GCRC Project Summary |
Impact of Phenolic and Dioxin-like Contaminants on Coastal Georgia Water Quality
PI: Keith A. Maruya (formerly: Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, Savannah, GA, USA)
Support: GA DNR Coastal Zone Management (through a Coastal Incentive Grant)
Timeframe: 2001 - ongoing
Project Overview:
This 3-year project will supplement the efforts
of the US EPA and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (Coastal 2000
project) in assessing the environmental quality of Coastal Georgia. Due to cost
and technology constraints, only 3 classes of generic PBT chemicals (persistent,
bioaccumulative and toxic) will be measured for Coastal 2000. This work is designed
to maximize the utility of sediment chemistry data generated by these 2 projects.
Large
scale shipping, chemical, wood treating and especially pulp and paper operations
have dominated land use in most large river and estuarine systems in Georgia.
Presently, however, a shift toward residential and/or resort type land use is
occurring. This somewhat unique superposition of land uses suggests the potential
influence of additional (i.e. non-generic) classes of trace PBT chemicals --
alkylphenols (APs), chlorophenols (CPs) and polychlorodibenzodioxins/furans
(PCDD/Fs). Each of these chemicals has the potential for accumulating in sediments
of Georgia tidal creeks, rivers, and marshes, and causing harmful effects to
indigenous (aquatic) biota.
Concentrations of individual APs, CPs, and PCDD/Fs
in ~150 sediment samples will be measured over a 3-year period. Half of the
sediment samples analyzed will be common to the Coastal 2000 project, ensuring
complete geographical coverage of the Georgia coast. The remaining samples would
be collected in river systems impacted by large point and or non-point sources
of contamination.
Findings:
Publications:
Related Projects:
Biomonitoring
for the Georgia Coast: Assessing the Impacts of Contaminants on Aquatic Resources
Biomarker Response and Persistent Contamination Levels in Estuarine Fish