National Status and Trends: Bioeffects Program: Magnitude and Extent of Sediment Toxicity of South Carolina and Georgia

Surficial sediment samples were collected from 162 locations within five estuaries - Charleston Harbor, Winyah Bay, Leadenwah Creek, Savannah River, and St. Simons Sound - in coastal South Carolina and Georgia in a survey of sediment toxicity performed in 1993 and 1994. All samples were tested for toxicity and a battery of complimentary laboratory bioassays. The laboratory bioassays consisted of amphipod survival tests in solid-phase sediments, microbial bioluminescence (Microtox) tests of organic solvent extracts, and sea urchin fertilization and embryo development tests of porewaters. Some samples were also tested in copepod reproduction and cytochrome P-450 RGS bioassays. Chemical analyses for a suite of trace metals, organic compounds and sedimentological factor were performed with portions of most samples.

Specific objectives of the study were to: (1) Determine the presence and severity of toxic responses; (2) estimate the spatial extent of toxicity; (3) identify spatial patterns of toxicity in each system; (4) characterize the relationships between toxicity and the concentrations of potential toxicants in the sediments. The dataset objective is to report information about chemical residues in sediment and sediment toxicity characteristics of the system.

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Magnitude and Extent of Sediment Toxicity in Selected Estuaries of South Carolina and Georgia, NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS ORCA 128. April 1998. Silver Spring, Maryland.

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS Ed Long (retired), NOAA Ocean Service, National Status and Trends Program SAMPLE COLLECTION INVESTIGATORS Ed Long (retired), NOAA Ocean Service, National Status and Trends Program SAMPLE PROCESSING FACILITIES - Organic and inorganic chemicals in sediment: National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center in Charleston, SC.SAMPLE PROCESSING FACILITIES - Toxicity assays:(1) Microtox Assay - National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center in Charleston, SC;(2) Sea Urchin Assay - US Geological Survey, Marine Ecotoxicology Research Station, Corpus Christi, TX;(3) Amphipod Assay - 1993 - US Geological Survey, Marine Ecotoxicology Research Station, Corpus Christi, TX;(4) Amphipod Assay - 1994 - Science Applications International Corporation, Narragansett, RI;(5) P450 Human Reporter Gene System: Jack Anderson, Columbia Analytical Services, Inc., Carlsbad, CA

The dataset is composed of two relational files listed below. The "SITES" data file reports the location coordinates. The geographical information provided for a sampling site (the estuary stratum and site) is useful when interpreting the results of other data files. The "INDICATOR" data file reports parameter results for chemical and toxicity assays. For a description of the data parameters see report: http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/about/coast/nsandt/download.aspx

NOAA, National Status and Trends Program

These data were prepared by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, make any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed in this report, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference therein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. Any views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof. Although all data have been used by NOAA, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by NOAA as to the accuracy of the data and/or related materials. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by NOAA in the use of these data or related materials.

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NOAA requests that all individuals who download NOAA data acknowledge the source of these data in any reports, papers, or presentations. If you publish these data, please include a statement similar to: "Some or all of the data described in this article were produced by the NOAA's Ocean Service through its National Status and Trends Program (NSandT)."

MEASUREMENT QUALITY OBJECTIVESSampling sites were located with a global position system (Trimble NavGraphic XL GPS) and a compensated LORAN C unit. Both units were calibrated and their accuracy verified each morning at a channel marker within the study area.Organic and Inorganic Contaminants - Analytical methods followed performance-based analytical protocols and employed quality-assurance steps of the National Status and Trends Program (NSandT) (Lauenstein and Cantillo, 1993). Available online: http://www.ccma.nos.noaa.gov/publications/tm71v1.pdf http://www.ccma.nos.noaa.gov/publications/tm71v2.pdf http://www.ccma.nos.noaa.gov/publications/tm71v3.pdf http://www.ccma.nos.noaa.gov/publications/tm71v4.pdf

Data are believed to be complete

All chemical contaminant values have been rounded to three significant digits. To accommodate the wide range of values, all concentration values have been formatted to the thousandth unit (0.001). The range of limits of detection (LOD) within compound classes are shown below. Actual LODs are available in appendix-C of the report (http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/about/coast/nsandt/)Metals, 0.1 - 7.8 ug/g dry wt (for most metals)PAHs 2.7 - 8.8 ng/g dry wt. .PCBs 0.29 - 2.27 ng/g dry wt.Pesticides 0.5 - 2.3 ng/g dry wt.