You are here:
STORAGE DURATION AND TEMPERATURE AND THE ACUTE TOXICITIES OF ESTUARINE SEDIMENTS TO MYSIDOPSIS BAHIA AND LEPTOCHEIRUS PLUMULOSUS
Citation:
Norton, B. L., M A. Lewis, AND F L. Mayer Jr. STORAGE DURATION AND TEMPERATURE AND THE ACUTE TOXICITIES OF ESTUARINE SEDIMENTS TO MYSIDOPSIS BAHIA AND LEPTOCHEIRUS PLUMULOSUS. BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 63(2):157-166, (1999).
Description:
Many statutory needs for sediment quality assessment exist (U.S. EPA 1996). A variety of sediment toxicity tests have been used to support the development of sediment quality guidelines and to determine the benthic impacts of dredging activities and point and non-point source toxics. Although several sediment test methods have been standardized and some widely used (USEPA/COE 1991, ASTM 1993 A, USEPA 1994, APHA et al. 1995), the optimal conditions for storage duration and temperature of sediments before use in toxicity tests are still being investigated. Current recommendations for storage are usually for 2 weeks or less at a temperature between 1 and 7|C (ASTM 1993 B). These guidelines are based on the physical structure of sediments as it relates to the availability of nutrients and contaminants during storage (Thomson et al. 1980, MacDonald and McLaughlin 1982). The reported trends in the scientific literature describing the effects of storage duration and temperature on sediment toxicity are not consistent (for example, Malueg et al. 1986, Schuytema et al. 1989, Carr and Chapman 1995). This inconsistency indicates a need for further research. The objective of this baseline study was to provide additional background information for this important issue using estuarine sediments collected from two urban-impacted estuaries and a reference location.