Organochlorine residues in finfish from Maryland waters 1976–1980

Abstract

Organochlorine pesticide and herbicide levels were monitored in samples of a variety of edible finfish harvested from the Maryland section of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries over a five‐year period (1976–80). Qualitative and quantitative information was obtained for the various polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's), heptachlor, α‐BHC, chlordane, DDD, DDE, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor‐epoxide, lindane, mirex, methoxychlor, aldrin, toxaphene, hexachlorobenzene, kepone and dacthal.

In addition to analyses of the flesh of the animals, organochlorine residue levels were determined in roe or gonad tissue of several samples. Striped bass, white perch and yellow perch samples showed significantly higher concentrations of certain of these substances in roe or gonad tissue, especially PCB's, chlordane, DDD and dieldrin. Significantly higher levels of six organochlorine residues were found in the gonad tissue of striped bass; however, similar studies on gonad tissue of American Shad, harvested from the same region, show no such enhancement. Rather, the reverse is true; levels of certain organochlorine residues are higher in flesh tissue.

All mean values, and virtually all individual values of organochlorine concentrations in the edible portion of the fish were within the U.S. Food and Drug Administration guideline, where such guidelines have been established.     

Injury by Sulfur Dioxide,Hydrogen Fluoride,and Chlorine As Observed and Reflected On Vegetation in the Field

Plants were examined at three different locations in the eastern part of the United States to determine whether damage from air pollution had occurred. This paper discusses sulfur dioxide damage in the metropolitan New York City area; hydrogen fluoride damage near a glass fiber manufacturing plant in the midwest; and hydrochloric acid mist and chlorine damage from a manufacturing operation in an eastern state. The symptoms that developed in vegetation were often found to be similar. Chemical and microscopical analyses were helpful in diagnosing the toxicants.     

The C02 Pulse Technique for Determining the Condition of Adsorbent Charcoal Beds

Activated charcoal is widely used for the purification of air. Charcoal has a large surface area (ca. 1000 square meters per gram) and acts to purify air by adsorbing gaseous pollutants on its surface. When the capacity of the surface is exhausted, the charcoal is no longer effective and must be replaced.

The carbon dioxide (CO₂) pulse technique, developed at NRL, is a non-destructive method by which one can determine the remaining capacity, or the residual life of a charcoal bed before it has become exhausted. A dose of CO₂ is injected into the air stream ahead of the charcoal bed and is eluted through the bed. The shape of the emerging CO₂ elution peak is determined by the condition of the charcoal bed. For a new, unused charcoal bed the CO₂ elution peak is considerably dispersed (flattened and broadened) due to adsorption and desorption at the charcoal surface. For a partially spent bed the elution peak is dispersed to a degree proportional to the remaining capacity of the bed. For a fully spent bed the CO₂ elution peak is little affected by passage through the bed.

The carbon dioxide puise technique has been shown to be indicative of charcoal capacity for a wide range of non-polar materials (such as hydrocarbons, alcohols, etc.), which are taken up primarily by physical adsorption. The method is essentially insensitive to relative humidity in the range between 10 and 70%. An adaptation of the method has been used for detection of leaks in a charcoal bed, such as those caused by channeling, faulty packing, etc.     

Design and Operating Parameters for a Large Ambient Aerosol Chamber

Recent investigations of ambient aerosol behavior over urban areas have pointed out the need for controlled experimental data to link together field investigation results and computer simulation studies. This paper describes the design considerations, construction details and operating parameters of a large (8000 ft³) outside reaction chamber constructed in rural North Carolina. The chamber is triangular in cross-section, 20 ft wide, 20 ft high and 40 ft long, and is covered with clear 5 ml Teflon film. The outdoor location of the chamber permits the reaction volume to be exposed to the natural conditions of temperature and solar radiation. A recirculating air system allows the air in the chamber to be passed through an “absolute” fiberglas filter for adjustment of condensation nuclei concentration and also through driers for humidity adjustment. Internal fans are provided for mixing of the chamber contents without use of the recirculating system so that various degrees of turbulence can be approximated. A sampling line from the chamber passes directly to an instrument room, located directly under the chamber, where direct analyses for particle composition, concentration, and size, and gas composition and concentration are carried out. Parameters which can be varied in this system include number, size, distribution, and chemical composition of pre-existing nuclei, as well as humidity, solar radiation, temperature, and trace gas concentration and composition.     

Numerical Modeling of the Transport Diffusion and Deposition of Pollutants For Regions and Extended Scales

There is an emerging need to develop understanding and predictive capability for the transport, diffusion, and deposition of pollutants on regional and extended spatial scales. Some recent developments in the numerical simulation of pollutant transport and diffusion are reviewed and summarized herein, including case studies of model validation whenever’available. The efforts reported include: (a) the development and verification of a Lagrangian large-cloud diffusion code for intermediate to extended scales; (b) a hybrid Lagrangian-Eulerian transport-diffusion code for simulating pollutant distributions in transient stratified shear flow; (c) a meteorological submodel for determining a mass-consistent wind field on a regional scale suitable as input to a regional air pollution model; and (d) the development and initial verification of a multi-box regional air pollution model for the San Francisco Bay Area utilizing a mass-consistent wind field submodel.     

A Comparison of Dioxin,Furan and Combustion Gas Data from Test Programs at Three MSW Incinerators

Dioxin, furan and combustion gas data from test programs conducted at the Pitts field, Prince Edward Island, and Peekskill municipal solid waste incinerators were compared to identify similar and discrepant results. Dioxin and furan concentrations sampled upstream of air pollution control devices are related to a variety of combustion gas variables monitored in the high temperature zones of the incinerators. The effects of temperature, excess oxygen, carbon monoxide, hydrochloric acid gas, flue gas moisture, particulate loading and refuse moisture and PVC content are discussed. Conclusions are made and future research needs are discussed.     

SITE Demonstration of the Basic Extractive Sludge Treatment Process

The Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program, in cooperation with EPA Region 5, the Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO), and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) planned and executed a pilot-scale evaluation of the Basic Extractive Sludge Treatment (B.E.S.T.®) process on sediment samples obtained from the Grand Calumet River in Gary, Indiana. Two separate sampling locations were selected based upon previous data. One location had sediments with total polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations averaging 10 mg/kg, and total polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations averaging 520 mg/kg. The other location had sediments with average total PCB and PAH concentrations of 427 mg/kg and 72,000 mg/kg, respectively. The sediment samples were segregated by location, then screened, homogenized, and stored prior to treatment. A total of ten batches of sediments were treated (five for each sample location).

Results showed that of the samples which had low original contaminants concentrations, 96 percent of the PAHs and >99 percent of the PCBs were removed following seven sequential extractions. Treated samples which had high original contaminant concentrations were found to have removal efficiencies of >99 percentfor both PAHs and PCBs. Costs for applying this technology were estimated at $94.19/ton (assuming the system is on-line 80 percent of the time) excluding fixed costs associated with system mobilization/ demobilization and setup, and profit.     

Pilot-Scale Study of the Effect of Selective Catalytic Reduction Catalyst on Mercury Speciation in Illinois and Powder River Basin Coal Combustion Flue Gases

Abstract

A study was conducted to investigate the effect of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst on mercury (Hg) speciation in bituminous and subbituminous coal combustion flue gases. Three different Illinois Basin bituminous coals (from high to low sulfur [S] and chlorine [Cl]) and one Powder River Basin (PRB) subbituminous coal with very low S and very low Cl were tested in a pilot-scale combustor equipped with an SCR reactor for controlling nitrogen oxides (NO_x) emissions. The SCR catalyst induced high oxidation of elemental Hg (Hg⁰), decreasing the percentage of Hg⁰ at the outlet of the SCR to values <12% for the three Illinois coal tests. The PRB coal test indicated a low oxidation of Hg⁰ by the SCR catalyst, with the percentage of Hg⁰ decreasing from ～96% at the inlet of the reactor to ～80% at the outlet. The low Cl content of the PRB coal and corresponding low level of available flue gas Cl species were believed to be responsible for low SCR Hg oxidation for this coal type. The test results indicated a strong effect of coal type on the extent of Hg oxidation.