EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT FOR THE NEW BEDFORD HARBOR SUPERFUND SITE Conference Paper

abstract

• New Bedford Harbor, Massachusetts, is contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations exceeding Environmental Protection Agency standards. Removal of these contaminants from the harbor by gas, liquid, or solids transfer and transport was considered. Gas/liquid and sorption mass transfer theory was applied and showed that polychlorinated biphenyls tend to volatilize (2.5kg/yr) or sorb (sorption coefficient 10-1.7) rather than stay in solution. An empirical model considering solids sources, solids sinks, flow, and suspended solids concentrations was developed to account for sediment action in the more contaminated upper estuary. Flocculation mechanisms were explored by use of a deterministic model from which bulk sediment settling rates could be synthesized for use in the empirical model. It was concluded that significant amounts of polychlorinated biphenyls leave New Bedford Harbor by volatilization and by sorption to sediments and subsequent transport from the upper estuary.

authors

• Autenrieth, Robin

published proceedings

• WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
• Water Science and Technology

author list (cited authors)

• GARTON, L. S., BONNER, J. S., ERNEST, A. N., & AUTENRIETH, R. L.
• Garton, L. S., Bonner, J. S., Ernest, A. N., & Autenrieth, R. L.

citation count

• 1

complete list of authors

• GARTON, LS||BONNER, JS||ERNEST, AN||AUTENRIETH, RL
• Garton, LS||Bonner, JS||Ernest, AN||Autenrieth, RL

publication date

• November 1992

publisher

• IWA Publishing  Publisher

published in

• Water Science and Technology  Journal

keywords

• Assessment
• Contaminant Transport
• Modeling
• PCBs
• Sediments

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.2166/wst.1992.0740

start page

• 2373

end page

• 2376

volume

• 26

issue

• 9-11

URL

• http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.1992.0740