50272-101 

3. Recipient's Accession No. REPORT DOCUMENTATION I-1~REPORT NO. - PAGE 

- 4. Title and Subtitle 5. Report Date 

Chemical-quality reconna1ssance of the water and surficial bed June 1982 

material in the Delaware River estuary and adjacent New Jersey 6. 

trih11t::~r1 PR 1980 81 

7. Author(s) 8. Performing Organization Rept. No. --

Joseph J. Hochreiter~ Jr. USGS/WRI/NTIS 82-36 

9. Performing Organization Name and Address 10. Project/Task/Work Unit No. 

U.S. Geological Survey 

Water Resources Division 11. Contract(C) or Grant(G) No. 

Room 430 Federal Building (C) 

402 East State Street 

Trenton, New Jersey 08608 (G) 

12. Sponsoring Organization Name and Address 

U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources 

Room 430 Federal Building 

402 East State Street 

Trenton, New Jersey 08608 

15. Supplementary Notes 

Prepared in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, 

Division of Water Resources 

16. Abstract (Limit: 200 wordslThis report presents chemical-quality data collected from May 1980 to 

January 1981 at several locations within the Delaware River estuary and selected New 

Jersey tributaries. Samples of surface water were analyzed for Environmental Protection 

Agency "priority pollutants," including acid extractable, base/neutral extractable and 

volatile organic compounds, 1n addition to selected dissolved inorganic constituents. 

Surficial bed material at selected locations was examined for trace metals, insecticides, 

polychlorinated biphenyls, and base/neutral extractable organ1c compounds. 

Trace levels (1-50 micr&grams per liter) of purgeable organic compounds, particularly 

those associated with the occurrence of hydrocarbons, were found in about 60 percent of 

the water samples taken. DDT, DDD, DDE, PCB's and chlordane are present in most 

surficial bed material samples. Diazinon was the only organophosphorous insecticide 

detected in the study (1.6 micrograms per kilogram at one location). High values for 

select trace metals in bed material were discovered at two locations. Of the 10 sites 

sampled, the surficial bed material containing the most contamination was found along 

one cross section of Raccoon Creek at Bridgeport. An additional analysis of Raccoon 

Creek revealed bed material containing toluene, oil and grease, and trace quantities of 

15 base/neutral extractable org~nic compounds, including polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, phthalate esters, and chlorinated benzenes. 

17. Document Analysis a. Descriptors '1~ater-quality' 7~ater pollution, 7rbottom sediments' 7rorganic 

compounds, *trace metals, DDT, polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides, saline water, 

surface/ground-water relations. 

b. Identifiers/Open-Ended Terms Delaware River, EPA priority pollutants, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, 

Delaware, volatile organ1c compounds. 

c. COSATI Field/Group 

18. Availability Statement 19. Security Class (This Report) 21. No. of Pages 

No restriction on distribution UNCLASSIFIED 41 

20. Security Class (This Page) 22. Price 

UNCLASSIFIED 

(See ANSI-Z39.18) See Instructions on Reverse OPTIONAL FORM 272 (4-77) 

{Formerly NTIS-35) Department of Commerce 
CHEMICAL-QUALITY RECONNAISSANCE OF THE WATER AND 

SURFICIAL BED MATERIAL IN THE DELAWARE RIVER ESTUARY AND 

ADJACENT NEW JERSEY TRIBUTARIES, 1980-81 

By Joseph J. Hochreiter, Jr. 

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

Water-Resources Investigations 82-36 

Prepared in cooperation with the 

NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, 

DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES 

June 1982 
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

JAMES G. WATT, Secretary 

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

Dallas L. PecK, Director 

For additional information write to: 

U.S. Geological Survey 

Room 430, Federal Building 

402 East State Street 

Trenton, New Jersey 08608 
CONTENTS 

Page 

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

Introduction .. o............................................... 1 

Purpose and scope...................................................... 2 

Acknowledgments................................................... 2 

The Delaware River estuary............................................... 2 

Location and extent............................................ 2 

Climate ................................................... o 3 

Geography and geology............................................... 3 

Ground-water hydrology..................................... 5 

Surface-water hydrology......................................... 6 

Land use. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • .. . . . . .. . 8 

Data collection ...... ~&GG~··••e••···························· 10 

Sample collection............................................... 10 

Laboratory methodology......................................... 14 

Results...................................................... 14 

Water quality .............................................. 14 

Sediment quality.............................................. 20 

Discussion................................................... 27 

S u mm a r y a n d c o n c 1 u s i on s • . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . 3 5 

Suggestions for further study................................ 36 

Selected references............................................ 36 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

Figure 1.--Map of the Delaware River estuary showing the 

location of sampling sites...................... 4 

2.--Monthly streamflow for the Delaware River at 

Trenton, N.J. .. . . . . .. . . . . . ... ... .. . . . . . ........ 7 

3.--Stiff diagrams of major ions at five Delaware 

River estuary sampling locations, 

September 3-4, 1980 .............................. 19 

4.--Concentration of DDT and its metabolites in the 

surficial bed material of selected sites........ 24 

5.--Concentration of chlordane in the surficial bed 

material of selected sites...................... 25 

6.--Concentration of PCB's in the surficial bed 

material of selected sites...................... 26 

TABLES 

Table 1.--Comparison of mean monthly discharge with median 

and normal discharge at the Delaware River at 

Trenton, N.J. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 

2e--Land use by county for the Delaware Valley (1970).. 9 

3.--Sampling frequency and location of the 13 sampling 

s it e s • . . . . • . • •. • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 1 1 

III 
TABLES--Continued 

4.--U.S. Environmental Protection Agency priority 

pollutants:' analysis list of specific volatile 

organic compounds detectable by the U.S. 

Geological Survey Central Laboratory............. 12 

5.--U.S. Environmental Protection Agency priority 

pollutants: analysis list of acid extractable and 

base/neutral extractable organic compounds . .. ... 13 

6.--Chemical analyses of selected surface-water sites 

in the Delaware River estuary ........•.......... $ 15 

7.--Analyses of volatile organic compounds in the 

surface water of the Delaware River estuaryu..... 21 

8.--Chemical analyses of surficial bed material in the 

Delaware River estuary........................... 22 

9.--Insecticides for which analyses were done on most 

surficial bed material samples................... 23 

10.--Results of a base/neutral extractable organic 

compound analysis of the surficial bed material 

at Raccoon Creek at Bridgeport, N.J., 

January 8, 1981. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 

11.--Results of a previous investigation of the 

surficial bed material in the Delaware River 

estuary, April 28, 1979. ... .... .. . ... ...... ... ... 29 

12.--Chemical properties and environmental significance 

of selected constituents......................... 31 

IV 
GLOSSARY OF TERMS 

Appalachian Highlands. A major physiographic subdivision of the 

United States that, in New Jersey, includes parts of the 

following physiographic provinces: ( 1) Piedmont, ( 2) New 

England, (3) Valley and Ridge, and (4) Appalachian 

Plateaus. Each province is characterized by distinctive 

landforms related to the structure and types of rocks 

contained therein and to the geologic history of the 

province. 

DDT-T. A term used in this report to collectively identify DDT 

( dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane) and its metabolites, DDD 

(dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane) and DDE (dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene). 

Delaware Estuary. The entire tidal segment of the Delaware River 

including the Bay, from river mile Q. 0 at the entrance of 

Delaware Bay to river mile 133 at the head of tide at 

Trenton, N.J. 

Delaware River estuary. That segment of the Delaware Estuary, not 

including the bay, from river mile 48.23 at the mouth of 

the Delaware River to river mile 133 at the head of tide at 

Trenton, N.J. 

Delaware Valley. For the purposes of this report, a region as 

defined by the Delaware Valley Regional-Planning Commission 

that covers a total of 3,840 square miles in the center of 

the eastern seaboard. This area includes Bucks, Chester, 

Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties in 

Pennsylvania; Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Mercer 

Counties in New Jersey. 

Dissolved. That material in a representative water sample which 

passes through a 0. 45-micrometer membrane filter. This is 

a convenient operational definition used by Federal 

agencies that collect water data. Determinations of 

"dissolved" constituents are made on subsamples of the 

filtrate. 

EPA priority pollutants. A list of 129 materials developed by the 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Keith and Telliard, 

1979) in implementing parts of the Federal Water Pollution 

Control Act (Public Law 92-500) which deals with toxic 

pollutants in water. These materials include purgeable, 

acid extractable, and base/neutral extractable organic 

compounds, pesticides, metals, cyanides, asbestos, and 

polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's). 

Fall Line. A line characterized by the outcrop of bedrock that 

divides the rolling topography of the Piedmont physiographic province from the relatively flat plains of the 

Coastal Plain physiographic province. The line runs 

v 
GLOSSARY OF TERMS--Continued 

parallel and just to the northwest of the Delaware River 

estuary from below Wilmington, Del., through Trenton, N.J. 

The point at which the Fall Line crosses the Delaware River 

is considered to be the head of tide. 

Micrograms per liter (~g/L). A unit expressing the concentration 

of a chemical constituent in solution as the mass ( 1 microgram = 1 X 10- 6 gram) of solute per unit volume (liter) 

of water. One ~g/L is approximately equal to 1 part per 

billion (PPB) in aqueous solutions of low dissolved-solids 

concentration. 

Micrograms per gram (~g/g) or kilogram (~g/kg). A unit expressing 

the concentration of a chemical constituent as the mass 

(microgram) of the substance sorbed per unit mass 

(gram/kilogram) of sediment. 

Mi 11 igr ams per liter ( mg/L). A unit expressing the concentration 

of chemical constituents in solution as the mass ( 1 milligram = 1 X 10- 3 gram) of solute per unit volume (liter) 

of water. One mg/L is approximately equal to 1 part per 

million (PPM) in aqueous solutions of low dissolved-solids 

concentration. 

Minimum detection limit. For a given type of sample and analytical procedure, it is that concentration value below which 

the presenc~ of the constituent being analyzed cannot be 

verified or denied. Minimum detection limits can be 

identified in tables 6 and 8 of this report by a zero (0) 

or by a less than (<) symbol preceding a numerical value. 

Organic compounds, acid extractable (EPA priority pollutants). A 

group of 11 semi volatile phenolic compounds. These compounds are extracted with methylene chloride from a water 

sample under acidic conditions prior to analysis by gas 

chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). 

Organic compounds, base-neutral extractable (EPA priority pollutants).. A group consisting of 46 semi volatile compounds 

from various chemical families extracted with methylene 

chloride from a water sample under alkaline conditions 

prior to analysis by GC-MS. 

Organic compounds, purgeable (EPA priority pollutants). A group 

of 31 organic compounds which, because of their volatile 

nature, can be stripped as a vapor from a water sample via 

the injection of an inert gas prior to analysis by GC-MS. 

Two compounds (acrolein, acrylonitrile) of this group 

actually remain part of the water sample after vapor 

stripping. These compounds are analyzed by direct aqueous 

injection GC-MS. As a group, these compounds are of lower 

VI 
GLOSSARY OF TERMS--Continued 

molecular weight than acid or base/neutral extractable 

compounds, and often have higher vapor pressures. Their 

boiling points are less than 150°C. 

River mile. A system of computing center channel stream length 

The values used in this report were adopted from the table 

of river miles used by the Delaware River Basin Commission. 

Sampling vertical. A sampling location that represents the depth 

of a stream at a single point along the horizontal cross 

section of a stream or estuary. 

Sediment. A solid material that originates mostly from di.sintegrated rocks and is transformed by, suspended in, or 

deposited from water; it includes chemical and biochemical 

precipitates and decomposed organic material such as humus 

The quantity, characteristics, and cause of the occurrence 

of sediment in streams are influenced by degree of slope, 

length of slope, soil characteristics, land use, and 

quantity and intensity of precipitation. 

S A measure of the ability of a water to cone ec rical current expressed in micromhos per cenat 25°C. Because the specific conductance is 

to the number and specific chemical types of ions 

in solution, it may be used for approximating the dissolved 

solids content in the water. Commonly, the amount of dissolved solids (in milligrams per liter) is about 65 percent 

of the specific conductance (in micromhos per centimeter at 

25°C). This relation is not constant from stream to stream 

or from well to well, and it may even vary in the same 

source with changes in the composition of the water. 

Surficial bed material. The upper segment (0.1 to 0.2 ft) of 

unconso a material which is deposited on the bottom of 

a streambed, lake, pond, reservoir, or estuary. Only 

material which passes through a 2-millimeter sieve is 

accepted for the chemical analyses described in this text. 

Sus ended sediment. The sediment that at any given time is maina ne n suspension by the upward components of turbulent 

currents or that exists in suspension as a colloid in a 

water column. 

VII 
CONVERSION OF INCH-POUND UNIT TO INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM (SI) UNITS 

The following factors may be used to convert the inch-pound 

units published herein to the International System of Units (SI). 

Multiply Inch-Pound Unit By To Obtain SI Unit 

Lenth 

inch (in .. ) 2.54 centimeter (ern) 

foot (ft) 30.48 centimeter (em) 

mile (rni) 1. 609 kilometer (krn) 

Area 

square mile (rni 2 ) 2.590 square kilometer (krn 2 ) 

Flow 

cubic foot per second cubic meter per second 

(ft 3 /s) 0.02832 (rn 3 /s) 

million gallons cubic meter per second 

per day (Mgal/d) 0.04381 (rn 3 /s) 

Specific Conductance 

rnicromho per centimeter microsiernens per centimeter 

at 25°C (~mho/em at 25°C (~S/crn at 25°C) 

at 25°C) 1. 000 

Mass 

ton (short, 2,000 lb) .9072 ton (metric) 

VIII 
CHEMICAL-QUALITY RECONNAISSANCE OF THE WATER 

AND SURFICIAL BED MATERIAL IN THE DELAWARE RIVER 

ESTUARY AND ADJACENT NEW JERSEY TRIBUTARIES, 1980-81 

By Joseph J. Hochreiter, Jr. 

ABSTRACT 

This report presents chemical-quality data collected from 

May 1980 to January 1981 at several locations within the Delaware 

River estuary and selected New Jersey tributaries. Samples of 

surface water were analyzed for Environmental Protection Agency 

"priority pollutants," including acid extractable, base/neutral 

extractable and volatile organic compounds, in addition to selected dissolved inorganic constituents.. Surficial bed material at 

selected locations was examined for trace metals, insecticides, 

polychlorinated bipheriyls, and base/neutral extractable organic 

compounds. 

Trace levels ( 1-50 11g/L) of purgeable organic compounds, 

particularly those associated with the occurrence of hydrocarbons, 

were found in about 60 percent of the water samples taken. DDT, 

DOD, DDE, PCB' s, and chlordane are present in most surficial bed 

material samples. Diazinon was the only organophosphorous insecticide detected in the study ( 1. 6 11g/kg at one location). High 

values for select trace metals in bed material were discovered at 

two locations. Of the 10 sites sampled, the s~rficial bed material containing the most contamination was found along one cross 

section of Raccoon Creek at Bridgeport. An additional analysis of 

Raccoon Creek revealed bed material containing toluene, oil and 

grease, and trace quantities of 15 base/neutral extractable 

organic compounds, including polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, 

phthalate esters, and chlorinated benzenes. 

INTRODUCTION 

In recent water-quality studies of surface-water systems, 

chemical analyses of bed material deposits in stream channels have 

been used as indicators of past contamination. Some contaminants, 

especially organic substances, evade detection in water due to 

their typically low concentrations, erratic distribution patterns, 

and generally low solubilities. The chemical quality of any 

river is dependent not only on the quality of the water and aquatic life within the river, but also on the chemical compositidn of 

the channel deposits and the interactions that might exist between 

these deposits and the water. Many constituents are sorbed onto 

suspended sediment particles that are later deposited onto the 

streambed (Feltz, 1980). Over time, these contaminants accumulate 

in the bed material at concentrations many times greater than 

originally present in the water. 

An investigation by Sheldon and Hites (1978) detected 

nearly 100 organic compounds in the water of the Delaware River 

estuary between Trenton, N.J., and Marcus Hook, Pa., noting a 
predominance of ethylene glycol derivatives. Data collected by 

the U.S. Geological Survey throughout the 1970's indicate that 

some of the bed material along the Delaware River main stem 

contains organochlorine insecticides and PCB's. Additional d ta 

collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1979 suggest that 

substantial quantities of trace metals and organic compounds, 

including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) have been deposited in 

the sediments of the Delaware River estuary (U.S. Geo og cal 

rvey, 1980). 

Much of the Delaware River estuary overlies the outer p of 

the tomac-Rari tan-Magothy aquifer system. Existing potentiometric heads indicate that recharge from the river to this aquifer 

system occurs through sections of estuarine bed material. This 

condition might induce the transport of contaminants from the 

surface water and bed material to the aquifer system. 

Pur se and Sco 

The U.S. Geologi.cal Survey, in cooperation with the New 

rsey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Water 

sources, is investigating the chemical quality of ground water 

and surface water in the vicinity of the Potomac-Rari tan-Magothy 

aquifer system outcrop from Trenton to Pennsville, N.J. The study 

began in October 1979 and will continue through September 1983. 

This report discusses the occurrence and distribution of 

selected chemical-quality constituents, including U $ S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) "priority pollutants" (Keith and 

lliard, 1979), in surface water and associated surficial bed 

materials of the Delaware River estuary and selected New Jersey 

tributaries. Thirteen surface-water and 10 bed material sites 

were sampled between Trenton and Pennsville from May 20, 1980, 

through January 8, 1981. Emphasis in this report is placed on the 

investigation of trace metals and organic compounds in the 

surficial bed material. 

Acknowled nts 

The author is grateful to Kathy Baker, Paul Moleski and 

is Voronin of the U@ S. Geological Survey for the collection of 

eld data. Luis Lowe, organic chemist with the U e S. Geological 

Survey Central Laboratory, contributed guidance in organic 

chemistry. 

THE DELAWARE RIVER ESTUARY 

Location and Extent 

The Delaware Estuary basin drains approximately 5,900 mi 2 , 

excluding the surface area of the bay, and represents the tidal 

part of the Delaware River and Delaware Bay. The Delaware River 

estuary extends from the head of tide at Trenton, N.J., south to 

2 
river mile 48.23 at the head of the bay (fig. 1). The entire 

Delaware River basin drains 12,765 mi 2 (excluding the surface area 

of the bay) from parts of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, 

Maryland and Delaware (Parker and others, 1964). The estuary 

begins in Trenton, N.J. at the Fall Line, which separates the 

Appalachian Highlands from the Atlantic Coastal Plain. The large 

industrial cities of Philadelphia, Pa. (1980 population, 

1 ,688,210), Camden, N.J .. (84,910), Chester, Pa. (45,794), and 

Wilmington, Del. ( 70, 195) are located along the Dela\..Jare River 

estuary. The 1980 population of the nine-county Delaware Valley 

region is over 5 million (David Lewis, U.S. Census Bureau, oral 

communication, 1981). The Delaware River estuary supplies water 

for domestic use to sever a 1 communi ties , inc 1 u ding Phil ad e 1 phi a . 

The estuary serves one of the lar·gest freshwater ports in the 

country, and a shipping channel is dredged and maintained from 

Bordentown, N.J., south to the bay. 

Climate 

The Delaware Estuary basin has a moderate, primarily 

continental climate. The mean annual temperature at Trenton is 

54 °F ( 12.2 °C) with a range in mean monthly temperature from 32 °F 

(0°C) in January to 76°F (24.4°C) in July. Average annual precipitation during 1941-70 at Trenton was 40.17 inches. October and 

February are the driest months, with mean monthly precipitation of 

2.5 in. and 2.7 in., respectively. The wettest months typically 

are July and August, with mean monthly precipitation of 4. 7 in 

and 4.1 in. ,I respectively (U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration, 1973). 

Total precipitation during the sampling period from May to 

December 1980 was 3. 75 in. below a mean of 27.52 in. at Philadelphia and 7.07 in. below a mean of 28.68 in. in the basin above 

Trenton (Delaware River Basin Commission, written communication, 

1981). The annual precipitation at Trenton for 1980 was 34.17 in. 

(U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, oral 

communication, 1981). 

Geography and Geology 

The Delaware River estuary lies almost entirely in the 

northern Atlantic Coastal Plain. All drainage into the Delaware 

River basin north of Trenton, as well as most of the drainage into 

the estuary from Pennsylvania, originates in the Appalachian Highlands. Drainage into the estuary from New Jersey and most of Delaware originates in the Atlantic Coastal Plain. The geologic 

characteristics of both the Coastal Plain and Appalachian Highlands provinces contribute to the deposition of sediment within 

the estuary. 

Man sue and Commings ( 1974, p. H 17) report that, on the 

average, 1.6 million tons of sediment is transported into the 

Delaware estuary annually. Of this amount, the Delaware River 

main stem transports 48 percent, streams draining the Piedmont 

3 
BUCKS MONT GO RY Doylestown@ 

ER 

/ /~rnchc r. 

/ ----~\ ~ 

N.J. 

EXPLANATION· 

~=Water Quality Station V =Bed Material Quality Station with Station Sequence No 

IO~Siiiii~~~5iiiij~Oiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiil!I0~~~~~~~20~-----iiii30~~~~~~~40 Milu 

Delaware Estuary Basm 't.P !!liii1!!!1iiil!!!!lliiill'!!!li~Q iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!'f'~!'!!!!!!~~2.oiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiii3f'~!'!!!!!!~!'!!!!!!41ii.oiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii~~o Kilo!Mten 

Base map from: Delaware River Basin Commission 

Figure 1.-- Map of the Delaware River estuary showing the location of sampling sites. 

4 
Physiographic province transport 42 percent, and streams draining 

the Atlantic Coastal Plain transport about 10 percent. Of the 

remaining 52 percent of annual sediment transported from sources 

other than the main stem, Pennsylvania tributaries contribute 34 

percent, and New Jersey and Delaware tributaries each contribute 9 

p e r c e n t ( Man sue and Co mm i n g s , 1 9 7 4 , p . H 1 7 ) . We i 1 ( 1 9 7 7 , p . 1 5 ) 

reports that approximately 65 percent of all sediment transported 

into the estuary is deposited in the dredged navigation channel 

and anchorage areas between the head of Delaware Bay and 

Philadelphia. 

The geology of the Coastal Plain in New Jersey is characterized by a wedge of unconsolidated sediments that thickens and 

dips toward the Atlantic Ocean. The Potomac Group and Raritan and 

Magothy Formations of Cretaceous age are the oldest of these 

sediments. These deposits overlie Precambrian and Paleozoic crystalline rock and crop out along the Fall Line bordering the Appalachian Highlands in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. 

The Potomac Group and Raritan and Magothy Formations are 

composed of interbedded sand and gravel, silt, and clay units. In 

parts of the outcrop area, the Cretaceous formations are overlain 

by more recent sediments, including the Pensauken Formation of 

late Miocene age, the Bridgeton Formation of Miocene age, and the 

Spring Lake and Van Sciver Lake beds of the late Pleistocene age 

(Owens and Minard, 1979). 

Northwest of the Fall Line, the bedrock consists mainly of 

metamorphic and sedimentary rocks of Cambrian or possibly Precambrian age. Triassic rocks can be found at the surface in parts 

of Bucks and Montgomery Counties (Willard, 1962). 

Ground-water Hydrology 

The flow patterns within the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy 

aquifer system prior to ground-water development were controlled 

by the natural hydraulic gradients, reflecting the difference in 

elevation and the distance between recharge and discharge areas, 

as well as the geology and physical properties of the aquifers and 

confining units (Barksdale and others, 1958). The regional 

ground-water flow before development was controlled by recharge to 

two areas of the outcrop at high elevations (Barksdale and others, 

1958) and by leakage from the Englishtown Formation, through the 

underlying confining unit in the Merchantville Formation and 

Woodbury Clay (Gill and Farlekas, writ ten communication, 1969). 

As the water resources of the area were largely undeveloped, the 

aquifer discharged at many places into the Delaware River estuary, 

tributaries overlying the outcrop, and streams draining the 

Coastal Plain in southern New Jersey. 

In 1978, about 230 Mgal/d was withdrawn from the PotomacRari tan-Magothy -aquifer system, accounting for approximately 70 

percent of the total pumpage from the Coastal Plain in New Jersey 

(Vowinkel and Foster, 1981, p. 28). The extensive development of 

5 
the aquifer system in the Camden County area has resulted in a 

decrease in potentiometric heads, reversing the original flow 

pattern so that recharge to the aquifer system is now induced from 

the Delaware River estuary in this area (Greenman and others, 

1961, and Barksdale and others, 1958). 

Although t is generally accepted that the estuar·y echarges t e aquifer system e specific distribution 

k no v.rn Powell and others ( 1 9 54 ) conducted a qui r t e 

a yzed De aware Hiv r estua y bed 

d lph a part cularly along 

hannel i y flow hrough hi hly 

om nd the s (1958 p. 1 - 16 

th g he estuary to the 

sy u n the Philade ph a-Camden area 

of layer Luzier (1980, p. 21) 

r·ec ge to th.e ower aquifer would b u 1 y n 

laware Memoria Bridge for similar reasons. 

Luzier ( 980) deve oped a two-d me sian d 1 al simulathe Potoma Rari an-Hagothy aquifer syst The 

y a a borde e b th sides of the Del River 

T en to o Wilmington. A simulatio a a ysis for 

ha a out 1.15 c nt of the wate it drawn from 

nduc d echarge from the Dela e River 

Su 

ary and the lowe reaches of 

diu nal tidal fl tuations~ 

, p C22), uring a typical t al cycle, 

f h gher ntens ty ye net downstream 

dur'atlon (Cohen and Me thy 1962, p. 

et downstream discharge, in most cases, 

cycle H leman and ee (1969) report 

at Philade i.a, a unit f vJ e will travel 

e idal cycle--7 mi upst earn during high 

d ring low tid . The m s transit time 

Marcus Hook 43 days when the flow is 

i.ghton, 1966). Tidal reaches of the 

perience similar flue uationse The 

fluctua ons determines the amount of backwater 

can en er the tributaries from the estuary during the 

t dal cycle. 

A decrease in freshvJater inflow to the estuary and tributaries can diminish the ability of these bodies to flush out 

sal ne water and anthropogeni.c contaminants. The mean monthly 

streamflow the calendar ear 1980 is plotted in figure 2 

against he median of the man y means for the standard reference 

peri at the Delaware River at Trenton. Table 1 shows that the 

flow in the Delaware River at Trenton for each mon of the 

sampling period, May-December 1980, was substantially below the 

6 
NOV () JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT DEC 100 

co 80 

:::> 

() 60 

u.. 40 

0 0 

Cf) z 30 

0 0 

z () 20 

<{ w 

Cf) (/) 

:::> a: 10 

0 w 

I a.. 8 

1- 6 

z 

1-

w 

w 4 

w u.. 3 

(!J 

a: 2 

~ < 

::r: 

(.) 

(/) 

- 1 

0 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC 

Unshaded area.--lndicates range between highest and lowest mean recorded 

for the period, 1913-80 

Dashed line.--lndicates the median of the monthly means for the stantfard reference 

period, 1941-70 

Solid line.--lndicates observed monthly mean flow for the 1980 calendar year 

Figure -- Monthly streamflow for the Delaware at Trenton, 
·median of record ( 1913-80) for that month. During November and 

December, the mean monthly flows were substantially less than the 

twenty-fifth percentile of flow, so that the mean discharge for 

May-December 1980 was 46 percent below the median of record for 

that period (1913-79) and 28 percent below the twenty-fifth 

percentile of flow. 

Table 1.--Comparison of mean monthly discharge with median and 

normal discharge at the Delaware River at Trenton, N.J. 

[In cubic feet per second] 

Twenty- PercentMedian fifth Percent- age 

Monthly discharge percen- age below 

mean for tile of below the 

Month discharge period of discharge the 25th 

(1980) for 1980 record for median percen-

(1913-80) period of tile 

record 

(1913-80) 

May 11 '9 20 12,650 10,060 5.7 

June 4,874 7' 1 76 5 '085 32 

July 4,008 5,222 3,726 23 

August 3' 1 98 4 '5 47 2,991 30 

September 2 '98.,:1 4,231 2,780 30 

October 3,512 5 '0 61 3' 176 31 

November 3,985 9 '825 4,725 59 16 

December 3,784 1 0 '8 60 7,358 65 49 

Period: 

May-December 4,783 *8,830 *6,599 46 28 

* Period of record (1913-79). 

Land Use 

Table 2 shows 1970 land use summaries for the nine-county 

area known as the Delaware Valley (Delaware Valley Regional 

Planning Commission, writ ten communication, 1970). These values 

represent total county areas, including areas outside of the 

Delaware Estuary basin. Analyses of land use in these counties 

may help to determine the source of contaminants in the estuary. 

The Delaware River Basin Commission (1975) inventoried over 

100 industrial waste-water discharges along the Delaware Estuary 

and adjacent tidal tributaries. More manufacturing is done in 

Philadelphia and Delaware Counties in Pennsylvania than in any 

other Delaware Valley County~ Camden and Gloucester counties are 

the most heavily industrialized New Jersey counties bordering the 

8 
Table 2.--Land use by county for the Delaware Valley (1970), in percent. 

Source: Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, written communication, 1970 

Land-use categories 

Utilities Total 

Counties Area and Resource production Undeveloped land 

(mi 2 ) trans porta- Trade and (principally and use* 

Bucks 

Residential tion services Manufacturing agriculture) 

625 12.3 3.7 3.0 1.4 29.9 

recreation 

49.7 100 

Chester 761 9. 1 3.5 1.9 0.4 51.3 33.8 100 

Delaware 191 28.7 9.2 6.0 1.7 15.3 39.1 100 

Montgomery 

Philadelphia 

496 21.1 6.0 3.6 1. 4 38.0 

144 29.6 24.2 12.7 5.6 1.6 

29.9 

26.1 

100 

100 

Pennsylvania 

total •.••.•••.• 2,217 15.7 6.0 3.7 1.4 35.9 37.3 100 

Burlington 830 5.4 2.4 5. L[ .3 23.8 62.8 100 

Camden 224 18.7 8.3 3.8 1.4 16.6 51.2 100 

Gloucester 339 9.0 3.3 2.1 1.0 33.9 50.6 100 

Mercer 230 15. 1 5.8 3.8 .9 39.4 34.6 100 

New Jersey 

total •.•••••••• 

Delaware Valley 

1,623 9.3 3.9 4.3 .7 27.2 54.7 100 

total ••.•••.•.• 

* Land use may not 

3,840 13.0 5.1 3.9 1.1 32.2 

total 100 percent due to rounding off during compilation. 

44.7 100 

CD
estuary. Manufacturing industries (primarily chemical, petroleum, 

and primary metals) constitute 1.1 percent (42 mi 2 ) of the 

Delaware Valley. Thirty-two percent ( 1, 229 mi 2 ) of the Delav.Jare 

Valley in 1970 was classified agricultural. 

DATA COLLECTION 

S le Collection 

Table 3 lists the sampling frequency of water and surficial 

bed material at the 13 sampling sites. Figure 1 shows the 

location of each site in the estuary. 

Because saltwater is denser than freshwater, estuarine 

systems tend to stratify with depth near the zone of saltwater/ 

freshwater interface, causing the concentrations of many chemical 

constituents to stratify also. The water is additionally layered 

owing to temperature and density gradients, so that a representative sample must be integrated vertically and composited horizontally. Water and bed material samples are composites of three to 

five verticals along a single cross section at each site. Cross 

sections were selected along the tidal reach of each stream 

sampled. 

All bed material samples were sieved through a 2-millimeter 

sieve at the time of collection. Water samples were collected 

with U.S. series point- and depth-integrating suspended-sediment 

samplers (Guy and Norman, 1970). Although most samples were 

collected during the outgoing part of the tidal cycle, some 

var ances in water quality resulted from collecting the sample 

b e f o r e a 11 b a ·c k w a t e r h a d be e n f 1 u s h e d b e 1 ow t he p o i n t o f 

collection. 

Water samples were collected for analysis of volatile 

organic compounds (table 4), acid and base/neutral extractable 

rganic compounds (table 5), common ions, dissolved organic 

arbon, and trace metals. Bed material samples were collected for 

acid and base/neutral· extractable organic compounds, pesticides 

(see table 9), and trace metalse 

The sam es for analysis of volatile organic compounds were 

collected in 0-milliliter glass septum bottles~ Suspended 

ediment samplers were modified to collect a nonaerated sample. A 

ength of tapered polyvin chloride tubing was friction fitted to 

he discharge side of t sampler's intake nozzle, and the other 

end was placed inside a septum bottle before it was loaded into 

sam p 1 e r ( G @ L . Pederson , w r i t ten co mm u n i cat i on , 1 9 8 0 ) . These 

samples were sealed air tight and chilled at 4°C. 

Samples for analysis of acid and base/neutral extractable 

organic compounds were collected in heat-treated glass bottles. 

ese samples were also chilled at 4°C. 

1 0 
Table 3.--Sampling frequency and location of the 13 sampling sites. 

Site 

Site No. identification Name Latitude Longitude Date of samElinB 

(figure 1) No. Surface 1.11ater Bed material 

01464560 Delaware River at Florence, N.J. 40°07'34" 0 7 4 ° 4 8 I 5 9 Ill May 1980 May 1980 

Sep 1980 

Nov 1980 

2 01464600 Delaware River at Bristol, Pa. 40°05'55" 0 7 4 ° 5 1 I 58 Ill May 1980 May 1980 

Sep 1980 

Nov 19BO 

3 01467024 Rancocas Creek at Bridgeboro, N.J. 40°01'45" 074°55'55" May 1980 May 1980 

Sep 1980 

Nov 1980 

4 01467060 Delaware River at Palmyra, N.J. 40°01'05" 075°02'16 11 May 1980 May 1980 

Sep 1980 

Nov 1980 

5 01467082 Pennsauken Creek at Route 130, 39°59'06" 0 7 5 ° 0 0 I 55 II May 1980 May 1980 

.... at Cinnaminson, N.J. Sep 1980 ... Nov 1980 

6 01467193 Cooper River below Federal Street at 

Camden, N.J. 

39°56'42" 075°06'16 11 May 1980 May 1980 

Sep 1980 

Nov 1980 

7 01467200 Delaware River at Benjamin Franklin 39°57'11" 075°08'05" May 1980 May 1980 

Bridge, at Philadelphia, Pa. Sep 1980 

Nov 1980 

8 01467390 Big Timber Creek at Westvill~, N.J. 39°52'28" 075°07'36" Nov 1980 

9 01475160 Mantua Creek at Paulsboro, N.J. 39°49'52" 075°14'13" Nov 1980 

10 01475200 Delaware River at Paulsboro, N.J. 39°50'42" 075°16'10" May 1980 May 1980 

Sep 1980 

Nov 1980 

11 01477160 Raccoon Creek at Bridgeport, N.J. 39°48'04" 075°21'22 11 May 1980 May 1980 

Sep 1980 Jan 1981 

Nov 1980 

12 01477600 Oldmans Creek at Nortonville, N.J. 39°47'05" 075°24'25" Nov 1980 

1 3 01482100 Delaware River at Delaware Memorial 

Bridge, at Wilmington, Del. 

39°41'21" 075°31'19" May 1980 May 1980 

Sep 1980 

Nov 1980 

...

....
Table 4.--U.S. Environmental Protection Agency priority 

pollutants: analysis list of specific volatile organic 

compounds detectable* by the U.S. Geological Central Laboratory. Survey 

*Results are semiquantitative. 

Source: Beetem and others (eds.), 1980. 

Volatile Organic Compounds 

Benzene 

Bromoform 

Carbon tetrachloride 

Chlorobenzene 

Chlorodibromomethane 

Chloroethane 

2-Chloroethyl vinyl ether 

Chloroform 

Dichlorobromomethane 

Dichlorodifluoromethane 

1,1-Dichloroethane 

1,2-Dichloroethane 

1,1-Dichloroethylene 

1,2-trans=dichloroethylene 

1,2-Dichloropropane 

1,3-Dichloropropene 

Ethyl benzene 

Methyl bromide 

Methylene chloride 

1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane 

Tetrachloroethylene 

Toluene 

1,1,1-Trichloroethane 

1,1,2-Trichloroethane 

Trichloroethylene 

Trichlorofluoromethane 

Vinyl chloride 

12 
Table 5.--U.S. Environmental Protection Agency priority 

pollutants: analysis list of acid extractable and 

base/neutral extractable organic compoundse 

Note: Components quantified if concentration exceeds 2.0 ~g/kg 

(bed material) or 1.0 ~g/L (water phase). Detection and 

identification of compounds will depend on many factors and 

will be strongly affected by the total composition of the 

sample and by compound concentration. 

Source: Beet em and others ( eds.), 1980. 

Acid Extractable Organic Compounds 

4-Chloro-3-methylphenol 

2-Chlorophenol 

2,4-Dichlorophenol 

2,4-Dimethylphenol 

4,6-Dinitro-2-methylphenol 

2,4-Dinitrophenol 

2-Nitrophenol 

4-Nitrophenol 

Pentachlorophenol 

Phenol 

2,4,6-Trichlorophenol 

Base/Neutral Extractable Organic Compounds 

Acenaphthene Dimethyl phthalate 

Acenaphthylene 2,4-Dinitrotoluene 

Anthracene 2,6-Dinitrotoluene 

Benzidine Di-n-octylphthalate 

Benzo(a)anthracene BisC2-ethylhexyl)phthalate 

Benzo(b)fluoranthene Fluoranthene 

Benzo(k)fluoranthene Fluorene 

Benzo(g,h,i)perylene Hexachlorobenzene 

Benzo(a)pyrene Hexachlorobutadiene 

4-Bromophenyl phenyl ether Hexachlorocyclopentadiene 

Butyl benzyl phthalate Hexachloroethane 

Bis(2-chloroethoxy)methane Indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene 

Bis(2-chloroethyl)ether Isophorone 

Bis(2-chloroisopropyl)ether Naphthalene 

2-Chloronaphthalene Nitrobenzene 

4-Chlorophenyl phenyl ether Nitrosodimethylamine 

Chrysene n-Nitrosodiphenylamine 

Dibenzo(a,h)anthracene ~-Nitrosodi-n-propylamine 

Di-~-butyl phthalate Phenanthrene1,2-Dichlorobenzene Pyrene 

1,3-Dichlorobenzene 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-£-dioxin 

1,4-Dichlorobenzene 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene 

3,3'-Dichlorobenzidine 

Diethyl phthalate 

1 3 
Temperature, specific conductance, pH, alkalinity, and 

bicarbonate were determined in the field. Samples for analysis of 

dissolved organic carbon were filtered through a 0. 45-micrometer 

silver filter into heat-treated glass bottles. Samples for metals 

analysis were acidified with nitric acid to pH 2.0 or below. The 

samples analyzed for nitrogen, phosphorous, dissolved organic 

carbon, and bed material content were stored at 4°C. 

Laboratory Methodology 

The U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Laboratory in Doraville, Ga. performed all laboratory analyses. Potassium, phosphorus, nitrate and nitrite nitrogen, sulfate, and chloride were analyzed by 1 a bora tory met.hod s described by Skoug s tad 

and others (1979). Dissolved organic carbon was analyzed by a wet 

oxidation method described by Goerlitz and Brown (1972). 

Volatile organic compounds were analyzed on a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) system using a "vapor 

stripping" technique (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 

1979a). Acid and base/neutral extractable organic compounds were 

analyzed by EPA method 625 on a GC-MS. Each sample was extracted 

with methylene chloride within 48 hours of receipt at the 

laboratory. Insecticides and polychlorinated biphenyls were 

analyzed on a gas chromatograph utilizing an electron capture 

detector (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1979b). The PCB 

analysis includes all nondifferentiated Arochlor 1 compounds. A 11 

trace metal analyses were performed by induction coupled plasma 

spectrometry (Garbarino and Taylor, 1979). 

RESULTS 

Water Quality 

Table 6 contains the results of chemical analyses collected 

from the 13 sampling sites. Nitrite and nitrate nitrogen (N0 2 

and N0 3 ) concentrations ranged from 0.03 mg/L to 2.5 mg/L and were 

within maximum levels for domestic water supply as established by 

U.S. EPA (1977, p. 107,). 

Figure 3 shows the major ion distribution in samples collected at five sites along the Delaware River estuary during 

Se ember 1980. The September sampling was chosen because all the 

samples were collected during the same approximate segment of the 

tidal cycle. As the water travels downstream, its composition 

quickly changes within the saltwater/freshwater mixing zone from a 

moderately predominate calcium bicarbonate type to a predominately 

sodium-potassium chloride type. Maximum concentrations of 

chloride (2,200 mg/L) as well as sulfate (390 mg/L) were measured 

The use of the brand name in this report is for identification 

purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. 

Geological Survey. 

14 
Table 6.--Chemical analyses of selected surface-water sites in the Delaware River estuary. 

Date Time 

Direction 

of tide 

Temperature, 

water 

( deg C) 

Specific 

conductance (wmho/cm) 

pH 

field 

(units) 

Carbon 

d io xi de 

dissolved 

(mg/L 

as CO 2 ) 

Alkalinity 

(mg/L 

as 

CaCO 3 ) 

Bicarb on ate (mg/L 

as 

HCO ) 

Nitrogen 

N0 2 +N0 3 

dissolved 

(mg/L 

as N) 

Phosphorus, 

orthophosphate 

dissolved 

( mg/L 

as PO ) 4

Phosphorus, 

orthophosphate 

dissolved 

(mg/L 

as P) 

May 21, 

Sep 4 

Nov 25 

Mc.y21, 

Sep 4 

Nov 25 

May 20, 

Sep 4 

Nov 14 

May 21, 

Sep 4 

Nov 25 

May 21, 

Sep 4 

Nov 14 

May 20, 

Sep 3 

Nov 14 

May 23, 

Sep 3 

Nov 25 

Nov 14, 

Nov 14, 

May 22, 

Sep 3 

Nov 26 

May 23, 

Sep 3 

Nov 17 

Nov 17, 

May 22, 

Sep 3 

Nov 26 

1980 

1980 

1980 

1980 

1980 

1980 

1980 

1980 

1980 

1980 

1980 

1980 

1980 

01464560 - Delaware River at Florence, N.J. 

1240 Outgoing 181 7.4 3.3 44 54 

1515 --do-- 2 30 7. 3 5. 2 53 65 

0940 --do-- 7.5 226 7.4 3-9 50 61 

01464600 - Delaware River at Bristol, Pa. 

1050 Outgoing 7.2 5.0 50 

1440 --do-- 7.4 3. 8 59 

1040 --do-- 7.0 23 8 7.6 2.5 61 

01467024 - Rancocas Creek at Bridgeboro, N.J. 

Outgoing 100 6.5 7.0 10 12 

--do-- 250 7.6 2. 3 48 58 

Low Slack/ 8.0 17 8 6.9 3.8 16 1 9 

Incoming 

01467060- Delaware River at Palmyra, N.J. 

1150 Outgoing 168 7.2 4.5 37 45 

1300 --do-- 274 7.2 6. 0 48 59 

1210 Incoming 7.5 23 8 7.2 6.2 50 61 

01467082 - Pennsauken Creek at Rt 130, at Cinnaminsori, N.J. 

0940 Outgoing 6.8 12 39 48 

1210 --do-- 7.4 4. 6 60 73 1 330 Low Slack 8.9 7. 1 1 3 82 10 0 

01467193 - Cooper River below Federal Street, at Camden, N.J. 

1320 Outgoing 304 7.2 6.9 60 73 

1300 --do-- 3 36 7.3 6.7 68 83 

1230 --do-- 8. 1 317 7.2 8.2 66 81 

01467200 - Delaware River at Benjamin Franklin Bridge, at Philadel~hia, 

1400 Outgoing 206 7.1 6.5 42 51 

1220 --do-- 3 31 6.8 1 4 46 56 

1 320 Incoming 7.5 305 7-3 4.9 50 6 1 

01467390 -Big Timber Creek at Westville, N.J. 

1130 Outgoing 8.9 31 3 6.7 16 42 51 

01475160 - Mantua Creek at Paulsboro, N.J. 

1010 Outgoing 8.5 420 6.8 11 36 44 

01475200- Delaware River at Paulsboro, N.J. 

1100 Outgoing 7. 1 6. 1 35 43 

1120 --do-- 6.8 1 3 42 51 

1045 --do-- 8.0 45 9 7. 1 7.8 50 61 

01477160 - Raccoon Creek at Bridgeport, N.J. 

1130 Outgoing 228 7.5 2.0 34 42 

1020 --do-- 1 48 7.2 5.7 46 56 

1405 --do-- 5.9 1091 7.0 8.0 4 1 50 

01477600 - Oldmans Creek at Nortonville, N.J. 

1250 Outgoing 5.9 1 97 0 6.9 8. 1 33 40 

01482100 - Delaware River at Delaware Memorial Bridge, at Wilmington, 

0855 Outgoing 413 7. 1 4.7 30 37 

084 5 --do-- 6 80 0 7.4 3. 8 49 60 

1 24 5 Incoming 7.2 6 060 7.7 1.9 50 6 1 

Pa. 

Del. 

1.5 

1.2 

1.4 

1.5 

1.4 

1.3 

.96 

1.3 

1.0 

1.7 

1.5 

1.5 

1.7 

1.4 

1.8 

.76 

.96 

1.2 

1.0 

1.6 

1.5 

1.8 

1.7 

.03 

2.4 

1.8 

1.4 

2.5 

2.4 

2.5 

.42 

2.5 

2.5 

0.09 

. 15 

.00 

.06 

. 15 

.95 

.28 

. 18 

.00 

.09 

.34 

.21 

. 12 

. 31 

2.3 

. 40 

.40 

.03 

. 31 

.00 

-37 

.00 

.00 

-37 

.00 

. 15 

.21 

.06 

.03 

.00 

.00 

.06 

0.03 

.05 

.00 

.02 

.05 

. 31 

.09 

.06 

.00 

.03 

.11 

.07 

.04 

. 10 

. 7 4 

. 13 

. 13 

. 01 

. 10 

.00 

. 12 

.00 

.00 

. 12 

.00 

.05 

.07 

.02 

. 01 

.00 

.00 

.02 

15 
Table 6.--Chemical analyses of selected surface-water sites in the Delaware River estuary-~Continued 

Carbon, Hard- Magne- Potas- Chloorganic Hard- ness, Calcium sium, Sodium, Sodium sium, ride, 

Date dis- ness noncar- dis- dis- dis- ad- Sodium dis- dissolved (mg/L 

(mg/L as as C) CaC0 3 ) 

bonate 

(mg/L as CaC0 3 ) 

solved solved 

(mg/L (mg/L as Ca) as Mg) 

solved 

(mg/L 

as Na) 

sorption 

ratio 

(percent) solved solved 

(mg/L (mg/L as K) as Cl) 

01464560 - Delaware River at Florence, N.J. 

May 21, 1980 6.2 62 18 15 5.9 10 0.6 12 

Sep 4 

Nov 25 

2.8 78 25 19 7.3 1 3 . 7 26 

2.6 78 28 20 6.9 15 • 8 29 

2.4 

2.1 

17 

17 

01464600 - Delaware River at Bristol, Pa. 

May21, 

Sep 4 

1980 4.6 57 16 14 5.4 10 • 6 

2.8 81 33 20 7.6 15 . 8 28 2.6 

11 

19 

Nov 25 3.6 78 28 20 6.9 15 . 8 29 2.2 20 

01467024 - Rancocas Creek at Bridgeboro, N.J. 

May 20, 

Sep 4 

1980 14 26 16 6.7 2.2 7.7 . 7 

3.5 330 280 19 68 16 .5 10 2.9 

9.4 

20 

Nov 14 3.6 41 25 11 3.3 12 . 9 36 3.6 17 

01467060 - Delaware River at Palmyra, N.J. 

May 20, 

Sep 4 

1980 5.4 56 19 14 5.2 10 .6 

3.6 80 32 20 7.3 18 . 9 32 3.2 

11 

23 

Nov 25 6.2 81 31 21 6.8 15 . 8 28 2.6 21 

01467082 - Pennsauken Creek at Rt 130, at Cinnaminson, N.J . 

May 20, 1980 5.2 57 18 14 13 . 8 14 

Sep 4 

Nov 14 

3.4 79 ..,.. 19 20 1 9 1.0 33 

6.0 86 4 24 40 2.0 47 

3.5 

9.8 

23 

50 

01467193 • Cooper River below Federal Street, at Camden, N.J. 

May 23, 

Sep 3 

Nov 14 

1980 11 62 2 17 4.8 20 1.2 39 

7.4 77 9 20 6.5 33 1.8 46 

6.1 70 4 19 5.3 23 1.3 39 

4.9 

6.5 

7.9 

21 

32 

30 

01467200 - Delaware River at Benjamin Franklin Bridge, at Philadelphia, Pa. 

May 23, 

Sep 3 

Nov 25 

1980 8.5 61 19 16 5. 1 11 .7 27 

5.2 92 46 23 8.4 25 1.2 36 

4.9 87 37 22 7.8 24 1.2 36 

2.0 

4.0 

3.8 

13 

36 

34 

01467390 -Big Timber Creek at Westville, N.J. 

Nov 14, 1980 13 75 33 19 25 1.4 40 5.7 35 

01475160 -Mantua Creek at Paulsboro, N.J. 

Nov 14, 1980 9.9 95 59 22 9.6 41 2.0 47 5.6 64 

01475200 - Delaware River at Paulsboro, N.J. 

May 22, 

Sep 3 

Nov 26 

1980 2.5 68 33 17 6. 1 15 • 9 32 

4.8 130 88 27 16 97 4. 1 60 

5.4 120 70 28 11 39 1.7 41 

2.2 

7.5 

5.2 

17 

160 

68 

01477160 - Raccoon Creek at Bridgeport, N.J . 

May 23, 

Sep 3 

Nov 17 

1980 6.0 69 35 18 5-9 14 • 8 30 

5.9 200 150 30 30 260 9.2 72 

5.2 160 120 28 21 160 6.3 67 

2.2 

13 

9.8 

19 

500 

250 

01477600 - Oldmans Creek at Nortonville, N.J. 

Nov 17, 1980 4.0 230 200 34 35 310 10 73 16 420 

01482100 - Delaware River at Delaware Memorial Bridge, at Wilmington, Del. 

May 22, 

Sep 3 

Nov 26 

1980 2.8 81 51 17 9.4 52 2.8 57 

3.9 

5.8 550 500 54 100 960 21 78 

3.4 

41 

77 

2200 

1700 

16 
Table 6.--Chemical analyses of selected surface-water sites in the Delaware River estuary--Continued 

Date 

Sulfate 

dissolved 

(mg/L 

\as SO.,) 

Silica, 

dissolved 

(mg/L 

as 

Si0 2 ) 

Barium, 

dissolved 

()lg/L 

as Ba) 

Beryllium, 

dissolved 

()lg/L 

as Be) 

Cadmium 

dissolved 

()lg/L 

as Cd) 

Cabal t, 

dissolved 

(Jlg/L 

as Co) 

Copper, 

dissolved 

( )lg/L 

as Cu) 

Iron, 

dissolved 

()lg/L 

as Fe) 

Lead, 

dissolved 

()lg/L 

as Pb) 

May 21, 

Sep 4 

Nov 25 

May21, 

Sep 4 

Nov 25 

May 20, 

Sep 4 

Nov 14 

May 20, 

Sep 4 

Nov 25 

May 20, 

Sep 4 

Nov 14 

May 23, 

Sep 3 

Nov 14 

May 23, 

Sep 3 

Nov 25 

Nov 14, 

Nov 14, 

May 22, 

Sep 3 

Nov 26 

May 23, 

Sep 3 

Nov 17 

Nov 17, 

May 22, 

Sep 3 

Nov 26 

01464560 - Delaware River at Florence, N.J. 

1980 26 3.2 40 3 <3 <10 100 1 ') 28 loC. 30 < 1 < 1 <3 <10 10 

33 1. 6 30 < 1 <3 <10 160 

01464600 - Delaware River at Bristol, Pa. 

1980 24 3.2 30 < 1 3 <3 <10 63 

30 .1 30 < 1 1 <3 <10 8 

35 1.9 20 < 1 <3 <10 88 

01467024 - Rancocas Creek at Bridgeboro, N.J. 

1980 18 5.2 40 < 1 < 1 <3 15 1300 

3 1 . 3 30 < 1 < 1 <3 <10 56 

33 7.7 30 < 1 < 1 <3 <10 57 

01467060 - Delaware River at Palmyra, N.J. 

1980 24 3.9 40 < 1 2 <3 12 81 

37 .1 30 < 1 2 <3 <10 21 

37 2.9 40 < 1 <3 <10 66 

01467082 - Pennsauken Creek at Rt 130, at Cinnaminson, N.J. 

1980 26 4.0 30 < 1 3 <3 1 8 96 

33 .7 30 < 1 1 <3 10 29 

41 12 30 < 1 2 <3 1 6 33 

01467193 - Cooper River below Federal Street, at Camden, N.J. 

1980 31 7.5 40 < 1 < 1 <3 <10 130 

42 4.6 30 2 1 <3 <10 110 

38 10 30 1 1 <3 <10 85 

01467200 - Delaware River at Benjamin Franklin Bridge, at Philadelphia, Pa. 

1980 26 3.2 30 < 1 < 1 <3 <10 58 

53 • 4 40 <1 2 <3 <10 55 

48 3.6 30 < 1 <3 <10 78 

01467390 - Big Timber Creek at Westville, N.J. 

1980 45 5.8 30 <1 <3 <10 40 

01475160 - Mantua Creek at Paulsboro, N.J. 

1980 54 3.9 40 <1 <3 <10 89 

01475200 - Delaware River at Paulsboro, N.J. 

1980 39 2.5 30 < 1 < 1 <3 <10 64 

8 1 . 5 40 <1 1 <3 <10 18 

71 3.2 30 < 1 <3 <10 54 

01477160 - Raccoon Creek at Bridgeport, N.J. 

1980 36 . 2 30 < 1 < 1 <3 <10 88 

110 . 3 40 <1 2 <3 <10 13 

89 4.0 40 < 1 1 <3 <10 55 

01477600 - Oldmans Creek at Nortonville, N.J. 

1980 110 3.4 50 < 1 4 <3 <10 47 

01482100 - Delaware River at Delaware Memorial Bridge, at Wilmington, Del. 

1980 41 • 2 30 < 1 < 1 <3 <10 28 

390 

320 1.8 40 < 1 <3 10 7 

<10 

<10 

<10 

<10 

<10 

<10 

<10 

<10 

<10 

<10 

<10 

<10 

<10 

<10 

<10 

<10 

<10 

<10 

<10 

<10 

<10 

<10 

<10 

<10 

<10 

<10 

<10 

15 

17 
Table 6.--Chemical analyses of selected surface-water sites in the Delaware River estuary--Continued 

Solids, Solids, 

Manga- Molyb- Stron- Vana- residue sum of Solids, 

nese, denum, tium, dium, Zinc, Lithium at 180 constit- disDate dis- dis- dis- dis- dis- dis- deg. C uents, solved 

solved solved solved solved solved solved dis- dis- (tons 

( )Jg/L ( llg/L (llg/L (llg/L (llg/L ( llg/L solved solved per as Mn) as Mo) as Sr) as V) as Zn) as Li) (mg/L) (mg/L) ac-ft) 

01464560 - Delaware River at Florence, N.J. 

May 21, 1980 46 <10 65 <6.0 21 <4 119 106 0. 16 

Sep 4 22 <10 87 <6.0 <4 <4 1 46 126 .20 

Nov 25 83 <10 78 <6.0 33 4 491 132 .67 

01464600 - Delaware River at Bristol, Pa. 

f'.'Iay 21, 1980 27 18 63 <6.0 18 <4 110 99 . 15 

Sep 

Nov 

4 

25 

11 <10 90 <6.0 <4 <4 1 47 130 .20 

94 <10 79 <6.0 20 <4 140 138 . 19 

01467024 - Rancocas Creek at Bridgeboro, N.J. 

t-lay 

Sep 

20, 

4 

1980 71 <10 39 <6.0 34 <4 72 61 . 10 

4 <10 91 <6.0 <4 <4 150 192 .20 

Nov 14 47 <10 64 <6.0 6 4 107 102 . 15 

01467060 - Delaware River at Palmyra, N.J. 

~1ay 20, 1980 25 <10 63 <6.0 14 <4 112 98 . 15 

Sep 

Nov 

4 

25 

20 <10 97 <6.0 5 <4 1 62 145 .22 

37 <10 86 <6.0 12 5 147 144 .20 

01467082 - Pennsauken Creek at Rt 130, at Cinnaminson, N.J. 

May 20, 1980 41 <10 80 <6.0 10 <4 117 108 . 16 

Sep 

Nov 

4 

14 

23 <10 110 <6.0 5 <4 170 1119 .23 

120 <10 280 <6.0 14 12 256 243 .35 

01467193 - Cooper River below Federal Street, at Camden, N.J. 

May 20, 1980 81 <10 170 <6.0 14 7 160 146 . 22 

Sep 

Nov 

3 

14 

68 <10 190 <6.0 <4 5 210 191 . 29 

77 <10 250 <6.0 7 6 184 179 .25 

01467200 - Delaware River at Benjamin Franklin Bridge, at Philadelphia, Pa . 

May 

Sep 

Nov 

23, 

3 

25 

1980 33 21 72 <6.0 15 <4 117 106 . 16 

110 <10 110 <6.0 <4 4 1 90 185 .26 

98 <10 98 <6. 0 19 4 185 181 .25 

01467j90 - Big Timber Creek at Westville, N.J. 

Nov 14, 1980 110 <10 120 <6.0 14 5 194 176 .26 

01475160 -Mantua Creek at Paulsboro, N.J. 

Nov 14, 1980 140 <10 110 <6.0 14 6 251 230 .34 

01475200 -Delaware River at Paulsboro, N.J. 

May 

Sep 

22, 

3 

1980 50 1 2 83 <6.0 19 4 141 121 . 19 

120 <10 180 <6.0 <4 7 4 54 425 .62 

Nov 26 190 <10 140 <6. 0 32 5 283 264 .38 

01477160- Raccoon Creek at Bridgeport, N.J. 

May 23, 1980 52 <10 82 <6.0 14 6 134 123 • 1 8 

Sep 3 84 <10 270 <6.0 <4 11 874 9 82 1. 19 

Nov 17 190 <10 190 <6.0 7 8 591 598 .80 

01477600 - Oldmans Creek at Nortonville, N.J. 

Nov 17, 1980 320 <10 300 <6.0 10 11 1060 960 1. 44 

01482100 - Delaware River at Delaware Memorial Bridge, at Wilmington, Del. 

May 22, 1980 25 29 99 <6.0 13 6 250 220 . 34 

Sep 

Nov 

3 

26 120 <10 760 11 21 6 3 320 3 220 4.52 

18 
Ca t----+---+--1------+-----4---+---+----+ HC03 

M g 1------+---+---+----4---+----4---+----& S 0 4 

Site 1 Delaware River at 

Florence, N.J. 

Site 2 Delaware River at 

Bristol, Pa 

Site Delaware River at 4 

Palmyra, N.J. 

Delaware River at Site 7 

Ben Franklin BR. at Phila. Pa 

Site 10 Delaware River at 

Paulsboro, N.J. 

Cations Anions 

Millequivalents Per Liter 

Figure 3.--Stiff diagrams of major ions at five Delaware River 

estuary sampling locations, September 3-4, 1980. 

19 
in the Delaware River at Delaware Memorial Bridge at Wilmington, 

Del. These analyses are not represented in figure 3, however, because no cation concentrations were recorded for this site in 

September. 

The maximum dissolved iron concentration ( 1, 300 ]Jg/L) was 

recorded at Rancocas Creek at Bridgeboro, N.J., in May 1980. The 

median concentration for dissolved iron was 57 ]Jg/L. 

Table 7 shows the analyses of volatile organic compounds in 

the surface water. Benzene, toluene, cyclohexanes, trichloroethylene, and tetrachloroethylene are the predominant compounds detected in the estuary. Samples contained traces of 1 ,1-dichloropropane only in September 1980 in the vicinity of Philadelphia. 

Throughout the study, about 60 percent of the surface-water samples contained at least some measurable amount of volatile organic 

compounds, at concentrations ranging from 1. 0 ]Jg/L to 12.4 ]Jg/L 

for each constituent identified. About 15 percent of all samples 

contained a 20-50 ]Jg/L background of undifferentiated hydrocarbons, including cyclohexanes. 

In November 1980, samples from 13 sites were analyzed for 

acid and base/neutral extractable organic compounds. These semiquantitative analyses showed no recoverable concentrations of any 

acid or base/neutral extractable organic compounds at the 2 ]Jg/L 

detection limit. Since these samples represent only one sampling, 

it is believed that these semiquantitative results may not 

accurately reflect the actual conditions present in the estuary. 

Sediment Quality 

Table 8 contains chemical analyses of the surficial bed 

material at 10 locations, including results for trace metals, 

organochlorine and organophosphorous insecticides, and PCB's. The 

maximum concentrations for most constituents were in the first of 

two samples taken from Raccoon Creek at Bridgeport, N.J. Cadmium, 

chromium, cobalt, and diazinon were only found in the surficial 

bed material at this site, while high relative concentrations of 

copper, lead, and zinc were also found here. Although trace 

metals were not resampled, significantly lower values for 

insecticides and PCB's were recorded during a second sampling of 

Raccoon Creek at a different cross section. 

The most common chlorinated organic compounds in the bed 

material were DDD, DDE, PCB' s, DDT, and chlordane. Figures 4 

through 6 plot concentrations of DDT and its metabolites, 

chlordane, and PCB' s, respectively, in the bed material of all 10 

sites sampled. The bed material at the Delaware River at Palmyra 

contained the maximum recoverable concentrations of DDT-T and 

PCB's in the estuary; whereas the minimum concentrations for these 

constituents were found in the bed material of the Delaware River 

at B~njamin Franklin Bridge at Philadelphia. The only value 

20 
Table 7.--Analyses of volatile organic compounds in 

water of the Delaware River estuary. 

N.D. None detected at the minimum detection 

S.D. Sample destroyed. 

the surface 

limit. 

Site identification No. Date Time 

Compound(s) 

detected 

Concentration 

([Jg/L) 

01464560 

01464600 

01467024 

01467060 

01467082 

01467193 

01467200 

01467390 

01475160 

01475200 

01475200 

01477160 

01477600 

01482100 

5-21-80 

9-04-80 

11-25-80 

5-21-80 

9-04-80 

11-25-80 

5-20-80 

9-04-80 

11-14-80 

5-20-80 

9-04-80 

11-25-80 

5-20-80 

9-04-80 

11-14-80 

5-23-80 

9-03-80 

11-14-80 

5-23-80 

9-03-80 

11-25-80 

11-14-80 

11-14-80 

5-22-80 

5-22-80 

9-03-80 

11-26-80 

5-2 3-80 

9-03-80 

11-17-80 

11-17-80 

5-22-80 

9-03-80 

11-26-80 

1240 

1515 

0940 

1050 

1440 

1040 

1345 

1345 

1425 

1150 

1300 

1210 

0940 

1210 

1330 

1320 

1300 

1230 

1400 

1220 

1320 

1130 

1010 

1100 

1100 

1120 

1045 

1130 

1020 

1405 

1250 

0855 

0845 

1245 

N.D. 

N.D. 

Benzene* 

Trichloroethylene 

N.D. 

* 

Trichloroethylene 

N.D. 

Toluene 

Trichloroethylene 

N.D. 

* 

Trichloroethylene 

N.D. Trichloroethyle~ 

Toluene 

Tetrachloroethylene 

N.D. 

Toluene 

S.D. 

1,1-Dichloropropane 

* 

S.D. 

N.D. 

N.D. 

N.D. 

1,1-Dichloropropane 

S.D. 

S.D. 

N.D. 

Benzene 

Benzene 

Toluene 

S.D. 

N.D. 

Toluene* 

12. 0 

5.0 

5.0 

1 • 0 

5.0 

5.0 

2.0 

2.0 

8.0 

1 • 0 

5.0 

3.0 

1 • 4 

1 • 5 

1 • 7 

10.0 

Undifferentiated hydrocarbons 

(approximately 20-50 ~g/L). 

including cyclohexanes 

21 
Table 8.--Chemical analyses of surficial bed material in the Delaware River estuary. 

Date Time 

Arsenic 

total 

(1Jg/g 

as As) 

Cadmium 

recoverable 

(]Jg/g 

as Cd) 

Chromium, 

recoverable 

(1Jg/g) 

Cobalt, 

recoverable 

(]Jg/g 

as Co) 

Copper, 

recoverable 

(IJg/g 

as Cu) 

Iron, 

recoverable 

(1Jg/g 

as Fe) 

Lead, 

recoverable 

(1Jg/g 

as Pb) 

Manganese, 

recoverable 

(1Jg/g) 

Mercury 

recoverable 

(1Jg/g 

as Hg) 

Zinc, 

recoverable 

(pg/g 

as Zn) 

Selenium, 

total 

( llg/g) 

'May21,1980 

May 21, 1980 

May 20, 1980 

May 20, 1980 

May 20, 1980 

May 23, 1980 

May 23, 1980 

May 22, 1980 

May 23, 1980 

Jan 8, 1981 

May 22, 1980 

1240 

1050 

1345 

1150 

0940 

1320 

1400 

1100 

1130 

1100 

0855 

01464560 - Delaware River at Florence, N.J. 

<10 30 10 30 39000 60 650 

01464600 - Delaware River at Bristol, Pa. 

0 <10 <10 10 <10 5600 10 270 

01467024 - Rancocas Creek at Bridgeboro, N.J. 

<10 <10 <10 <10 9500 20 130 

01467060 - Delaware River at Palmyra, N.J. 

<10 30 <10 70 12000 150 580 

01467082 - Pennsauken Creek at Rt 130, at Cinnaminson, N.J. 

2 <10 <10 <10 <10 12000 <10 45 

01467193- Cooper River below Federal Street, at Camden, N.J. 

<10 <10 <10 <10 2600 40 83 

01467200 - Delaware River at Benjamin Franklin Bridge, at Philadelphia, 

<10 <10 10 <10 6300 40 820 

01475200 - Delaware River at Paulsboro, N.J. 

2 <10 30 30 10 21000 30 710 

01477160 - Raccoon Creek at Bridgeport, N.J. 

20 190 50 230 29000 590 500 

01482100 - Delaware River at Delaware Memorial Bridge, at Wilmington, 

<10 30 20 23000 60 940 

0.00 

.00 

.00 

.02 

.oo 

.00 

Pa. 

.00 

.00 

.01 

Del. 

.00 

430 

110 

55 

530 

12 

270 

350 

74 

2100 

91 0 

Date Aldrin, 

total 

(IJg/Kg) 

Chlor- DielLindane dane, Mirex, Per- DDD, DDE, DDT, drin, 

total total total thane total total total total 

( IJg/kg) (llg/kg) (IJg/kg) (IJg/kg) (pg/kg) ( IJg/kg) (IJg/kg) (pg/kg) 

Endosulfan, 

total 

(1Jg/kg) 

Endr in, 

total 

(1Jg/kg) 

Ethion, 

total 

(IJg/kg) 

May 

May 

May 

May 

May 

May 

May 

May 

May 

Jan 

May 

21, 

21, 

20, 

20, 

20, 

23, 

23, 

22, 

23, 

8, 

22, 

1980 

1980 

1980 

1980 

1980 

1980 

1980 

1980 

1980 

1981 

1980 

<O .1 

< .1 

< .1 

<. 1 

< .1 

< .1 

< .1 

< .1 

<. 1 < .1 

<. 1 

01464560 - Delaware River at Florence, N.J. 

<O. 1 <O. 1 <O. 1 7.4 10 4.4 <O. 1 

01464600 - Delaware River at Bristol, Pa. 

<. 1 <1 <. 1 <. 1 23 14 28 <. 1 

01467024 - Rancocas Creek at Bridgeboro, N.J. 

<. 1 2 <. 1 <. 1 1.9 2.4 .5 .1 

01467060 - Delaware River at Palmyra, N.J. 

<. 1 21 <. 1 510 94 210 45 1.2 

01467082 - Pennsauken Creek at Rt 130, at Cinnaminson, N.J . 

<. 1 16 <. 1 <. 1 18 . 8 • 2 1.0 

01467193 - Cooper River below Federal Street, at Camden, N.J. 

<. 1 < 1 <. 1 <. 1 5.8 7.4 <. 1 <. 1 

01467200- Delaware River at Benjamin Franklin Bridge, at Philadelphia, 

<. 1 < 1 <. 1 <. 1 2. 1 1.8 <. 1 <. 1 

01475200 - Delaware River at Paulsboro, N.J. 

<. 1 <. 1 <. 1 32 23 1. 4 .3 

01477160 - Raccoon Creek at Bridgeport, N.J. 

<. 1 190 <. 1 < .1 4000 300 150 10 

<. 1 2 <.1 < .1 3.9 1.6 <. 1 . 3 

01482100 - Delaware River at Delaw.are Memorial Bridge, at Wilmington, 

<. 1 7 < .1 <1 12 10 <. 1 <. 1 

<O. 1 

<. 1 

<. 1 

.1 

• 2 

<. 1 

Pa. 

<. 1 

<. 1 

<. 1 

<. 1 

Del. 

<. 1 

<O. 1 

<. 1 

<. 1 

<. 1 

<. 1 

<. 1 

<.1 

<. 1 

<. 1 

<. 1 

<. 1 

<O. 1 

<. 1 

<. 1 

<. 1 

<. 1 

<. 1 

<. 1 

<.1 

<. 1 

<. 1 

22 
Table 8.--Chemical analyses of surficial bed material in the Delaware River es tuary--Cont in ued 

Toxa- He pta- Hepta- Meth- Mala- Para- Di- Methyl Tri- Methyl 

phene, chlor, chlor oxy- PCB, PCN, thion, thion 1 azinon, para- thion, triDate total total epoxide chlor, total total total total total thion, total thion, 

(wg/kg) (wg/kg) total total < wg/kg) (Jlg/kg) (Jlg/kg) ( JJg/kg) ( JJg/kg) total < wg/kg) total 

< wg/kg) ( JJg/kg) < wg/kg) < wg/kg) 

01464560 - Delaware River at Florence, N.J. 

May 21' 1980 < 1 <O. 1 <0.1 <O. 1 55 < 1 <O .1 <O. 1 <O. 1 <O. 1 <10 (0. 1 

01464600 - Delaware River at Bristol, Pa. 

May 21' 1980 < 1 < .1 <. 1 <.1 32 < 1 < .1 <. 1 <. 1 <. 1 <10 <. 1 

01467024 - Rancocas Creek at Bridgeboro, N.J. 

May 20, 1980 < 1 <. 1 <. 1 <. 1 < 1 <. 1 <. 1 <.1 <. 1 <10 <. 1 

01467060 - Delaware River at Palmyra, N.J. 

May 20, 1980 < 1 <. 1 <. 1 <. 1 190 < 1 <. 1 <. 1 <. 1 <. 1 < 10 <. 1 

01467082 - Pennsauken Creek at Rt 130' at Cinnaminson, N.J. 

May 20, 1980 < 1 <. 1 • 4 <. 1 < 1 < 1 < .1 <. 1 <. 1 <. 1 <10 <.1 

01467193 - Cooper River below Federal Street, at Camden, N.J. 

May 23, 1980 < 1 <. 1 <.1 <. 1 < 1 <. 1 <. 1 <. 1 <. 1 <10 <. 1 

01467200 - Delaware River at Benjamin Franklin Bridge, at Philadelphia, Pa. 

May 23, 1980 < 1 <. 1 <. 1 <. 1 2 < 1 <. 1 <. 1 <. 1 < .1 <10 <. 1 

01475200 - Delaware River at Paulsboro, N.J. 

May 22, 1980 < 1 <. 1 <. 1 <. 1 62 < 1 <. 1 <. 1 <.1 <. 1 <10 <. 1 

01477160 - Raccoon Creek at Bridgeport, N.J. 

May 23, 1980 < 1 <. 1 1.6 <. 1 830 < 1 <. 1 (.'1 1.6 <. 1 <10 <. 1 

Jan 8' 1981 < 1 <. 1 <. 1 <. 1 11 < 1 

01482100 - Delaware River at Delaware Memorial Bridge, at Wilmington, Del. 

May 22, 1980 <1 <. 1 <. 1 <. 1 42 < 1 <. 1 <. 1 <. 1 <. 1 <10 <. 1 

recorded in 1980 for perthane was 510 ug/kg in the bed material of 

the Delaware River at Palmyra. 

Table 9 separates insecticides detected at one or more locations from those not found at any location. The only organaphosphorous insecticide detected in the bed material of the region 

was diazinon ( 1.6 11g/kg), which was found at Raccoon Creek at 

Bridgeport. 

Table 9.--Insecticides for which analyses were done on most 

surficial bed material samples. 

Detected at one Not detected at 

or more locations any location 

Chlordane Aldrin 

DDD Lindane 

DDE Endrin 

DDT Malathion 

Diazinon Ethion 

Dieldrin Toxaphene Endosulfan Heptachlor 

Heptachlorepoxide Mirex 

Perthane Methoxychlor 

Parathion 

Methyl parathion 

Trithion 

Methyltrithion 

23 
10,000..--------------- 10,000,..-------

~ Minimum Detection Limit= 0.1 ug/kg ~ 

< <( 

0: a: 

~ ~ 

0 0 EXPLANATION :::! 1,000 :l 1,000 ~ 

a: 

w w 

a.. 

(/) 

D ~ 

~ 

a: 

a.. 

DDT DOE DOD 

~ (/) 

~ ~ 

<( 100. 100. 

a: 

<( 

a: 

(.? C!' 

0 0 

a: a: 

(.) (.) 

~ ~ 

z 10. z 10. 

z z 

0 0 

1-- 1-

<( < 

0: a: 

~ 1- 1.0 z 1.0 

w w 

(.) () 

z z 

0 0 

(.) (.) 

0. 1 ' r n· , K I a )f r '<" l K. ] ,. 'X 1>1 '¥[),! • 0.1· 'ffl!:D' I -1>! Dl>' KJAI)f • 

Site Site Site Site Site Site Site Site Site Site 

1 2 4 7 10 13 3 5 6 11 

THE DELAWARE RIVER ESTUARY SELECTED NEW JERSEY TRIBUTARIES 

Figure 4.--Concentration of DDT and its metabolites in the surficial bed material of 

selected sites. 

1\) 

~ 
~ 1,000 --------------........, (f) 1,000 

::! <( 

a: Minimum Detection Limit= 1.0 ug/kg. <( 

0: (!) (!) 

0 0 

a: a: (.) ~ 

::E <( 100. (.) 

..... ~100. <( 

a: ~ a: 

z (!) Z(!) 

0 -o 

z :::! zft _J 

0 ::X:: 0 ::X:: 

...... a: 

<( w 10. ~ ffi 10. 

a: a.. a: a.. ...... ...... z z 

w w 

(.) 

z () 

z 

0 

(.) 1.0 1 r 1 tWP 1<1 .. Kl Ill sazazaJ 0 1.0 ...._ __ ____........_ (.) Site Site Site Site Site Site Site Site Site Site 

1 2 4 7 10 13 3 5 6 11 

THE DELAWARE RIVER ESTUARY SELECTED W JERSEY TRIBUTARIES 

Figure 5.--Concentration of chlordane in the surficial bed material of selected 

sites. 
~ 1,000 en 1 ,ooo ::E 

<( Minimum Detection Limit= 1.0 ug/kg <( 

a: 0: 

(.!) (!:) 

0 0 

a: ~ 0:~ (.) <( 

~ a: 100. (.) ~ 100 .... 

z ::E(!:) (.!) 

- 0 zo 

..... ...J 

z--

... ...J .. z~ - 0 ~ ...... 0: oa: 

1-- w 

< 1-- w 10.1- 10. 

a: 

0.. <a.. 

a: 

1-- 1--

z z 

w w 

(.) 

z 

(.) 

z 

0 1.0 0 I I '1 L. l ft>l !),! I )II !!ttl ......! u 0 1.0- ~ _l 

Site Site Site Site Site Site Site Site Site Site 

1 2 4 7 10 13 3 5 6 1 1 

THE DELAWARE RIVER ESTUARY SELECTED NEW JERSEY TRIBUTARIES 

Figure a--Concentration of Pcs·s in the surficial bed material of selected 

sites. 

r\)

m
At the Raccoon Creek site, an additional bed material 

sample was analyzed for the 46 base/neutral extractable organic 

compounds shown in table 5. The results in table 10 show that, of 

the 15 constituents identified at trace or greater quanti ties, 

nine were polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, three were phthalate 

esters, and three were monocyclic chlorinated aromatics. Oil, 

grease, and methylbenzene were also found in this sample. 

DISCUSSION 

In an industrial or agricultural watershed, the potential 

exists for the transport of toxic substances into the water 

receiving surface runoff from point and nonpoint sources~ 

Suspended sediments often act as vehicles for the transport of 

insoluble constituents that eventually accumulate in the surficial 

bed material of receiving streams (Feltz, 1980). It is not known 

how r a p i d 1 y these a c cum u 1 ate d cons t i t u en t s. may leach into the 

surface water or migrate with the water recharging nearby 

aquifers. Certain insoluble organic compounds, such as DDT, are 

known to bioaccumulate in the tissues of certain aquatic organisms 

living in contaminated environments (McEwen and Stephenson, 1979). 

This report presents a reconnaissance of some characteristic contaminants in the water and sediments of the Delaware River 

estuary region. Regionally quantifying these contaminants and 

assessing their impact on the water of the estuary and nearby 

aquifers will require more intensive study. Marked differences in 

constituent concentrations exist in the data collected by the U.S. 

Geological Survey in 1979 (table 11) and the results of this 

study. Such differences underscore the difficulty in reporting 

absolute concentrations of contaminants in surficial bed material. 

As indicated in table 8 by the two analyses of insecticides and 

PCB' s at Raccoon Creek, it seems difficult to select a truly 

representative cross section capable of producing repeatable 

results for a single station. 

The two cross sections selected for bed material analysis 

at Raccoon Creek were located within 200 feet of each other. 

Although the same sampling procedures were employed for each 

sample, the morphology of the bed at each location was very 

different. The surficial bed material collected in May 1980 

contained more siltaceous material; whereas that collected in 

January 1981 contained a higher percentage of coarse to very 

coarse sand and gravel. A partly frozen streambed in January made 

removal of fine material difficult. The cross section selected in 

May 1980 was wider than the one selected in January 1981. This 

allowed for the distribution of the net discharge over a wider 

cross-sectional area, accounting for lower stream velocities in 

the wider section. Lower velocities commonly inhibit streambed 

scour and favor the deposition of finer particles. 

Stainken ( 1979) was able to show that extractable hydrocarbons and percentage of volatile materials increased as the 

silt-clay content of Raritan Bay sediments increased. Goerlitz 

27 
Table 10.--Results of a base/neutral extractable organic compound analysis of 

the surficial bed material at Raccoon Creek at Bridgeport, N.J., 

January 8, 1 981 . 

Concentration, 

Compound name Compound type in micrograms 

per kilogram 

1,3-Dichlorobenzene Monocyclic chlorinated aromatic Trace 1 

1,2-Dichlorobenzene --do-- --do--

1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene --do-- --do--

Napthalene Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon --do--

2-Chloronapthalene --do-- --do--

Acenaphthene --do-- --co--

Dimethyl phthalate Phthalate ester --do--

Fluorene Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon --do--

Diethyl phthalate Phthalate ester --do--

Phenanthrene [not dif- Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon 

2.6 Anthracene ferentiated] --do--

Dibutyl phthalate Phthalate ester 4.5 

Fluoranthene Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon Trace 1 

Pyrene --do-- --do--

Chrysene --do-- Du2 

1 Trace, less than or equal to 2.0 )Jg/kg. 2 Du, Interference from hydrocarbon contamination. Sample contains large 

unspecified amounts of oil, grease, and methylbenzene. 

28 
Table 11.--Results of a previous investigation of the surficial bed material in the Delaware River estuary, April 28, 1979. 

Source: U.S. Geological Survey, 1980 

[Results in micrograms per kilogram] 

He ptaSite Endo- Chlor- Diel- Per- Toxa- He pta- chlor 

identi- Station sulfan, PCN, Aldrin, Lindane dane, DDD, DDE, DDT, drin, thane, Endrin, phene, chlor, Epox- PCB, Mirex, 

fication name total total total total total total total total total total total total total ide total total 

No. total 

-

01464575 Delaware R 

at PA Tpk 

Bdg at 

Edgely, Pa. <0.1 <1 <O. 1 <0.1 31 28 39 3.0 <0.1 12 <0.1 <1 <O. 1 <O. 1 120 <O. 1 

01464600 Delaware R 

at Bristol, 

Pa. -- -- <.1 <. 1 5 3.9 5.2 .5 .2 3 <. 1 <1 <. 1 <.1 5 

01467060 Delaware R 

at Palmyra, 

N.J. <. 1 <1 < .1 <. 1 5 510 160 <.1 .4 380 <.1 <1 <.1 <. 1 33 <. 1 

01467200 Delaware R 

at Benjamin Franklin Br., 

at Phila., 

Pa. -- -- <. 1 <.1 6 10 30 <.1 3.8 26 <.1 <1 <. 1 <. 1 380 

01467322 Delaware R 

at Walt 

Whitman Br . , at Phila., 

Pa. <. 1 <1 <. 1 <.1 89 31 410 7.2 6.4 <.1 <. 1 <1 <. 1 <.1 410 <. 1 

01477050 Delaware R 

at Chester, 

Pa. -- -- <. 1 <. 1 90 31 130 120 2.0 <. 1 <. 1 <1 <. 1 <. 1 100 

01482100 Delaware R 

at DMB, at 

Wilmington, 

Del. -- -- < .1 <. 1 27 15 ('I 35 3.0 1.2 <.1 <.1 <.1 <. 1 31 

N

CD
and Law ( 197 4), however, demonstrated that the abundance of fine 

particles in various bed material types is not always related to 

higher concentrations of chlorinated hydrocarbons. Differences in 

contaminant concentration over time at the same site could also 

reflect movement of sediments in response to hydrologic events. 

Table 12 lists the most recent EPA water quality limiting 

values and environmental profiles for selected constituents. The cons~ituents listed were found in either the water or bed material 

of the study area. Since the limiting values shown have been 

established for water only, comparisons of actual bed material 

concentrations to these limiting values cannot be made. 

Environmental factors influence the rate and magnitude of 

bed material contaminant migration. These factors include temperature, the extent of bed disturbance from dredging, surface-water 

velocities, channel geometry, the extent of ground water-surface 

water interaction, and tidal influences. Physical and chemical 

factors that affect bed contaminant migration include constituent 

solubilities, the presence of metabolizing flora or fauna, and the 

rate and extent of chemical decomposition, including the persistence of any decomposition byproducts. 

Despite the poor quantitative comparability between data 

collected in 1979 and data collected for this report, several 

qualitative trends are apparent. Throughout both studies, relatively soluble organophosphorous insecticides were virtually 

absent from the bed material. Chlordane and dieldrin were prevalent in the estuarine bed material in 1979 and 1980. In 1979, 

perthane was found throughout the bed material of the upper 

estuary, whereas, in 1980, per thane was detected at the Delaware 

River at Palmyra. 

Concentrations of ODE and ODD in bed material were usually 

higher than that of DDT in both studies. This relationship would 

suggest that most of the DDT in the estuary has undergone metabolic changes and persists in the form of breakdown components 

(Barthel and others,-1966). The use of DDT has been banned in all 

but the most extreme situations since January 1, 1973, yet DDT and 

its metabolites still persist in the surficial bed material. 

PCB's were prevalent in the bed material samples collected 

for this study and in 1979. A voluntary ban on the sale of PCB's 

for open application, such as plasticizers and adhesives, has been 

in effect since 1970, and the only U.S. manufacturer ceased production in 1977 (National Academy of Sciences, 1979). The presence of PCB' s in the 1979 and 1980 samples attests to the known 

persistence of PCB's in the aquatic environment (Sax, 1974, p. 

6 61 ) . 

The significance of the polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon 

(PAH) distribution in the bed material of the Raccoon Creek cannot 

be determined based on one sampling. If more data were available, 

30 
Table 12.--Chemical properties and environmental significance of selected 

Name Formula 

designated 

limiting value 

(in H2 0) 

Selection 

criteria 

Remarks 

Cadmium Cd 

Iron Fe 

Mn 

Benzene 

Chlordane C 

1 e[1.05 ln(hardness) 

2 e[1.05 ln(hardness) -

Selected metals 

A Occurs ( CdS) 

2. B Cd has including 

4~ 5 pg/L C electroplating, , and in 

0 ~g/L D batteries~ LD 50 oral) from 14 

10.0 ~g/L E for Cd lactate to 660 for Cd 

succinate** 3 

300 ~g/L G Hematite (red and brown) is the most common 

1, 000 ~g/L B iron ore .. *1 The principal objection to Fe 

in domestic water is 

~g/L G Important ores and 

*2 Mn 

in manufacture of and various alloys.* 

Selected organic compounds 

5,300 ~g/L B A clear, colorle&e, volatile liquid with an 

5, 100 ~g/L D aromatic odor. Benzene is an important 

0~00 ~g/L E fractional component of oil.*6 Ben6. 6 pg/L F zene is used as a constituent of motor 

, and as an intermediate in the manufacture , cyclohexane deter-

*7 gents, and Benzene is a 

carcinogen and a cumulative 

toxin. It is slightly in H2 0 *1 (0.8 

0.0043 ~g/L A A polycyclic chlorinated hydrocarbon 

2.4 pg/L B insecticide. Chlordane has been used 

0. pg/L C for over 30 years in control *10 • 

0~ 09 pg/L D Acute LD 50 (oral) is 457-590 mg/kg.* 5 

0. 00 ]Jg/L E Its solubility in water is low (9 PPB).* 

0~0046 pg/L F 

8.53]]Jg/L 

3 • 73] ]Jg/L 

31 
Table 12.--Chemical properties and environmental significance of selected 

constituents--Continued. 

SelecEPA designated tion 

Name Formula limiting value cri- Remarks 

(in H20) teria 

Selected organic compounds--Continued 

DDT C 0.0010 11g/L 14H9 Cl 5 A&C DDT, and its metabolites DDE (C 14 H8Cl 4 ) 

(Dichloro- 1.1 11g/L B and DDD (C14H10 Cl 4 ) are broad spectrum 

diphenyl 0.13 11g/L D chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides. 

trichloro- 0.00 11g/L E DDD (also known as TDE) is also formuethane) 0.00024 11g/L F lated independently as an insecticide. 

DDT-T (particularly DDE) is accumulated in 

body fat.* 3+* 7 Oral LDso (male rats) for 

DDT= 113 mg/kg; for DDE = 800 mg/kg; for 

DDD = 3,400 mg/kg.* 3 DDT and DDE are 

slightly soluble in H20 (1.3 PPB). DDD 

has separate limiting values for the 

protection of freshwater/saltwater aquatic 

life of 0.6/3.6 11g/L based on acute 

toxicity.* 1 

0.0019 11g/L A&C A cyclodiene chlorinated hydrocarbon 

2. 5 ]Jg/L B insecticide. Acute oral LD50 = 46 

0.71 11g/L D mg/kg.* 5+* 7 Dieldin has a very low 

0. 00 11g/L E vapor pressure, and is slightly soluble 

0. 00071 11g/L F in water (186 ]Jg/L at 25°C).* 1 Dieldrin 

is stored in animal fat and is thus subject 

to biomagnification in the food cycle. 

Manufacture of dieldrin in the U.S. was 

suspended in 1974. 

Endo- C9H6Cl 6 03S 0.056 11g/L A A cyclodiene chlorinated hydrocarbon 

sulfan 0. 22 ]Jg/L B insecticide. Acute oral LD 50 is 100 

0.0087 11g/L C mg/kg.* 3

+* 5 Endosulfan appears to be 

0.034 11g/L D particularly damaging to the central 

74.0 11g/L E nervous system.* 1 It is considered insoluble in water.* 3 

0.0038 11g/L A Heptachlor and its principal metabolite, 

0. 52 11g/L B heptachlor epoxide (C 10 H7 0Cl 7 ) are 

0.0036 11g/L C polycyclic chlorinated hydrocarbon insecti0.053 11g/L D cides. Acute oral LD 50 for heptachlor is 

0.00 11g/L E 90 mg/kg,* 5 and for the epoxide it is 46.5 

0.00278 11g/L F mg/kg.* 7 Heptachlor is soluble in H2 0 at 

about 56 PPB,* 7 while the epoxide is soluble in water at about 350 PPB. 

32 
Table 12e--Chemical properties and environmental 

constituents--Continued. 

significance of selected 

Name Formula 

EPA designated 

limiting value 

(in H20) 

Selection 

criteria 

Remarks 

PCB's C12H1 o-xClx 

(Polychlorinated 

biphenyls) 

PAH's Compounds 

(Poly- containing 

nuclear multiple 

aromatic unsaturated 

hydro- carbon rings 

carbons) 

PCE Cl 2C:CC1 2 

(Tetrachloroethylene) 

Selected organic compounds--Continued 

0 .. 014 lJg/L A PCB's (Arochlors) are joined by the chlo0.030 lJg/L e rination of diphenyl rings (C12 ). Although 

0.00 lJg/L E 209 possible substitutions of chlorine for 

0.00079 lJg/L F hydrogen are possible (including all 

isomers), the industrially significant pro= 

ducts are those containing 21, 42, 48, 54, 

and 60 percent chlorine by weight.* 3 Technical PCB can also include such contaminants as chlorinated napthalenes and chlorinated dibenzofurans. PCB's were introduced over 45 years ago and are known to be 

almost chemically inert.* 1 Their principal 

vehicle for movement in the environment is 

believed to be water,* 3 and strong evidence 

exists for their tendency to accumulate in 

food chains.* 1 They are generally low in 

acute toxicity (LD 50 oral(mice) = 2,000 

mg/kg), however they are considered to be 

quite toxic after chronic long term exposure.*3 PCB's are useful as electrical 

insulating mediums and as a heat-transfer 

fluid. The solubilities of PCB's in water 

vary from 2 to 250 PPB depending on the 

specific Arochlor.* 3+* 7 

0.00 JJg/L E PAH's can be formed in any hydrocarbon com0.028 lJg/L F bustion or decomposition process from a 

multitude of anthropogenic and natural 

sources, including forest fires and oil 

spills. Many PAH's are known to have 

mutagenic and carcinogenic effects.* 9 

840 lJg/L A PCE is commonly used as a dry cleaning and 

5,280 ]Jg/L B industrial solvent, as a heat transfer 

450 ]Jg/L c medium and in the manufacture of fluoro10,200 JJg/L D carbons. PCE does not appear to be a 

0.00 lJg/L E cumulative toxin.* 7 PCE is considered 

8.0 ~/L F insoluble in water.* 8 

33 
Table 12.--Chemical properties and environmental 

constituents--Continued. 

significance of selected 

Name Formula 

EPA designated 

limiting value 

(in H20) 

Selection 

criteria 

Remarks 

Selected organic compounds--Continued 

C6 H5CH 3 17,500 tJg/L B Toluene is a colorless liquid that is an 

5,000 tJg/L c important fractional component of fuel oil. 

6,300 tJg/L D It is formed in petroleum refining and coal 

1 LL 3 mg/L E for distillation.* 7 Toluene is considered 

insoluble in water.* 7 

TCE ClCH: CC1 2 45,000 llg/L B TCE is a heavy colorless liquid that is 

Trichlo- 2,000 llg/L D principally used as a degreasing solvent. 

roethylene 0.00 tJg/L E It also is used to decaffeinate coffee and 

27.0 tJg/L F as a dry cleaning agent.* 1 Its acute oral 

is 4,920 mg/kg.* 7 LD TCE is considered 50 

slightly soluble in water.* 2 

All of table twelve's limiting values are referenced to Sittig (1981). Sittig 

these values from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Ambient Water 

Criteria Series (1980), and the Health and Environmental Effects Profiles 

( 1980). 

LD (lethal dose, 50 per~nt). The dose of a substance that is fatal to 50 percent of 50 exposed organisms under test conditions within a specified period 'of time. A substance 

having an LD of less than 50 mg per kg of body weight is regarded by toxicologists as 50 

highly toxic. 

REFERENCES FOR REMARKS COLUMN: *1 = Sittig (1981); *2 = Hawley ( 1981); *3 = Sax ( 1974); *4 = U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1976); *5 = Windholz and others (1976); *6 = Zurcher and Thuer (1978); 

*P = National Research Council (1977); ~H 

= Weast and Astle ( 1979); 

if9 

= Josephson (1981); *fl 0 = Meister Publishing Company (1981). 

CRITERIA: A = to protect freshwater aquatic life - 24 hour average value 

B = to protect freshwater aquatic life - value not to be exceeded 

c = to protect saltwater aquatic life - 24 hour average value 

D = to protect saltwater aquatic life - value not to be exceeded 

E = preferred limit to protect human health 

F = this concentration poses an additional lifetime cancer risk of 

1 in 100,000 

G = maximum level recommended for domestic water supply 

34 
the techniques outlined by Lake and others (1979) might be helpful 

in determining the origins of the PAH's detected. 

The volatile organic composition of the water samples 

varied significantly between sites and between samplings. 

Trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene were among the 

predominant halogenated organic compounds found in this study and 

in a similar surface-water study by EPA in Pennsylvania and Ohio 

(Dreisch and others, 1980). 

Hydrocarbons in the estuary can result from many point and 

nonpoint sources, including atmospheric deposition. Benzene and 

toluene are potential decomposition byproducts of petroleum 

products (Zurcher and Thuer, 1978). Cyclohexane also exists as a 

component part of crude petroleum (Hawley, 1981, p. 297). It 

seems that many volatile organic compounds exist in the Delaware 

River estuary with instantaneous sampling conditions determining 

what will be found in a sample at any given time, thus making a 

description of spatial and time distribution impossible at 

present. 

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 

This report presents a reconnaissance of organic and inorganic contaminants in the water and bed material of the Delaware 

River estuary region. The water and surficial bed material -or six 

Delaware .River estuary sit·es and four tidal ~ributaries in New 

Jersey were sampled from May 1980 to January 1981. Most water 

samples were collected during the outgoing (receding) segment of 

the tidal cycle. The water at three additional tributaries in New 

Jersey were sampled for organic and inorganic constituents. 

The inorganic quality of the water is characterized by 

increased chloride and sulfate levels in the lower part of the 

estuary. Sodium was the predominate cation in the lower estuary, 

whereas calcium predominated upstream from Philadelphia. Moderate 

amounts of manganese were recorded throughout the region. 

No single volatile organic compound persisted in the water 

of the estuary during the study. Benzene, toluene, 1,1-

dichloropropane, tetrachloroethylene, and trichloroethylene were 

found at various times and locations at concentrations ranging 

from 1 to 12 ~g/L. Undifferentiated hydrocarbons, including 

cyclohexane, were found in the Delaware River estuary at concentrations ranging from 20 to 50 ~g/L. 

No measureable amounts of acid extractable or base/neutral 

extractable organic compounds were found in the water at any site. 

Trace quantities of 15 base/neutral extractable organic substances, in addition to toluene and oil and grease, were found in 

the surficial bed material at Raccoon Creek. These compounds 

included nine polynuclear aromatics, three phthalate esters, and 

three chlorinated benzenes. 

35 
The surficial bed material of the region was generally low 

in trace metals, except at Raccoon Creek at Bridgeport and 

Delaware River at Palmyra. The bed material of Raccoon Creek in 

May 1980 contained high concentrations of cadmium (20 ~g/g), 

chromium ( 190 ~g/g), cobalt (50 ~g/g), copper (230 ~g/g), lead 

(590 ~g/g), and zinc (2, 100 ~g/g). The Delaware River at Palmyra 

had high concentrations of copper (70 ~g/g), lead (150 ~g/g), and 

zinc (530 ~g/g) in the bed material. 

At most of the locations, the surficial bed material 

contained measurable concentrations of DDD, DDE, PCB, DDT, and 

chlordane. Only the bed material at Delaware River at Palmyra 

contained perthane (510 ~g/kg). The only organophosphorous 

insecticide detected in the bed material of the region was 

diazinon (1.6 ~g/kg) at Raccoon Creek at Bridgeport. 

SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY 

Factors not quantified in this study, but considered necessary for a comprehensive assessment of water and bed material 

contamination in the estuary include: ( 1) regional base/neutral 

extractable organic analyses of the surficial bed material to 

assist in identifying sources of industrial organic waste; (2) extensive bed material analyses for trace metals and hydrophobic 

organic substances, including organochlorine pesticides and PCB's, 

particularly along the tidal Raccoon Creek (including core analyses of the bed at selected locations for possible contaminants 

buried beneath surf.j.cial sediments); (3) further assessment of the 

occurrence and distribution of volatile organic compounds, including a study of their fate and significance in surface-water systems; (4) analysis of the mobilization of low-solubility metals 

and organic substances from the bed material into nearby ground 

and surface water; and (5) evaluation of current and proposed 

deposition sites for channel dredged spoils, to determine the 

potential for leachate contamination into hydraulically-connected 

aquifers and streams. 

Accumulation in the bottom sediments may afford the only 

opportunity for detection of insoluble substances in many surfacewater systems, apart from water analyses performed at or near 

known sources of contamination. Analyses for hydrophyllic substances, such as acid extractable organic compounds, should be 

restricted to water samples. These substances have high aqueous 

solubilities, making their long term retention in sediments 

unlikely (Lewis Lowe, oral communication, 1981). 

SELECTED REFERENCES 

Barksdale, H. C., Greenman, D. W., Lang, S. M., Hilton, G. S., and 

Outlaw, D. E., 1958, Ground-water resources in the 

tri-state region adjacent to the lower Delaware River: New 

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Special Report 13, 190 p. 

36 
SELECTED REFERENCES--Continued 

Barthel, W. F., Parsons, D. A., McDowell, L. L., and Grissinger, 

E. H., 1966, Surface hydrology and pesticides: Soil 

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Beetem, W. A., Friedman, L. C., Perryman, G. R., and Watterson, C. 

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Cohen, Bernard, and McCarthy, L. T., Jr., 1962, Salinity of the 

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Paper 1586-B, 47 p. 

Delaware River Basin Commission,. 1975, Industrial Discharge 

Inventory: West Trenton, N.J., 5 p.~ 

1981, The Delaware River basin comprehensive (Level 

B) study: West Trenton, N.J., 140 p. 

Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, 1977, Ground water 

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1979, Year 2000 land use and ope~ space plan: 

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the Huntington and Philadelphia river water supplies for 

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Contaminants and Sediments, Volume 1: Ann Arbor Science 

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Garbarino, J. R., and Taylor, H. E., 1979, An inductive-coupled 

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Goerlitz, D. F., and Brown, Eugene, 1972, Methods for analysis of 

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Techniques of Water-Resources Investigations, Book 5, 

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hydrocarbons in stream-bottom material: U.S. Geological 

Survey Journal of Research, v. 2, no. 5, p. 541-543. 

37 
SELECTED REFERENCES--Continued 

Greenman, D. W., Rima, D. R., Lockwood, W. N., and Meisler, 

Harold, 1961, Ground-water resources of the Coastal Plain 

of southeastern Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Geological 

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Guy, H. P., and Norman, V. W., 1970, Field methods for measurement 

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Harleman, D. R. F., and Lee, C. H., 1969, The computation of tides 

and currents in estuaries and canals: Committee of Tidal 

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Bulletin No. 16, 264 p. 

Hawley, G. G., 1981, The condensed chemical dictiGnary: New York, 

Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., 1135 p. 

Hem, J. D., 1970, Study and interpretation of the chemical 

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Environmental Science and Technology, v. 15, no. 1, p. 

20-22. 

Keighton, W. B., 1966, Fresh-water discharge-salinity relations in 

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Water-Supply Paper 1586-G, 16 p. 

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perspective view: Environmental Science and Technology, v. 

13, no. 4, p. 416-423. 

Lake, J. L., Norwood, Curtis, Dimock, Crandall, and Bowen, Robert, 

1979, Origins of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in 

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1847-1854. 

Luzier, J. E., 1980, Digital-simulation and projection of head 

changes in the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system, 

Coastal Plain, New Jersey: U.S. Geological Survey 

Water-Resources Investigations 80-11, 72 p. 

Mansue, L. J., and Commingsi A. B., 1974, Sediment transport by 

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Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 1532-H, 18 p. 

McCartney, David, and Beamer, N. H., 1964, The complexity of water 

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Chemical Engineers preprint 18b, 23 p. 

38 
SELECTED REFERENCES--Continued 

McEwen, F. L., and Stephenson, G. R., 1979, The use and 

significance of pesticides in the environment: New York, 

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Meister Publishing Company, 1981, Farm Chemicals Handbook: 

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Miller, E. G., 1962, Observations of tidal flow in the Delaware 

River: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 1586-C, 

26 p. 

National Academy of Sciences, 1979, Polychlorinated biphenyls: 

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the Environment, Environmental Studies Board, Commission on 

Natural Resources, Washington, D.C., National Academy of 

Sciences, 182 p. 

National Research Council, 1977, Drinking water and health: 

National Academy of Sciences, 939 p. 

Owens, J. P., and Minard, J. P., 1979, Upper Cenozoic sediments of 

the lower Delaware Valley and the northern Delaware 

Peninsula, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and 

Maryland: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 

1067-D, 47 p. 

Parker, G. G., Hely, A. G., Keighton, W. B., Olmsted, F. H., and 

others, 1964, Water resources of the Delaware River basin: 

U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 381, 200 p. 

Powell, S. T., Consulting Engineers, Baltimore, Maryland, and 

Legette and Brashears, Consulting Ground-Water Geologists, 

New York, 1954, Report on the effect of ship channel 

enlargement above Philadelphia: Report prepared for The 

Committee for Study of the Delaware River, Appendix A2-1. 

Rhodehamel, E. C., 1970, A hydrologic analysis of the New Jersey 

Pine Barrens region: New Jersey Department of 

Environmental Protection, Division of Water Resources, 

Water Resources Circular 22, 35 p. 

Sax, N. I. (ed.), 1974, Industrial Pollution: New York, Van 

Nostrand Reinhold Co., 702 p. 

Scheier, Arthur, and Kiry, Paul, 1973, A discussion of the effects 

of certain potential toxicants on fish and shellfish in the 

upper Delaware Estuary: The Philadelphia Academy of 

Natural Sciences, 54 p. 

39 
SELECTED REFERENCES--Continued 

Sheldon, L. S., and Hites, R. A., 1978, Organic Compounds in the 

Delaware River: Environmental Science and Technology, 

v. 12, no. 10, p. 1188-1194. 

1979, Sources and movement of organic chemicals in 

e laware River: Environmental Science and Technology, 

v . 1 3, no. 5, p. 57 4-5 7 9. 

Sittig, Marshall, 1981, Handbook of toxic and hazardous chemicals: 

Noyes Publications, 729 p. 

Skougstad, N. W., Fishman, M. J., tr1edman, L. C., Erdmann, D. E., 

and Duncan, S. S., 1979, Methods for determination of 

inorganic substances in water and fluvial sediments: U.S. 

Geological Survey Techniques of Water-Resources 

Investigations, Book 5, Chapter A1, 626 p. 

Stainken, Dennis, 1979, Occurrence of extractable hydrocarbons in 

sediments from Raritan Bay, New Jersey: Bulletin of the 

New Jersey Academy of Science, v. 24, no. 1, p. 6-11. 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1977, Quality Criteria for 

Water: U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 

256 p. 

1979~, EPA Method 624-Purgeables: Federal Register, 

v. 44, no. 233, p. 69532-69539. 

1979b, EPA Method 625-Base/neutrals, Acids, and 

Pesticides: Federal Register, v. 44, no. 233, p. 

69540-69552. 

U.S. Geological Survey, 1952, Index of water resources records in 

the Delaware River basin to September 30, 1951: U.S. 

Geological Survey Circular 190, 19 p. 

1980, Water Resouces Data for Pennsylvania, Volume 1, 

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U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1973, 

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Climatic Center, Climatography of the United States No. 81, 

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Vowinkel, E. F., and Foster, W. K., 1981, Hydrogeologic conditions 

in the Coastal Plain of New Jersey: U.S. Geological Survey 

Open-File Report 81-405, 39 p. 

40 
SELECTED REFERENCES--Continued 

Weast, R. C., and Astle, M. J. (eds.), 1979, Handbook of chemistry 

and physics: Boca Raton, Fla., Chemical Rubber Co., 

2447 p. 

Weil, C. B., 1977, Sediments, structural framework, and evolution 

of Delaware Bay, a transgressive estuarine delta: The 

Delaware Sea Grant College Program, College of Marine 

Studies, University of Delaware, 199 p. 

Willard, Bradford, 1962, Pennsylvania geology summarized: 

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources 

Educational Series No. 4, 17 p. 

Windholz, Martha, Budavari, Susan, Stroumtsos, L. Y., and Fertig, 

M. N. (eds.), 1976, The Merck Index, Ninth Edition: 

Rahway, NaJ., Merck and Company, Inc., 1937 p$ 

Zurcher, Fritz, and Thuer, Markus, 1978, Rapid weathering 

processes of fuel oil in natural waters: Analyses and 

interpretations: Environmental Science and Technology, v. 

12, no. 7, p. 838-843. 

t'JU.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1982-509-045/23 

41