MP4 Organic, Metallic, Organometallic Pollutants and Method
Monday, 14 November 2005: 8:00 AM - 6:30 PM in Exhibit Hall

(STU-1117-831692) Surface water collection and chemical analysis methods for the Portland Harbor Superfund Site.

Stupakoff, I¹, Jones, L¹, Pine, K¹, ¹ Integral Consulting, Inc., Olympia, WA, USA

ABSTRACT- The Lower Willamette River/Portland Harbor (Oregon) was listed as a NPL (Superfund) site in December 2000 due to sediment contamination. A Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) was initiated in October 2001. An innovative surface water sampling program was designed to support several aspects of the ecological and human health risk assessments, evaluate the contribution from upstream and selected upland sources, and to determine if seasonal variations and hydrologic events have a measurable effect on the concentration of surface water constituents. High-volume surface water samples (1000L) were collected for analysis of ultra-low concentrations of organic compounds. Sampling events were timed to collect surface water during the fall (early rainy season), late winter (high flow, amphibian egg mass release), and late summer (low flow, groundwater discharge effects). Surface water was collected at 20 target locations from near the shoreline and 3 transects along 9 miles of the lower Willamette River. Single-point near-bottom samples, single-point integrated water-column samples, and cross-sectional river transects, spatially integrated across the entire width and depth of the channel, were collected. Standard dissolved and particulate surface water samples were collected with a peristaltic pump using trace metal clean technique for the analyses of metals, perchlorate, butyltins, herbicides, semi-volatile organic compounds, PCBs and organochlorine pesticides. However, certain hydrophobic chemicals of interest which may be found at very low-concentrations in the water column are frequently undetected using standard analytical methods. Therefore, high-volume samples (1000 L) were collected in 0.5-m glassfiber filters and XAD-2 columns at seven stations using an Infiltrex 300 system for the analysis of ultra-low concentrations of dioxin, PAHs, PCBs, pesticides, and phthalate esters. A summary of surface water sample collection techniques, laboratory analytical methods, and the surface water sample compositing scheme for chemical analysis for this comprehensive study effort are described.

Key words: XAD-2, high-volume, surface water, sampling