Grantee Research Project Results

Characterization of Laguna Madre Contaminated Sediments.

EPA Grant Number: R825513C028
Subproject: this is subproject number 028 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant R825513
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: Organotypic Culture Models For Predictive Toxicology Center
Center Director: Rusyn, Ivan
Title: Characterization of Laguna Madre Contaminated Sediments.
Investigators: Ernest, Andrew N.S. , Bedient, Philip B.
Institution: Texas A & M University , Rice University
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Project Period: January 1, 1995 through January 1, 1997
Project Amount: Refer to main center abstract for funding details.
RFA: Hazardous Substance Research Centers - HSRC (1989) RFA Text |  Recipients Lists
Research Category: Hazardous Substance Research Centers , Land and Waste Management

Objective:

The overall objective of this research was to create an extensive database for the Baffin-Alazan Bay aquatic system for water and sediment quality parameters and to correlate that with the occurrence of the "brown tide blooms" in the area. Surficial sediments were evaluated as a long term accumulator of contaminants, which are probably the main avenue of chronic exposure of the associated ecosystem. The sediments were analyzed for levels of metals and nutrients in the surface sediments. Sampling campaigns were conducted spread over the months of January 1996 to May 1996 to collect the samples for analysis of various parameters. Available data from the previous years for the area was obtained from Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC). The levels of the parameters were analyzed for variation over time. The primary objective of this study was to provide a coarse characterization of the sediments in the Laguna in terms of morphological and chemical constituents.

Approach:

This study was conducted in three phases. Phase I consists of a land use and literature inventory to evaluate point sources for development of a coarse sampling grid. Phase II involved a three-campaign sediment and water column sampling scheme over the coarse grid developed in Phase I. Phase III involved detailed sampling adjacent to a known quantifiable point discharge.

The study area which comprises of Baffin-Alazan Bay and also including Cayo-del-grullo and Laguna Salada is located some 40 miles south of Corpus Christi and about 10 miles south of Kingsville. A grid of sampling stations was identified in the area based on the preliminary site investigations.

Publications and Presentations:

Publications have been submitted on this subproject: View all 3 publications for this subproject | View all 392 publications for this center

Supplemental Keywords:

sediment quality parameter, brown tide blooms, and nutrient loading., RFA, Scientific Discipline, Water, Waste, Hazardous, Chemical Engineering, Environmental Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Contaminated Sediments, Hazardous Waste, Bioremediation, Ecology and Ecosystems, Environmental Engineering, biotransformation, sediment treatment, bioremediation of soils, contaminated sediment, hazardous waste management, hazardous waste treatment, risk assessment, chemical contaminants, remediation, contaminated soil, biodegradation, decontamination of soil and water, brown tide blooms, extraction of metals, soil and groundwater remediation, environmental technology, metal compounds, risk management, Laguna Madre, contaminants in soil, contaminated soils

Progress and Final Reports:

1995

Final Report

Main Center Abstract and Reports:

R825513    Organotypic Culture Models For Predictive Toxicology Center

Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R825513C001 Sediment Resuspension and Contaminant Transport in an Estuary.
R825513C002 Contaminant Transport Across Cohesive Sediment Interfaces.
R825513C003 Mobilization and Fate of Inorganic Contaminant due to Resuspension of Cohesive Sediment.
R825513C004 Source Identification, Transformation, and Transport Processes of N-, O- and S- Containing Organic Chemicals in Wetland and Upland Sediments.
R825513C005 Mobility and Transport of Radium from Sediment and Waste Pits.
R825513C006 Anaerobic Biodegradation of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene and Other Nitroaromatic Compounds by Clostridium Acetobutylicum.
R825513C007 Investigation on the Fate and Biotransformation of Hexachlorobutadiene and Chlorobenzenes in a Sediment-Water Estuarine System
R825513C008 An Investigation of Chemical Transport from Contaminated Sediments through Porous Containment Structures
R825513C009 Evaluation of Placement and Effectiveness of Sediment Caps
R825513C010 Coupled Biological and Physicochemical Bed-Sediment Processes
R825513C011 Pollutant Fluxes to Aquatic Systems via Coupled Biological and Physicochemical Bed-Sediment Processes
R825513C012 Controls on Metals Partitioning in Contaminated Sediments
R825513C013 Phytoremediation of TNT Contaminated Soil and Groundwaters
R825513C014 Sediment-Based Remediation of Hazardous Substances at a Contaminated Military Base
R825513C015 Effect of Natural Dynamic Changes on Pollutant-Sediment Interaction
R825513C016 Desorption of Nonpolar Organic Pollutants from Historically Contaminated Sediments and Dredged Materials
R825513C017 Modeling Air Emissions of Organic Compounds from Contaminated Sediments and Dredged Materials title change in last year to "Long-term Release of Pollutants from Contaminated Sediment Dredged Material"
R825513C018 Development of an Integrated Optic Interferometer for In-Situ Monitoring of Volatile Hydrocarbons
R825513C019 Bioremediation of Contaminated Sediments and Dredged Material
R825513C020 Bioremediation of Sediments Contaminated with Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons
R825513C021 Role of Particles in Mobilizing Hazardous Chemicals in Urban Runoff
R825513C022 Particle Transport and Deposit Morphology at the Sediment/Water Interface
R825513C023 Uptake of Metal Ions from Aqueous Solutions by Sediments
R825513C024 Bioavailability of Desorption Resistant Hydrocarbons in Sediment-Water Systems.
R825513C025 Interactive Roles of Microbial and Spartina Populations in Mercury Methylation Processes in Bioremediation of Contaminated Sediments in Salt-Marsh Systems
R825513C026 Evaluation of Physical-Chemical Methods for Rapid Assessment of the Bioavailability of Moderately Polar Compounds in Sediments
R825513C027 Freshwater Bioturbators in Riverine Sediments as Enhancers of Contaminant Release
R825513C028 Characterization of Laguna Madre Contaminated Sediments.
R825513C029 The Role of Competitive Adsorption of Suspended Sediments in Determining Partitioning and Colloidal Stability.
R825513C030 Remediation of TNT-Contaminated Soil by Cyanobacterial Mat.
R825513C031 Experimental and Detailed Mathematical Modeling of Diffusion of Contaminants in Fluids
R825513C033 Application of Biotechnology in Bioremediation of Contaminated Sediments
R825513C034 Characterization of PAH's Degrading Bacteria in Coastal Sediments
R825513C035 Dynamic Aspects of Metal Speciation in the Miami River Sediments in Relation to Particle Size Distribution of Chemical Heterogeneity