This study took place in Eagle Harbor, a shallow marine embayment of Bainbridge Island, WA, and the former site of the Wyckoff wood-treatment facility, which used large quantities of creosote in its wood-treating processes from the early 1900s to 1988. Analyses of 10 sediment cores using TPH fingerprinting, the distribution of 50 PAH analytes, and sediment age dating revealed the contributions of three distinct sources of PAHs to sediment contamination during various periods over the past 100 years; namely, creosote, urban runoff, and natural background. Recognition that urban runoff has been a fairly consistent and ongoing source of PAHs to the harbor's sediment for the past 50-70 years may influence future sediment management decisions for this site with respect to long-term monitoring of surface sediment to assess cap performance. The results provide information on the ability of Eagle Harbor sediment to recover under natural conditions, identified the occurrence of creosote-derived PAH weathering in off-cap surface sediment, and distinguished between these distinct PAH sources in the harbor.
Revised: September 18, 2002 |
Published: May 16, 2002
Citation
Brenner R.C., V.S. Magar, J.A. Ickes, J.A. Ickes, J.E. Abbott, J.E. Abbott, and S.A. Stout, et al. 2002.Characterization and Fate of PAH-contaminated Sediments at the Wyckoff/Eagle Harbor Superfund Site.Environmental Science & Technology 36, no. 12:2605-2613. PNWD-SA-5798.