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# Total Maximum Daily Load for PCBs in the Houston Ship Channel + Survey and Snapshot of PCBs and

Dioxin in the Houston Ship Channel and Galveston Bay System
University of Houston Parsons 6/23/2010



# Outline

• 

# Total Maximum Daily Load for PCBs in the Houston Ship Channel

– 

## FY09 PCB results from t he Houston Ship Channel (HSC) and Galveston Bay.

– 

## Effluent and Runoff Sampling Results

• 

# Proposed Sampling Plan

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## Survey of PCBs and Dioxin in the Galveston Bay System

– 

## Snapshot of PCBs and Dioxi n in the Houston Ship Channel and Galveston Bay

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# Total Maximum Daily Load for PCBs in the Houston Ship Channel



# Houston Ship Channel Segments

Houston HSC

Galveston Bay

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# FY 2009 PCB Sampling • PCB ambient sampling – Samples collected for water, sediment, and tissue in HSC and Upper Galveston Bay

• 47 sites sam p led for water ( dissolved & sus p ended ) * ( p) • 35 sites sampled for sediment • 30 sites sampled for catfish and 16 sites sampled for seatrout or

Atlantic croaker. 

## • PCB runoff sampling – 7 sites sampled once and 1 site sampled twice for water (dissolved & suspended (1-40 μ m and >40 μ m))*. 

## • PCB effluent sampling – 16 effluent sites sampled for effluent (dissolved & suspended)*. 

## • PCB concentrations calculated as sum of 43 congeners; non-detects assumed as 1⁄2 MDL

* High-volume sampling technique


# FY 2009 PCB Ambient Sampling Locations

Morgan's point

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# QA/QC Summary

Media Analysis Number of samples collected Number of sample results obtained from laboratory Number of sample results reviewed for QA/QC % Results reviewed for

QA/QC Water TSS, DOC, TOC 81 81 81 100% Sediment Grain size and Solids content 42 42 * * Water PCB (209 Congeners) 174 174 174 100% Sediment PCB (209 Congeners) 42 42 42 100% S di t TOC 42 42 42 100%

e men
Fish PCB (209 Congeners), Lipid and Moisture content* 58 58 58 100%
*QA/QC not required



# Summary Statistics for DOC and TSS by Sample Type

Count Mean Median Minimum Maximum Standard Deviation Ambient samples

DOC (mg/L) 48 6.3 6.3 2.3 15.5 2.3 TSS (mg/L) 31.8 30 2 93 20.6 Effluent samples

DOC (mg/L) 16 15.2 10.4 2.5 48.5 12.0 TSS ( /L) 27 9 17 2 137 34 6 TSS ( mg /L) . . Runoff samples

DOC (mg/L) 9 7.6 7.3 5.6 11.5 1.7 TSS (mg/L) 115 99 63 221 57

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# PCB Concentrations in Water (2009)

PCB Concentrations in Sediment (2009)

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# PCB Concentrations in Catfish (2009)

PCB Concentrations in Seatrout/Atlantic Croaker (2009)

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# Comparison of Percent Stations Exceeding Water/Tissue Quality Standards
Sampling Water a Catfish b Seatrout/Atlantic Croaker b Stations sam p led 32 45 2002-2003 Not sampled Stations that exceed standard 12 36 Station exceedance (%) 38% 80%
2008 Stations sampled 37 26 19 Stations that exceed standard 15 19 16 Station exceedance (%) 41% 73% 84% Stations sampled 48 30 18 c

a WQS (0.885 ng/L) b DSHS Health Assessment Comparison Value (47 ng/g) c Species sampled 2009 Stations that exceed standard 28 24 16 c Station exceedance (%) 58% 80% 89%

* ∑ 43 congeners



# PCB Concentration in Runoff (2009)

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# PCB Concentration in Effluent (2009)

Correlations Between PCB and Water Column Parameters DOC (mg/L) TOC (mg/L) TSS (mg/L) Suspended PCB (ng/L) Dissolved PCB (ng/L) DOC (mg/L) 1 TOC (mg/L) .995 ** 1 TSS (mg/L) .165 .152 1 All unique combinations of station and sample type (n=73)

DOC (mg/L) TOC (mg/L) TSS (mg/L) Suspended Total PCB

(ng/L) Dissolved Total PCB

(ng/L) DOC ( m g /L ) 1 Ambient samples only Suspended Total PCB (ng/L) .034 .056 .067 1 Dissolved Total PCB (ng/L) .085 .098 .044 .789 ** 1

(g) TOC (mg/L) .961 ** 1 TSS (mg/L) -.045 -.126 1 Suspended Total PCB (ng/L) .327 * .415** .122 1 Dissolved Total PCB (ng/L) .573 ** .628 ** .196 .790 ** 1 * Bolded and double asterisked correlations are significant (two tailed) at the p=0.01 level and the p=0.05 level for a single asterisk (n=48)

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# PCB Homolog Profiles for Ambient, Effluent, and Runoff Samples

PCB Homolog Profiles for Ambient, Effluent, and Runoff Samples

0.40 Ambient Effluent Runoff SUSPENDED 0.40 Ambient Effluent Runoff DISSOLVED

0 00 0.10 0.20 0.30

0.10 0.20 0.30Relative fraction

0
. 00 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0.00 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Chlorination Chlorination • Dissolved phase is similar in most sa mple types: ambient, effluent, and runoff. • Suspended phase shows a greater difference than was observed with the dissolved

phase for all three sample types.

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# PCB Partitioning

• Runoff samples show dominant PCB concentrations in suspended phase compared to ambient and

14 16 18 20fficient(Kd) Ambient Effluent Runoff phase compared to ambient and effluent. • However, when the amount of sediment per volume is taken into account, ambient and runoff show no statistical difference.

• Partitioning levels increase with increasin g chlorination in all three

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10UnitlessDistributionCoef

Chlorination g samples types, but the increasing trend not the same. • Simple linear partitioning models normally used to describe this behavior may not always be adequate for effluent and runoff conditions



# Proposed Sampling Plan - Snapshot of PCBs and Dioxin in the Houston Ship Channel and Galveston Bay - Survey of PCBs and Dioxin in the Galveston Bay System

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11 Parameter In-stream Water Bed Sediment Tissue TSS Y NA NA 

# Parameters of Interest

DOC Y NA NA TOC Y Y NA Solids Content NA Y NA Grain size NA Y NA Lipid content NA NA Y PCB dissolved in water Y NA NA PCB in suspended sediment Y NA NA PCB i di t NA Y NA PCB i n se di men t PCB in fish tissue NA NA Y Dioxin dissolved in water Y NA NA Dioxin in suspended sediment Y NA NA Dioxin in sediment NA Y NA Dioxin in fish tissue NA NA Y



# Survey of PCBs and Dioxin in the Galveston Bay System - Selection Criteria

• Reference Conditions Reference Conditions • Potential Sources • Spatial Distribution • Physiography and hydrography
• Add on opportunities - on opportunities • Secondary considerations

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## Proposed Sediment and Fish Sampling L ti i th L oca ti ons i n th e Galveston Bay System



# Snapshot of PCBs and Dioxin in the Houston Ship Channel and Galveston Bay - Selection Criteria • Provides a framework for decision making for the PCB/dioxin constituents on a system-wide basis. Includes snapshot of PCBs and dioxins in sediment and • Includes snapshot of PCBs and dioxins in sediment and tissue in the HSC and a snapshot of PCBs and dioxins in water in the HSC and Galveston Bay. • Station selection based on high concentrations observed from 2002-2003, 2008 and 2009 sampling results. • Monitoring plan consists of collecting 25 high-volume water l 21 b tt di t l d t 21 ti samp l es, 21 b o tt om se di men t samp l es, an d up t o 21 ti ssue samples. • Proposed locations may change.

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# Proposed Sediment and Fish Sampling Locations in Houston Ship Channel

Proposed Water Sampling Locations in Houston Ship Channel and Galveston Bay