Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Habitat Conditions and Correlations of Sediment Quality Triad Indicators in Delaware Bay

  • Published:
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper summarizes sampling results from NOAA's National Status and Trends (NS&T) Program for marine environmental quality in Delaware Bay. A stratified-random design was used to determine the spatial extent of sediment contamination and toxicity in Delaware Bay from offshore stations in the coastal zone, the lower estuary, the upper estuary, the fresh/salt mixing zone, and tidal fresh areas. Sediment samples were taken for chemical analyses of major classes of environmental contaminants, a suite of toxicity bioassays, and benthic macrofaunal community assessment to identify patterns of resident species. The tidal-fresh areas and portions of the mixing zone of the study area were heavily contaminated. Contaminant concentrations were frequently above the 90th percentile of EMAP Virginian Province levels. PAHs in the sediment were higher than previously documented, with a major component of PAHs being pyrogenic in origin. Bioassay results were highly variable. Toxicity and contaminant levels were correlated when aggregated into indices, but were only marginally correlated with benthic community impacts. High and low abundance stations were found in all zones. Most of the tidal fresh stations were dominated by pollution tolerant species. Species diversity and abundance were generally lowest in the fresh/salt mixing zone.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anderson, J. W., Jones, J. M., Steinert, S., Sanders, B., Means, J., McMillin, D., Vu, T. and Tukey, R. H.: 1999a, ‘Correlation of CYP1A1 induction, as measured by the P450 RGS biomarker assay, with high molecular weight PAHs in mussels deployed at various sites in San Diego Bay in 1993 and 1995’, Mar. Environ. Res. 48, 389–405.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, J. W., Jones, J. M., Hameedi, J., Long, E. and Tukey, R. H.: 1999b, ‘Comparative analysis of sediment extracts from NOAA's Bioeffects Studies by the biomarker, P450 RGS’, Mar. Environ. Res. 48, 407–425.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • American Public Health Association: 1998, ‘P450 Reporter Gene Response to Dioxin-like Organics. Method 8070’, in: Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 20th Ed, American Public Health Association, Washington, DC.

  • American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM): 1992, ‘Standard guide for conducting 10-day static sediment toxicity test with marine and estuarine amphipods. Designation E-1367-92’, in: Annual Book of Standards, 11.04. American Society of Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, PA.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM): 1999, ‘E 1853M-98 Standard guide for measuring the presence of planar organic compounds which induce CYP1A, reporter gene test systems’, in: Biological Effects and Environmental Fate; Biotechnology; Pesticides, 1999 Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Volume 11.05 – Water and Environmental Technology. American Society for Testing and Materials, West Conshohocken, PA.

  • Barrick, R. B., Beller, H., Becker, S. and Ginn, T.: 1989, ‘ Use of the apparent effects threshold approach (AET) for classifying contaminated sediments’, in: Proceedings of Oceans 1989 Conference, Seattle, WA, September, pp. 18–21.

  • Carman, K. R., Fleeger, J. W. and Pomarico, S. M.: 1997, ‘Response of a benthic food web to hydrocarbon contamination’, Limno. Oceano. 42(3), 561–571.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carr, R. S.: 1998, ‘Marine and estuarine porewater toxicity testing’, in: P. G. Wells, K. Lee and C. Blaise (eds), Microscale Testing in Aquatic Toxicology, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. pp. 523–538.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carr, R. S. and Biedenbach, J. M.: 1999, ‘Use of power analysis to develop detectable significance criteria for sea urchin toxicity tests’, Aq. Eco. Health Manag. 2, 413–418.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, P. M.: 1996, ‘Presentation and interpretation of sediment quality triad data’, Ecotox. 5, 327–339.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Di Toro, D. M., Zarba, C. S., Hansen, D. J., Berry, W. J., Swartz, R. C., Cowan, C. E., Pavlou, S. P., Allen, H. E., Thomas, N. A. and Paquin, P. R.: 1991, ‘Technical basis for establishing sediment quality criteria for non-ionic organic chemicals using equilibrium partitioning’, Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 10, 1541–1583.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC): 1994, ‘Sediment contaminants of the Delaware estuary’, Delaware River Basin Commission Report, March, 1993, DRBC, Philadelphia, PA.

  • Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC): 1998, ‘Delaware estuary monitoring report’, Delaware River Basin Commission, Aug. 1998, Philadelphia, PA.

  • EPA: 1994a, ‘Methods for assessing the toxicity of sediment-associated contaminants with estuarine and marine amphipods’, EPA-600/R-94/025. Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, RI.

    Google Scholar 

  • EPA: 1994b, ‘Statistical summary, EMAP-Estuaries Virginian Province B 1991’, U.S. EPA, ORD EMAP. EPA/620/R-94/005.

  • EPA: 1997, ‘The incidence and severity of sediment contamination in surface waters of the United States. Volume 1: National sediment quality survey’, EPA 823-R-97-006. Office of Science and Technology, Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • EPA: 1999, ‘Method 4425: Screening extracts of environmental samples for planar organic compounds (PAHS, PCBS, PCDDS/PCDFS) by a reporter gene on a human cell line’, EPA Office of Solid Waste, SW 846 Methods, Update IVB, Washington, DC.

  • EPA: 1996, ‘Method 3550: Extraction of soils and sediment by sonication’, in: Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods, SW-846, Third Edition and Update III., EPA Office of Solid Waste, Washington, DC.

  • Fairey, R., Bretz, C., Lamerdin, S., Hunt, J., Anderson, B., Tudor, S., Wilson, C. J., LaCaro, F., Stephenson, M., Puckett, M. and Long, E. R.: 1996, ‘Chemistry, toxicity and benthic community conditions in sediments of the San Diego Bay region’, State of California Water Resources Control Board Final Report to NOAA, 169 p. plus appendices.

  • Ferraro, S. P. and Cole, F. A.: 2002, ‘A field validation of two sediment-amphipod toxicity tests’, Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 21, 1423–1437.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Field, L. J., MacDonald, D. D., Norton, S. B., Severn, C. G. and Ingersoll, C. G.: 1999, ‘Evaluating sediment chemistry and toxicity data using logistic regression modeling’, Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 18, 1311–1322.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fleeger, J. W., Carman, K. R. and Nisbet, R. M.: 2003, ‘Indirect effects of contaminants in aquatic ecosystems,’ Sci. Tot. Environ. 317, 207–233.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hartwell, S. I.: 1997, ‘Demonstration of a toxicological risk ranking method to correlate measures of ambient toxicity and fish community diversity’, Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 16(2), 361–371.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hartwell, S. I.: 1998 (ed), ‘Biological Habitat Quality Indicators for Essential Fish Habitat: Workshop Proceedings, 14-15 July, 1997’, Charleston, SC. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-F/SPO-32, NOAA/NMFS, Silver Spring, Maryland, September, 1998.

  • Hartwell, S. I.: 1999, ‘Empirical assessment of an ambient toxicity risk ranking model's ability to differentiate clean and contaminated sites’, Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 18(6),1298–1303.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hartwell, S. I. and Claflin, L. W.: 2005, ‘Cluster analysis of contaminated sediment data – nodal analysis’, Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 24(7), 1816–1834.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hartwell, S. I., Hameedi, J. and Harmon, M.: 2001, ‘Magnitude and extent of contaminated sediment and toxicity in Delaware Bay’, NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS/NCCOS/CCMA 148. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service, Silver Spring, MD, 107 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hyland, J. L., Van Dolah, R. F. and Snoots, T. R.: 1999, ‘Predicting stress in benthic communities of southeastern U.S. estuaries in relation to chemical contamination of sediments’, Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 18(11), 2557–2564.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, B. T. and Long, E. R.: 1998, ‘Rapid toxicity assessment of sediment from estuarine ecosystems: A new tandem in vitro testing approach’, Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 17, 1099–1106.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Karr, J. R.: 1981. ‘Assessment of biotic integrity using fish communities’, Fisheries 6, 21–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karr, J. R. and Chu, E. W.: 1997, ‘Biological monitoring and assessment: Using multimetric indexes effectively’, Univ. Washington, Seattle, WA. EPA 325-R97-001.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kenebel, H. J.: 1989. ‘Modern sedimentary environments in a large tidal estuary, Delaware Bay’, Mar. Geol. 86, 119–136.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kiddon, J. A., Paul, J. F., Buffum, H. W., Strobel, C. S., Hale, S. H., Cobb, D. and Brown, B. S.: 2003. ‘Ecological condition of US mid-Atlantic estuaries, 1997–1998’, Mar. Poll. Bull. 46, 1224–1244.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lauenstein, G. G. and Cantillo, A. Y.: 1998, (eds), ‘Sampling and analytical methods of the National Status and Trends Program Mussel Watch Project: 1993–1996 Update’, National Ocean. and Atmos. Admin., NOS, Silver Spring, Maryland, March 1998.

  • Llansó, R. J., Scott, L. C., Hyland, J. L., Dauer, D. M., Russel, D. E. and Kutz, F. W.: 2002, ‘An estuarine benthic index of biological integrity for the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. II. Index development’, Estuaries 25(6), 1231–1242.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Long, E. R., MacDonald, D. D., Smith, S. L. and Calder, F. D.: 1995, 'Incidence of adverse biological effects within ranges of chemical concentrations in marine and estuarine sediments’, Environ. Manag. 19, 81–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacDonald, D. D., Carr, R. S., Calder, F. D., Long, E. R. and Ingersoll, C. G.: 1996, ‘Development and evaluation of sediment quality guidelines for Florida coastal waters’, Ecotox. 5, 253–278.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • MacDonald, D. D., Ingersoll, C. G. and Berger, T. A.: 2000, 'Development and evaluation of consensus-based sediment quality guidelines for freshwater ecosystems’, Archives of Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 39, 20–31.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Millward, R. N. and Grant, A.: 2000, ‘Pollution-induced tolerance to copper of nematode communities in the severely contaminated Restronguet Creek and adjacent estuaries, Cornwall, United Kingdom’, Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 19, 454–461.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • National Research Council (NRC): 1985, ‘Oil in the sea: Inputs, fates, and effects’, National Research Council, National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 589 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paul, J. F., Gentile, J. H., Scott, K. J., Schimmel, S. C., Campbell, D. E. and Latimer, R. W.: 1999, ‘EMAP-Virginian province four-year assessment’, EPA/620/R-99/004, US Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, RI, 119 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pielou, E. C.: 1966, ‘The measurement of diversity in different types of biological collections,’ J. Theoretical Biol. 13, 131–144.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reish, D. J.: 1979, ‘Bristle Worms (Annelida: Polychaeta)’, in: C.W. Hart and S.L.H. Fuller (eds), Pollution Ecology of Estuarine Invertebrates. Academic Press, NY, NY. pp 78–126.

    Google Scholar 

  • Riedel, G. F. and Sanders, J. G.: 1998, ‘ Trace element speciation and behavior in the tidal Delaware river’, Estuaries 21(1), 78–90.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schropp, S. J. and Windom, H. L.: 1988, ‘A guide to the interpretation of metal concentrations in estuarine sediments’, Report to the Office of Water Policy, Florida Dept. of Environ. Protection, Tallahassee, FL. 51 p.

  • Shannon, L. C. and Weaver, W.: 1949, The Mathematical Theory of Communication, Univ. of Illinois Press, Urbana, Ill. 117p.

    Google Scholar 

  • SCBW (Symposium on the Classification of Brackish Waters): 1959, Venice 8–14, April, 1958. Arch Oceanography and Limnology 11, Suppl

  • Thursby, G. B., Heltshe, J. and Scott, K. J.: 1997, ‘ Revised approach to toxicity test acceptability criteria using a statistical performance assessment’, Environmental Toxicity and Chemistry 16, 1322–1329.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Turgeon, D. D., Hameedi, M. J., Harmon, M. R., Long, E. R., McMahon, K. D. and White, H. H.: 1998, ‘Sediment toxicity in U.S. coastal Waters’, National Ocean. and Atmos. Admin., NOS, Silver Spring, Maryland, March 1998.

  • Wenning, R. J. and Ingersoll, C. G.: 2002, ‘Summary of the SETAC Pellston Workshop on Use of Sediment Quality Guidelines and Related Tools for the Assessment of Contaminated Sediments,’ 17–22 August 2002; Fairmont, Montana, USA. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC). Pensacola FL, USA.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment, 1305 East West Hwy., SSMC4, (N/SCI-1), Silver Spring, MD, 20910, USA

    S. Ian Hartwell & M. Jawed Hameedi

Authors
  1. S. Ian Hartwell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. Jawed Hameedi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. Ian Hartwell.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hartwell, S.I., Hameedi, M.J. Habitat Conditions and Correlations of Sediment Quality Triad Indicators in Delaware Bay. Environ Monit Assess 121, 181–212 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-005-9115-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-005-9115-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation