Methods for Collection, Storage and Manipulation of Sediments for Chemical and Toxicological Analyses: Technical Manual.

摘要

Sediments provide essential habitat for many freshwater, estuarine, and marine organisms. In aquatic systems, most anthropogenic chemicals and waste materials, particularly persistent organic and inorganic chemicals, may accumulate in sediments. These sediments become repositories for many of the more toxic chemicals that are introduced into surface waters. United States Environmental Protection Agency's National Sediment Inventory (NSI) (USEPA 1998), a biennial report to Congress on sediment quality in the United States, demonstrates that sediment contamination exists in every state of the country. Contaminated sediments represent a hazard to aquatic life through direct toxicity as well as to aquatic life, wildlife and human health through bioaccumulation in the food chain. Assessments of sediment quality commonly include analyses of anthropogenic contaminants, benthic community structure, physicochemical characteristics, and direct measures of whole sediment and pore water toxicity. Accurate assessment of environmental hazards posed by sediment contamination depends in large part on the accuracy and representativeness of these analyses. The methods described in this manual are intended to provide the user with sediment collection, storage, and manipulation methods that are most likely to yield accurate, representative sediment quality data (e.g., toxicity, chemical) based on the experience of many monitoring programs and researchers.