Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2005NJ89B

Impacts of Organic Matter Heterogeneity on Desorption and Availability of Sediment-bound PCBs

Institute: New Jersey
Year Established: 2005 Start Date: 2005-03-01 End Date: 2006-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $30,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $56,828

Principal Investigators: Weilin Huang, Lisa Totten

Project Summary: This study seeks to quantify the rates of desorption of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from various natural organic matter fractions of sediments from the estuarine portion of the Hudson River, thereby predicting the bioavailability of sediment associated PCBs in the Estuary. The research addresses NJ priority issues related to integrity of aquatic ecosystems and predictive capabilities for protectionand restoration. The results of this research will increase our understanding of the cycling and bioavailibility of PCBs in the Hudson River/Estuary system and wil aid water quality modelers in developing bioacccumulation models in support of the ongoing efforts to develop a TMDA for PCBs in the Estuary. The research will also facilitate an interpretation of the environmental risks associatied with the dredging of portions of the Upper Hudson that is scheduled to occur in the next few years.