors and also because of a need to gain consensus on the proposed naming convention for some water quality monitoring sites.

TU-A-201-02: Treatment Site-Specific Considerations for Clinical IGRT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wijesooriya, K. [University of Virginia Health Systems (United States)

2016-06-15

Recent years have seen a widespread proliferation of available in-room image guidance systems for radiation therapy target localization with many centers having multiple in-room options. In this session, available imaging systems for in-room IGRT will be reviewed highlighting the main differences in workflow efficiency, targeting accuracy and image quality as it relates to target visualization. Decision-making strategies for integrating these tools into clinical image guidance protocols that are tailored to specific disease sites like H&N, lung, pelvis, and spine SBRT will be discussed. Learning Objectives: Major system characteristics of a wide range of available in-room imaging systems for IGRT. Advantages / disadvantages of different systems for site-specific IGRT considerations. Concepts of targeting accuracy and time efficiency in designing clinical imaging protocols.

Uranium in Aquatic Sediments; Where are the Guidelines?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iles, M., E-mail: michelle.iles@ewlsciences.com.au [Earth, Water and Life Sciences Pty Ltd, Darwin (Australia)

2014-05-15

Sediment data has been collected on and around the Ranger uranium mine for over 20 years. This included studies such as annual routine monitoring of metal concentrations, adsorption-desorption conditions, phase associations, transport mechanism, release potential, bioaccumulation and bioconcentration etc. Building on this, performance-based monitoring of the sediments from on-site water bodies was undertaken to ascertain the spatial and temporal distribution of contaminants as a basis to determine ecological risks associated with the sediments which in turn underpins closure planning. Highlights of these studies are interpreted using an ecological risk assessment approach. Ideally interpretation of aquatic sediment contamination in Australia is guided by the national guidelines for water quality and a weighted multiple lines of evidence approach whereby the chemistry of sediments is compared with reference and guideline values and predictions of bio-availability, and biological effects data allows cause and effect relationships to be derived. However, where uranium in aquatic sediments is concerned there is a lack of national (Australian) and international guidelines that are applicable to tropical sediments and the biological effects data available are limited or confounded by other variables. In the absence of clear uranium guidelines for sediments an internationally reported “Predicted No Effect Concentration” (PNEC) for uranium in temperate sediments was used as a “pseudo-guideline” value to identify sites with concentrations that might present an environmental risk and that should be further investigated. The applicability of the PNEC to the tropical Ranger site was understandably questioned by stakeholders and peers. The issues raised highlighted the need for international guidelines for uranium in aquatic sediments for tropical and temperate climates and an internationally accepted approach for deriving same. (author)

Towards science-based sediment quality standards—Effects of field-collected sediments in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brinkmann, Markus; Eichbaum, Kathrin; Reininghaus, Mathias; Koglin, Sven; Kammann, Ulrike; Baumann, Lisa; Segner, Helmut; Zennegg, Markus; Buchinger, Sebastian; Reifferscheid, Georg; Hollert, Henner

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Particle-bound DLCs were readily bioavailable during re-suspension of sediments. • DLC uptake and effects in fish were proportional to the concentration in sediments. • Responses of biomarkers reflected the contamination levels of different sediments. • Cyp1a mRNA expression and EROD activity in livers of fish responded immediately. • Histopathological lesions were strong indicators of potential long-term effects. - Abstract: Sediments can act as long-term sinks for environmental pollutants. Within the past decades, dioxin-like compounds (DLCs) such as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have attracted significant attention in the scientific community. To investigate the time- and concentration-dependent uptake of DLCs and PAHs in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and their associated toxicological effects, we conducted exposure experiments using suspensions of three field-collected sediments from the rivers Rhine and Elbe, which were chosen to represent different contamination levels. Five serial dilutions of contaminated sediments were tested; these originated from the Prossen and Zollelbe sampling sites (both in the river Elbe, Germany) and from Ehrenbreitstein (Rhine, Germany), with lower levels of contamination. Fish were exposed to suspensions of these dilutions under semi-static conditions for 90 days. Analysis of muscle tissue by high resolution gas chromatography and mass spectrometry and of bile liquid by high-performance liquid chromatography showed that particle-bound PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PAHs were readily bioavailable from re-suspended sediments. Uptake of these contaminants and the associated toxicological effects in fish were largely proportional to their sediment concentrations. The changes in the investigated biomarkers closely reflected the different sediment contamination levels: cytochrome P450 1A m

Towards science-based sediment quality standards—Effects of field-collected sediments in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brinkmann, Markus, E-mail: markus.brinkmann@bio5.rwth-aachen.de [Department of Ecosystem Analysis, Institute for Environmental Research, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074 Aachen (Germany); Eichbaum, Kathrin; Reininghaus, Mathias; Koglin, Sven [Department of Ecosystem Analysis, Institute for Environmental Research, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074 Aachen (Germany); Kammann, Ulrike [Thünen-Institute of Fisheries Ecology, Palmaille 9, 22767 Hamburg (Germany); Baumann, Lisa; Segner, Helmut [Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Länggassstr. 122, 3012 Bern (Switzerland); Zennegg, Markus [Swiss Federal Institute for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Laboratory for Advanced Analytical Technologies, Überlandstrasse 129, 8600 Dübendorf (Switzerland); Buchinger, Sebastian; Reifferscheid, Georg [Department G3: Biochemistry, Ecotoxicology, Federal Institute of Hydrology (BFG), Am Mainzer Tor 1, 56068 Koblenz (Germany); Hollert, Henner, E-mail: henner.hollert@bio5.rwth-aachen.de [Department of Ecosystem Analysis, Institute for Environmental Research, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074 Aachen (Germany); College of Resources and Environmental Science, Chongqing University, 1 Tiansheng Road Beibei, Chongqing 400715 (China); College of Environmental Science and Engineering and State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai (China); State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University (China)

2015-09-15

Highlights: • Particle-bound DLCs were readily bioavailable during re-suspension of sediments. • DLC uptake and effects in fish were proportional to the concentration in sediments. • Responses of biomarkers reflected the contamination levels of different sediments. • Cyp1a mRNA expression and EROD activity in livers of fish responded immediately. • Histopathological lesions were strong indicators of potential long-term effects. - Abstract: Sediments can act as long-term sinks for environmental pollutants. Within the past decades, dioxin-like compounds (DLCs) such as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have attracted significant attention in the scientific community. To investigate the time- and concentration-dependent uptake of DLCs and PAHs in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and their associated toxicological effects, we conducted exposure experiments using suspensions of three field-collected sediments from the rivers Rhine and Elbe, which were chosen to represent different contamination levels. Five serial dilutions of contaminated sediments were tested; these originated from the Prossen and Zollelbe sampling sites (both in the river Elbe, Germany) and from Ehrenbreitstein (Rhine, Germany), with lower levels of contamination. Fish were exposed to suspensions of these dilutions under semi-static conditions for 90 days. Analysis of muscle tissue by high resolution gas chromatography and mass spectrometry and of bile liquid by high-performance liquid chromatography showed that particle-bound PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PAHs were readily bioavailable from re-suspended sediments. Uptake of these contaminants and the associated toxicological effects in fish were largely proportional to their sediment concentrations. The changes in the investigated biomarkers closely reflected the different sediment contamination levels: cytochrome P450 1A m

Effects of Feeding Strategy, Sediment Characteristics, and Chemical Properties on Polychlorinated Biphenyl and Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether Bioaccumulation from Marine Sediments in Two Invertebrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Frouin, H; Jackman, P; Dangerfield, N D; Ross, P S

2017-08-01

Shellfish and sediment invertebrates have been widely used to assess pollution trends over space and time in coastal environments around the world. However, few studies have compared the bioaccumulation potential of different test species over a range of sediment-contaminant concentrations and profiles. The bioavailability of sediment-related contaminants was evaluated using sediments collected from sites (n = 12) throughout the Salish Sea, British Columbia, Canada. Two benthic marine invertebrates-the Baltic clam Macoma balthica and the polychaete worm Neanthes arenaceodentata-were exposed for 28 days in a controlled environment to these field-collected coastal sediments. The congener-specific uptake of legacy polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and emergent polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) was determined using high-resolution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry in sediments and in invertebrates after the experimental exposure. The polychaete Neanthes accumulated lower concentrations of PCBs but higher concentrations of PBDEs. The present study indicates that differences in bioaccumulation between these two invertebrates shape the accumulation of PCB and PBDE congeners, reflect differences in feeding strategies, and reveal the physicochemical properties of the contaminants and sediment properties. Because biota-sediment accumulation factor values are often calculated for environmental monitoring or site-specific impact assessments, our results provide insight into potentially confounding factors and the need for caution when selecting indicator species for coastal marine pollution.

Insights into site formation at Rose Cottage Cave, South Africa, based on the analysis of sediment peels

Science.gov (United States)

Kloos, Peter; Miller, Christopher E.; Kritikakis, Panagiotis; Wadley, Lyn

2016-04-01

Rose Cottage Cave (RCC), in South Africa, has been a key site for explaining the origins of modern human behaviour and movement of early modern humans out of Africa. Nine sediment peels were made previously from the profile sections, preserving original materials that provide a record of cultural and environmental change during the late Pleistocene and Holocene. Here, we present the preliminary results of the study of the RCC sediment peels which aims to investigate site formation processes and the implications for site interpretation. Methods used include micromorphology and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy coupled with detailed observations of the peels. The predominance of geogenic processes is demonstrated by the abundance of silt- and sand-sized quartz grains, which entered the site primarily through a crevice at the back of the cave. RCC lacks rich anthropogenic deposits as noted at other Middle Stone Age sites in southern Africa, but anthropogenic input to the sediment is indicated by the presence of charcoal, burnt bone, lithic fragments, fat-derived char and ashes. Clay coating fragments and chaotic microstructures demonstrate that bioturbation and colluvial reworking homogenised much of the deposit and may explain the absence of preserved bedding and rarity of combustion features. Downward movement of water through the sequence, indicated by clay coatings, is the likely cause for poor bone preservation and near lack of ashes at the site, as well as fluctuations in dose rate that have complicated luminescence dating studies. Evidence for diagenesis at the site is in the form of secondary apatite and gypsum. Sedimentary structures such as channel lag deposits and (silt and sand) laminae observed in peels dating between 60 and 35 ka BP suggest a high-energy sedimentary environment, which experienced flooding events that eroded underlying deposits and deposited large volumes of sediment. This explains why some of the post-Howiesons Poort layers contain

29 CFR 1926.752 - Site layout, site-specific erection plan and construction sequence.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 8 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Site layout, site-specific erection plan and construction... Steel Erection § 1926.752 Site layout, site-specific erection plan and construction sequence. (a... strength or sufficient strength to support the loads imposed during steel erection. (c) Site layout. The...

Site Specific Vendor's License

Data.gov (United States)

Montgomery County of Maryland — This dataset contains information of a site-specific vendor's license which is required if an individual sells or offers to sell goods or services from a stationary...

Transport and fate of viruses in sediment and stormwater from a managed aquifer recharge site

Science.gov (United States)

Enteric viruses are one of the major concerns in water reclamation and reuse at managed aquifer recharge (MAR) sites. In this study, the transport and fate of bacteriophages MS2, PRD1, and FX174 were studied in sediment and stormwater (SW) collected from a MAR site in Parafield, Australia. Column ex...

Toxicity of ammonia, cadmium, and nitrobenzene to four local fishes in the Liao River, China and the derivation of site-specific water quality criteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zhihong; Li, Xiaojun; Tai, Peidong; Sun, Lizong; Yuan, Honghong; Yang, Xiaonan

2018-01-01

Water quality criteria (WQC) are considered to be an effective management tool for protecting aquatic environments. To derive site-specific WQC for an area, local data based on local species are essential to improve the applicability of WQC derived. Due to the paucity of local fish data available for the development of site-specific WQC for the Liao River, China, four local and widespread fishes (Pseudorasbora parva， Abbottina liaoningensis, Ctenogobius giurinus, and Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) were chosen to test their sensitivities to ammonia, cadmium and nitrobenzene. These compounds are common and regularly-measured pollutants in Chinese rivers. In addition to the published data for species resident in the Liao River, site-specific WQC for the three chemicals were derived using both a log-logistic species sensitivity distribution (SSD) and the method recommended by the USEPA, in line with current best practice, which were then compared with Chinese national WQC. It was found that A. liaoningensis was the most sensitive, followed, in order, by P. parva, C. giurinus and M. anguillicaudatus was the least sensitive, and this trend was the same to all three chemicals tested. When comparing the SSD derived solely from previously-published data with that including our data on local fish, there were significant differences identified among parameters describing the SSD curves for ammonia and nitrobenzene and significant differences were detected for site-specific WQC derived for all of the three chemicals. Based on the dataset with local fish data taxa, site-specific WQC of Liao River for ammonia, cadmium, and nitrobenzene were derived to be 20.53mg/L (at a pH of 7.0 and temperature of 20°C), 3.76μg/L (at a hardness of 100mg/L CaCO 3 ), and 0.49mg/L, respectively. Using the same deriving method for each chemical, the national Chinese WQC were higher than site-specific WQC derived in this study for ammonia (national WQC of 25.16mg/L) and nitrobenzene (national WQC

MORPHOLOGY OF METHANE HYDRATE HOST SEDIMENTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

JONES, K.W.; FENG, H.; TOMOV, S.; WINTER, W.J.; EATON, M.; MAHAJAN, D.

2004-01-01

Results from simulated experiments in several laboratories show that host sediments influence hydrate formation in accord with known heterogeneity of host sediments at sites of gas hydrate occurrence (1). For example, in Mackenzie Delta, NWT Canada (Mallik 2L-38 well), coarser-grained units (pore-filling model) are found whereas in the Gulf of Mexico, the found hydrate samples do not appear to be lithologically controlled. We have initiated a systematic study of sediments, initially focusing on samples from various depths at a specific site, to establish a correlation with hydrate occurrence (or variations thereof) to establish differences in their microstructure, porosity, and other associated properties. The synchrotron computed microtomography (CMT) set-up at the X-27A tomography beam line at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS), Brookhaven National Laboratory was used as a tool to study sediments from Blake Ridge at three sub bottom depths of 0.2, 50, and 667 meters. Results from the tomographic analysis of the deepest sample (667 m) are presented here to illustrate how tomography can be used to obtain new insights into the structures of methane hydrate host sediments. The investigation shows the internal grain/pore space resolution in the microstructure and a 3-D visualization of the connecting pathways obtained following data segmentation into pore space and grains within the sediment sample. The analysis gives the sample porosity, specific surface area, mean particle size, and tortuosity, as well. An earlier report on the experimental program has been given by Mahajan et al. (2)

Site-Specific Atmospheric Dispersion Characteristics of Korean Nuclear Power Plant Sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, M. H.; Kim, E. H.; Suh, K. S.; Hwang, W. T.; Choi, Y. G.

2001-01-01

Site-specific atmospheric dispersion characteristics have been analyzed. The northwest and the southwest wind prevail on nuclear sites of Korea. The annual isobaric surface averaged for twenty years around Korean peninsula shows that west wind prevails. The prevailing west wind is profitable in the viewpoint of radiation protection because three of four nuclear sites are located in the east side. Large scale field tracer experiments over nuclear sites have been conducted for the purpose of analyzing the atmospheric dispersion characteristics and validating a real-time atmospheric dispersion and dose assessment system FADAS. To analyze the site-specific atmospheric dispersion characteristics is essential for making effective countermeasures against a nuclear emergency

Assessment of sediment quality in the Mediterranean Sea-Boughrara lagoon exchange areas (southeastern Tunisia): GIS approach-based chemometric methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Kharroubi, Adel; Gargouri, Dorra; Baati, Houda; Azri, Chafai

2012-06-01

Concentrations of selected heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, Mn, and Fe) in surface sediments from 66 sites in both northern and eastern Mediterranean Sea-Boughrara lagoon exchange areas (southeastern Tunisia) were studied in order to understand current metal contamination due to the urbanization and economic development of nearby several coastal regions of the Gulf of Gabès. Multiple approaches were applied for the sediment quality assessment. These approaches were based on GIS coupled with chemometric methods (enrichment factors, geoaccumulation index, principal component analysis, and cluster analysis). Enrichment factors and principal component analysis revealed two distinct groups of metals. The first group corresponded to Fe and Mn derived from natural sources, and the second group contained Cd, Pb, Zn, and Cu originated from man-made sources. For these latter metals, cluster analysis showed two distinct distributions in the selected areas. They were attributed to temporal and spatial variations of contaminant sources input. The geoaccumulation index (I (geo)) values explained that only Cd, Pb, and Cu can be considered as moderate to extreme pollutants in the studied sediments.

Selected elements and organic chemicals in streambed sediment in the Salem area, Oregon, 1999

Science.gov (United States)

Tanner, Dwight Q.

2002-09-13

Analysis of streambed sediments in the Salem, Oregon, area showed anomalously large concentrations of some elements and organic chemicals, indicating contamination from anthropogenic and/or geologic sources. The streambed sediment sample from Clark Creek, an urban basin, had large concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hyrdocarbons (PAHs), organochlorines, cadmium, lead, and zinc. The sample from the East Fork of Pringle Creek, which is a mostly urban basin, had the highest concentrations of DDD, DDE, and DDT compounds. Aldrin was detected in streambed sediment at only one site, the East Fork of Pringle Creek. Ten of the 14 sites sampled had exceedances of the sediment quality guidelines of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME), and 8 sites had exceedances of guidelines from the Puget Sound Dredged Disposal Analysis (PSDDA) Program.

Environmental geochemistry and sediment quality in Lake Pontchartrain: database development and review

Science.gov (United States)

Manheim, Frank T.; Flowers, George C.; McIntire, Andrew G.; Marot, Marcie; Holmes, Charles

1997-01-01

This paper reports on preliminary results of a project to develop a comprehensive data base of chemical and environmental information on sediments from Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, and surrounding water bodies. The goal is to evaluate all data for reliability and comparability, and to make it widely accessible and useful to all users. Methods for processing heterogeneous, historical data follow previous methods employed in the Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay area. Data from 11 different data sets, encompassing about 900 total samples, have been entered to date. Questionable or anomalous data were noted in a minority of cases. Problems tend to follow distinct patterns and are relatively easy to identify. Hence, comparability of data has not proven to be the major obstacle to synthesis efforts that was anticipated in earlier years (NRC, 1989). Quality-controlled data sets show that the bulk of sediment samples in the more central parts of Lake Pontchartrain have values within normal background for heavy metals like Cu, Pb, and Zn. The same or lower concentrations were found in the vicinity of the Bonnet Carre Spillway, representing influx from the Mississippi River. Mean concentrations for Cu, Pb, and Zn were 17, 21, and 74 µg/g (total dissolution analyses), respectively. However, values as high as 267 µg/g Pb and comparable increases for other metal and organic contaminants are found in sediments within 2 km of the coastal strip of New Orleans. Additional sampling in such areas and in other inland coastal waterways is needed, since such levels are above the threshold for potential toxic effects on benthic organisms, according to effects-based screening criteria. The most contaminated sites, Bayou Trepagnier and Bayou Bonfouca, involve industrial areas where waste discharge has now been controlled or remediated, but where sediments may retain large concentrations of contaminants, e.g. tenths of a percent of Pb, Cr, and Zn or more for Bayou Trepagnier.

High-resolution insight into the competitive adsorption of heavy metals on natural sediment by site energy distribution.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Limin; Jin, Qiang; Tandon, Puja; Li, Aimin; Shan, Aidang; Du, Jiajie

2018-04-01

Investigating competitive adsorption on river/lake sediments is valuable for understanding the fate and transport of heavy metals. Most studies have studied the adsorption isotherms of competitive heavy metals, which mainly comparing the adsorption information on the same concentration. However, intrinsically, the concentration of each heavy metal on competitive adsorption sites is different, while the adsorption energy is identical. Thus, this paper introduced the site energy distribution theory to increase insight into the competitive adsorption of heavy metals (Cu, Cd and Zn). The site energy distributions of each metal with and without other coexisting heavy metals were obtained. It illustrated that site energy distributions provide much more information than adsorption isotherms through screening of the full energy range. The results showed the superior heavy metal in each site energy area and the influence of competitive metals on the site energy distribution of target heavy metal. Site energy distributions can further help in determining the competitive sites and ratios of coexisting metals. In particular, in the high-energy area, which has great environmental significance, the ratios of heavy metals in the competitive adsorption sites obtained for various competitive systems were as follows: slightly more than 3:1 (Cu-Cd), slightly less than 3:1 (Cu-Zn), slightly more than 1:1 (Cd-Zn), and nearly 7:2:2 (Cu-Cd-Zn). The results from this study are helpful to deeply understand competitive adsorption of heavy metals (Cu, Cd, Zn) on sediment. Therefore, this study was effective in presenting a general pattern for future reference in competitive adsorption studies on sediments. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Statistical and Economic Techniques for Site-specific Nematode Management.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zheng; Griffin, Terry; Kirkpatrick, Terrence L

2014-03-01

Recent advances in precision agriculture technologies and spatial statistics allow realistic, site-specific estimation of nematode damage to field crops and provide a platform for the site-specific delivery of nematicides within individual fields. This paper reviews the spatial statistical techniques that model correlations among neighboring observations and develop a spatial economic analysis to determine the potential of site-specific nematicide application. The spatial econometric methodology applied in the context of site-specific crop yield response contributes to closing the gap between data analysis and realistic site-specific nematicide recommendations and helps to provide a practical method of site-specifically controlling nematodes.

Exchangeable fraction of elements in alluvial sediments under waste disposal site (Zagreb, Croatia)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vertacnik, A.; Barisic, D.; Musani, Lj.; Prohic, E.; Juracic, M.

1997-01-01

Concentrations of Ag, Ba, Cd, Ce, Cs, Co, Cr, Eu, Fe, Rb, Sc, Sr, Th, and Zn exchangeable fractions were determined in alluvial sediments at waste disposal site area in the vicinity of water-well field. Samples have been'leached with 0.5M NH 4 Cl at a sample/solution ratio of 1:20 during 24 hours without shaking. INAA of dry NH 4 Cl residues show that the concentrations of exchangeable elements determined in the most of the sediments below the wastes have natural levels. Ag, Ba and Sr are readily exchangeable; Rb, Cs and Zn have lower exchangeability, while Cd, Ce, Th, Sc, Eu, Cr, Fe and Co are rather immobile. Extremely high total and exchangeable silver concentration was found at 6.5-6.8 meters below waste in the aerated layer occasionally under the water table. Exchangeable concentrations in deeper water-bearing sediment layers are not elevated. Due to this, one can presume that the upper sediment layers act as chemical filter generally preventing the infiltration from overlying wastes into water-bearing layers. (author)

Microbial reduction of uranium(VI) in sediments of different lithologies collected from Sellafield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Newsome, Laura; Morris, Katherine; Trivedi, Divyesh; Atherton, Nick; Lloyd, Jonathan R.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • U(VI) (aq) mobility can be controlled by stimulating biogeochemical interactions. • Indigenous microbes in varied sediments reduced U(VI) to insoluble U(IV). • Sediment cell numbers and amount of bioavailable Fe(III) could limit this process. - Abstract: The presence of uranium in groundwater at nuclear sites can be controlled by microbial processes. Here we describe the results from stimulating microbial reduction of U(VI) in sediment samples obtained from a nuclear-licensed site in the UK. A variety of different lithology sediments were selected to represent the heterogeneity of the subsurface at a site underlain by glacial outwash deposits and sandstone. The natural sediment microbial communities were stimulated via the addition of an acetate/lactate electron donor mix and were monitored for changes in geochemistry and molecular ecology. Most sediments facilitated the removal of 12 ppm U(VI) during the onset of Fe(III)-reducing conditions; this was reflected by an increase in the proportion of known Fe(III)- and U(VI)-reducing species. However U(VI) remained in solution in two sediments and Fe(III)-reducing conditions did not develop. Sequential extractions, addition of an Fe(III)-enrichment culture and most probable number enumerations revealed that a lack of bioavailable iron or low cell numbers of Fe(III)-reducing bacteria may be responsible. These results highlight the potential for stimulation of microbial U(VI)-reduction to be used as a bioremediation strategy at UK nuclear sites, and they emphasise the importance of both site-specific and borehole-specific investigations to be completed prior to implementation

Retention and chemical speciation of uranium in an oxidized wetland sediment from the Savannah River Site

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Dien; Seaman, John C.; Chang, Hyun-Shik; Jaffe, Peter R.; Koster van Groos, Paul; Jiang, De-Tong; Chen, Ning; Lin, Jinru; Arthur, Zachary; Pan, Yuanming; Scheckel, Kirk G.; Newville, Matthew; Lanzirotti, Antonio; Kaplan, Daniel I.

2014-05-01

Uranium speciation and retention mechanism onto Savannah River Site (SRS) wetland sediments was studied using batch (ad)sorption experiments, sequential extraction desorption tests and U L{sub 3}-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy of contaminated wetland sediments. U was highly retained by the SRS wetland sediments. In contrast to other similar but much lower natural organic matter (NOM) sediments, significant sorption of U onto the SRS sediments was observed at pH <4 and pH >8. Sequential extraction tests indicated that the U(VI) species were primarily associated with the acid soluble fraction (weak acetic acid extractable) and NOM fraction (Na-pyrophosphate extractable). Uranium L3- edge XANES spectra of the U-retained sediments were nearly identical to that of uranyl acetate. The primary oxidation state of U in these sediments was as U(VI), and there was little evidence that the high sorptive capacity of the sediments could be ascribed to abiotic or biotic reduction to the less soluble U(IV) species. The molecular mechanism responsible for the high U retention in the SRS wetland sediments is likely related to the chemical bonding of U to organic carbon.

Site-Specific Seismic Site Response Model for the Waste Treatment Plant, Hanford, Washington

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rohay, Alan C.; Reidel, Steve P.

2005-02-24

This interim report documents the collection of site-specific geologic and geophysical data characterizing the Waste Treatment Plant site and the modeling of the site-specific structure response to earthquake ground motions.

Input-variable sensitivity assessment for sediment transport relations

Science.gov (United States)

Fernández, Roberto; Garcia, Marcelo H.

2017-09-01

A methodology to assess input-variable sensitivity for sediment transport relations is presented. The Mean Value First Order Second Moment Method (MVFOSM) is applied to two bed load transport equations showing that it may be used to rank all input variables in terms of how their specific variance affects the overall variance of the sediment transport estimation. In sites where data are scarce or nonexistent, the results obtained may be used to (i) determine what variables would have the largest impact when estimating sediment loads in the absence of field observations and (ii) design field campaigns to specifically measure those variables for which a given transport equation is most sensitive; in sites where data are readily available, the results would allow quantifying the effect that the variance associated with each input variable has on the variance of the sediment transport estimates. An application of the method to two transport relations using data from a tropical mountain river in Costa Rica is implemented to exemplify the potential of the method in places where input data are limited. Results are compared against Monte Carlo simulations to assess the reliability of the method and validate its results. For both of the sediment transport relations used in the sensitivity analysis, accurate knowledge of sediment size was found to have more impact on sediment transport predictions than precise knowledge of other input variables such as channel slope and flow discharge.

Biological and chemical characterization of metal bioavailability in sediments from Lake Roosevelt, Columbia River, Washington, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Besser, J.M.; Brumbaugh, W.G.; Ivey, C.D.; Ingersoll, C.G.; Moran, P.W.

2008-01-01

We studied the bioavailability and toxicity of copper, zinc, arsenic, cadmium, and lead in sediments from Lake Roosevelt (LR), a reservoir on the Columbia River in Washington, USA that receives inputs of metals from an upstream smelter facility. We characterized chronic sediment toxicity, metal bioaccumulation, and metal concentrations in sediment and pore water from eight study sites: one site upstream in the Columbia River, six sites in the reservoir, and a reference site in an uncontaminated tributary. Total recoverable metal concentrations in LR sediments generally decreased from upstream to downstream in the study area, but sediments from two sites in the reservoir had metal concentrations much lower than adjacent reservoir sites and similar to the reference site, apparently due to erosion of uncontaminated bank soils. Concentrations of acid-volatile sulfide in LR sediments were too low to provide strong controls on metal bioavailability, and selective sediment extractions indicated that metals in most LR sediments were primarily associated with iron and manganese oxides. Oligochaetes (Lumbriculus variegatus) accumulated greatest concentrations of copper from the river sediment, and greatest concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, and lead from reservoir sediments. Chronic toxic effects on amphipods (Hyalella azteca; reduced survival) and midge larvae (Chironomus dilutus; reduced growth) in whole-sediment exposures were generally consistent with predictions of metal toxicity based on empirical and equilibrium partitioning-based sediment quality guidelines. Elevated metal concentrations in pore waters of some LR sediments suggested that metals released from iron and manganese oxides under anoxic conditions contributed to metal bioaccumulation and toxicity. Results of both chemical and biological assays indicate that metals in sediments from both riverine and reservoir habitats of Lake Roosevelt are available to benthic invertebrates. These findings will be used as

A sediment resuspension and water quality model of Lake Okeechobee

Science.gov (United States)

James, R.T.; Martin, J.; Wool, T.; Wang, P.-F.

1997-01-01

The influence of sediment resuspension on the water quality of shallow lakes is well documented. However, a search of the literature reveals no deterministic mass-balance eutrophication models that explicitly include resuspension. We modified the Lake Okeeehobee water quality model - which uses the Water Analysis Simulation Package (WASP) to simulate algal dynamics and phosphorus, nitrogen, and oxygen cycles - to include inorganic suspended solids and algorithms that: (1) define changes in depth with changes in volume; (2) compute sediment resuspension based on bottom shear stress; (3) compute partition coefficients for ammonia and ortho-phosphorus to solids; and (4) relate light attenuation to solids concentrations. The model calibration and validation were successful with the exception of dissolved inorganic nitrogen species which did not correspond well to observed data in the validation phase. This could be attributed to an inaccurate formulation of algal nitrogen preference and/or the absence of nitrogen fixation in the model. The model correctly predicted that the lake is lightlimited from resuspended solids, and algae are primarily nitrogen limited. The model simulation suggested that biological fluxes greatly exceed external loads of dissolved nutrients; and sedimentwater interactions of organic nitrogen and phosphorus far exceed external loads. A sensitivity analysis demonstrated that parameters affecting resuspension, settling, sediment nutrient and solids concentrations, mineralization, algal productivity, and algal stoichiometry are factors requiring further study to improve our understanding of the Lake Okeechobee ecosystem.

Design and methods of the Midwest Stream Quality Assessment (MSQA), 2013

Science.gov (United States)

Garrett, Jessica D.; Frey, Jeffrey W.; Van Metre, Peter C.; Journey, Celeste A.; Nakagaki, Naomi; Button, Daniel T.; Nowell, Lisa H.

2017-10-18

During 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment Project (NAWQA), in collaboration with the USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Rivers and Streams Assessment (NRSA), and the EPA Office of Pesticide Programs assessed stream quality across the Midwestern United States. This Midwest Stream Quality Assessment (MSQA) simultaneously characterized watershed and stream-reach water-quality stressors along with instream biological conditions, to better understand regional stressor-effects relations. The MSQA design focused on effects from the widespread agriculture in the region and urban development because of their importance as ecological stressors of particular concern to Midwest region resource managers.A combined random stratified selection and a targeted selection based on land-use data were used to identify and select sites representing gradients in agricultural intensity across the region. During a 14-week period from May through August 2013, 100 sites were selected and sampled 12 times for contaminants, nutrients, and sediment. This 14-week water-quality “index” period culminated with an ecological survey of habitat, periphyton, benthic macroinvertebrates, and fish at all sites. Sediment was collected during the ecological survey for analysis of sediment chemistry and toxicity testing. Of the 100 sites, 50 were selected for the MSQA random stratified group from 154 NRSA sites planned for the region, and the other 50 MSQA sites were selected as targeted sites to more evenly cover agricultural and urban stressor gradients in the study area. Of the 50 targeted sites, 12 were in urbanized watersheds and 21 represented “good” biological conditions or “least disturbed” conditions. The remaining 17 targeted sites were selected to improve coverage of the agricultural intensity gradient or because of historical data collection to provide temporal context for the

Multisite Evaluation of APEX for Water Quality: I. Best Professional Judgment Parameterization.

Science.gov (United States)

Baffaut, Claire; Nelson, Nathan O; Lory, John A; Senaviratne, G M M M Anomaa; Bhandari, Ammar B; Udawatta, Ranjith P; Sweeney, Daniel W; Helmers, Matt J; Van Liew, Mike W; Mallarino, Antonio P; Wortmann, Charles S

2017-11-01

The Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX) model is capable of estimating edge-of-field water, nutrient, and sediment transport and is used to assess the environmental impacts of management practices. The current practice is to fully calibrate the model for each site simulation, a task that requires resources and data not always available. The objective of this study was to compare model performance for flow, sediment, and phosphorus transport under two parameterization schemes: a best professional judgment (BPJ) parameterization based on readily available data and a fully calibrated parameterization based on site-specific soil, weather, event flow, and water quality data. The analysis was conducted using 12 datasets at four locations representing poorly drained soils and row-crop production under different tillage systems. Model performance was based on the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), the coefficient of determination () and the regression slope between simulated and measured annualized loads across all site years. Although the BPJ model performance for flow was acceptable (NSE = 0.7) at the annual time step, calibration improved it (NSE = 0.9). Acceptable simulation of sediment and total phosphorus transport (NSE = 0.5 and 0.9, respectively) was obtained only after full calibration at each site. Given the unacceptable performance of the BPJ approach, uncalibrated use of APEX for planning or management purposes may be misleading. Model calibration with water quality data prior to using APEX for simulating sediment and total phosphorus loss is essential. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Controls on sediment production in two U.S. deserts

Science.gov (United States)

Belnap, Jayne; Walker, Beau J.; Munson, Seth M.; Gill, Richard A.

2014-01-01

Much of the world’s airborne sediment originates from dryland regions. Soil surface disturbances in these regions are ever-increasing due to human activities such as energy and mineral exploration and development, recreation, suburbanization, livestock grazing and cropping. Sediment production can have significant impacts to human health with particles potentially carrying viruses such as Valley Fever or causing asthma or other respiratory diseases. Dust storms can cause decreased visibility at the ground level, resulting in highway accidents, and reduced visual quality in park and wildland airsheds. Sediment production and deposition is also detrimental to ecosystem health, as production reduces soil fertility at its source and can bury plants and other organisms where it is deposited. Therefore, it is important to understand how we can predict what areas are prone to producing sediment emissions both before and after soil surface disturbance. We visited 87 sites in two deserts of the western U.S. that represented a range of soil texture and surface cover types. We used a portable wind tunnel to estimate the threshold friction velocity (TFV) required to initiate sediment transport and the amount of sediment produced by the tunnel at a set wind speed. Wind tunnel runs were done before and after soil surface disturbance with a four-wheel drive vehicle. Results show that most undisturbed desert soils are very stable, especially if covered by rocks or well-developed biological soil crusts, which make them virtually wind-erosion proof. Particles at disturbed sites, in contrast, moved at relatively low wind speeds and produced high amounts of sediment. Silt was an important predictor of TFV and sediment production across all sites, whereas the influence of rock cover and biological soil crusts was site-dependent. Understanding the vulnerability of a site after disturbance is important information for land managers as they plan land use activities and attempt to

Controls on sediment production in two U.S. deserts

Science.gov (United States)

Belnap, Jayne; Walker, Beau J.; Munson, Seth M.; Gill, Richard A.

2014-09-01

Much of the world’s airborne sediment originates from dryland regions. Soil surface disturbances in these regions are ever-increasing due to human activities such as energy and mineral exploration and development, recreation, suburbanization, livestock grazing and cropping. Sediment production can have significant impacts to human health with particles potentially carrying viruses such as Valley Fever or causing asthma or other respiratory diseases. Dust storms can cause decreased visibility at the ground level, resulting in highway accidents, and reduced visual quality in park and wildland airsheds. Sediment production and deposition is also detrimental to ecosystem health, as production reduces soil fertility at its source and can bury plants and other organisms where it is deposited. Therefore, it is important to understand how we can predict what areas are prone to producing sediment emissions both before and after soil surface disturbance. We visited 87 sites in two deserts of the western U.S. that represented a range of soil texture and surface cover types. We used a portable wind tunnel to estimate the threshold friction velocity (TFV) required to initiate sediment transport and the amount of sediment produced by the tunnel at a set wind speed. Wind tunnel runs were done before and after soil surface disturbance with a four-wheel drive vehicle. Results show that most undisturbed desert soils are very stable, especially if covered by rocks or well-developed biological soil crusts, which make them virtually wind-erosion proof. Particles at disturbed sites, in contrast, moved at relatively low wind speeds and produced high amounts of sediment. Silt was an important predictor of TFV and sediment production across all sites, whereas the influence of rock cover and biological soil crusts was site-dependent. Understanding the vulnerability of a site after disturbance is important information for land managers as they plan land use activities and attempt to

Can behavioural responses of Lumbriculus variegatus (Oligochaeta) assess sediment toxicity? A case study with sediments exposed to acid mine drainage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sardo, A.M.; Soares, A.M.V.M.

2010-01-01

The Sao Domingos mine (Portugal) is, potentially, a good site for ecotoxicological studies, due to a pH and metal gradient of acid mine drainage. In this study, the toxicity of several mine sediments was evaluated using the aquatic oligochaete Lumbriculus variegatus as a test organism. Our hypothesis was that exposure to contaminated sediments would cause behavioural early warning responses in L. variegatus. Five sites, with pH ranging from 2.5 to 6.5, and with associated metals, were investigated. The results showed poor sediment quality in most of the collected sediments and Fe, S and As were the dominant elements in the samples. High mortalities were observed, ranging from 32.6 to 100%, indicating severe contamination. The collected sediments did not support good L. variegatus growth and significantly changed its behaviour. Early warning responses consisted of decreased locomotion and decreased peristaltic movements. A behaviour inhibition will affect the ecosystem balance by limiting the organisms' ability to avoid capture, which leads to a higher risk of predation. - Behavioural responses of the aquatic oligochaeta Lumbriculus variegatus may be used to detect early warning responses.

Multielemental analysis to the profile sediments from several sites on the Havana Bay, by the Neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diaz Riso, O.; Gelen, A.; Lopez, N.; Manso, M.V.; Graciano, A.M.; Nogueira, C.A.; Beltran, J.

2003-01-01

Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) technique was employed to analyze the profile sediments from several sites on the Havana Bay, Cuba. Measurements of 24 heavy and trace elements in the sediments are reported. The results show the increment in the sediment pollution occurred in the 70-80 years of the last century. The data confirm that an anthropogenic input into the bay from domestic sewage and industries occurred

Sediment-to-Water Partition Coefficients: the Influence of Physicochemical and Seasonal Factors in Eastern Ontario

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yankovich, Tamara L. [International Atomic Energy Agency, P.O. Box 100, 1400 Vienna (Austria); Shultz, Carmen; Hartwig, Dale; Wills, C. Anne [Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Chalk River Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario, K0J 1J0 (Canada); Beresford, Nicholas A. [NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Center, Library Av., Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4AP (United Kingdom); School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford, Manchester, M4 4WT (United Kingdom); Wood, Michael D. [School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford, Manchester, M4 4WT (United Kingdom)

2014-07-01

Sediments often represent an important reservoir for contaminants, such as radionuclides and metals, in aquatic ecosystems. Consequently, lake, stream, and river sediments can potentially act as significant contributors to the total contaminant exposure and radiological doses received by wildlife. Exposure to contaminated sediments is dependent upon several factors. These include net contaminant inputs to a system through time, the physicochemical attributes of the system, the tendency of each contaminant to partition into the sediments relative to water, the spatial distribution of contaminants in the sediments, and the behaviour or life-style of the biota inhabiting a water body. Increased understanding of such factors and their interactions will lead to improved predictions of the radionuclide exposure received by aquatic biota, particularly benthic organisms. Despite the complexity and the dynamic nature of sediments in general, for practical purposes, in environmental impact assessments (EIAs), it is often assumed that radionuclide activity concentrations in various compartments are at steady state with respect to one another. Therefore, ratios can be used to estimate concentrations in one compartment given a known concentration in another. In the case of sediments, sediment-to-water partition coefficients (K{sub d}) are often applied to estimate the contaminant concentration sorbed to particulate matter relative to the concentration measured in the surface water. However, K{sub d} values often range by several orders of magnitude between sampling locations due to site-specific differences in physicochemical conditions in surface waters, seasonal factors, as well as differences in sediment attributes that can affect contaminant partitioning between the dissolved and particulate phases. Consequently, in conducting EIAs, it becomes necessary to either apply generic K{sub d} values that ensure contaminant concentrations in sediments to which biota are exposed are

Quality of data used in site selection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delvin, W.L.

1986-01-01

The selection of sites for nuclear waste repositories requires an investigative effort to characterize potential sites with regard to geologic properties and environmental considerations. Such investigations generate scientific and engineering data through the experimental testing and evaluation of geologic and environmental materials and through sampling and analysis of those materials. Data generated for site selection must be correct, defendable, and suitable for their intended use; they must have quality. Five quality characteristics are defined and practices followed by scientists and engineers producing data have been grouped into seven categories called quality guides. These are presented in the paper and the relationship between the guides (practices) and the five quality characteristics is shown

Data quality objectives summary report for 105-N Basin sediment disposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pisarcik, D.J.

1996-10-01

During stabilization of the 105-N Basin, sediments that have accumulated on basin surfaces will be vacuumed, collected in the North Cask Pit of the basin complex, and eventually removed. The environmental assessment for the deactivation of the N Reactor Facilities describes two potential disposition paths for the 105-N Basin sediment: transfer in slurry form to a double-shell tank if determined to be a transuranic waste, or disposal in solid form as a low-level waste. Interim storage of the sediments may be required if a transfer to the Tank Waste Remediation System cannot meet scheduled milestones. Selection of a particular alternative depends on the final characterization of the accumulated sediment, regulatory requirements, cost/benefit analyses, and 105-N Stabilization Project schedule requirements. The 105-N Basin Sediment Process is being conducted in two phases. The scope of the first phase includes identification of the sampling requirements, and the specific analyses required to support evaluation of the sediment disposition options. The objectives of the first phase of the 105-N Basin Sediment DQO Process include the following: identify the relevant acceptance criteria for each of the disposition options; and develop a sampling and analysis plan (SAP) sufficiently through to allow evaluation of sediment analysis results against each set of acceptance criteria

Quality assurance during site construction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dommke, J.; Jurgutat, H.

1980-01-01

During the time of planing and construction of a nuclear power plant, the following proceeding is approved: - the deliverer of a nuclear power plant provides the reports fixing the quality assurance program, it means that he is responsible to write the safety analysis report, the specifications for the erection of the components, the working manuals and specifications for testing (eg nondestr. testing) - the manufacturing of components or systems will be controlled by an own independent quality assurance group, provided that this group was checked by the quality assurance group of the applicant - the TUeV with its independent assessors will fix the requirements relating to quality assurance in its assessment. On this basis the examination of the applicants specifications, working manuals, testing specifications will be done. The efficiency of quality assurance at the manufacturer and at the applicant will be checked by the TUeV specialists by considering specifications of modifications, repairs or tolerances. A mean point of the quality assurance in Germany is the dynamic adjustment, of an action on the latest state of engineering or science. If there exists a change of rules or guidelines, the quality assurance requirements have to be fit on this state in so far as it is feasible from the technical point of view. (orig./RW)

Development of a site-specific water quality criterion for hexavalent chromium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McIntyre, D.O.; Sticko, J.P.; Reash, R.J.

1995-01-01

The effluent of treated fly ash from a coal-fired power plant located on the Ohio River periodically exceeds its NPDES acute permit limit for hexavalent chromium of 15 microg/L. The increased levels of hexavalent chromium in the effluent are a recent occurrence which are likely due to changes in coal blends burned in the generating units. Ohio EPA determined the use designation of the receiving stream (Limited Resource Water) was being attained and a one-year biomonitoring program of the effluent detected no acute toxicity to Ceriodaphnia dubia or Daphnia magna. The water-effect ratio (WER) procedure was selected to develop a site-specific criterion maximum concentration for hexavalent chromium for the effluent's receiving stream. WER procedures followed those described in EPA's ''Interim Guidance on Determination and Use of Water-Effect Ratios for Metals'' (1994). Site water used in the WER determinations was undiluted effluent since the receiving stream originates at the discharge point of the outfall. 48-hour acute D. magna and 96-hour acute fathead minnow toxicity tests were selected as the primary and secondary tests, respectively for use in three seasonal WER determinations. The results of the three WER determinations and the status of the regulatory process will be presented

Quality assurance during site construction. Pt. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mueller, J.

1980-01-01

The first part of the lecture deals with the Quality Assurance system on the construction site in general. Basic site-related problems during contract implementation and the QA system requirements resulting from them are presented. The compilation of these requirements in a QA program and its inclusion in the site manual in written form are explained. Site organization, personnel qualification and procedures are referred to. Whereas the first part shows what is to be done, the second part shows how it can be put into practice on the site. All the essential points for the assurance of quality are addressed. They include, e.g., review of documents, incoming goods control, in-process surveillance, store controls, identification of components and systems, dealing with changes and deviations, documentation control and audits. By means of examples taken form practice the necessity of a well-functioning QA system, and the importance of quality-assuring measures on the site are pointed out. (orig.)

Assessment of the role of bottomland hardwoods in sediment and erosion control

Science.gov (United States)

Molinas, A.; Auble, Gregor T.; Segelquist, C.A.; Ischinger, Lee S.

1988-01-01

Drainage and clearing of bottomland hardwoods have long been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) as important impacts of Federal water projects in the lower Mississippi River Valley. More recently, the water quality impacts of such projects (e.g., increases in sediments, nutrients, and pesticides) have also become of concern. In 1984, in an effort to better define problems concerning wetland losses and water degradation, EPA initiated a cooperative project with the Western Energy and Land Use Team (now the National Ecology Research Center) of the Service. Three phases of the project were identified: 1. To collect existing literature and data; 2. To select, develop, and test the utility of methods to quantify the relationships between land use, cover types, soils, hydrology, and water quality (as represented by sediment); and 3. To apply selected methodologies to several sites within the Yazoo Basin of Mississippi to determine the, potential effectiveness of various management alternatives to reduce sediment yield, increase sediment deposition, and improve water quality. Methods development focused on linking a simulation of water and sediment movement to a computerized geographic information system. We had several objectives for the resulting model. We desired that it should: 1. Estimate the importance of bottomland and hardwoods as a cover type that performs the functions of erosion and sediment control, 2. Simulate effects of proportions of ' various cover types and their specific spatial configurations, 3. Be applicable to moderately large spatial areas with minimal site-specific calibration, 4. Simulate spatial patterns of sediment loss-gain over time, and 5. Represent both sediment detachment and transport. While it was recognized that impacts and management alternatives could be sorted roughly into landscape measures and channel measures, the decision was made to focus study efforts

A methodology for the assessment of rehabilitation success of post mining landscapes-sediment and radionuclide transport at the former Nabarlek uranium mine, Northern Territory, Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hancock, G.R.; Grabham, M.K.; Martin, P; Evans, K.G.; Bollhoefer, A.

2006-01-01

Protection of the environment post-mining is an important issue, especially where runoff and erosion can lead to undesirable material leaving post-mining landscapes and contaminating surrounding land and watercourses. Methods for assessment of the environmental impact and long-term behaviour of post-mining landforms based on scientific methodology are needed especially where field data are absent or poor. An appraisal of the former Nabarlek uranium mine was conducted to assess the site from a soil erosion perspective as part of an independent evaluation of overall rehabilitation success. Determination of the gross erosion occurring, sediment discharge to Cooper Creek and the resultant sediment associated radionuclide load in Cooper Creek were the primary objectives of the study. These objectives were achieved through the application of several models using parameter values collected from the site. The study found that the area containing the mill tailings repository is extremely stable and meets the guidelines established for long-term storage of uranium mill tailings. Most other areas on the site are stable; however there are some areas with a high sediment loss. Sediment concentration in Cooper Creek, which drains the site, was found to be within the Australian water quality guidelines for fresh water, however sediment concentrations in tributaries were found to exceed recommended levels. Radionuclide determinations on soil samples showed that the highest specific activities (Bq kg -1 ) were present on a small (0.44 ha) area with a relatively high erosion rate. This small area contributed the majority of the estimated flux to Cooper Creek of uranium-series radionuclides sorbed or structurally incorporated to eroded soil particles sourced from the mine site. This study provides a methodology for assessment of the erosional stability of such a landscape and consequent impact on water quality, using extensive field data and readily available and well known models

Distribution of chemical warfare agent, energetics, and metals in sediments at a deep-water discarded military munitions site

Science.gov (United States)

Briggs, Christian; Shjegstad, Sonia M.; Silva, Jeff A. K.; Edwards, Margo H.

2016-06-01

There is a strong need to understand the behavior of chemical warfare agent (CWA) at underwater discarded military munitions (DMM) sites to determine the potential threat to human health or the environment, yet few studies have been conducted at sites in excess of 250 m, the depth at which most U.S. chemical munitions were disposed. As part of the Hawai'i Undersea Military Munitions Assessment (HUMMA), sediments adjacent to chemical and conventional DMM at depths of 400-650 m were sampled using human occupied vehicles (HOVs) in order to quantify the distribution of CWA, energetics, and select metals. Sites in the same general area, with no munitions within 50 m in any direction were sampled as a control. Sulfur mustard (HD) and its degradation product 1,4-dithiane were detected at each CWA DMM site, as well as a single sample with the HD degradation product 1,4-thioxane. An energetic compound was detected in sediment to a limited extent at one CWA DMM site. Metals common in munitions casings (i.e., Fe, Cu, and Pb) showed similar trends at the regional and site-wide scales, likely reflecting changes in marine sediment deposition and composition. This study shows HD and its degradation products can persist in the deep-marine environment for decades following munitions disposal.

Hanford Site Environmental Management Specification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DAILY, J.L.

2001-01-01

The US Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (RL) has established a document hierarchy as part of its integrated management system. The Strategic Plan defines the vision, values, missions, strategic goals, high-level outcomes, and the basic strategies in achieving those outcomes. As shown in Figure 1-1, the Site Specification derives requirements from the Strategic Plan and documents the top-level mission technical requirements for the work involved in the RL Hanford Site cleanup and infrastructure activities under the responsibility of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Management (EM). It also provides the basis for all contract technical requirements. Since this is limited to the EM work, neither the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) nor the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) non-EM science activities are included. Figure 1-1 also shows the relationship between this Site Specification and the other Site management and planning documents. Similarly, the documents, orders, and laws referenced in this document represent only the most salient sources of requirements. Current and contractual reference data contain a complete set of source documents

[Distribution Characteristics and Pollution Status Evaluation of Sediments Nutrients in a Drinking Water Reservoir].

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Ting-lin; Liu, Fei; Shi, Jian-chao

2016-01-15

The main purpose of this paper is to illustrate the influence of nutrients distribution in sediments on the eutrophication of drinking water reservoir. The sediments of three representative locations were field-sampled and analyzed in laboratory in March 2015. The distribution characteristics of TOC, TN and TP were measured, and the pollution status of sediments was evaluated by the comprehensive pollution index and the manual for sediment quality assessment. The content of TOC in sediments decreased with depth, and there was an increasing trend of the nitrogen content. The TP was enriched in surface sediment, implying the nutrients load in Zhoucun Reservoir was aggravating as the result of human activities. Regression analysis indicated that the content of TOC in sediments was positively correlated with contents of TN and TP in sediments. The TOC/TN values reflected that the vascular land plants, which contain cellulose, were the main source of organic matter in sediments. The comprehensive pollution index analysis result showed that the surface sediments in all three sampling sites were heavily polluted. The contents of TN and TP of surface sediments in three sampling sites were 3273-4870 mg x kg(-1) and 653-2969 mg x kg(-1), and the content of TOC was 45.65-83.00 mg x g(-1). According to the manual for sediment quality assessment, the TN, TP and TOC contents in sediments exceed the standard values for the lowest level of ecotoxicity, so there is a risk of eutrophication in Zhoucun Reservoir.

Climate change and the impact of increased rainfall variability on sediment transport and catchment scale water quality

Science.gov (United States)

Hancock, G. R.; Willgoose, G. R.; Cohen, S.

2009-12-01

Recently there has been recognition that changing climate will affect rainfall and storm patterns with research directed to examine how the global hydrological cycle will respond to climate change. This study investigates the effect of different rainfall patterns on erosion and resultant water quality for a well studied tropical monsoonal catchment that is undisturbed by Europeans in the Northern Territory, Australia. Water quality has a large affect on a range of aquatic flora and fauna and a significant change in sediment could have impacts on the aquatic ecosystems. There have been several studies of the effect of climate change on rainfall patterns in the study area with projections indicating a significant increase in storm activity. Therefore it is important that the impact of this variability be assessed in terms of catchment hydrology, sediment transport and water quality. Here a numerical model of erosion and hydrology (CAESAR) is used to assess several different rainfall scenarios over a 1000 year modelled period. The results show that that increased rainfall amount and intensity increases sediment transport rates but predicted water quality was variable and non-linear but within the range of measured field data for the catchment and region. Therefore an assessment of sediment transport and water quality is a significant and complex issue that requires further understandings of the role of biophysical feedbacks such as vegetation as well as the role of humans in managing landscapes (i.e. controlled and uncontrolled fire). The study provides a robust methodology for assessing the impact of enhanced climate variability on sediment transport and water quality.

Documentation of particle-size analyzer time series, and discrete suspended-sediment and bed-sediment sample data collection, Niobrara River near Spencer, Nebraska, October 2014

Science.gov (United States)

Schaepe, Nathaniel J.; Coleman, Anthony M.; Zelt, Ronald B.

2018-04-06

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, monitored a sediment release by Nebraska Public Power District from Spencer Dam located on the Niobrara River near Spencer, Nebraska, during the fall of 2014. The accumulated sediment behind Spencer Dam ordinarily is released semiannually; however, the spring 2014 release was postponed until the fall. Because of the postponement, the scheduled fall sediment release would consist of a larger volume of sediment. The larger than normal sediment release expected in fall 2014 provided an opportunity for the USGS and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to improve the understanding of sediment transport during reservoir sediment releases. A primary objective was to collect continuous suspended-sediment data during the first days of the sediment release to document rapid changes in sediment concentrations. For this purpose, the USGS installed a laser-diffraction particle-size analyzer at a site near the outflow of the dam to collect continuous suspended-sediment data. The laser-diffraction particle-size analyzer measured volumetric particle concentration and particle-size distribution from October 1 to 2 (pre-sediment release) and October 5 to 9 (during sediment release). Additionally, the USGS manually collected discrete suspended-sediment and bed-sediment samples before, during, and after the sediment release. Samples were collected at two sites upstream from Spencer Dam and at three bridges downstream from Spencer Dam. The resulting datasets and basic metadata associated with the datasets were published as a data release; this report provides additional documentation about the data collection methods and the quality of the data.

Use of spatially distributed time-integrated sediment sampling networks and distributed fine sediment modelling to inform catchment management.

Science.gov (United States)

Perks, M T; Warburton, J; Bracken, L J; Reaney, S M; Emery, S B; Hirst, S

2017-11-01

Under the EU Water Framework Directive, suspended sediment is omitted from environmental quality standards and compliance targets. This omission is partly explained by difficulties in assessing the complex dose-response of ecological communities. But equally, it is hindered by a lack of spatially distributed estimates of suspended sediment variability across catchments. In this paper, we demonstrate the inability of traditional, discrete sampling campaigns for assessing exposure to fine sediment. Sampling frequencies based on Environmental Quality Standard protocols, whilst reflecting typical manual sampling constraints, are unable to determine the magnitude of sediment exposure with an acceptable level of precision. Deviations from actual concentrations range between -35 and +20% based on the interquartile range of simulations. As an alternative, we assess the value of low-cost, suspended sediment sampling networks for quantifying suspended sediment transfer (SST). In this study of the 362 km 2 upland Esk catchment we observe that spatial patterns of sediment flux are consistent over the two year monitoring period across a network of 17 monitoring sites. This enables the key contributing sub-catchments of Butter Beck (SST: 1141 t km 2 yr -1 ) and Glaisdale Beck (SST: 841 t km 2 yr -1 ) to be identified. The time-integrated samplers offer a feasible alternative to traditional infrequent and discrete sampling approaches for assessing spatio-temporal changes in contamination. In conjunction with a spatially distributed diffuse pollution model (SCIMAP), time-integrated sediment sampling is an effective means of identifying critical sediment source areas in the catchment, which can better inform sediment management strategies for pollution prevention and control. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structure, Process, and Outcome Quality of Surgical Site Infection Surveillance in Switzerland.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuster, Stefan P; Eisenring, Marie-Christine; Sax, Hugo; Troillet, Nicolas

2017-10-01

OBJECTIVE To assess the structure and quality of surveillance activities and to validate outcome detection in the Swiss national surgical site infection (SSI) surveillance program. DESIGN Countrywide survey of SSI surveillance quality. SETTING 147 hospitals or hospital units with surgical activities in Switzerland. METHODS Site visits were conducted with on-site structured interviews and review of a random sample of 15 patient records per hospital: 10 from the entire data set and 5 from a subset of patients with originally reported infection. Process and structure were rated in 9 domains with a weighted overall validation score, and sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were calculated for the identification of SSI. RESULTS Of 50 possible points, the median validation score was 35.5 (range, 16.25-48.5). Public hospitals (PSwitzerland (P=.021), and hospitals with longer participation in the surveillance (P=.018) had higher scores than others. Domains that contributed most to lower scores were quality of chart review and quality of data extraction. Of 49 infections, 15 (30.6%) had been overlooked in a random sample of 1,110 patient records, accounting for a sensitivity of 69.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 54.6%-81.7%), a specificity of 99.9% (95% CI, 99.5%-100%), a positive predictive value of 97.1% (95% CI, 85.1%-99.9%), and a negative predictive value of 98.6% (95% CI, 97.7%-99.2%). CONCLUSIONS Irrespective of a well-defined surveillance methodology, there is a wide variation of SSI surveillance quality. The quality of chart review and the accuracy of data collection are the main areas for improvement. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017;38:1172-1181.

Sheet GT1-4. Radionuclides in sediments, bank soils and wetlands; Fiche GT1-4. Les radionucleides dans les sediments, les terres de berge et les zones humides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2009-07-01

This document reports investigations and measurements aimed at assessing the radiological quality of sediments, of bank soils, and of different wetlands, waterways and lakes located in the area of an ancient uranium mining site (La Crouzille, Limousin). As sediments are heterogeneous, sampling have been performed in several locations, and have been analysed in terms of activity with respect with depth

Quality assurance during site construction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eymess, K.J.; Haas, R.; Wellnitz, G.

1980-01-01

Quality Assurance for Nuclear Power Plants under consideration of pipe assembling. Flow of Quality Requirements during: - Desing - Construction - Procurement - Prefabrication - Site. Organizational Requirements and Measurements during Erection: - Incoming Control - Material Storage - Surveillance of Tools - Weld Surveillance - Nondestructive Testing - Cleaning - Final Documentation. Qualification and Training of QA Personnel. (orig.)

Intruder scenarios for site-specific waste classification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kennedy, W.E. Jr.

1988-01-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is currently revising its low-level radioactive waste (LLW) management requirements and guidelines for waste generated at its facilities that support defense missions. Specifically, draft DOE 5820.2A, Chapter 3, describes the purpose, policy, and requirements necessary for the management of defense LLW. The draft DOE policy calls for DOE LLW operations to be managed to protect the health and safety of the public, preserve the environment, and ensure that no remedial action will be necessary after termination of operations. The requirements and guidelines apply to radioactive wastes but are also intended to apply to mixed hazardous and radioactive wastes as defined in draft DOE 5400.5, Hazardous and Radioactive Mixed Waste. The basic approach used by DOE is to establish overall performance objectives in terms of ground-water protection and public radiation dose limits and to require site-specific performance assessments to determine compliance. As a result of these performance assessments, each site shall develop waste acceptance criteria that define the allowable quantities and concentrations of specific radioisotopes. Additional limitations on waste disposal design, waste form, and waste treatment shall also be developed on a site-specific basis. As a key step in the site-specific performance assessments, an evaluation must be conducted of potential radiation doses to intruders who may inadvertently move onto a closed DOE LLW disposal site after loss of institutional controls must be conducted. This paper describes the types of intruder scenarios that should be considered when performing this step of the site-specific performance assessment

Sedimentological, mineralogical, and geochemical results from surface sediments and the sediment record from Site 2 of the ICDP drilling project at Lake Towuti, Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Hasberg, A. K.; Melles, M.; Wennrich, V.; Vogel, H.; Just, J.; Russell, J. M.; Bijaksana, S.; Morlock, M.; Opitz, S.

2017-12-01

More than 1000 m of sediment core were recovered in spring 2015 from three different drill sites in tropical Lake Towuti (2.5°S, 121°E), Indonesia, during the Towuti Drilling Project (TDP) of the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP). Furthermore, a set of 84 lake surface sediment samples, distributed over the entire lake, was collected in order to better understand modern sedimentary processes. The surface samples were investigated for physical, chemical, mineralogical, and biological properties at the University of Cologne (UoC), Germany. On the sediment cores macro- and microscopical lithological descriptions, line-scan imaging, logging of physical properties (MSCL), and subsampling was conducted at the National Lacustrine Core Facility of the University of Minnesota, USA, in November 2015 and January 2016. Afterwards, the archive core halves and 672 subsamples of TDP Site 2 were shipped to the UoC for X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) scanning and sedimentological, geochemical, and mineralogical analyses, respectively, supplemented by visible to near-infrared spectroscopy (VNIR) at Brown University, USA. The data from the surface samples evidence that allochthonous sedimentation in Lake Towuti today is dominated by fluvial supply from five distinguishable source areas: (i) the Mahalona River to the north, which drains lakes Mahalona and Matano, (ii) inlets around the village of Timampu to the northwest, (iii) the Loeha River to the east, (iv) the Lengke River to the south, and (v) the Lemo-Lemo River to the northeast of Lake Towuti. Of these, source areas (ii) and (iii) as well as (iv) and (v) have similar geochemical compositions, respectively. In addition, the lake sedimentation is significantly influenced by gravitational sediment supply from steep slopes as well as lake-internal gravitational and density-driven processes. The uppermost 41 m of sediment core 2A consist of pelagic sediments (totaling 11 m) and event layers from mass movement

Organochlorinated pesticides in sediments from the Lake Albufera of Valencia (Spain).

Science.gov (United States)

Peris, E; Requena, S; de la Guardia, M; Pastor, A; Carrasco, J M

2005-09-01

Bottom sediment samples from 121 sites of the Lake Albufera of Valencia were analyzed. Dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor and op'-DDT were not detected (<0.01 ng g(-1)) in 88-93% of the sites. Aldrin and HCB concentration ranges were between <0.01 and 0.1 ng g(-1) in 86% and 94% of the sites, respectively. Heptachlor-epoxide and lindane 95% confidence intervals were 0.2-0.5 and 0.06-0.12, respectively. The greatest average concentration corresponds to pp'-DDE, pp'-DDD and pp'-DDT. The sum of six isomers and derivatives of the DDT average concentration reaches 2.1 ng g(-1), as opposed to 2.7 ng g(-1) for the sum of 13 pesticides considered. In the site with a major contamination, 27.0 ng g(-1) of pp'-DDD and 12.8 ng g(-1) of pp'-DDT were accumulated. The DDE:DDT proportion average was 0.37, indicating an aged DDT contamination. Concentrations of pesticides in sediments were compared to three sediment quality guidelines, and indicated that a low biological effects level can be expected in either sediments or aquatic organisms.

Monitoring of streams: macrozoobenthos and accumulation of heavy metals and radionuclides in bottom sediments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arbaciauskas, K.; Mackeviciene, G.; Striupkuviene, N.; Motiejunas, S; Kreslauskaite, R.

1998-01-01

To evaluate the environmental quality of streams in integrated monitoring sites (IMS) and agrostations (AS), the macrozoobenthos communities and accumulation of heavy metals and radionuclides in bottom sediments were studied during 1993-1996. Samples of macrozoobenthos were collected in stream biotopes which were recommended for monitoring. Community biodiversity was assessed by Shannon-Wiener and Simpson indices, and water quality of streams was estimated by Trent and Mean Chandler biotic indices. Heavy metal (Pb, Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Mn) concentrations and radionuclide ( 137 Cs, 134 Cs, 40 K, 90 Sr) activity were determined in sediments. Macrozoobenthos communities indicated that the studied streams were clean waters. The heavy metal concentrations in surficial sediments showed annual and seasonal changes and differences between monitoring sites. The Cu concentration in the soft turfy stream sediments at the Aukstaitija IMS was twice as high as that in sediments of other monitoring streams with hard sandy-gravel bottoms. During 1994-1996, the Ni concentration decreased, while levels of Cu, Cd and Cr were relatively stable. The Pb concentrations decreased in all IMS, while those in AS increased. The concentration of 137 Cs was relatively stable in agrostation streams. Compared to levels in 1993, an increase of 137 Cs activity was observed in sediments at the Dzuklija IMS during 1995-1996. 90 Sr activity fluctuated in the monitoring sites from 1.6 to 3.7 Bq/kg dry weight. (author)

The use of Ampelisca abdita growth rate as an indicator of sediment quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weston, D.P.; Thompson, B.

1995-01-01

Acute lethal bioassays with amphipod crustaceans are routinely used to assess toxicity of bulk sediments. A study within the San Francisco Bay Regional Monitoring Program (RMP) is in progress to develop a chronic bioassay with the amphipod Ampelisca abdita, measuring both survivorship and growth rates. This approach is attractive because depression of growth rate is likely to be a more sensitive indicator of toxic effects than acute lethality, and natural populations of A. abdita exist throughout the Bay. Spiked sediment bioassays, using cadmium and crude oil, were used to demonstrate the relative sensitivity of the standard 10-day lethal test vs. the 30-day growth test. Sediments were also collected from 9 sites throughout the Bay, ranging from areas adjacent to municipal wastewater discharges to areas distant from known point source inputs. These samples were then split, and used for side-by-side comparison of acute (lethal) and chronic (growth) toxicity tests. Survivorship exceeded 90% in all tests, including those sediments collected nearest the wastewater outfalls. Growth rates were contrasted among the various treatments to examine the utility of this end point in discriminating the outfall sites. Data on the spatial distribution, abundance, and size-frequency distribution of native populations was examined within the context of using growth rate as an indicator of toxic effects in natural populations as well

Environmental quality of transitional waters: the lagoon of Venice case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Micheletti, C; Gottardo, S; Critto, A; Chiarato, S; Marcomini, A

2011-01-01

The health status of European aquatic environments, including transitional waters such as coastal lagoons, is regulated by the Water Framework Directive (WFD), which requires the classification of the water bodies' environmental quality and the achievement of a good ecological status by 2015. In the Venice lagoon, a transitional water body located in the northeastern part of Italy, the achievement of a good ecological status is hampered by several anthropogenic and natural pressures, such as sediment and water chemical contamination, and sediment erosion. In order to evaluate the lagoon's environmental quality according to the WFD (i.e. 5 quality classes, from High to Bad), an integrated Weight-of-Evidence methodology was developed and applied to classify the quality of the lagoon water bodies, integrating biological, physico-chemical, chemical, ecotoxicological, and hydromorphological data (i.e. Lines of Evidence, LOE). The quality assessment was carried out in two lagoon habitat typologies (previously defined on the basis of morphological, sediment, and hydrodynamic characteristics) which were selected taking into account the ecological gradient from sea to land, and the differences in anthropogenic pressure and contamination levels. The LOE classification was carried out by using indicators scored by comparing site specific conditions to reference conditions measured in lagoon reference sites, or provided by local, national or European regulations (e.g. Environmental Quality Standards, EQS, for chemicals). Finally, the overall quality status for each water body was calculated by a probabilistic approach, i.e. by reporting the final result as the frequency distribution of quality classes. The developed procedure was applied by using data and information concerning selected LOE and collected from monitoring programs and research studies carried out in the last 15 years in the lagoon of Venice. A set of sampling stations characterized by spatially and temporally

On site clean up with a hazardous waste incinerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cross, F.L. Jr.; Tessitore, J.L.

1987-01-01

The Army Corps of Engineers and the EPA have determined that on-site incineration for the detoxification of soils, sediments, and sludges is a viable, safe, and economic alternative. This paper discusses an approach to on-site incineration as a method of detoxification of soils/sediments contaminated with organic hazardous wastes. Specifically, this paper describes the procedures used to evaluate on-site incineration at a large Superfund site with extensive PCB contaminated soils and sediments. The paper includes the following: (1) a discussion of site waste quantities and properties, (2) a selection of an incineration technology with a resulting concept and design, (3) a discussion of incinerator permitting requirements, (4) discussion and rationale for an incinerator sub-scale testing approach, and (5) analysis of on-site incineration cost

Assessing Sediment Yield and the Effect of Best Management Practices on Sediment Yield Reduction for Tutuila Island, American Samoa

Science.gov (United States)

Leta, O. T.; Dulai, H.; El-Kadi, A. I.

2017-12-01

of the impact that each BMP has on specific land use and Fagaalu's reef. It also offers information that may be useful for the coastal water resource management and mitigation measures to reduce sediment yield of the study site and similar areas.

Biomonitoring polluted sediments in Arctic regions - possibilities and challenges using benthic foraminifera. Case studies from northern Norway

Science.gov (United States)

Skirbekk, Kari; Dijkstra, Noortje; Junttila, Juho; Sternal, Beata; Pedersen, Kristine Bondo; Forwick, Matthias; Carroll, JoLynn

2016-04-01

´s. Metal availability studies have been performed on one of the cores. In addition, a sediment core from Hammerfest Harbour was studied. The core comprises 20 cm of sediments containing elevated levels of a variety of environmental pollutants and heavy metals from various sources (moderate to poor state, according to Norwegian sediment quality criteria). For comparison, surface sediments (upper 5 cm) from the unpolluted fjord Revbotn, located in proximity to the two polluted sites, are studied. In the polluted cores, some correlations are seen between contaminants and faunal composition. However, none of these appear to be consistent for the entire area. This may be related to the difference in contaminants and the availability of the contaminants present at the two sites. In addition, other local influences such as grain size distribution and salinity variations, may contribute to a higher complexity of the faunal compositions. The study suggests that more comprehensive investigations of benthic foraminifera in contaminated sediments are needed for this region. In addition, it acknowledges the need for site-specific baseline studies of pre-polluted sediments.

Assessment of stream bottom sediment quality in the vicinity of the Caldas uranium mine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliveira, Priscila E.S. de; Silva, Nivaldo C.

2015-01-01

An evaluation of the quality of stream bottom sediments was performed in the surroundings of the Caldas Uranium Mining and Milling Facilities (UMMF), sited on Pocos de Caldas Plateau (southeastern Brazil), to verify whether the sediments in the water bodies downstream the plant, were impacted by effluents from a large waste rock pile, named Waste Rock Pile 4 (WRP4), and from the Tailings Dam (TD). In order to perform the research, twelve sampling stations were established in the watersheds around Caldas UMMF: the Soberbo creek, the Consulta brook, and the Taquari river. One of the stations was located inside the Bacia Nestor Figueiredo, a retention pond that receives effluents from WRP4, and another in a settling tank (D2) for radium, which receives the effluents from TD. A monitoring scheme has been developed, comprising four sampling campaigns in 2010 and 2011, and the samples were analyzed for selected metals-metalloids and radionuclides, using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES), Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) Spectroscopy and Gamma-ray Spectrometry. The results suggest that effluents discharged from retention ponds to watercourses, causing an increase in the concentration of As, B, Ba, Cr, Mo, Mn, Pb, Zn, 238 U, 232 Th, 226 Ra, 228 Ra and 210 Pb in sediments. Detailed investigation in sub-superficial layers is recommended at these locations to evaluate the need of implementing mitigation actions such as lining and constructing hydraulic barriers downstream the ponds. Actually, the UTM/Caldas operator is already implementing control measures. (author)

Assessment of stream bottom sediment quality in the vicinity of the Caldas uranium mine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oliveira, Priscila E.S. de, E-mail: pge_13@hotmail.com [Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto (ProAmb/UFOP), Ouro Preto, MG (Brazil). Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Engenharia Ambiental; Filho, Carlos A.C.; Moreira, Rubens M.; Ramos, Maria E.A.F.; Dutra, Pedro H.; Ferreira, Vinicius V.M., E-mail: cacf@cdtn.br [Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN/CNEN-MG), Belo Horizonte (Brazil); Silva, Nivaldo C., E-mail: ncsilva@cnen.gov.br [Comissao Nacional de Energia Nuclear (LAPOC/CNEN-MG), Pocos de Caldas, MG (Brazil). Laboratorio de Pocos de Caldas

2015-07-01

An evaluation of the quality of stream bottom sediments was performed in the surroundings of the Caldas Uranium Mining and Milling Facilities (UMMF), sited on Pocos de Caldas Plateau (southeastern Brazil), to verify whether the sediments in the water bodies downstream the plant, were impacted by effluents from a large waste rock pile, named Waste Rock Pile 4 (WRP4), and from the Tailings Dam (TD). In order to perform the research, twelve sampling stations were established in the watersheds around Caldas UMMF: the Soberbo creek, the Consulta brook, and the Taquari river. One of the stations was located inside the Bacia Nestor Figueiredo, a retention pond that receives effluents from WRP4, and another in a settling tank (D2) for radium, which receives the effluents from TD. A monitoring scheme has been developed, comprising four sampling campaigns in 2010 and 2011, and the samples were analyzed for selected metals-metalloids and radionuclides, using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES), Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) Spectroscopy and Gamma-ray Spectrometry. The results suggest that effluents discharged from retention ponds to watercourses, causing an increase in the concentration of As, B, Ba, Cr, Mo, Mn, Pb, Zn, {sup 238}U, {sup 232}Th, {sup 226}Ra, {sup 228}Ra and {sup 210}Pb in sediments. Detailed investigation in sub-superficial layers is recommended at these locations to evaluate the need of implementing mitigation actions such as lining and constructing hydraulic barriers downstream the ponds. Actually, the UTM/Caldas operator is already implementing control measures. (author)

Preliminary sediments quality assessment of the Midia Port aquatorium - Black Sea - Romania

Science.gov (United States)

Catianis, I.; Ungureanu, C.; Stanica, A.

2012-04-01

This study shows the present environmental quality of superficial sediments within the aquatorium of an industrial harbor. These results help better understand the correlation between historical pollution and present environmental state of the harbor sediments and related environmental hazards in case of dredging. The study area is the Port of Midia, situated in Romania, western Black Sea coast. The port is located at the boundary between the Danube Delta coast (widest nature protected biosphere reserve in the EU) in the north - and the almost entirely human controlled coast - starting south of the port. Midia Harbor was first built in 1942, expanded during the late 1970`s, and currently operates as an oil and general merchandise terminal. This port receives a double impact of waters: brackish Black Sea waters, as well as Danube fresh waters arriving into the aquatorium through the inshore Danube - Black Sea Canal Lock. To understand the environmental status of the port aquatorium one sampling campaign was performed during August 2011. Samples were collected within the aquatorium and in in the surrounding area outside the harbor. For a better correlation with the particularities related to the transitions in water salinity, the aquatorium was divided into five sectors with specific characteristics: Cargo Terminal Area, Oil Terminal Enclosure Area, Ships Transit Area, Waste Oil Buffer Area and Marine Area. The following analyses were performed on water and sediment samples: physical and chemical characteristics of the waters (dissolved oxygen, temperature, electrical conductivity, total dissolved salts, pH, redox potential, nitrates, nitrites, phosphates, sulphates, heavy metals), bulk sediments (particle size, grain size distribution, mineralogy, organic matter and carbonates content, heavy minerals load, organic compounds) and microbiological and ecotoxicological assays. The grain size analysis reveals the prevalence of very fine-silt and silty-clay fractions, and

Site observational work plan for the UMTRA Project Site at Riverton, Wyoming. Revision 3/95

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-03-01

Ground water compliance for the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project sites, including the Riverton, Wyoming, site, is governed by the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act and the US Environmental Protection Agency's Health and Environmental Protection Standards for Uranium and Thorium Mill Tailings. The compliance strategy proposed for this site is natural flushing in conjunction with institutional controls. The essential premise of natural flushing is that ground water movement and natural attenuation processes will reduce the detected contamination to background levels or alternate concentration limits that do not pose a risk to human health or the environment within 100 years. This document contains the following sections. Section 2.0 of this SOWP describes the requirements for meeting standards at UMTRA Project sites. Section 3.0 provides site-specific data and the related conceptual model. Section 4.0 provides the justification for the recommended ground water compliance strategy for the Riverton site. Section 5.0 provides the justification and process for collection and assessment of additional required data. Section 6.0 provides a list of the references cited. The appendixes include data on monitor wells and lithography, ground water, surface water, and sediment quality

Metal assessment in sediments from the Guarapiranga Reservoir

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coutinho, Suellen N.; Figueiredo, Ana Maria G.; Quináglia, Gilson A.

2017-01-01

The study of the distribution of metals in sediments is very important from the point of view of environmental pollution once the sediment concentrates metals in aquatic systems and represents a relevant contamination monitor. The analysis of sediments has been used to evaluate the quality of aquatic systems in relation to the concentration of metals. This study aimed to assess sediment contamination by metals in the Guarapiranga Reservoir. Sediment and water samples were analyzed by ICP OES (Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry) for As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn and by CV AAS (Cold Vapor Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry) for Hg. The sediment samples results were compared to TEL (Threshold Effect Level) and PEL (Probable Effect Level) guidance values and RRV (Reference Regional Values). Geoaccumulation Index (I geo ) was calculated to evaluate metals pollution degree using reference values established for metals and metalloids in sediments from the Upper Tietê Basin and E H -pH diagrams were applied to explain chemical forms and bioavailability of toxic metals in sediment samples. In general, most of the analyzed elements exceeded TEL values and Cr, Cu and Zn exceeded RRV guidelines. The high concentrations of Cu found in this reservoir can be explained by the frequent application of CuSO 4 algicide, mainly at sampling site S-03. The I geo indicated moderated polluted sediments by Zn and moderately to extremely polluted sediments by Cu, especially at S-03, in agreement with the TEL, PEL and RRV values comparison. These results may indicate potential risk of the reservoir water quality. (author)

Elucidating Microbial Species-Specific Effects on Organic Matter Transformation in Marine Sediments

Science.gov (United States)

Mahmoudi, N.; Enke, T. N.; Beaupre, S. R.; Teske, A.; Cordero, O. X.; Pearson, A.

2017-12-01

Microbial transformation and decomposition of organic matter in sediments constitutes one of the largest fluxes of carbon in marine environments. Mineralization of sedimentary organic matter by microorganisms results in selective degradation such that bioavailable or accessible compounds are rapidly metabolized while more recalcitrant, complex compounds are preserved and buried in sediment. Recent studies have found that the ability to use different carbon sources appears to vary among microorganisms, suggesting that the availability of certain pools of carbon can be specific to the taxa that utilize the pool. This implies that organic matter mineralization in marine environments may depend on the metabolic potential of the microbial populations that are present and active. The goal of our study was to investigate the extent to which organic matter availability and transformation may be species-specific using sediment from Guaymas Basin (Gulf of California). We carried out time-series incubations using bacterial isolates and sterilized sediment in the IsoCaRB system which allowed us to measure the production rates and natural isotopic signatures (δ13C and Δ14C) of microbially-respired CO2. Separate incubations using two different marine bacterial isolates (Vibrio sp. and Pseudoalteromonas sp.) and sterilized Guaymas Basin sediment under oxic conditions showed that the rate and total quantity of organic matter metabolized by these two species differs. Approximately twice as much CO2 was collected during the Vibrio sp. incubation compared to the Pseudoalteromonas sp. incubation. Moreover, the rate at which organic matter was metabolized by the Vibrio sp. was much higher than the Pseudoalteromonas sp. indicating the intrinsic availability of organic matter in sediments may depend on the species that is present and active. Isotopic analyses of microbially respired CO2 will be used to constrain the type and age of organic matter that is accessible to each species

Site-specific design optimization of wind turbines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fuglsang, P.; Bak, C.; Schepers, J.G.

2002-01-01

This article reports results from a European project, where site characteristics were incorporated into the design process of wind turbines, to enable site-specific design. Two wind turbines of different concept were investigated at six different sites comprising normal flat terrain, offshore...... and complex terrain wind farms. Design tools based on numerical optimization and aeroelastic calculations were combined with a cost model to allow optimization for minimum cost of energy. Different scenarios were optimized ranging from modifications of selected individual components to the complete design...... of a new wind turbine. Both annual energy yield and design-determining loads depended on site characteristics, and this represented a potential for site-specific design. The maximum variation in annual energy yield was 37% and the maximum variation in blade root fatigue loads was 62%. Optimized site...

Site characterization quality assurance for the California LLRW Disposal Site Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanrahan, T.P.; Ench, J.E.; Serlin, C.L.; Bennett, C.B.

1988-01-01

In December of 1985 US Ecology was chosen as the license designee for the State of California's low-level radioactive waste disposal facility. In early 1987, three candidate sites were selected for characterization studies in preparation for identifying the preferred site. The geotechnical characterization activities along with studies of the ecological and archaeological attributes, as well as assessments of the socio-economic impacts and cultural resources all provide input towards selection of the proposed site. These technical studies in conjunction with comments from local citizen committees and other interested parties are used as a basis for determining the proposed site for which full site characterization as required by California licensing requirements are undertaken. The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the program for Quality Assurance and Quality Control for the site characterization activities on the California LLRW Disposal Site Project. The focus is on three major perspectives: The composite QA Program and two of the primary characterization activities, the geotechnical and the meteorological investigations

Work plan for monitor well installation water and sediment sample collection aquifer testing and topographic surveying at the Riverton, Wyoming, UMTRA Project Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-06-01

Investigations conducted during preparation of the site observational work plan (SOWP) at the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project site support a proposed natural flushing ground water compliance strategy, with institutional controls. However, additional site-specific data are needed to reduce uncertainties in order to confirm the applicability and feasibility of this proposed compliance strategy option. This proposed strategy will be analyzed in the site-specific environmental assessment. The purpose of this work plan is to summarize the data collection objectives to fill those data needs, describe the data collection activities that will be undertaken to meet those objectives, and elaborate on the data quality objectives which define the procedures that will be followed to ensure that the quality of these data meet UMTRA Project needs

Site-Specific PEGylation of Therapeutic Proteins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan K. Dozier

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The use of proteins as therapeutics has a long history and is becoming ever more common in modern medicine. While the number of protein-based drugs is growing every year, significant problems still remain with their use. Among these problems are rapid degradation and excretion from patients, thus requiring frequent dosing, which in turn increases the chances for an immunological response as well as increasing the cost of therapy. One of the main strategies to alleviate these problems is to link a polyethylene glycol (PEG group to the protein of interest. This process, called PEGylation, has grown dramatically in recent years resulting in several approved drugs. Installing a single PEG chain at a defined site in a protein is challenging. Recently, there is has been considerable research into various methods for the site-specific PEGylation of proteins. This review seeks to summarize that work and provide background and context for how site-specific PEGylation is performed. After introducing the topic of site-specific PEGylation, recent developments using chemical methods are described. That is followed by a more extensive discussion of bioorthogonal reactions and enzymatic labeling.

Trace metal concentrations in sediments from the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julián Blasco

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Metal sediment concentrations (As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn in surface sediments (0 to 5 cm from 11 sampling stations in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula (the Ria Formosa and the Guadiana River, the Ría de Huelva and the Bay of Cadiz were determined in two seasonal periods (autumn 2006 and spring 2007. No seasonal metal concentration pattern was identified, as similar values were found in both periods. The highest concentrations of copper, zinc, lead and cadmium were reported in the Ria of Huelva area, and those of mercury and nickel in the Bay of Cadiz. The hazard potential index (HPiM was determined to assess the potential risk associated with metal contamination (Cu, Cd, Pb and Zn, taking into account extractable (presumed bioavailable fractions of these metals and site-specific sediment quality values. When the HPiM is > 1 there is risk, and according to this index Ría de Huelva is polluted whereas the Bay of Cadiz is not.

Data quality objectives summary report for the 107-N Basin Recirculation Building liquid/sediment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pisarcik, D.J.

1998-01-01

The Data Quality Objectives (DQO) process used for this 107-N Basin Recirculation Building liquid/sediment DQO report followed BHI-EE-01, Environmental Investigations Procedures, EIIP 1.2, Data Quality Objectives, Revision 2. Tri-Party Agreement Milestone (M-16-OIE) states that the 100-N Area deactivation must be performed according to the work scope identified in the N Reactor Deactivation Program Plan (WHC 1993c). Consistent with the N Reactor Deactivation Program Plan, the scope of the 107-N liquid/sediment DQO process exclusively involves the determination of sampling requirements during the deactivation period. The sampling requirements are primarily directed at characterization for comparison to decontamination and decommissioning endpoint acceptance criteria in preparation for turnover of the facilities listed below to the D and D organization. The sample characterization will also be used for selection of the appropriate disposition option for liquid and sediment currently contained in the facility. The primary media within the scope of this DQO includes the following: Accumulated liquids and sediment contained in tanks, vessels, pump wells, sumps, associated piping, and valve pit floors; and Limited solid debris (anticipated to be discovered)

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Industrial Sites quality assurance project plan: Nevada Test Site, Nevada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-06-01

This quality assurance project plan (QAPjP) describes the measures that shall be taken to ensure that the environmental data collected during characterization and closure activities of Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Industrial Sites at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) are meaningful, valid, defensible, and can be used to achieve project objectives. These activities are conducted by the US Department of Energy Nevada Operations Office (DOE/NV) under the Nevada Environmental Restoration (ER) Project. The Nevada ER Project consists of environmental restoration activities on the NTS, Tonopah Test Range, Nellis Air Force Range, and eight sites in five other states. The RCRA Industrial Sites subproject constitutes a component of the Nevada ER Project. Currently, this QAPjP is limited to the seven RCRA Industrial Sites identified within this document that are to be closed under an interim status and pertains to all field- investigation, analytical-laboratory, and data-review activities in support of these closures. The information presented here supplements the RCRA Industrial Sites Project Management Plan and is to be used in conjunction with the site-specific subproject sampling and analysis plans

Transport of Water, Carbon, and Sediment Through the Yukon River Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Brabets, Timothy P.; Schuster, Paul F.

2008-01-01

INTRODUCTION In 2001, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began a water-quality study of the Yukon River. The Yukon River Basin (YRB), which encompasses 330,000 square miles in northwestern Canada and central Alaska (fig. 1), is one of the largest and most diverse ecosystems in North America. The Yukon River is more than 1,800 miles long and is one of the last great uncontrolled rivers in the world, and is essential to the eastern Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea ecosystems, providing freshwater runoff, sediments, and nutrients (Brabets and others, 2000). Despite its remoteness, recent studies (Hinzman and others, 2005; Walvoord and Striegl, 2007) indicate the YRB is changing. These changes likely are in response to a warming trend in air temperature of 1.7i??C from 1951 to 2001 (Hartmann and Wendler, 2005). As a result of this warming trend, permafrost is thawing in the YRB, ice breakup occurs earlier on the main stem of the Yukon River and its tributaries, and timing of streamflow and movement of carbon and sediment through the basin is changing (Hinzman and others, 2005; Walvoord and Striegl, 2007). One of the most striking characteristics in the YRB is its seasonality. In the YRB, more than 75 percent of the annual streamflow runoff occurs during a five month period, May through September. This is important because streamflow determines when, where, and how much of a particular constituent will be transported. As an example, more than 95 percent of all sediment transported during an average year also occurs during this period (Brabets and others, 2000). During the other 7 months, streamflow, concentrations of sediment and other water-quality constituents are low and little or no sediment transport occurs in the Yukon River and its tributaries. Streamflow and water-quality data have been collected at more than 50 sites in the YRB (Dornblaser and Halm, 2006; Halm and Dornblaser, 2007). Five sites have been sampled more than 30 times and others have been sampled twice

Field validation of a battery of biomarkers to assess sediment quality in Spanish ports

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin-Diaz, M.L.; Blasco, J.; Sales, D.; DelValls, T.A.

2008-01-01

Two marine invertebrates, the crab Carcinus maenas and the clam Ruditapes philippinarum, were used as bioindicator species to assess contamination when exposed in situ to sediment from different sites from four Spanish ports Cadiz (SW Spain), Huelva (SW Spain), Bilbao (NE Spain) and Pasajes (NE Spain). In an attempt to determine sediments toxicity, a combination of exposure biomarkers was analyzed in both species: metallothionein-like-proteins (MTLPs), ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD), glutathione S-transferase activity (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and glutathione reductase (GR). In parallel, physical and chemical characterization of the different sediments was performed and biological responses related to the contaminants. Significant induction of MTLPs was observed when organisms were exposed to metal contaminated sediments (port of Huelva), and EROD and GPX activities after exposure to sediments containing organic compounds (port of Bilbao and Pasajes). No significant interspecies differences were observed in biomarker responses except for the GST and GR. - A battery of biomarkers shows exposure to metals and organic compounds

Field validation of a battery of biomarkers to assess sediment quality in Spanish ports

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martin-Diaz, M.L. [Departamento de Quimica Fisica, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales, Poligono Rio San Pedro s/n, 11510 Puerto Real, Cadiz (Spain); Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucia, Poligono Rio San Pedro s/n, 11510 Puerto Real, Cadiz (Spain)], E-mail: laura.martin@uca.es; Blasco, J. [Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucia, Poligono Rio San Pedro s/n, 11510 Puerto Real, Cadiz (Spain); Sales, D. [Departamento Ciencias Ambientales y Tecnologia de los Alimentos, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales, Poligono Rio San Pedro s/n, 11510 Puerto Real, Cadiz (Spain); DelValls, T.A. [Departamento de Quimica Fisica, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales, Poligono Rio San Pedro s/n, 11510 Puerto Real, Cadiz (Spain)

2008-02-15

Two marine invertebrates, the crab Carcinus maenas and the clam Ruditapes philippinarum, were used as bioindicator species to assess contamination when exposed in situ to sediment from different sites from four Spanish ports Cadiz (SW Spain), Huelva (SW Spain), Bilbao (NE Spain) and Pasajes (NE Spain). In an attempt to determine sediments toxicity, a combination of exposure biomarkers was analyzed in both species: metallothionein-like-proteins (MTLPs), ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD), glutathione S-transferase activity (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and glutathione reductase (GR). In parallel, physical and chemical characterization of the different sediments was performed and biological responses related to the contaminants. Significant induction of MTLPs was observed when organisms were exposed to metal contaminated sediments (port of Huelva), and EROD and GPX activities after exposure to sediments containing organic compounds (port of Bilbao and Pasajes). No significant interspecies differences were observed in biomarker responses except for the GST and GR. - A battery of biomarkers shows exposure to metals and organic compounds.

Characterization of Sediments from the Soil Desiccation Pilot Test (SDPT) Site in the BC Cribs and Trenches Area

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Um, Wooyong; Truex, Michael J.; Valenta, Michelle M.; Iovin, Cristian; Kutnyakov, Igor V.; Chang, Hyun-shik; Clayton, Ray E.; Serne, R. Jeffrey; Ward, Anderson L.; Brown, Christopher F.; Geiszler, Keith N.; Clayton, Eric T.; Baum, Steven R.; Smith, David M.

2009-09-25

This technical report documents the results of laboratory geochemical and hydrologic measurements of sediments collected from new borehole 299-E13-65 (C7047) and comparison of the results with those of nearby borehole 299-13E-62 (C5923) both drilled in the BC Cribs and Trenches Area. The total and water-leachable concentrations of key contaminants will be used to update contaminant-distribution conceptual models and to provide more data for improving baseline risk predictions and remedial alternative selections. Improved understanding of subsurface conditions and methods to remediate these principal contaminants can be also used to evaluate the application of specific technologies to other contaminants across the Hanford Site.

Nanoparticles for Site Specific Genome Editing

Science.gov (United States)

McNeer, Nicole Ali

Triplex-forming peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) can be used to coordinate the recombination of short 50-60 by "donor DNA" fragments into genomic DNA, resulting in site-specific correction of genetic mutations or the introduction of advantageous genetic modifications. Site-specific gene editing in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) could result in treatment or cure of inherited disorders of the blood such as beta-thalassemia. Gene editing in HSPCs and differentiated T cells could help combat HIV/AIDs by modifying receptors, such as CCR5, necessary for R5-tropic HIV entry. However, translation of genome modification technologies to clinical practice is limited by challenges in intracellular delivery, especially in difficult-to-transfect hematolymphoid cells. In vivo gene editing could also provide novel treatment for systemic monogenic disorders such as cystic fibrosis, an autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane receptor. Here, we have engineered biodegradable nanoparticles to deliver oligonucleotides for site-specific genome editing of disease-relevant genes in human cells, with high efficiency, low toxicity, and editing of clinically relevant cell types. We designed nanoparticles to edit the human beta-globin and CCR5 genes in hematopoietic cells. We show that poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles can delivery PNA and donor DNA for site-specific gene modification in human hematopoietic cells in vitro and in vivo in NOD-scid IL2rgammanull mice. Nanoparticles delivered by tail vein localized to hematopoietic compartments in the spleen and bone marrow of humanized mice, resulting in modification of the beta-globin and CCR5 genes. Modification frequencies ranged from 0.005 to 20% of cells depending on the organ and cell type, without detectable toxicity. This project developed highly versatile methods for delivery of therapeutics to hematolymphoid cells and hematopoietic stem cells, and will help to

Sediment toxicity assessment in the Lagoon of Venice (Italy) using Paracentrotus lividus (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) fertilization and embryo bioassays.

Science.gov (United States)

Volpi Ghirardini, A; Arizzi Novelli, A; Tagliapietra, D

2005-09-01

The capacity of two toxicity bioassays (fertilization and embryo toxicity tests) to discriminate sediment toxicity using the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus was tested in five stations with different levels of pollution in the Lagoon of Venice. Two stations were located in estuarine sites, two in the industrial zone, and one in a site at the top of our quality gradient (reference). Elutriate was chosen as sediment matrix to assess the potential effects of bioavailable pollutants in the water column as a consequence of sediment resuspension (dredging and dumping, fishing gear, etc.). An experimental design based on Quality Assurance/Quality Control procedures (QA/QC) was adopted in order to set the methodological basis for an effective use of these bioassays in monitoring programs. Results revealed both higher embriotoxicity than spermiotoxicity in all stations and the efficacy of combined use of both toxicity bioassays in discriminating differing pollution/bioavailability between stations and periods. The good representativeness of the integrated sampling scheme and the standardization of all experimental phases yielded high precision of results. Clear Toxicity Fingerprints were evidenced for the investigated sites through the combined use of both bioassays. A good fit between ecotoxicological data and chemical contamination levels was found, except for unnatural sediment texture.

Savannah River Site's Site Specific Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

This Site Specific Plan (SSP) has been prepared by the Savannah River Site (SRS) in order to show the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management activities that were identified during the preparation of the Department of Energy-Headquarters (DOE-HQ) Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Five-Year Plan (FYP) for FY 1992--1996. The SSP has been prepared in accordance with guidance received from DOE-HQ. DOE-SR is accountable to DOE-HQ for the implementation of this plan. The purpose of the SSP is to develop a baseline for policy, budget, and schedules for the DOE Environmental Restoration and Waste Management activities. The plan explains accomplishments since the Fiscal Year (FY) 1990 plan, demonstrates how present and future activities are prioritized, identifies currently funded activities and activities that are planned to be funded in the upcoming fiscal year, and describes future activities that SRS is considering

Redox Conditions and Related Color Change in Eastern Equatorial Pacific Sediments: IODP Site U1334

Science.gov (United States)

Kordesch, W. E.; Gussone, N. C.; Hathorne, E. C.; Kimoto, K.; Delaney, M. L.

2011-12-01

This study was prompted by a 65 m thick brown-green color change in deep-sea sediments of IODP Site U1334 (0-38 Ma, 4799 m water depth) that corresponds to its equatorial crossing (caused by the Northward movement of the pacific plate). Green sediment is a visual indicator of reducing conditions in sediment due to enhanced organic matter deposition and burial. Here we use geochemical redox indicators to characterize the effect of equatorial upwelling on bottom water. The modern redox signal is captured in porewater profiles (nitrate, manganese, iron, sulfate) while trace metal Enrichment Factors (EF) in bulk sediment (manganese, uranium, molybdenum, rhenium) normalized to the detrital component (titanium) record redox state at burial. To measure export productivity we also measure biogenic barium. Porewater profiles reveal suboxic diagenesis; profiles follow the expected sequence of nitrate, manganese oxide, and iron oxide reduction with increasing depth. Constant sulfate (~28 μM) implies anoxia has not occurred. Bulk sediment Mn EF are enriched (EF > 1) throughout the record (Mn EF = 15-200) while U and Mo enrichment corresponds to green color and equatorial proximity (U EF = 4-19; Mo EF = 0-7). Constant Mn enrichment implies continuous oxygenation. Uranium and Mo enrichment near the equator represents suboxic conditions also seen in the porewater. Low Re concentrations (below detection) provide additional evidence against anoxia. A comparison of Mn EF from total digestions to samples treated with an additional reductive cleaning step distinguishes between Mn-oxides and Mn-carbonates, indicating oxygenated and reducing conditions respectively. Mn-carbonate occurrence agrees with U and Mo EF; conditions were more reducing near the equator. Bio-Ba shows significant variability over this interval (22-99 mmol g-1). Our geochemical results indicate that bottom waters became suboxic at the equator as a result of equatorial upwelling-influenced increases in organic

Technical summary of groundwater quality protection program at the Savannah River Site, 1952--1986

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heffner, J.D.

1991-01-01

This report provides information regarding the status of and groundwater quality at the waste sites at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS). Specific information provided for each waste site at SRS includes its location, size, inventory (when known), and history. Many waste sites at SRS are considered to be of little environmental concern because they contain nontoxic or inert material such as construction rubble and debris. Other waste sites, however, either are known to have had an effect on groundwater quality or are suspected of having the potential to affect groundwater. Monitoring wells have been installed at most of these sites; monitoring wells are scheduled for installation at the remaining sites. Results of the groundwater analyses from these monitoring wells, presented in the appendices, are used in the report to help identify potential contaminants of concern, if any, at each waste site. The list of actions proposed for each waste site in Christensen and Gordon's 1983 report are summarized, and an update is provided for each site. Planned actions for the future are also outlined

Site-specific analysis of hybrid geothermal/fossil power plants. Volume One. Roosevelt Hot Springs KGRA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1977-06-01

The economics of a particular hybrid plant must be evaluated with respect to a specific site. This volume focuses on the Roosevelt Hot Springs KGRA. The temperature, pressure, and flow rate data given suggests the site deserves serious consideration for a hybrid plant. Key siting considerations which must be addressed before an economic judgment can be attempted are presented as follows: the availability, quality, and cost of coal; the availability of water; and the availability of transmission. Seismological and climate factors are presented. (MHR)

Field screening of water quality, bottom sediment, and biota associated with irrigation drainage in and near Walker River Indian Reservation, Nevada 1994-95

Science.gov (United States)

Thodal, Carl E.; Tuttle, Peter L.

1996-01-01

A study was begun in 1994 to determine whether the quality of irrigation drainage from the Walker River Indian Reservation, Nevada, has caused or has potential to cause harmful effects on human health or on fish and wildlife, or may adversely affect the suitability of the Walker River for other beneficial uses. Samples of water, bottom sediment, and biota were collected during June-August 1994 (during a drought year) from sites upstream from and on the Walker River Indian Reservation for analyses of trace elements. Other analyses included physical characteristics, major dissolved constituents, selected species of water-soluble nitrogen and phosphorus, and selected pesticides in bottom sediment. Water samples were collected again from four sites on the Reservation in August 1995 (during a wetterthan- average year) to provide data for comparing extreme climatic conditions. Water samples collected from the Walker River Indian Reservation in 1994 equaled or exceeded the Nevada water-quality standard or level of concern for at least one of the following: water temperature, pH, dissolved solids, unionized ammonia, phosphate, arsenic, boron, chromium, lead, and molybdenum; in 1995, only a single sample from one site exceeded a Nevada water-quality standard for molybdenum. Levels of concern for trace elements in bottom sediment collected in 1994 were equaled or exceeded for arsenic, iron, manganese, and zinc. Concentrations of organochiorine pesticide residues in bottom sediment were below analytical reporting limits. Levels of concern for trace-elements in samples of biota were equaled or exceeded for arsenic, boron, copper, and mercury. Results of toxicity testing indicate that only water samples from Walker Lake caused a toxic response in test bacteria. Arsenic and boron concentrations in water, bottom sediment, and biological tissue exceeded levels of concern throughout the Walker River Basin, but most commonly in the lower Walker River Basin. Mercury also was elevated

Knoxville 10 x 20 NTMS area, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee: data release. Hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baucom, E.I.; Ferguson, R.B.

1979-05-01

Stream sediment and stream water samples were collected from small streams at 1430 sites or at a nominal density of one site per 14 square kilometers (five square miles) in rural areas. Ground water samples were collected at 791 sites or at a nominal density of one site per 25 square kilometers (ten square miles). Neutron activation analysis (NAA) results are given for uranium and 16 other elements in sediments, and for uranium and 9 other elements in ground water. Key data from ground water sites include (1) water chemistry measurements (pH, conductivity, and alkalinity), (2) well depth, (3) elemental analyses (U, Br, Cl, F, Mg, Mn, Na, and V). Supplementary data include site descriptors (well age, frequency of use of well, etc.) and tabulated analytical data for Al and Dy. Key data from stream sediment sites include (1) water quality measurements (pH, conductivity, and alkalinity), and (2) important elemental analyses (U, Th, Hf, Al, Ce, Fe, Mn, Na, Sc, Ti, and V). Supplementary data from stream sediment sites include sample site descriptors (stream characteristics, vegetation, etc.) and additional elemental analyses

Metal assessment in sediments from the Guarapiranga Reservoir

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coutinho, Suellen N.; Figueiredo, Ana Maria G. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Quináglia, Gilson A., E-mail: sncoutinho@usp.br, E-mail: anamaria@ipen.br, E-mail: gquinaglia@sp.gov.br [Companhia Ambiental do Estado de São Paulo (CETESB), São Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2017-07-01

The study of the distribution of metals in sediments is very important from the point of view of environmental pollution once the sediment concentrates metals in aquatic systems and represents a relevant contamination monitor. The analysis of sediments has been used to evaluate the quality of aquatic systems in relation to the concentration of metals. This study aimed to assess sediment contamination by metals in the Guarapiranga Reservoir. Sediment and water samples were analyzed by ICP OES (Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry) for As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn and by CV AAS (Cold Vapor Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry) for Hg. The sediment samples results were compared to TEL (Threshold Effect Level) and PEL (Probable Effect Level) guidance values and RRV (Reference Regional Values). Geoaccumulation Index (I{sub geo}) was calculated to evaluate metals pollution degree using reference values established for metals and metalloids in sediments from the Upper Tietê Basin and E{sub H}-pH diagrams were applied to explain chemical forms and bioavailability of toxic metals in sediment samples. In general, most of the analyzed elements exceeded TEL values and Cr, Cu and Zn exceeded RRV guidelines. The high concentrations of Cu found in this reservoir can be explained by the frequent application of CuSO{sub 4} algicide, mainly at sampling site S-03. The I{sub geo} indicated moderated polluted sediments by Zn and moderately to extremely polluted sediments by Cu, especially at S-03, in agreement with the TEL, PEL and RRV values comparison. These results may indicate potential risk of the reservoir water quality. (author)

Site specific plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hutchison, J.; Jernigan, G.

1989-12-01

The Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Five-Year Plan (FYP) covers the period for FY 1989 through FY 1995. The plan establishes a Department of Energy -- Headquarters (DOE-HQ) agenda for cleanup and compliance against which overall progress can be measured. The FYP covers three areas: Corrective Activities, Environmental Restoration, and Waste Management Operations. Corrective Activities are those activities necessary to bring active or standby facilities into compliance with local, state, and federal environmental regulations. Environmental restoration activities include the assessment and cleanup of surplus facilities and inactive waste sites. Waste management operations includes the treatment, storage, and disposal of wastes which are generated as a result of ongoing operations. This Site Specific Plan (SSP) has been prepared by the Savannah River Site (SRS) in order to show how environmental restoration and waste management activities that were identified during the preparation of the FYP will be implemented, tracked, and reported. The SSP describes DOE Savannah River (DOE-SR) and operating contractor, Westinghouse Savannah River Company (WSRC), organizations that are responsible, for undertaking the activities identified in this plan. The SSP has been prepared in accordance with guidance received from DOE-HQ. DOE-SR is accountable to DOE-HQ for the implementation of this plan. 8 refs., 46 figs., 23 tabs

Transport and fate of viruses in sediment and stormwater from a Managed Aquifer Recharge site

Science.gov (United States)

Sasidharan, Salini; Bradford, Scott A.; Šimůnek, Jiří; Torkzaban, Saeed; Vanderzalm, Joanne

2017-12-01

Enteric viruses are one of the major concerns in water reclamation and reuse at Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) sites. In this study, the transport and fate of bacteriophages MS2, PRD1, and ΦX174 were studied in sediment and stormwater (SW) collected from a MAR site in Parafield, Australia. Column experiments were conducted using SW, stormwater in equilibrium with the aquifer sediment (EQ-SW), and two pore-water velocities (1 and 5 m day-1) to encompass expected behavior at the MAR site. The aquifer sediment removed >92.3% of these viruses under all of the considered MAR conditions. However, much greater virus removal (4.6 logs) occurred at the lower pore-water velocity and in EQ-SW that had a higher ionic strength and Ca2+ concentration. Virus removal was greatest for MS2, followed by PRD1, and then ΦX174 for a given physicochemical condition. The vast majority of the attached viruses were irreversibly attached or inactivated on the solid phase, and injection of Milli-Q water or beef extract at pH = 10 only mobilized a small fraction of attached viruses ( μs > kdet > μl, and katt was several orders of magnitude greater than μl. Therefore, current microbial risk assessment methods in the MAR guideline may be overly conservative in some instances. Interestingly, virus BTCs exhibited blocking behavior and the calculated solid surface area that contributed to the attachment was very small. Additional research is therefore warranted to study the potential influence of blocking on virus transport and potential implications for MAR guidelines.

Specification of safety requirements for waste packages with respect to practicable quality control measures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gruendler, D.; Wurtinger, W.

1987-01-01

Waste packages for disposal in a repository in the Federal Republic of Germany have to meet safety requirements derived from site specific safety analyses. The examination of the waste packages with regard to compliance with these requirements is the main objective of quality control measures. With respect to quality control the requirements have to be specified in a way that practicable control measures can be applied. This is dealt with for the quality control of the activity inventory and the quality control of the waste form. The paper discusses the determination of the activity of hard-to-measure radionuclides and the specification of safety related requirements for the waste form and the packaging using typical examples

Long-term Measurement of Sediment Resuspension and Gas Hydrate Stability at a Gulf of Mexico Seep Site

Science.gov (United States)

Vardaro, M. F.; Bender, L. C.; MacDonald, I. R.

2003-12-01

To study the temporal topographic and hydrologic changes in Gulf of Mexico cold seeps, we deployed a deep-sea time-lapse camera, several temperature probes and an ADCP mooring at the continental shelf seep community surrounding a gas hydrate outcropping. The digital camera recorded one still image every six hours for three months in 2001, every two hours for the month of June 2002 and every six hours for the month of July 2002. A pair of 300 kHz Workhorse acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) attached to a 540 meter-long mooring were anchored approximately 2 km from the site in 2002. Temperature probes were deployed at the site over the entire experimental period. The data recovered provide a comprehensive record of gas hydrate mound processes. We calculated biological activity by identifying fauna observed in the time-lapse record and recording the number of individuals and species seen in each image. 1,381 individual organisms representing over 20 species were observed. An average of 4.6 (+/-3.0) organisms were seen in each frame during the three-month deployment, while 3.6 (+/-4.2) were seen per frame in the one-month deployment. An extensive amount of sediment suspension and redistribution occurred during the deployment period. By digitally analyzing the luminosity of the water column above the mound and plotting the results over time the turbidity at the site could be quantified. A 24.1-hour diurnal pattern can be seen in the record, indicating a possible tidal or inertial component to deep-sea currents in this area. Contrary to expectations, there was no major change in shape or size of the gas hydrate outcrop being studied. This indicates a higher degree of stability than laboratory studies or prior in situ observations have shown. The stable topography of the gas hydrate mound combines with high organic output and sediment turnover to serve as a focus of benthic predatory activity. The frequency and recurrence of sediment resuspension indicate that

Use of stream water pH and specific conductance measurements to identify ground water discharges of fly ash leachate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Price, R.M.

1992-01-01

Low pH and high specific conductance are typical chemical characteristics of coal fly ash leachate. Measurements of these parameters in streams adjacent to a fly ash facility were used to identify areas of ground water discharge into the streams. In-situ specific conductance and pH were determined at approximately 50 surface water stations from on-site and off-site streams. The results of the in-situ determinations were used to select twelve surface water stations for more detailed chemical analyses. The chemical character of the stream water affected by ground water discharges was similar to the water quality of sedimentation ponds which received drainage from the fly ash embankment. The results indicated that in-situ measurements of indicator parameters such as pH and specific conductance can be used as a screening method for identifying surface water quality impacts at fly ash facilities

Radiotracer investigations for sediment transport in ports of India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pant, H.J.; Sharma, V.K.; Goswami, Sunil; Singh, Gursharan

2013-01-01

The knowledge of mixing and transport of sediments in coastal region is of vital importance for evaluating suitability of dumping site for dredged sediments produced during maintenance of shipping channels, expansion of existing projects and construction of new projects. Gamma-emitting radiotracers are commonly used for investigation of movement of sediments on seabed using Scandium-46 (scandium glass powder) as radiotracer. The radiotracer is injected on seabed at a desired location and its movement followed over a period of time using waterproof NaI(Tl) scintillation detectors. The recorded data is analyzed to obtain transport parameters and utilized for assessing the suitability of the dumping sites and optimization of the dredging operations. About 70 large-scale investigations have been carried out in different ports in India leading to significant economical benefits to the Ports. Present paper discusses various aspects of the radiotracer technique for sediment transport, methodology of data analysis and a specific case study. (author)

Innovation and Diffusion of Site-specific Crop Management

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Søren Marcus; Pedersen, Jørgen Lindgaard

2006-01-01

Site-specific crop management or precision farming is a highly complex managementsystem for site-specific input application of lime, fertilizers and pesticides in arable farming. The Global Positioning System (GPS)is the backbone of the system. To conduct precision farming several technical systems...

Leaching tendencies of uranium and regulated trace metals from the Hanford Site 300 Area North Process Pond sediments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Serne, R.J.; LeGore, V.L.; Mattigod, S.V.

1994-09-01

Data are presented that address the leaching tendencies and the total chemical composition of metals in feed materials and soil-washed fines generated by Alternative Remediation Technology, Inc. during a pilot-scale soil physical separation test performed at the 300 Area North Process Pond (Facility 316-2) on the Hanford Site in the spring of 1994. Four 300 Area North Process Pond sediments and one sediment from outside the pond's fenced area were leach-tested using the Toxicity Characteristic Leach Procedure (TCLP) and other modified US Environmental Protection Agency and American Society for Testing and Materials protocols. Finally, leachate from the most contaminated sediment was used to load the Hanford sediment obtained outside the facility to evaluate the potential for contaminant adsorption onto natural sediments. The sediment characterization, leach, and adsorption results will be used in the evaluation of remedial alternatives in the 300-FF-1 Operable Unit Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study

Heavy metals in sediments, mussels and oysters from Trinidad and Venezuela

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rojas Astudillo, L. de; Chang Yen, I.; Bekele, I.

2005-01-01

The Gulf of Paria is bordered by both Trinidad and Venezuela, from which various metallic pollutants and other contaminants can originate. The Gulf is still a significant source of fish, crabs and shellfish for human consumption to both countries, where concerns over the quality of this marine environment have been long expressed but never properly addressed. In addition, the circulatory current patterns in the Gulf ensure that contaminants originating from either country are likely to affect both countries eventually. Heavy metals were determined in oysters (Crassostrea rhizophorae and C. virginica), green mussels (Perna viridis) and sediments from the Gulf of Paria. Samples were obtained at four sites in Trinidad and three sites in Venezuela in the Gulf of Paria, in addition to comparative samples collected from three sites on the north coast of Venezuela. Edible tissues of twelve shellfish from each location were blended and aliquots digested with concentrated nitric acid, for extraction of cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, nickel and zinc. The solutions were analysed by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy. Mercury was extracted with a mixture of nitric, hydrochloric and sulphuric acids and determined by cold vapour atomic absorption. Sediments were oven-dried at 60 0 C, before being similarly extracted. Results showed that mercury in sediments at all sites in Trinidad and Venezuela exceeded NOAA and Canadian sediment quality guidelines, while cadmium, copper, nickel, lead and zinc also exceeded these guidelines at several sites. Heavy metal levels in oysters and green mussels varied widely with location. However, oysters from the Gulf of Paria contained significantly higher mean levels of cadmium, copper, nickel and zinc than those from the north coast of Venezuela, but this difference was not apparent in mussels. Cadmium, mercury and zinc in sediments were significantly correlated with those of mussels, but not of oysters, in which copper and zinc at several

Sediment characteristics of the 2800 meter Atlantic nuclear waste disposal site: Radionuclide retention potential

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neiheisel, James

1979-09-01

coast funnel sediment into the Hudson Canyon and turbidity currents transport sediment down the submarine canyon; some of this sediment is advected in a southwesterly direction from the submarine canyon by contour currents for deposition along the continental rise. The net deposition at the waste site thus consists of the 'rain' of biogenous microorganisms, the transport of sediment from the coastal and continental shelf area by turbidity currents via submarine canyons, and transport of sediment along the continental rise by prevailing contour currents. The effectiveness of the sediment barrier relates to timely burial of the waste drum prior to leachate release from ruptured or corroded drums as well as freedom from 'short circuiting' effects such as bioturbation or other mechanisms capable of providing migration pathways for the radionuclides. (author)

Survey of Potential Hanford Site Contaminants in the Upper Sediment for the Reservoirs at McNary, John Day, The Dalles, and Bonneville Dams, 2003

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patton, Gregory W.; Priddy, M; Yokel, Jerel W.; Delistraty, Damon A.; Stoops, Thomas M.

2005-02-01

This report presents the results from a multi-agency cooperative environmental surveillance study. of the study looked at sediment from the pools upstream from dams on the Columbia River that are downstream from Hanford Site operations. The radiological and chemical conditions existing in the upper-level sediment found in the pools upstream from McNary Dam, John Day Dam, The Dalles Lock and Dam, and Bonneville Dam were evaluated. This study also evaluated beach sediment where available. Water samples were collected at McNary Dam to further evaluate potential Hanford contaminants in the lower Columbia River. Samples were analyzed for radionuclides, chemicals, and physical parameters. Results from this study were compared to background values from sediment and water samples collect from the pool upstream of Priest Rapids Dam (upstream of the Hanford Site) by the Hanford Site Surface Environmental Surveillance Project.

A sedimentation study in the Muda catchment area using nuclear techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamarudin Samuding; Wan Zakaria Wan Muhamad Tahir; Roslan Mohd Ali; Juhari Yusuf

2002-01-01

A study on the sediment size distribution and determination of sediment density profile was conducted in a selected area of the Muda Dam catchment area, Kedah. The objective of the study was to establish baseline data of the input sedimentation with regard to the effects of development within the catchment in the future. Three main sampling locations were identified, namely at Sungai Teliang, Sungai Muda and the Muda Reservoir. Results showed that the grain size distribution of sediment generally ranged from clay to gravel size. In the reservoir and downstream the river, most of the samples studied consisted of fine sediment Le, silt and clay (< 63 μm). However, sediment distribution in the upstream section of Sungai Teliang mainly consisted of fine to coarse sand. Based on the sediment distribution profile analysis, the study site could be divided into two parts comprising the dynamic area (region) covering selected locations along the river and the deposited sediment in the reservoir. Measurement of sediment thickness was performed using nuclear gauges, i.e. direct transmission and backscattering methods. The result also showed that the thickness of bed sediment varied from one location to another, whereby the thickness variation could reach up to 0.75 metre in some areas. This study could assist local authorities (AMDA) in identifying the rates and sources of accumulated sediment as well as quality and quantity of water in the study area in order to sustain distribution of good quality water to the farmers. (Author)

Innovation and diffusion of site-specific crop management

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Søren Marcus; Pedersen, Jørgen Lindgaard

2004-01-01

Site-specific crop management or precision farming (PF) is a highly complex management system for site-specific input application of lime, fertilizers and pesticides in arable farming. The Global Positioning System (GPS) is the backbone of the system. To conduct PF several technical systems...

The importance of lake-specific characteristics for water quality across the continental United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Read, Emily K; Patil, Vijay P; Oliver, Samantha K; Hetherington, Amy L; Brentrup, Jennifer A; Zwart, Jacob A; Winters, Kirsten M; Corman, Jessica R; Nodine, Emily R; Woolway, R Iestyn; Dugan, Hilary A; Jaimes, Aline; Santoso, Arianto B; Hong, Grace S; Winslow, Luke A; Hanson, Paul C; Weathers, Kathleen C

2015-06-01

Lake water quality is affected by local and regional drivers, including lake physical characteristics, hydrology, landscape position, land cover, land use, geology, and climate. Here, we demonstrate the utility of hypothesis testing within the landscape limnology framework using a random forest algorithm on a national-scale, spatially explicit data set, the United States Environmental Protection Agency's 2007 National Lakes Assessment. For 1026 lakes, we tested the relative importance of water quality drivers across spatial scales, the importance of hydrologic connectivity in mediating water quality drivers, and how the importance of both spatial scale and connectivity differ across response variables for five important in-lake water quality metrics (total phosphorus, total nitrogen, dissolved organic carbon, turbidity, and conductivity). By modeling the effect of water quality predictors at different spatial scales, we found that lake-specific characteristics (e.g., depth, sediment area-to-volume ratio) were important for explaining water quality (54-60% variance explained), and that regionalization schemes were much less effective than lake specific metrics (28-39% variance explained). Basin-scale land use and land cover explained between 45-62% of variance, and forest cover and agricultural land uses were among the most important basin-scale predictors. Water quality drivers did not operate independently; in some cases, hydrologic connectivity (the presence of upstream surface water features) mediated the effect of regional-scale drivers. For example, for water quality in lakes with upstream lakes, regional classification schemes were much less effective predictors than lake-specific variables, in contrast to lakes with no upstream lakes or with no surface inflows. At the scale of the continental United States, conductivity was explained by drivers operating at larger spatial scales than for other water quality responses. The current regulatory practice of using

TBT and its metabolites in sediments: Survey at a German coastal site and the central Baltic Sea.

Science.gov (United States)

Abraham, Marion; Westphal, Lina; Hand, Ines; Lerz, Astrid; Jeschek, Jenny; Bunke, Dennis; Leipe, Thomas; Schulz-Bull, Detlef

2017-08-15

Since the 1950s the organotin compound tributyltin (TBT) was intensively used in antifouling paints for marine vessels and it became of concern for the marine environment. Herein, we report on a study from 2015 on TBT and its metabolites monobutyltin (MBT) and dibutyltin (DBT) in sediments from the central Baltic Sea and a Baltic Sea coastal site with strong harbor activities (Warnemünde). Sublayers from a sediment core from the Arkona Basin were analyzed to investigate the long term organotin pressure for the Baltic Sea. For the central Baltic Sea total organotin (MBT+DBT+TBT) ranged from 100 to 500ng/g TOC with distinct areas of high organotin content probably due to historical inputs. For the coastal site total organotin ranged from 10,000 to 60,000ng/g TOC. MBT and DBT were the predominant organotin species detected. Overall, the data obtained indicate the progress of TBT degradation at the investigated sites. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of heavy metal contamination and sediment quality in the Cimadur river, Banten

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rina Mulyaningsih; Siti Suprapti

2015-01-01

River sediment quality assessment can be done by the calculation of pollution index. The existence of gold mining activities in Cikotok suspected to have an impact on Cimadur river quality degradation. Calculations pollution index by heavy metal Hg, As, Cr, Co and Zn contained in river sediment Cimadur Cikotok Banten have been performed. Sediment sampling has conducted at 9 locations along the Cimadur River. Quantification of heavy metals in the samples was done by using the neutron activation analysis technique. The result of assessment based on enrichment factor showed that there has been an increase in concentration of heavy metals Hg, As, Cr, Co and Zn due to anthropogenic factors. Based on the value of index geo accumulation it was known that the sampling location has been polluted, predominantly by Hg and As. Heavy metals contained in the sediments provide ecological risk to the environment with following order: Cr < Zn < As < Hg. Based on the value of pollution load index (PLI), all locations were polluted by heavy metals Hg, As, Cr, Co and Zn. The sources of heavy metals could be from natural rocks or gold mining activities. Evaluation based on potential ecological risk index, showed that heavy metal pollution will give impact of ecological risk to the surrounding environment from low level to high, so it is necessary to do environmental monitoring and management appropriate for reducing the pollution in that location. (author)

Polychlorinated biphenyls in sediments of selected sites of the Moroccan coastal zone

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Piazza, R.; Ferrari, S.; Moret, I.; Gambaro, A. [Univ. Ca Foscari, Venezia (Italy). Dept. of Environmental Sciences; Le Moumni, B. [Univ. Abdelmaleck Essaadi, Tangier (Morocco). Dept. of Earth Sciences and Oceanology; Bellucci, L.G.; Frignani, M. [ISMAR-CNR, Sezione di Geologia Marina, Bologna (Italy); Zangrando, R. [IDPA-CNR, Venezia (Italy)

2004-09-15

A good knowledge of sources of contaminants, distribution mechanisms, sites where chemicals tend to accumulate, potential risk and actual danger to the human and environmental health is fundamental to design a policy for the environment. In this respect, it is important to recognize that sediments can keep a record of the conditions of the environment at the time of their deposition and accumulation and hence can be used to reconstruct history and trends of contamination processes. Furthermore, actively accreting salt marshes, due to the lack of sediment reworking, may provide a relatively high resolution record of atmospheric fluxes. On the other hand, transition coastal environments are of particular importance because of their position between the inland sources and the sea, which is the final repository of all the materials mobilized from the continent. In order to assess the level of PCB contamination in key areas of coastal Morocco we chose to analyse sediments from the Nador (NAD) and the Moulay Bousselham (MB) lagoons, the terminal tract of the Martil River (MR), the port of Tangier (TG) and a soil taken close to the industrial town of Tetouan (TS). The first two were chosen because of their high environmental value, the others as representative of zones potentially contaminated.

Quality assurance in siting of Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-03-01

This guide describes the requirements of quality assurance programme (QAP) that need to be implemented at the siting stage, by the organisation having overall responsibility for the nuclear power plant. The scope of the guide covers the quality assurance aspects related to management, performance and assessment activities during siting stage of NPPs

Site-Specific Infrared Probes of Proteins

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Jianqiang; Pazos, Ileana M.; Zhang, Wenkai; Culik, Robert M.; Gai, Feng

2015-01-01

Infrared spectroscopy has played an instrumental role in studying a wide variety of biological questions. However, in many cases it is impossible or difficult to rely on the intrinsic vibrational modes of biological molecules of interest, such as proteins, to reveal structural and/or environmental information in a site-specific manner. To overcome this limitation, many recent efforts have been dedicated to the development and application of various extrinsic vibrational probes that can be incorporated into biological molecules and used to site-specifically interrogate their structural and/or environmental properties. In this Review, we highlight some recent advancements of this rapidly growing research area. PMID:25580624

Assessing sediment hazard through a weight of evidence approach with bioindicator organisms: a practical model to elaborate data from sediment chemistry, bioavailability, biomarkers and ecotoxicological bioassays.

Science.gov (United States)

Piva, Francesco; Ciaprini, Francesco; Onorati, Fulvio; Benedetti, Maura; Fattorini, Daniele; Ausili, Antonella; Regoli, Francesco

2011-04-01

Quality assessments are crucial to all activities related to removal and management of sediments. Following a multidisciplinary, weight of evidence approach, a new model is presented here for comprehensive assessment of hazards associated to polluted sediments. The lines of evidence considered were sediment chemistry, assessment of bioavailability, sub-lethal effects on biomarkers, and ecotoxicological bioassays. A conceptual and software-assisted model was developed with logical flow-charts elaborating results from each line of evidence on the basis of several chemical and biological parameters, normative guidelines or scientific evidence; the data are thus summarized into four specific synthetic indices, before their integration into an overall sediment hazard evaluation. This model was validated using European eels (Anguilla anguilla) as the bioindicator species, exposed under laboratory conditions to sediments from an industrial site, and caged under field conditions in two harbour areas. The concentrations of aliphatic hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and trace metals were much higher in the industrial compared to harbour sediments, and accordingly the bioaccumulation in liver and gills of exposed eels showed marked differences between conditions seen. Among biomarkers, significant variations were observed for cytochrome P450-related responses, oxidative stress biomarkers, lysosomal stability and genotoxic effects; the overall elaboration of these data, as those of standard ecotoxicological bioassays with bacteria, algae and copepods, confirmed a higher level of biological hazard for industrial sediments. Based on comparisons with expert judgment, the model presented efficiently discriminates between the various conditions, both as individual modules and as an integrated final evaluation, and it appears to be a powerful tool to support more complex processes of environmental risk assessment. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Methods for assessing mine site rehabilitation design for erosion impact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evans, K. G.

2000-01-01

Erosion of rehabilitated mines may result in landform instability, which in turn may result in exposure of encapsulated contaminants, elevated sediment delivery at catchment outlets, and subsequent degradation of downstream water quality. Rehabilitation design can be assessed using erosion and hydrology models calibrated to mine site conditions. Incision rates in containment structures can be quantified using 3-dimensional landform evolution simulation techniques. Sediment delivery at catchment outlets for various landform amelioration techniques can be predicted using process-based and empirical erosion-prediction models and sediment delivery ratios. The predicted sediment delivery can be used to estimate an average annual stream sediment load that can, in turn, be used to assess water quality impacts. Application of these techniques is demonstrated through a case study applied to a proposed rehabilitation design option for the Energy Resources of Australia Ltd (ERA) Ranger Mine in the Northern Territory of Australia. Copyright (2000) CSIRO Australia

Ambient water and sediment quality of Galveston Bay: Present status and historical trends. Volume 1. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ward, G.H.; Armstrong, N.E.

1992-08-01

For many years, data relating to the quality of water and sediment have been collected in the Galveston Bay system by a variety of organizations and individuals. The purpose of the project was to compile these data, and to perform a quantitative assessment of water and sediment quality of Galveston Bay and its evolution over time. The study focused on the following categories of parameters: temperature, salinity and related parameters, suspended sediments and turbidity, pH, dissolved oxygen, nutrients as measured by nitrogen, phosphorous and organic carbon, organics as measured by oil and grease, volatile solids and biochemical oxygen demand, chlorophyll-a, coliforms, metals (total and dissolved), and trace organics, including pesticides, herbicides, PAH's, PCB's, and priority pollutants.

Analysis of postfire hydrology, water quality, and sediment transport for selected streams in areas of the 2002 Hayman and Hinman fires, Colorado

Science.gov (United States)

Stevens, Michael R.

2013-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began a 5-year study in 2003 that focused on postfire stream-water quality and postfire sediment load in streams within the Hayman and Hinman fire study areas. This report compares water quality of selected streams receiving runoff from unburned areas and burned areas using concentrations and loads, and trend analysis, from seasonal data (approximately April–November) collected 2003–2007 at the Hayman fire study area, and data collected from 1999–2000 (prefire) and 2003 (postfire) at the Hinman fire study area. The water-quality data collected during this study include onsite measurements of streamflow, specific conductance, and turbidity, laboratory-determined pH, and concentrations of major ions, nutrients, organic carbon, trace elements, and suspended sediment. Postfire floods and effects on water quality of streams, lakes and reservoirs, drinking-water treatment, and the comparison of measured concentrations to applicable water quality standards also are discussed. Exceedances of Colorado water-quality standards in streams of both the Hayman and Hinman fire study areas only occurred for concentrations of five trace elements (not all trace-element exceedances occurred in every stream). Selected samples analyzed for total recoverable arsenic (fixed), dissolved copper (acute and chronic), total recoverable iron (chronic), dissolved manganese (acute, chronic, and fixed) and total recoverable mercury (chronic) exceeded Colorado aquatic-life standards.

Data Quality Objectives Summary Report Supporting Radiological Air Surveillance Monitoring for the INL Site

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haney, Thomas Jay [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2015-05-01

This report documents the Data Quality Objectives (DQOs) developed for the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site ambient air surveillance program. The development of the DQOs was based on the seven-step process recommended “for systematic planning to generate performance and acceptance criteria for collecting environmental data” (EPA 2006). The process helped to determine the type, quantity, and quality of data needed to meet current regulatory requirements and to follow U.S. Department of Energy guidance for environmental surveillance air monitoring design. It also considered the current air monitoring program that has existed at INL Site since the 1950s. The development of the DQOs involved the application of the atmospheric dispersion model CALPUFF to identify likely contamination dispersion patterns at and around the INL Site using site-specific meteorological data. Model simulations were used to quantitatively assess the probable frequency of detection of airborne radionuclides released by INL Site facilities using existing and proposed air monitors.

Assessment of sediment quality based on toxic equivalent benzo[a]Pyrene concentration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

King, T.L.; Lee, K.

2004-01-01

This study examined benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) as an indicator and its thresholds for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in sediments. The indicator, based on toxicity and carcinogenic effects, was selected to assess the marine environment and changes in marine environmental quality (MEQ) in Sydney Harbour, Nova Scotia. It was shown that the bioavailability of B[a]P and other PAHs is greatly affected by the quality and quantity of dissolved organic matter and organic carbon content. Two coal coke facilities were constructed on the shore of Sydney Harbour in the 19th century. For many years, the coke-ovens discharged toxic liquid effluent through the Tar Ponds into the harbour, contaminating the ground and surface water with arsenic, lead and other toxins. It also led to the accumulation of PAHs and polychlorinated biphenyls. A recent assessment of PAH contamination of Sydney Harbour has focused on the exposure of organisms to contaminants as well as the biological effects on the organisms. All samples collected from the South Arm of Sydney Harbour exceeded the upper threshold of established regulatory guidelines. Samples from the Northwest Arm were within regulatory limits, suggesting that industrial and municipal sources were the primary sources of pollution. PAH concentrations were used to identify sediments that exceed effects thresholds based on MEQ guidelines. The results were compared to actual observations of biological effects. Toxic equivalency factors were established for B[a]P and other PAHs in order to estimate cumulative exposure levels. The concentrations can be compared to regulatory sediment quality guidelines established in Canada and the United States for the protection of marine life. 34 refs., 6 tabs., 2 figs

Quality Assurance for Iraqi Bottled Water Specifications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

May George Kassir

2015-10-01

Full Text Available In this research the specifications of Iraqi drinking bottled water brands are investigated throughout the comparison between local brands, Saudi Arabia and the World Health Organization (WHO for bottled water standard specifications. These specifications were also compared to that of Iraqi Tap Water standards. To reveal variations in the specifications for Iraqi bottled water, and above mentioned standards some quality control tools are conducted for more than 33% of different bottled water brands (of different origins such as spring, purified,..etc in Iraq by investigating the selected quality parameters registered on their marketing labels. Results employing Minitab software (ver. 16 to generate X bar, and Pareto chart. It was found from X bar charts that the quality parameters of some drinking bottled water brands are not within Iraqi standards set by the “Central Agency for Standardization and Quality Control” such as pH values, Fe, Na, and Mg concentrations. While the comparison of previously mentioned standard specifications through radar chart many important issues are detected such as the absence of lower limits the whole bottled water quality parameters such as for Na and Mg also the radar chart shows that Iraqi bottled and tap water specifications are almost equal in their quality values. Also the same chart pictured the limited range of Iraqi specifications compared to that of Saudi Arabia, and WHO and the need to introduce other water specifications such as K, Na, etc. This confirms the need to improve Iraqi bottled water specifications since it was introduced on 2000. These results also highlighted the weakness of quality assurance activities since only 33 % of the investigated companies registered the whole water quality specifications as shown in Pareto chart. Other companies do not register any quality characteristics. Also certain companies should be stopped due to non-conforming specifications, yet these companies are

Reconnaissance investigation of water quality, bottom sediment, and biota associated with irrigation drainage in and near Humboldt Wildlife Management Area, Churchill and Pershing Counties, Nevada, 1990-91

Science.gov (United States)

Seiler, R.L.; Ekechukwu, G.A.; Hallock, R.J.

1993-01-01

A reconnaissance investigation was begun in 1990 to determine whether the quality of irrigation drainage in and near the Humboldt Wildlife Management Area, Nevada, has caused or has the potential to cause harmful effects on human health, fish, and wildlife or to impair beneficial uses of water. Samples of surface and ground water, bottom sediment, and biota collected from sites upstream and downstream from the Lovelock agricultural area were analyzed for potentially toxic trace elements. Also analyzed were radioactive substances, major dissolved constitu- ents, and nutrients in water, as well as pesticide residues in bottom sediment and biota. In samples from areas affected by irrigation drainage, the following constituents equaled or exceeded baseline concentrations or recommended standards for protection of aquatic life or propagation of wildlife--in water: arsenic, boron, dissolved solids, mercury, molybdenum, selenium, sodium, and un-ionized ammonia; in bottom sediment; arsenic and uranium; and in biota; arsenic, boron, and selenium. Selenium appears to be biomagnified in the Humboldt Sink wetlands. Biological effects observed during the reconnaissance included reduced insect diversity in sites receiving irrigation drainage and acute toxicity of drain water and sediment to test organisms. The current drought and upstream consumption of water for irrigation have reduced water deliveries to the wetlands and caused habitat degradation at Humboldt Wildlife Management Area. During this investigation. Humboldt and Toulon Lakes evaporated to dryness because of the reduced water deliveries.

Geomorphological condition and sea bottom sediment characteristics of Sebagin coast for NPP site evaluation in South Bangka

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuliastuti; Heni Susiati; Yarianto Sugeng Budi Susilo

2015-01-01

Study on geomorphological condition and sea bottom sediment in the coastal area of Sebagin, South Bangka Regency, Bangka Belitung Province has been performed. Geomorphological of the seabed was valuable to identify geological structures that exist on the seabed layers. Whereas, sediments seabed characteristics was useful to provide portrait of seabed layer due to the stability of NPP site concerning the seismic aspect and the determination of water intake position. The objective of the study was to evaluate geomorphological condition and sea bed sediment characteristics in the South Bangka sea. Methodology used for evaluating geomorphological of the sea bed were Multi Beam Echo Sounder (MBES) and Single Beam Echo Sounder (SBES), while for sea bottom sediment characteristics, high resolution seismic reflection using SBP together with sediment sample analysis were used. The result of the study showed that the study area was a shallow water sea with a depth range of 1-59 m. Geomorphological profile of the sea bed tend to be irregular and based on the seismic interpretation, there were no fault exists. Result analysis on the sea bottom sediment showed that clay distribution dominated the study area. (author)

Estuarine bed-sediment-quality data collected in New Jersey and New York after Hurricane Sandy, 2013

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, Jeffrey M.; Phillips, Patrick J.; Reilly, Timothy J.; Focazio, Michael J.; Loftin, Keith A.; Benzel, William M.; Jones, Daniel K.; Smalling, Kelly L.; Fisher, Shawn C.; Fisher, Irene J.; Iwanowicz, Luke R.; Romanok, Kristin M.; Jenkins, Darkus E.; Bowers, Luke; Boehlke, Adam; Foreman, William T.; Deetz, Anna C.; Carper, Lisa G.; Imbrigiotta, Thomas E.; Birdwell, Justin E.

2015-01-01

This report describes a reconnaissance study of estuarine bed-sediment quality conducted June–October 2013 in New Jersey and New York after Hurricane Sandy in October 2012 to assess the extent of contamination and the potential long-term human and ecological impacts of the storm. The study, funded through the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013 (PL 113-2), was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. In addition to presenting the bed-sediment-quality data, the report describes the study design, documents the methods of sample collection and analysis, and discusses the steps taken to assure the quality of the data.

78 FR 14088 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Savannah River Site

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-04

...This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Savannah River Site. The Federal Advisory Committee Act requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

Environmental evaluation near to a fuel vendor inside of the Parque Nacional Morrocoy, Venezuela. II: water quality, sediments and biota

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rada, M.; Losada, F.

2000-01-01

A base line study was conducted reference in the coastal area near a Estacion de Servicio Nautica, located in Parque Nacional Morrrocoy, Venezuela, this is the second part of the investigation. Results from a physical and chemical characterization of the water and sediments of four sites located around the service station are presented. The physical and chemical factors measured in water included: temperature, salinity, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, saturation percentage of dissolved oxygen, pH, total suspended solids, transparency, oil and grease, total residual petroleum hydrocarbon, vanadium and lead, total coliform bacteria, and the presence of coliform bacteria. The factors measured in sediments included: granulometry, organic material, total carbonates, vanadium, lead, oil and grease, and total hydrocarbons. In addition, the amount of vanadium and lead in sample tissue from three species which are abundant and widely distributed in each site was measured in order to evaluate the potential of these species as bio-indicators. The water in the area where this study was conducted is shallow, warm, and thermally homogeneous, with high salinity and normal pH and dissolved oxygen. The supersaturation with oxygen in certain hours in sites adjacent to abundant underwater vegetation. The water is moderately turbid with a tendency towards less dissolved oxygen with increased depth. The estimated values of NMP/100 ml of the coliform fecal organisms is within legal limits even though the total number of water coliforms measured in Site 2 was ten times higher than in Site 1. This increase is associated with the proximity of Site 2 to an outflow of pre-treated sewage. The values of TRPH in the water collected from each site were low and very close to the detection limit (0.8 mg/l). Vanadium was not found, while lead was detected in 11 of the 12 samples. One sample had a concentration of three times the maximum baseline compared to the values measured for Site 1

Site remediation guided by risk assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McBean, E.A.; Gowing, A.; Pieczonka, G.

2002-01-01

'Full text:' Risk assessment (RA) provides an effective tool for identifying hazards with respect to human health and ecological receptors, hazards that arise from contaminants in the environment. Risk assessment relies upon: hazard identification/problem formulation; toxicity assessment; exposure assessment; and risk characterization. Hence, risk assessment provides an effective guide for site remediation through the identification of the associated risks arising from pre- and potential post-remediation activities. As a demonstration of this decision-making process, a site-specific risk assessment (SSRA) was performed on a chemical producing facility. Historical waste practices during the production of DDT compounds resulted in impacted site soils and sediment and soils of the creek passing through the facility. The purpose of the SSRA was to derive site-specific cleanup values for the impacted on-site soils, creek sediments, and embankment soils, incorporating human and ecological receptors associated with the environmental media. The human exposure pathways considered were dermal contact, incidental ingestion, and inhalation of the various soils. The potential human receptors were industrial workers, construction workers, trespassers, and off-site residents. Ingestion of fish from the creek by residents was also evaluated in the human health risk assessment (HHRA). Food web analyses were used to evaluate the impact of exposure to chemical compounds in aquatic sediments and related soils by ecological receptors such as the great blue heron, raccoon, and mink. The SSRA involved modelling the daily chemical intake by receptors and the transfer of chemicals to identified secondary media (e.g., ambient air or animal tissues) that are also potential exposure media. These models, while using the site-specific chemical data in the source media, possess uncertainties associated with default parameters that are only approximations and not site-specific (e.g., soil

75 FR 65310 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Nevada

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-22

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Nevada AGENCY... Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Nevada Test Site. The Federal Advisory... Board is to make recommendations to DOE-EM and site management in the areas of environmental restoration...

Simple, specific analysis of organophosphorus and carbamate pesticides in sediments using column extraction and gas chromatography

Science.gov (United States)

Belisle, A.A.; Swineford, D.M.

1988-01-01

A simple, specific procedure was developed for the analysis of organophosphorus and carbamate pesticides in sediment. The wet soil was mixed with anhydrous sodium sulfate to bind water and the residues were column extracted in acetone:methylene chloride (1:l,v/v). Coextracted water was removed by additional sodium sulfate packed below the sample mixture. The eluate was concentrated and analyzed directly by capillary gas chromatography using phosphorus and nitrogen specific detectors. Recoveries averaged 93 % for sediments extracted shortly after spiking, but decreased significantly as the samples aged.

Technical procedures for water resources: Volume 3, Environmental Field Program, Deaf Smith County Site, Texas: Final draft

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-08-01

To ensure that the environmental field program comprehensively addresses the issues and requirements of the project, a site study plan (SSP) has been prepared for Water Resources (ONWI, 1987). This technical procedure (TP) has been developed to implement the field program described in the Water Resources Site Study Plan. This procedure provides the general method for the field collection of water and sediment samples from playa lakes using an Alpha horizontal type sampler or equivalent or a peristaltic pump for water and a KB-coring devise or ponar grab for sediments. The samples will be preserved and then shipped to a laboratory for analysis. The water quality and sediment samples will be collected as part of the surface-water quality field study described in the Site Plan for Water Resources. 15 refs., 5 figs., 3 tabs

OU3 sediment dating and sedimentation rates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blair, R.B.; Wolaver, H.A.; Burger, V.M.

1994-01-01

Environmental Technologies at Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (RFS) investigated the sediment history of Standley Lake, Great Western Reservoir, and Mower Reservoir using 137 Cs and 239,240 Pu global fall-out as dating indicators. These Colorado Front Range reservoirs have been the subject of study by various city, state and national agencies due to suspected Department of Energy Rocky Flats Plant impacts. We performed sediment dating as part of the RCRA Facility Investigation/Remedial Investigation Report for Operable Unit 3. A sediment chronology profile assists scientist in determining the year of sedimentation for a particular peak concentration of contaminants. Radioisotope sediment dating for the three reservoirs indicated sedimentation rates of 0.7 to 0.8 in./yr. for Standley Lake (SL), 0.9 in./yr. for Great Western Reservoir (GWR), and 0.3 in./yr. in Mower Reservoir (MR). RFS sediment dating for Operable Unit 3 compared favorably with the Hardy, Livingston, Burke, and Volchok Standley Lake study. This report describes the cesium/plutonium sediment dating method, estimates sedimentation rates for Operable Unit 3 reservoirs, and compares these results to previous investigations

Relation of Land Use to Streamflow and Water Quality at Selected Sites in the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, 1993-98

Science.gov (United States)

Bales, Jerad D.; Weaver, J. Curtis; Robinson, Jerald B.

1999-01-01

Streamflow and water-quality data were collected at nine sites in the city of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, during 1993–97. Six of the basins drained areas having relatively homogeneous land use and were less than 0.3 square mile in size; the other three basins had mixed land use. Atmospheric wet-deposition data were collected in three of the basins during 1997–98.Streamflow yield varied by a factor of six among the sites, despite the fact that sites were in close proximity to one another. The lowest yield occurred in a residential basin having no curbs and gutters. The variability in mean flow from these small, relatively homogeneous basins is much greater than is found in streams draining basins that are 10 square miles in size or larger. The ratio of runoff to rainfall in the developing basin appears to have increased during the study period.Low-flow suspended-sediment concentrations in the study basins were about the same magnitude as median stormflow concentrations in Piedmont agricultural basins. Sediment concentrations were higher in the mixed land-use basins and in the developing basin. Median suspended-sediment concentrations in these basins generally were an order of magnitude greater than median concentrations in the other five basins, which had stable land use.Some of the highest total nitrogen concentrations occurred in residential basins. Total nitrogen concentrations detected in this study were about twice as high as concentrations in small Piedmont streams affected by agriculture and urbanization. Most of the total nitrogen consisted of organic nitrogen at all of the sites except in two residential land- use basins. The high ammonia content of lawn fertilizer may explain the higher ammonia concentration in stormflow from residential basins.The two basins with the highest median suspended-sediment concentrations also had the highest total phosphorus concentrations. Median total phosphorus concentrations measured in this study

Evidence for declining levels of heavy-metals in the Severn Estuary and Bristol Channel, U.K. and their spatial distribution in sediments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duquesne, Sabine; Newton, Lyn C.; Giusti, Lorenzo; Marriott, Susan B.; Staerk, Hans-Joachim; Bird, David J.

2006-01-01

Levels of heavy-metals (Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn) in suspended particulate and in surface and subsurface sediments were determined at seven locations in the Severn Estuary and Bristol Channel. Sediment metal concentrations were highest at sites close to industrial centres but levels have decreased significantly over the last 30 years so that they are now close to, or meet, environmental quality guidelines. The greatest metal concentrations in deposited sediments were usually associated with the finest particulates at locations with muddy sediments, but this was not always true at sites with predominantly sandy sediments. The metals bound to suspended particulates at all sites were remarkably consistent, presumably reflecting the mixing capacity of this macro-tidal estuary. The re-exposure of older, more contaminated sediments could explain the observed differences between deposited and suspended material. Sediment redistribution due to strong seasonal currents might also explain the differences between winter and summer samples. - Heavy-metal contamination in Severn Estuary sediments is declining but shows seasonal variation and depends on location and sediment type

FLP recombinase-mediated site-specific recombination in silkworm, Bombyx mori.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ding-Pei Long

Full Text Available A comprehensive understanding of gene function and the production of site-specific genetically modified mutants are two major goals of genetic engineering in the post-genomic era. Although site-specific recombination systems have been powerful tools for genome manipulation of many organisms, they have not yet been established for use in the manipulation of the silkworm Bombyx mori genome. In this study, we achieved site-specific excision of a target gene at predefined chromosomal sites in the silkworm using a FLP/FRT site-specific recombination system. We first constructed two stable transgenic target silkworm strains that both contain a single copy of the transgene construct comprising a target gene expression cassette flanked by FRT sites. Using pre-blastoderm microinjection of a FLP recombinase helper expression vector, 32 G3 site-specific recombinant transgenic individuals were isolated from five of 143 broods. The average frequency of FLP recombinase-mediated site-specific excision in the two target strains genome was approximately 3.5%. This study shows that it is feasible to achieve site-specific recombination in silkworms using the FLP/FRT system. We conclude that the FLP/FRT system is a useful tool for genome manipulation in the silkworm. Furthermore, this is the first reported use of the FLP/FRT system for the genetic manipulation of a lepidopteran genome and thus provides a useful reference for the establishment of genome manipulation technologies in other lepidopteran species.

Combining contamination indexes, sediment quality guidelines and multivariate data analysis for metal pollution assessment in marine sediments of Cienfuegos Bay, Cuba.

Science.gov (United States)

Peña-Icart, Mirella; Pereira-Filho, Edenir Rodrigues; Lopes Fialho, Lucimar; Nóbrega, Joaquim A; Alonso-Hernández, Carlos; Bolaños-Alvarez, Yoelvis; Pomares-Alfonso, Mario S

2017-02-01

The purpose of the present work was to combine several tools for assessing metal pollution in marine sediments from Cienfuegos Bay. Fourteen surface sediments collected in 2013 were evaluated. Concentrations of As, Cu, Ni, Zn and V decreased respect to those previous reported. The metal contamination was spatially distributed in the north and south parts of the bay. According to the contamination factor (CF) enrichment factor (EF) and index of geoaccumulation (I geo ), Cd and Cu were classified in that order as the most contaminated elements in most sediment. Comparison of the total metal concentrations with the threshold (TELs) and probable (PELs) effect levels in sediment quality guidelines suggested a more worrisome situation for Cu, of which concentrations were occasional associated with adverse biological effects in thirteen sediments, followed by Ni in nine sediments; while adverse effects were rarely associated with Cd. Probably, Cu could be considered as the most dangerous in the whole bay because it was classified in the high contamination levels by all indexes and, simultaneously, associated to occasional adverse effects in most samples. Despite the bioavailability was partially evaluated with the HCl method, the low extraction of Ni (<3% in all samples) and Cu (<55%, except sample 3) and the relative high extraction of Cd (50% or more, except sample 14) could be considered as an attenuating (Ni and Cu) or increasing (Cd) factor in the risk assessment of those element. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Water-quality trends for selected sampling sites in the upper Clark Fork Basin, Montana, water years 1996-2010

Science.gov (United States)

Sando, Steven K.; Vecchia, Aldo V.; Lorenz, David L.; Barnhart, Elliott P.

2014-01-01

A large-scale trend analysis was done on specific conductance, selected trace elements (arsenic, cadmium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, and zinc), and suspended-sediment data for 22 sites in the upper Clark Fork Basin for water years 1996–2010. Trend analysis was conducted by using two parametric methods: a time-series model (TSM) and multiple linear regression on time, streamflow, and season (MLR). Trend results for 1996–2010 indicate moderate to large decreases in flow-adjusted concentrations (FACs) and loads of copper (and other metallic elements) and suspended sediment in Silver Bow Creek upstream from Warm Springs. Deposition of metallic elements and suspended sediment within Warm Springs Ponds substantially reduces the downstream transport of those constituents. However, mobilization of copper and suspended sediment from floodplain tailings and stream banks in the Clark Fork reach from Galen to Deer Lodge is a large source of metallic elements and suspended sediment, which also affects downstream transport of those constituents. Copper and suspended-sediment loads mobilized from within this reach accounted for about 40 and 20 percent, respectively, of the loads for Clark Fork at Turah Bridge (site 20); whereas, streamflow contributed from within this reach only accounted for about 8 percent of the streamflow at Turah Bridge. Minor changes in FACs and loads of copper and suspended sediment are indicated for this reach during 1996–2010. Clark Fork reaches downstream from Deer Lodge are relatively smaller sources of metallic elements than the reach from Galen to Deer Lodge. In general, small decreases in loads and FACs of copper and suspended sediment are indicated for Clark Fork sites downstream from Deer Lodge during 1996–2010. Thus, although large decreases in FACs and loads of copper and suspended sediment are indicated for Silver Bow Creek upstream from Warm Springs, those large decreases are not translated to the more downstream reaches largely

Applicability of API ZYM to capture seasonal and spatial variabilities in lake and river sediments.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Drashti; Gismondi, Renee; Alsaffar, Ali; Tiquia-Arashiro, Sonia M

2018-05-02

Waters draining into a lake carry with them much of the suspended sediment that is transported by rivers and streams from the local drainage basin. The organic matter processing in the sediments is executed by heterotrophic microbial communities, whose activities may vary spatially and temporally. Thus, to capture and evaluate some of these variabilities in the sediments, we sampled six sites: three from the St. Clair River and three from Lake St. Clair in spring, summer, fall, and winter of 2016. At all sites and dates, we investigated the spatial and temporal variations in 19 extracellular enzyme activities using API ZYM. Our results indicated that a broad range of enzymes were found to be active in the sediments. Phosphatases, lipases, and esterases were synthesized most intensively by the sediment microbial communities. No consistent difference was found between the lake and sediment samples. Differences were more obvious between sites and seasons. Sites with the highest metabolic (enzyme) diversity reflected the capacity of the sediment microbial communities to breakdown a broader range of substrates and may be linked to differences in river and lake water quality. The seasonal variability of the enzymes activities was governed by the variations of environmental factors caused by anthropogenic and terrestrial inputs, and provides information for a better understanding of the dynamics of sediment organic matter of the river and lake ecosystems. The experimental results suggest that API ZYM is a simple and rapid enzyme assay procedure to evaluate natural processes in ecosystems and their changes.

Vertical distribution and community composition of anammox bacteria in sediments of a eutrophic shallow lake.

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, H; Han, C; Jin, Z; Wu, L; Deng, H; Zhu, G; Zhong, W

2018-07-01

The aim of this study was to explore the vertical distribution traits of anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing (anammox) bacterial relative abundance and community composition along the oxic/anoxic sediment profiles in a shallow lake. The Illumina Miseq-based sequencing and quantitative polymerase chain reactions were utilized to analyse relative abundance of anammox hydrazine synthase (hzsB) gene in comparison with bacterial 16S rRNA genes, anammox bacterial relative abundance (the number of anammox sequences divided by total number of sequences), community composition and diversity in sediments. The relative abundance of hzsB gene at the low-nitrogen (LN) site in the lake sediments showed that the vertical distribution of anammox bacteria increased to a peak, then decreased with increasing depth. Moreover, the relative abundance of hzsB gene at the high-nitrogen site was significantly lower than that at the LN site. Additionally, the community composition results showed that Candidatus Brocadia sp. was the dominant genus. In addition, the anammox bacterial diversity was also site specific. Redundancy analysis showed that the total N and the NH 4 + -N content might be the most important factors affecting anammox bacterial community composition in the studied sites. The results revealed the specific vertical variance of anammox bacterial distribution and community composition in oxic/anoxic sediments of a eutrophic shallow lake. This is the first study to demonstrate that anammox bacteria displayed the particular distribution in freshwater sediments, which implied a strong response to the anthropogenic eutrophication. © 2018 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Analytical quality control concept in the Euratom on-site laboratories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mayer, K.; Duinslaeger, L.; Cromboom, O.; Ottmar, H.; Wojnowski, D.; Vegt, H. van der

2001-01-01

Full text: Two on-site laboratories have been developed, installed, commissioned and put into routine operation by the Euratom safeguards office (ESO), jointly with the Institute for Transuranium Elements (ITU). These laboratories are operated by ITU staff and provide verification measurement results on samples taken by Euratom inspectors. The analysts work in weekly changing shift teams, manage the laboratories and operate the various analytical techniques. Operating such a laboratory at a remote location, without a senior scientist immediately available in case of problems, The existing boundary conditions challenge the robustness of the entire laboratory, i.e. comprising staff and instrumentation. In order to continuously ensure a high degree of reliability of the measurement results, a stringent quality control system was implemented. The quality control concept for the two on-site laboratories was developed at a very early stage and implemented in the pre-OSL training facility at ITU. This enabled to thoroughly test and develop further the concept. At the same time the analysts get acquainted with the quality control procedures in place and they are instilled with the principles. The quality control concept makes use of a fully computerized data management and data acquisition system. All measurement devices, including balances, density meters, mass spectrometers, passive neutron counter, hybrid K-edge instrument, gamma spectrometers and alpha spectrometers are networked and data exchange is performed on electronic basis. A specifically developed laboratory information management system collects individual measurement data, calculates intermediate and final result and shares the information with a quality control module. In order to ensure the reliability of the results, which are reported to the ESO inspectorate, five levels of quality control were implemented. The present paper describes in detail the different levels of quality control, which check the

Criteria for compilation of a site-specific thermodynamic database for geochemical speciation calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chandratillake, M.; Trivedi, D.P.; Randall, M.G.; Humphreys, P.N.

1998-01-01

A methodology has been developed to establish a site-specific database appropriate to geochemical modelling the critical components and the wide range of near field conditions expected in the low level radioactive waste disposal site at Drigg in the UK. Several databases available in the public domain have been compared to select a foundation database. The foundation database was 'trimmed-down' and then customised to suit Drigg applications. The species dominant at Drigg have been identified and the thermodynamic constants of these species have been critically evaluated. The evaluated database has been validated for quality by comparing speciation calculations with plutonium and uranium experimental solubility results. (orig.)

Reactive silica fractions in coastal lagoon sediments from the northern Gulf of Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Krause, Jeffrey W.; Darrow, Elizabeth S.; Pickering, Rebecca A.; Carmichael, Ruth H.; Larson, Ashley M.; Basaldua, Jose L.

2017-12-01

Continental-margin sediments account for 50% of the oceanic biogenic silica burial despite covering Gulf of Mexico (nGoM), we measured sediment biogenic silica at sites removed from major freshwater discharge sources using the traditional method and a method that has been modified for deltaic systems to quantify other reactive silica pools, specifically those involved in the process of reverse weathering. The magnitude of authigenically-altered biogenic silica during our study was significant and represented, on average, 33% of the total sediment biogenic silica among core depths and sites. Additionally, there was a significant relationship between the degree to which the biogenic silica pool was authigenically altered and the source of the sediment organic matter, with lower modification in sediments corresponding with higher terrestrial organic matter. We observed no positive correlation between the magnitude of authigenic modification and sediment clay content. Thus, our findings suggest that these processes may occur within a variety of sediment compositions and add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that reverse weathering of silica in coastal systems is a significant pathway in the global silica budget.

78 FR 26005 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Savannah River Site

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-03

...This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Savannah River Site. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

78 FR 65979 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Savannah River Site

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-04

...This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Savannah River Site. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

77 FR 24695 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Savannah River Site

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-25

...This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Savannah River Site. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. . 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

77 FR 60688 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Savannah River Site

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-04

...This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Savannah River Site. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

77 FR 13104 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Savannah River Site

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-05

...This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Savannah River Site. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

77 FR 39235 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Savannah River Site

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-02

...This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Savannah River Site. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

78 FR 716 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Savannah River Site

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-04

...This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Savannah River Site. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

78 FR 54461 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Savannah River Site

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-04

...This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Savannah River Site. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

77 FR 53193 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Savannah River Site

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-31

...This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Savannah River Site. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

Performance Probability Distributions for Sediment Control Best Management Practices

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrell, L.; Beighley, R.; Walsh, K.

2007-12-01

Controlling soil erosion and sediment transport can be a significant challenge during the construction process due to the extent and conditions of bare, disturbed soils. Best Management Practices (BMPs) are used as the framework for the design of sediment discharge prevention systems in stormwater pollution prevention plans which are typically required for construction sites. This research focuses on commonly-used BMP systems for perimeter control of sediment export: silt fences and fiber rolls. Although these systems are widely used, the physical and engineering parameters describing their performance are not well understood. Performance expectations are based on manufacturer results, but due to the dynamic conditions that exist on a construction site performance expectations are not always achievable in the field. Based on experimental results product performance is shown to be highly variable. Experiments using the same installation procedures show inconsistent sediment removal performances ranging from (>)85 percent to zero. The goal of this research is to improve the determination of off-site sediment yield based on probabilistic performance results of perimeter control BMPs. BMPs are evaluated in the Soil Erosion Research Laboratory (SERL) in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department at San Diego State University. SERL experiments are performed on a 3-m by 10-m tilting soil bed with a soil depth of 0.5 meters and a slope of 33 percent. The simulated storm event consists of 17 mm/hr for 20 minutes followed by 51 mm/hr for 30 minutes. The storm event is based on an ASTM design storm intended to simulate BMP failures. BMP performance is assessed based on experiments where BMPs are installed per manufacture specifications, less than optimal installations, and no treatment conditions. Preliminary results from 30 experiments are presented and used to develop probability distributions for BMP sediment removal efficiencies. The results are then combined with

Antarctic marine sediments as fingerprints of pollution migration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waheed, S.; Ahmad, S.; Rahman, A.; Qureshi, I.H.

2001-01-01

Forty elements in 21 coastal marine sediment samples collected during the second Antarctic scientific expedition from 18 different sites of Brekilen area located at the coast of Antarctica were analysed by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) to detect eventual pollution. Radio-assay schemes for three sets of elements after neutron irradiation and cooling were evolved to avoid matrix effects. Data have been compared with those for sediments of various stations at Antarctica and two other regions in different continents. Lower concentration of certain elements in the Antarctic sediments reflects less environmental exposition. Enrichment factors (EF) were calculated for all the elements using the earth crust as reference matrix, based on elemental values by MASON, TAYLOR and WEDEPOHL which show a normal pattern near to unity expect for Ag and Br. The data obtained could also serve as a reference point from which changes in the global environment can be studied. The quality assurance of data was performed using standard reference materials (SRMs) of a similar matrix (IAEA Marine Sediment SD-M/TM and Chinese Marine Sediment GBW 07313). (author)

Sorption kinetics of Cs and Sr in sediments of a Savannah River Site reservoir

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stephens, J.A.

1997-07-01

Laboratory measurements of the sorption and desorption of 134 Cs and 85 Sr to sediments were conducted. These sediments were sampled from the profundal zone of Par Pond at the Savannah River Site, Aiken, South Carolina. The isotopes 134 Cs and 85 Sr were used to trace the sorption properties of the main contaminants found in the reservoir which are 137 Cs and 90 Sr respectively. The sorption behavior of these two elements was studied using spiked sediment/water slurries of a known mass to volume ratio. The results reveal that Sr undergoes significant reversible sorption while a fraction of Cs irreversibly sorbs to the sediment. The calculated distribution coefficient Kd at equilibrium was (3 ± 0.6) x 10 3 for 134 Cs after 60 d and (1 ± 0.2) x 10 3 for 85 Sr after 7 d at pH ∼ 6 and slurry ratio of 1:1000 g/ml. The K d for 134 Cs ranged from 2 x 10 2 to 3 x 10 4 depending on pH and conductivity. The 85 Sr reached equilibrium in a few days, while 134 Cs reached an apparent equilibrium in 1--2 months. The K d for 134 Cs was a function of the slurry ratio, pH, conductivity, and contact time. These factors were interrelated since the sediments released ions to the slurry mixture which decreased the pH and increased the conductivity. A sorption isotherm measured for 134 Cs was linear at water concentrations from 60 mBq/ml to 20 Bq/ml. A kinetic model was proposed to describe the basic sorption of 134 Cs to Par Pond sediments under homogeneous laboratory conditions

Distributed specific sediment yield estimations in Japan attributed to extreme-rainfall-induced slope failures under a changing climate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Ono

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to estimate the potential sediment yield distribution in Japan attributed to extreme-rainfall-induced slope failures in the future. For this purpose, a regression relationship between the slope failure probability and the subsequent sediment yield was developed by using sediment yield observations from 59 dams throughout Japan. The slope failure probability accounts for the effects of topography (as relief energy, geology and hydro-climate variations (hydraulic gradient changes due to extreme rainfall variations and determines the potential slope failure occurrence with a 1-km resolution. The applicability of the developed relationship was then validated by comparing the simulated and observed sediment yields in another 43 dams. To incorporate the effects of a changing climate, extreme rainfall variations were estimated by using two climate change scenarios (the MRI-RCM20 Ver.2 model A2 scenario and the MIROC A1B scenario for the future and by accounting for the slope failure probability through the effect of extreme rainfall on the hydraulic gradient. Finally, the developed slope failure hazard-sediment yield relationship was employed to estimate the potential sediment yield distribution under a changing climate in Japan.

Time series analyses of annual sediment yields covering 15–20 years in 59 dams reveal that extreme sedimentation events have a high probability of occurring on average every 5–7 years. Therefore, the extreme-rainfall-induced slope failure probability with a five-year return period has a statistically robust relationship with specific sediment yield observations (with r² = 0.65. The verification demonstrated that the model is effective for use in simulating specific sediment yields with r² = 0.74. The results of the GCM scenarios suggest that the sediment yield issue will be critical in Japan in the future. When the spatially averaged sediment

Analysis of stream quality in the Yampa River Basin, Colorado and Wyoming

Science.gov (United States)

Wentz, Dennis A.; Steele, Timothy Doak

1980-01-01

Historic data show no significant water-temperature changes since 1951 for the Little Snake or Yampa Rivers, the two major streams of the Yampa River basin in Colorado and Wyoming. Regional analyses indicate that harmonic-mean temperature is negatively correlated with altitude. No change in specific conductance since 1951 was noted for the Little Snake River; however, specific conductance in the Yampa River has increaed 14 % since that time and is attributed to increased agricultural and municipal use of water. Site-specific relationships between major inorganic constituents and specific conductance for the Little Snake and Yampa Rivers were similar to regional relationships developed from both historic and recent (1975) data. These relationships provide a means for estimating concentrations of major inorganic constituents from specific conductance, which is easily measured. Trace-element and nutrient data collected from August 1975 through September 1976 at 92 sites in the Yampa River basin indicate that water-quality degradation occurred upstream from 3 sites. The degradation resulted from underground drainage from pyritic materials that probably are associated with coal at one site, discharge from powerplant cooling-tower blowdown water at a second site, and runoff from a small watershed containing a gas field at the third site. Ambient concentrations of dissolved and total iron and manganese frequently exceeded proposed Colorado water-quality standards. The concentrations of many dissolved and total trace elements and nutrients were greatest during March 1976. These were associated with larger suspended-sediment concentrations and smaller pH values than at other times of the year. (USGS)

Chronology of the cave interior sediments at Gran Dolina archaeological site, Atapuerca (Spain)

Science.gov (United States)

Parés, J. M.; Álvarez, C.; Sier, M.; Moreno, D.; Duval, M.; Woodhead, J. D.; Ortega, A. I.; Campaña, I.; Rosell, J.; Bermúdez de Castro, J. M.; Carbonell, E.

2018-04-01

The so-called "Gran Dolina site" (Atapuerca mountain range, N Spain) is a karstic cavity filled by sediments during the Pleistocene, some of which contain a rich ensemble of archaeological and paleontological records. These sediments have contributed significantly to our understanding of early human dispersal in Europe but, in contrast, older, interior facies deposits have received much less of attention. The stratigraphy of Gran Dolina reveals an abrupt sedimentary change of interior to entrance facies from bottom to top, reflecting a significant paleoenvironmental change that promoted the accumulation of sediments transported from the vicinity of the cave by water or "en masse". Since the major magnetic polarity reversal known as the Matuyama-Brunhes boundary (0.78 Ma) was detected within the TD7 unit in the middle of the stratigraphic section, we carried out a new combined paleomagnetic, radiometric (U-Pb), and electron spin resonance (ESR) dating study of the lower part of the sequence in order to constrain the chronology of the interior facies at Gran Dolina. U-Pb analysis of speleothems did not produce age information as the samples proved to be extremely unradiogenic. The magnetic stratigraphy of the cave interior sediments reveals a dominant reverse magnetic polarity, coherent with a Matuyama age, and interrupted by a normal polarity magnetozone interpreted as the Jaramillo Subchron (1.0-1.1 Ma). ESR ages on quartz grains from the upper part of the interior facies sediments are coherent with such an interpretation. We conclude that the fluvial deposits (interior facies) that constitute the cave floor began accumulating before 1.2 Ma. The development of large cave entrances at Gran Dolina occurred shortly after the Jaramillo Subchron but before ca 900 ka ago.

Water-quality trends in the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Basin using sediment cores from reservoirs

Science.gov (United States)

Van Metre, Peter C.; Mahler, B.J.; Callender, Edward C.

1997-01-01

Water-quality trends reflect the relation between water quality and human activities, chronicling changes in concentrations of environmental contaminants, introduction of new contaminants, and successful efforts in environmental pollution remediation. Historical data available for analyzing trends often have severe limitations, from questionable accuracy to unknown sampling and analytic methodologies. Where data are unavailable or have such limitations, water-quality trends sometimes can be reconstructed using sediment cores from lakes and reservoirs.

Assessment of the Water and Sediment Quality of Tropical Forest Streams in Upper Reaches of the Baleh River, Sarawak, Malaysia, Subjected to Logging Activities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Teck-Yee Ling

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The study of the impact of logging activities on water and sediment quality of Sarawak forest streams is still scarce despite Sarawak being the largest exporter of timber in Malaysia. This study was aimed at determining the water and sediment quality of forest streams in Sarawak and the potential impact of logging activities. In situ parameters were measured, and water and sediment samples were collected at six stations before rain. Additionally, water quality was investigated at three stations after rain. The results showed that canopy removal resulted in large temperature variation and sedimentation in the forest streams. Lower suspended solids were found at stations with inactive logging (<2 mg/L compared to active logging (10–16 mg/L activities. The highest concentration of total nitrogen and total phosphorus in water and sediment was 4.4 mg/L, 77.6 μg/L, 0.17%, and 0.01%, respectively. Besides, significantly negative correlation of sediment nitrogen and water total ammonia nitrogen indicated the loss of nitrogen from sediment to water. Water quality of the streams deteriorated after rain, in particular, suspended solids which increased from 8.3 mg/L to 104.1 mg/L. This study reveals that logging activities have an impact on the water quality of Sarawak forest streams particularly in rainfall events.

Bronx River bed sediments phosphorus pool and phosphorus compound identification

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, J.; Pant, H. K.

2008-12-01

Phosphorus (P) transport in the Bronx River degraded water quality, decreased oxygen levels, and resulted in bioaccumulation in sediment potentially resulting in eutrophication, algal blooms and oxygen depletion under certain temperature and pH conditions. The anthropogenic P sources are storm water runoff, raw sewage discharge, fertilizer application in lawn, golf course and New York Botanical Garden; manure from the Bronx zoo; combined sewoverflows (CSO's) from parkway and Hunts Point sewage plant; pollutants from East River. This research was conducted in the urban river system in New York City area, in order to control P source, figure out P transport temporal and spatial variations and the impact on water quality; aimed to regulate P application, sharing data with Bronx River Alliance, EPA, DEP and DEC. The sediment characteristics influence the distribution and bioavailbility of P in the Bronx River. The P sequential extraction gave the quantitative analysis of the P pool, quantifying the inorganic and organic P from the sediments. There were different P pool patterns at the 15 sites, and the substantial amount of inorganic P pool indicated that a large amount P is bioavailable. The 31P- NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy) technology had been used to identify P species in the 15 sites of the Bronx River, which gave a qualitative analysis on phosphorus transport in the river. The P compounds in the Bronx River bed sediments are mostly glycerophophate (GlyP), nucleoside monophosphates (NMP), polynucleotides (PolyN), and few sites showed the small amount of glucose-6-phosphate (G6P), glycerophosphoethanoamine (GPEA), phosphoenopyruvates (PEP), and inosine monophosphate (IMP). The land use spatial and temporal variations influence local water P levels, P distributions, and P compositions.

78 FR 40130 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Savannah River Site

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-03

...This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Savannah River Site. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. No. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

78 FR 16260 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Savannah River Site

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-14

...On March 4, 2013, the Department of Energy (DOE) published a notice of open meeting announcing a meeting on March 25-26, 2013 of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Savannah River Site (78 FR 14088). This document makes a correction to that notice.

Quantifying postfire aeolian sediment transport using rare earth element tracers

Science.gov (United States)

Dukes, David; Gonzales, Howell B.; Ravi, Sujith; Grandstaff, David E.; Van Pelt, R. Scott; Li, Junran; Wang, Guan; Sankey, Joel B.

2018-01-01

Grasslands, which provide fundamental ecosystem services in many arid and semiarid regions of the world, are undergoing rapid increases in fire activity and are highly susceptible to postfire-accelerated soil erosion by wind. A quantitative assessment of physical processes that integrates fire-wind erosion feedbacks is therefore needed relative to vegetation change, soil biogeochemical cycling, air quality, and landscape evolution. We investigated the applicability of a novel tracer technique—the use of multiple rare earth elements (REE)—to quantify soil transport by wind and to identify sources and sinks of wind-blown sediments in both burned and unburned shrub-grass transition zone in the Chihuahuan Desert, NM, USA. Results indicate that the horizontal mass flux of wind-borne sediment increased approximately threefold following the fire. The REE tracer analysis of wind-borne sediments shows that the source of the horizontal mass flux in the unburned site was derived from bare microsites (88.5%), while in the burned site it was primarily sourced from shrub (42.3%) and bare (39.1%) microsites. Vegetated microsites which were predominantly sinks of aeolian sediments in the unburned areas became sediment sources following the fire. The burned areas showed a spatial homogenization of sediment tracers, highlighting a potential negative feedback on landscape heterogeneity induced by shrub encroachment into grasslands. Though fires are known to increase aeolian sediment transport, accompanying changes in the sources and sinks of wind-borne sediments may influence biogeochemical cycling and land degradation dynamics. Furthermore, our experiment demonstrated that REEs can be used as reliable tracers for field-scale aeolian studies.

75 FR 6018 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-05

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford AGENCY... Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Hanford (known locally as the Hanford Advisory... and site management in the areas of environmental restoration, waste management, and related...

Water-quality assessment of the Kentucky River basin, Kentucky; results of investigations of surface-water quality, 1987-90

Science.gov (United States)

Haag, K.H.; Garcia, Rene; Jarrett, G.L.; Porter, S.D.

1995-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey investigated the water quality of the Kentucky River Basin in Kentucky as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment program. Data collected during 1987-90 were used to describe the spatial and temporal variability of water-quality constituents including metals and trace elements, nutrients, sediments, pesticides, dissolved oxygen, and fecal-coliform bacteria. Oil-production activities were the source of barium, bromide, chloride, magnesium, and sodium in several watersheds. High concentrations of aluminum, iron, and zinc were related to surface mining in the Eastern Coal Field Region. High concentrations of lead and zinc occurred in streambed sediments in urban areas, whereas concentrations of arsenic, strontium, and uranium were associated with natural geologic sources. Concentrations of phosphorus were significantly correlated with urban and agricultural land use. The high phosphorus content of Bluegrass Region soils was an important source of phosphorus in streams. At many sites in urban areas, most of the stream nitrogen load was attributable to wastewater-treatment-plant effluent. Average suspended-sediment concentrations were positively correlated with discharge. There was a downward trend in suspended-sediment concentrations downstream in the Kentucky River main stem during the study. The most frequently detected herbicides in water samples were atrazine, 2,4-D, alachlor, metolachlor, and dicamba. Diazinon, malathion, and parathion were the most frequently detected organophosphate insecticides in water samples. Detectable concentrations of aldrin, chlordane, DDT, DDE, dieldrin, endrin, endosulfan, heptachlor, and lindane were found in streambed-sediment samples. Dissolved-oxygen concentrations were sometimes below the minimum concentration needed to sustain aquatic life. At some sites, high concentrations of fecal-indicator bacteria were found and water samples did not meet sanitary water-quality criteria.

Characterizing toxicity of metal-contaminated sediments from mining areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Besser, John M.; Brumbaugh, William G.; Ingersoll, Christopher G.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • We review methods for testing toxicity of sediments affected by metals. • Toxicity testing provides site-specific assessment of impacts on resident biota. • Goals are to document extent of toxicity and associations with metal exposure. • Need to characterize bioavailability of metals in sediment and pore water. • Toxicity data is basis for guidelines used to predict hazards of metal toxicity. - Abstract: This paper reviews methods for testing the toxicity of metals associated with freshwater sediments, linking toxic effects with metal exposure and bioavailability, and developing sediment quality guidelines. The most broadly applicable approach for characterizing metal toxicity is whole-sediment toxicity testing, which attempts to simulate natural exposure conditions in the laboratory. Standard methods for whole-sediment testing can be adapted to test a wide variety of taxa. Chronic sediment tests that characterize effects on multiple endpoints (e.g., survival, growth, and reproduction) can be highly sensitive indicators of adverse effects on resident invertebrate taxa. Methods for testing of aqueous phases (pore water, overlying water, or elutriates) are used less frequently. Analysis of sediment toxicity data focuses on statistical comparisons between responses in sediments from the study area and responses in one or more uncontaminated reference sediments. For large or complex study areas, a greater number of reference sediments is recommended to reliably define the normal range of responses in uncontaminated sediments – the ‘reference envelope’. Data on metal concentrations and effects on test organisms across a gradient of contamination may allow development of concentration-response models, which estimate metal concentrations associated with specified levels of toxic effects (e.g. 20% effect concentration or EC20). Comparisons of toxic effects in laboratory tests with measures of impacts on resident benthic invertebrate

Heavy metals in surface sediments of the Jialu River, China: their relations to environmental factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Jie; Zhao, Changpo; Luo, Yupeng; Liu, Chunsheng; Kyzas, George Z; Luo, Yin; Zhao, Dongye; An, Shuqing; Zhu, Hailiang

2014-04-15

This work investigated heavy metal pollution in surface sediments of the Jialu River, China. Sediment samples were collected at 19 sites along the river in connection with field surveys and the total concentrations were determined using atomic fluorescence spectrometer and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer. Sediment samples with higher metal concentrations were collected from the upper reach of the river, while sediments in the middle and lower reaches had relatively lower metal concentrations. Multivariate techniques including Pearson correlation, hierarchical cluster and principal components analysis were used to evaluate the metal sources. The ecological risk associated with the heavy metals in sediments was rated as moderate based on the assessments using methods of consensus-based Sediment Quality Guidelines, Potential Ecological Risk Index and Geo-accumulation Index. The relations between heavy metals and various environmental factors (i.e., chemical properties of sediments, water quality indices and aquatic organism indices) were also studied. Nitrate nitrogen, total nitrogen, and total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons concentrations in sediments showed a co-release behavior with heavy metals. Ammonia nitrogen, total nitrogen, orthophosphate, total phosphate and permanganate index in water were found to be related to metal sedimentation. Heavy metals in sediments posed a potential impact on the benthos community. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Do benthic sediment characteristics explain the distribution of juveniles of the deposit-feeding sea cucumber Australostichopus mollis?

Science.gov (United States)

Slater, Matthew J.; Jeffs, Andrew G.

2010-10-01

Despite the economic importance of many deposit-feeding sea cucumbers, the ecology of their juveniles is poorly understood and factors influencing juvenile habitat selection remain largely unexplained. We investigated the importance of the characteristics of the available sediment in determining the highly localised distribution of juveniles of the deposit-feeding Australasian sea cucumber Australostichopus mollis. Wild-caught juveniles were displaced to non-juvenile habitats with surface sediments characterised by lower total organic content (TOM) and nitrogen content, higher chlorophyll- a content and coarser grain size profiles compared to juvenile sites. The growth of displaced individual animals was monitored over 9 months and compared to control animals caged in the juvenile habitats. Displaced juvenile sea cucumbers had high survival rates that did not differ significantly from juvenile habitats. Displaced juveniles exhibited significantly higher specific growth rate (SGR) than those at juvenile sites ( p < 0.001), although the growth of individuals was highly variable within individual cages and among sites. The lower TOM and nitrogen content, and coarser grain size profiles at non-juvenile sites did not result in reductions in juvenile survival or growth. Higher microphytobenthic activity may have resulted in the higher growth rates observed at shallow non-juvenile sites. The SGR of juveniles over the first 6 months of the experiment ranged between 0.45% d - 1 and 0.74% d - 1 for all sites. This was followed by marked growth limitation between 6 and 9 months either as a result of increasing juvenile biomass in cages or seasonal growth limitation. A subsequent reduction in juvenile density resulted in markedly increased growth over the following 3 month period. Juvenile A. mollis show an ability to exploit a variety of benthic sediment food sources, indicating that their highly localised distribution is not due to differences in the food quality of

Contamination of Detained Sediment in Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deonie Allen

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Adsorption is a key water pollution remediation measure used to achieve stormwater quality improvement in Sustainable urban Drainage Systems (SuDS. The level of contamination of detained sediment within SuDS assets is not well documented, with published investigations limited to specific contaminant occurrence in ponds, wetlands or infiltration devices (bioretention cells and generally focused on solute or suspended sediment. Guidance on contamination threshold levels and potential deposited sediment contamination information is not included in current UK SuDS design or maintenance guidance, primarily due to a lack of evidence and understanding. There is a need to understand possible deposited sediment contamination levels in SuDS, specifically in relation to sediment removal maintenance activities and potential impact on receiving waterways of conveyed sediment. Thus, the objective of the research presented herein was to identify what major elements and trace metals were observable in (the investigated SuDS assets detained sediment, the concentration of these major elements and trace metals and whether they met/surpassed ecotoxicity or contaminated land thresholds. The research presented here provides evidence of investigated SuDS sediment major element and trace metal levels to help inform guidance and maintenance needs, and presents a new methodology to identify the general cause (anthropocentric land use and extent of detained SuDS fine urban sediment contamination through use of a contamination matrix.

76 FR 5147 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Paducah

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-28

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Paducah AGENCY... Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Paducah. The Federal Advisory Committee Act... recommendations to DOE-EM and site management in the areas of environmental restoration, waste management and...

77 FR 59598 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Paducah

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-28

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Paducah AGENCY... Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Paducah. The Federal Advisory Committee Act... recommendations to DOE-EM and site management in the areas of environmental restoration, waste management and...

75 FR 13269 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-19

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford AGENCY... Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Hanford. The Federal Advisory Committee Act... is to make recommendations to DOE-EM and site management in the areas of environmental restoration...

75 FR 54600 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Paducah

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-08

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Paducah AGENCY... Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Paducah. The Federal Advisory Committee Act... recommendations to DOE-EM and site management in the areas of environmental restoration, waste management and...

75 FR 66074 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Paducah

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-27

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Paducah AGENCY... Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Paducah. The Federal Advisory Committee Act... recommendations to DOE-EM and site management in the areas of environmental restoration, waste management and...

75 FR 8050 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-23

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford AGENCY... Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Hanford. The Federal Advisory Committee Act... is to make recommendations to DOE-EM and site management in the areas of environmental restoration...

75 FR 24686 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Paducah

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-05

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Paducah AGENCY... Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Paducah. The Federal Advisory Committee Act... recommendations to DOE-EM and site management in the areas of environmental restoration, waste management and...

76 FR 80355 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Paducah

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-23

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Paducah AGENCY... Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Paducah. The Federal Advisory Committee Act... make recommendations to DOE-EM and site management in the areas of environmental restoration, waste...

75 FR 9404 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Paducah

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-02

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Paducah AGENCY... Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Paducah. The Federal Advisory Committee Act... recommendations to DOE-EM and site management in the areas of environmental restoration, waste management and...

75 FR 56526 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Portsmouth

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-16

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Portsmouth AGENCY... Initiative Workshop of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Portsmouth. The... recommendations to DOE-EM and site management in the areas of environmental restoration, waste management and...

77 FR 43583 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Paducah

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-25

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Paducah AGENCY... Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Paducah. The Federal Advisory Committee Act... recommendations to DOE-EM and site management in the areas of environmental restoration, waste management and...

75 FR 61711 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Paducah

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-06

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Paducah AGENCY... Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Paducah. The Federal Advisory Committee Act... recommendations to DOE-EM and site management in the areas of environmental restoration, waste management and...

75 FR 82002 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Paducah

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-29

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Paducah AGENCY... Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Paducah. The Federal Advisory Committee Act... recommendations to DOE-EM and site management in the areas of environmental restoration, waste management and...

76 FR 61350 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Paducah

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-04

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Paducah AGENCY... Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Paducah. The Federal Advisory Committee Act... make recommendations to DOE-EM and site management in the areas of environmental restoration, waste...

76 FR 4645 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-26

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford AGENCY... Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Hanford. The Federal Advisory Committee Act... recommendations to DOE-EM and site management in the areas of environmental restoration, waste management, and...

76 FR 48148 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Paducah

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-08

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Paducah AGENCY... Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Paducah. The Federal Advisory Committee Act... recommendations to DOE-EM and site management in the areas of environmental restoration, waste management and...

Cascadia Onshore-Offshore Site Response, Submarine Sediment Mobilization, and Earthquake Recurrence

Science.gov (United States)

Gomberg, J.

2018-02-01

Local geologic structure and topography may modify arriving seismic waves. This inherent variation in shaking, or "site response," may affect the distribution of slope failures and redistribution of submarine sediments. I used seafloor seismic data from the 2011 to 2015 Cascadia Initiative and permanent onshore seismic networks to derive estimates of site response, denoted Sn, in low- and high-frequency (0.02-1 and 1-10 Hz) passbands. For three shaking metrics (peak velocity and acceleration and energy density) Sn varies similarly throughout Cascadia and changes primarily in the direction of convergence, roughly east-west. In the two passbands, Sn patterns offshore are nearly opposite and range over an order of magnitude or more across Cascadia. Sn patterns broadly may be attributed to sediment resonance and attenuation. This and an abrupt step in the east-west trend of Sn suggest that changes in topography and structure at the edge of the continental margin significantly impact shaking. These patterns also correlate with gravity lows diagnostic of marginal basins and methane plumes channeled within shelf-bounding faults. Offshore Sn exceeds that onshore in both passbands, and the steepest slopes and shelf coincide with the relatively greatest and smallest Sn estimates at low and high frequencies, respectively; these results should be considered in submarine shaking-triggered slope stability failure studies. Significant north-south Sn variations are not apparent, but sparse sampling does not permit rejection of the hypothesis that the southerly decrease in intervals between shaking-triggered turbidites and great earthquakes inferred by Goldfinger et al. (2012, 2013, 2016) and Priest et al. (2017) is due to inherently stronger shaking southward.

Trace element, semivolatile organic, and chlorinated organic compound concentrations in bed sediments of selected streams at Fort Gordon, Georgia, February-April 2010

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Lashun K.; Journey, Celeste A.; Stringfield, Whitney J.; Clark, Jimmy M.; Bradley, Paul M.; Wellborn, John B.; Ratliff, Hagan; Abrahamsen, Thomas A.

2011-01-01

A spatial survey of streams was conducted from February to April 2010 to assess the concentrations of major ions, selected trace elements, semivolatile organic compounds, organochlorine pesticides, and polychlorinated biphenyls associated with the bed sediments of surface waters at Fort Gordon military installation near Augusta, Georgia. This investigation expanded a previous study conducted in May 1998 by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of the Army Environmental and Natural Resources Management Office of the U.S. Army Signal Center and Fort Gordon, that evaluated the streambed sediment quality of selected surface waters at Fort Gordon. The data presented in this report are intended to help evaluate bed sediment quality in relation to guidelines for the protection of aquatic life, and identify temporal trends in trace elements and semivolatile organic compound concentrations at streambed sites previously sampled. Concentrations of 34 major ions and trace elements and 102 semivolatile organic, organochlorine pesticide, and polychlorinated biphenyl compounds were determined in the fine-grained fraction of bed sediment samples collected from 13 of the original 29 sites in the previous study, and 22 additional sites at Fort Gordon. Three of the sites were considered reference sites as they were presumed to be located away from potential sources of contaminants and were selected to represent surface waters flowing onto the fort, and the remaining 32 nonreference sites were presumed to be located within the contamination area at the fort. Temporal trends in trace elements and semivolatile organic compound concentrations also were evaluated at 13 of the 32 nonreference sites to provide an assessment of the variability in the number of detections and concentrations of constituents in bed sediment associated with potential sources, accumulation, and attenuation processes. Major ion and trace element concentrations in fine-grained bed

Review of element-specific data for biosphere assessment BSA-2009

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Helin, J.; Ikonen, A. T. K.; Hjerpe, T.

2010-06-01

A literature review on distribution coefficients (Kd) to soil, sediment and suspended matter and on concentration ratios to forest, aquatic and crop plants and to edibles was performed and is documented in this report. The literature data were combined, in some cases involving also site-specific data, using the methods of Bayesian updating. Their application is also explained in the report. Based on the derived data, aggregated concentration ratios (production-weighted average concentration ratio to edibles specific to an ecosystem type) were calculated. Finally, the quality of the established data basis is evaluated. The work provides the 2009 biosphere assessment of spent nuclear fuel disposal the in Olkiluoto site, BSA-2009, with the abovementioned parameter values and distributions, but most importantly demonstrates the methodology adopted to combine various data sources and derive such assessment data. It is acknowledged that for many parameters and/or elements the data basis needs improvement by the forthcoming 2012 assessment. (orig.)

Continuous water-quality and suspended-sediment transport monitoring in the San Francisco Bay, California, water years 2011–13

Science.gov (United States)

Buchanan, Paul A.; Downing-Kunz, Maureen; Schoellhamer, David H.; Shellenbarger, Gregory; Weidich, Kurt

2014-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) monitors water quality and suspended-sediment transport in the San Francisco Bay. The San Francisco Bay area is home to millions of people, and the bay teems with both resident and migratory wildlife, plants, and fish. Fresh water mixes with salt water in the bay, which is subject both to riverine and marine (tides, waves, influx of salt water) influences. To understand this environment, the USGS, along with its partners, has been monitoring the bay’s waters continuously since 1988. Several water-quality variables are of particular importance to State and Federal resource managers and are monitored at key locations throughout the bay. Salinity, which indicates the relative mixing of fresh and ocean waters in the bay, is derived from specific conductance measurements. Water temperature, along with salinity, affects the density of water, which causes gravity driven circulation patterns and stratification in the water column. Turbidity is measured using light-scattering from suspended solids in water, and is used as a surrogate for suspended-sediment concentration (SSC). Suspended sediment often carries adsorbed contaminants; attenuates sunlight in the water column; deposits on tidal marsh and intertidal mudflats, which can help sustain these habitats as sea level rises; and deposits in ports and shipping channels, which can necessitate dredging. Dissolved oxygen, which is essential to a healthy ecosystem, is a fundamental indicator of water quality, and its concentration is affected by water temperature, salinity, ecosystem metabolism, tidal currents, and wind. Tidal currents in the bay reverse four times a day, and wind direction and intensity typically change on a daily cycle: consequently, salinity, water temperature, suspendedsediment concentration, and dissolvedoxygen concentration vary spatially and temporally throughout the bay, and continuous measurements are needed to observe these changes. The purpose of this fact sheet

Sediment-associated aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons in coastal British Columbia, Canada: Concentrations, composition, and associated risks to protected sea otters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harris, Kate A.; Yunker, Mark B.; Dangerfield, Neil; Ross, Peter S.

2011-01-01

Sediment-associated hydrocarbons can pose a risk to wildlife that rely on benthic marine food webs. We measured hydrocarbons in sediments from the habitat of protected sea otters in coastal British Columbia, Canada. Alkane concentrations were dominated by higher odd-chain n-alkanes at all sites, indicating terrestrial plant inputs. While remote sites were dominated by petrogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), small harbour sites within sea otter habitat and sites from an urban reference area reflected weathered petroleum and biomass and fossil fuel combustion. The partitioning of hydrocarbons between sediments and adjacent food webs provides an important exposure route for sea otters, as they consume ∼25% of their body weight per day in benthic invertebrates. Thus, exceedences of PAH sediment quality guidelines designed to protect aquatic biota at 20% of the sites in sea otter habitat suggest that sea otters are vulnerable to hydrocarbon contamination even in the absence of catastrophic oil spills. - Highlights: → Sediment hydrocarbon signatures differed between remote and impacted coastal sites. → A natural background comprised terrestrial plant alkanes and petrogenic PAHs. → Impacted sites reflected a history of petrogenic and pyrogenic hydrocarbon inputs. → Hydrocarbons at some sites exceeded guidelines for the protection of aquatic life. → Protected sea otters may thus be at risk as they rely primarily on benthic prey. - Anthropogenically-derived hydrocarbons in coastal sediments in British Columbia may pose a risk to protected sea otters.

75 FR 82004 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Nevada

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-29

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Nevada AGENCY... Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Nevada. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub... recommendations to DOE-EM and site management in the areas of environmental restoration, waste management, and...

77 FR 4027 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Nevada

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-26

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Nevada AGENCY... Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Nevada. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub... recommendations to DOE-EM and site management in the areas of environmental restoration, waste management, and...

76 FR 80354 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Nevada

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-23

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Nevada AGENCY... Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Nevada. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub... recommendations to DOE-EM and site management in the areas of environmental restoration, waste management, and...

77 FR 12044 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Nevada

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-28

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Nevada AGENCY... Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Nevada. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub... Board is to make recommendations to DOE-EM and site management in the areas of environmental restoration...

Uranium(VI) sorption on iron oxides in Hanford Site sediment: Application of a surface complexation model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Um, Wooyong; Serne, R. Jeffrey; Brown, Christopher F.; Rod, Kenton A.

2008-01-01

Sorption of U(VI) on Hanford fine sand (HFS) with varying Fe-oxide (especially ferrihydrite) contents showed that U(VI) sorption increased with the incremental addition of synthetic ferrihydrite into HFS, consistent with ferrihydrite being one of the most reactive U(VI) sorbents present in natural sediments. Surface complexation model (SCM) calculations for U(VI) sorption, using only U(VI) surface-reaction constants obtained from U(VI) sorption data on freshly synthesized ferrihydrite at different pHs, were similar to the measured U(VI) sorption results on pure synthetic ferrihydrite and on HFS with high contents of ferrihydrite (5 wt%) added. However, the SCM prediction using only U(VI) sorption reactions and constants for synthetic ferrihydrite overestimated U(VI) sorption on the natural HFS or HFS with addition of low amounts of added ferrihydrite (1 wt% added). Over-predicted U(VI) sorption was attributed to reduced reactivity of natural ferrihydrite present in Hanford Site sediments, compared to freshly prepared synthetic ferrihydrite. Even though the SCM general composite (GC) approach is considered to be a semi-quantitative estimation technique for contaminant sorption, which requires systematic experimental data on the sorbent-sorbate system being studied to obtain credible SCM parameters, the general composite SCM model was still found to be a useful technique for describing U(VI) sorption on natural sediments. Based on U(VI) batch sorption results, two simple U(VI) monodentate surface species, SO U O 2 HCO 3 and SO U O 2 OH on ferrihydrite and phyllosillicate in HFS, respectively, can be successfully used to describe U(VI) sorption onto Hanford Site sediment contacting varying geochemical solutions

Environmental Benefits of Restoring Sediment Continuity to the Kansas River

Science.gov (United States)

2016-06-01

quality and ecological effects of reservoir aging by sediment accumulation. The section titled “Downstream Channel Effects” cites specific ecological ...effects ( Wood and Armitage 1997; Karr and Yoder 2004). However, as noted by the National Research Council (2011), “Not all sediments and all rivers...National Research Council 2011). Dam construction , as discussed by Wohl et al. (2015), Juracek (2014), Kondolf et al. (2014), and the National Research

Quality assurance during site construction. Pt. 6

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwarz, N.

1980-01-01

Scope of 'Site Construction concerning Electrical Equipment' (Installation, erection, commissioning, operation): tasks and organization of Siemens-Field Services Division; organization on site; receiving, incoming inspection and storage of material; installation, erection; (drawings, instructions, documents / execution of installation / personnel qualification). Non conformance and corrective actions; quality records; internal audits. (orig.)

Public transparency Web sites for radiology practices: prevalence of price, clinical quality, and service quality information.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenkrantz, Andrew B; Doshi, Ankur M

2016-01-01

To assess information regarding radiology practices on public transparency Web sites. Eight Web sites comparing radiology centers' price and quality were identified. Web site content was assessed. Six of eight Web sites reported examination prices. Other reported information included hours of operation (4/8), patient satisfaction (2/8), American College of Radiology (ACR) accreditation (3/8), on-site radiologists (2/8), as well as parking, accessibility, waiting area amenities, same/next-day reports, mammography follow-up rates, examination appropriateness, radiation dose, fellowship-trained radiologists, and advanced technologies (1/8 each). Transparency Web sites had a preponderance of price (and to a lesser extent service quality) information, risking fostering price-based competition at the expense of clinical quality. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Beyond the bed: Effects of metal contamination on recruitment to bedded sediments and overlying substrata

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hill, Nicole A.; Simpson, Stuart L.; Johnston, Emma L.

2013-01-01

Metal-contaminated sediments pose a recognised threat to sediment-dwelling fauna. Re-mobilisation of contaminated sediments however, may impact more broadly on benthic ecosystems, including on diverse assemblages living on hard substrata patches immediately above sediments. We used manipulative field experiments to simultaneously test for the effects of metal contamination on recruitment to marine sediments and overlying hard substrata. Recruitment to sediments was strongly and negatively affected by metal contamination. However, while assemblage-level effects on hard-substratum fauna and flora were observed, most functional groups were unaffected or slightly enhanced by exposure to contaminated sediments. Diversity of hard-substratum fauna was also enhanced by metal contamination at one site. Metal-contaminated sediments appear to pose less of a hazard to hard-substratum than sediment-dwelling assemblages, perhaps due to a lower direct contaminant exposure or to indirect effects mediated by contaminant impacts on sediment fauna. Our results indicate that current sediment quality guidelines are protective of hard-substrata organisms. - Highlights: ► Potential for contaminated sediments to exert impacts beyond the sediment communities. ► We examine effects on recruitment to sediments and overlying hard substrata simultaneously. ► Metal-contaminated sediments had a strong negative impact on sediment fauna. ► Metal-contaminated sediments pose less of a hazard to hard-substratum fauna. ► Sediment quality guidelines are likely protective of hard-substrata organisms. - Under natural disturbance regimes, metal-contaminated sediments pose less of a direct risk to hard-substratum fauna than to sediment-dwelling fauna and SQG appear appropriate.

Geochemical characterisation of Elbe river high flood sediments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krueger, F. [UFZ - Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig-Halle GmbH, Falkenberg (Germany). Sektion Boden-/Gewaesserforschung]|[UFZ - Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig-Halle GmbH, Magdeburg (Germany). Sektion Gewaesserforschung; Rupp, H.; Meissner, R. [UFZ - Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig-Halle GmbH, Falkenberg (Germany). Sektion Boden-/Gewaesserforschung; Lohse, M.; Buettner, O.; Friese, K. [UFZ - Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig-Halle GmbH, Magdeburg (Germany). Sektion Gewaesserforschung; Miehlich, G. [Hamburg Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Bodenkunde

2001-07-01

Quality aims for land usage in flood plains have to be worked out in the Russian-German research project 'Effects of floods on the pollution of agricultural used flood plain soils of the Oka River and the Elbe River'. It is financed by the Germany Ministry of Education and Research (FKZ 02 WT 9617/0). Beside the characterisation of the present pollution of soils for the middle Elbe, it is necessary to prognosticate the current pollutant input. At the examination site nearby Wittenberge, Elbe River kilometers 435 and 440, natural deposited flood sediments were sampled by artificial lawn mats. By the geochemical characterisation it is possible to record the metal input into the flood plain and to win knowledge about the sedimentation process. The results of sediment investigation of the high flood in spring 1997 are presented. (orig.)

Sex- and Site-Specific Normative Data Curves for HR-pQCT.

Science.gov (United States)

Burt, Lauren A; Liang, Zhiying; Sajobi, Tolulope T; Hanley, David A; Boyd, Steven K

2016-11-01

The purpose of this study was to develop age-, site-, and sex-specific centile curves for common high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) and finite-element (FE) parameters for males and females older than 16 years. Participants (n = 866) from the Calgary cohort of the Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study (CaMos) between the ages of 16 and 98 years were included in this study. Participants' nondominant radius and left tibia were scanned using HR-pQCT. Standard and automated segmentation methods were performed and FE analysis estimated apparent bone strength. Centile curves were generated for males and females at the tibia and radius using the generalized additive models for location, scale, and shape (GAMLSS) package in R. After GAMLSS analysis, age-, sex-, and site-specific centiles (10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th) for total bone mineral density and trabecular number as well as failure load have been calculated. Clinicians and researchers can use these reference curves as a tool to assess bone health and changes in bone quality. © 2016 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. © 2016 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Individual and cumulative effects of agriculture, forestry and metal mining activities on the metal and phosphorus content of fluvial fine-grained sediment; Quesnel River Basin, British Columbia, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Tyler B; Owens, Philip N

2014-10-15

The impact of agriculture, forestry and metal mining on the quality of fine-grained sediment (sediment were collected monthly during the snow-free season in 2008 using time-integrated samplers at replicate sites representative of agriculture, forestry and mining activities in the basin (i.e. "impacted" sites). Samples were also collected from replicate reference sites and also from the main stem of the Quesnel River at the downstream confluence with the Fraser River. Generally, metal(loid) and phosphorus (P) concentrations for "impacted" sites were greater than for reference sites. Furthermore, concentrations of copper (forestry and mining sites), manganese (agriculture and forestry sites) and selenium (agriculture, forestry and mining sites) exceeded upper sediment quality guideline (SQG) thresholds. These results suggest that agriculture, forestry and metal mining activities are having an influence on the concentrations of sediment-associated metal(loid)s and P in the Quesnel basin. Metal(loid) and P concentrations of sediment collected from the downstream site were not significantly greater than values for the reference sites, and were typically lower than the values for the impacted sites. This suggests that the cumulative effects of agriculture, forestry and mining activities in the QRB are presently not having a measureable effect at the river basin-scale. The lack of a cumulative effect at the basin-scale is thought to reflect: (i) the relatively recent occurrence of land use disturbances in this basin; (ii) the dominance of sediment contributions from natural forest and agriculture; and (iii) the potential for storage of contaminants on floodplains and other storage elements between the locations of disturbance activities and the downstream sampling site, which may be attenuating the disturbance signal. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.