(137) Sources of PAHs in Delaware River Sediments.
Sauer, Ted*,1, Costa, Helder2, 1 ENTRIX, Inc., Duxbury, MA, USA2 Blasland, Bouck & Lee, Inc., New Bedford, MA, USA
ABSTRACT- Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons are ubiquitous in recent sediments of urban/industrial rivers and estuaries. The PAH compositional information provided by certain chemical analysis methods and forensic interpretation enable relating PAH residues in sediments to categories of natural and anthropogenic sources, including petroleum, manufactured gas by-products, diagenesis, and pyrolysis. With the notable exception of a few major oil spills, forensic investigations are typically directed at localized releases and specific responsible parties. This case study takes a broader, system-wide look at PAH distributions in estuarine sediments. Environmental forensic analyses are applied to a PAH database developed by the Delaware Estuary Program in support of a comprehensive conservation and management plan. From these analyses, sediment PAH residues along a 55-mile portion of the Delaware River are attributed to various source types. The attribution of PAH residues is then related to general land-use along the Delaware River and documented releases.
Key words: PAH, forensics, Delaware River, sediment