NEW JERSEY STREAMS-SOURCES AND EFFECTS 

Water-Resources Investigation Report 99-4235

National Water-Quality

Assessment Program

Long Island - New Jersey

Study Unit

National Water-Quality Assessment Program

science forachanaina 

uses

work
TRACE ELEMENTS AND ORGANOCHLORINE COMPOUNDS IN 

BED SEDIMENT AND FISH TISSUE AT SELECTED SITES IN 

NEW JERSEY STREAMS-SOURCES AND EFFECTS

By Gary R. Long, Ming Chang, and Jonathan G. Kennen

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Water-Resources Investigations Report 99-4235

National Water-Quality Assessment Program

West Trenton, New Jersey 

2000

science for a changing world
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

Charles G. Groat, Director

For additional information 

write to:

District Chief 

U.S Geological Survey 

Mountain View Office Park 

810 Bear Tavern Road, Suite 206 

West Trenton, NJ 08628

Copies of this report can be 

purchased from:

U.S. Geological Survey 

Branch of Information Services 

Box 25286 

Denver, CO 80225-0286
CONTENTS

Page

Abstract............................................................................................................................................1

Introduction......................................................................................._^

Description of study area.....................................................................................................2

Raritan River Basin..................................................................................................2

Passaic River Basin..................................................................................................4

Rahway River Basin ................................................................................................4

Great Egg Harbor River Basin.................................................................................5

Puipose and scope................................................................................................................5

Trace elements and organochlorine compounds in aquatic environments...........................5

Trace elements.........................................................................................................5

Organochlorine compounds.....................................................................................6

Acknowledgments................................................................................................................?

Methods of sample collection and analysis .....................................................................................7

Sample collection and processing........................................................................................7

Data analysis........................................................................................................................9

Linear regression analyses of selected basin characteristics...................................^

Estimation of baseline trace-element concentrations.............................................10

Calculation of trace-element loading from point sources...................................... 11

Calculation of organochlorine compounds............................................................11

Occurrence of trace elements and organochlorine compounds .....................................................12

Trace elements in bed sediment and fish tissue .................................................................12

Bed sediment.......................................................................................................... 12

Fish tissue ..............................................................................................................15

Organochlorine compounds in bed sediment and fish tissue.............................................17

Bed sediment..........................................................................................................17

Fish tissue ..............................................................................................................17

Assessment of trace elements and organochlorine compounds.....................................................17

Trace elements in bed sediment and fish tissue .................................................................17

Bed sediment..........................................................................................................17

Fish tissue ..............................................................................................................21

Organochlorine compounds in bed sediment and fish tissue.............................................22

Importance of sampling multiple media............................................................................23

Potential for adverse biological effects..........................................................................................23

Trace elements ...................................................................................................................24

Organochlorine compounds...............................................................................................24

Synergistic effects..............................................................................................................24

Summary........................................................................................................................................25

References cited.............................................................................................................................26

111
ILLUSTRATIONS

Page

Figure 1. Map showing location of sites sampled for bed sediment and fish tissue and

physiographic provinces in New Jersey................................................................3

2. Graph showing normal probability distribution of copper from 192 bed-sediment

samples collected at sites throughout the New Jersey Coastal Plain.................. 12

3. Graph showing concentrations of selected trace elements in bed sediment,

estimated baseline concentrations, sediment-quality guidelines, and median 

concentrations..................................................................................................... 14

TABLES

Table 1. Land use characteristics for selected LINJ study-unit sites...........................................4

2. Method reporting limits for selected trace elements determined in bed sediment

and fish livers...........................................................................................................6

3. Characteristics offish-tissue and bed-sediment samples collected at selected

LINJ study-unit sites................................................................................................8

4. Estimated baseline concentrations of selected trace elements in bed sediment

and soil from New Jersey Coastal Plain and non-Coastal Plain sites.................... 11

5. Method reporting limits for organochlorine compounds in bed sediment and

whole-body-fish tissue...........................................................................................13

6. Linear relation probabilities between trace-element concentrations in bed 

sediment to land use and population density at selected LINJ study-unit 

sites ........................................................................................................................15

7. Concentrations of selected trace elements in fish livers at selected LINJ studyunit sites................................................................................................................. 16

8. Concentrations of organochlorine compounds in bed-sediment samples collected

at selected LINJ study-unit sites ............................................................................18

9. Linear relation probabilities of organochlorine compounds in fish tissue and bed

sediment to basin characteristics at selected LINJ study-unit sites....................... 19

10. Concentrations of organochlorine compounds in whole-body-fish tissue samples

collected at selected LINJ study-unit sites.............................................................20

IV
CONVERSION FACTORS

Multiply By To obtain

inch (in.) 2.54 centimeter

inch (in.) 25.4 millimeter

inch (in.) 25,400 micrometer

square mile (mi2) 2.590 square kilometer

ounce, avoirdupois (oz) 28.35 gram

pound, avoirdupois (Ib) 0.4536 kilogram

degree Fahrenheit (°F)°C = 5/9 x (°F-32)degree Celsius (°C)

Temperature given in degrees Fahrenheit (°F) and Celsius (°C) may be converted to degrees 

Celsius (°C) and Kelvin (°K) by the following equations:

Concentrations of substances in bed sediment and fish are given in weight percent, fig/g

(micrograms per gram), or fig/kg (micrograms per kilogram), [ig/g is equivalent to ppm (parts 

per million) and jig/kg is equivalent to parts per billion (ppb).

Water-quality abbreviations 

mL - milliliter

Use of trade, product, or firm names in this report is for identification purposes only and does not 

constitute endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey.
FOREWORD

The mission of the U.S. Geological Survey 

(USGS) is to assess the quantity and quality of the 

earth resources of the Nation and to provide information that will assist resource managers and policymakers at Federal, State, and local levels in making 

sound decisions. Assessment of water-quality conditions and trends is an important part of this overall 

mission.

One of the greatest challenges faced by waterresources scientists is acquiring reliable information 

that will guide the use and protection of the Nation's 

water resources. That challenge is being addressed by 

Federal, State, interstate, and local water-resource 

agencies and by many academic institutions. These 

organizations are collecting water-quality data for a 

host of purposes that include: compliance with permits 

and water-supply standards; development of remediation plans for specific contamination problems; 

operational decisions on industrial, wastewater, or 

water-supply facilities; and research on factors that 

affect water quality. An additional need for waterquality information is to provide a basis on which 

regional- and national-level policy decisions can be 

based. Wise decisions must be based on sound information. As a society we need to know whether certain 

types of water-quality problems are isolated or 

ubiquitous, whether there are significant differences in 

conditions among regions, whether the conditions are 

changing over time, and why these conditions change 

from place to place and over time. The information 

can be used to help determine the efficacy of existing 

water-quality policies and to help analysts determine 

the need for and likely consequences of new policies.

To address these needs, the U.S. Congress appropriated funds in 1986 for the USGS to begin a pilot 

program in seven project areas to develop and refine 

the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) 

Program. In 1991, the USGS began full implementation of the program. The NAWQA Program builds 

upon an existing base of water-quality studies of the 

USGS, as well as those of other Federal, State, and 

local agencies. The objectives of the NAWQA 

Program are to:

 Describe current water-quality conditions for a 

large part of the Nation's freshwater streams, rivers, 

and aquifers.

 Improve understanding of the primary natural 

and human factors that affect water-quality 

conditions.

This information will help support the development and evaluation of management, regulatory, 

and monitoring decisions by other Federal, State, and 

local agencies to protect, use, and enhance water 

resources.

The goals of the NAWQA Program are being 

achieved through ongoing and proposed investigations 

of 59 of the Nation's most important river basins and 

aquifer systems, which are referred to as study units. 

These study units are distributed throughout the 

Nation and cover a diversity of hydrogeologic 

settings. More than two-thirds of the Nation's freshwater use occurs within the 59 study units and more 

than two-thirds of the people served by public watersupply systems live within their boundaries.

National synthesis of data analysis, based on 

aggregation of comparable information obtained from 

the study units, is a major component of the program. 

This effort focuses on selected water-quality topics 

using nationally consistent information. Comparative 

studies will explain differences and similarities in 

observed water-quality conditions among study areas 

and will identify changes and trends and their causes. 

The first topics addressed by the national synthesis are 

pesticides, nutrients, volatile organic compounds, and 

aquatic biology. Discussions on these and other waterquality topics will be published in periodic summaries 

of the quality of the Nation's ground and surface water 

as the information becomes available.

This report is an element of the comprehensive 

body of information developed as part of the NAWQA 

Program. The program depends heavily on the advice, 

cooperation, and information from many Federal, 

State, interstate, Tribal, and local agencies and the 

public. The assistance and suggestions of all are 

greatly appreciated.

time.

Describe how water quality is changing over

/ft.

Robert M. Hirsch 

Chief Hydrologist
TRACE ELEMENTS AND ORGANOCHLORINE 

COMPOUNDS IN BED SEDIMENT AND FISH 

TISSUE AT SELECTED SITES IN NEW JERSEY 

STREAMS -- SOURCES AND EFFECTS

By Gary R. Long, Ming Chang, and Jonathan G. Kennen

ABSTRACT

Bed-sediment and fish-tissue samples 

were collected for the Long Island-New Jersey 

National Water-Quality Assessment (LESfJNAWQ A) program in fall 1997 and analyzed to 

determine the concentrations of trace elements 

and organochlorines. Bed-sediment samples, 

fish-tissue samples, or both were collected 

from 10 sites in New Jersey with various land 

uses. Antimony (Sb), arsenic (As), cadmium 

(Cd), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), 

manganese (Mn), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), 

selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DOT), polychlorinated 

biphenyls (PCBs), and chlordane were selected 

for detailed analyses. Results were compared to 

land-use characteristics and population density 

by using regression analyses. Sediment-quality 

guidelines (threshold effect level, TEL, and 

probable effect level, PEL) established by the 

Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment and tissue-residue guidelines developed 

by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

were used to assess relative toxicity.

All selected trace elements were detected 

in bed-sediment samples from seven of the 

eight sites sampled; Sb, As, Cd, Hg, and Se 

were not analyzed for in samples from one site. 

The strongest relations were between population density and concentrations in bed sediment 

for all selected trace elements except Cr, Mn, 

and Se. Significant positive relations (p<0.05) 

were identified between total urban land use

and concentrations in bed sediment for all 

selected trace elements except Cr, Hg, and Ni. 

Urban industrial/commercial land use was 

significantly related (p<0.05) to concentrations 

in bed sediment of Sb, Cd, Cu, Ni, and Zn. Of 

the trace elements analyzed for (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, 

Pb, Hg, and Zn), Cu was the only one significantly related to annual trace-element loading 

from point sources.

All sites were found to have the potential 

for adverse biological effects that are associated with concentrations of at least two trace 

elements in bed sediment. The Rahway River 

near Springfield had the greatest potential for 

adverse biological effects; concentrations of all 

trace elements at this site exceeded TELs, and 

with the exception of As, Cd, and Cu, exceeded 

PELs.

Cu, Mn, Hg, and Se were detected in fish 

livers at all sites. No significant relations 

(p>0.05) were found between trace-element 

concentrations in fish tissue and those in bed 

sediment or between fish tissue and land-use 

category or population density.

Total chlordane was detected in bedsediment samples from five sites and in wholefish samples from seven sites. DOT and PCBs 

were detected at all sites in whole-fish and bedsediment samples at seven and four sites, 

respectively. Significant positive relations 

(p<0.05) were found between DOT and 

chlordane concentrations in bed sediment and 

population density. No significant relations
were identified between organochlorine 

concentrations in fish tissue and bed sediment 

or between those in fish tissue and land use. 

One-half of all bed-sediment samples 

contained concentrations of chlordane, DDT, 

and PCBs that exceeded TELs. Concentrations 

of chlordane and PCBs in fish-tissue samples 

from many sites exceeded established guidelines for fish-eating wildlife.

INTRODUCTION

In 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey 

(USGS) began full implementation of the 

National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) 

program. The goals of the NAWQA program 

are to describe the status of the Nation's 

surface- and ground-water resources, assess 

current water-quality trends, and identify the 

factors affecting water quality with an 

emphasis on a regional scale. Water quality 

typically is assessed based on an approach that 

integrates biological and surface- and groundwater information. The assessment of water 

quality is carried out through investigations of 

the 59 most important river basins and aquifer 

systems in the Nation, which are referred to as 

study units. One component of the NAWQA 

program is the investigation of the occurrence 

and distribution of contaminants, namely trace 

elements and organochlorines, in biological 

tissues (Crawford and Luoma, 1993). This 

study in the Long Island-New Jersey (LINJ) 

study unit was conducted to determine the 

presence of trace elements and organochlorines 

in fish tissue and bed sediment.

Description of Study Area

Assessment activities began in the LINJ 

study unit in 1994. This study unit encompasses about 6,000 mi2 , including all of Long 

Island, N.Y., most of the Atlantic Coastal 

Basins, and the Passaic, Raritan, and Hackensack River Basins in New Jersey (fig. 1). Population in the LINJ study unit is about 12.5 

million, with the highest density in western 

Long Island and northeastern New Jersey. 

Urban-residential, urban-industrial/commercial and agricultural are the dominant land uses 

in the LINJ study unit. The sites assessed in the 

study are located in the Raritan, Passaic, 

Rahway, and Great Egg Harbor River Basins. 

These four basins differ in geologic characteristics, size, land use, and population density.

Raritan River Basin

The Raritan River Basin (1,100 mi2 ) is the 

largest river basin located entirely in New 

Jersey and extends across the New England, 

Piedmont, and Coastal Plain physiographic 

provinces (fig. 1). Four of the study sites are 

located within the Raritan River Basin Stony 

Brook at Princeton, Neshanic River at Reaville, 

Bound Brook at Middlesex, and Raritan River 

at Queens Bridge.

The Stony Brook at Princeton site is on a 

fourth order stream that drains formerly agricultural and forested lands which are rapidly 

being converted into residential areas. Land use 

in this basin is mostly forested, and it is one of 

the least densely populated basins in the study 

area (320 people/mi , table 1). The Neshanic 

River at Reaville site is on a fourth order stream 

that drains a predominantly agricultural basin; 

the remainder of the basin is composed of 

forested, urban-residential, and urban industrial/commercial land uses. Population density 

in the drainage basin (331 people/mi2 ) is 

similar to that of Stony Brook (fig. 1; table 1). 

The Bound Brook at Middlesex site is on a third 

order stream that drains a basin with one of the 

highest percentages of urban industrial/ 

commercial land use and population density in 

the study area (24 percent; 3,324 people/mi2 ). 

Urban-residential and forested are the other 

land uses in this basin. The Raritan River at 

Queens Bridge site is one of two LINJ study 

unit integrator sites, which are sites located on 

a mainstem river in a drainage basin with mixed
New York

75

.-w 74C

41° 

EXPLANATION

 Drainage basin boundary

Fish Tissue

% 01379000 Passaic River at Millington 

O 01394200 Rahway River at Washington Park 

Bed sediment sampling sites 

% 01382000 Passaic River at Two Bridges 

O 01394500 Rahway River at Springfield 

Fish tissue and bed sediment sampling sites 

O 01390500 Saddle River at Ridgewood 

% 01398000 Neshanic River at Reaville 

0 01401000 Stony Brook at Princeton 

% 01403300 Raritan River at Queens Bridge

 01403900 Bound Brook at Middlesex

 01410784 Great Egg Harbor River at Sicklerville

20 MILES

0 10 20 KILOMETERS

Figure 1 . Location of sites sampled for bed sediment and fish tissue and physiographic provinces 

in New Jersey.
Table 1. Land-use characteristics for selected Long Island-New Jersey study-unit sites

[Land use is reported in percent of total drainage area (New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, 1996); 

people/mi2, people per square mile. Percentages do not total 100 percent because of rounding.]

Site name

Passaic River near

Millington

Passaic River at Two Bridges

Saddle River at Ridgewood

Rahway River at Washington

Park

Rahway River near

Springfield

Neshanic River at Reaville

Stony Brook at Princeton

Raritan River at Queens

Bridge

Bound Brook at Middlesex

Great Egg Harbor River at

Sicklerville

Site 

identifier

01379000

01382000

01390500

01394200

01394500

01398000

01401000

01403300

01403900

01410784

Drainage 

area 

(mi2)

55.4

361

21.6

18.1

25.0

25.7

44.5

804

48.4

15.1

Land use

Total urban

Industrial/ 

commercial

8

15

11

23

24

4

5

6

24

8

Residential

30

32

75

55

55

15

18

19

44

24

Agricultural

10

3

2

0

0

53

28

30

1

10

Forested

29

35

11

21

18

27

47

35

25

43

Water, 

wetland, 

and barren 

land

21

9

0

0

1

1

1

6

4

13

Population 

density 

(people/ mi2)

603

1,152

1,783

4,034

4,034

331

320

525

3,324

957

land use forested, agricultural, urban-residential and urban industrial/commercial.

Passaic River Basin

The Passaic River Basin is the third largest 

basin in New Jersey and is considered to have a 

high percentage of urban land use (New Jersey 

Department of Environmental Protection, 

1995). The Passaic River drains basins in the 

Piedmont and New England physiographic 

provinces. Three sites-Saddle River at Ridgewood, Passaic River at Millington, and Passaic 

River at Two Bridges lie within this basin 

(fig. 1). The Saddle River at Ridgewood site is 

on a third order stream; urban-residential is the 

dominant land use (75 percent; table 1). The 

Passaic River at Millington site is on a fourth 

order stream that drains a basin (55.4 mi2 ) with

almost equal amounts of urban-residential and 

forested land uses and lesser amounts of 

wetland and agricultural land uses. The Passaic 

River at Two Bridges site, the second LINJ 

integrator site, is on a sixth order stream and 

drains a basin (361 mi2 ) composed of forested, 

urban-residential, and urban industrial/ 

commercial land uses.

Rahway River Basin

The Rahway River near Springfield site is 

on a third order stream that drains the most 

densely populated (4,034 people/mi2) basin 

(25.0 mi ) in this study area. The Rahway River 

at Washington Park site is located upstream 

from Rahway River near Springfield; this 

stream drains an area of 18.1 mi2 . Land use in 

both drainage areas is predominantly urban-
residential and urban industrial/commercial 

(fig. 1; table 1).

Great Egg Harbor River Basin

The Great Egg Harbor River at Sicklerville 

site is on a third order stream and is the only site 

in the study area that is located in the New 

Jersey Coastal Plain. Although the basin 

comprises mostly forested land, many of the 

agricultural areas are changing to residential 

land use (table 1).

Purpose and Scope

This report describes (1) the presence of 

selected trace elements and organochlorine 

compounds, specifically three classes of organochlorines-chlordane, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), and polychlorinated 

biphenyls (PCBs) in samples offish tissue and 

bed sediment from selected sites in the LINJ 

study unit and (2) the relations of trace-element 

concentrations and organochlorine concentrations in bed sediment and fish tissue to land use, 

population density, and point sources. Bedsediment and fish-tissue samples were 

collected at 10 sites in New Jersey in fall 1997. 

Trace-element and organochlorine data were 

analyzed by using graphical and statistical 

methods, and results are shown in graphs and 

tables.

trace Elements and Organochlorine 

Compounds in Aquatic Environments

Trace Elements

Geologic weathering accounts for the 

natural release of trace elements into the 

aquatic environment. Human activities accelerate this accumulation through point and nonpoint source contamination. Major point 

sources of trace elements are industrial and 

domestic wastewater discharges. A wide 

variety of industries, including paper manufacturing, chemical manufacturing, steel production, fertilizer production, and petroleum 

refining, use trace elements in their various 

processes. Consequently, trace-elementenriched effluent either can be discharged by 

such industries directly to receiving waters or 

can be diverted to wastewater-treatment facilities (Forstner and Wittman, 1983). Domestic 

effluent from wastewater-treatment facilities 

has been identified as a significant source of 

trace elements to aquatic systems (Forstner and 

Wittman, 1983).

Many non-point sources contribute to the 

accumulation of trace elements in the aquatic 

environment. The combustion of fossil fuels 

emits trace elements, particularly As, Cd, Cr, 

Hg, and Pb (names and symbols of elements are 

listed in table 2), into the atmosphere where 

they are subsequently deposited either directly 

into waterways or indirectly onto watersheds 

where they can be mobilized into aquatic 

systems through storrnwater runoff (Fornster 

and Wittman, 1983; Harte and others, 1991; 

O'Brien, 1997). Emissions from industrial 

processes also contribute trace elements to 

aquatic systems. Activities, such as plating, 

smelting, refining, and other metal processing, 

release trace elements, including Sb, Cd, Cr, 

Cu, Pb, Mn, Hg, Ni, and Zn into the atmosphere; they can then be deposited onto watersheds (Harte and others, 1991; Winter, 1998; 

O'Brien, 1997; Brigham and others, 1997). 

Automobile exhaust is an additional source of 

trace elements to the atmosphere (Ondov and 

others, 1982). Applications of fertilizers and 

pesticides can contribute As, Cd, and Hg to 

aquatic systems through volatilization, runoff, 

soil leaching, and drift from aerial spraying 

(Harte and others, 1991; Nriagu and Pacyna, 

1988; Winter, 1998; Nadakavukaren, 1995). 

Leachate from landfills and solid-waste dumps 

constitutes an additional non-point source of 

trace elements (Forstner and Wittman, 1983; 

O'Brien, 1997).
Table 2. Method reporting limits for 

selected trace elements determined in 

bed sediment and fish livers

[Units are reported in micrograms per gram, dry 

weight]

Method reporting limit

Trace element

Antimony

Arsenic

Cadmium

Chromium

Copper

Lead

Manganese

Mercury

Nickel

Selenium

Zinc

Symbol

Sb

As

Cd

Cr

Cu

Pb

Mn

Hg

Ni

Se

Zn

Bed

sediment

0.1

.1

.1

1.0

1.0

4.0

4.0

.02

2.0

.1

4.0

Fish tissue

0.1

.1

.1

.5

.5

.1

.1

.1

.1

.1

.5

When introduced to the aquatic environment, trace elements tend to adsorb to finegrained sediments (Carter, 1997). These traceelement-sorbed particles settle in depositional 

areas of stream beds where they continue to 

accumulate, often making sediments the most 

concentrated pool of trace elements in the 

aquatic environment (Miller and others, 1992). 

Increasing concentrations of trace elements in 

sediment pose a potential threat to benthic 

organisms and higher trophic-level species that 

rely on the benthos for food. Non-essential 

elements, which include Sb, As, Cd, Cr, Pb, 

Hg, and Ni, serve no metabolic function in 

organisms and can become toxic at concentrations greater than the threshold level of the 

particular organism (Forstner and Wittman, 

1983). Even essential elements Cu, Fe, Mn, Se, 

and Zn, which are vital to metabolic processes, 

can be toxic to organisms at high concentrations (Forstner and Wittman, 1983). Sb, As, Cd, 

Cu, Cr, Pb, Mn, Hg, Ni, Se, and Zn were

selected for detailed analysis because of their 

relative toxicity, high frequency of detection 

within the study sites, and association with 

urbanization and industries located within the 

study unit.

Organochlorine Compounds

Organochlorine compounds, which 

include pesticides and PCBs, have been widely 

used in the United States since World War II for 

agricultural purposes and to control diseasecarrying insects and common pests (Harte and 

others, 1991). Many pesticides, especially 

organochlorines, have been banned from use in 

the U.S. since the late 1970's when they were 

found to have detrimental effects on humans, 

wildlife, and habitat. Organochlorines tend to 

share common characteristics, such as environmental persistence, stability, and toxicity 

(Nadakavukaren, 1995). Once introduced into 

an aquatic environment, their lipophilic nature 

allows organochlorines, including PCBs, to 

ascend through the food chain and bioaccumulate.

Until 1976, when U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency (USEPA) restricted 

chlordane use to termite control, it was used 

primarily as an insecticide for underground 

termite control for homes and lawns, and for 

the control of soil insects in corn fields (New 

Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Energy, 1993). It can reach the aquatic 

environment through drift from aerial spraying, 

surface runoff, percolation and subsurface 

seepage from treated lands, misapplication, 

sewage discharge, and industrial effluents 

(Canadian Council of Resource and Environment Ministers, 1992). When chlordane is 

released into the environment it is highly lipophilic, stable in soils, and readily absorbed, for 

example, through oral and transdermal 

exposure (U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency, 1997). It is persistent, slowly biotransformed, and relatively stable in ultraviolet 

light. In aquatic environments, chlordane does
not undergo appreciable hydrolysis, oxidation, 

or direct photolysis, which also makes it persistent in the adsorbed state. Chlordane was found 

to cause many serious health effects, principally affecting the liver, nervous system, and 

immune system. In 1988, USEPA banned the 

use of chlordane in the U.S (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997).

With its discovery in 1939, DDT was used 

as an agricultural insecticide and pesticide. It 

was banned, however, from general use in the 

U.S. in 1973 when it was found to accumulate 

in wildlife, causing substantial decline in 

numbers and detrimental effects in many 

species (Ware, 1994). As a result of its relatively long half-life and previous widespread 

use, DDT is ubiquitous in the environment, 

adsorbing strongly to soil. It is not readily 

degraded by microorganisms, enzymes, heat, 

or ultraviolet light (Ware, 1994). In mammals, 

DDT is not metabolized or excreted; thus, DDT 

bioconcentrates in fatty tissue. In an aquatic 

environment, it adsorbs strongly to the 

sediment, significantly bioaccumulates and 

biomagnifies in fish, and does not readily 

hydrolyze or biodegrade in water. It is, 

however, still used elsewhere in the world as a 

pesticide to prevent such insect-borne diseases 

as malaria and yellow fever.

PCBs are produced synthetically through 

the chlorination of biphenyl. They tend to be 

chemically and thermally stable, inert, and 

dielectric. Because of these qualities, PCBs 

have been used as plasticizers, hydraulic lubricants, and dielectric fluids in electric capacitors. Because use of PCBs in electric capacitors 

was within a closed environment, release into 

the environment was restricted. It was the 

production and other uses of PCBs as platicizers or components of pesticides that distributed PCBs into the environment (Smith and 

others, 1988). There are 209 possible congeners, compounds with similar structures and 

properties, of PCBs whose persistence 

increases with more highly chlorinated congeners. This results in stronger adsorption to 

organic material, sediment, and soil particles. 

When PCBs are released into the water, 

concentrations in sediment and suspended 

matter tend to be greater than in the associated 

water column. The lower chlorinated 

congeners will eventually dissolve into the 

water column because of their greater water 

solubility, whereas the higher chlorinated PCB 

congeners remain adsorbed. PCBs are highly 

lipid soluble, and they have been shown to 

bioaccumulate in aquatic organisms and other 

animals (Ware, 1994; New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, 1985). 

They have been found to cause many serious 

health effects, including teratogenicity 

(Nadakavukaren, 1995). Although production 

of PCBs was banned in 1979, PCBs are still 

detected within aquatic environments (Harte 

and others, 1991).

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Mark Ayers, Helle 

Gylling, Anne O'Brien, Jack Pflaumer, and 

Robert Reiser of the USGS LINJ NAWQA 

study unit for their assistance in the collection 

of data and Robin Brightbill and Karen 

Beaulieu of the USGS for providing additional 

data from other NAWQA study units. The 

authors also thank Lars Juergensen and Susan 

Roe of Environment Canada for providing bed 

sediment and fish tissue guidelines. Colleague 

reviews by J. Kent Crawford (USGS) and 

Sebastian Interlandi (Drexel University) vastly 

improved the quality of the manuscript.

METHODS OF SAMPLE COLLECTION 

AND ANALYSIS

Sample Collection and Processing

Samples of bed sediment were collected at 

eight sites in the LINJ study unit in fall 1997 

(table 3). The surficial 2.54 inches of the
sediment was sampled at 5 to 10 depositional 

areas at each site. The bed-sediment sample 

was then composited, stirred, and separated 

into two parts. The part to be analyzed for trace 

elements was sieved through an acid-washed 

63-jam mesh nylon cloth with native water into 

an acid-washed 500-rnL plastic bottle. The 

other part was reserved for analysis of organic 

chemicals and sieved through a 2.0-mm 

stainless-steel sieve with a Teflon 1 policeman 

into a 1,000-mL glass jar (Shelton, 1996).

Fish were collected at eight sites in the 

LINJ study unit during fall 1997. White sucker 

(Catostomus commersoni) was collected from 

seven of the eight sites. Creek chubsucker 

(Erimyzon oblongus), included in the same 

family (Catostomidaej as white sucker, was 

selected as the target taxa at Great Egg Harbor 

River at Sicklerville because its trophic status

'The use of trade names in this report is for identification purposes only and does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey.

was comparable to that of white sucker and 

white sucker was completely absent at this site 

(table 3). A pulsed direct-current (DC) 

backpack electrofishing unit was used to incapacitate fish. Target species were collected and 

sorted according to size. For analysis of organic 

compounds, 8 to 10 similarly sized fish were 

selected, measured, weighed, sexed, checked 

for anomalies, and frozen on dry ice. At least 5 

grams of liver tissue was excised from an additional 8 to 10 fish and frozen on dry ice to be 

used in trace-element analysis (Crawford and 

Louma, 1993) (table 3). Liver tissue was 

selected for the analysis because, although 

trace elements can bioconcentrate in various 

organs, they concentrate primarily in the liver 

(Crawford and Luoma, 1993). Detailed electrofishing and target taxa selection procedures are 

described in Meador and others (1993) and 

Crawford and Luoma (1993), respectively. 

Frozen samples were shipped to the laboratory 

within 24 hours.

Table 3. Characteristics of fish-tissue and bed-sediment samples collected at selected 

Long Island-New Jersey study-unit sites

[Eight fish in each composite sample unless otherwise noted; mm, millimeter; g, gram; --, not applicable]

Site name

Passaic River near Millington

Passaic River at Two Bridges

Saddle River at Ridgewood

Rahway River at Washington Park

Rahway River near Springfield

Neshanic River at Reaville

Stony Brook at Princeton

Raritan River at Queens Bridge

Bound Brook at Middlesex

Great Egg Harbor at Sicklerville

Site identifier

01379000

01382000

01390500

01394200

01394500

01398000

01401000

01403300

01403900

01410784

Bedsediment 

collection 

date

-

10/21/97

10/20/97

-

10/07/97

10/08/97

10/09/97

10/17/97

10/14/97

10/16/97

Fish- tissue 

collection 

date

10/09/97

~

10/08/97

10/10/97

-

09/30/97

10/10/97

10/07/97

10/09/97

10/14/97

Fish type used for 

analysis

White sucker

~

White sucker

White sucker

-

White sucker

White sucker

White sucker

White sucker

Creek chubsucker1

Average 

total length 

offish 

(mm)

346.3

-

345.8

304.0

--

308.4

380.9

388.8

297.1

160.9

Average 

weight of 

fish 

(g)

430.4

-

457.6

283.1

-

320.6

547.8

685.9

278.9

63.9

1 Ten fish in composite sample.
Bed-sediment and fish-tissue samples 

were analyzed at the U.S. Geological Survey 

National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL) in 

Arvada, Colorado. Detailed protocols for the 

analytical methods used to determine traceelement concentrations and organochlorine 

compounds in bed sediment can be found in 

Arbogast (1996) and Foreman and others 

(1995), respectively.

The process used for the analysis of organochlorine compounds in composite wholebody fish samples involved homogenization of 

the tissue into a single composite, collection of 

an aliquot of the composite by homoextraction 

with methylene chloride in a soxhlet apparatus, 

and fractionation by use of an alumina/silica 

gel. Samples were analyzed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Detailed laboratory procedures are discussed in Leiker and 

others (1995).

Composites offish livers were used for 

analysis of trace elements. Samples were dried, 

then digested using low-temperature (85°C) 

nitric acid and 30 percent hydrogen peroxide 

solution. The solutions were evaporated to near 

dryness, then reconstituted with 5-percent 

nitric acid. Insoluble particles were removed by 

filtration, and the solutions were analyzed 

(Hoffman, 1996). Inductively coupled plasma 

mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), inductively 

coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry 

(ICP-AES), or both were used to analyze for all 

trace elements except mercury. Determination 

of mercury concentrations were made by using 

cold vapor atomic absorbtion spectrophotometry (CV-AAS) (Hoffman, 1996).

For the Passaic and Rahway River Basins, 

bed sediment and fish tissue were collected in 

different locations within the drainage basins 

(table 3). Bed sediment was collected from 

Passaic River at Two Bridges, a heavily 

urbanized drainage area (table 1). Tissue 

samples were collected farther upstream at 

Passaic River at Millington, a much smaller 

drainage area where land use is about equally

divided between urban-residential and forested. 

No direct comparisons were made between 

concentrations in bed sediment and those in fish 

tissue for these two sites because of significant 

differences in the size of the drainage areas and 

land uses; however, the sites were included 

independently in the overall assessments of bed 

sediment and fish tissue. For the Rahway River 

Basin, bed sediment was collected at Rahway 

River near Springfield, whereas tissue samples 

were collected upstream at Rahway River at 

Washington Park. Differences between the 

Rahway River sites were assumed to be negligible because of their close proximity; therefore, comparisons were made between 

sampling media (table 1).

Data Analysis

Linear Regression Analyses of Selected Basin 

Characteristics

Land use in the drainage area of each site 

was determined based on the 1986 Integrated 

Terrain Unit data. The land-use categories are 

total urban, urban-residential, urban industrial/ 

commercial, agricultural, forested, water, 

wetland, and barren land (New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, 1996). 

Population density (people/mi2) was determined for each drainage area by using 

U.S. Bureau of the Census (1991) data. Linear 

regression analyses were performed to evaluate 

the relation of concentrations of trace elements 

and organochlorines in bed sediment and fish 

tissue to land-use categories and population 

density. Relations between concentrations of 

trace elements and organochlorines in bed 

sediment and in fish tissue also were examined 

by using regression analyses. Eight samples 

were used in the evaluation of trace elements 

and organochlorine compounds in bed 

sediment and fish tissue by linear regression 

analyses. Sb, As, Cd, Hg, and Se were not 

analyzed in bed sediment from the Great Egg 

Harbor River site. Therefore, seven samples
were used when comparing these trace 

elements to land use categories and population 

density. Statistical analyses were considered 

significant if/?<0.05. Median concentrations 

were calculated for each contaminant considered in the study.

Estimation of Baseline Trace-Element 

Concentrations

The effects of human activities on the 

accumulation of trace elements in bed sediment 

were assessed by comparing trace-element 

concentrations measured during the current 

study with baseline concentrations established 

based on the methods of Velz (1984). Baseline 

concentrations include natural accumulation in 

addition to the effects of human activities, 

including regional atmospheric deposition, 

which presumably account for low levels of 

accumulation (Rice, 1999). Velz (1984) states 

that sediments containing only baseline 

concentrations of trace elements can be differentiated from sediments affected by human 

activities by plotting the normal-probability 

distribution of the concentrations on a probability scale. The plot of a data set consisting of 

baseline trace-element concentrations would 

likely yield a straight line. A similar plot from 

a data set containing concentrations from 

sediment with known sources of contamination 

only would likely yield a different slope than 

that of the baseline data. Integration of these 

two data sets would produce a plot that would 

likely yield two straight lines with a distinct 

change in slope at the point where the lines 

representing contaminated and baselinesediment trace-element concentrations meet. 

This point represents the level where baseline 

concentrations are exceeded and the effects of 

human activities are evident.

Because there are no unaffected sites in the 

current study, a more comprehensive data set 

was used to estimate baseline trace-element 

concentrations. O'Brien (1997) aggregated data 

from bed-sediment samples collected during

1976-93 from 295 sites in New Jersey. 

O'Brien's (1997) trace-element data2 were 

divided into two data sets, one for sites in the 

Coastal Plain physiographic province and one 

for non-Coastal Plain sites, and the Velz 

technique was applied (Velz, 1984). The first 

observed change in slope was used to estimate 

baseline concentrations of trace elements in 

bed sediment from Coastal Plain and nonCoastal Plain sites (table 4). An example of the 

Velz (1984) technique used to estimate the 

baseline concentration of copper at a site in the 

Coastal Plain is shown in figure 2.

A regional assessment of trace-element 

concentrations in soils was used to corroborate 

the baseline concentrations established by 

probability plots (table 4). Fields and others 

(1992) determined trace-element concentrations in soil from 80 sites with various land-use 

categories across New Jersey. The traceelement data collected by Fields and others 

(1992) from rural land-use areas were divided 

into Coastal Plain and non-Coastal Plain data 

sets. Median concentrations were calculated for 

the two data sets and compared with baseline 

estimates determined by using probability 

plots.

Although differences in grain size and 

terrestrial and aquatic environments prohibited 

direct comparison between soil and bedsediment samples, soil data represented the best 

reference available to support the baseline 

trace-element concentrations in sediment 

estimated based on Velz (1984). Concentrations in soil from Fields and others (1992) were 

within the same order of magnitude for all trace 

elements in the Coastal Plain and non-Coastal 

Plain data sets, with the exception of As in the 

Coastal Plain (table 4).

2Although O'Brien's (1997) data include results 

obtained from different projects based on different analytical techniques and multiple reporting limits, it represents the most comprehensive collection of bedsediment data for New Jersey.

10
Table 4. Estimated baseline concentrations of selected trace elements in bed 

sediment and soil from New Jersey Coastal Plain and non-Coastal Plain sites, Long 

Island-New Jersey study unit

[ND, no data available; ***, median value could not be determined; , an appropriate break in the curve 

could not be determined]

Coastal Plain sites Non-Coastal Plain sites

Probability plots Probability plots'

Trace element

Sb

As

Cd

Cr

Cu

Pb

Mn

Hg

Ni

Se

Zn

Estimated 

baseline 

concentration in 

bed sediment

ND

3

10

10

30

15

.07

3

...

10

Number 

of 

samples

ND

185

32

205

192

214

246

101

88

1

257

Estimated 

baseline 

concentration in 

soil2

***

0.27

.011

3.95

1.61

6.75

5.5

***

1.15

***

5.2

Estimated 

baseline 

concentration in 

bed sediment

ND

4

10

10

50

.16

20

...

40

Number 

of 

samples

ND

321

108

412

457

424

544

262

207

14

540

Estimated 

baseline 

concentration in 

soil3

***

2.55

.098

11.5

11.1

17.9

315

.11

11.1

.09

54.2

1 Modeled after Velz (1984); data from O'Brien (1997).

2 Median value of 15 rural Coastal Plain soil samples from Fields and others (1992).

3 Median value of 17 rural non-Coastal Plain soil samples from Fields and others (1992).

Calculation of Trace-Element Loading from 

Point Sources

The effects of point sources on traceelement loading in bed sediment was investigated by calculating trace-element loading in 

study site drainage areas. Permitted point 

sources that discharge greater than 1 million 

gallons of effluent per year from locations 

upstream from the study sites were identified 

from point-source data compiled by Robinson 

and others (1995). Concentrations of As, Cd, 

Cr, Cu, Pb, Hg, and Zn typically found in 

effluents from each industrial category were 

determined by using data reported by the 

National Coastal Pollutant Discharge Inventory 

(NCPDI) (National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration, 1993). Trace-element loading 

from point sources was calculated by multiplying NCPDI effluent concentrations by 

estimated annual point-source discharge. 

Estimated loads were then divided by the 

drainage area of the site to standardize the data. 

The load per square mile of drainage area then 

was compared to trace-element concentrations 

in bed sediment by using linear regression 

analysis.

Calculation of Organochlorines Compounds

Constituents used to define total organochlorines were chosen to be consistent with 

those used in other NAWQA studies. Total

11
240

o: 220

O

£ 200

i 180 

<

cc

O 160

O

CC

O 140

^ 120 

100

LU 

O

z

O 

O 

CC 

LU 

Q_ 

Q_ 

O 

O

80

60

40

20

0.1

First change in slope used

to estimate baseline concentration

(10 micrograms per gram).

5 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 95 

PROBABILITY EQUAL TO OR LESS THAN, IN PERCENT

98 99 99.9

Figure 2. Normal probability distribution of copper from 192 bed-sediment samples collected 

at sites throughout the New Jersey Coastal Plain.

chlordane was calculated by summing cisnonachlor, fram'-nonachlor, oxychlordane, cischlordane, fra/w-chlordane, and heptachlor 

epoxide. Total DDT for this study was calculated by summing the o,p'- andp,//- congeners 

of DDT and its breakdown products, the o,p'- 

and p,p'- congeners of DDD and DDE. Total 

PCBs included Aroclors 1242,1254, and 1260, 

which were reported as total PCBs by the 

NWQL. In summing the congeners for the 

respective total organochlorines, censored 

values (values less than the method reporting 

limit) were given a value of zero. Estimated 

concentrations were calculated as actual 

concentrations. Minimum reporting limits for 

organochlorines are listed in table 5.

OCCURRENCE OF TRACE ELEMENTS 

AND ORGANOCHLORINE 

COMPOUNDS

Trace elements or organochlorine 

compounds were detected in bed-sediment and 

fish-tissue samples from all of the sites in this 

study.

Trace Elements in Bed Sediment and Fish 

Tissue

Bed Sediment

One-hundred-percent detection frequency 

was reported at all sites except Great Egg 

Harbor River at Sicklerville for the 11 selected 

trace elements in bed sediment. Samples from 

the Great Egg Harbor River site were not 

analyzed for Sb, As, Cd, Hg, and Se 3 (fig. 3). 

The lowest concentrations of Cr, Mn, and Ni 

were present in bed sediment from Great Egg 

Harbor River site. In addition, Cu, Pb, and Zn 

at this site were equal to or less than median 

concentrations calculated for all sites in the 

current study (fig. 3). Concentrations of 

selected trace elements in samples from Stony 

Brook and Neshanic River were less than the 

median concentrations calculated in the study. 

The lowest concentrations of Sb, Cd, Cu, Pb, 

Se, and Zn were in samples from the Stony

Additional data on trace elements and organochlorine 

compounds in bed sediment at the study sites can be found in 

Deluca and others (1999).

12
Table 5. Method reporting limits for 

organochlorine compounds in bed 

sediment and whole-body-fish tissue

[Units are reported in micrograms per kilogram, 

dry weight for sediment and micrograms per kilogram, wet weight for fish tissue. *, values could 

not be determined]

Organochlorine 

compound

Cis-nonachlor

7>W7.s-nonachlor

Oxychlordane

C/'iS-chlordane

7rflA7.s-chlordane

Heptachlor epoxide

Total Chlordane

o, p '-DDD

p, p '-DDD

o.p'-DDE

p, p '-DDE

o. p '-DOT

p. p '-DDT

Total DDT

Total PCBs

Method reporting limits

Bed sediment

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

*

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

2.0

2.0

*

50.0

Fish tissue

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

*

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

*

50.0

Brook site. The lowest reported concentration 

of Hg (0.03 i^g/g) was measured in bed 

sediment from the Neshanic River site, 

whereas the lowest concentration of As 

(4.0 |ag/g) was measured in bed sediment from 

the Passaic River at Two Bridges site (fig. 3). 

Concentrations of trace elements in bed 

sediment at Rahway River near Springfield 

and Bound Brook were greater than the study 

median concentrations for all selected trace 

elements. Samples from Rahway River near 

Springfield contained the highest concentrations of 9 of the 11 selected trace elements, 

second only to the Saddle River site for the

highest concentrations of Mn and Se 

(2,000 |ig/g and 1.3 |ag/g, respectively). 

Concentrations of the other nine trace elements 

in bed sediment at the Saddle River site were, 

in general, greater than the median concentrations (fig. 3).

Concentrations of Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn 

measured in bed sediment exceeded baseline 

concentrations estimated based on Velz (1984) 

for both Coastal Plain and non-Coastal Plain 

sites (fig. 3). Pb and Hg concentrations 

exceeded estimated baseline concentrations at 

all sites except Raritan River, Stony Brook, and 

Neshanic River (fig. 3). Concentrations of As in 

bed sediment exceeded baseline concentrations 

at four of the seven sites sampled for As. For 

the Rahway River near Springfield, Bound 

Brook at Middlesex, and Saddle River at 

Ridgewood sites, concentrations in bed 

sediment exceeded baseline levels for the seven 

trace elements for which baseline estimates 

were available (fig. 3). Concentrations of trace 

elements in bed sediment from Great Egg 

Harbor River exceeded all baseline estimates 

for Coastal Plain sites (fig. 3).

The strongest relations were found 

between concentrations in bed sediment and 

population density (table 6). All selected trace 

elements except Cr, Mn, and Se had significant 

positive relations (p<0.05) to population 

density (table 6). Of these trace elements, Sb, 

Cd, Cu, Pb, (p<0.001) and Zn (p<0.01) had the 

strongest relations to population density.

The presence of trace elements in bed 

sediment within the study area was related to 

urban land use. Total urban land use related 

significantly to all of the selected trace 

elements except Cr, Hg, andNi (table 6). Se had 

the strongest relation to total urban land use 

(p<0.001), but did not relate significantly to any 

other land-use categories or population density.

By isolating the industrial/commercial part 

of total urban land use and comparing it to bedsediment concentrations, a stronger relation

13
Sb 

Cd

« « o 

Hg m

Se % f

0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.07 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.7

CONCENTRATION, IN MICROGRAMS PER GRAM

As O f «G>

Cr I o

Cu o

o

o o

Mn

Ni o

Zn o o o

10 20 30 40 50 70 100 200

CONCENTRATION, IN MICROGRAMS PER GRAM

300 400 500 700 1,000 2,000

EXPLANATION

BED-SEDIMENT-QUALITY GUIDELINES 

[TEL and PEL guidelines taken from Ecosystem Conservation Directorate Evaluation and Interpretation Branch (1995)]

< TEL Concentrations at which 

adverse-biological effects are 

expected to occur rarely

> TEL< PEL Concentrations at 

which adverse-biological effects 

are expected to occur occasionally

> PEL Concentrations at which 

adverse-biological effects are 

expected to occur frequently.

BASELINE ESTIMATES AND MEDIAN 

[Baseline concentrations were estimated based on Velz (1984)]

BASELINE COASTAL PLAIN BASELINE NON COASTAL PLAIN MEDIAN

SAMPLING SITES

Passaic River at Two Bridges 

Saddle River at Ridgewood

i Rahway River near Springfield 

Neshanic River at Reaville

i Stony Brook at Princeton 

Raritan River at Queensbridge

i Bound Brook at Middlesex

i Great Egg Harbor River at Sicklerville

Figure 3. Concentrations of selected trace elements in bed sediment, estimated baseline concentrations, 

sediment-quality guidelines, and median concentrations in the Long Island-New Jersey study unit.

14
Table 6. Linear relation probabilities of trace-element concentrations in bed sediment to 

land use and population density at selected Long Island-New Jersey study-unit sites

[p-value is derived from linear regression analysis; values in bold are considered to be significant; 

*,p<0.05; **,/?<0.01; ***,/?<0.001]

Land use

Trace element

Sb

As

Cd

Cr

Cu

Pb

Mn

Hg

Ni

Se

Zn

Number of 

samples

7

7

7

8

8

8

8

7

8

7

8

Total urban

0.0163*

.0337*

.0287*

.1846

.0128*

.0071**

.0385*

.1759

.2070

.0010**

.0098**

Urban industrial/ 

commercial

0.0100*

.1806

.00002***

.0547

.0013**

.0049**

.5548

.0728

.0342*

.1248

.0052**

Population density

0.0002***

.0472*

.0004***

.0657

.0005***

.0001***

.3781

.0372*

.0464*

.0572

.0024**

was established (table 6). Significant relations 

(p<0.05) were determined between industrial/ 

commercial land use and bed-sediment concentrations of Sb, Cd, Cu, Pb, Ni, and Zn (table 6). 

No significant relations (/?>0.05) were determined between the selected trace elements and 

the remaining land-use categories. Cr was not 

significantly related to population density or 

any of the land-use categories investigated in 

this study (table 6).

An investigation of permitted point source 

discharges upstream from the sites indicated no 

significant relation (/?>0.05) between As, Cd, 

Cr, Pb, Hg, and Zn concentrations in bed 

sediment and annual trace-element loading 

from point sources. A significant relation 

(/?<0.028) was determined, however, between 

bed-sediment concentrations of Cu and annual 

Cu loading from point sources.

Fish Tissue

Cu, Mn, Hg, Se, and Zn were detected in 

white-sucker liver samples from all seven sites 

where white sucker were available (table 7)4. 

Cr was detected in livers from all sites except 

Raritan River. Pb was detected only at Rahway 

River at Washington Park, and As was detected 

only at Saddle River. Sb and Ni were not 

detected in livers from any sites. At Great Egg 

Harbor River, all of the selected trace elements 

with the exception of Sb, As, Cr, and Ni were 

detected in creek chubsucker livers (table 7).

The results offish-tissue analysis revealed 

wide variation in the bioaccumulation of trace 

elements among sites (table 7). Trace-element 

concentrations at Great Egg Harbor River,

4Additional data on trace elements and organochlorine compounds in fish tissue are stored in the U.S. Geological Survey Water-Quality data base maintained by 

the USGS at the New Jersey District office in West 

Trenton, N.J.

15
Table 7. Concentrations of selected trace elements in fish livers at selected Long Island-New Jers

[Concentrations are in micrograms per gram, dry weight. White sucker (Catostomus commersoni) livers were analyzed 

Harbor at Sicklerville where creek chubsucker (Erimyzon oblongus) livers were analyzed. *, values could not be dete

Site identifier

Trace 

element

Sb

As

Cd

Cr

Cu

Pb

Mn

Hg

Ni

Se

Zn

Pas sale 

River near 

Millington

01379000

<0.28

<.28

.86

.66

74.39

<.28

7.68

.09

<.28

4.15

163.48

Saddle 

River at 

Ridgewood

01390500

<0.20

.21

.89

.68

31.08

<.20

6.66

.10

<.20

4.76

121.26

Rahway 

River at 

Washington 

Park

01394200

<0.24

<.24

1.23

.62

50.66

.73

8.42

.01

<.24

7.82

150.73

Neshanic 

River at 

Reaville

01398000

<0.32

<.32

.89

.69

64.53

<.32

7.86

.03

<.32

4.94

168.72

Stony 

Brook at 

Princeton

01401000

<0.20

<.20

1.15

.55

27.99

<.20

5.77

.06

<.20

4.78

104.21

Raritan 

River at 

Queens 

Bridge

01403300

<0.19

<.19

1.09

<.50

24.92

<.19

5.88

.25

<.19

4.18

88.09

Bound 

Brook at 

Middlesex

01403900

<0.30

<.30

2.82

.61

88.31

<.30

6.19

.02

<.30

5.74

209.47

Great Egg 

Harbor at 

Sicklerville

01410784

<0.19

<.19

.98

<.50

77.35

.22

4.45

.02

<.19

4.01

90.02
except Cu, were lower than median concentrations for all other sites. Trace-element concentrations in fish tissue from Neshanic River at 

Reaville, Passaic River at Millington, and 

Rahway River at Washington Park were 

generally greater than median concentrations 

(table 7). At the remaining sites, trace-element 

concentrations in fish tissue varied with respect 

to median concentrations. Results of linearregression analyses used to compare concentrations in fish tissue to those in bed sediment 

indicated no significant relations (/?>0.05), and 

no significant relations were indicated between 

concentrations in fish tissue and land-use categories or population density (p>0.05).

Organochlorine Compounds in Bed Sediment and Fish Tissue

Bed Sediment

Total chlordane was detected in samples of 

bed sediment from five of eight sites (table 8). 

DDT in bed sediment was detected at seven 

sites. Total PCBs were detected in bed 

sediment at only four sites. The highest concentrations of total chlordane (42.9 ng/kg) and 

DDT (60.6 ng/kg) in bed sediment were 

present in samples from Rahway River near 

Springfield, and the highest total PCB concentrations (420 ng/kg) in bed sediment were 

present in samples from Saddle River at Ridgewood. No significant relations were indicated 

for chlordane, DDT, and PCB concentrations 

between fish tissue and bed sediment (table 9). 

Chlordane and DDT concentrations in bed 

sediment were significantly correlated with 

population density (p<0.047 and/?<0.001, 

respectively) (table 9). Significant relations 

were determined between chlordane and PCB 

concentrations in bed sediment and total urban 

land use (p<0.018 and/?<0.022, respectively) 

and between chlordane concentrations in bed 

sediment and urban industrial/commercial land 

use(p<0.013)(table9).

Fish Tissue

Total chlordane was detected in fish tissue 

from seven sites (table 10). DDT and total 

PCBs were found in fish tissue from all sites. 

The highest concentrations of total chlordane 

(322 ng/kg), DDT (259 u.g/kg), and PCBs 

(1800 ng/kg) in fish tissue were present in 

samples from Stony Brook at Princeton, Saddle 

River at Ridgewood, and Bound Brook at 

Middlesex, respectively (table 10). No significant relations were determined between chlordane, DDT, or PCB concentrations in fish tissue 

and any land use or population density (table 

9).

ASSESSMENT OF TRACE ELEMENTS 

AND ORGANOCHLORINE 

COMPOUNDS

Basin and stream conditions that affect the 

occurrence of trace elements and organochlorines in bed sediment and fish tissue are 

discussed in this section.

Trace Elements in Bed Sediment and Fish 

Tissue

Bed Sediment

Densely populated areas could contribute 

to trace-element loading in aquatic environments. Stankowski (1974) indicates that the 

percentage of impervious cover is a function of 

the population density of the watershed. The 

volume of runoff after a storm is highly correlated with the percentage of impervious 

surfaces within the watershed (Schueler, 1994). 

A study investigating the effects of runoff on 

trace-element loading reported increased 

concentrations of Cu, Pb, and Zn in streams 

draining two heavily urbanized watersheds in 

Lodi, N. J., following a storm (Fornster and 

Wittman, 1983). Trace elements atmospherically deposited on impervious surfaces could 

be mobilized into the aquatic environment

17
Table 8. Concentrations of organochlorine compounds in bed-sediment samples collected at sele

Jersey study-unit sites

[Concentrations are in micrograms per kilogram, dry weight. Censored values were assigned a value of 0 in totals. E v

actual values in totals. TEL, Threshold effect level; PEL, Probable effect level; *, values could not be determined; <, l

--, not determined]

Site identifier

Organochlorine 

compound

Passaic 

River at 

Two 

Bridges

01382000

Saddle 

River at 

Ridgewood

01390500

Rahway 

River near 

Springfield

01394500

Neshanic 

River at 

Reaville

01398000

Stony 

Brook at 

Princeton

01401000

Raritan 

River at 

Queens 

Bridge

01403300

Bound 

Brook at 

Middlesex

01403900

Great Egg 

Harbor at 

Sicklerville

01410784 Median

C/5-nonachlor

Traws-nonachlor

Oxychlordane

Cw-chlordane

Thwis-chlordane

Heptachlor 

epoxide

Total Chlordane

o, p '-DDD

p, p '-DDD

o,p'-DDE

p,p'-DDE

o, p '-DOT

p,p'-DDT

Total DOT

Total PCBs

E0.6

1.7

<1.0

2.6

2.0

<1.0

6.9

1.3

3.6

<1.0

3.4

<2.0

<2.0

8.3

E37.0

1.5

4.2

<3.0

5.8

4.7

<1.0

16.2

<1.2

E2.0

<1.0

2.7

<2.0

7.2

11.9

420.0

3.9

11.0

<2.0

13.0

15.0

<2.0

42.9

7.6

23.0

< 1.0

14.0

<5.5

16.0

60.6

72.0

< 1.0 <1.0 <1.0 1.4

< 1.0 <1.0 <1.0 3.8

< 1.0 < 1.0 < 1.0 < 1.0

< 1.0 < 1.0 < 1.0 5.6

< 1.0 < 1.0 < 1.0 4.5

<1.0 <1.0 <1.0 <1.2

< 1.0 < 1.0 < 1.0 15.3

<1.0 <1.0 <1-0 <1.0

< 1.0 E 1.8 1.5 2.7

< 1.0 < 1.0 < 1.0 < 1.0

< 1.0 1.6 <1.0 1.4

< 1.0 <2.0 <2.0 <2.0

<2.0 2.2 E0.7 <2.0

<1.0 5.6 2.2 4.1

<50.0 <50.0 <50.0 130.0

<1.0

E0.5

<1.0

E0.6

E0.5

<1.0

1.6

1.2

7.9

<1.0

3.6

<2.0

2.8

15.5

<50.0

<1.0

1.35

< 1.0

1.8

1.5

<1.0

*

1.1

2.35

< 1.0

2.15

<2.0

2.1

*

<50.0

1 Ecosystem Conservation Directorate Evaluation and Interpretation Branch (1995).

2 Sum of the p,p' and o,p' isomers.
Table 9. Linear relation probabilities of organochlorine compounds in fish tissue and 

bed sediment to basin characteristics at selected Long Island New Jersey study-unit 

sites

[Eight fish were used in each composite sample;/?-values were derived from linear regression analysis; 

values in bold are considered to be significant; *,/?<0.05; **,/?<0.01]

Basin characteristics

Population density

Urban industrial/commercial land use

Total urban land use

Chlordane

0.4417

.6022

.2502

Fish tissue

DDT

0.7598

.8681

.3362

Bed sediment

PCBs

0.2712

.1829

.5881

Chlordane

0.0014**

.0175*

.0133*

DDT

0.0472*

.1234

.1586

PCBs

0.4035

.5543

.0223*

through stormwater runoff. The relation 

between population density and runoff from 

impervious surfaces could be a contributing 

factor to the strong relation between population 

density and trace-element concentration in bed 

sediment observed in the current study 

(table 6). <

The results of the regression analyses illustrate the effects of urbanization on traceelement concentrations in bed sediment. 

Concentrations of 8 of the 11 selected trace 

elements were significantly related to total 

urban land use (table 6). Fields and others 

(1992) reported a similar relation between 

urban land use and trace-element concentrations in New Jersey soils; all trace elements 

except beryllium, Cr, and Se were significantly 

higher in urban soils than in rural soils (Fields 

and others, 1992).

Industrial and commercial emissions also 

appear to affect trace-element concentrations in 

bed sediment. Significant relations determined 

in this study between urban industrial/commercial land use and concentrations of Sb, Cd, Cu, 

Pb, Ni, and Zn in bed sediment are consistent 

with the extensive industrial and commercial 

applications of these elements (table 6) (Harte 

and others, 1991; Winter, 1998; O'Brien, 1997; 

Brigham and others, 1997; Forstner and 

Wittman, 1983).

The results of the regression analyses were 

consistent with the findings of O'Brien (1997) 

who compared basin characteristics to concentrations of As, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Mn, Ni, and Zn 

in bed-sediment samples collected at 295 sites 

in New Jersey. The presence of Cu, Pb, and Zn 

in bed sediment was found to be most strongly 

related to population density (table 6) (O'Brien, 

1997). Concentrations of Cr in bed sediment 

were found to be more closely related to underlying geology than to differences in land use 

among drainage areas (O'Brien, 1997).

The results of the regression analyses 

indicated that non-point sources had a greater 

effect on trace-element loading in bed sediment 

than point sources. As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Hg, and Zn 

loading from point sources were not significantly related (p>0.05) to concentrations in bed 

sediment. In the study of New Jersey soils, 

Fields and others (1992) determined that traceelement concentrations decreased along a landuse gradient from urban to rural soils. The sites 

sampled in the study were not directly affected 

by industiy or other point sources, indicating 

that the decreasing gradient could be attributed 

to non-point source distribution of trace 

elements. Similar relations between urban land 

use and trace-element concentrations in bed 

sediment were observed in the current study 

and also could be attributed to non-point 

sources.

19
Table 10. Concentrations of organochlorine compounds in whole-body-fish tissue samples colle

Island-New Jersey study-unit sites

[Concentrations are in micrograms per kilogram, wet weight. White sucker (Catostomus commersoni) whole-body-fish 

except Great Egg Harbor at Sicklerville where creek chubsucker (Erimyzon oblongus) were analyzed. Censored values 

totals. Estimated values were calculated as actual values in totals. *, values could not be determined; <, less than; E, es

Environmental Protection Agency; CCME, Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment; , not applicable]

Site identifier

Organochlorine 

compound

Os-nonachlor

Trans-nonachlor

Oxychlordane

Qs-chlordane

Trans-chlordane

Heptachlor

epoxide

Total Chlordane

o.p'-DDD

p,p'-DDD

o,p'-DDE

p,p'-DDE

o, p '-DDT

p.p'-DDT

Total DDT

Total PCBs

Passaic 

River near 

Millington

01379000

6.8

9.4

<5.0

23.0

6.8

<5.0

46.0

<5.0

19.0

<5.0

68.0

<5.0

18.0

105.0

E 190.0

Saddle 

River at 

Ridgewood

01390500

23.0

90.0

26.0

100.0

32.0

16.0

287.0

<5.0

29.0

<14.0

150.0

<5.0

80.0

259.0

E 150.0

Rahway 

River at 

Washington 

Park

01394200

13.0

59.0

12.0

100.0

31.0

<5.0

215.0

<7.2

E41.0

<5.0

75.0

<5.0

35.0

151.0

260.0

Neshanic 

River at 

Reaville

01398000

E2.6

8.7

<5.0

7.0

E2.2

<5.0

20.5

<5.0

<5.0

<5.0

10.0

<5.0

<5.0

10.0

100.0

Stony 

Brook at 

Princeton

01401000

21.0

92.0

30.0

120.0

59.0

< 11.0

322.0

<5.0

E47.0

<5.0

130.0

<5.0

41.0

218.0

220.0

Raritan 

River at 

Queens 

Bridge

01403300

17.0

43.0

<40.0

51.0

20.0

6.2

137.2

<5.0

45.0

<5.0

130.0

<5.0

45.0

220.0

E 760.0

Bound 

Brook at 

Middlesex

01403900

26.0

83.0

<13.0

100.0

<5.0

<5.0

209.0

<5.0

50.0

<7.0

50.0

<5.0

41.0

141.0

1800.0

Great Egg 

Harbor at 

Sicklerville

01410784

<5.0

E2.4

<5.0

E 1.7

<5.0

<5.0

<5.0

<5.0

E 10.0

<5.0

20.0

<5.0

E2.9

32.9

E33.0

Median

15.0

51.0

*

75.5

13.4

<5.0

173.1

<5.0

35.0

<5.0

71.5

<5.0

38.0

146.0

205.0

N

de

nu

s

1 Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, Ecosystem Conservation Directorate Evaluation and Interpretation Bran

2 National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering (1972).
The significant positive relation (p<0.028) 

identified between Cu concentrations in bed 

sediment and estimated annual Cu loading 

from point sources is consistent with the 

findings of O'Brien (1997). The probability of 

detecting concentrations of Cu greater than 

15 ng/g in bed sediment as a function of total 

flow from point sources was significant 

(O'Brien, 1997).

Fish Tissue

Consumption of contaminated fish tissue 

poses a health risk to humans, as well as 

wildlife. Concentrations of trace elements in 

fish livers and concentrations of organochlorine 

compounds in whole fish are generally greater 

than in fish-fillet samples because muscle tissue 

contains lower concentrations of these 

substances (Crawford and Luoma, 1993; 

Schmitt and others, 1981). Because fillets were 

not analyzed for trace elements or organochlorine compounds, the values reported are not 

appropriate for human-health risk assessment. 

Fish tissue analysis, however, is important in 

the evaluation of trace elements in the aquatic 

environment because it is used to determine the 

amounts of trace elements that are biologically 

available.

Because trace elements concentrate in 

liver tissue, the low detection frequency of Sb, 

As, Pb, and Ni in liver samples indicates that 

these trace elements are less available to fish 

than the remaining trace elements (table 7). Sb, 

which was not detected in livers at any of the 

sites, probably is the least available. Studies 

assessing the bioavailablity of Sb have shown 

that it is only slightly bioaccumulated (U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency, 1979). 

Other NAWQA study units (for example, 

Carter, 1997; Coles, 1996; Harris, 1997;Durlin 

and Schaffstall, 1995 and 1996) did not report 

detectable concentrations of Sb in any of the 

white sucker livers that were analyzed, 

although it was present in detectable concentrations in bed sediment. As can bioaccumulate

through food and water; however, the degree of 

accumulation is generally below detection 

limits (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 

1979). Pb has been demonstrated to bioaccumulate in a variety of organisms, especially in 

water with pH 6.0 or less. In more acidic environments, divalent Pb, the most biologically 

available form, is at its highest concentrations 

(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 

1979). At Great Egg Harbor River, one of two 

sites where Pb was detected, water-column pH 

was 5.8 at the time of sampling; pH at other 

sites ranged from 7.0 to 7.6. Although Ni has 

been detected in whole-fish tissue samples, it is 

not considered to bioaccumulate in significant 

amounts (Saiki and May, 1988; Winger and 

others, 1990; U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency, 1979).

Other NAWQA study units generally 

reported detectable concentrations in less than 

one-half of the white sucker livers analyzed for 

Ni, although it was prevalent in bed sediment at 

each site (Carter, 1997; Coles, 1996; Harris, 

1997; Durlin and Schaffstall, 1995,1996).

All the remaining trace elements, with the 

exception of Cr which was not detected at 

Raritan River or Great Egg Harbor River, were 

found to concentrate in fish livers at all sites. 

Trace elements preferentially taken up by 

organisms for metabolism (Cu, Mn, Se, and Zn) 

were detected in fish livers at concentrations 

generally one to two orders of magnitude 

greater than those considered to be non-essential. Of the selected trace elements, Se was the 

only element for which median concentrations 

in fish tissue exceeded median concentrations 

in bed sediment (fig. 3; table 7).

In the current study, no significant relations 

were determined between trace-element 

concentrations in fish tissue and those in bed 

sediment. Other NAWQA study units also 

reported weak or no significant relations 

between bed-sediment and fish-tissue traceelement concentrations (Breault and Harris, 

1997; Carter, 1997). Miller and others (1997)

21
concluded that concentrations of Cu and Zn in 

water were a better indicator than concentrations in bed sediment of the accumulation of Cu 

and Zn in fish tissue.

Organochlorine Compounds in Bed Sediment and Fish Tissue

Organochlorine compounds tend to be the 

most persistent anthropogenic compounds in 

the environment. Most of these compounds 

have low vapor pressure and are not water 

soluble (Nadakavukaren, 1995). These 

compounds also tend to have low volatility in 

water; therefore, they tend to sorb to organic 

carbon suspended in the water column and in 

bed sediment (Stackelberg, 1997). In this study, 

most of the Organochlorine compounds 

analyzed for in bed sediment were present at 

concentrations less than the method reporting 

limit (table 8). The three classes of Organochlorine compounds most commonly detected were 

chlordane, DOT, and PCBs.

Whole-body fish tissue was a more 

sensitive indicator of the presence of organochlorines than bed sediment because of the 

higher detection frequencies of, and higher 

concentrations in, fish tissue. Relations 

between concentrations of chlordane, DOT, 

and PCBs in fish tissue and that in bed sediment 

were generally weak (p=0.383, 0.921, and 

0.895, respectively). There were, however, 

strong relations (p<0.05) between organochlorine concentrations in bed sediment and population density (table 9). No relation was found 

between concentrations in fish tissue and population density (table 9).

7ra/w-nonachlor is the least degradable of 

all the chlordane components; therefore, the 

presence of this compound relative to other 

forms of chlordane signals that the input of 

chlordane was not recent (Coles, 1998). Transnonachlor and cw-chlordane were detected 

most frequently and at higher concentrations in 

both bed sediment and fish tissue than other

components at all sites except Great Egg 

Harbor River (tables 8 and 10). Bioaccumulation is an important removal process of 

chlordane in the aquatic environment. One 

study found that the /raws-isomer was eliminated 1.8 times faster than the cw-isomer in 

northern redhorse suckers (Moxostoma macrolepidotum) (Canadian Council of Resource and 

Environment Ministers, 1992). Oxychlordane, 

which has no insecticidal properties, is more 

persistent and toxic than its parent compound. 

It is a dominant metabolite of chlordane in 

mammalian systems, residing as major 

terminal residue in animal tissues and milk 

(Canadian Council of Resource and Environment Ministers, 1992). Oxychlordane was 

detected in fish tissue from three sites in the 

LINJ study basin, but was less than the method 

reporting limit in bed sediment (tables 8 and 

10).

USEPA tissue-residue guidelines, 

developed for the protection offish-eating 

wildlife, were exceeded at five sites (table 10) 

(National Academy of Sciences and National 

Academy of Engineering, 1972). The highest 

total chlordane concentration in fish tissue was 

found at Stony Brook at Princeton, but concentrations in bed sediment were less than the 

method reporting limit (tables 8 and 10). Total 

chlordane concentrations in bed sediment 

increased with increasing population density 

(table 9). Other studies yielded similar results 

(Stackelberg, 1997; Coles, 1998); as population 

density and urban-residential land use 

increased, so did chlordane concentrations.

Technical grade DOT can contain 70 to 73 

percent of the/?,/?'-isomer and 12 to 21 percent 

of the o,p -isomer (Canadian Council of 

Resource and Environment Ministers, 1992). 

Of the total DOT metabolites, the/?,p'-isomers 

were detected more frequently and at greater 

concentrations than the 0,/?'-isomers (tables 8 

and 10). Because DDE is an extremely stable 

metabolite of DDT, the presence of large 

amounts of DDE in a system signifies that the

22
DOT contamination is not recent (Aguilar, 

1984). Total DDE concentrations in fish tissue 

were greater than concentrations of all other 

DOT products (table 10). DDE is slowly transformed into products that are excreted and, like 

its parent compound DDT, has low water solubility, which contributes to low rates of 

excretion and high persistence in the lipid 

phase of tissues in living organisms (Canadian 

Council of Resource and Environment Ministers, 1992). Although DDT was used in the past 

primarily as an agricultural insecticide, total 

DDT concentrations in bed sediment were 

significantly related to population density 

(p<0.047) (table 9). This relation could result 

from a shift from agricultural to residential land 

use, which has occurred at many of the selected 

sites. Samples from Neshanic at Reaville, a 

predominantly agricultural site, contained total 

DDT concentrations in bed sediment and fish 

tissue less than CCME and USEPA guidelines 

(tables 8 and 10).

Sorption to sediments is the predominant 

mechanism for removing PCBs from the water 

column (U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency, 1979). PCBs were detected at the 

Passaic River, Saddle River, Rahway River, 

and Bound Brook sites (table 8). PCBs are 

soluble in lipids and tend to accumulate in fatty 

tissues. Therefore, low levels of PCBs contamination in aquatic systems can result in the 

bioaccumulation of relatively high PCBs levels 

in biota (Canadian Council of Resource and 

Environment Ministers, 1992). The highest 

PCB concentrations in fish tissue were found at 

Bound Brook at Middlesex (table 10). The 

source of these high concentrations of PCBs at 

Bound Brook has been linked to a Superfund 

site (New Jersey Department of Environmental 

Protection, 1998).

Importance of Sampling Multiple Media

The results of analyses for trace element 

and organochlorines in bed sediment and fish

tissue illustrate the importance of sampling 

multiple media. Trace-element concentrations 

in bed sediment from the Neshanic River site 

were less than median values for the study 

(fig. 3). Concentrations in fish-tissue samples 

from same site, however, were generally 

greater than median values. At Rahway River 

near Springfield, concentrations of Hg in bed 

sediment were the highest reported in the study 

(1.4 ng/g). Concentrations of Hg in fish tissue 

from Rahway River at Washington Park, 

however, were the lowest reported in the study 

(0.01 ng/g). Similar results were obtained from 

the analysis for organochlorines. These results 

indicated that samples from both media are 

needed to provide an accurate description of 

contaminants in aquatic systems.

POTENTIAL FOR ADVERSE 

BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS

Currently, the U.S. has no standards for use 

in assessing the potential for adverse biological 

effects due to contaminant-enriched freshwater 

sediment. Long and Morgan (1991) developed 

an approach for assessing coastal marine and 

estuarine sediments for their potential effects 

on the biota as a part of the National Status and 

Trends Program. The Canadian Council of 

Ministers of the Environment (CCME) 

modified this approach to develop guidelines 

for marine and freshwater sediment. The 

CCME modified approach includes the use of 

models of equilibrium partitioning in sediments, sediment quality assessment values 

from other jurisdictions, spiked sediment 

toxicity tests, and field studies (Ecosystem 

Conservation Directorate Evaluation and Interpretation Branch, 1995).

Two assessment levels were estimated 

based on the CCME modified approach, (1) the 

threshold effect level (TEL), which represents 

the concentration below which adverse effects 

are expected to occur rarely, and (2) the 

probable effect level (PEL), which represents

23
the concentration above which adverse effects 

are expected to occur frequently. Concentrations between TELs and PELs are values at 

which occasional adverse effects are expected 

(Ecosystem Conservation Directorate Evaluation and Interpretation Branch, 1995). Adverse 

biological effects are generally defined as 

effects that are considered to be negative to the 

organism (for example, mortality, reduction in 

growth, decreased reproductive success) (Lars 

Juergensen, Environment Canada, oral 

commun., 1999). Bulk sediment samples were 

used in developing the TEL and PEL guidelines. The TEL and PEL values were used with 

caution when compared with the trace-element 

concentrations in sieved bed-sediment samples 

in the current study because fine-grained 

sediment typically contains higher traceelement concentrations than does bulk 

sediment. A detailed explanation of the derivation of these guidelines can be found in 

Ecosystem Conservation Directorate Evaluation and Interpretation Branch (1995).

Trace Elements

In the current study, Ni concentrations in 

bed sediment represented the greatest potential 

for adverse biological effects. Ni concentrations greater than or equal to TELs were 

measured at all eight sites; Ni concentrations 

exceeded PELs at two of eight sites (fig. 3). Cr, 

Cu, Pb, and Zn concentrations surpassed TELs 

for at least six of the eight sites. Concentrations 

of As, Cd, and Hg in bed sediment exceeded 

TELs at only four of seven sites (fig. 3). PELs 

were exceeded by Hg and Zn concentrations at 

one site, by Ni and Cr at two sites, and by Pb at 

three sites. Concentrations of As, Cd, and Cu 

did not exceed PELs at any site.

The site at Rahway River near Springfield 

had the greatest potential for adverse biological 

effects associated with trace-element concentrations in bed sediment. Concentrations of all 

trace elements were greater than TELs, and all

trace elements with the exception of As, Cd, 

and Cu exceeded PELs (fig. 3). Large discrepancies between measured concentrations and 

guidelines for trace elements in bed sediment 

were noted for Pb and Hg; at the Rahway River 

near Springfield site, Pb and Hg concentrations 

were nearly three times their respective PELs 

(fig. 3). Concentrations of all trace elements for 

which there are established TEL and PEL 

guidelines exceeded TELs at the Bound Brook 

and Saddle River sites. PELs were exceeded for 

Cr, Pb, and Ni at the Bound Brook site and for 

Pb at the Saddle River site. Concentrations in 

bed-sediment samples at Stony Brook and 

Neshanic River exceeded TELs only for Cr and 

Ni. For all remaining sites, trace-element 

concentrations were greater than or equal to 

TELs, but did not exceed PELs for most of the 

trace elements analyzed.

Organochlorine Compounds

Although chlordane, DDT, and PCBs have 

been banned from use in the U.S., concentrations at three sites (Passaic River, Saddle River, 

and Rahway River) exceeded TELs for all three 

compounds. TELs for total chlordane were 

exceeded at the Passaic River, Saddle River, 

Rahway River, and Bound Brook sites; PELs 

also were exceeded at these sites, excluding the 

Passaic River site (table 8). Total DDT concentrations in bed sediment at the Passaic River, 

Saddle River, Rahway River, and Bound Brook 

at Middlesex sites exceeded TELs (Table 8).

Concentrations of PCBs in bed sediment 

from the Passaic River, Saddle River, Rahway 

River, and Bound Brook sites exceeded TELs; 

Saddle River at Ridgewood had the highest 

concentration (420 fxg/kg), which exceeded 

PELs (table 8).

Synergistic Effects

The toxicity of trace elements and organochlorines may be exacerbated by potential

24
synergistic effects. Synergism occurs when the 

effects of exposure to multiple contaminants 

are greater than the sum of the expected effects 

from exposure to each individual contaminant. 

Although the toxicity of multiple contaminants 

is largely unknown, the mixture toxicity of 

trace elements has been investigated. Laboratory water-column experiments have demonstrated the significant synergistic effect of Cu 

and Zn in water on fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) (Fornster and Wittman, 

1983). USEPA studies have found that the 

acute toxic effects of aldrin, endrin, and methoxychlor with chlordane were greater than the 

additive sum of the individual toxicities 

(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 

1997). When multiple contaminants exceed 

established sediment-quality guidelines, 

potential synergistic effects of trace elements 

and organochlorines are an additional environmental concern.

SUMMARY

Bed-sediment and fish-tissue samples 

were collected in fall 1997 and analyzed to 

determine the concentrations of 11 trace 

elements and 3 organochlorine compounds. Sb, 

As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Mn, Hg, Ni, Se, Zn, chlordane, DDT, or PCBs were present in samples of 

bed sediment or fish tissue from all ten sites 

throughout the study area. Urban growth in the 

LINJ study unit appears to have contributed to 

a decline in stream-bed-sediment quality. 

Results of regression analyses indicated that 

urban land use and population density were 

significantly related to trace-element and organochlorine concentrations in bed sediment.

Bed-sediment samples from the Great Egg 

Harbor River at Sicklerville site were not 

analyzed for Sb, As, Cd, Hg, and Se; however, 

all 11 trace elements were detected in bed 

sediment at all other sites. The presence of all 

trace elements, with the exception of Cr, was 

significantly related to urban land use or population density. Concentrations of Cr, Cu, and Zn 

in bed sediment exceeded estimated baseline 

concentrations at all sites. No significant 

relations were found between concentrations of 

As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Hg, and Zn in bed sediment and 

trace-element loading from point sources, 

which could indicate a greater influence of nonpoint sources.

Cu, Mn, Hg, and Se were detected in all 

samples of white sucker livers. Cd, Cu, Pb, Mn, 

Hg, Se, and Zn were detected in all samples of 

creek chubsucker livers. No significant 

relations were determined between traceelement concentrations in fish tissue and those 

in bed sediment or between trace-element 

concentrations in fish tissue and land use or 

population density.

Chlordane was detected in fish-tissue 

samples from all sites except Great Egg Harbor 

River; DDT and PCBs were detected in fishtissue samples from all sites. DDT did not 

exceed USEPA tissue-residue guidelines for 

fish-eating wildlife at any site. Concentrations 

of chlordane and PCBs exceeded USEPA 

guidelines at five sites and two sites, respectively. Chlordane was detected in bed sediment 

at five sites, DDT at seven sites, and PCBs at 

four sites. Concentrations of DDT and 

chlordane in bed sediment were significantly 

related to population density. No significant 

relations were indicated between organochlorine concentrations in fish tissue and those in 

bed sediment or between concentrations in fish 

tissue and land use or population density.

TELs are concentration levels below 

which adverse biological effects are rare; PELs 

are the concentration levels above which 

adverse biological effects are frequent. 

Concentrations between TELs and PELs are 

levels at which adverse biological effects occasionally occur. All sites were found to have the 

potential for adverse biological effects associated with concentrations of at least two trace 

elements in bed sediment. Concentrations of 

As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Hg, Ni, and Zn exceeded

25
TELs in 77 percent of the samples; concentrations of Ni were equal to or exceeded TELs at 

all sites. Concentrations of chlordane, DDT, 

and PCBs in 50 percent of the bed-sediment 

samples exceeded TELs. Concentrations of ail 

three organochlorine compounds in bedsediment samples from Passaic River at Two 

Bridges, Saddle River at Ridgewood, and 

Rahway River near Springfield exceeded the 

TELs. All sites had two or more contaminants 

that exceeded the TELs, making potential 

synergistic effects of trace elements and organochlorine compounds an additional environmental concern.

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