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Using SPMDs To Assess Natural Recovery Of PCB-Contaminated Sediments In Lake Hartwell, SC: I. A Field Test Of New In-Situ Deployment Methods
Citation:
SCHUBAUER-BERIGAN, J. P., E. A. Foote, AND V. S. Magar. Using SPMDs To Assess Natural Recovery Of PCB-Contaminated Sediments In Lake Hartwell, SC: I. A Field Test Of New In-Situ Deployment Methods. J. Dragun and P. Kostecki (ed.), SOIL AND SEDIMENT CONTAMINATION: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL. Taylor & Francis Group, London, Uk, 21(1):82-100, (2012).
Impact/Purpose:
To design cost-effective, reliable tools to better assess and understand the effectiveness of different sediment remediation approaches to choose a risk management approach that effectively reduces human and ecological risks for PCBs.
Description:
Results from the field testing of some innovative sampling methods developed to evaluate risk management strategies for polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contaminated sediments are presented. Semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) were combined with novel deployment methods to quantify the availability of PCBs at the Sangamo-Weston Lake Hartwell Superfund Site in SC. Three locations in Lake Hartwell were examined: a background site (BKG) with little detectable contamination and two contaminated sites (T-M/N and T-O). PCB availability was quantified using sediment surface samplers designed to hold SPMDs in contact with surface sediments, benthic dome samplers designed to enclose and suspend SPMDs at the sediment-water interface, and commercially obtained SPMD cages suspended in the water column. A two-way analysis of variance showed significant effects by sampler type (P < 0.0001) and site (P < 0.0001) for mean time-weighted average (TWA) total PCBs (t-PCBs). Regardless of the SPMD sampler used, mean TWA T-PCBs were directly proportional to the level of contamination present (BKG < T-M/N , T-O). Water column and surface sediment sampler t-PCB uptake patterns were described by a significant linear fit of the data (r2 = 0.9625, p < 0.0001, and r2 = 0.8188, p < 0.0001, respectively). Dome and sediment surface SPMD samples had a higher percentage of higher chlorinated PCBs compared to water column samples.
