title: Sediment chemistry and toxicity in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey: Pre- and post-Hurricane Sandy, 2012-13.
abstract: Hurricane Sandy made landfall in Barnegat Bay, October, 29, 2012, damaging shorelines and infrastructure. Estuarine sediment chemistry and toxicity were investigated before and after to evaluate potential environmental health impacts and to establish post-event baseline sediment-quality conditions. Trace element concentrations increased throughout Barnegat Bay up to two orders of magnitude, especially north of Barnegat Inlet, consistent with northward redistribution of silt. Loss of organic compounds, clay, and organic carbon is consistent with sediment winnowing and transport through the inlets and sediment transport modeling results. The number of sites exceeding sediment quality guidance levels for trace elements tripled post-Sandy. Sediment toxicity post-Sandy was mostly unaffected relative to pre-Sandy conditions, but at the site with the greatest relative increase for trace elements, survival rate of the test amphipod decreased (indicating degradation). This study would not have been possible without comprehensive baseline data enabling the evaluation of storm-derived changes in sediment quality.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, New Jersey Water Science Center, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648, United States.
authors.forename: Kristin M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Romanok
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, New Jersey Water Science Center, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648, United States. Electronic address: zszabo@usgs.gov.
authors.forename: Zoltan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Szabo
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, New Jersey Water Science Center, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648, United States.
authors.forename: Timothy J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Reilly
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole, MA 02453, United States.
authors.forename: Zafer
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Defne
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole, MA 02453, United States.
authors.forename: Neil K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Ganju
mesh_terms: D033304:Amphipoda; D000818:Animals; D061006:Bays / Q000737:chemistry; D055867:Cyclonic Storms; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D009515:New Jersey; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Barnegat Bay; Hurricane Sandy; Hydrodynamics; PAH compounds; Sediment transport; Trace elements