PARENT SESSION

TA7 Alkylphenols and Alkylphenol Ethoxylates
Room 18C/D, Level 4
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Tuesday, 11 November 2003
Chair: Loyo-Rosales, Jorge ,

(229) Distribution and sources of APEO metabolites in sediments of the New York Harbor watershed.

Ferguson, P.¹, Ruggieri, Joseph¹, Bopp, Richard², Shuster, Edward², Brownawell, Bruce¹, ¹ Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA² Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA

ABSTRACT- Akylphenol ethoxylates (APEOs) and their metabolites accumulate to relatively high concentrations in sediments proximal to areas of high APEO input and under conditions favoring preservation in sediments (e.g., high burial rates and low oxygen). APEO sediment distributions and sources in the highly urbanized NY Harbor watershed were assessed by examining spatial distributions of these compounds across the harbor complex, by determination of source/treatment specific ratios of APEOs in sediments (e.g., alkyl and ethoxyl chain length; halogenated disinfection by-products), and by analysis of sediment cores obtained from high deposition rate areas upstream and downstream of likely APEO sources (municipal STPs, pulp and paper mills, textile manufactures, and leather tanneries). To date surficial sediment samples from 36 locations have been analyzed, with the choice of locations biased toward areas where higher APEO concentrations were expected (based on location and/or sediment Ag concentrations). The preponderance of the neutral APEO metabolites were nonylphenol ethoxylate metabolites: nonylphenol and the one and two ethoxylated metabolites. 61% of the samples analyzed contained total APEO metabolite levels ≥ 1 g/g; and seven sites had concentrations ≥ 8 g/g. The highest levels found to date include samples from a depositional basin in municipal sewage impacted Jamaica Bay (30 - 50 g/g) and a local embayment in very far western Long Island Sound (in excess of 150 g/g but with unknown source). Analysis of sediment core samples have recently been initiated and will provide more information regarding the importance of individual APEO sources as well as the effects of treatment or source control practices at suspected point sources.

Key words: nonylphenol, APEO, sediment