Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Atmospheric Dry Particle Deposition of POPs and Trace Metals in an Urban- and Industrially-Impacted Mid-Atlantic Estuary (AEOLOS B Mid-Atlantic)
EPA Grant Number: R828177Title: Atmospheric Dry Particle Deposition of POPs and Trace Metals in an Urban- and Industrially-Impacted Mid-Atlantic Estuary (AEOLOS B Mid-Atlantic)
Investigators: Totten, Lisa A. , Eisenreich, Steven J. , Holsen, Thomas M.
Institution: Rutgers
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Project Period: August 1, 2000 through July 31, 2002 (Extended to July 31, 2004)
Project Amount: $230,000
RFA: Exploratory Research - Engineering, Chemistry, and Physics) (1999) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Water , Land and Waste Management , Air , Safer Chemicals
Objective:
The specific objectives of this research project were to: (1) determine the dry depositional flux of coarse and fine particles, selected persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and trace metals to the lower Hudson River Estuary (HRE) using surrogate depositional surfaces; (2) determine the seasonal particle-size distribution of mass, selected POPs, and trace metals in the lower HRE; (3) model the dry particle depositional fluxes of particle mass, selected POPs, and trace metals to the HRE based on the particle size distribution; (4) provide a field evaluation of the surrogate surface and models to estimate dry particle depositional fluxes; and (5) provide an assessment of the dry depositional component of the atmospheric deposition of selected POPs, and trace metals to the lower HRE.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
In a project designed to measure the dry deposition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and trace metals to the New York/New Jersey Harbor Estuary, these compounds were measured at two sites in New Jersey: Jersey City (JC) and New Brunswick (NB). Fourteen elements ( Mg, Al, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Mo, Cd, Ba, and Pb) were measured by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) . Forty-seven PCB congeners or coeluting congener groups were measured by gas chromatography (GC) with electron capture detection. Thirty-six PAH compounds were quantified via GC with mass selective detection.
Long-term sampling consisted of 12-day integrated samples, which were collected continuously for 1 year using the modified MIC-B wet-dry samplers to measure the dry deposition flux of total suspended particulate (TSP), PCBs , PAHs, and trace elements. Long-term sampling was conducted at JC from August 17, 2001, to May 20, 2002, and at NB from August 17, 2001, to September 18, 2002. Eight quartz fiber filters (QFFs), two greased strips (GSs), and two Velcro disks were deployed continuously for periods of 12 days. GS samples tend to generate higher mass fluxes simply because of the sticky surface captured in all of the particles that hit the surface without any bounce-off effect. GS media were not used for organics analyses because of analytical difficulties (the grease must be removed before analysis, requiring a complicated cleanup procedure) and concern that the grease would lead to high gas absorption artifacts.
Intensive sampling for dry deposition of PAH , PCBs , and trace elements was performed during September 21, 2001, to September 30, 2001, and June 10, 2002, to June 21, 2002. For intensive sampling, one micro orifice uniform deposit impactor (MOUDI), one coarse particle rotary impactor (CPRI), one water surface sampler, and one high-volume air sampler were used at each site in addition to the MIC-B wet-dry samplers. The MOUDI and CPRI were used to collect size-segregated particles for trace metals, PAH, and PCB analysis. Velcro media was used in the CPRI, whereas aluminum strips were used in the MOUDI.
At JC, the TSP mass fluxes from QFFs were consistently lower than those from GSs for each sampling event. In contrast, at NB, the QFF fluxes are similar to the GS fluxes. The average ratios between the QFF and GS fluxes were 85 percent at JC and 137 percent at NB. These results show that the QFFs are as efficient as GS in capturing particles at NB but not at JC. This difference between the two sites may be the result of the saturation of particle loadings on QFFs during the 12-day sampling period because of the high particle concentrations at JC. At JC, the ratio between QFF flux and GS flux decreased as the total particle flux increased.
Deposition velocities for individual trace metals, PCBs, and PAHs were calculated from the long-term samples by dividing measured fluxes by particle phase concentrations measured by the New Jersey Atmospheric Deposition Network (NJADN). For the intensive experiments, theoretical deposition velocities for each of the particle size ranges were used to calculate a bulk deposition velocity for trace metals, PCBs, and PAHs. Gas absorption to the quartz fiber filter and Velcro sampling media was a significant artifact that artificially inflated the calculated deposition velocities of the semivolatile compounds. Correction for gas absorption yielded a reliable bulk dry particle deposition velocity for PCBs of 0.25 ± 0.14 cm s-1, which was corroborated by both the long-term and intensive sampling campaigns. For the PAHs, the bulk dry particle deposition velocity was found to be in the range of 0.5 to 1.0 cm s-1, although this result is less certain. In some experiments, a statistically significant correlation between decreasing vapor pressure and decreasing deposition velocity was observed for both PCBs and PAHs. Correction for gas absorption artifacts tended to negate or decrease the slope of these correlations, suggesting that the relationship was an artifact of gas absorption to the sampling media and was not a result of different environmental behavior of the analytes.
The fluxes of trace metals were found to be highest at the JC site and lower at the NB site. The largest trace metal fluxes were found for Al and the smallest for Cd. The dry deposition fluxes ranged from 0.030 (Cd) to 3,800 (Al)μg m-2 day-1, and 0.14 (Cd) to 8,100 (Al)μg m-2 day-1 at NB and JC sites, respectively. Metals of crustal origin were found mostly in the coarse particle fraction, and anthropogenic metals were found mostly in the fine particle fraction. Overall deposition velocities for these trace metals varied from 1.0 cm s-1 to 11 cm s-1 . Modeling showed that the majority of the flux resulted from metals associated with particles larger than 10μm in diameter.
Data on atmospheric concentrations of these contaminants gathered by the NJADN as well as other deposition networks such as the Integrated Atmospheric Deposition Network in the Great Lakes and the Chesapeake Bay Atmospheric Deposition Survey can be modeled using the deposition velocities measured herein to estimate dry deposition of trace metals as well as PCBs, PAHs, and other semivolatile organics to surface waters. These dry deposition loads should be considered as inputs in the calculation of total maximum daily loads for surface waters.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 1 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
northeast, Atlantic coast, environmental chemistry, chemicals, toxics, particulates, atmosphere, chemical transport, estuary, total maximum daily load, TMDL, atmospheric deposition,, Scientific Discipline, Air, Toxics, Water, Geographic Area, Environmental Chemistry, HAPS, State, Air Deposition, Environmental Monitoring, Mid-Atlantic, Engineering, Chemistry, & Physics, Great Lakes, EPA Region, dry deposition studies, particle size, particulates, receptor accumulation rates, estuaries, PCBs, industrial emissions, Hudson River Estuary, toxic metals, New Jersey (NJ), gaseous organic compound, meterology, Lake Michigan, Region 2, atmospheric deposition, coastal ecosytems, persistant organic pollutantsProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.