The New Bedford Harbor Superfund site long-term monitoring program (1993–2009)

New Bedford Harbor (NBH), located in southeastern Massachusetts, was designated as a marine Superfund site in 1983 due to sediment contamination by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Based on risks to human health and the environment, the first two phases of the site cleanup involved dredging PCB-contaminated sediments from the harbor. Therefore, a long-term monitoring program (LTM) was developed to measure spatial and temporal chemical and biological changes in sediment, water, and biota to assess the effects and effectiveness of the remedial activities. A systematic, probabilistic sampling design was used to select sediment sampling stations. This unbiased design allowed the three segments of the harbor to be compared spatially and temporally to quantify changes resulting from dredging the contaminated sediments. Sediment was collected at each station, and chemical (e.g., PCBs and metals), physical (e.g., grain size), and biological (e.g., benthic community) measurements were conducted on all samples. This paper describes the overall NBH-LTM approach and the results from the five rounds of sample collections. There is a decreasing spatial gradient in sediment PCB concentrations from the northern boundary (upper harbor) to the southern boundary (outer harbor) of the site. Along this same transect, there is an increase in biological condition (e.g., benthic community diversity). Temporally, the contaminant and biological gradients have been maintained since the 1993 baseline collection; however, since the onset of full-scale remediation, PCB concentrations have decreased throughout the site, and one of the benthic community indices has shown significant improvement in the lower and outer harbor areas.     

Large and mesoscale meteo-oceanographic patterns in local responses of biogeochemical concentrations

Investigations surrounding the variability of productivity in upwelling regions are necessary for a better understanding the physical-biological coupling in these regions by monitoring systems of environmental impacts according to the needs of the regional coastal management. Using a spatial and temporal database from National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) and National Center for Atmospheric (NCAR) Research reanalysis, Quick Scatterometer vector wind, and surface stations from the Southeast coast of Brazil, we investigate the meteorological influences due to the large-scale systems in the variability of the nutrient and larvae concentration, and chlorophyll a, describing statistically relationships between them in upwelling regions. In addition, we used multivariate analysis, such as PCA and clustering to verify spatial and temporal variances and describe more clear the structure and composition of the ecosystem. Correlation matrix analyses were applied for different water masses present in the study area to identify the relations between physical and biogeochemical parameters in a region, where frequently upwelling occur. Statistical approaches and seasonal variability show that the period of November to March is more sensitive to nutrients (1.20?mg/m(3) for chlorophyll a, 2.20?μmol/l for total nitrogen and 5.5?ml/l for DO) and larvae concentrations (120 org/m(3) for most of the larvae, except for cirripedia that presented values around 370 org/m(3)) relating to the influence of large and mesoescale meteorological patterns. The spatial and temporal variables analyzed with multivariate approach show meaningful seasonality variance of the physical and biological samples, characterizing the principal components responsible for this variance in spring and summer (upwelling period), emphasizing the monitoring of species as crustaceans and mussels that are present in the local economy. Then, the spring and summer season are characterized by high productivity due to the occurrence of upwelling in this period.     

Soil criteria to protect terrestrial wildlife and open-range livestock from metal toxicity at mining sites

Thousands of hard rock mines exist in the western USA and in other parts of the world as a result of historic and current gold, silver, lead, and mercury mining. Many of these sites in the USA are on public lands. Typical mine waste associated with these sites are tailings and waste rock dumps that may be used by wildlife and open-range livestock. This report provides wildlife screening criteria levels for metals in soil and mine waste to evaluate risk and to determine the need for site-specific risk assessment, remediation, or a change in management practices. The screening levels are calculated from toxicity reference values based on maximum tolerable levels of metals in feed, on soil and plant ingestion rates, and on soil to plant uptake factors for a variety of receptors. The metals chosen for this report are common toxic metals found at mining sites: arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, and zinc. The resulting soil screening values are well above those developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The difference in values was mainly a result of using toxicity reference values that were more specific to the receptors addressed rather than the most sensitive receptor.     

Molecular composition of recycled organic wastes,as determined by solid-state 13C NMR and elemental analyses

Using solid state ¹³C NMR data and elemental composition in a molecular mixing model, we estimated the molecular components of the organic matter in 16 recycled organic (RO) wastes representative of the major materials generated in the Sydney basin area. Close correspondence was found between the measured NMR signal intensities and those predicted by the model for all RO wastes except for poultry manure char. Molecular nature of the organic matter differed widely between the RO wastes. As a proportion of organic C, carbohydrate C ranged from 0.07 to 0.63, protein C from <0.01 to 0.66, lignin C from <0.01 to 0.31, aliphatic C from 0.09 to 0.73, carbonyl C from 0.02 to 0.23, and char C from 0 to 0.45. This method is considered preferable to techniques involving imprecise extraction methods for RO wastes. Molecular composition data has great potential as a predictor of RO waste soil carbon and nutrient outcomes.     

Development and use of site-specific chemical and biological criteria for assessing New Bedford Harbor pilot dredging project

Numerical site-specific chemical and biological criteria were established to assess the impact of a pilot dredging project on water quality at the New Bedford Harbor, Massachusetts, USA, Superfund site. Because most existing chemical concentrations in the water column and indigenous biota exceeded federal and state water quality limits, the derivation of site-specific criteria was required. Prior to any operational phases of the project (i.e., dike construction, dredging), criteria values were developed from background concentrations of PCBs and metals in water and biota, as well as for the toxic effects of water quality on the biota. During each operational phase of the project, water samples were collected, analyzed within 16 h, and the data supplied to a management committee in order to assess the environmental impact of the previous days' operation. The ambient unfiltered water concentration of PCBs and metals were the only chemical or biological criteria exceeded. Modification of the next days' operations resulted in a return of these concentrations to background levels. The combined use of site-specific criteria and a real-time decision making management process allowed for successful completion of this project with a minimal effect on water quality.     

Social support and newcomer adjustment in organizations: Attachment theory at work?

Social support has been suggested as important for newcomer adjustment to an organization. The present paper reports a longitudinal study of 91 newcomers to three separate organizations. The effects of availability and helpfulness of 10 sources of social support on newcomers reports of psychological distress, satisfaction, intention to leave, and their supervisors assessment of their performance rating (N of supervisors = 41; n of ratings = 91) were examined. The availability of support activities such as offsite training sessions and business trips were found to be associated with decreased psychological symptoms. Helpfulness of various relationship supports were associated with positive adjustment. These results are discussed within the context of attachment theory and our knowledge of social support in work settings.     

Environmental considerations for levees and floodwalls

Levees and floodwalls are used extensively throughout the United States for flood control. Levee projects often lack ecological, recreational, and aesthetic values, except for incidental fish and wildlife benefits derived from borrow pits and recreational facilities found in some urban settings. In recent years increased environmental concern within construction agencies and greater responsiveness to public opinion have resulted in increasing numbers of levee projects designed, built, and maintained with environmental objectives in mind. This paper reviews environmental concepts successfully employed on levee projects constructed in recent years by the US Army Corps of Engineers. Some of the most innovative concepts are described and illustrated and design considerations are discussed.     

Ecological approach to resource survey and planning for environmentally significant Areas: The ABC method

A resource survey and planning method for parks, reserves, and other environmentally significant areas (ESAs) is presented in the context of a holistic balanced approach to land use and environmental management. This method provides a framework for the acquisition, analysis, presentation, and application of diverse ecological data pertinent to land use planning and resource management within ESAs. Through the independent analysis and subsequent integration of abiotic, biotic, and cultural or ABC information, land areas within an ESA are identified in terms of their relative environmental significance and environmental constraints. The former term encompasses wildlife, historic, and other resource values, while the latter term reflects biophysical hazards and sensitivities, and land use conflicts. The method thus calls for a matching of an ESA's distinctive attributes with appropriate land use and institutional arrancements through an analysis of available acts, regulations, agencies, and other conservation and land use management mechanisms. The method culminates with a management proposal showing proposed park or reserve allocations, buffer areas, or other land use controls aimed at preserving an ESA's special ecological qualities, while providing for resource development. The authors suggest that all resource management decisions affecting ESA's should be governed by a philosophical stance that recognizes a spectrum of broad land use types, ranging from preservation to extractive use and rehabilitation.     

Land-cover change in upper Barataria Basin estuary,Louisiana, 1972-1992: increases in Wetland area

The Barataria Basin, Louisiana, USA, is an extensive wetland and coastal estuary system of great economic and intrinsic value. Although high rates of wetland loss along the coastal margin of the Barataria Basin have been well documented, little information exists on whether freshwater wetlands in the upper basin have changed. Our objectives were to quantify land-cover change in the upper basin over 20 years from 1972–1992 and to determine land-cover transition rates among land-cover types. Using 80-m resolution Landsat MSS data from the North American Landscape Characterization (NALC) data archive, we classified images from three time steps (1972, 1985, 1992) into six land-cover types: agriculture, urban, bottomland hardwood forest, swamp forest, freshwater marsh, and open water. Significant changes in land cover occurred within the upper Barataria Basin over the study period. Urban land increased from 8% to 17% of the total upper basin area, primarily due to conversions from agricultural land, and to a lesser degree, bottomland forest. Swamp forest increased from 30% to 41%, associated with conversions from bottomland hardwood forest and freshwater marsh. Overall, bottomland forest decreased 38% and total wetland area increased 21%. Within the upper Barataria, increases in total wetland area may be due to land subsidence. Based on our results, if present trends in the reduction of bottomland forest land cover were to continue, the upper Barataria Basin may have no bottomland hardwood forests left by the year 2025, as it is subjected to multiple stressors both in the higher elevations (from urbanization) and lower elevations (most likely from land subsidence). These results suggest that changes in the upper freshwater portions of coastal estuaries can be large and quite different from patterns observed in the more saline coastal margins.