Assessment of the usefulness of semipermeable membrane devices for long-term watershed monitoring in an urban slough system.
Semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) were deployed at eight sites within the Buffalo Slough, near Portland, Oregon, to (1) measure the spatial and seasonal distribution of dissolved polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and organochlorine (OC) compounds in the slough, (2) assess the usefulness of SPMDs as a tool for investigating and monitoring hydrophobic compounds throughout the Columbia Slough system, and (3) evaluate the utility of SPMDs as a tool for measuring the long-term effects of watershed improvement activities. Data from the SPMDs revealed clear spatial and seasonal differences in water quality within the slough and indicate that for hydrophobic compounds, this time-integrated passive-sampling technique is a useful tool for long-term watershed monitoring. In addition, the data suggest that a spiking rate of 2-5 microg/SPMD of permeability/performance reference compounds, including at least one compound that is not susceptible to photodegradation, may be optimum for the conditions encountered here.
McCarthy
Kathleen
K
U.S. Geological Survey, 10615 SE Cherry Blossom Drive, Portland, OR 97216, USA. mccarthy@usgs.gov
D002947:Cities; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000032:analysis*; D009922:Oregon; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D013696:Temperature; D014872:Water Movements; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014881:Water Supply
D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical