Pringle Creek, identified as the source of dioxin/furan (PCDD/F) contamination to a Lake Ontario harbour was remediated in 2008. Surface sediment collected in 2013 near the floodplain remediation was no longer contami...Pringle Creek, identified as the source of dioxin/furan (PCDD/F) contamination to a Lake Ontario harbour was remediated in 2008. Surface sediment collected in 2013 near the floodplain remediation was no longer contaminated (∑<sub>17</sub>PCDD\Fs < 60 pg/g dw), but residual contamination extended downstream to the creek mouth (surface sediment maximum: ∑<sub>17</sub>PCDD\Fs 2900 pg/g dw). Nevertheless, sediment ∑<sub>17</sub>PCDD/F concentrations were lower in 2013 than pre-remediation suggesting that cleaner sediment was being deposited in the creek. Core data confirmed the decrease in sediment contamination through time since the most contaminated sediment was buried. Prior to the development of a remediation strategy for the harbour, the transport of bed-load and suspended sediment contaminated with PCDD/F was assessed. The challenge was the shallow water depth (0.6 m) throughout the creek thereby requiring non-standard sediment traps designed for this study. Suspended sediment collected in traps in 2014 showed residual contamination at the remediated site (∑<sub>17</sub>PCDD\Fs: 380 pg/g dw;TEQ (TEF fish) < 0.6 pg/g), with concentrations increasing with distance downstream mirroring surface sediment: mean ∑17PCDD\Fs concentration for suspended sediment at the creek mouth was 2200 pg/g (SD 260 pg/g dw) indicating PCDD/F contributions to the harbour. However, congener patterns in bottom sediment and suspended sediment near the remediated site and extending about 100 m downstream were similar to background upstream patterns consistent with atmospheric deposition as the source rather than the historical source which indicated that floodplain remedial actions were successful.展开更多
文摘Pringle Creek, identified as the source of dioxin/furan (PCDD/F) contamination to a Lake Ontario harbour was remediated in 2008. Surface sediment collected in 2013 near the floodplain remediation was no longer contaminated (∑<sub>17</sub>PCDD\Fs < 60 pg/g dw), but residual contamination extended downstream to the creek mouth (surface sediment maximum: ∑<sub>17</sub>PCDD\Fs 2900 pg/g dw). Nevertheless, sediment ∑<sub>17</sub>PCDD/F concentrations were lower in 2013 than pre-remediation suggesting that cleaner sediment was being deposited in the creek. Core data confirmed the decrease in sediment contamination through time since the most contaminated sediment was buried. Prior to the development of a remediation strategy for the harbour, the transport of bed-load and suspended sediment contaminated with PCDD/F was assessed. The challenge was the shallow water depth (0.6 m) throughout the creek thereby requiring non-standard sediment traps designed for this study. Suspended sediment collected in traps in 2014 showed residual contamination at the remediated site (∑<sub>17</sub>PCDD\Fs: 380 pg/g dw;TEQ (TEF fish) < 0.6 pg/g), with concentrations increasing with distance downstream mirroring surface sediment: mean ∑17PCDD\Fs concentration for suspended sediment at the creek mouth was 2200 pg/g (SD 260 pg/g dw) indicating PCDD/F contributions to the harbour. However, congener patterns in bottom sediment and suspended sediment near the remediated site and extending about 100 m downstream were similar to background upstream patterns consistent with atmospheric deposition as the source rather than the historical source which indicated that floodplain remedial actions were successful.
