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The Sediment Program

EML's sediment archives are the result of a program in the 1970's-1980's to study pollutants related to energy generation: toxic heavy metals, radionuclides, and organic compounds formed during incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, including carcinogenic or mutagenic compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and related heterocyclic compounds containing nitrogen and sulfur. EML is no longer conducting studies in this area, but many of the samples taken have been retained against future need.

Lake and reservoir sediments offer a unique substrate for investigating the occurence of many energy-related pollutants deposited in the environment since they are the main "sink" for materials entering watersheds and may be dated by radioactive methods so as to provide a chrono- logical history (Heit and Burke, 1977). In order to properly assess geo-chronologies of sediments in a meaningful way, methodologies must be available for taking large volume, undisturbed sediment cores so that multiple parameter analysis can be performed at critical core depths. EML developed and used a large diameter, slow penetration sediment corer and 22' portable research vessel, HASL II. This equipment allowed EML to take large, undisturbed cores throughout the U.S. and measure increments of sediment as small as 1 cm for a suite of trace substances and environmental tracers indicative of natural and anthropogenic origins, including specific fuel sources as well as materials which are toxic to biota and/or humans.

Emphasis was placed upon evaluating pollutant histories in ecosystems believed to receive their inputs via long distance atmospheric transport. Comparisons were made with sites receiving inputs directly from significant fossil-energy requiring sources located in the vicinity of the ecosystems under examination. Sites investigated for long-distance atmospheric inputs include 13 acidic and near neutral lakes and reservoirs in the NY Adirondack Preserve and NH White Mountains; 5 reservoirs in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, some of which exhibit morphological anomalies in their resident fish populations that are believed to be caused by inputs of energy-related trace substances; 5 high altitude remote lakes in the Rocky Mountains of CO and 6 lakes and reservoirs in the Wasatch and Uintah Mountains of UT that are believed either to be susceptible to "acidic deposition" or else thought to receive significant atmospheric inputs from fossil-fuel requiring facilities.

Measurements of pollutant histories at sites receiving inputs from local sources, near coal-fired power plants, were centered about studies at Cayuga Lake in the NY Finger Lakes Region in the eastern U.S. and Lake Powell on the AZ/UT border in the western U.S. Emissions from coal-fired power plants are significant in that most if not all of the pollutants released are also associated with other fossil-fuel technologies, although their relative abundances will vary. Thus, the study of coal-related pollutants serves as a working model for the other fuel technologies.

For more information about EML's sediment archives, contact:
webmaster@eml.st.dhs.gov REFERENCES

  • Altshuller,A.P. (1983) The Acidic Deposition Phenomenon and its Effects: Critical Assessment Review Papers. Vol. II Effects Sciences Public Review Draft. U.S. EPA Report EPA-600/8-80-016B.
  • Beck,H. Gogolak,C.V.,Miller,K.M. and Lowder,W.M. (1980) Perturbations on the National environment due to the utilization of coal as an energy source, in Natural Radiation Environment III, T.F. Gesell and W.M. Lowder, editors, pp. 1521-1558. CONF-780422, U.S. Department of Energy Symposium Series.
  • Braunstein,H.M., Copenhaver,E.D. and Pfuderer,H.A. (1977), Environmental, Health and Control Aspects of Coal Conversion and Overview. Oak Ridge National Labortory Report No. ORNL FIS-95, Vol. 2.
  • Burke,J.C.,W.R. Clarke,M. Heit and H.L. Volchok (1980). A 22 Foot Portable Research Catamaran: Backround design and Use to date. U.S. D.O.E. Environmental Report, EML 381:17-41.
  • Burke,J.C., Hamblin, R.E. and Casso,S.A. (1983). Tripod Modification of Sphincter Corer: Construction Operation, Core Extrusion and Sampling Efficiency. In Press, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Report, WOODS Hole, MA. 02543.
  • California Air Resources Board (1981). Procedings California symposium on Acid Precipitation. San Francisco Calif. Jan 14-15 1981 pp. 1-279.
  • Callahan,M. et. al. (1979) Water-Related Environmental Fate of 129 Priority Pollutnats. Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. U.S. EPA Report EPA-440/ 4-79-029 U.S. EPA, Washington D.C. 20460.
  • Divison of Biomedical and Environmental Research: (1977), Van Hook,R.I. and W.D Shults (Eds), in Proceedings of a Workshop, U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration Report ERDA 77-64, pp. 1-79
  • Federal Interagency committee on the Health and Environmental Effects of Energy Technologies (1980). Health Effects of Coal Technologies Research Needs. The Mitre Corp. Reports No. MTR-79W 15902 pp. 1-201 Mclean Va. 22102.
  • Galloway, J.N., Banning,D., Prete,A.D., Heit,M. and Davis,A.O. (1983). A summary of observations for the investigation of the sediments of Panther, Sagamore and Woods Lakes.-in Electric Power Research Insitute Report, Goldstein,R.E. (ed) The Intergrated Lake-watershed Acidification Study: Proceedings fo the ILWAS Annual Review Conference EPRI Report (EA-2827) Palo Alto Ca. 94304.
  • Galloway,J.N., Eisenreich,S.J., and Scott,B.C. (1980) Toxic Substances in Atmospheric Deposition: A Review and Assessment. National Atmospheric Depostion Program Report NC-141. Jekyll Island, Geargia. Nov. 1979.
  • Galloway,J.N., Thorton,J.D., Norton,S.A., Volchok,H.L. and Mclean,R.A. (1982). Trace Metals in Atmospheric Deposition: A Review and Assessment Atmospheric Environment 16: 1677-1700.
  • Heit,M. (1977). A Review of Current Information on Some Ecological and Health Related Aspects of the Release of Trace Metals into the Environment Associated with the Combustion of Coal, USERDA Report, HASL-320,pp 1-51
  • Heit,M. and J.C. Burke (1977). Sediment Sampling in Six Western Lakes. U.S. E.R.D.A. Report, HASL 315: 83-91.
  • Heit,M., Klusek, C.S. and Baron,J. (1983) Evidence of Deposition of Anthropogenic Pollutents in Remote Rocky Mountain Lakes. Water, Air and soil Pollution.
  • Heit,M., Y.L. Tan and L.E. Toonkel (1981). An Evaluation of Methodolgies for Measuring Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) in sediment. U.S. D.O.E. Environmentl Report, EML 390: 213-235.
  • Heit,M. (1979). Variability of the Concentrations of Seventeen Trace Elements in the Muscle and Liver of a Single striped Bass, Morone saxatilis. Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 23:1-5.
  • Heit,M. and C.S. Klusek (1979). The Release of Trace Substances by a Coal-Fired Power Station into an Aquatic Ecosystem. 1--Environmental Sampling in Cayuga Lake,N.Y. U.S. D.O.E. Report, EML 363:3-30.
  • Heit,M.,Y. Tan,C. Klusek and J.C. Burke (1981). Anthropogenic Trace Elements and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Levels in Sediment Cores from Two Lakes in the Adriondack Acid Lake Region. Water,Air,Soil Pollution 15:441-464.
  • Heit,M. and Klusek, C.S. (1983) Trace Elements Concentrations in the Dorsal Muscle of White Suckers, Catostomus commersoni and Brown Bullheads, Ictalurus Notatus from Acidic Adirondack Lakes. submitted to Water, Air, and Soil Pollution.
  • Heit,M., Tan,Y., Klusek,C. and Burke,J.C. (1983). Trace elements and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon levels in sediment cores from Sagamore and Woods Lakes. Electric Power Research Institute Report.Goldstein,R.E. (Ed). The Integrated Lake- Watershed Acidification Study; Proceedings of the ILWAS Annual Review Conference EPRI Report (EA-2827),Palo Alto Ca. 94304.
  • Heit,M. and Y.L. Tan (1979). The Concentration of Selected Polynuclear aromatic Hydrocarbons in the surface Sediments fo Some Fresh and Marine Waters of the United States. U.S. D.O.E. Report, EML 353:3-39.
  • Heit,M. (1979). The Concentrations of Benzo(a)pyrene in the Sediments of Six Western United States Lakes. Water,Air, and Soil Pollution 15: 441-464.
  • Heit,M., Tan,Y.L.,Klusek,C.S., Volchok, H.L. and Burke, J.C. (1980). The Origin and Depostion History of Trace Elements and Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Two Remote Lakes in the Adriondack Acid Rain Region. U.S. Dept. of Energy Report, EML-381, pp. I-75- I-127.
  • Heit,M.,C.S. Klusek and H.L. Volchok (1980). Time History of Trace Elements in Sediments from Standley Lake, Colorado. Environmental International 4: 229-239.
  • Heit,M. (1983) The relationship of a coal-fired power plant to the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Cayuga Lake. Water,Air, and Soil Pollution.
  • Heit,M., C.S. Klusek and K.M. Miller (1980). Trace Elements Radionuclide and Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbon Concentrations in Uionidae Mussels from Lake George. Environmental Science and Technology 14:465-468.
  • Heit,M. (1977). An Interlaboratory Comparison of Trace Elements Analyses of a Near Shore Marine Sediments, U.S. D.O.E. Report,HASL 328:25-37.
  • Heit,M. and Klusek C. (1982). The Effect of Dissecting Tools on the Trace Elements Concentrations of Fish and Mussel Tissues Science of the Total Environment 24: 129-134.
  • Klusek,C.S., Miller,K.M. and Heit,M. (1983) Trace Elements and Radionuclide Mass Balances at a Coal-fired Electric Generation Station, Environment International 9:139-144.
  • Klusek,C.S. and M. Heit (1979). An Intercomparison of Analyses of Marine Sediments for Fifteen Trace Elements. U.S. D.O.E. Report, EML 363:31-85.
  • Klusek,C.S. and M. Heit (1981). An Intercomparison for the Analyses of Commercially Available Reference Materials for 22 Trace Elements. U.S. D.O.E. Environmental Report, EML 390: 91-211.
  • Klusek,C.S. and Heit, M. (1982) Effect of Different Preservation Methods on the Trace Elements Concentrations of Fish and Mussel Tissues. Bull. Environment. Contam. Toxicol 28:202-207.
  • Lewis,W.M. and Grant,M.C.(1980) Acid Precipitation in the Western United States. Science 207: 176-177.
  • Morris,S.C. et al. (1980) Health and Environmental Effects of The National Energy Plan- A Critical Review of Some Selected Issues. Biomedical and Environmental Assessment Divison National Center For Analysis of Energy Systems Dept. of Energy and Environment, Brookhaven National Laboratory Report BNL 51300, Uptown N.Y.
  • National Academy of Sciences (1981). Atmosphere-Biosphere Interactions: Toward a Better Understanding of the Ecological Consequences of Fossil Fuel Combustion, National Academy Press, Washington,D.C, pp. 1-263.
  • Natusch, D.F.S.(1978), Potentially Carcinogenic Species Emitted to the Atmosphere by Fossil-Fuel Power Plants. Environmental Health Perspect. 22: 79-90 .
  • Tan,Y.L. and M. Heit (1981a). Biogenic and Abiogenic Poynuclear Aromatic Hydrocrabons in Sediment from Two Remote Adriondack Lakes. Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta 45:2267-2279.
  • Tan,Y.L. and M. Heit (1981b). Analysis of Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrcarbons in Sediment cores from Two Lakes in the Adirondack Acid Rain Belt by High Resolution Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry,-in M. Cooke and A.J. Dennis (Editors), Chemical Analysis and Biological Fate: Polynuclear Aromate Hydrocrabons--fifth International Symposium. Battelle Press, Columbus, Ohio.
  • Tan,Y.L. (1979) Rapid Simple Sample Preparation Technique for Analyzing Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Sediments by Gas chromatography- Mass Spectrometry J. of Chromatography, 176: 319-327.
The EML Sample Archives makes available environmental radiological data collected for programs funded through the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, the U. S. Energy Research and Development Administration and the U. S. Department of Energy. All of these programs have been terminated. The databases were last updated in 1999. No additional data will be added to these databases. Any inquiries about these programs should be made to webmaster@eml.st.dhs.gov.

Contact: webmaster@eml.st.dhs.gov
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Environmental Measurements Laboratory - http://www.eml.st.dhs.gov

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