U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Scientific Investigations Report 2011–5017

Prepared in cooperation with the 

Gloucester County Department of Public Works—Planning Division

Arsenic, Metals, and Nutrients in Runoff from 

Two Detention Basins to Raccoon Creek, 

New Jersey Coastal Plain, 2008

Arsenic, Metals, and Nutrients in Runoff from 

Two Detention Basins to Raccoon Creek, 

New Jersey Coastal Plain, 2008

By Julia L. Barringer, Zoltan Szabo, Jennifer L. Bonin, and Craig K. McGee

Prepared in cooperation with the 

Gloucester County Department of Public Works—Planning Division

Scientific Investigations Report 2011–5017

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Department of the Interior

KEN SALAZAR, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

Marcia K. McNutt, Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2011

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reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report.

Suggested citation:

Barringer, J.L., Szabo, Zoltan, Bonin, J.L., and McGee, C.K., 2011, Arsenic, metals, and nutrients in runoff from two 

detention basins to Raccoon Creek, New Jersey Coastal Plain, 2008: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations 

Report 2011–5017, 28 p.
iii

Contents

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

Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1

Purpose and Scope ..............................................................................................................................2

Description of Study Area ...................................................................................................................2

Geology, Soils, and Streamwater Chemistry...........................................................................2

Land Use........................................................................................................................................4

Methods...........................................................................................................................................................4

Collection of Water Samples ..............................................................................................................4

Collection of Soil Samples...................................................................................................................7

Analysis of Samples .............................................................................................................................7

Streamflow Measurements ................................................................................................................7

Quality-Assurance Measures......................................................................................................................7

Arsenic, Metals, and Nutrients in Streamwater and in Runoff at Two Detention Basins .................9

Estates 1 .................................................................................................................................................9

Estates 2 .................................................................................................................................................9

Differences in Water Chemistry, Estates 1 and 2, September 2008.....................................................11

Arsenic and Metals in Soils at and near Two Detention Basins..........................................................12

Estates 1 ...............................................................................................................................................12

Estates 2 ...............................................................................................................................................13

Possible Sources and Transport of Arsenic, Metals, and Nutrients to the Basins and Stream.....14

Summary and Conclusions.........................................................................................................................18

Acknowledgments.......................................................................................................................................18

References Cited..........................................................................................................................................19

Appendix 1. Major and trace elements, organic carbon, and nutrients in water samples 

from two detention basins and their outfalls, at Estates 1 and 2, and from Raccoon 

Creek immediately upstream from the outfalls, Gloucester County, New Jersey, 

May and September 2008..........................................................................................................24

Appendix 2. Major and trace elements in soils and sediments from Estates 1 and 2, 

Gloucester County, New Jersey, June–October, 2008 .........................................................27
iv

Figures

1. Map showing geologic formations within the Raccoon Creek watershed, 

Gloucester County, New Jersey, and locations of streamwater and soil sediment 

sampling sites................................................................................................................................3

2. Map showing land use within the Raccoon Creek watershed, Gloucester County, 

New Jersey, and locations of streamwater and soil sediment sampling sites..................5

3. Graph showing discharge at Raccoon Creek streamgaging station 01477120, 

Gloucester County, New Jersey, from May 6 through May 18, 2008 ...................................6

4. Graph showing discharge at Raccoon Creek streamgaging station 01477120, 

Gloucester County, New Jersey, from September 1 through September 8, 2008..............6

5. Graph showing concentrations of total arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), 

and lead (Pb) in runoff and streamwater at Estates 2, Gloucester County, 

New Jersey, during May and September storms, 2008..........................................................9

6. Graph showing concentrations of ammonia + organic nitrogen, ammonia, 

nitrite + nitrate, and total phosphorus in runoff and streamwater at Estates 2, 

Gloucester County, New Jersey, during May and September storms, 2008 ....................10

7. Graph showing concentrations of total arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), and lead (Pb) in 

unfiltered samples of runoff to, and streamwater in, Raccoon Creek, 

Gloucester County, New Jersey, September 2008................................................................11

8. Graph showing concentrations of nitrogen species in runoff to, and streamwater in, 

Raccoon Creek, Gloucester County, New Jersey, September 2008 ..................................11

9. Graph showing concentrations of arsenic (As), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), 

and antimony (Sb) in Raccoon Creek bankside soils at Estates 1, 

Gloucester County, New Jersey, 2008.....................................................................................12

10. Graph showing concentrations of arsenic (As) normalized to organic carbon (OC), 

aluminum (Al), and iron (Fe) in Raccoon Creek bankside soils at Estates 1, 

Gloucester County, New Jersey, 2008.....................................................................................13

11. Graph showing relation of concentrations of arsenic (As), beryllium (Be), chromium 

(Cr) and vanadium (V) to iron (Fe) in glauconitic sediments from Estates 2, 

Gloucester County, New Jersey, 2008.....................................................................................14

12. Graph showing relation of concentrations of dissolved arsenic (As), copper (Cu), 

chromium (Cr), and vanadium (V) to concentrations of dissolved organic carbon 

(DOC) in runoff to, and streamwater in, Raccoon Creek, Gloucester County, 

New Jersey, May and September 2008 ..................................................................................16

13. Graph showing relation of particulate arsenic (As), lead (Pb), and phosphorus (P) to 

particulate iron (Fe) in runoff to, and streamwater in, Raccoon Creek, 

Gloucester County, New Jersey, May and September 2008 ...............................................16

Tables

1. Analytical methods and lower reporting limits for selected constituents..........................8

2. Pearson’s correlation coefficients for selected dissolved constituents in runoff 

and streamwater, Estates 1 and 2, Gloucester County, New Jersey, 

May and September 2008..........................................................................................................17

3. Pearson’s correlation coefficients for selected constituents in particulate form 

in runoff and streamwater at Estates 1 and 2, Gloucester County, New Jersey, 

May and September 2008..........................................................................................................17
v

Conversion Factors and Abbreviations

Inch/Pound to SI

Multiply By To obtain

Length

inch (in) 2.54 centimeter (cm)

inch (in) 25,400 micrometer (μm)

inch (in) 25.4 millimeter (mm)

foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m)

mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (km)

Area

square mile (mi2) 2.590 square kilometer (km2) 

Flow rate

cubic foot per second (ft3/s) 0.02832 cubic meter per second (m3/s)

SI to Inch/Pound

Multiply By To obtain

Volume

liter (L) 0.2642 gallon (gal)

Mass

microgram (μg) 0.000000035 ounce, avoirdupois (oz)

milligram (mg) 0.0000353 ounce, avoirdupois (oz)

kilogram (kg) 2.205 pound avoirdupois (lb)

Temperature in degrees Celsius (°C) may be converted to degrees Fahrenheit (°F) as follows:

°F=(1.8×°C)+32

Vertical coordinate information is referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 

(NAVD 88).

Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83).

Chemical unit abbreviations

μg/L micrograms per liter (equivalent to parts per billion)

mg/L milligrams per liter (equivalent to parts per million)

mg/kg milligrams per kilogram (equivalent to parts per million)

Chemical element abbreviations

Al Aluminum

As Arsenic

B Boron

Ba Barium

Be Beryllium

Ca Calcium

Cd Cadmium

Cl Chloride

Cr Chromium

Cu Copper

Fe Iron

Hg Mercury

K Potassium

Mg Magnesium

Mn Manganese

N Nitrogen

Na Sodium

Ni Nickel

P Phosphorus

Pb Lead

Sb Antimony

SO4 Sulfate

V Vanadium

Zn Zinc
vi

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Arsenic, Metals, and Nutrients in Runoff from 

Two Detention Basins to Raccoon Creek, 

New Jersey Coastal Plain, 2008

By Julia L. Barringer1, Zoltan Szabo1, Jennifer L. Bonin1, and Craig K. McGee2

Abstract

Arsenic (As) concentrations in the waters of Raccoon 

Creek in southern New Jersey commonly exceed the State’s 

Surface Water Quality Standard (SWQS) for freshwater of 

0.017 microgram per liter (μg/L). In order to assess contributions of As from residential runoff to the creek, samples of 

runoff water were collected from a detention basin in each of 

two residential developments underlain by different geologic 

formations and at the outlets of those basins. Samples of 

streamwater also were collected from Raccoon Creek adjacent 

to the developments. The samples were analyzed to determine 

concentrations of As, selected metals, organic carbon, and 

nutrients. Soil samples in and downgradient from the basins 

also were collected and analyzed.

Concentrations of As in unfiltered water samples of 

runoff from the basin underlain by glauconitic clays generally were higher (up to 4.35 μg/L) than in runoff from the 

basin underlain by predominantly quartz sands and silts (up to 

2.68 μg/L). Chromium (Cr) concentrations also were higher 

in runoff from the basin underlain by glauconitic clays than 

in runoff from the basin underlain by quartz sand and silt. In 

addition, Cr concentrations were higher in the glauconitic soils 

than in the quartz-rich soils.

Metals such as aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), and 

manganese (Mn) in the runoff and in the streamwater were 

mostly in particulate form. Arsenic, most metals, and phosphorus (P), however, were mostly in dissolved form in runoff but 

in particulate form in the streamwater. Total organic carbon 

concentrations in the runoff ranged from about 10 to nearly 

16 milligrams per liter (mg/L). Given such levels of organic 

carbon and strong correlations between concentrations of 

some metals and organic carbon, it may be that many of the 

metals were complexed with dissolved organic carbon and 

transported in that form in the runoff.

Although underlying geologic materials and soils appear 

to be major contributors of As to the streamwater, As also 

could have been contributed from lead arsenate pesticide 

residues. The residential development underlain by quartz-rich 

sediments formerly had been an orchard where such pesticides 

may have been used. The substantial inputs of As to runoff at 

this site may be attributable to this former land use, although 

Pb concentrations were about the same in runoff from both 

sites. The streamwater at both sites, however, contained Pb 

concentrations well above those in runoff, indicating that 

there are additional inputs of Pb, perhaps from roadside soils, 

upstream from the two sampling sites in this study.

Positive relations between concentrations of As and 

some metals with dissolved organic carbon in runoff and 

streamwater indicate that complexation with organic carbon 

may provide a mechanism by which these constituents can be 

transported. Sorption of As, Pb, and P to Fe hydroxides may 

be indicated by the observed positive relation of particulate 

As, Pb, and P to particulate Fe, however, representing an additional mechanism for transport of these constituents.

Introduction

Concentrations of As, a metalloid, commonly exceed 

the New Jersey Surface Water Quality Standard (SWQS) of 

0.017 μg/L for freshwater (New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, 2009) in the waters of streams that 

drain to the Delaware River in the Inner Coastal Plain of New 

Jersey. Although the streams typically rise among the quartzrich sands of the Miocene Cohansey and Kirkwood Formations, below their headwaters these streams are underlain 

by, and incised into, glauconitic sediments of mainly marine 

origin, which range in age from Early Tertiary through Late 

Cretaceous periods. The glauconite (a gray to green mineral 

with clay- or mica-like structure) and soils developed on these 

sediments have been shown to be rich in As and other trace 

elements (Dooley, 1998; 2001).

1

 U.S. Geological Survey

2

 Camden County Soil Conservation District
2 Arsenic, Metals, and Nutrients in Runoff from Two Detention Basins to Raccoon Creek, New Jersey Coastal Plain, 2008

Former and existing land uses also may be contributors to the As, metal, and nutrient loads of these streams. 

Consequently, regional and local assessments of the sources, 

distributions, and fates of As, metals, and nutrients in streamwater are ongoing where the Surface Water Quality Standards 

for these constituents are exceeded. One aim of such assessments is to distinguish between geologic sources and landuse-related sources, such as runoff from existing and former 

agricultural land, and from roads and other impervious surfaces. Identifying the source contributions of As and metals to 

streamwaters is particularly challenging in rapidly urbanizing 

areas where both geologic and anthropogenic sources are present. Yet it is precisely these areas where concern regarding the 

source and fate of these contaminants is greatest and effect of 

land-use and water-resource management (such as stormwater 

runoff management) is greatest.

Raccoon Creek, in Gloucester County, southwestern 

New Jersey, is one of several Coastal Plain streams where 

the waters contain As at levels that commonly exceed the 

SWQS. Local As-rich geologic materials and activities related 

to agriculture are thought to be possible sources of As to the 

streamwater. It has been shown that natural As levels in soils 

of orchard areas elsewhere in the New Jersey Coastal Plain 

were increased by applications of arsenical pesticides to the 

fruit trees during the early to mid-20th century (Barringer 

and others, 1998). Substantial areas of land within the Raccoon Creek watershed have been devoted to orchards during 

the 20th century. Some of these orchards were replaced by 

residential development during the 1990s and early 2000s, and 

runoff from disturbed soils in these areas may be a source of 

As-rich sediment and water to the stream.

In addition to As, runoff can contribute metals, such 

as Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn, and nutrients to streams; any 

natural (geologic) contributions of these constituents can be 

enhanced by inputs of anthropogenic origin. Dust and runoff from surfaces where motor vehicles travel or are parked 

can contain elevated levels of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn (Morrison 

and others, 1984; Hares and Ward, 1999; Barbarosa and 

Hvitved-Jacobsen, 1999; Councell and others, 2004; Lin and 

others, 2005) and may be sources of metals to the stream. 

In a study of urban inputs of metals to surface waters, Rice 

(1999) found that the sum of concentrations of four metals in 

stream sediments (Cu + Hg + Pb + Zn) correlated well with 

population density.

Stormwater-management practices are designed to 

mitigate the effects of runoff containing undesirable levels 

of constituents (As, metals, N, P, and other potential contaminants) on the quality of streamwater. For management 

practices to be effective, measurement of the constituents 

present in runoff, particularly in areas where structures such as 

storm drains and detention basins have been installed to direct, 

contain, or sequester contaminants, is needed. The current 

study was undertaken by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 

in cooperation with the Planning Division of the Gloucester 

County Department of Public Works (GCPD). Funding for this 

study was provided by USGS and New Jersey Department of 

Environmental Protection (NJDEP) through a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) 319(h) Non-Point Source 

Pollution Control and Management Implementation grant to 

the Camden County Soil Conservation District (CCSCD) and 

the GCPD. The study was designed to provide information 

in support of the development of a Stormwater Management 

Plan for the watershed of Raccoon Creek (hereafter, the creek 

is referred to as RAC). Further, the study complements a 

regional effort by the USGS, in cooperation with the NJDEP, 

to determine sources of As, as well as metals and nutrients, to 

RAC and other Coastal Plain streams.

The primary objective of this study was to determine 

levels of As in stormwater runoff to detention basins and in 

the runoff from them to the RAC and to identify likely sources 

of As. Other objectives included gathering data on associated 

metals and nutrients in order to more completely describe the 

likely sources of As to the stream and the processes involved 

in As mobility. For this study, concentrations of As and metals 

also were determined in soils bordering the RAC channel, in 

particular those developed on the marine sediment substrate 

and those upgradient adjacent to a former orchard area.

Local, detailed investigations in individual watersheds 

such as the RAC lead to greater understanding of how variation in the local landscape, such as geology, land use, degree 

of residential development, degree of impermeable surface, 

and other variables affect the distributions of As, metals, and 

nutrients in streamwater; these investigations will be an integral part of the larger ongoing regional study.

Purpose and Scope

This report presents the chemistry of runoff water to, and 

runoff from, two detention basins and associated streamwater. 

One basin was sampled twice, during two rain events in May 

and September 2008, the other in September 2008. Concentrations of As and metals in soils and sediments in the vicinity 

of the basins also are presented. Differences in chemistry of 

runoff and soils or sediments between the basins are evaluated 

in terms of differences in land use and geology.

Statistics for As and metals in runoff and streamwater 

are listed in tables. Concentrations of selected constituents in runoff, streamwater, soils, and sediments are shown 

in illustrations.

Description of Study Area

Geology, Soils, and Streamwater Chemistry

Raccoon Creek (RAC) rises in an area of the New 

Jersey Coastal Plain underlain by sediments of terrestrial 

and marginal marine origins—the Cohansey and Kirkwood 

Formations, respectively. Downstream, to its confluence 

with the Delaware River, the stream traverses outcroppings 

of glauconite-bearing deposits of marine origin, beginning 
Introduction 3

with the Vincentown Formation and continuing down-section 

through the Merchantville Formation (Owens and Sohl, 1969) 

(fig. 1). The outcrop areas of these marine formations are 

regionally extensive, as they stretch from the southwest border 

of New Jersey at Delaware Bay toward the northeast in bands 

that parallel the Delaware River for about 100 mi. Because 

some of the marine sediments are particularly clay-rich (the 

Hornerstown, Navesink, Marshalltown and Merchantville 

Formations) and do not function as aquifers, some reaches of 

the westward draining Coastal Plain streams receive little or 

no groundwater as base flow. About 71.6 percent of flow in 

Raccoon Creek is base flow (Vincent DePaul, U.S. Geological Survey, written commun., 2008), slightly less than that 

of streams draining to the Atlantic Ocean that are underlain 

entirely by the Cohansey and Kirkwood Formations.

Concentrations of As have been found to range from 7 

to 136 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg, or parts per million) 

in the New Jersey Coastal Plain glauconites derived from 

geologic materials and soils (Dooley, 2001). The glauconitic 

soils, which range from less than 2 percent to 40 percent of 

glauconite (Keenan and Muñiz, 2007), tend to be enriched in 

As over the levels found in the parent (geologic) materials. 

Concentrations range from 13 to 131 mg/kg for whole soils 

(Dooley, 2001). In areas where orchards existed or still exist, 

applications of lead-arsenate pesticide on the fruit trees may 

have amplified the concentrations of naturally occurring As in 

soils, as shown in central New Jersey (Barringer and others, 

1998) and elsewhere in the United States, for example, in 

western Massachusetts (Newton and others, 2006). In addition 

to As, concentrations of Sb have been found to be elevated in 

Figure 1. Geologic formations within the Raccoon Creek watershed, Gloucester County, New Jersey, and locations of streamwater 

and soil sediment sampling sites.

Raccoon Cree k

01477083

01477082

01477081

01477107

01477106

01477105

01477120

01477083

01477082

01477081

01477107

01477106

01477105

01477120

01477083

01477082

01477081

01477107

01477106

01477105

01477120

EXPLANATION

Hydrogeologic unit

Potomac Formation

Magothy Formation

Merchantville Formation

Englishtown Formation

Marshalltown Formation

Wenonah Formation

Mt. Laurel Formation

Navesink Formation

Hornerstown Formation

Vincentown Formation

Kirkwood Formation

Cohansey Formation

Watershed boundary

Sampling site and identifier

Streamgaging station and identifier

Stream

01477105

01477120

0 1 2 3 MILES

0 1 2 3 KILOMETERS

75°20' 75°15' 75°10'

39°

45' 

39°

40' 

Geology from New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, New Jersey Geological Survey, 2007

ESTATES 1

ESTATES 2

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:24,000,

Universal Transverse Mercator Projection, Zone 18

Delaware

River

Raccoon Creek

watershed

Gloucester 

County

Folsom stream

and precipitation

gage (01411000)

Delaware

Bay ATLANTIC OCEAN

NEW

JERSEY

0 20 MILES

0 20 KILOMETERS

75° 74°

41°

40°

39°
4 Arsenic, Metals, and Nutrients in Runoff from Two Detention Basins to Raccoon Creek, New Jersey Coastal Plain, 2008

soils where lead arsenate pesticides have been used (Wagner 

and others, 2003). Nevertheless, it appears that at least some 

of the reported instances of highly elevated As concentrations in soils on glauconite-rich substrates are attributable to 

geologic contributions of As, rather than to agricultural inputs, 

because As concentrations increase with depth in the soil and 

proximity to the As-bearing geologic substrate (Kevin Schick, 

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, written 

commun., 1997). 

Glauconitic soils also can contain substantial concentrations (greater than 100 mg/kg) of Cr and V, which have been 

found to be readily extractable (Dooley, 2001). These glauconitic soils are easily disturbed, and clay-sized particles derived 

from streambank erosion tend to remain suspended in water 

(Monmouth County Health Department, 2006). It appears 

likely the soils developed on the marine formations can contribute As, as well as Cr and V, to runoff that enters the RAC. 

Near the headwaters, the pH of RAC waters is slightly 

acidic to neutral. Water-quality data (available at http://

waterdata.usgs.gov/nj/nwis/qw/) from sampling at the USGS 

gage Raccoon Creek near Swedesboro, NJ (site 01477120), 

which is downstream from the sites sampled in this study, 

indicate the pH of streamwater since 2000 has ranged from 6.8 

to 7.5, with a median value of 7.1. Nitrite + nitrate concentrations have ranged from 0.22 and 2.32 mg/L (as N), but these 

are extreme outlier values; concentrations typically range from 

1 to 2 mg/L (as N). Data collected from 1965 to the present 

also indicate that chloride concentrations in RAC streamwater 

have increased over time and now generally exceed 20 mg/L. 

Recent sampling to determine phosphorus levels in the RAC 

(Camden County Soil Conservation District 2008) indicates 

concentrations of orthophosphate, total phosphate, and total 

phosphorus generally are less than 0.1 mg/L in water upstream 

from the current study area but exceed 0.1 mg/L at sites downstream from the study area at high flow.

The two grass-lined detention basins (USGS sampling 

sites 01477082 and 01477106; figs. 1 and 2) chosen for 

investigation in the current study are located at two recently 

developed residential areas that border the RAC. The farther 

upstream residential area (hereafter referred to as Estates 1) 

is underlain by sediments of the basal Kirkwood Formation. 

Soils on the low-relief land at Estates 1 are predominantly 

well-drained sandy loams, identified as belonging to the 

Downer and Sassafras soil series, with moderately welldrained sandy loams of the Woodstown-Glassboro Complex 

near the stream (Keenan and Muñiz, 2007).

The second residential area (hereafter referred to as 

Estates 2), which is downstream from Estates 1, is underlain 

by glauconitic clays of the Navesink Formation; as some of 

these clays are green in color, part of this area may be underlain by the Hornerstown Formation, which unconformably 

overlies the Navesink Formation. At Estates 2, soils underlying the upland, residential area are sandy loams of the glauconite-bearing (2–5 percent glauconite) Freehold soil series and 

the Sassafras series. Near the stream, the detention basin is 

within sandy loams of the Collington series, with up to 20 percent glauconite (Keenan and Muñiz, 2007).

Land Use

Land use within the RAC watershed has been mainly 

agricultural (fig. 2) with much of the area occupied by 

orchards. In recent years, however, the balance has shifted 

towards increased residential (suburban) land use. In the 

newly developed areas, detention basins commonly have been 

installed to capture runoff.

The mixture of the remaining agricultural land and newly 

developed residential areas has resulted in a complex mosaic 

of land uses within the RAC watershed. Urbanized areas, 

some of which date to the 18th or 19th centuries, are few. The 

watershed contains a variety of known contaminated sites, 

most of which are clustered near the downstream, tidal portion 

of the stream, rather than in the area sampled for the current 

study. The part of the watershed sampled for this study contains five known contaminated sites, most of which are near 

tributaries, or are farther than 0.5 mi from the mainstem. 

Aerial photographs from the 1930s to 2002 indicate 

Estates 1 was developed on former orchard land. Land use, 

prior to the development of Estates 2, appears to have been 

agricultural but was not orchard land.

Methods

Collection of Water Samples

Samples of runoff were collected in the two detention basins (sampling site 01477082, hereafter E1B and site 

01477106, hereafter E2B) adjacent to the RAC and from the 

basins’ outlets to the RAC (site 01477083, hereafter E1O 

and site 01477107, hereafter E2O) during storms (see figs. 1 

and 2). Streamwater from the RAC immediately upstream 

of E1O and E2O also was collected during the same storms; 

these stream sites (01477081 and 01477105, respectively 

(figs. 1 and 2) are referred to as E1C and E2C, respectively. 

Samples were collected at Estates 2 on May 16, 2008, when 

at least 0.5 in. of rain fell as measured at the rain gage at site 

01411000 on the Great Egg Harbor River at Folsom, New 

Jersey. Previously, a combined total of about 3 in. of rain had 

fallen from May 8 through May 12, followed by a three-day 

interval of no precipitation. Peak flows on the RAC (fig. 3) 

from this period were recorded at the downstream gage 

(01477120, see fig. 1 for location) on May 9, 13, and 16. 

The streamwater sample (E2C) at Estates 2 was collected at 

12:50 on the descending limb of the hydrograph at that site, as 

peak flow was being recorded at that time at the downstream 

streamgage (01477120). Samples were collected during the 

storm on the rising limb of the hydrograph (fig. 4) at both 
Methods 5

01477083

01477082

01477081

01477107

01477106

01477105

01477120

01477083

01477082

01477081

01477107

01477106

01477105

01477120

01477083

01477082

01477081

01477107

01477106

01477105

01477120

Raccoon Cree k

EXPLANATION

0 1 2 3 MILES

0 1 2 3 KILOMETERS

75°20' 75°15' 75°10'

39°

45' 

39°

40' 

Land use from New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Office of Information

Resources Management, Bureau of Geographic Information Systems, 2007

Swedesboro

ESTATES 1

ESTATES 2

Land use (2002)

Agriculture

Forest

Urban

Wetlands

Barren land

Watershed boundary

Sampling site and identifier

Streamgaging station and identifier

Stream

01477105

01477120

Known contaminant site

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:24,000,

Universal Transverse Mercator Projection, Zone 18

Delaware

River

Raccoon Creek

watershed

Gloucester 

County

Folsom stream

and precipitation

gage (01411000)

Delaware

Bay ATLANTIC OCEAN

NEW

JERSEY

0 20 MILES

0 20 KILOMETERS

75° 74°

41°

40°

39°

sediment sampling sites.

Figure 2. Land use within the Raccoon Creek watershed, Gloucester County, New Jersey, and locations of streamwater and soil 

Estates 1 and Estates 2 on September 6, 2008, during a storm 

in which nearly 2 in. of rain fell following nearly a month of 

virtually no precipitation.

Water samples were collected as grab samples. Nitrilegloved personnel from the CCSCD, the Gloucester County 

Soil Conservation District (GCSCD), and the USGS collected 

samples in acid-washed bottles. Four to five samples were 

collected from water that was pooling in the detention basins, 

working from downstream to upstream to avoid contamination 

of subsequent samples. At each basin, a sample of water issuing from the outlet to the RAC also was collected, and a series 

of five grab samples was collected from midway in the water 

column, immediately upstream of each outlet along a cross 

section of the RAC at each site. Sample bottles were labeled 

with site identification, date, time, and numbers keyed to field 

maps of individual sample locations. All samples were chilled, 

and kept in the dark until further sample processing at the 

USGS New Jersey Water Science Center (NJWSC) laboratory.

For each sampling site, the basin sample set and stream 

sample set were each composited in an acid-washed churn 

using ultraclean protocols (Horowitz and others, 1994; 

Ivahnenko and others, 1996; Wilde and others, 2004). Water 

samples were filtered through an in-line 0.45-mm pore-size filter. Whatman capsule filters were used in May 2008. Owing to 

unavailability of capsule filters after the May sampling, Aquaprep disc filters were used in September; clogging of pores due 
6 Arsenic, Metals, and Nutrients in Runoff from Two Detention Basins to Raccoon Creek, New Jersey Coastal Plain, 2008

X

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

May 06

2008

May 08

2008

May 10

2008

May 12

2008

May 14

2008

May 16

2008

May 18

2008

USGS 01477120 Raccoon Creek near Swedesboro NJ

Median daily statistic (42 years) Daily mean discharge

Provisional Data Subject to Revision

DAILY Discharge, cubic feet per second

Figure 3. Discharge 

at Raccoon Creek 

streamgaging station 

01477120, Gloucester 

County, New Jersey, from 

May 6 through May 18, 

2008. Sampling at Estates 2 

conducted on May 16, 

2008, from 11:05 to 12:50, is 

indicated by X on graph.

X

60

50

40

30

20

10

Sep 01

2008

Sep 02

2008

Sep 03

2008

Sep 04

2008

Sep 05

2008

Sep 06

2008

Sep 07

2008

Sep 08

2008

USGS 01477120 Raccoon Creek near Swedesboro NJ

Median daily statistic (42 years) Daily mean discharge

Provisional Data Subject to Revision

DAILY Discharge, cubic feet per second

Figure 4. Discharge 

at Raccoon Creek 

streamgaging station 

01477120, Gloucester 

County, New Jersey, from 

September 1 through 

September 8, 2008. 

Sampling at Estates 1 and 2, 

conducted on September 6, 

2008, from 16:15 to 18:10, is 

indicated by X on graph.
Quality-Assurance Measures 7

to the small surface area of the disc filters may have produced 

a low bias for constituents in filtered samples collected in 

September. Personnel processing samples wore nitrile gloves 

that were changed between steps in the process and between 

samples. Sample processing and preservation with ultra-pure 

acids was done inside chambers of polyethylene sheeting on 

polyvinyl chloride frames; the chamber sheeting was changed 

between samples. All equipment used for collection and processing of aqueous samples was acid-washed (5 percent HCl) 

and rinsed with de-ionized water.

Collection of Soil Samples

Samples of detention-basin soils and clays were collected by using either a 1-m-long stainless-steel corer with 

pre-cleaned butyl acetate liners, as described by Barringer and 

others (1998), or a clean stainless-steel bucket auger. RAC 

bankside soils were collected at Estates 1 by coring. Detention-basin soils/sediments at Estates 2 were collected with 

the corer, but samples of RAC bankside soils were collected 

from the subsurface with a clean auger in a previously dug pit 

because cobbles and gravel near the surface precluded coring, 

and only the subsurface sample could be collected. The soil/

sediment cores and auger samples were subsampled according 

to change in grain size, geologic material, or soil horizon, and 

sieved to less than 2 mm using pre-cleaned plastic sieves. 

Analysis of Samples

Unfiltered and filtered water samples collected in May 

2008 from the detention basin, outfall, and stream at Estates 2 

were analyzed at the USGS National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL) in Denver, CO, for As, selected metals, nutrients, and organic carbon, both dissolved (DOC) and total 

(TOC) (Brenton and Arnett, 1993; Faires, 1993; Fishman, 

1993; Clesceri and others, 1998; Garbarino and others, 2006). 

Streamwater samples collected at Estates 1 and 2 in September 2008 were analyzed for the same constituents. Samples 

also were analyzed for Hg and major cations and anions—the 

major elements in filtered samples only. The soil and sediments were completely digested, using hydrochloric, nitric, 

hydrofluoric, and perchloric acids, and hydrogen peroxide 

(Arbogast, 1996; Briggs and Meier, 2002), and analyzed for 

total As, a suite of total metals, and carbon (Brown and Curry, 

2002; Brown and others, 2002) by the USGS Geologic Discipline Research Laboratory in Denver. Analytical methods are 

summarized in table 1.

Streamflow Measurements

 Staff gages were installed by personnel from the CCSCD 

at the two RAC stream sampling sites (01477105 (E1C) and 

01477081 (E2C)). Stream discharge at each site was measured 

immediately following the collection of the water samples by 

personnel from the CCSCD, using a type AA current meter 

with top set wading rod, following USGS procedures (Carter 

and Davidian, 1968). Rating curves (not shown) were developed for both sampling sites by CCSCD personnel (Craig 

McGee, Camden County Soil Conservation District, written 

commun. 2008).

Quality-Assurance Measures

Results of analyses of equipment blanks (acid-washed 

tubing, Whatman capsule filters, and Aquaprep disc filters) 

collected during spring and fall 2008 indicated that nearly all 

constituents were undetected in the blank water. Exceptions 

were Al and B, present at concentrations slightly above their 

respective lower reporting limits but well below the concentrations found in environmental samples.

For water samples collected during September 2008, in 

which all major ions were analyzed, cation/anion balances 

were computed. Percent differences between cations and 

anions were less than 5 percent for all samples, indicating 

acceptable analyses for those samples.

Two subsamples (TC-2, and TC-2R) of the core from the 

Estates 2 detention basin were analyzed as replicates. Concentrations of most of the metals were closely similar, with relative percent differences within 10 percent. The relative percent 

difference in As concentrations in these sediment samples, 

however, was about 24 percent. Measurements of As may have 

been less precise than those of some other constituents (recovery on sediment standards ranged from 96.6 to 125 percent 

(LaDonna Choate, U.S. Geological Survey, written commun., 

2009)), but the difference in As concentrations may stem, in 

part, from inhomogeneity of the replicate samples with respect 

to As-bearing minerals.
8 Arsenic, Metals, and Nutrients in Runoff from Two Detention Basins to Raccoon Creek, New Jersey Coastal Plain, 2008

Table 1. Analytical methods and lower reporting limits for selected constituents

[LRL, Lower reporting limit; ANC, acid-neutralizing capacity; N, nitrogen; P, phosphorus; u, unfiltered sample; f, filtered sample; ICP/

AES, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry; ICP /OES, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry; 

ICP/MS, inductively coupled plasma/mass spectrometry; cICP/MS, collision/reaction cell ICP/MS; IR, infrared spectrometry; CVAFS, 

cold-vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry; mg/L, milligrams per liter; μg/L, micrograms per liter; μg/g, micrograms per gram]

Constituent Method LRL

Major ions, water, in mg/L

Calcium ICP/AES 0.04

Magnesium ICP/AES 0.02

Potassium ICP/OES 0.02

Sodium ICP/AES 0.12

ANC (as CaCO3) Titration 6

Chloride Ion chromatography 0.12

Fluoride Ion chromatography 0.12

Silica Colorimetry 0.20

Sulfate Ion chromatography 0.18

Ammonia + organic N (as N) Photometry 0.14

Ammonia (as N) Colorimetry 0.02

Nitrite + nitrate (as N) Colorimetry 0.04

Nitrite (as N) Colorimetry 0.002

Orthophosphate (as P) Colorimetry 0.006

Phosphorus (u, f) Colorimetry 0.040, 0.04

Dissolved organic carbon IR 0.4

Total organic carbon IR 0.40

Trace elements, water, in μg/L

Aluminum (u, f) ICP/MSa 2, 1.6

Arsenic (u, f) cICP/MSa 0.12, 0.12

Barium (u, f) ICP/MSa 0.6

Boron (f) ICP/AES 1.2

Cadmium (u, f) ICP/MSa 0.14, 0.04

Chromium (u, f) cICP/MSa 0.4, 0.12

Copper (u, f) cICP/MSa 1.2, 1

Iron (u, f) ICP/AES 6, 8

Lead (u, f) ICP/MSa 0.06, 0.08

Manganese (u, f) ICP/AES 0.8, 0.4

Mercury (u, f) CVAFS 0.010, 0.010

Nickel (u, f) cICP/MSa 0.12, 0.2

Vanadium (u, f) cICP/MSa 0.10, 0.04

Zinc (u, f) cICP/MSa 2, 1.8

Soils/sediments, in μg/g

Major, trace elements ICP/MSb 0.004–4

Carbon Combustion/titrationc 100 

a

 Garbarino and others, 2006; Faires, 1993.

b

 Arbogast, 1996; Briggs and Meier, 2002.

c

 Brown and Curry, 2002, for total carbon, also Brown and others, 2002, for carbonate carbon; organic carbon is determined by difference between total and carbonate carbon. See http://water.usgs.gov/pubs/twri/ for other method references.
Arsenic, Metals, and Nutrients in Streamwater and in Runoff at Two Detention Basins 9

Arsenic, Metals, and Nutrients in 

Streamwater and in Runoff at Two 

Detention Basins

Estates 1

On September 6, 2008, runoff collected within detention basin E1B contained 2.68 μg/L of total (unfiltered) As; 

concentrations were slightly lower at the outfall (E1O) and 

in the stream (E1C) (appendix 1). The differences appear 

to be outside expected analytical error (about ± 6 percent), 

and likely represent an actual decrease from basin to outfall. 

Total Cr and Pb concentrations were substantially lower than 

the As concentration in the runoff, but Pb concentrations in 

the streamwater were substantially higher than those in the 

runoff. Particulate As concentrations (unfiltered minus filtered 

concentrations) were negligible in both the basin and outfall 

samples but were large (1.62 μg/L) in the sample from the 

stream (E1C) at the Estates 1 site. Thus, As in the runoff water 

was almost entirely in the operationally defined “dissolved” 

form, which could include colloids small enough to pass 

through the 0.45-μm pore-size filters used in this study.

The pattern shown by As was present for the metals Ba, 

Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, V, and Zn; these were in mostly dissolved form 

in the runoff but in mostly particulate form in the stream. For 

the metals Al, Fe, and Mn, the pattern differed. More than 50 

percent of the Al, Fe, and Mn in runoff in the basin and at the 

outfall was particulate, likely indicating that Fe-and Mn-oxidecoated clay particles are an important component of the runoff. 

Small differences in concentrations of TOC and DOC in the 

runoff indicate that, although organic particles were present, 

most organic carbon was dissolved. Mercury was not detected 

in the runoff (< 0.010 μg/L) but was detected in the streamwater from E1C at 0.018 μg/L (appendix 1).

Ammonia concentrations were low and organic N was the 

dominant N species in the runoff samples; concentrations were 

slightly higher in runoff than in the stream (E1C) immediately 

upstream from the outfall (E1O). The nitrite + nitrate concentration was slightly higher in the streamwater than in the runoff to the basin (E1B) but about the same as the concentration 

in the outfall (E1O) sample. On the basis of the difference in 

concentrations between unfiltered and filtered samples (appendix 1), some of the P in runoff was present in particulate form, 

but most was in dissolved form, as orthophosphate. In the 

streamwater, however, most of the P was in particulate form. 

The preponderance of dissolved forms in the basin runoff samples apparently indicates that some filtering of particles occurs 

as water moves over the lawn area surrounding the detention 

basin. Additionally, with relatively little movement of water 

as the basin fills, some particles bearing P, As, and many of 

the metals may settle out, although fine particles containing 

Al, Fe, and Mn (clays and Fe and Mn hydroxides) apparently 

remain in suspension. Water that collects in the basin includes 

the precipitation, in which any As, metals, and N species 

would be predominantly in dissolved form, and which would 

cause dilution of the runoff collecting in the basin. Chloride 

and sulfate concentrations in the runoff samples were slightly 

less than half those in the RAC streamwater sample at E1C, as 

were Na concentrations. Concentrations of Ca and Mg, on the 

other hand, were about the same in the runoff samples as those 

in the streamwater (appendix 1).

Estates 2

In samples from May 16, 2008, a negligible difference between concentrations of As in unfiltered and filtered 

samples indicated that runoff to the RAC from the detention 

basin (E2B) through its outfall (E2O) carried relatively little 

particulate As (≤0.1 μg/L). Concentrations of total As in the 

runoff samples were only slightly higher (1.63 μg/L at E2B 

and 2.21 μg/L at E2O) than the total As concentration of the 

streamwater itself (1.39 μg/L at E2C) (appendix 1, fig. 5). 

(Although relatively little of the As and accompanying metals 

was particulate, colloids of a size less than 0.45 μm could have 

been present in the filtered samples.) Concentrations of Al, Fe, 

and Mn, which were mostly in particulate form, were lower 

in water from the basin (E2B) and the outfall (E2O) than they 

were in the streamwater. Substantial amounts of Cu and Pb 

in runoff to the basin were in particulate form, although this 

Total As

Total Cr

Total Cu

Total Pb

EXPLANATION

May

September

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

SAMPLING SITE

EC2 (Raccoon Creek at

Turtle Creeek Drive)

E2B (Estates 2 detention basin)

E2O (Estates 2 detention basin outfall)

E2C (Raccoon Creek at Turtle Creek Drive)

E2B (Estates 2 detention basin)

E2O (Estates 2 detention basin outfall)

CONCENTRATION, IN MICOGRAMS PER LITER

Figure 5. Concentrations of total arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), 

copper (Cu), and lead (Pb) in runoff and streamwater at Estates 2, 

Gloucester County, New Jersey, during May and September 

storms, 2008.
10 Arsenic, Metals, and Nutrients in Runoff from Two Detention Basins to Raccoon Creek, New Jersey Coastal Plain, 2008

was not the case in runoff issuing from the outfall. Particulate 

organic carbon (POC) constituted a larger proportion of TOC 

in these runoff samples than in streamwater at E2C (immediately upstream from E2O), and TOC concentrations in the 

runoff samples were higher than the concentration in streamwater at E2C.

During the September 6 precipitation event, runoff exiting basin E2B to the RAC at E2O was observed to be greater 

than in May, in part, because of the intensity of the September 

storm and, in part, because sampling in May took place during the waning of the storm, whereas sampling in September 

took place at the peak of the storm. Another critical difference 

between conditions in May and September was that, unlike the 

soils in May, the soils surrounding the basin were dry in September because of a lack of rain during the preceding month. 

The preceding dryness would induce overland flow and reduce 

infiltration, as the soils would have required wetting before 

becoming permeable. During the peak of the September storm, 

the detention basin at Estates 2 was filled briefly with water 

that exceeded 3 ft in depth.

In September, almost none of the As in Estates 2 runoff 

was particulate. Concentrations of total As at the Estates 2 

basin and outfall were substantially higher (4.35 and 

3.17 μg/L, respectively) than they had been in the previous 

May (1.63 and 2.21 μg/L, respectively). In the RAC at E2C 

(immediately upstream from E2O outfall), however, nearly 

70 percent of the total As concentration was particulate in 

form, and concentrations of both total and dissolved As were 

more than double the concentrations measured in May (appendix 1). Concentrations of total (unfiltered) Cr, Cu, and Pb 

were substantially higher in streamwater and slightly higher in 

runoff to the basin in September than in May; concentrations 

of these constituents were about the same in runoff at the basin 

outfall during both storms (fig. 5).

In both May and September, concentrations of P in runoff 

from E2B and E2O were slightly lower in filtered samples 

than in unfiltered samples, and, thus, were mostly in dissolved form (appendix 1). In the stream at E2C, however, the 

P concentration was higher in the unfiltered sample than in 

the filtered sample; consequently, more of the P was particulate, especially in September. Total P concentrations were, 

overall, higher in September than in May (fig. 6). In contrast, 

concentrations of N species were higher in runoff in May than 

in September (fig. 6); the higher organic N may have been 

released from vegetation during a spring growing season, and 

residential fertilizer use in the spring may have contributed 

N species.

EXPLANATION

Ammonia + organic N

Ammonia

Nitrite + nitrate

Total phosphorus

May

September eptember

CONCENTRATIONS, IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER AS N OR AS P

0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

SAMPLING SITE

EC2 (Raccoon Creek at

Turtle Creeek Drive)

E2B (Estates 2 detention basin)

E2O (Estates 2 detention basin outfall)

E2C (Raccoon Creek at Turtle Creek Drive)

E2B (Estates 2 detention basin)

E2O (Estates 2 detention basin outfall)

Figure 6. Concentrations of ammonia + organic nitrogen, 

ammonia, nitrite + nitrate, and total phosphorus in runoff and 

streamwater at Estates 2, Gloucester County, New Jersey, during 

May and September storms, 2008.

Because concentrations of many constituents in unfiltered and filtered runoff water generally are similar, clogging 

of the filter pores does not appear to have caused a bias in the 

runoff samples. In the streamwater, where particulate concentrations of many constituents are high, clogging may have 

introduced a bias, but such a bias cannot be assessed because 

the Estates 2 streamwater sample from September was collected during substantially higher flow, presumably with more 

suspended particles, than the sample in May.
Differences in Water Chemistry, Estates 1 and 2, September 2008 11

Differences in Water Chemistry, 

Estates 1 and 2, September 2008

During the September 2008 storm, in the runoff samples 

from basin E2B and at the outfall E2O, total As concentrations 

were 4.35 and 3.17 μg/L, respectively; these concentrations 

were substantially higher than the concentrations in runoff 

samples from Estates 1 (fig. 7). Total Cr concentrations also 

were higher in the runoff samples from Estates 2 in September 

than they were in the runoff samples from Estates 1, but total 

Pb concentrations were about the same (fig. 7). The concentration of Pb in the streamwater, however, was substantially 

higher at sampling site E1C at Estates 1 than the concentration 

at E2C at Estates 2, indicative of sources of Pb upstream from 

Estates 1.

At Estates 2, the metals, with the exception of Al, Fe, 

and Mn, exhibited a pattern similar to that of As, being mostly 

in dissolved form in runoff but mostly in particulate form 

in streamwater, as was the case at Estates 1. In the stream, 

suspended particles (organic matter, clay and silt particles) are 

As

Cr

Pb

CONCENTRATION, IN MICROGRAMS PER LITER

EXPLANATION

Estates 1

Estates 2

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

E1C (Raccoon Creek

400 feet above Clems Run)

E1B (Estates 1 detention basin)

E1O (Estates 1 detention basin outfall)

E2C (Raccoon Creek at Turtle Creek Drive)

E2B (Estates 2 detention basin)

E2O (Estates 2 detention basin outfall)

SAMPLING SITE

Figure 7. Concentrations of total arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), and 

lead (Pb) in unfiltered samples of runoff to, and streamwater in, 

Raccoon Creek, Gloucester County, New Jersey, September 2008.

vehicles for transporting As and metals in the streamwater. It 

appears, however, that water entering and exiting both of the 

detention basins contained most metals either in a dissolved 

phase or on colloids and that the particles were mainly composed of Al-, Fe-, and Mn-bearing mineral phases, presumably 

clays and metal hydroxides. TOC and DOC concentrations 

were similar in runoff to and from both basins, the organic carbon being mostly in dissolved form. Concentrations of organic 

carbon in streamwater were higher in the RAC at E1C than 

at E2C, and substantially more of the carbon was in particulate form at E1C, probably indicating that greater amounts of 

organic material entered the stream upstream from EC1 than 

at EC2.

Of the N species present, organic N dominated all the 

water samples from Estates 1 and 2; nitrite + nitrate concentrations were substantially lower in runoff at Estates 2 than 

at Estates 1 (fig. 8), particularly at the outfall E2O. Nitrite + 

nitrate concentrations in the RAC streamwater at E1C and 

E2C immediately upstream from both outfalls were similar, 

however. Chloride and sulfate concentrations generally were 

higher in both streamwater and runoff at Estates 2 than they 

were at Estates 1, as were concentrations of Na.

EXPLANATION

Ammonia + organic nitrogen

Ammonia

Nitrite + nitrate

Estates 1

Estates 2

CONCENTRATION, IN MICROGRAMS PER LITER AS N

0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

E1C (Raccoon Creek

400 feet above Clems Run)

E1B (Estates 1 detention basin)

E1O (Estates 1 detention basin outfall)

E2C (Raccoon Creek at Turtle Creek Drive)

E2B (Estates 2 detention basin)

E2O (Estates 2 detention basin outfall)

SAMPLING SITE

Figure 8. Concentrations of nitrogen species in runoff to, and 

streamwater in, Raccoon Creek, Gloucester County, New Jersey, 

September 2008.
12 Arsenic, Metals, and Nutrients in Runoff from Two Detention Basins to Raccoon Creek, New Jersey Coastal Plain, 2008

Arsenic and Metals in Soils at and 

near Two Detention Basins

Estates 1

The bankside soils/sediments (hereafter referred to as 

sediments) at Estates 1 near the basin outfall have some 

features resembling soils (upper layers high in organic matter) 

but incorporate overbank deposits with contributions from 

overland runoff and are underlain by the geologic parent 

materials. These sediments were composed mainly of dark 

gray micaceous fine sands, silts, and clays. Some lignite was 

present below a depth of about 24 in., and reducing conditions 

were indicated by a strong hydrogen sulfide smell.

Concentrations of As and total metals such as Cu, and 

Fe, were highest in sample R-1a, which included the uppermost 15 in. of sediment or, in the case of Pb, in R-1b, which 

included sediments below 15 in. to about 20 in. (fig. 9). The 

concentration of Sb also was highest in the uppermost 15 in. 

(fig. 9); Sb has been shown to be enriched in orchard soils to 

which arsenical pesticides have been applied (Wagner and others, 2003); consequently, elevated Sb concentrations in concert 

with elevated As concentrations may be an indicator of arsenical pesticide residues. Concentrations of As and the above 

metals were lower in the deeper sediment samples R-1c and 

R-1d, which included sediments in the 36- to 40-in. interval, 

and the 40- to 43-in. interval, respectively.

Arsenic—as the oxidized species arsenate—is known 

to sorb to Fe (and Al) hydroxides (Manning and Goldberg, 

1996; Raven and others, 1998; Jain and Loeppert, 2000; Stollenwerk, 2003). In orchard soils, both As and Pb from lead 

arsenate pesticide applications have been shown to bind tightly 

to humic acids present in the organic matter of soils (Newton 

and others, 2006). Nevertheless, Pb appears to be less mobile 

in soils and sediments than does As (Peryea and Creger, 1994; 

Asher, 2009). The higher concentration of Pb from about 15 to 

20 in. below the surface in the bankside sediments may reflect 

earlier atmospheric inputs from use of leaded gasoline; these 

emissions peaked in about 1970 (Juracek and Ziegler, 2006).

The concentrations of total P and organic carbon (OC) 

showed a vertical distribution similar to that of As (appendix 2). Phosphate (mostly represented by total P concentrations), which behaves chemically in a manner similar to that 

of arsenate, is known to sorb to Fe hydroxides and may inhibit 

As sorption (Stollenwerk and others, 2007; Zeng and others, 

2008; Campbell and others, 2008). Because of competition 

with As for sorption sites, application of phosphate in fertilizers has been proposed as a means by which As is mobilized in 

soils (Peryea and Creger, 1994).

A standard procedure for evaluating reactive chemical constituents such As in sediments is to normalize to 

(divide by) a more conservative element (one that does not 

sorb or participate in redox reactions) such as Al (Horowitz 

and others, 1988). Further, As and many of the metals introduced by runoff to the soils and sediments lining the stream 

would be expected to be sorbed to or complexed by either 

EXPLANATION

As

Pb

Cu

Fe

Sb

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

CONCENTRATIONS OF As, Pb, Cu, and Sb, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, AND Fe, IN PERCENT

R-1; 0–15 in.

R-1; 15–20 in.

R-1; 36–40 in.

R-1; 40–43 in. SAMPLE NAME AND DEPTH, IN INCHES (in.)

Figure 9. Concentrations of arsenic (As), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), and antimony (Sb) in Raccoon Creek 

bankside soils at Estates 1, Gloucester County, New Jersey, 2008. Fe concentrations are shown as percent, for 

scaling purposes.
Arsenic and Metals in Soils at and near Two Detention Basins 13

Fe-hydroxides or by clays (represented by Al) or by organic 

matter (essentially represented by OC). The normalization 

helps in identifying where As and metals concentrations are 

high because concentrations of the materials to which they are 

sorbed or complexed also are high. Arsenic was strongly and 

positively related to both Fe (R2 = 0.97, p = 0.01) and OC (R2

= 0.95, p = 0.02) in the sediments from the Estates 1 bankside 

core. When normalized to Fe and Al (representing As as a 

function of Fe hydroxides and clays) As concentrations were 

highest in the surficial soils/sediments and decreased with 

depth (fig. 10). The same pattern was seen for P, which also 

would be likely to sorb to Fe hydroxides.

The vertically decreasing concentrations of As and P 

normalized to Fe and Al (representing concentrations of Fe 

and Al hydroxides and clays to which both constituents are 

likely to be sorbed) with depth probably represent some 

introduction of both As and P by runoff to the upper layers of 

the bankside sediments at Estates 1, rather than a distribution 

that arose from geologic inputs alone, as it is clear that, when 

As and P concentrations are considered as a function of Fe and 

Al concentrations, there is more As and P in the upper layers 

than in the lower layers. Strong statistical relations of As to 

OC, also P to OC, may exist simply because concentrations of 

all three constituents are highest in the uppermost layers of the 

bankside sediments and decrease with depth.

Metals such as Cu and Pb are likely to be complexed by 

organic matter (Schnitzer and Kerndorff, 1981), and Cu and 

Pb concentrations were higher in the upper, more organic-rich 

samples R-1a and R-1b. When normalized to OC, because OC 

concentrations are relatively low in the deeper samples R-1c 

and R-1d, the distributions of Cu and Pb indicated relatively 

little change with depth, perhaps indicating that their inputs to 

the bankside sediments have occurred with fewer recent pulses 

than those of As and P.

Insofar as Estates 1 was developed on former orchard 

land in which both arsenical pesticides and phosphoruscontaining fertilizers may have been used, it seems plausible 

that residues of these chemicals could be carried by runoff to 

the streambank soils and sediments and likely to the stream 

itself. The layers in the bankside sediments derive from inputs 

of soils and sediment from overland runoff and from stream 

deposition during high water, and thus, the vertical distribution of constituents such as As, P, and also the metals could be 

considered a representation of historical inputs.

Estates 2

Given the nature of soils and bankside sediments at 

Estates 2, no cores with visible layering were collected; thus 

vertical distributions of constituents cannot be compared with 

those of the bankside core at Estates 1. Soil/sediment samples 

collected within the basin at Estates 2 show that the basin is 

underlain directly by dark green and gray glauconitic clays 

of the Hornerstown Formation and, possibly, the Navesink 

Formation, as the basin is located on or close to the contact 

between the two units. The sandy soils of the upland residential area that drain to the basin include the Freehold series, 

which contains moderate amounts of clays and glauconite, 

EXPLANATION

As/OC

As/(Fe/1,000)

As/(Al/1,000)

0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5

R-1; 0–15 in.

R-1; 15–20 in.

R-1; 36–40 in.

R-1; 40–43 in.

SAMPLE NAME AND DEPTH,

IN INCHES (in.)

CONCENTRATION OF As/OC, IN MILLIGRAMS PER DECAGRAM, As/(Al/1,000), AND As/(Fe/1,000),

IN MILLIGRAMS PER GRAM

Figure 10. Concentrations of arsenic (As) normalized to organic carbon (OC), aluminum (Al), and iron (Fe) in 

Raccoon Creek bankside soils at Estates 1, Gloucester County, New Jersey, 2008. Fe and Al are divided by 1,000 for 

scaling purposes.
14 Arsenic, Metals, and Nutrients in Runoff from Two Detention Basins to Raccoon Creek, New Jersey Coastal Plain, 2008

and the Sassafras series, which contains little or no glauconite 

(Keenan and Muñiz, 2007). Soils in the wetlands along the 

bank of the RAC at Estates 2 are described as loamy sands of 

the Collington soil series by Keenan and Muñiz (2007). On 

the streambank, the loamy materials were intermixed with 

gravels down to about 18 in.; below that depth, loamy sands 

graded into glauconite-rich clays. The clays are encountered at 

a depth of about 48 in. along the streambank and underlie the 

stream channel at this location.

The As concentration in the bankside loamy sand at a 

depth of about 19–22 in. was 12 mg/kg (appendix 2), slightly 

less than the concentration of As (16.1 mg/kg) in the surficial bankside sediments (sample R-1a) at Estates 1, but more 

than the As concentration (7.5 mg/kg) in the sample (R-1b) 

from below 15 in. to about 20 in. at Estates 1. The glauconiterich clay beneath the detention basin contained about 24 to 

45 mg/kg of As; these concentrations of As were at least twice 

those encountered in the bankside sediments (which did not 

contain glauconite) at Estates 1. Concentrations of Cr and V 

also were generally higher in the glauconitic soils/sediments 

at Estates 2 than in the sediments at Estates 1, likely reflecting 

the geologic contributions of these constituents to soil/sediment chemistry at Estates 2.

Concentrations of As, Be, Cr, and V—all of which are 

present at high concentrations in soils and sediments with high 

glauconite content (Dooley, 1998; 2001)—generally increased 

as concentrations of Fe in the soils/sediments increased 

(fig. 11.) The relations of As and Be with Fe, in particular, 

were strongly linear. Glauconite is a mineral with the nominal 

formula of (K,Na)(Mg,Fe+2)0.33(Fe+3,Al)1.67[(Si,Al)4O10](OH2) 

(Gaines and others, 1997) that contains substantial amounts 

of Fe in two valence states, and the positive relations shown 

in figure 11 appear to indicate that most of the As and Be are 

contributed to the soils and sediments at Estates 2 by glauconites (and accompanying micas). The Cr and V appears to be 

contributed mainly by these geologic materials as well.

Possible Sources and Transport of 

Arsenic, Metals, and Nutrients to the 

Basins and Stream

Volume-weighted As concentrations in precipitation in 

southern New Jersey ranged from 0.069 μg/L to 0.16 μg/L, 

about the same as in more urban areas in northern and central 

New Jersey (Reinfelder and others, 2004). These concentrations are low, relative to an area such as suburban northern 

Virginia (about 0.5 μg/L or less; Rice and others, 2002; Conko 

and others, 2004). It appears that As deposited by precipitation 

on the Raccoon Creek watershed, as a whole, and in the detention basins in particular, is probably negligible in comparison 

with the concentrations of As delivered to the RAC streamwater in runoff and by suspended sediment.

As

Be

Cr

V

EXPLANATION

CONCENTRATION OF CONSTITUENT,

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM

10,000 100,000 1,000,000

1

10

100

1,000

CONCENTRATION OF Fe, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM

Figure 11. Relation of concentrations of arsenic (As), beryllium 

(Be), chromium (Cr) and vanadium (V) to iron (Fe) in glauconitic 

sediments from Estates 2, Gloucester County, New Jersey, 2008.

It is likely that some of the As and Cr in the runoff at 

Estates 2 is derived from the soils developed on As- and Crrich geologic materials because, during the storm in September, concentrations of both constituents were higher in water 

from the detention basin at Estates 2 (fig. 7), where the soils 

are rich in these elements, than in water from the basin at 

Estates 1, where obvious inputs of Cr are lacking and inputs 

of As may not derive solely from geologic materials. Surface 

and shallow subsurface runoff in some areas upgradient from 

the basin at Estates 2 passes through Freehold soils, which 

can contain up to 10 percent glauconite (Keenan and Muñiz, 

2007). Runoff to and within the basin (E2B) at Estates 2 runs 

directly over the glauconitic clays (in which the basin’s grass 

is rooted), and near the stream, subsurface flow to the RAC 

passes through the Collington soils along the banks, which can 

contain 10 to 40 percent glauconite. Given the relatively low 

concentrations of particulate As and Cr in the runoff samples, 

it appears that most of the contributions of these constituents 

either are in dissolved form or as colloids, which probably 

indicates substantial filtering of particles by grassy terrain 

leading to the basin and filtering and (or) settling within 

the basin.

The likely sources of As at Estates 1 could be both geologic and anthropogenic. In silty and clayey units of the basal 

Kirkwood Formation, As concentrations in pore waters have 
Possible Sources and Transport of Arsenic, Metals, and Nutrients to the Basins and Stream 15

been found to be quite high (6.2–37.4 μg/L; Szabo and others, 

2006), indicating a potential geologic source. Additionally, 

the land upon which Estates 1 was developed was formerly an 

orchard; consequently, lead arsenate pesticide residues may be 

present in the soils. Elsewhere, in the northern Coastal Plain of 

central New Jersey, As was enriched from background levels 

of about 5 mg/kg up to about 40 mg/kg in acidic sandy soils in 

orchards where pesticide residues were present (Barringer and 

others, 1998). There, the As was mainly associated with Fe 

in the uppermost mineral horizon (the A horizon) (Barringer 

and others, 1998) because oxidized As (arsenate) tends to sorb 

to iron hydroxides at a pH of less than 7 (Wilkie and Hering, 

1996). The highest concentrations of As and Sb in the bankside sediments at Estates 1 may be indicative of runoff bearing 

pesticide residues from the orchards that were once adjacent to 

the stream.

 Although the As and Fe concentrations in the surficial 

glauconitic soil sample from the detention basin (core TC-1) 

were lower than in the deeper sample (TC-2; appendix 2), 

concentrations of Ba, Cu, Na, P, and Pb were all substantially higher in the surficial sample than in the deep samples. 

This distribution could indicate that these metals, but not As, 

accumulate in the surficial soils within the basin, brought in by 

runoff. The metals then are sorbed to, or incorporated within, 

the existing soil particles. Likely sources for these constituents 

in runoff are vehicular traffic, roadsalt, and fertilizers.

 Concentrations of Pb in runoff to and from the basin at 

Estates 1 were about the same or slightly lower than those 

in runoff to and from the basin at Estates 2. Concentrations 

of Pb, mostly particulate, were higher, however, in the RAC 

streamwater at E1C during the September event than those 

downstream at E2C. A pulse of Pb to the stream during a 

major runoff event apparently is initiated upstream from 

Estates 1. Because the E2C site was sampled an hour later 

than the E1C site (both on the rising limb of the hydrograph 

from the gage at 01477120), the higher Pb concentrations 

may not have reached the downstream E2C site by the time 

of sampling. It is also possible that runoff and tributary water 

that contained lesser amounts of Pb from areas between the 

two sites diluted the streamwater at E2C. Only simultaneous 

sampling at the two sites throughout a storm would resolve 

this question. Such intensive sampling was beyond the scope 

of the current investigation.

The source(s) of what appears to be a Pb pulse in streamwater at E1C is not known. With residential development creating greater areas of impervious surfaces, runoff may contain 

more vehicle-related metals than it once did. Orchards where 

lead arsenate may have been used remain in the upper part of 

the watershed, but most do not abut the stream. Soil disturbance during residential development of former orchard land, 

such as at Estates 1, may be a factor. Some former orchard 

areas have been cleared but not yet developed, and Pb-bearing 

particles may now be washed to the stream at a greater rate 

than formerly. Concentrations of Cd (mostly in particulate 

form) also were higher in the RAC streamwater at the two 

stream sampling sites than in the runoff from either basin to 

the stream. This distribution may be indicative of a vehicular 

source for both Cd and Pb, whereby metal-bearing particles 

wash from road surfaces into the stream at bridge crossings 

and where roads are adjacent to the stream channel.

The relatively high concentrations of Cu in runoff waters 

in and from both detention basins could be indicative of inputs 

from vehicles and, perhaps, Cu leaching from chromated copper arsenate (CCA) treated lumber (Stook and others, 2005), 

possibly used in decks on nearby houses. If the latter contributes Cu to runoff, any As and Cr contributed by CCA-treated 

lumber would be hard to distinguish from the geologic inputs 

of As and Cr at the Estates 2 site because both constituents 

are major components of soils developed on, and glauconitic 

clays within, the Hornerstown and Navesink Formations 

(Dooley, 1998, 2001), one or both of which underlie the 

detention basin.

On the basis of nutrient concentrations in water samples 

collected during the September storm, runoff to and from the 

basin at Estates 1 contains greater concentrations of nitrite + 

nitrate than does runoff at Estates 2; this may reflect greater 

agricultural inputs at Estates 1. Nevertheless, nutrients in 

the stream also can derive from areas other than Estates 1 

and 2; these likely include farm fields and orchards still in 

production. Like As and the metals, P in the streamwater was 

mostly in particulate form, probably sorbed to Fe, Al, and Mn 

hydroxide particles for which it has a known affinity (Zhou 

and others, 2005).

In the runoff at both sites, molar concentrations of Na 

and Cl were nearly the same. This could be an indication of 

roadsalt effects because the moles of Na in roadsalt sodium 

chloride (NaCl) are equivalent to the moles of Cl. Retention 

of roadsalt from winter applications can lead to Cl accumulation in watersheds (Kelly and others, 2008, and sources cited 

therein). Consequently, Cl from residual roadsalt probably 

continues to make its way to the detention basins throughout 

the year. In the streamwater, however, molar concentrations 

of Cl were greater than those of sodium. Although Na can be 

removed from solution by ion exchange, the change in Na/Cl 

balance may indicate that other sources of Cl—probably residues of agricultural chemicals such as KCl (see, for example, 

Nakano and others, 2008)—are contributing to the Cl content 

of streamwater during rain/runoff events.

Concentrations of SO4 were substantially higher in 

streamwater than in runoff at both sites. Consequently, it 

appears that residential development contributes relatively 

little SO4 to the stream. Much of the SO4 in the streamwater 

could derive from runoff from agricultural land in the watershed, as fertilizers can contain substantial amounts of sulfate 

(Nakano and others, 2008).

Overall, although the detention basins do contribute As, 

metals, and nutrients (also Cl and SO4) to the RAC, the concentrations of these constituents in the stream during high flow 

indicate the cumulative inputs upstream from the two basins 

substantially outweigh contributions from the individual 

basins. On the basis of differences in concentrations between 

unfiltered and filtered water samples, there clearly are particles 
16 Arsenic, Metals, and Nutrients in Runoff from Two Detention Basins to Raccoon Creek, New Jersey Coastal Plain, 2008

greater than 0.45 μm in the runoff, but these appear to contain 

mostly Al, Fe, and Mn, which are interpreted as indicative 

of clays and Fe-, Mn, and Al-hydroxide particles. With the 

exception of some particulate Pb, however, most of the metals 

appeared to be in dissolved or colloidal form, particularly in 

samples collected in September. The DOC in the runoff may 

have complexed and transported some of the metals in dissolved form rather than in particulate form.

Metal ions Cr3+, Fe3+, Al3+, Pb2+, and Cu2+ all form complexes with fulvic acids (major components of organic matter 

in soils) at about pH 7, as demonstrated by Schnitzer and 

Kerndorff (1981). At Estates 1 and 2, the pH of runoff, which 

was measured in the laboratory, was about 7. Complexation of 

some of the metals by organic acids appears likely at the circumneutral pHs of the runoff and streamwater; this likelihood 

is supported by a strong positive relation (Pearson’s r greater 

than 0.85) between DOC, dissolved As, dissolved P, and dissolved Cu in both runoff and streamwater (fig. 12; table 2). 

Metals in anionic form such as Cr and V also show a positive 

relation to DOC (fig. 12). A recent study shows that As, as the 

oxidized form arsenate (As (V)), binds strongly to humic acids 

(another major component of organic matter) at pH 7 (Buschmann and others, 2006). Consequently, complexation by 

DOC may be the means by which dissolved As and some other 

dissolved constituents are transported. Particulate As and Pb, 

and particulate P also show a strong relation to particulate Al, 

Fe, and Mn (fig. 13; table 3), indicating that sorption to mobile 

Al-, Fe-, or Mn-hydroxide particles and clays may provide an 

alternate means of transport for these constituents and some 

of the other metals. At the roughly neutral pHs of runoff in 

this part of the RAC watershed, much of the anionic As and P 

(probably also Cr) would still be sorbed to metal hydroxides, 

whereas these anions would desorb at higher pHs (see, for 

example, Manning and Goldberg, 1996; Darland and Inskeep, 

1997; Dixit and Hering, 2003). Cationic metals, on the other 

hand, would have an affinity for clay particles, although the 

presence of organic matter can, for some metals, affect the 

degree of sorption (Schmitt and others, 2002).

 Concentrations of some constituents were lower in 

water from outfalls E1O and E2O than those in water from 

the basins (E1B and E2B), indicating the basins probably trap 

some As, metals, and nutrients. Nevertheless, concentrations 

at their outfalls indicate most of the As and metals in water 

within the basins ultimately is delivered to areas that abut the 

stream channel or to the stream itself. The particle load in the 

stream reflects far greater inputs of particles to the water column, overall, from both runoff and fine bed sediments that are 

suspended during high-flow conditions than would be likely 

in the runoff alone from the residential area, where filtering 

through the surrounding lawns and some settling of particles 

may occur as the detention basins gradually fill.

Runoff to the RAC probably is greater at Estates 2 than 

at Estates 1 as a result of (1) the clays underlying parts of the 

development, the detention basin, and the bankside soils at 

Estates 2, and (2) a slightly larger area of paved impervious 

surface in surrounding developments at Estates 2. Both areas 

0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

0 5 10 15 20

As

Cu

Cr

V

EXPLANATION

CONCENTRATION OF CONSTITUENT, IN MICROGRAMS PER LITER

CONCENTRATION OF DOC, IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER

Figure 12. Relation of concentrations of dissolved arsenic (As), 

copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), and vanadium (V) to concentrations 

of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in runoff to, and streamwater 

in, Raccoon Creek, Gloucester County, New Jersey, May and 

September 2008.

As

Pb

P

EXPLANATION

CONCENTRATION OF PARTICULATE Fe,

IN MICROGRAMS PER LITER

CONCENTRATION OF PARTICULATE As AND Pb, IN

MICROGRAMS PER LITER, AND PARTICULATE P,

IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER

1 10 100 1,000 10,000

0.001

0.01

0.1

1

10

Figure 13. Relation of particulate arsenic (As), lead (Pb), 

and phosphorus (P) to particulate iron (Fe) in runoff to, and 

streamwater in, Raccoon Creek, Gloucester County, New Jersey, 

May and September 2008. (Note the log scale on both axes.)
Possible Sources and Transport of Arsenic, Metals, and Nutrients to the Basins and Stream 17

Table 2. Pearson’s correlation coefficients for selected dissolved constituents in runoff and streamwater, Estates 1 and 2, Gloucester 

County, New Jersey, May and September 2008.

[P, phosphorus, OC, organic carbon, Al, aluminum; As, arsenic; Cd, cadmium; Cr, chromium, Cu, copper; Fe, iron: Pb, lead; V, vanadium: diss, dissolved]

Pdiss OCdiss Aldiss Asdiss Cddiss Crdiss Cudiss Fediss Pbdiss Vdiss

Pdiss 1

OCdiss 0.883 1

Aldiss -0.079 -0.025 1

Asdiss 0.883 0.897 0.198 1

Cddiss 0.145 0.269 0.549 0.255 1

Crdiss 0.387 0.539 0.657 0.739 0.553 1

Cudiss 0.860 0.890 0.164 0.949 0.473 0.744 1

Fediss -0.532 -0.586 0.502 -0.523 -0.069 -0.275 -0.643 1

Pbdiss -0.572 -0.517 0.637 -0.407 -0.008 -0.030 -0.546 0.944 1

Vdiss 0.847 0.763 0.069 0.892 0.331 0.671 0.943 -0.712 -0.650 1

Table 3. Pearson’s correlation coefficients for selected constituents in particulate form in runoff and streamwater at Estates 1 and 2, 

Gloucester County, New Jersey, May and September 2008.

[particulate concentration = unfiltered concentration – filtered concentration; P, phosphorus; OC, organic carbon; Al, aluminum; As, arsenic; Cr, chromium; 

Cu, copper; Fe, iron; Mn, manganese, Pb, lead; V, vanadium; part, particulate]

Ppart OCpart Alpart Aspart Crpart Cupart Fepart Mnpart Pbpart Vpart

Ppart 1

OCpart 0.898 1

Alpart 0.907 0.725 1

Aspart 0.852 0.643 0.992 1

Crpart 0.836 0.632 0.986 0.996 1

Cupart 0.638 0.719 0.686 0.652 0.673 1

Fepart 0.979 0.856 0.966 0.928 0.913 0.691 1

Mnpart 0.969 0.818 0.982 0.953 0.942 0.683 0.995 1

Pbpart 0.992 0.899 0.937 0.887 0.873 0.705 0.993 0.983 1

Vpart 0.870 0.659 0.891 0.882 0.871 0.512 0.889 0.914 0.859 1

contain land that has been cleared but not developed from 

which sediment can be eroded and transported.

Because the Hornerstown and Navesink Formations form 

a confining unit, not an aquifer, percolation of As-bearing runoff waters to groundwater is unlikely at Estates 2. At Estates 1, 

however, where soils are sandier, some percolation is likely. 

Moreover, during bankside soil sampling at Estates 1, hydrogen sulfide odors, indicative of reducing conditions, were 

detected at a depth of about 2 ft. During a major rain event, the 

soils beneath the detention basin at Estates 1 would be saturated as the basin fills, and reducing conditions could develop 

there as well. Where such conditions develop, any sorbed 

As present as arsenate (As (V)) could be reduced to arsenite 

(As (III)), which might then become mobile, particularly if 

organic matter is present (Redman and others, 2002). Additional sampling would be needed to confirm this supposition.

The water-quality sampling and flow measurements made 

during the September 2008 rain event indicate that there was 

a substantial increase in streamflow over the short distance 

(2.44 mi) from Estates 1 to Estates 2; input from several tributaries that enter the RAC between Estates 1 and 2 probably 

accounts for much of the increase. Instantaneous discharge 

was 8.5 ft3/s at Estates 1 at 1700 hours and 40 ft3/s at Estates 2 

at 1830 hours. Flow peaked at about 58 ft3/s at the streamgage 

3.7 mi. downstream (01477120, fig. 4) about 18 hours later 

than the flow measured at Estates 2. Consequently, flow measured at Estates 1 and 2 would have been on the rising limb 

of the hydrograph. Given only 1.5 hours time difference and 
18 Arsenic, Metals, and Nutrients in Runoff from Two Detention Basins to Raccoon Creek, New Jersey Coastal Plain, 2008

a distance of 2.44 mi, the flow measurement at Estates 2 was 

probably made earlier relative to peak flow than that made at 

Estates 1; that is, the same points on a hydrograph showing 

the storm wave at Estates 1 probably would not be seen on 

a hydrograph at Estates 2 because the same part of the RAC 

mainstem storm wave would not yet have reached Estates 2 in 

1.5 hours.

In addition to runoff, streamwater upstream from and at 

Estates 1 also receives groundwater discharge from the basal 

part of the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system, whereas 

at Estates 2, minimal if any discharge would be expected 

from the clay-rich sediments of the confining unit formed 

by the Hornerstown and Navesink Formations. At Estates 2, 

the streamflow apparently is composed of runoff and surface water coming from upstream on the mainstem and 

the tributaries.

During the September storm, the total As load in the 

stream at Estates 1 was about 0.05 kg/day; the load in the 

stream at Estates 2 was 0.30 kg/day. The inputs of As in the 

vicinity of Estates 2 appear to have resulted in higher concentrations in the streamwater and a greater load than at Estates 1 

at the times of sampling. Nevertheless, without serial sampling 

at both sites during the same storm, the loads cannot be compared for equivalent points on the hydrograph. 

The As load at Estates 2 apparently was amplified by 

greater streamflow arising, in part, from inputs from the 

tributaries and, in part, from greater local runoff inputs (partly 

because of the clay substrate that blocks percolation) than the 

runoff inputs to streamflow at Estates 1. 

Inputs of constituents to the RAC from areas upstream 

from Estates 1 cannot be discounted, however. Particulate 

concentrations of several metals were high, and As concentrations were substantial in the streamwater just upstream from 

the Estates 1 basin. Runoff from currently inactive residential 

development construction sites probably contributes to particle 

loadings because the watershed currently contains bulldozed 

areas with little vegetation in addition to a greater amount 

of impervious surface than was present prior to the last two 

decades of the 20th century.

Summary and Conclusions

Samples of runoff were collected from two detention 

basins, their outfalls, and the Raccoon Creek immediately 

upstream from the outfalls. Sampling sites at Estates 2, 

underlain by glauconitic soils and geologic materials that are 

naturally enriched in As, were sampled twice, once during a 

rain event that was part of a 4-day wet period and once during 

a rainfall of 2.4 in. that followed a month of dry conditions. 

Sampling sites at Estates 1, underlain by soils and sediments 

composed mainly of quartz sand, were sampled once during the larger rain event. Before residential development, the 

area at Estates 1 was an orchard; the area at Estates 2 was 

farm fields.

The concentrations of As in runoff collected at Estates 1 

and Estates 2 differed substantially during the same rain event; 

concentrations were highest at Estates 2. Although there may 

be arsenical pesticide residues in the soil at Estates 1 that 

contributed to the moderately high As concentrations in runoff 

there, the higher concentrations at Estates 2 indicate that the 

geologic inputs of As to runoff and to the stream probably 

outweigh those contributed by former land use. The Estates 2 

sampling site is underlain by a confining unit (the Hornerstown and Navesink Formations); therefore, percolation of 

As-rich waters to groundwater within the detention basin 

probably is not an issue there. It may be an issue, however, 

in the basin at the upstream Estates 1 site where soils and 

underlying sediments are sandy and more permeable than 

those at Estates 2. September 2008 stormflow samples at both 

sites were collected on the rising limb of the hydrograph but 

not at equivalent points on the hydrograph. At the times of 

collection and streamflow measurements, the total As load 

at Estates 2 in September 2008 was 6 times that at Estates 1, 

reflecting not only greater inputs of As at Estates 2, but greater 

discharge arising from water in the tributaries entering the 

RAC upstream from Estates 2 and greater runoff because of 

the clay substrate.

Runoff to and from the detention basins contains metals, 

such as Cr and Cu, the main sources of which appear to be 

geologic and anthropogenic, respectively. Runoff from roads 

may be an important source of Pb to the stream, and runoff 

from surrounding agricultural areas appears to be a major 

source of nutrients, chloride, and sulfate. Because most of the 

chemical constituents sampled within the basins and at the 

outfalls were primarily in dissolved form, it appears that some 

filtering and settling of particles occurs along the paths to 

and within the basins. The metals and nutrients present in the 

streamwater, however, were mostly in particulate form—particles that were delivered by runoff from areas other than the 

detention basins and from suspended bed sediments.

Positive relations between As and some metals with DOC 

indicate that complexation with organic carbon may be one 

mode of transport for As and some of the metals in runoff and 

in the streamwater. Sorption of As, Pb, and P to Fe hydroxides may be indicated by the positive relation of particulate 

As, Pb, and P with particulate Fe, providing a second mode 

of transport.

Acknowledgments

Thanks go to Michael Haberland of NJDEP, and Charles 

Romig and Richard Westergaard of GCPD, for their administrative assistance. The authors thank the homeowners’ associations who permitted sample collection within their basins. 

The authors are grateful to personnel of the CCSCD and the 

GCSCD, to volunteer James McGee who assisted with field 

work, and to Chasity Williams of CCSCD for help with data 

and record management. 
References Cited 19

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22 Arsenic, Metals, and Nutrients in Runoff from Two Detention Basins to Raccoon Creek, New Jersey Coastal Plain, 2008

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 23

Appendixes 1–2
Appendix 1. Major and trace elements, organic carbon, and nutrients in water samples from two detention basins and their outfalls, at Estates 1 anCreek immediately upstream from the outfalls, Gloucester County, New Jersey, May and September 2008. [E, estimated concentration (below the lower reporting limit); <, less than; na, not analyzed; NAVD88, North American Datum of 1988] Station number Site name (USGS station name) Date of sample collection Sample start time Altitude of land surface, NAVD 88 (feet) Drainage area (square miles) pH, w

unfil

labo

(standa

01477081 E1C (Raccoon Creek 400 ft above Clems Run, Ewan, NJ) 20080906 1700 55 6.45 701477082 E1B (Estates 1 detention basin, Ewan, NJ) 20080906 1615 65 0.07 701477083 E1O (Estates 1 detention-basin outfall, Ewan, NJ) 20080906 1630 60 0.07 601477105 E2C (Raccoon Creek at Turtle Creek Dr. at Mullica Hill, NJ) 20080516 1250 35 12.8 n01477106 E2B (Estates 2 detention basin at Mullica Hill, NJ) 20080516 1105 53 0.07 n01477107 E2O (Estates 2 detention-basin outfall at Mullica Hill, NJ) 20080516 1150 40 0.07 n01477105 E2C (Raccoon Creek at Turtle Creek Dr. at Mullica Hill,NJ) 20080906 1800 35 12.8 701477106 E2B (Estates 2 detention basin at Mullica Hill NJ) 20080906 1810 53 0.07 701477107 E2O (Estates 2 detention-basin outfall at Mullica Hill, NJ) 20080906 1805 40 0.07 7

Site name Calcium, water, filtered (milligrams per liter) Magnesium, water, filtered (milligrams per liter) Potassium, water, filtered (milligrams per liter) Sodium, water, filtered (milligrams per liter) Acid neutralizing capacity, water, unfiltered, fixed endpoint (pH 4.5) titration, laboratory (milligrams per liter as calcium carbonate) Chloride, water, filtered (milligrams per liter) Fluoride, water, filtered (milligrams per liter) Silic

fil

(millig

liter 

E1C 14.6 2.99 3.82 6.01 26.3 14.5 0.081E 4E1B 12.1 1.83 6.22 3.26 33.8 6.41 0.179 

E1O 12.7 2.09 6.81 3.63 34.5 7.01 0.168 

E2C na na na na na na na E2B na na na na na na na 

E2O na na na na na na na 

E2C 16.2 3.20 5.50 6.58 24.9 17.8 0.111E E2B 10.9 3.33 7.65 7.40 31.2 14.8 0.181 2

E2O 8.64 2.74 5.94 5.53 24.5 11.5 0.127 
Appendix 1. Major and trace elements, organic carbon, and nutrients in water samples from two detention basins and their outfalls, at Estates 1 anCreek immediately upstream from the outfalls, Gloucester County, New Jersey, May and September 2008.—Continued[E, estimated concentration (below the lower reporting limit); <, less than; na, not analyzed; NAVD88, North American Datum of 1988]

Site name

 Ammonia plus 

organic nitrogen, 

water, unfiltered 

(milligrams per 

liter as nitrogen)

 Ammonia, 

water, filtered 

(milligrams per 

liter as nitrogen)

 Nitrate plus 

nitrite, water, 

filtered 

(milligrams 

per liter as 

nitrogen)

 Nitrite, 

water, filtered 

(milligrams 

per liter as 

nitrogen)

 Orthophosphate, 

water, filtered 

(milligrams 

per liter as 

phosphorus)

 Phosphorus, 

water, filtered 

(milligrams 

per liter as 

phosphorus)

 Phosphorus, 

water, unfiltered 

(milligrams 

per liter as 

phosphorus)

 Organi

water, 

(mill

per 

E1C 1.05 0.018E 0.605 0.005 0.071 0.078 0.635 7E1B 1.39 0.084 0.458 0.026 0.541 0.562 0.642 10

E1O 1.45 0.048 0.615 0.029 0.553 0.591 0.663 12

E2C 0.52 0.046 1.158 0.017 0.029 0.038E 0.102 5E2B 2.01 0.600 0.215 0.010 0.098 0.117 0.144 6

E2O 2.25 0.467 0.32 0.013 0.126 0.162 0.202 9

E2C 0.90 <0.02 0.631 0.009 0.045 0.057 0.363 8E2B 1.82 0.202 0.294 0.023 0.587 0.644 0.699 14

E2O 1.38 0.183 0.247 0.017 0.445 0.492 0.536 11

Site name

 Aluminum, 

water, filtered 

(micrograms 

per liter)

 Aluminum, 

water, unfiltered, 

recoverable 

(micrograms 

per liter)

 Arsenic, 

water, filtered 

(micrograms 

per liter)

 Arsenic, water, 

unfiltered 

(micrograms 

per liter)

 Barium, 

water, filtered 

(micrograms 

per liter)

 Barium, water, 

unfiltered, 

recoverable 

(micrograms 

per liter)

 Boron, water, 

filtered 

(micrograms 

per liter)

 Cad

water

(micr

 pe

E1C 16.4 741 0.663 2.28 37.4 81.0 19.8 <0E1B 26.3 92.1 2.56 2.68 8.34 9.16 13.1 0

E1O 28.1 63.1 2.44 2.45 9.62 10.5 15.3 0

E2C 56.0 263 0.872 1.39 57.8 62.1 24.1 0E2B 28.2 102 1.54 1.63 5.17 6.17 12.7 0

E2O 55.3 125 2.10 2.21 9.59 10.5 25.2 0

E2C 25.1 794 1.00 3.10 47.7 64.7 38.5 0E2B 43.0 105 4.35 4.35 10.7 11.4 36.7 0

E2O 33.9 85.0 3.11 3.17 8.28 9.09 26.7 0
Appendix 1. Major and trace elements, organic carbon, and nutrients in water samples from two detention basins and their outfalls, at Estates 1 anCreek immediately upstream from the outfalls, Gloucester County, New Jersey, May and September 2008.—Continued [E, estimated concentration (below the lower reporting limit); <, less than; na, not analyzed; NAVD88, North American Datum of 1988] Site name Chromium, water, filtered (micrograms per liter) Chromium, water, unfiltered, recoverable (micrograms per liter) Copper, water, filtered (micrograms per liter) Copper, water, unfiltered, recoverable (micrograms per liter) Iron, water, filtered (micrograms per liter) Iron, water, unfiltered, recoverable (micrograms per liter) Lead, water, filtered (micrograms per liter) Lead

unfil

recov

(micr

per 

E1C 0.127 1.09 0.972E 2.63 129 4,910 0.119 5.E1B 0.257 0.409 2.94 2.94 68.9 143 0.088 0.

E1O 0.285 0.348E 2.90 2.91 78.2 266 0.089 0.

E2C 0.274 0.568 0.920E 1.32 642 1,490 0.255 0.E2B 0.353 0.532 2.00 3.65 41.1 152 0.111 0.

E2O 0.555 0.699 2.86 2.85 117 247 0.140 0.

E2C 0.215 1.52 1.61 2.90 234 3,510 0.160 3.E2B 0.591 0.704 3.86 3.98 60.1 128 0.134 0.

E2O 0.398 0.508 2.91 3.28 66.7 177 0.115 0.

Site name Manganese, water, unfiltered, recoverable (micrograms per liter) Mercury, water, filtered (micrograms per liter) Mercury, water, unfiltered, recoverable (micrograms per liter) Nickel, water, filtered (micrograms per liter) Nickel, water, unfiltered, recoverable (micrograms per liter) Vanadium, water, filtered (micrograms per liter) Vanadium, water, unfiltered (micrograms per liter) Zinc

filt

(micr

per 

E1C 108 <0.010 0.018 0.634 1.97 0.450 2.15 1E1B 7.40 <0.010 <0.010 0.805 0.833 1.87 2.18 5

E1O 8.65 <0.010 <0.010 0.915 0.880 1.89 2.00 5

E2C 49.5 na na 1.74 1.84 0.279 0.615 5E2B 4.63 na na 0.654 0.738 1.60 1.72 8

E2O 8.37 na na 2.11 1.99 1.58 1.81 12

E2C 90.6 <0.010 0.021 1.51 2.69 0.374 2.12 4E2B 4.00 0.006E 0.009E 0.954 0.959 2.31 2.46 10

E2O 3.82 <0.010 0.005E 1.11 1.11 1.77 1.95 8
Appendix 2. Major and trace elements in soils and sediments from Estates 1 and 2, Gloucester County, New Jersey, June–October, 2008.[mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; OC, organic carbon; gl., glauconitic]

Site number Sample site and sample name

Sample 

composition

Sample 

depth

(inches)

Date of 

sample 

collection

Sample 

start 

time

Total 

carbon 

(percent)

Organic 

carbon 

(OC)

(percent)

Total 

aluminum 

(Al)

(mg/kg)

394224075120101 Estates 1 bankside core R-1 OC-rich silt 0–15 20081001 1125 8.54 8.43 38,200 394224075120101 Estates 1 bankside core R-1 clay, silt 15–20 20081001 1126 4.47 4.45 33,600 394224075120101 Estates 1 bankside core R-1 clay, lignite 36–40 20081001 1127 1.05 1.04 14,400 394224075120101 Estates 1 bankside core R-1 clay, sand 40–43 20081001 1128 2.04 2.04 16,700 394349075124001 Estates 2 detention basin core TC-1 gl. clay 0–6 20080620 1135 4.51 4.48 56,600 394347075123901 Estates 2 detention basin core TC-2 gl. clay 38–47 20080710 1130 0.62 0.62 48,600 394347075123901 Estates 2 detention basin core TC-2R gl. clay 38–47 20080710 1131 0.57 0.56 49,800 394348075124101 Estates 2 bankside augur TC-B loamy sand 19–22 20080710 1330 0.83 0.83 20,800 

Sample site and sample name

Sample 

depth

(inches)

Total 

barium

(Ba)

(mg/kg)

Total 

calcium 

(Ca)

(mg/kg)

Total 

cadmium 

(Cd)

(mg/kg)

Total 

chromium 

(Cr)

(mg/kg)

Total 

copper 

(Cu)

(mg/kg)

Total 

iron 

(Fe)

(mg/kg)

p

Estates 1 bankside core R-1 0–15 281 5,630 0.71 50.7 18.7 33,000 Estates 1 bankside core R-1 15–20 204 3,910 0.88 60.4 16.1 17,600 Estates 1 bankside core R-1 36–40 114 1,530 0.25 38.7 6.5 15,400 Estates 1 bankside core R-1 40–43 136 2,260 0.33 30.0 7.6 13,900 Estates 2 detention basin core TC-1 0–6 348 4,390 0.67 208 18.3 63,200 Estates 2 detention basin core TC-2 38–47 107 3,800 3.80 191 5.3 126,000 Estates 2 detention basin core TC-2R 38–47 102 3,790 3.40 207 5.5 139,000 Estates 2 bankside augur TC-B 19–22 148 792 0.12 66 6.6 33,100 
Appendix 2. Major and trace elements in soils and sediments from Estates 1 and 2, Gloucester County, New Jersey, June–October, 2008.—Continu[mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; OC, organic carbon; gl., glauconitic] Sample site and sample name Sample depth (inches) Total manganese (Mn) (mg/kg) Total sodium (Na) (mg/kg) Total nickel (Ni) (mg/kg) Total phosphorus (P) (mg/kg) Total lead (Pb) (mg/kg) Total vanadium (V) (mg/kg) 

Estates 1 bankside core R-1 0–15 569 1,070 18.2 1,410 39.9 47.2 Estates 1 bankside core R-1 15–20 102 781 13.1 664 57.4 49.2 Estates 1 bankside core R-1 36–40 76.5 374 4.6 161 12.6 27.2 Estates 1 bankside core R-1 40–43 120 486 6.2 176 15.4 26.9 Estates 2 detention basin core TC-1 0–6 181 2,080 27.0 2,040 24.1 106 Estates 2 detention basin core TC-2 38–47 61.5 415 24.6 703 5.75 92.4 Estates 2 detention basin core TC-2R 38–47 64 388 25.9 725 6.05 98.9 Estates 2 bankside augur TC-B 19–22 137 569 7.1 753 9.96 40 
For additional information, write to:

Director

U.S. Geological Survey

New Jersey Water Science Center

810 Bear Tavern Road, Suite 206

West Trenton, NJ 08628

or visit our Web site at:

http://nj.usgs.gov/

Document prepared by the West Trenton Publishing Service Center
Barringer and others—Arsenic, Metals, and Nutrients in Runoff from Two Detention Basins to Raccoon Creek, New Jersey Coastal Plain, 2008—Scientific Investigations Report 2011–5017