Abstract
The presence of numerous industrial and municipal sources such as former creosote wood preserving facilities, petroleum storage and refinery facilities, paint and chemical manufacturers, combined sewer overflows, and sewage treatment facilities along the shores of Newark Bay, New Jersey and its major tributaries suggests the potential for widespread contamination by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and petroleum hydrocarbons. In this study, the concentrations and distributions of 19 PAHs and total extractable petroleum hydrocarbon (TEPH) were determined in 213 sediment samples obtained from 58 sediment cores collected between November 1991 and March 1993 from the Arthur Kill, Elizabeth River, Hackensack River, Kill Van Kull, Newark Bay, Upper New York Bay, and Rahway River. Chronological profiles of PAH and TEPH deposition from pre-1930 to the present were determined in each sediment core using 137Cs and 210Pb radioisotope measurements. The concentrations of total PAHs (tPAH) and individual PAHs were compared to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) benchmark sediment effects-range median (ER-M) values. The objectives of this study were to: (a) determine the spatial and temporal distributions of PAHs in sediments; (b) identify their possible sources; and (c) assess the potential for sediment toxicity within the estuary. The results indicate elevated concentrations of PAHs and TEPH in surface and buried sediments throughout the estuary, particularly in the Elizabeth River, the Arthur Kill, and in the Passaic River above the Dundee Dam and below the Jackson Street Bridge. Sediments collected from ship berths at Port Newark and Port Elizabeth in Newark Bay were also found to contain elevated levels of PAHs and TEPH. The concentrations of PAHs and TEPH in sediment generally increase with depth throughout the estuary. Comparisons to NOAA ER-M values indicate that the concentrations of many PAHs in surface and buried sediments at several locations in the estuary pose a significant hazard to aquatic organisms. Radiodating of sediment cores reveals that the highest concentrations of PAHs, and the greatest potential hazards to aquatic biota, occur in sediments deposited during the 1950s. Although the major inputs of PAHs are probably combustion sources and urban runoff entering the estuary through combined sewer overflows and storm drains, the unusually high concentrations of PAHs and TEPH found in some sediments may be best explained by point source inputs or catastrophic oil spills.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Army Corps of Engineers (1965) Port facilities at Port of New York, Arthur Kill, NY and NJ. Map Nos. 47 and 50, NY
— (1988) The Port of New York, NY and NJ and Ports of Long Island, NY. Port Series No. 5. U.S. Army Water Resources Support Center, Fort Belvoir, VA
American Petroleum Institute (1984) The land treatability of Appendix BIII constituents present in petroleum industry wastes. Document No. B-974-220
Bonnevie NL, Gunster DG, Wenning RJ (1992) Lead contamination in surficial sediments from Newark Bay, New Jersey. Environ Int 18(5):497–508
Bonnevie NL, Wenning RJ, Huntley SL, Bedbury H (1993) Distribution of inorganic compounds in sediments from three waterways in northern New Jersey. Bull Environ Toxicol Chem 51:672–680
Bopp RF (1988) Dioxins in Newark Bay. In: Annual report. Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory of Columbia University, pp 8–11
Bopp RF, Gross ML, Tong H, Simpson HJ, Monson SJ, Deck BL, Moser FC (1991) A major incident of dioxin contamination: Sediments in New Jersey estuaries. Environ Sci Technol 25(5):951–956
Brunström B, Broman D, Dencker L, Näf C, Vejlens E, Zebuhr Y (1992) Extracts from settling particulate mater collected in the Stockholm Archipelago waters: Embryolethality, immunotoxicity and EROD-inducing potency of fractions containing aliphatics/monoaromatics, diaromatics or polyaromatics. Environ Toxicol Chem 11:1441–1449
Brydon NF (1974) The Passaic River: Past, present, future. Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, NJ, 376 pp
Catallo WJ, Gambrell RP (1987) The effects of high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on sediment physicochemical properties and benthic organisms in a polluted stream. Chemosphere 16(5):1053–106
Eganhouse RP, Simoneit BRT, Kaplan IR (1981) Extractable organic matter in urban stormwater runoff. 2. Molecular characterization. Environ Sci Technol 15(3):315–326
Eganhouse RP, Kaplan IR (1982) Extractable organic matter in municipal wastewaters. 1. Petroleum hydrocarbons: temporal variations and mass emission rates to the ocean. Environ Sci Technol 16(3):180–186
Ehrlich GG, Goerlitz DF, Godsy EM, Hult MF (1982) Degradation of phenolic contaminants in groundwater by anaerobic bacteria: St. Louis Park, Minnesota. Groundwater 20(4):703–710
Faure, G (1986) Principles of isotope geology. John Wiley & Sons, NY
Galishoff S (1988) Newark, the nation's unhealthiest city. Rutgers, The State University, NJ, 260 pp
Gillis CA, Bonnevie NL, Wenning RJ (1993) Mercury contamination in the Newark Bay Estuary. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 25:214–226
Goeller AF (1989) Heavy metals and radionuclides in sediments of the Hackensack River, New Jersey. MS Dissertation, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, October
Gunster DG, Bonnevie NL, Gillis CA, Wenning RJ (1993a) Assessment of chemical loadings to Newark Bay, New Jersey from petroleum and hazardous chemical accidents occurring from 1986 to 1991. Ecotoxicol Environ Safety 25:202–213
Gunster DG, Gillis CA, Bonnevie NL, Abel TB, Wenning RJ (1993b) Petroleum and hazardous chemical spills in Newark Bay, New Jersey, USA from 1982 to 1991. Environ Pollut 82:245–253
Herbes SE, Schwall LR (1978) Microbial transformation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in pristine and petroleum-contaminated sediments. Appl Environ Microbiol 35(2):306–316
Hackensack Meadowlands Development Commission (1989) Inventory of fisheries resources of the Hackensack River within the jurisdictional boundary of the Hackensack Meadowlands Development Commission from Kearny, Hudson County, to Ridgefield, Bergen County, New Jersey, May
Hollister TA, Ward GS, Parish PR (1980) Acute toxicity of a #6 fuel oil to marine organisms. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 24:656–661
HydroQual (1991) Assessment of pollutant loadings to New York-New Jersey Harbor. Prepared for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, January
Hyland J, Kennedy J, Campbell J, Williams S, Boehm P, Uhler A, Steinhaver W (1989) Environmental effects of the Pacific Baroness oil and copper spill. In: Proceedings 1989 oil spill conference (prevention, behavior, control, cleanup), San Antonio, TX, February 13–16 American Petroleum Institute, Washington, DC, pp 413–419
International Technology Corporation (1986) Passaic River sediment study, final report. Prepared by International Technology Corp, Pittsburgh, PA for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Trenton, NJ, March
Long ER, Morgan LG (1991) The potential for biological effects of sediment-sorbed contaminants tested in the National Status and Trends Program. NOAA Tech Memo NOS OMA 52. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Coastal and Estuarine Assessment Branch, Seattle, WA
McCain BB, Chan S-L, Krahn MK, Brown DW, Myers MS, Landahl JT, Pierce S, Clark RC Jr., Varansi U (1992) Chemical contamination and associated fish diseases in San Diego Bay. Environ Sci Technol 26(4):725–733
Meyerson AL, Luther GW, Krajewske J, Hires RI (1981) Heavy metal distribution in Newark Bay sediments. Marine Pollut Bull 12:244–250
Moser FC (1990) Toxic levels in water, sediment and biota, and their effects in the Hudson-Raritan Estuary, Long Island Sound and New York Bight. In: Cleaning up our coastal waters: An unfinished agenda. A regional conference, March 12–14, Manhattan College, Riverdale, NY. Dynamic Corp., NY
Mueller JG, Chapman PJ, Pritchard PH (1989) Creosote-contaminated sites. Environ Sci Technol 23(10):1197–1201
Neff JM (1980) Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the aquatic environment. Applied Science Publishers, London, 262 pp
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (1982) Contaminant inputs to the Hudson-Raritan Estuary. NOAA Tech Bull OMPA-21. Boulder, CO
-- (1984a) A geochemical assessment of sedimentation and contaminant distributions in the Hudson-Raritan Estuary. NOAA Tech Memo NOS OMS-2. Rockville, MD
-- (1984b) Chemical pollution of the Hudson-Raritan estuary. NOAA Tech Memo NOS OMA-7. Rockville, MD
-- (1988) A summary of selected data on chemical contaminants in sediments collected during 1984, 1985, 1986, and 1987. NOS OMA-44, Rockville, MD
-- (1991) Contaminant trends in the Southern California bight: Inventory and assessment. NOAA Tech Memo NOS ORCA 62. Seattle, WA
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (1985) A study of dioxin (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin) contamination in select finfish, crustaceans, and sediments of New Jersey waterways. Office of Science and Research, Trenton, NJ, 101 pp
-- (1989) 1989 Status report on the hazardous waste management program in New Jersey. Site Specific Information, October. Trenton, NJ
National Research Council (1985) Oil in the sea. Inputs, fates, and effects. National Academy Press, Washington, DC
O'Connor JM, Huggett RJ (1988) Aquatic pollution problems, North Atlantic coast, including Chesapeake Bay. Aquat Toxicol 11:163–190
O'Keefe P, Hilker D, Meyer C, Aldous K, Shane L, Donnelly R, Smith R, Sloan R, Skinner L, Horn E (1984) Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxins and tetrachlorodibenzofurans in Atlantic coast striped bass and in selected Hudson River fish, waterfowl, and sediments. Chemosphere 13:849–860
Olsen CR, Larsen IL, Brewster RL, Cutshall NH, Bopp RF, Simpson H (1984) A geochemical assessment of sedimentation and contaminant distributions in the Hudson-Raritan Estuary. NOS OMS 2. June. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Rockville, MD
Pruell RJ, Hoffman EJ, Quinn JG (1984) Total hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and synthetic organic compounds in the hard shell clam, Mercenaria mercenaria, purchased at commercial seafood stores. Mar Environ Res 11:163–181
Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners (1970) Annual Report to Commissioners. Newark, NJ, pp 12–13
Research Planning, Inc. (1989) Oil and hazardous substances pollution incidences-planning and response considerations: The Port of New York/New Jersey, Vol. 3. Prepared for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Ocean Assessments Division, Rockville, MD. pp 1–18
Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (1988) Annual Report, 1987. Long Beach, CA, pp 101
Suszkowski DJ (1978) Sedimentology of Newark Bay, New Jersey: An urban estuarine bay. PhD Dissertation, University of Delaware, Newark, DE
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1981) Unpublished data.
— (1982) An exposure and risk assessment for benzo(a)pyrene and other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: Vol II. Naphthalene. Office of Water Regulations, Washington, DC
-- (1987) Record of decision. Chemical Control Corporation. Region II. September 3. NY
— (1988) Characterization and laboratory soil treatability studies for creosote and pentachlorophenol sludges and contaminated soil. USEPA-600/2–88/055. Research Triangle Park, NC
— (1991) Contract Laboratory Program statement of work for organic analysis, Multi-Media, Multi-Concentration. ILMO1.6, March. Research Triangle Park, NC
Wenning RJ, Harris MA, Ungs MJ, Paustenbach DJ, Bedbury H (1992) Chemometric comparisons of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran residues in surficial sediments from Newark Bay, New Jersey and other industrialized waterways. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 22:397–413
Wilber WG, Hunter JV (1973) The impact of urbanization on the distribution of heavy metals in bottom sediments of the Saddle River. Water Res Bull 15:790–800
— (1979) Distribution of metals in street sweepings, stormwater solids, and urban aquatic sediments. J Water Pollut Control Fed 51:2811–2822
Williams SC, Simpson HJ, Olsen CR, Bopp RF (1978) Sources of heavy metals in sediments of the Hudson River estuary. Mar Chem 6:195–213
Zitko V (1978) Aromatic hydrocarbons in aquatic fauna. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 14:621–631
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Huntley, S.L., Bonnevie, N.L. & Wenning, R.J. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and petroleum hydrocarbon contamination in sediment from the Newark Bay estuary, New Jersey. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 28, 93–107 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00213974
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00213974