An approach for looking at sediment quality on a national perspective
Keywords:
assessment, benchmarks, screening-level analysisAbstract
Sediment quality analyses are conducted for specific reasons and most for some type of regulatory purpose. These purposes could include support for: sediment remediation, dredged material disposal, and sediment monitoring. One such sediment monitoring effort in the United States is to fulfill the requirements set forth in the Water Resources Development Act of 1992 (WRDA). This Act requires EPA to develop the National Sediment Quality Survey, a national evaluation of sediment quality in the United States. The first report was prepared in 1997 and described the incidence and severity of sediment contamination nationwide. The first update to this report was recently released (USEPA, 2004) and is designed to be a screening-level assessment for the identification of potentially contaminated sediments. While there are many challenges to assessing sediment contamination on a localized area, these are drastically magnified at a national scale. One of the biggest challenges was the reliance on existing sediment quality data (mostly with only a single line of evidence reported—sediment chemistry), not collected with the WRDA mandate in mind and providing a limited spatial coverage for most watersheds. Out of the nearly 20,000 stations evaluated in this report (using data from 1990 to 1999), 70% had data available for sediment chemistry only that precluded a weight-of-evidence approach at these stations. Therefore, sediment quality guidelines (SQGs—both empirical and mechanistic) were a primary tool for assessing sediment quality. Other sediment quality benchmarks used in this report included theoretical bioaccumulation potential (TBP), sediment toxicity, and tissue residues. To develop benchmarks for classifying sediments according to possible hazard, some assumptions were made that may not reflect site-specific conditions. While recognizing the inherent limitations of the data and the assessment approach, this is a viable approach to broad scale sediment assessments.
References
ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials). 2002a. “Standard test methods for measuring the toxicity of sediment-associated contaminants with freshwater invertebrates, E1706-00”. In Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol, 11 West Conshohocken, PA
ASTM. 2002b. “Standard guide for determination of the bioaccumulation of sediment-associated contaminants by benthic invertebrates, E1688-00a”. In Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 11 West Conshohocken, PA
Ankley, G. T., Di Toro, D. M., Hansen, D. J. and Berry, W. J. 1996. Technical basis and proposal for deriving sediment quality criteria for metals. Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 15: 2053–2055.
Barrick, R., Becker, S., Brown, L., Beller, H. and Pastorok, R. 1988. Sediment quality values refinement: 1988 update and evaluation of Puget Sound AET, Vol. 1, Bellevue, WA: PTI Environmental Services. Prepared for the Puget Sound Estuary Program, Office of Puget Sound
Burton, G. A., Denton, D. Jr., Ho, K. T. and Ireland, D. S. 2002. “Sediment Toxicity Testing, Issues and Methods in Quantifying and Measuring Ecotoxicological Effects”. In Handbook of Ecotoxicology, Edited by: Hoffman, D., Rattner, D., Burton, G. A. Jr. and Cairns, J. J. 111–150. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press, Lewis Publishers.
Clements, W. H., Cherry, D. S. and Van Hassel, J. H. 1992. Assessment of the impact of heavy metals on benthic communities at the Clinch River (Virginia): Evaluation of an index of community sensitivity. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Science, 49: 1686–1694.
Di Toro, D. M., Mahoney, J. D., Hansen, D. J., Scott, K. J., Carlson, A. R. and Ankley, G. T. 1991. Acid volatile sulfide predicts the acute toxicity of cadmium and nickel in sediments. Environ. Sci. Tech., 26: 96–101.
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.
Di Toro, D. M. and McGrath, J. A. 2000. Technical basis for narcotic chemicals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon criteria II. Mixtures and sediments. Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 19: 1971–1982.
Field, L. J., MacDonald, D. M., 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.
Field, L. J., MacDonald, D. M., Norton, S. B., Severn, C. G., Ingersoll, C. G., Smorong, D. and Linkskoog, R. 2002. Predicting amphipod toxicity from sediment chemistry using logistic regression models. Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 21: 1993–2005.
FDEP (Florida Department of Environmental Protection). 1994. Approach to the assessment of sediment quality in Florida coastal water. Vol 1. Development and evaluation of sediment quality assessment guidelines, Ladysmith, British Columbia: MacDonald Environmental Sciences Ltd.. Prepared for Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Water Policy, Tallahassee, FL
Griffiths, R. P. 1983. The importance of measuring microbial enzymatic functions while assessing and predicting long-term anthropogenic perturbations. Mar. Pollut. Bull., 14: 162
Hilsenhoff, W. L. 1982. Using a biotic index to evaluate water quality in streams, Madison, Wisconsin: Department of Natural Resources. Technical Bulletin No. 132
Hilsenhoff, W. L. 1987. An improved biotic index of organic stream pollution. Great Lakes Entomologist, 20: 31–39.
Ingersoll, C. G., Ankley, G. T., Baudo, R., Burton, G. A. Jr., Lick, W., Luoma, S. N., MacDonald, D. D., Reynodlson, T. B., Solomon, K. R., Swartz, R. C. and Warren-Hicks, W. J. 1997. “Workgroup summary report on uncertainty evaluation of measurement endpoints used in sediment ecological risk assessments”. In Ecological risk assessment of contaminated sediments, Edited by: Ingersoll, C. G., Dillon, T. and Biddinger, R. G. 297Pensacola, FL: SETAC Press.
Ingersoll, C. G., MacDonald, D. D., Wang, N., Crane, J. L., Field, L. J., Haverland, P. S., Kemble, N. E., Lindskoog, R. A., Severn, C. and Smorong, D. E. 2001. Prediction of sediment toxicity using consensus-based freshwater sediment quality guidelines. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol., 41: 8–21.
Ireland, D. S. and Ho, K. T. 2005. “Toxicity tests for sediment quality assessments”. In Ecotoxicological Testing of Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems: Emerging Techniques, Trends and Strategies, Edited by: den Besten, P. J. and Munawar, M. 1–42. Boca Raton, FL: Taylor & Francis.
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. Manage., 19: 81–97.
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. Ecotoxicology, 5: 253–278.
NRC (National Resource Council). 1997. Contaminated Sediments in Ports and Waterways: Cleanup Strategies and Technologies, Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.
NYSDEC (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation). 1998. Technical guidance for screening contaminated sediments, Albany NY, , USA: Division of Fish and Wildlife, Division of Marine Resources.
Power, E. A. and Chapman, P. M. 1992. “Assessing sediment quality”. In Sediment Toxicity Assessment, Edited by: Burton, G. A. Jr. 1–18. Ann Arbor, MI: Lewis Publishers.
Rosenberg, D. M. and Wiens, A. P. 1976. Effects of sediment addition on macroinvertebrates in a Northern Canadian River. Water Research, 12: 753–763.
USEPA. 1992a. Freshwater benthic macroinvertebrate community structure and function Sediment classification methods compendium. Chapter 8. EPA 813/R-92/006
USEPA. 1992b. Marine benthic community structure assessment Sediment classification methods compendium. Chapter 9. EPA 813/R-92/006
USEPA. 1997. Ecological Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund: Process for Designing and Conducting Ecological Risk Assessments, Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. EPA540-R-97-006
USEPA. 1998. EPA!s Contaminated Sediment Management Strategy, Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water. 823-R-98-001
USEPA. 2000. Methods for measuring the toxicity and bioaccumulation of sediment-associated contaminants with freshwater invertebrates, Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water, Office of Research and Development. EPA 600/R-99-064
USEPA. 2002a. A Guidance Manual to Support the Assessment of Contaminated Sediments in Freshwater Ecosystems. Volume I ∼ An Ecosystem ∼ Based Framework for Assessing and Managing Contaminated Sediments, Chicago, IL: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Great Lakes National Program Office. EPA-905-B-02-001-A
USEPA. 2002b. A Guidance Manual to Support the Assessment of Contaminated Sediments in Freshwater Ecosystems. Volume III ∼Interpretation of the results of Sediment Quality Investigations, Chicago, IL: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Great Lakes National Program Office. EPA-905-B-02-001-C
USEPA. 2004. The Incidence and Severity of Sediment Contamination in Surface Waters of the United States. National Sediment Quality Survey: , Second Edition, Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Science and Technology. EPA 823-R-04–007
Van Veld, P. A., Westbrook, D. J., Woodin, B. R., Hale, R. C., Smith, C. L., Hugget, R. J. and Stegman, J. J. 1990. Induced cytochrome P-450 in intestine and liver of spot (Leiostomus xanthurus) from a polycyclic aromatic contaminated environment. Aquat. Toxicol., 17: 119–132.
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, Pensacola FL, , USA: Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC). 2002 August 17–22
Published
Issue
Section
License
Manuscripts must be original. They must not be published or be under consideration for publication elsewhere, in whole or in part. It is required that the lead author of accepted papers complete and sign the MSU Press AEHM Author Publishing Agreement and provide it to the publisher upon acceptance.
