T1 AM Contaminat Cycling Assessment and Prevention in the NY/NJ Harbor (Part 1)
Tuesday, 15 November 2005: 8:00 AM - 11:40 AM in Ballroom 1

(ZAM-1117-841520) Examination of Mercury Transport in the Hackensack River-Passaic River-Newark Bay Complex.

Zamek, E¹, Gbondo-Tugbawa, S², Cedro, S², Garvey, E², Accardi-Dey, AM¹, ¹ Malcolm Pirnie, Inc., White Plains, NY, USA² Malcolm Pirnie, Inc., Fair Lawn, NJ

ABSTRACT- Mercury discharges to the Hackensack River-Passaic River-Newark Bay complex can be traced to multiple sources in the watershed. Among the better known is the Ventron Velsicol facility which began processing mercury on the shores of Berrys Creek, a tributary to the Hackensack, in1929. While the facility is one of the largest contributors of mercury to the complex, evidence suggests it is not the only source to the complex; historical mercury contamination has also been characterized in the Passaic River. Mercury contamination in the Hackensack River-Passaic River-Newark Bay complex was examined as part of a geochemical evaluation conducted for the ongoing CERCLA and WRDA investigation of the lower Passaic River. Mercury concentrations in sediment from several historical investigations were used to infer relative mercury loads in the major branches of the complex, including: Newark Bay, the Passaic River, the Hackensack River, Berrys Creek, the Arthur Kill, and the Kill Van Kull. The analysis included consideration of tidal exchange though the Kills and the Hackensack River, as well as advective freshwater flow from the Passaic River. Surface sediment measurements from the 1990s along with estimates of tidal exchange and advective flow were used to estimate relative loads of mercury into and out of the complex. The estimated loads and literature-based estimates of solids transport to establish a historical mass balance for mercury in the system. Initial findings suggest that the Hackensack River and the Passaic River are substantive sources of mercury to the complex. Dated sediment cores from the Passaic River and Berrys Creek were used to examine historical loads in these watersheds. These cores suggest that mercury loads from these rivers during the 1950s and 1960s were more than an order of magnitude greater than current conditions.

Key words: Newark Bay, mercury, contaminant transport, tidal exchange