Pollution Impact in Mississippi Coastal Waters

摘要

Studies of St. Louis Bay and the Pascagoula River provided a considerable number of contrasts. St. Louis Bay prior to any major development displayed sediment profiles with almost complete lack of any elevated pollutant levels and a distribution of trace metals and hydrocarbons consistent with a relatively pristine environment. Areas in the Pascagoula River, used for many years as prime industrial sites, have very high pollutant levels in the sediments, particularly hydrocarbons. Sediments of the Pascagoula River are extremely heterogeneous indicating not only anthropogenic sources of input but that the Pascagoula River has little ability to disperse or 'dilute' polluted sediments which are deposited and concentrated near the point of origin. The Corps of Engineers typically makes dredge permit decisions based in part upon gross analysis of composite sediment samples from dredge areas.