Contaminant Transport and Bioaccumulation Modeling

Kevin J. Farley, Manhattan College, HydroQual, NYU SBRP Center

Purpose of Modeling

■ To confirm / extend interpretation of field data

■ To determine contaminant contributions from various sources

■ To provide forecasts of future conditions under various remedial options

■ To evaluate relevant mechanisms controlling contaminant transport and bioaccumulation

SourceCharacterization

ExposureAssessment

RiskAssessment

CARP

Contaminants• PCBs• Dioxins• Furans• Hg• meHg• Cd• PAHs• Pesticides• etc.

Source Characterization(34 Tributaries, 99 STPs, >1,000 CSOs and SWOs,

plus atmospheric and landfill inputs)

Contaminant Fate Processes(hydrodynamics, sediment transport, organic carbon cycling,

sorption, volatilization, chemical transformations)

Partitioning to Suspended SedimentNon-Planar PCB Congeners(2, 3 and 4 Ortho Chlorines)

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

log Kow

log

K oc

Partitioning to Suspended SedimentPlanar PCB Congeners

(0 and 1 Ortho Chlorines)

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

log Kow

log

K oc

Estuarine Circulation

From Schnoor, 1996

Model Grid: 16,000 water column and 16,000 sediment cells

Passaic Valley Sewage DischargeRelease of 3,3’-dichlorobiphenyl: BZ#11

pvsc_16yrW_16yrNWocta.exepvsc_16yrW_16yrNWdi.exe

Contaminant Transfer through

Aquatic Food Webs

Bioaccumulation Modeling

Courtesy of John Waldman, Hudson River Foundation

νBSAF lipid

lipid = Γoc

CARP: Harbor Worm Data

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

LISound

JamaicaBay

SandyHook

RaritanBay

ArthurKill

NewarkBay

UpperBay

BSA

F - k

g oc /

kg l

ipid

di-CB

tri-CB

tetra-CB

penta-CB

hexa-CB

hepta-CB

octa-CB

nona-CB

deca-CB

Bioaccumulation Model(1)

Partitioning

PoreWater Ventilation

WormEgestion

SedimentIngestion

dν lipid ⎡K ⎤= k + α I lipid

dt uCdis oc,lipid Γoc ⎢ app ⎥ − ke + kg ν lipid( )⎣ Koc ⎦

(1) Thomann, Connolly and Parkerton, Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 1992

Bioaccumulation ModelingChanges in organism bioenergetics with levels of contamination

Changes in Bioenergetics

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

4 5 6 7 8 9log Kow

BSA

F - k

g oc /

kg l

ipid

Newark Bay

Sandy Hook

Previous Fit

Adj. Bioenerg.

“Urban myth” or serious implications in setting targets for sediment cleanup

Laboratory-derived BSAFs

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

ChapelHill

Narrows Battery UnionCity

ShootersIs.

NewarkBay

BSA

F (k

g oc /

kg l

ipid

) Tri-CB

Tetra-CB

Penta-CB

Hexa-CB

Hepta-CB

Octa-CB

Nona_CB

Deca-CB

Laboratory-measured Growth Rates

0

25

50

75

100

125

150

ChapelHill

Narrows Battery UnionCity

ShootersIs.

NewarkBay

Gro

wth

(as

% o

f con

trol

)

Controlled Laboratory Tests

■ 10-day BioaccumulationTests(1)

■ Non-deposit feedingamphipod (Rhepoxyniusabronius)

■ Deposit feeding polychaete(Armandia brevis)

■ 20-day Growth Tests(2)

(1) Meador, Adams, Casillas and Bolton, Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol., 1997

(2) Rice, Plesha, Casillas, Misitianoand Meador, Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 1995

Summary

q Overview of contaminant transport modeling

ü Partitioning to sediment

ü Estuarine circulation

q Challenges in evaluating contaminant transport in complex estuarine environments

q Issues in bioaccumulation

ü Effect of contamination levels on bioaccumulation behavior

Acknowledgments

Sponsors

q NIEHS-SBRP

q The Hudson River Foundation

q Port Authority of NY-NJ

q EPA

Collaborators

q Robert V. Thomann

q Dominic M. Di Toro

q Robin L. Miller

q James R. Wands

Special thanks toq Jim Meador (NOAA)