Toxic Sediment Reduction Work plan

1
Toxic Sediment Reduction Work plan US Geological
Survey Tributary Head-of-Tide Sampling
Program Timothy P. Wilson, Ph.D Jennifer L. Bonin
2
The New Jersey HEP Toxics Reduction Work plan for
the NY-NJ Harbor

• 9.5 million in funding from Port Authority of
  NY-NJ via New Jersey Maritime Resources (NJDOT)
• Coordinated with NYSDEC component of NY-NJ HEP
  Contaminant Assessment and Reduction Program
  (CARP)
• NJDEP Project Management Division of Science,
  Research Technology

3
NY-NJ Harbor Estuary Program CONTAMINANT
ASSESSMENT REDUCTION PROJECT (CARP)

• Which sources affect the quality of dredged
  material in the harbor?
• What management actions will improve the quality
  and reduce the quantity of contaminated sediments?

4
USGS-NJ Role Inputs to Newark and Raritan Bays
from tributaries Raritan, Passaic, Rahway,
Elizabeth, and Hackensack Rivers Significance
and Importance 1. Develop methods to collect and
analyze high-volume composite river samples,
including QA/QC procedures 2. Detailed
characterization of NJ river chemistry 3. Use
appropriate methods to calculate loads of
sediment and chemicals
5
The New Jersey Toxic Sediment Reduction Work Plan
Monitoring Sites
Below head-of-tide studied by Stevens Institute
of Technology
6
Sampling stations built adjacent to USGS gage
stations Passaic River at Little Falls, NJ
7
TOPS Sampler Large volume sediment/water phase
sampler using filters and XAD resin columns
8
(No Transcript)
9
Flow-weighted Composite Samples provide average
concentrations during events
10
The need for composite samples Variation in
suspended sediment with discharge
Total mass moved 531,000 Kg (585 tons) 2.3 of
average year
Next storm event
Suspended Sediment
Discharge
11
Elizabeth and Rahway Rivers Small, highly
urbanized, flashy streams
Total Sediment load 79,500 kg 87.6 tons 19 of
average year
Suspended Sediment
Discharge pulse
Time
5/21
5/22
5/23
5/24
12
Cl
Cl
Cl
98 PCB congeners
PCB Sources spilled transformer oils, electrical
products, inks and dyes, and river sediment
Inputs via industrial and waste
discharge, ground water, and atmosphere
13
Average PCB Concentrations
Passaic Example 1 gram of water has 0.0017 ng
of PCBs 1 gram of sediment has 248 ng of PCBs
or 146,000 times more PCB than does the water!
14
Results Indication of efficacy of methods,
variation of sources during storms
Total PCB Concentrations
Values for base-flow, Values for storm events
15
Methods- Large volume sampling allows ultra-low
concentrations and multi-parameter evaluations
16
Methods- Large volume sampling allows ultra-low
concentrations and multi-parameter evaluations
EDL 1 to 100 pg/g
17
Two-Phase Samples- Sediment-Water Partitioning
18
2,3,7,8-TCDD
17 Dioxins/Furans (sediment only) High
temperature combustion emissions from industrial,
waste incineration, engines, and power generation
Inputs (along with PAHs and metals) via wet and
dry deposition, air/water exchange
19
Average Dioxin/Furans Concentrations in Sediment
20
26 PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and
4 Metals (Hg, MeHg, Pb, Cd)
Sources Industrial discharges, roadway
residuals,incineration and burning
Inputs via overland flow of precipitation and
snow-melt Ground water input
21

27 OC Pesticides Agricultural, residential, and
commercial applications Inputs via runoff and
groundwater
22
Sediment Load A Fundamental Objective
Load concentration discharge How much
sediment comes from each river basin? 1.
Initially attempted to integrate storm data with
storm frequency distribution to produce yearly
load 2. Used Rating Curve Method utilizing
existing USGS Water-Quality data
23
Estimated Load of Sediment in Millions of
Kilograms per Year
24
Estimated Load of PCBs in Average Year in
kilograms
Based on 25-year record, and present-day chemistry
25
Tributary Track down of PCBs, PCDD/PCDFs, and
metals Sampled during low-flow conditions
Values shown are total PCBs (ng/g) and total
TEQ (pg/g) in sediment
Pompton River (200 ng/g 26 pg/g) Upper
Passaic (87 ng/g 14 pg/g)
Saddle River (2,320 ng/g 132 pg/g)
Second (194 ng/g 27 pg/g) Third River (575
ng/g 25 pg/g)
Also Branches of Elizabeth River Hackensack Hg
trackdown
26
Sediment Dynamics and Flow in Estuary In
conjunction with Dr. Robert Chant, Rutgers
Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences
Ship towed instrument platform
Moored instrument platform

• Dynamics of flow (current directions and
  velocity)
• Development of turbidity maximum (when, where,
  effect on sediment)
• Salt interface as a function of discharge and
  tides (location, movement)

27
Monitoring of Dredge Activities in Passaic River
In conjunction with NJDOT and Dr. Robert
Chant, Rutgers Institute of Marine and Coastal
Sciences
Ship towed instrument and sampling platform

• Dredge Barge

Sediment cloud
Water Flow
Moored instrument platform
28

• Conclusions
• Large volume, composite storm sampling can be
  done successfully,
• allows detection of ultra-low level
  concentrations
• Dioxin/furans, PCBs, PAHs, and pesticides, and
  metals
• are present in all rivers studied
• 3. Concentrations of trace organics ranked in
  general order
• Elizabeth RivergtRahwaygtPassaicgtRaritanHackensac
  k
• 4. The rating curve method was used to estimate
  sediment
• and sediment bound contaminant loads.
• Load of sediment ranked in order
• RaritangtPassaicgtRahwayElizabethgtHackensack

29
Ongoing Work 1. Track down 2nd order
tributaries, Load at Dundee Dam 2. Integration of
HOT and estuary chemistry 3. Sediment dynamics in
estuary
30
Average Total PAH Concentrations
31
Average Organochlorine Pesticide Concentrations
in Sediment
2,4 and 4,4-DDT, DDD, DDE
a-, b- g-, oxy-
cis-, trans-
32
(No Transcript)
33
Identification of Sources
34
Estimated Sediment Bound Load Average Year
Based on 25-year record and present-day chemistry
35
Estimates of Total Metal LoadAverage year
Based on 25-year record and present-day chemistry
36
Integrate Head-of-Tide and Estuary Chemistry
37
Evolution of Chemistry Downstream thru Estuary
Concentration in Passaic HOT
38
Loads Across the Dundee Dam
Proposed Work Install/calibrate discharge
gage Develop sampling scheme Estimate
sediment/carbon loads Sample for CARP chemistry
estimate loads
39
Thanks to all who have helped Joel Pecchioli,
Gary Buchanan, Floyd Genicola - NJDEP Scott
Douglas NJDOT Bob Chant Rutgers Institute of
Marine and Coastal Sciences David Thal STL
Knoxville Richard Daddow USGS NWQL USGS-NJ
40
Average Total Metal Concentrations
41
Relative Concentrations - Fingerprint helps
identify sources in complex mixtures of sediment
bound PCBs
Heavy Aroclor (1260)
of total PCBs
Light Aroclor (1248)
Raritan River Influenced by light Arochlors
Elizabeth River influenced by 1260
Passaic, Rahway, Hackensack Equal mix?
Mono Tri Tetra
Penta Hexa Hepta
Octa Nona Deca Di
PCB Homolog Group (level of chlorination)
42
(No Transcript)
43
(No Transcript)
44
(No Transcript)
45
(No Transcript)
46
Locations of Combined Sewer and Storm Water
Outfalls along Passaic River
CARP sampled 6 SWOs and 8 CSOs