Identifying Critical Environmental Contaminant Discharges

The New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (HEP CCMP) identified at least 15 chemicals (or classes of chemicals) of concern, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins/furans, chlorinated pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and metals in the New York-New Jersey (NY/NJ) Harbor Estuary. These substances have contaminated the sediments throughout the harbor, causing major problems associated with the disposal of dredged material. As a result, the Contaminant Assessment Reduction Program (CARP) was funded by the Port Authority of NY and NJ to, among other things, determine loadings of key contaminants to the Estuary, relate today’s input of contamination to historical input, and identify sources that may warrant management actions. Battelle is involved in these investigations by providing state-of-the art analytical chemistry, data management, and technical counsel.

Currently, 12 publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) in New Jersey discharge about 600 million gallons per day of treated wastewater to the Estuary. Large volumes of treated wastewater are also discharged through combined sewer and storm water overflow (CSO/SWO), primarily during rain events. These discharges account for nearly 30% of the wastewater volume discharged to the Hudson River Basin. One of the major objectives of the CARP program is to assess how much of the contaminant loading to the Estuary can be attributed to POTW discharges, so that toxic chemicals can effectively be reduced by addressing the source. Battelle applies unique analytical methodologies, based on a combination of high- and low-resolution mass spectrometry, to this investigation.

As part of its role in CARP, Battelle is analyzing POTW effluent and CSO/SWO samples collected in the NY/NJ Harbor area to further the understanding of these discharges. Battelle has contributed to establishing the optimum analytical approach for understanding the levels of dioxin/ furan, PCB, chlorinated pesticide, and PAH being discharged. Analyte-optimized, trace-level detection limit protocols are providing accurate measurements for these contaminants at background levels.

In addition to chemical analysis, an integral part of CARP is information management and quality assurance. With this in mind, Battelle has developed a centralized database and data management plan to address CARP’s specific requirements. The contaminant data are being submitted in specified formats by all organizations involved in CARP for loading into Battelle’s CARP Database. Each CARP workgroup, currently consisting of representatives from approximately 10 separate agencies, has access to this convenient system. Since the development of the database, Battelle has introduced procedures and methods for sample tracking, lab reporting, data synthesis, and distribution across participating organizations. Battelle’s data management approach is now being utilized in every major field of the CARP environmental studies, including interstate water quality assessment, sediment contamination characterization, biota sampling, source track down, and load modeling.

The CARP project is ongoing with additional sampling events scheduled for the near future. For more information, please contact Greg Durell at (781) 952-5233, durell@battelle.org.