title: Characterization of organic chemical contaminants in sediments from Jobos Bay, Puerto Rico.
abstract: Jobos Bay, located on the southeastern coast of Puerto Rico, contains a variety of habitats including mangroves, seagrass meadows, and coral reefs. The watershed surrounding the bay includes a number of towns, agricultural areas, and the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR). Jobos Bay and the surrounding watershed are part of a Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP), involving the Jobos Bay NERR, the US Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to assess the benefits of agricultural best management practices (BMPs) on the terrestrial and marine environments. As part of the Jobos Bay CEAP, NOAA collected sediment samples in May 2008 to characterize over 130 organic chemical contaminants. This paper presents the results of the organic contaminant analysis. The organic contaminants detected in the sediments included polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls, and the pesticide DDT. PAHs at one site in the inner bay near a boat yard were significantly elevated; however, all organic contaminant classes measured were below NOAA sediment quality guidelines that would have indicated that impacts were likely. The results of this work provide an important baseline assessment of the marine environment that will assist in understanding the benefits of implementing BMPs on water quality in Jobos Bay.
authors.affiliation: NOAA/NOS/NCCOS Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment, 1305 East/West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA. tony.pait@noaa.gov
authors.forename: Anthony S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Pait
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Whitall
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dieppa
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Newton
authors.forename: Lia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brune
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caldow
authors.forename: Andrew L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Mason
authors.forename: Dennis A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Apeti
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Christensen
mesh_terms: D061006:Bays / Q000737:chemistry; D003634:DDT / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis*; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis; D011647:Puerto Rico; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D009930:Organic Chemicals; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D003634:DDT; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls