PAH Biodegradation, Turnover, and Ambient Concentration in Surface Sediments of Coaster's Harbor and Narragansett Bay

Abstract

PAH concentrations in the Coaster's Harbor site were generally low when compared with surface sediment data from other estuaries. The highest PAH concentration in the NRL survey was found at station 2, which was in a ship anchorage, whereas the station closest to the firefighting training area (11) had among the lowest concentrations found. Low naphthalene concentrations in all samples suggest that the PAH source is not likely to be from a fresh spill or groundwater intrusion of dilute unweathered product. Determining the mass of PAH biodegradation rates were rapid given the low ambient concentrations, suggesting the current surface water inputs of PAH would likely be metabolized in less than 100 days.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 21, 2003
Accession Number
ADA409489

Entities

People

  • Chris L. Osburn
  • David C. Smith
  • Michael T. Montgomery
  • Thomas J. Boyd

Organizations

  • United States Naval Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Ground and Sea Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aromatic Hydrocarbons
  • Aromatic Polycyclic Hydrocarbons
  • Bacteria
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Bays
  • Biodegradation
  • Chemical Kinetics
  • Chemical Synthesis
  • Chemistry
  • Cyclic Hydrocarbons
  • Hydrocarbons
  • Naphthalenes
  • Narragansett Bay
  • Organic Chemistry
  • Phenanthrenes
  • Rhode Island
  • Surface Waters

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Aerosol Science/Aerosol Physics
  • Coastal and Marine Engineering/Sediment Transport/Hydraulic Engineering
  • Groundwater Contamination Remediation.