Event Title

PCB Cycling in an Estuary - Fate of Urban and Nonurban Inputs

Presentation Abstract

One of the principal chemicals of concern and most significant risk driver at most urban aquatic cleanup sites are polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The understanding of where and how PCBs move through the system explain the distribution in sediment and biota; and ultimately will determine the significance of sources and their ability to be successfully controlled, the extent of recontamination in sediments, and if ecological and human health based cleanup levels can be achieved. Work conducted in the Lower Duwamish estuary Superfund site to assess risks and determine remedial action levels for the site included numerous studies on chemical sources, movement, fate, and bioaccumulation. Models were developed for sediment erosion and transport, chemical fate, and food web transfer of bioaccumulative compounds. Data were collected on various inputs including atmospheric deposition and other components of upstream sources and estimates were developed for loadings of PCBs from sources, runoff, upstream from the Green River and tidal forcing from Elliott Bay. Tissue concentrations were collected from many components of the food web. Taken together, the information and modeling analyses present a picture of how PCBs cycle through the abiotic and biotic components of the ecosystem in the Lower Duwamish. Insights into the relative significance of sources and sinks to historical sediment concentrations, recontamination potential, projected bioaccumulation in various organisms, resulting risk implications, and the feasibility of cleanup levels can be discerned. Understanding how PCBs partition and transport through the system provides insights into existing sediment and tissue contamination, sources and the feasibility of controlling them.

Session Title

Sediments as a sink: Tracking pollutants over space and time in the Salish Sea

Conference Track

Fate and Effects of Pollutants

Conference Name

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2016 : Vancouver, B.C.)

Document Type

Event

Start Date

2016 12:00 AM

End Date

2016 12:00 AM

Location

2016SSEC

Type of Presentation

Oral

Genre/Form

conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)

Contributing Repository

Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.

Subjects – Topical (LCSH)

Polychlorinated biphenyls--Environmental aspects--Washington (State)--Duwamish River Watershed

Geographic Coverage

Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Duwamish River Watershed (Wash.)--Environmental conditions

Comments

http://www.ldwg.org/documents.htm

http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/wastewater/Duwamish-waterway/PreventingPollution/PollutionSources.aspx

Rights

This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.

Type

Text

Language

English

Format

application/pdf

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Jan 1st, 12:00 AM Jan 1st, 12:00 AM

PCB Cycling in an Estuary - Fate of Urban and Nonurban Inputs

2016SSEC

One of the principal chemicals of concern and most significant risk driver at most urban aquatic cleanup sites are polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The understanding of where and how PCBs move through the system explain the distribution in sediment and biota; and ultimately will determine the significance of sources and their ability to be successfully controlled, the extent of recontamination in sediments, and if ecological and human health based cleanup levels can be achieved. Work conducted in the Lower Duwamish estuary Superfund site to assess risks and determine remedial action levels for the site included numerous studies on chemical sources, movement, fate, and bioaccumulation. Models were developed for sediment erosion and transport, chemical fate, and food web transfer of bioaccumulative compounds. Data were collected on various inputs including atmospheric deposition and other components of upstream sources and estimates were developed for loadings of PCBs from sources, runoff, upstream from the Green River and tidal forcing from Elliott Bay. Tissue concentrations were collected from many components of the food web. Taken together, the information and modeling analyses present a picture of how PCBs cycle through the abiotic and biotic components of the ecosystem in the Lower Duwamish. Insights into the relative significance of sources and sinks to historical sediment concentrations, recontamination potential, projected bioaccumulation in various organisms, resulting risk implications, and the feasibility of cleanup levels can be discerned. Understanding how PCBs partition and transport through the system provides insights into existing sediment and tissue contamination, sources and the feasibility of controlling them.