National Status & Trends Program
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Date
1988-11
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Abstract
Since 1984, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationās (NOAA)
National Status and Trends (NS&T) Program has analyzed samples of surface
sediment collected at about 200 coastal and estuarine sites throughout the
United States. The chemical contaminants measured are chlorinated pesticides,
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and 12
trace elements. Sediment characteristics such as grain size, which affect
contaminant concentrations, have also been quantified. With few exceptions,
the higher levels of contamination have been found among the 175 sites where
the sediment is muddy rather than sandy. Most of the highest concentrations for
any particular contaminant have been at the 20 sites near Boston, New York, San
Diego, Los Angeles, or Seattle. Despite being sandy, sediments at two Long
Island Sound sites showed high levels of PAHs. Except for some sites near the
Florida cities of Jacksonville, Tampa, Panama City, and Ft. Walton Beach, levels of
contamination at sites in the Gulf of Mexico and in the southeastern United States
were relatively low.
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Keywords
Chemical Contaminants, Sediments, PCBS, PAHS, Data