Abstract
Purpose
This study characterized the chemical transport potential of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in the vicinity of a sand cap placed in the nearshore zone of a tidal marine embayment.
Materials and methods
Groundwater seepage was investigated along the perimeter and within the footprint of the sand cap, with results verifying the presence of significant freshwater upwelling shoreward of the sand cap boundary. The depth distribution of PAHs and TPH was assessed in sediment cores collected from within the cap area footprint.
Results and discussion
The depth distribution of PAHs and TPH demonstrated a spatial pattern of elevated chemical concentrations in the shoreward zone of the capped area, consistent with the spatial pattern of elevated freshwater flux. Visual inspection of recovered cores confirmed the presence of a fine-grained, low-conductivity sediment layer underlying the sand cap, with material properties of this layer potentially suggesting compaction following placement of the sand cap. This fine-grained sediment layer was not evident in the shoreward zone of the capped area.
Conclusions
The presence of the aquitard under the sand cap, coupled with the apparent erosion of this fine-grained layer in the higher energy shoreward zone, suggests the potential for enhanced groundwater seepage in the shoreward zone of the sand cap. It is hypothesized that enhanced groundwater flux is responsible for the elevated concentrations of PAH and TPH observed in core profiles collected from the zone characterized by elevated freshwater seepage and tidal pumping and that the fine-grained sediment layer that serves as an aquitard impedes groundwater flux within the cap area footprint. In effect, the absence of groundwater seepage observed for those stations within the footprint of the sand cap has likely resulted from compaction of the native sediment strata, whether or not compaction resulted directly from cap placement.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Brenner RC, Magar VS, Ickes JA, Abbott JE, Stout SA, Crecelius EA, Bingler LS (2002) Characterization and FATE of PAH-contaminanted sediments at the wyckoff/eagle harbor superfund site. Environ Sci Technol 36:2605–2613
Chuang JC, Pollard MA, Chou YL, Menton RG, Wilson NK (1998) Evaluation of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in house dust and residential soil. Sci Total Environ 224:189–199
Herrenkohl MJ, Lunz JD, Sheets RG, Wakeman JS (2001) Environmental impacts of PAH and oil release as a NAPL or as contaminated porewater from the construction of a 90-cm in situ isolation cap. Environ Sci Technol 35:4927–4932
Magar VS (2001) Natural recovery of contaminated sediments. J Environ Eng 127:473–474
Mills M, Magar V, Sass B, Leather J (2007) “ELISA added to rapid screening characterization toolbox. Technology News & Trends Newsletter. March. http://www.cluin.org/products/newsltrs/tnandt/view.cfm?issue=0307.cfm&printversion=true
Palermo MR, Maynord S, Miller J, Reible D (1998) ARCS Program: guidance for in situ subaqueous capping of contaminated sediments. EPA/905/B-96/004. US EPA Great Lakes National Program Office
Sass BM, Fimmen RL, Foote EA, Magar VS, Ghosh U (2009) Final Report. Characterization of contaminant migration potential through in-place sediment caps. SERDP Project ER-1370. April 2009. http://www.estcp.org/viewfile.cfm?Doc=ER%2D1370%2DFR%2Epdf
Schorer M (1997) Pollutant and organic matter content in sediment particle size fractions. Freshwater Contam IAHS 243:59–67
Stout SA, Magar VS, Uhler RM, Ickes J, Abbott J, Brenner R (2001) Characterization of naturally-occurring and anthropogenic PAHs in urban sediments—Wycoff/Eagle Harbor Superfund site. Environ Forensics 2:287–300
Taillefert M, Neuhuber S, Bristow G (2007) The effect of tidal forcing on biogeochemical processes in intertidal salt marsh sediments. Geochem Trans 8:1–15
Talley JW, Ghosh U, Tucker SG, Furey JS, Luthy RG (2002) Particle-scale understanding of the bioavailability of PAHs in sediment. Environ Sci Technol 36:477–483
Weber WJ, DiGiano FA (1996) Process dynamics in environmental systems. Wiley, New York, 943 p
USEPA (1996) Soil screening for polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons by immunoassay. Method SW846 4035. http://www.epa.gov/osw/hazard/testmethods/sw846/pdfs/4035.pdf
USEPA (2007) Second five-year review report for the Wyckoff/Eagle Harbor Superfund Site Bainbridge Island, Washington. Prepared by US Army Corps Engineers for US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10. September 26, 2007
Acknowledgments
This work was funded by the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) under Contract Number W912HQ-05-C-0043, as Environmental Restoration Program 1370. The authors acknowledge M. Nearman, J. Wallace and the USEPA Region 10 Dive Team, K. LaProwse, M. Bailey, and B. Bachman of the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and D. Heyer of CH2MHill for support and logistical assistance during this field investigation.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Responsible editor: Ian G. Droppo
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Merritt, K.A., Fimmen, R., Sass, B. et al. Characterization of contaminant migration potential in the vicinity of an in-place sand cap. J Soils Sediments 10, 440–450 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-009-0175-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-009-0175-9