Anthony S. Pait

Characterization of organic chemical contaminants in sediments from Jobos Bay, Puerto Rico.

Jobos Bay, located on the southeastern coast of Puerto Rico, contains a variety of habitats including mangroves, seagrass meadows, and coral reefs. The watershed surrounding the bay includes a number of towns, agricultural areas, and the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR). Jobos Bay and the surrounding watershed are part of a Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP), involving the Jobos Bay NERR, the US Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to assess the benefits of agricultural best management practices (BMPs) on the terrestrial and marine environments. As part of the Jobos Bay CEAP, NOAA collected sediment samples in May 2008 to characterize over 130 organic chemical contaminants. This paper presents the results of the organic contaminant analysis. The organic contaminants detected in the sediments included polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls, and the pesticide DDT. PAHs at one site in the inner bay near a boat yard were significantly elevated; however, all organic contaminant classes measured were below NOAA sediment quality guidelines that would have indicated that impacts were likely. The results of this work provide an important baseline assessment of the marine environment that will assist in understanding the benefits of implementing BMPs on water quality in Jobos Bay.

Cimetidine, acetaminophen, and 1,7-dimethylxanthine, as indicators of wastewater pollution in marine sediments from Masan Bay, Korea

Concerns have emerged regarding the presence of human-use pharmaceuticals in aquatic environments. We investigated the status of contamination by 29 human-use pharmaceuticals as well as wastewater indicator compounds, fecal sterols and the synthetic endocrine disruptor nonylphenol, in marine sediments from Masan Bay, one of the most contaminated bays in Korea as a result of untreated and/or treated sewage. Among the 29 pharmaceuticals determined, 10 including antacid, analgesic, antibiotic, and antipruritic compounds, and metabolites of caffeine and nicotine were detected in all sediment samples. Cimetidine, acetaminophen, and 1,7-dimethylxanthine were the most frequently detected pharmaceuticals (frequency > 50%), and at high concentrations. The highest concentrations and detection frequencies were at stations located close to wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) outfalls and at the river mouth. The spatial distributions of pharmaceutical were significantly correlated with those of wastewater compounds. These results indicate that occurrence of the pharmaceuticals in marine environments is likely associated with direct sewage inputs, such as WWTP effluents and with other sewage-influenced sources, such as river discharge.

An assessment of chemical contaminants in sediments from the St. Thomas east End Reserves, St. Thomas, USVI.

The St. Thomas East End Reserves or STEER is located on the southeastern end of the island of St. Thomas, USVI. The STEER contains extensive mangroves and seagrass beds, along with coral reefs, lagoons, and cays. Within the watershed, however, are a large active landfill, numerous marinas, resorts, various commercial activities, an EPA Superfund Site, and residential areas, all of which have the potential to contribute pollutants to the STEER. As part of a project to develop an integrated assessment for the STEER, 185 chemical contaminants were analyzed in sediments from 24 sites. Higher levels of chemical contaminants were found in Mangrove Lagoon and Benner Bay in the western portion of the study area. The concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), zinc, copper, lead, and mercury were above a NOAA Effects Range-Low (ERL) sediment quality guideline at one or more sites, indicating impacts may be present in more sensitive species or life stages. Copper at one site in Benner Bay was above a NOAA Effects Range-Median (ERM) guideline indicating effects on benthic organisms were likely. The antifoulant boat hull ingredient tributyltin (TBT) was found at the third highest concentration in the history of NOAA’s National Status and Trends (NS&T) Program, which monitors the nation’s coastal and estuarine waters for chemical contaminants and bioeffects. The results from this project will provide resource managers with key information needed to make effective decisions affecting coral reef ecosystem health and gauge the efficacy of restoration activities.

Empirical assessment of incorporating sediment quality triad data into a single index to distinguish dominant stressors between sites

Benthic infaunal community structure, sediment contamination, and sediment toxicity data (Sediment Quality Triad) were condensed into a single index based on the area of tri-axial plots, which were examined in relation to various habitat parameters. The purpose was to assess its utility for evaluating the relative impact of contaminants versus other stressors on benthic communities. The regression relationship between the areal index and the Effects Range–Median quotient (ERMq) was used to separate contaminant-impacted sites from sites impacted by hypoxia in Chesapeake Bay. Regression using the areal index and bottom oxygen confirm the utility of the approach. Data from Delaware, Galveston, and Biscayne Bays were also examined to determine if the approach may be effective in other estuaries.

Chemical contamination in southwest Puerto Rico: A survey of contaminants in the coral Porites astreoides

Abstract. Coral (Porites astreoides) from eight sites in southwest Puerto Rico were analyzed for approximately 150 chemical contaminants, to provide a preliminary characterization of environmental contamination in the corals, and assess the relationships between chemical contamination in corals and adjacent sediments. Overall, the concentration of PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) detected in the limited number of coral samples collected were comparable to concentrations found in sediments. However, the concentration of a chemical contaminant (e.g., PAHs) in the corals at a site was often different from what was found in adjacent sediments. The level of PCBs and DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) in the corals appeared higher just outside of Guanica Bay, and there was some evidence of a downstream concentration gradient for these two contaminant classes. The trace elements copper and zinc were frequently detected in Porites astreoides, and the concentrations were usually comparable to those found in adjacent sediments. Chromium was an exception in that it was not detected in any of the coral samples analyzed, although it was detected in all of the sediment samples.

An analysis of chemical contaminants in sediments and fish from Cocos Lagoon, Guam

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