Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Use impairment
How contaminated sediment may affect use impairment
Restrictions on fi sh and wildlife
consumption
*
Contaminant uptake through contact with sediment or through the food web
Degradation of fi sh and wildlife
populations
*
Contaminant degradation of habitat
*
Contaminant impacts through direct sediment contact
*
Food web uptake
Fish tumors or other deformities
*
Contaminant transfer through contact with sediment or through the food web
*
Possible metabolism to carcinogenic or more carcinogenic compounds
Bird or animal deformities or
reproduction problems
*
Contaminant degradation of habitat
*
Contaminant impacts through direct sediment contact
*
Food web uptake
Degrdation of benthos
*
Contact
*
Ingestion of toxic contaminants
*
Nutrient enrichment leading to a shift in species composition and structure
owing to oxygen depletion
Restrictions on dredging activities
*
Restrictions on disposal in open water owing to contaminants and nutrients
and their potential impacts on biota
Eutrophication or undesirable algae
*
Nutrient recycling from temporary sediment sink
Degradation of esthetics
*
Resuspension of solids and increased turbidity
*
Odors associated with anoxia
Added costs to agriculture or industry
*
Resuspended solids
*
Presence of toxic substances and nutrients
Degradation of phytoplankton or
zooplankton populations
*
Toxic contaminant release
*
Resuspension of solids and absorbed contaminants and subsequent ingestion
Loss of fi sh and wildlife habitat
*
Toxicity to critical life-history stages
*
Degradation of spawning and nursery grounds owing to siltation
From (IJC 1997).
Table 7.2
Desirable characteristics of sediment quality indicators for different monitoring purposes.
Purpose of monitoring program
Diagnostic of
courses of
degraded
conditions
Assessment of
status of sediment
quality conditions
Assessment of
trends in sediment
quality conditions
Early warning of
degraded sediment
quality conditions
Evaluation of
linkages between
sources and effects
Characteristic of
indicator
Biologically relevant
3
3
2
2
2
Socially relevant
3
3
2
2
2
Sensitive
*
*
*
*
*
Broadly applicable
2
2
2
1
1
Diagnostic
1
1
1
3
1
Measurable
*
*
*
*
*
Interpretable
3
3
2
1
1
Cost effective
*
*
*
*
*
Integrative
2
2
1
1
2
Historical data
*
*
*
*
*
Anticipatory
1
1
3
1
2
Nondestructive
*
*
*
*
*
Continuity
2
3
1
1
1
Appropriate scale
*
*
*
*
*
Lack of redundancy
*
*
*
*
*
Timeliness
2
2
3
3
2
Table entries are on a scale of importance from 1 to 3, where 1 indicates lower importance and 3 indicates an essential attribute.
Characteristics that are universally desirable and do not differ between purposes are marked with an asterisk.
From IJC (1991).
