Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, 

Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007 

Open-File Report 2009–1285

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of 

Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 

1989–2007

By Anthony J. Paulson, Morgan E. Keys, and Kelly L. Scholting

Open-File Report 2009–1285

U.S. Department of the Interior

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

KEN SALAZAR, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

Marcia K. McNutt, Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2010

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Suggested citation:

Paulson, A.J., Keys, M.E., and Scholting, K.L., 2010, Mercury in sediment, water, and biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget 

Sound, Washington, 1989–2007: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2009-1285, 220 p.
iii

Contents

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

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

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

Site Description .............................................................................................................................................2

History of Remediation and Environmental Investigations Related to Mercury .................................8

Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet................................................................................................10

Site Investigation (1990).....................................................................................................................11

Remediation Investigations (1993–95).............................................................................................14

Pier Dredging off Naval Base Kitsap Bremerton (1994–95) and Monitoring (1994–97)...........28

Studies in Preparation for Navigation and Comprehensive Environmental Response, 

Compensation, and Liability Act Dredging .......................................................................30

Closure of Confined Aquatic Disposal Pit.......................................................................................36

Long-Term Monitoring Program.......................................................................................................41

Sinclair Inlet Outside of Bremerton Naval Complex ............................................................44

Operable Unit B Marine Grid ...................................................................................................50

Cap of the Confined Aquatic Disposal Pit and Apron Surrounding the Pit ......................59

Sediment Transport Studies..............................................................................................................63

Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program ..................................................................................69

Temporal Trends.........................................................................................................................69

Embayment Studies...................................................................................................................74

Environment Investment (ENVVEST) Dated Cores and Sediment Traps ...................................78

Dated Cores ................................................................................................................................78

Particles Settling in Sediment Traps.......................................................................................78

Summary of Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet ................................................................80

Mercury in Marine Waters of Sinclair Inlet ............................................................................................84

Summary of Mercury in Marine Waters of Sinclair Inlet.............................................................94

Mercury in Biota of Sinclair Inlet..............................................................................................................94

Composite Samples............................................................................................................................96

English Sole.................................................................................................................................96

Rockfish.....................................................................................................................................101

Salmon.......................................................................................................................................101

Sea Cucumber..........................................................................................................................101

Geographical Comparison of Mercury Concentrations in Biota Using Individual 

Specimens............................................................................................................................101

Rockfish.....................................................................................................................................101

English, Rock, and Sand Sole ................................................................................................103

Graceful Crab............................................................................................................................103

Staghorn Sculpin .....................................................................................................................103

Ratfish .......................................................................................................................................109

Surf Perch .................................................................................................................................110

Sea Cucumber..........................................................................................................................110

Caged Mussel...........................................................................................................................111

Summary of Mercury in the Biota of Sinclair Inlet......................................................................113
iv

Contents—Continued

Figures

Figure 1. Maps showing locations of Sinclair Inlet, water bodies adjacent to Sinclair

Inlet, and site locations outside the Bremerton naval complex boundary from

previous studies, Puget Sound, Washington............................................. 3

Figure 2. Map showing location of Operable Units A, B Marine, B Terrestrial, and NSC of

the Bremerton naval complex along the northern shore of Sinclair Inlet, Puget

Sound, Washington ........................................................................ 7

Figure 3. Graph showing total mercury concentrations compared with total aluminum

concentrations in surface sediment off Operable Unit A, off Operable Unit B

Marine, and outside of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, from the

1990 Site Investigation ..................................................................... 12

Figure 4. Graph showing total mercury concentrations compared to total organic

carbon in surface sediment from Operable Unit A, Operable Unit B Marine,

and outside of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, from the 1990 Site

Investigation ................................................................................. 13

Figure 5. Graph showing total mercury concentrations compared to total fines in

surface sediment from Operable Unit A, Operable Unit B Marine, and outside

of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, from the 1990 Site Investigation ... 14

Figure 6. Graph showing mercury-toxicity characteristic leaching procedure

concentrations compared to total organic carbon in surface sediment from

Operable Unit A stationsand offshore site ST48 of the Bremerton naval

complex, Washington, from the 1993 Remedial Investigation ........................ 15

Figure 7. Graph showing mercury-toxicity characteristic leaching procedure

concentrations compared to total fines in surface sediment from Operable Unit

A stations and offshore site ST48 of the Bremerton naval complex,

Washington, from the 1993 Remedial Investigation .................................... 16

Observations to be Considered for Future Sampling Efforts ..............................................................115

Sediment, Settling Particles, and Suspended Solids..................................................................115

Water ................................................................................................................................................116

Biota ................................................................................................................................................117

Summary......................................................................................................................................................117

Acknowledgments.....................................................................................................................................118

References Cited........................................................................................................................................119

Appendix A. Evaluation of the Quality of Available Data for Marine Sediment, Marine 

Water, and Biota...........................................................................................................................123

Appendix B. Listings of Sediment Data Examined .............................................................................133

Appendix C. Relations Between Ancillary Sediment Parameters....................................................161

Appendix D. Core Profiles from the Operable Units A and B Remedial Investigation/Feasibility 

Studies from the Confined Aquatic Disposal Pit for the Long-Term Monitoring Program, 

from the Special Transport Study, and from the Environment Investment (Envvest) 

Project ...........................................................................................................................................177

Appendix E. Residuals for Long-Term Monitoring Program .............................................................201

Appendix F. Listings of Biological Data Examined...............................................................................209
v

Figures—Continued

Figure 8. Boxplot graphs showing vertical profiles of mercury-toxicity characteristic

leaching procedure concentrations, percentages of sand, silt and clay, total

organic carbon, and percentage of solids at MS219 of Operable Unit A of the

Bremerton naval complex, Washington ................................................ 17

Figure 9. Boxplot graphs showing vertical profiles of mercury-toxicity characteristic

leaching procedure concentrations, percentages of sand, silt and clay, total

organic carbon, and percentage of solids at MS222.................................... 18

Figure 10. Boxplot graphs showing vertical profiles of mercury-toxicity characteristic

leaching procedure concentrations, percentages of sand, silt and clay, total

organic carbon, and percentage of solids at ST48 off the Bremerton naval

complex, Washington. ..................................................................... 19

Figure 11. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon

in surface sediment from outside of the Bremerton naval complex,

Washington, from the 1994 and 1995 Remedial Investigation ........................ 21

Figure 12. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total fines in surface

sediment from outside of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, from the

1994 and 1995 Remedial Investigation ................................................... 22

Figure 13. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total aluminum in

surface sediment from outside of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington,

from the 1994 Remedial Investigation ................................................... 23

Figure 14. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon

in surface sediment from Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval

complex, Washington, from the 1994 Remedial Investigation ........................ 24

Figure 15. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total fines in surface

sediment from Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval complex,

Washington, from the 1994 Remedial Investigation .................................... 25

Figure 16. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total aluminum in

surface sediment from Operable Unit B Marine from the 1994 Remedial

Investigation ................................................................................. 26

Figure 17. Boxplot graphs showing vertical distribution of total mercury concentrations

and total finesat station SINC-MIDCH off the Bremerton naval complex,

Washington ................................................................................. 27

Figure 18. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon

off pier in Naval Base Kitsap Bremerton (site shown in inset of figure 2) in

1994–1995, 1996, and 1997 .................................................................. 28

Figure 19. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total fines at pier in

Naval Base Kitsap Bremerton (site shown in inset of figure 2) in inset of figure

2 in 1994-1995, 1996, and 1997 ............................................................ 29

Figure 20. Map showing location of DM-SE surface samples collected in 2001 after the

closure of the Confined Aquatic Disposal pit of the Bremerton naval complex,

Washington, with the eight labeled “spokes” in relation to the CP cells of the

Long-Term Monitoring Program ......................................................... 31

Figure 21. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon

for surface sediment samples in Operable Unit A and offshore of Operable Unit

A, Bremerton naval complex, Washington that had not been capped as part of

a remediation remedy or were not within the boundary of the Confined Aquatic

Disposal site ................................................................................. 32
vi

Figures—Continued

Figure 22. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total fines for

surface sediment samples in Operable Unit A and offshore of Operable Unit A,

Bremerton naval complex, Washington that had not been capped as part of a

remediation remedy or were not within the boundary of the Confined Aquatic

Disposal site ................................................................................. 33

Figure 23. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon

for surface sediment samples collected from locations off Operable Unit B,

Bremerton naval complex, Washington, that had not been dredged, 1990–94

and in Operable Unit B Marine, 1995 ...................................................... 34

Figure 24. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total fines for

surface sediment samples from locations off Operable Unit B, Bremerton naval

complex, Washington, that had not been dredged, 1990–94, and in Operable

Unit B Marine, 1995 ........................................................................ 35

Figure 25. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon

in the surface sediment of spokes 1 to 4 collected in 2001 ........................... 37

Figure 26. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total fines in the

surface sediment of spokes 1 to 4 collected in 2001 .................................... 38

Figure 27. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon

in the surface sediment of spokes 5 to 8 collected in 2001 ........................... 39

Figure 28. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total fines in the

surface sediment of spokes 5 to 8 collected in 2001 .................................... 40

Figure 29. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total fines in the

surface sediment from State-owned aquatic lands, Sinclair Inlet, Washington,

collected in 2003 ........................................................................... 41

Figure 30. Map showing location of 1,500-ft grid cells in Sinclair Inlet outside of the

Bremerton naval complex, Washington ................................................ 42

Figure 31. Map showing location of 500-ft grid cells in Operable Unit B Marine of the

Bremerton naval complex, Washington ................................................ 43

Figure 32. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon

in the surface sediment from Sinclair Inlet outside of the Bremerton naval

complex, Washington, collected in 2003 with low and high outliers labeled......... 44

Figure 33. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total fines in the

surface sediment from Sinclair Inlet outside of the Bremerton naval complex,

Washington, collected in 2003 with low outliers labeled .............................. 45

Figure 34. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon

in the surface sediment from Sinclair Inlet outside of the Bremerton naval

complex, Washington, collected in 2005 with the high outlier labeled ............... 46

Figure 35. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total fines in the

surface sediment from Sinclair Inlet outside of the Bremerton naval complex,

Washington, collected in 2005 with the high outlier labeled ........................... 47

Figure 36. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon

in the surface sediment from Sinclair Inlet outside of the Bremerton naval

complex, Washington, collected in 2007 with cell 21 labeled for comparison to

2003 and 2005 .............................................................................. 48

Figure 37. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total fines in the

surface sediment from Sinclair Inlet outside of the Bremerton naval complex,

Washington, collected in 2007with cell 1 (low outlier) and cell 21 for comparison to 

2003 and 2005 labeled ..................................................................... 49
vii

Figures—Continued

Figure 38. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon

in composite surface sediment from Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton

naval complex, Washington, collected in 2003 .......................................... 52

Figure 39. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total fines in surface

composite sediment rom Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval

complex, Washington, collected in 2003 ................................................ 54

Figure 40. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon

in composite surface sediment from Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton

naval complex, Washington, collected in 2003 .......................................... 55

Figure 41. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total fines in surface

composite sediment from Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval

complex, Washington, collected in 2005 ................................................ 56

Figure 42. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon

in composite surface sedimentfrom Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton

naval complex, Washington, collected in 2003 .......................................... 57

Figure 43. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total fines in surface

composite sediment from Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval

complex, Washington, collected in 2007 ................................................ 58

Figure 44. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon

for surface and subsurface sediment core sections collected from the

Confined Aquatic Disposal pit of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, in

2003, 2005, and 2007 ........................................................................ 59

Figure 45. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total fines for

surface and subsurface sediment core sections collected from the Confined

Aquatic Disposal pit of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, in 2003,

2005, and 2007 .............................................................................. 60

Figure 46. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon

for surface sediment collected from the Confined Aquatic Disposal pit apron of

the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, in 2003 and 2005 ........................ 61

Figure 47. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total fines for

surface sediment collected from the Confined Aquatic Disposal pit apron of

the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, in 2003 and 2005 ........................ 62

Figure 48. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon

in the surface sediment and cores from the 500-ft cell 35 that had undergone

navigational dredging and in the surface sediment and cores from 500-ft cell

56 that had undergone remedial dredging collected as part of the 2005

transport study .............................................................................. 65

Figure 49. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total fines in the

surface sediment and cores from 500-ft cell 35 that had undergone

navigational dredging and in the surface sediment and cores (RDC1 and

RDC2) from the 500-ft cell 56 that had undergone remedial dredging collected

as part of the 2005 transport study ...................................................... 66

Figure 50. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total fines in surface

sediment in June 2005 and particles settling into sediment traps between June

and August 2005 in 1,500-ft grid cells 13 and 21, and in 500-ft grid cells 35 and

5667
viii

Figures—Continued

Figure 51. Graph showing total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon

in surface sediment in June 2005 and particles settling into sediment traps

between June and August 2005 in 1,500-ft grid cells 13 and 21, and in 500-ft

grid cells 35 and 56 ........................................................................ 68

Figure 52. Graph showing total mercury concentrations in surface sediment at seven

Long-Term Temporal Monitoring stations of the Puget Sound Ambient

Monitoring Program of Washington, sampled between 1989 and 2005 arranged

by their Puget Sound Partnership Area................................................... 70

Figure 53. Graph showing total mercury concentrations, total organic carbon, and total

fines in surface sediment at the Sinclair Inlet Long-Term Temporal Monitoring

station 34 of the Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program of Washington,

sampled between 1989 and 2005 ......................................................... 71

Figure 54. Graph showing total mercury concentrations compared to total organic

carbon for surface sediment at the Sinclair Inlet Long-Term Temporal

Monitoring station 34 of the Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program of

Washington, sampled between 1989 and 2005 .......................................... 72

Figure 55. Graph showing total mercury concentrations compared to total fines for

surface sediment at the Sinclair Inlet Long-Term Temporal Monitoring station

34 of the Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program of Washington, sampled

between 1989 and 2005 ..................................................................... 73

Figure 56. Graph showing total mercury concentrations compared to total organic

carbon in the surface sediment collected by the Puget Sound Ambient

Monitoring Program embayment study in 1998 and the regression line for the

1994 Offshore Sinclair Inlet surface sediment from the Remedial

Investigation/Feasibility Study and the 2003 offshore surface sediment from

the Long-Term Monitoring Program 1,500-ft grid sampling ........................... 74

Figure 57. Graph showing total mercury concentrations compared to total organic

carbon in the surface sediment collected by Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring

Program embayment study in Washington State from Sinclair Inlet (1998),

Elliott Bay off Seattle, and Bellingham Bay ............................................. 75

Figure 58. Graph showing total mercury concentrations compared to total organic

carbon in the surface sediment from Sinclair Inlet, Port Gardner off Everett,

Liberty Bay off Poulsbo, Commencement Bay off Tacoma, and Budd Inlet off

Olympia ....................................................................................... 76

Figure 59. Graph showing total mercury concentrations compared to total fines in the

surface sediment from Sinclair Inlet, Bellingham Bay, Port Gardner off Everett,

Elliott Bay off Seattle, Liberty Bay off Poulsbo, Commencement Bay off

Tacoma, and Budd Inlet off Olympia ...................................................... 77

Figure 60. Graph showing total mercury concentrations compared to total aluminum

concentrations for surface sediment in Sinclair Inlet, Washington and material

collected by sediment traps by the ENVironmental InVESTment Project in

2002 .......................................................................................... 79

Figure 61. Boxplot graph showing slopes calculated from the linear relations between

total mercury concentrations and total organic carbon content in sediments

from Sinclair Inlet and other Puget Sound embayments in Washington ............ 81

Figure 62. Map showing categorization of cells in the 500-ft Operable Unit B Marine grid

of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, by the occurrence of tier 1

outliers and the frequency of tier 2 outliers from the 2003, 2005, and 2007

Long-Term Monitoring Program ......................................................... 83
ix

Figures—Continued

Figure 63. Graphs showing total mercury concentrations in unfiltered near-surface

waters of Sinclair Inlet, Port Orchard Passage, and Rich Passage

(Washington) between 2002 and 2005 ................................................... 89

Figure 64. Graph showing total mercury compared to total aluminum concentrations in

unfiltered marine water at nearshore stations within the Bremerton naval

complex of Washington, a nearshore station off Port Orchard and stations in

central Sinclair Inlet in the wet season of 2004.......................................... 90

Figure 65. Graph showing total mercury concentrations compared to salinity for

unfiltered marine water column samples collected in Puget Sound,

Washington, September 13–14, 2005...................................................... 91

Figure 66. Graphs showing water elevation in Puget Sound, Washington, compared to

time and time of sampling at locations during the flooding tidal cycles of

September 13 and 14, 2005 ............................................................... 92

Figure 67. Graphs showing total mercury concentrations in waters of Puget Sound,

Washington, compared to salinity for each of the subsets of unfiltered 

marine samples collected during the flooding tidal cycles of September 13 

and 14, 2005 ................................................................................. 92

Figure 68. Graphs showing concentrations of total mercury compared to total organic

carbon concentrations for each of the unfiltered subsets of samples collected

during the flooding tidal cycles of September 13 and 14, 2005 in Puget Sound,

Washington ................................................................................. 93

Figure 69. Graphs showing total mercury concentrations in water from Puget Sound,

Washington, compared to total aluminum concentrations for each of the

subsets of unfiltered samples collected during the flooding tidal cycles of

September 13 and 14, 2005 ............................................................... 94

Figure 70. Graph showing total mercury concentration of whole- body staghorn sculpin

compared to fish length for individual specimens collected in 2005 from

Sinclair Inlet, Washington, and near Vendovi Island.................................... 95

Figure 71. Graph showing mean total mercury concentrations in muscle tissue

composites of English sole collected in Sinclair Inlet, Washington, by the U.S.

Navy and the Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program between 1994 and

2007 .......................................................................................... 96

Figure 72. Graph showing total mercury concentrations in muscle of individual English

sole specimens collected from Sinclair Inlet, Washington, during 1996, 2003,

and 2007 compared to fish length .........................................................105

Figure 73. Graph showing total mercury concentrations in muscle of individual English

sole specimens collected from Sinclair Inlet, Commencement Bay, Duwamish

Waterway, Elliott Bay, Eagle Harbor, Nisqually Delta, Hood Canal, off Vendovi

Island, the Strait of Georgia, and Port Gardner between 2003 and 2007

compared to fish length.....................................................................106

Figure 74. Graph showing total mercury concentrations in muscle of individual rock sole

specimens individuals collected from Sinclair Inlet, Hood Canal, and off

Vendovi Island between 2003 and 2007 compared to fish length .....................107

Figure 75. Graph showing total mercury concentrations in individual graceful crab

specimen collected from Sinclair Inlet, off Vendovi Island, the Nisqually delta,

and Hood Canal between 2002 and 2005 compared to crab length ..................108
x

Figures—Continued

Figure 76. Graph showing total mercury concentrations in muscle of individual ratfish

specimens collected from Sinclair Inlet, Commencement Bay, Eagle Harbor,

Elliott Bay, the Nisqually Delta, Hood Canal, and the Strait of Georgia between

2003 and 2005 compared to fish length ...................................................109

Figure 77. Graph showing total mercury concentrations of individual specimens and

composites of two surf perch of comparable size from Sinclair Inlet, off

Vendovi Island, the Nisqually Delta, and Hood Canal compared to fish length

collected in 2005 and 2007 ...............................................................110

Figure 78. Boxplot graph showing mean mercury concentrations of tissue from

indigenous mussels and caged mussels deployed in Sinclair Inlet, Puget

Sound, Washington, and nearby water bodies for 84 days during 2005 ............112

Tables

Table 1. Linear regression statistics of total mercury concentration (dry weight)

compared to total organic carbon (dry weight), total fiines (dry weight), and

total aluminum concentration (dry weight) in sediments collected from stations

outside of Bremerton naval complex, Washington, as part of the 1994–95

Remedial Investigation Study, the Long-Term Monitoring Program (2003, 2005,

and 2007), and the 1997–99 Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program Study of

Washington ................................................................................. 20

Table 2. Comparison of analysis of 500-foot grid composites with selected pier grab

samples collected in 2003 from Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval

complex, Washington ..................................................................... 51

Table 3. Years and cell numbers for which total mercury sediment concentrations in

500-foot grid cells within Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval

complex, Washington, deviated from predicted values were based on the

regression of mercury compared to total organic carbon for greater Sinclair

Inlet sediments .............................................................................. 53

Table 4. Mean mass settling rate of dry solids in sediment traps deployed in 2005 (U.S.

Navy Special Transport Study) and in 2002 (ENVironmental inVESTment Study)

in Sinclair Inlet, Washington ............................................................... 64

Table 5. Variability of total mercury concentrations in the top 10-cm of ENVironmental

inVESTment cores, and the depth and the maximum total mercury

concentration of total mercury peak in the sediment column of Sinclair Inlet,

Washington ................................................................................. 78

Table 6. Concentrations of total mercury and ancillary data from unfiltered marine

water-column samples collected from Sinclair Inlet and other Puget Sound

locations in Washington .................................................................. 86

Table 7. Total mercury concentrations in muscle tissue composites of English sole

collected from Sinclair Inlet, Washington ................................................ 97

Table 8. Mean total mercury concentration in composites of English sole muscle

collected throughout Puget Sound, Washington, between 1989 and 1999 ......... 98

Table 9. Mean total mercury concentration in composites of English sole liver collected

throughout Puget Sound, Washington, between 1989 and 1999 .....................100

Table 10. Statistics of analysis of variance and analysis of covariance of total mercury

concentrations in fish and invertebrate from Puget Sound, Washington,

1996–2007 ....................................................................................102
xi

Tables—Continued

Conversion Factors, Acronyms, and Abbreviations

Inch/Pound to SI

Multiply By To obtain

foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m)

mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (km)

square mile (mi2) 2.590 square kilometer (km2) 

cubic yard (yd3) 0.7646 cubic meter (m3) 

SI to Inch/Pound

Multiply By To obtain

micrometer (μm) 3.967 × 10-5 inch

centimeter (cm) 0.3937 inch (in.)

millimeter (mm) 0.03937 inch (in.)

meter (m) 3.281 foot (ft) 

kilometer (km) 0.6214 mile (mi)

milligram per kilogram (mg/kg) 1.6 × 10-5 ounce per pound (oz/lb)

square centimeter (cm2) 0.1550 square inch (in2) 

square meter (m2) 10.76 square foot (ft2) 

cubic meter (m3) 1.308 cubic yard (yd3)

square kilometer (km2) 0.3861 square mile (mi2)

cubic meter per second (m3/s) 70.07 acre-foot per day (acre-ft/d) 

centimeter per second (cm/s) 0.3937 inch per second (in/s) 

gram per square centimeter per 

year (g/cm2/yr)

0.22757 ounce per square inch per year 

(oz/in2/yr)

Concentrations of chemical constituents in water are given either in milligrams per liter (mg/L), 

micrograms per liter (μg/L), or nanograms per liter (ng/L).

Datums

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

(NAVD 88).

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

Elevation, as used in this report, refers to distance above the vertical datum of the Puget Sound 

mean lower low water.

Table 11. Means and standard deviations of fish and invertebrate collected between

2003 and 2007 from Puget Sound, Washington, used in the analysis of 

covariance....................................................................................104

Table 12. Total mercury concentration of composites of mussels deployed in cages in

Sinclair Inlet and Holmes Harbor, Puget Sound, Washington, 1994 ..................111

Table 13. Summary of mercury in composites and individual specimens of various

species and results of caged mussel experiments in Puget Sound, 

Washington .................................................................................113
xii

Conversion Factors, Acronyms, and Abbreviations—Continued

Acronyms and Abbreviations

BNC Bremerton naval complex

CAD confined aquatic disposal

CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act

CIA Controlled Industrial Area

CTD conductivity-temperature-depth

DMMU Dredged Material Management Unit

DM-SE Station label for post-closure CAD Pit samples (letter designations are of 

unknown origin)

Ecology Washington State Department of Ecology

ENVVEST ENVironmental investment project

ESD Explanation of Significant Differences

HCl hydrochloric acid

Hg-HCl mercury determined by digestion in 10 percent hydrochloric acid

Hg-TCLP mercury determined by the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure

IMF Intermediate Maintenance Facility

LTMP Long-Term Monitoring Program

NBK Naval Base Kitsap

ND navigational dredging

NPL National Priorities List

NTU nephelometric turbidity unit

OU operable unit

PCB polychlorinated biphenyls

PSAMP Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program

PSDDA Puget Sound Dredged Disposal Analysis

PSNS Puget Sound Naval Shipyard

PSS practical salinity scale

RD remedial dredging

RI/FS Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study

RPD relative percent difference

RSD relative standard deviation

SOAL State-owned aquatic lands

SRM standard reference material

SWRI Southwest Research Institute

TCLP toxicity characteristic leaching procedure

THg total mercury

TOC total organic carbon

TSS total suspended solids

USEPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

USGS U.S. Geological Survey

WDFW Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife
Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, 

Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

By Anthony J. Paulson, Morgan E. Keys, and Kelly L. Scholting 

Abstract

Historical records of mercury contamination in dated 

sediment cores from Sinclair Inlet are coincidental with 

activities at the U.S. Navy Puget Sound Naval Shipyard; 

peak total mercury concentrations occurred around World 

War II. After World War II, better metallurgical management 

practices and environmental regulations reduced mercury 

contamination, but total mercury concentrations in surface 

sediment of Sinclair Inlet have decreased slowly because of 

the low rate of sedimentation relative to the vertical mixing 

within sediment. The slopes of linear regressions between 

the total mercury and total organic carbon concentrations 

of sediment offshore of Puget Sound urban areas was the 

best indicator of general mercury contamination above 

pre-industrial levels. Prior to the 2000–01 remediation, this 

indicator placed Sinclair Inlet in the tier of estuaries with 

the highest level of mercury contamination, along with 

Bellingham Bay in northern Puget Sound and Elliott Bay 

near Seattle. This indicator also suggests that the 2000/2001 

remediation dredging had significant positive effect on 

Sinclair Inlet as a whole. In 2007, about 80 percent of the area 

of the Bremerton naval complex had sediment total mercury 

concentrations within about 0.5 milligrams per kilogram 

of the Sinclair Inlet regression. Three areas adjacent to the 

waterfront of the Bremerton naval complex have total mercury 

concentrations above this range and indicate a possible 

terrestrial source from waterfront areas of Bremerton naval 

complex. Total mercury concentrations in unfiltered Sinclair 

Inlet marine waters are about three times higher than those of 

central Puget Sound, but the small numbers of samples and 

complex physical and geochemical processes make it difficult 

to interpret the geographical distribution of mercury in marine 

waters from Sinclair Inlet.

Total mercury concentrations in various biota species 

were compared among geographical locations and included 

data of composite samples, individual specimens, and caged 

mussels. Total mercury concentrations in muscle and liver of 

English sole from Sinclair Inlet ranked in the upper quarter 

and third, respectively, of Puget Sound locations. For other 

species, concentrations from Sinclair Inlet were within the 

mid-range of locations (for example, Chinook salmon). Total 

mercury concentrations of the long-lived and higher trophic 

rockfish in composites and individual specimens from Sinclair 

Inlet tended to be the highest in Puget Sound. For a given 

size, sand sole, graceful crab, staghorn sculpin, surf perch, and 

sea cucumber individuals collected from Sinclair Inlet had 

higher total mercury concentrations than individuals collected 

from non-urban estuaries. Total mercury concentrations in 

individual English sole and ratfish were not significantly 

different than in individuals of various sizes collected from 

either urban or non-urban estuaries in Puget Sound. Total 

mercury concentrations in English sole collected from Sinclair 

Inlet after the 2000–2001 dredging appear to have lower total 

mercury concentrations than those collected before (1996) the 

dredging project. The highest total mercury concentrations 

of mussels caged in 2002 were not within the Bremerton 

naval complex, but within the Port Orchard Marina and inner 

Sinclair Inlet. 

Introduction

As early as the 1980s, the sediment of Sinclair Inlet 

was known to have elevated concentrations of a number 

of elements and organic compounds (Malins and others, 

1982). A remedial investigation of the marine waters off the 

Bremerton naval complex (BNC), Bremerton, Washington, 

was completed in 1996 (U.S. Navy, 2002) and the Record 

of Decision (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2000) 

was issued as final in 2002. The remediation option included 

isolating a considerable volume of contaminated sediment 

from interactions with the benthic food web by capping 

and disposal of dredge spoils in a covered confined aquatic 

disposal pit in 2001. The primary objective of the marine 

sediment cleanup was to address the potential risk to humans, 

particularly those engaged in a subsistence lifestyle, from 

consumption of bottom-dwelling fish with polychlorinated 

biphenyls (PCBs) in their tissues (U.S. Navy, 2002). Three 

pathways were identified as having the capability to transport 

chemicals from terrestrial landscape of the BNC to the marine 

environment, and thus as having the potential to recontaminate 

the recently remediated marine sediment. The pathways 

included direct dry dock discharges, discharge of groundwater, 

and discharge of stormwater system facilities handling 

surface-water runoff. 
2 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

As lead agency for environmental cleanup of the BNC, 

the U.S. Navy has completed the second 5-year review 

of the remedial actions of the marine sediment within the 

boundary of the BNC (U.S. Navy, 2007a), pursuant to Section 

121(c) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 

Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the National 

Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan 

(40 Code of Federal Regulations Part 300). One of the issues 

highlighted in the second 5-year review was that “There is 

insufficient information to determine whether the remedial 

action taken at OU [Operable Unit] B Marine with respect to 

mercury in sediment is protective of ingestion of rockfish by 

subsistence finfishers” (U.S Navy, 2007a). Recommendations 

and follow-up actions in the 5-year review are as follows:

• Revisit Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study 

(RI/FS) ground-water-to-surface-water transport 

evaluations in light of total mercury concentrations in 

two long-term monitoring wells, 

• Perform trend analyses and assess functionality and 

protectiveness of remedy for marine sediment, and

• Collect additional information necessary to perform 

a risk evaluation and reach conclusions regarding the 

protectiveness of the remedy (U.S. Navy, 2002) with 

respect to total mercury concentrations in Sinclair Inlet 

sediment and fish tissue.

Since 2007, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the 

U.S. Navy have entered into several multi-year interagency 

agreements. The objectives of these studies are to (a) estimate 

the magnitudes of the different predominant sources of total 

mercury to Sinclair Inlet, including those from the BNC, 

(b) evaluate the transformation of mercury to a bioavailable 

form in Sinclair Inlet, and (c) assess the impact of the sources 

and transformation processes on the mercury burden in marine 

organisms and sediment. 

Purpose and Scope

The first agreement with the U.S. Navy calls for 

USGS to (a) examine the present status of mercury in the 

sediment, water, and biota of Sinclair Inlet using available 

data, (b) examine the sources of mercury to Sinclair Inlet 

and generate new data to evaluate the mercury sources from 

dry dock discharges and groundwater flowing from the BNC 

into Sinclair Inlet, and (c) obtain the first measurements of 

methylmercury in the watershed of Sinclair Inlet.

Since 1982, a variety of mercury data have been 

collected in the marine waters, sediment, and biota of 

Sinclair Inlet. Examination of the more extensive data set 

collected since 1989 provides a historical perspective of the 

mercury conditions in Sinclair Inlet. In addition, mercury 

data obtained during large sampling events collected over a 

large geographical area can provide insights into the sources 

of mercury to Sinclair Inlet, as well as the processes that 

control mercury transport within Sinclair Inlet. This report 

summarizes present and past conditions of mercury in 

sediment, water, and biota based on available data.

Site Description 

Sinclair Inlet is a shallow embayment (maximum depth 

of 20 m) on the west side of the Puget Sound lowlands and 

within the north-central Puget Sound Action Area of the Puget 

Sound Partnership (fig. 1A). The Puget Sound lowland is a 

long, northward-trending structural depression between the 

Cascade Mountains on the east and the Olympic Mountains 

on the west. Most of the Puget Sound lowland physiographic 

province is mantled with thick glacial and postglacial deposits. 

Sinclair Inlet is adjacent to another shallow embayment, 

Dyes Inlet (fig. 1B). The Sinclair Inlet-Dyes Inlet system is 

hydrologically complex not only because of the geometry 

of the Dyes Inlet-Sinclair Inlet connection, but because 

Bainbridge Island blocks the connection between the Dyes 

Inlet-Sinclair Inlet system and central Puget Sound. The Dyes 

Inlet-Sinclair Inlet system is connected to central Puget Sound 

through Port Madison/Agate Passage/Port Orchard Passage on 

the north side of Bainbridge Island and through Rich Passage 

on the south side of Bainbridge Island. Rich Passage shallows 

to 20 m; the maximum depth in Agate Passage is 6 m. The 

shallowing of these passages results in extensive vertical 

mixing of the incoming tidal water. Tides in Puget Sound are 

mixed diurnally and have a maximum tidal range of about 5 m 

relative to a maximum depth of about 20 m for Sinclair Inlet. 

The relative proportion of tidal volumes through Port Orchard 

Passage and Rich Passage is unknown. Because the tidal prism 

volume of Dyes Inlet is about three times that of Sinclair Inlet, 

tidal currents in Port Washington Narrows, which connects 

Dyes Inlet to Sinclair Inlet, often lag those of Sinclair Inlet 

(Wang and Richter, 1999). 

Sinclair Inlet is an irregularly shaped triangular 

embayment about 1.9 km across and 6.4 km long (fig. 1C). 

The irregular shoreline was formed during glacial and 

postglacial periods. More than 20 small streams drain the 

Sinclair Inlet watershed and influence surface-water quality 

within the basin. The larger streams in the area include Gorst, 

Blackjack, Anderson, and Wright Creeks. The mean maximum 

monthly discharges (1993–2004) during the winter wet season 

for Gorst, Blackjack, Anderson and Annapolis Creeks were 

about 0.9, 0.7, 0.3 and 0.05 m3/s, respectively (Brandenberger 

and others, 2007). The outer boundary of Sinclair Inlet for 

this study is defined as the seaward side of a cable area 

that extends from the Bremerton dock of the Washington 

State Ferry System to the pointed shoreline near Annapolis 

Creek. This definition of the study area yields a surface 

area of 8.37 km2 and a cross-sectional area at its entrance of 

27,050 m2.
Site Description 3

Figure 1. Locations of (A) Sinclair Inlet, (B) water bodies adjacent to Sinclair Inlet, and (C) site locations outside the 

Bremerton naval complex boundary from previous studies, Puget Sound, Washington.

tac09-0206_Figure 1a

123° 122°

48°

47°

WASHINGTON

Figure location

Location figure 1b

0 10 20 30 KILOMETERS

0 10 20 30 MILES

A.

EXPLANATION

Puget Sound Action Area

 boundary and name

Puget Sound drainage basin

Water-column location

Whidbey

Nisqually

Seattle

Tacoma

Kent

Manchester

Everett

Bellevue

Lacey

Bellingham

Mt Vernon

Renton

Bremerton

Olympia

Lakewood

Sammamish

Eagle

Harbor

Elliot

Bay

Duwamish

Waterway

Sinclair

Inlet

Commencement

Bay

Bellingham

Bay

Port

Gardner

Port

Gamble

Holmes

Harbor

Vendovi

Island

Vancouver Island

Budd

Inlet

Hood Canal

Strait of Georgia

Strait of Juan de Fuca

British Columbia

CANADA

UNITED STATES

Wahington

North

Central

Puget 

Sound

South

Puget 

Sound

South

Central

Puget 

Sound

Hood Canal

Strait of Juan de Fuca

San Juan/Whatcom

Raft

Island

Bainbridge

Island

Blake

Island

ADMIRALC14

KSBP01

KSSK02

COLVOS PASS

KSBP01

O L Y M P I C

M O U N T A I N S

C A S C A D E M O U N T A I N S

Whidbey
4 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

tac09-0206_Figure 1b

Location figure 1c

Bremerton naval

complex

47°

45'

47°

40'

47°

35'

122°45' 122°40' 122°35' 122°30'

Bainbridge Island

Port

Orchard

Bremerton

Gorst

KITSAP

 

PENINSULA

Poulsbo

B.

Liberty Bay

Rich Passage

Sinclair

Inlet

Dyes Inlet

Agate

Passage

Port Orchard Passage

Port

Madison

HOOD CANAL

Port

Washington Narrows

Eagle

Harbor

PS06-SD51

LMK038

B-ST12 M2

M1

M10

M9

M10.1

M11

M8

POP

IWP

PS06-SD52

PS06-SD53

M6

M5

M7

0 1 2 3 4 5 MILES

0 1 2 3 4 5 KILOMETERS

PS06-SD51

EXPLANATION

Sediment sample site

M2

Stormwater site

Water-column site

Caged mussel site

B-ST12

POP

Figure 1.—Continued.
Site Description 5

tac09-0206_Figure 01c

 

Wright

 Creek

oR ss ree C k

 l B ca k caj k

 

r C ee k

 enl O y keer C

pannA il o s C keer

Ander os n er C ke

pS

C gnir keer

Gorst

Creek

Sinclair 

 

 

 

 Inlet

Cable Area Seaward Boundary

PUGETSOUND

122°36' 122°38' 122°40' 122°42'

47°

34'

47°

32'

T5

T4

T3

T2

T1

S5

S4

S3

S2

S1

M4

149

154

150

M3.1

M3.3

148/228

827

826

816

815

814

813

812

493

490

487 486

485

484

482

479

475 474

473

472

471

470

468

467

466 SIRP

811

POM

PSAMP 34

PO-POBLVD

LMK-122

0 .5

.5

1 2 MILES

2 KILOMETERS 0 1

EXPLANATION

Bremerton naval complex

PSAMP Temporal Monitoring station PSAMP 34

ENVVEST Marine

ENVVEST cores (S) and sediment traps (

T)

M4

Site investigation

811

ENVVEST stormwater sites

2005 caged mussel sitesUSGS acoustic Doppler current profiler station

LMK-122

149

T1, S1

POM

RI-FS

West

West

Center

East

C.

Location figure 2

Figure 1.—Continued.
6 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Vertical mixing in the Rich and Agate Passages, the 

shallowness (20 m) of Sinclair Inlet relative to the tidal 

range, and the relatively small flow of freshwater results 

in Sinclair Inlet being essentially “a tidally dominated, 

non‐stratified, saline body of water” (U.S. Navy, 1992). 

The physical oceanographic study of Gartner and others 

(1998) also determined that Sinclair Inlet was non-stratified. 

In August of 1994, the water column of Sinclair Inlet was 

essentially isothermal. During the wet season in March 1994 

when surface runoff would be near its maximum, the surface 

stratification was less than 1 salinity unit in 30 units. Gartner 

and others (1998) determined that typical current speeds 

were 5 to 10 cm/s. Wind forcing caused residual currents 

(time‐averaged currents filtered with a 35-hour low-pass filter) 

in the bottom layer to flow in the opposite direction of the 

currents of the surface layer and the wind. Unlike systems 

dominated by estuarine circulation, low-pass filtered residual 

currents in Sinclair Inlet were similar in magnitude to the tidal 

currents. 

The Bremerton naval complex is located on the north 

shore of Sinclair Inlet in Bremerton, Washington (fig.1C) and 

contains two separate Navy commands: Puget Sound Naval 

Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & 

IMF), Bremerton site, and Naval Base Kitsap Bremerton 

(NBK Bremerton). 

The primary role of NBK Bremerton is to serve as a 

deep-draft home port for aircraft carriers and supply ships. 

Facilities on the NBK Bremerton property include six piers 

and moorings, a steam plant, parking, housing, shopping, 

recreation, and dining facilities for military personnel and their 

families. NBK Bremerton also hosts several tenant commands 

including the Naval Inactive Ships Movement Office, which 

is responsible for providing long-term care of inactive naval 

vessels, and the Fleet and Industrial Supply Center, which 

provides material acquisition and warehouse services to 

west coast Navy commands. Naval Base Kitsap Bremerton 

occupies the western part of the naval complex and is a 

fenced, secure area.

The primary role of PSNS & IMF is to provide overhaul, 

maintenance, conversion, refueling, defueling, and repair 

services to the naval fleet. PSNS & IMF can dry dock and 

maintain all classes of Navy vessels and is the Nation’s sole 

nuclear submarine and ship recycling facility. The PSNS 

& IMF has six dry docks, eight piers and moorings, and 

numerous industrial shops to support its industrial operations. 

Like NBK Bremerton, PSNS & IMF is host to many tenant 

commands. PSNS & IMF occupies the eastern part of the 

naval complex and is a fenced high-security area.

 For the purposes of environmental remediation, the BNC 

was divided into Operable Units (OU): OU A, OU B, OU C, 

OU D, and OU NSC (fig. 2). OU B was further divided into 

OU B Marine and OU B Terrestrial. OU C is an upland area 

and OU D is a waterfront parcel on the eastern side of the 

BNC that has been remediated and turned over to the City of 

Bremerton. Of the OUs, only data previously collected within 

the present OU B Marine will be addressed in this report. For 

the purposes of this document, greater Sinclair Inlet is defined 

as the area outside of OU B Marine of the BNC. 

“Operable Unit A (OU A) consists of approximately 

0.049 km2 of manmade land and the adjacent marine 

environment of Sinclair Inlet. It is located southwest 

of the main Puget Sound Naval Shipyard operations. 

The site is relatively level except for the riprap 

seawall, and most of its surface is paved. OU A

is currently used as a parking lot for shipyard and 

deployed personnel and has been temporarily used 

as a staging area for dredge spoils. In the past, it 

was used as a helicopter pad and as a disposal area 

for industrial wastes associated with shipbuilding 

and decommissioning. Most of the land at OU A 

is composed of industrial fill to a depth of 2.1 to 

10.7 m below the current ground surface. The fill 

increases in thickness toward the shore, where it is 

overlain with a layer of riprap stone. This industrial 

fill is composed of sandblast grit, scrap metal, brick, 

glass, wood, and other debris. Several shallow pits 

were established near the former helicopter pad and 

used for disposal of liquid wastes.” (U.S. Navy, 

1995a). 

OU NSC formerly contained the Defense Reutilization 

Marketing Office, which recycled materials and contained an 

acid drain pit that was removed in 1995. Much of the western 

part of OU NSC consist of various former disposal sites and 

shoreline fill areas used for leveling and extending PSNS 

boundaries. The material used as fill varies with the location, 

but includes oily sludge, automobile scrap, construction 

debris, shipyard debris, spent abrasive grit, and other 

materials. Potential contaminants include PCBs, heavy metals, 

organics, and organotins (U.S. Navy, 1995b). 

OU B Terrestrial contains the PSNS and the NBK 

Bremerton, excluding OU NSC. A number of waterfront 

areas in OU B Terrestrial served as former disposal sites and 

shoreline fill areas used for leveling and extending PSNS. 

These areas received fill material that included oily sludge, 

automobile scrap, construction debris, shipyard debris, 

spent abrasive grit, and other materials (U.S. Navy, 1992). 

A suspected fill area at the eastern boundary of PSNS is now 

covered with gravel and some asphalt pavement is used to 

store bulk materials.
Site Description 7 Figure 2. Location of Operable Units A, B Marine, B Terrestrial, and NSC of the Bremerton naval complex along the northern shore of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington. Also shown are various remediation activities, and station locations of sediment collection, stormwater and well water collections, and caged mussel 

studies.

tac09-0206_Figure 02 D106 D107

D108D109D110 D105

D101

D102

D103

D104

500 METERS

00

1,000 2,000 FEET

122°40' 122°39' 122°38'

47°33'

Navy remediation type

Bremerton naval complex boundary

Berth

Thick-layer capThin-layer cap (Enhanced natural recovery)Shoreline stabilization

CERCLA dredging

OU AOU B MarineOU B TerrestrialOU COU DOther

BNC groundwater wells

EXPLANATION

Sampling stations

Operable units

2005 caged mussel sitesPSAMP Temporal Monitoring Station

CIA

811 RI-FS

PSAMP 34

SI 1990 123

709

D101 1994–97 Monitoring of pier dredging 

Nearshore water-column site

OU NSC

Unsuitable

PitPit Ring, innerPit Ring, outerPit Apron

Turning

Shoreline

Navigation dredging

P2

500 1,000 1,500 METERS

00

1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 FEET

718

311

709

380

724

722

241

206

204

203

715R

406R

NAVSTA

CIA

PSAMP 34

105

104

103

102

101

253 252

251

250

249

147

146

145 144

143

142

141

140

139

138

137

136

135

134

133

132

131

130

129

128

127

126

125

124

123

122

121

120

119

118

117

116

114

113

112

111

110

109

108

107

106

154

255

254

828

247

248

465

464

451

452

217

216

215

214

213

219

220

222

218

223

828

826

827

481

247

248

465

464

451

453

455

454

452

483

463

462

461

460

459

457

480

458

456

217

216

215

214

213

219

220

222

218

223

Sinclair 

 

 

 

 Inlet

Figure 20

Dry dock

Dry dock 

Dry dock 

Dry dock

Dry dock

Dry dock

P5

P3

P2

P4

Western

PSNS & IMF

Naval Base Kitsap

Bremerton

Operable Unit A

Central

PSNS & IMF

Eastern

PSNS & IMF
8 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

About 0.012 km2 in the central PSNS & IMF in OU B 

Terrestrial (fig. 2) was used as a fill area from 1960 to 1974 

and contains about 53,500 m3 of fill ranging in thickness from 

11.3 to 15.2 m. Fill materials included construction debris, 

rubble, spent abrasive grit (“blaster sand” and copper slag), 

and dredged sediment. In 1998, this area was paved and the 

Defense Reutilization Marketing Office was relocated from 

the OU NSC. As part of the remedial action for OU B Marine 

in 2000 and 2001, the shoreline perimeter was stabilized. This 

site also is part of the disposal site and shoreline fill area in 

central PSNS & IMF. The primary concern at this site is oil 

from two tanks at the site of a power plant used for steam 

generation from 1910 to 1942, which was demolished in 1994. 

The western part of OU B Terrestrial contains NBK 

Bremerton and includes two possible sources of contamination 

including the landfill for the former town of Charleston. About 

4 acres, just west of the OU NSC, historically contained a 

number of wooden and concrete block structures including 

a garbage can cleaning facility, and a storage area for PCB 

waste and off-line transformers. In the 1980s, two darkstained soil spots were removed during a time-critical removal 

action. Subsequently, the buildings were demolished and a 

hazardous-and-flammable-materials warehouse and associated 

parking areas were constructed on the site from 1994 to 1996. 

Some soils contaminated with lead and other substances 

were removed during the construction of the hazardous-andflammable-materials warehouse.

Farther west in the NBK Bremerton area of OU B 

Terrestrial is a large former disposal site and shoreline fill area. 

A concrete tank used for the neutralization of acids, bases, and 

spent electroplating solutions was observed to be degrading 

to the extent that metal reinforcement bar was exposed. 

This observation prompted shipyard personnel to arrange 

alternative liquid-waste-disposal methods and to take the tank 

out of service in 1983. 

History of Remediation and 

Environmental Investigations Related 

to Mercury

A synthesis of data on total mercury (THg) 

concentrations in sediment throughout Puget Sound indicated 

that THg concentrations in sediment within OU B Marine 

in central PSNS & IMF were higher than other urban areas 

of Puget Sound (Evans-Hamilton, Inc. and D.R. Systems, 

Inc., 1987). The level of THg contamination was of the same 

magnitude as reported in sediment from Bellingham Bay 

associated with the Georgia-Pacific chlor-alkali plant and 

in sediment from Commencement Bay associated with the 

Asarco copper smelter. In 1989, the State of Washington Puget 

Sound Ambient Monitoring Program began monitoring the 

marine waters and sediment of Puget Sound. The sediment of 

Sinclair Inlet had the highest concentrations of THg and PCBs 

of all the long-term sediment monitoring sites in the first Puget 

Sound-wide sampling (Tetra Tech, Inc., 1990). The State of 

Washington continues long-term monitoring sediment at one 

site in Sinclair Inlet and one site in Dyes Inlet. In addition, 

between 1997 and 1999, marine sediment in various regions 

of Puget Sound were studied using high resolution spatial 

measurements; Sinclair Inlet was sampled in 1998 (Long and 

others, 2000). 

An Initial Assessment Study (URS Consultants, Inc., 

1991) in 1990 assessed if previous PCB cleanup efforts 

associated with the two dark spots at the PCB storage area 

on the NBK Bremerton were successful. The maximum PCB 

concentration measured in soil during the investigation was 

1.94 mg/kg, below the Model Toxics Control Act Method A 

industrial soil cleanup levels of 10 mg/kg for total PCBs. Soil 

samples analyzed for total metals showed the presence of lead 

and mercury. Soil borings analyzed for THg exceeded the 

Model Toxics Control Act Method A industrial soil cleanup 

level (1 mg/kg) at 17 locations. The results of the initial 

assessment study were included in the Final Remediation 

Report (U.S. Navy, 1995b).

In 1990, the URS Team began a Site Investigation of 

nine sites on the BNC under contract with the U.S. Navy 

(1992), and suggested that further evaluation was needed. 

The remedial investigation of OU A was initiated in 1992 and 

continued in two phases through 1994 (U.S. Navy, 1995a). OU 

A (fig. 2) is located on the western edge of the BNC site and 

contained a helicopter landing pad at one time. Presently, the 

majority of OU A is occupied by a paved parking lot outside 

of the security fence of the BNC. 

Likewise, the remedial investigation of OU NSC, 

which contained an acid drain slab, was initiated in 1992 and 

continued in two phases through 1994 (U.S. Navy, 1995b). 

Project management plans for OU B were developed in 1994 

to guide the Remedial Investigation process for OU B, which 

took place between 1994 and 1996 in two phases; the final 

report was issued in 2002 (U.S. Navy, 2002). The remediation 

investigation of OU B included most of the working 

waterfront, including the piers and dry docks of the Controlled 

Industrial Area (CIA) of the PSNS, and contained most 

sites sampled as part of the Site Investigation. The operable 

units were reorganized for the Feasibility Study and a new 

operable unit (OU B Marine) was established that included 

marine sediment within the former OUA and OU B. The 

investigations of OU A and OU B Terrestrial were devoted to 

the soils, groundwater, and surface water of their respective 

land areas. 
History of Remediation and Environmental Investigations Related to Mercury 9

Due to increased mission requirements of the BNC, 

the Navy proposed dredging 80,360 m3 (105,100 yd3) of 

sediment on both sides of a pier off NBK Bremerton in 1991. 

The agencies of the Puget Sound Dredged Disposal Analyses 

issued a suitability determination in February 1994 for the 

unconfined open-water disposal of approximately 39,500 m3

(51,700 yd3) of material at a disposal site in Elliott Bay (fig. 

1A). The remaining 40,900 m3 (53,400 yd3) of material 

were designated for disposal at an upland disposal site. 

The dredging of the east side of the pier was completed in 

December 1994, and dredging of the west side of the pier was 

completed in March 1995. Annual monitoring of the dredged 

area occurred from 1995 through 1997 (U.S. Navy, 1998).

In June 1994, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

(USEPA) designated the BNC for inclusion on the National 

Priorities List (NPL). A Feasibility Study was completed in 

1998 to evaluate several alternatives for developing home 

port facilities for three NIMITZ-class aircraft carriers (U.S. 

Navy, 1999) in which dredging of 303,600 m3 (397,159 yd3) 

of sediment was proposed. Dredging off western and central 

PSNS & IMF and off NBK Bremerton, as well as turning 

basins for berths at BNC, was proposed. Sediment sections 

from the surface to a depth of 122 cm were collected from 77 

locations and subsurface sections (deeper than 122 cm) from 

7 locations were collected and analyzed (U.S. Navy, 1999). 

The composition of proposed dredged spoils was further 

studied (U.S. Navy, 2000) because of the large number of 

sediment sections that failed to meet the regional Puget Sound 

suitability guidelines for open-water disposal and because 

sediment chemistry concentrations of toxic constituents were 

poorly related with the occurrence of end points of toxicity 

tests (U.S. Navy, 1999). 

As early as 1997, coordination began between planning 

efforts for clean-up of the marine sediment and construction 

activities designed to improve the homeport capabilities of the 

shipyard. With the need for navigational dredging of marine 

sediment within OU B Marine, plans for a confined aquatic 

disposal (CAD) site were developed in 1999. In the design of 

a CAD, a pit is dug in the sub-tidal sediment of an estuary and 

the contaminated sediment is placed in the pit. After dredging 

and dredge disposal is complete, the pit is covered with a thick 

cover of clean coarse sediment. Disposal of dredge spoils from 

the most contaminated sediment of the BNC also were to be 

confined in the CAD under CERCLA. 

The Record of Decision for OU B Marine (U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency, 2000) indicated that fish 

tissue contaminated with PCBs posed an unacceptable risk 

to subsistence seafood harvesters. Consumption of older 

rockfish with high THg concentrations also was identified as 

a possible human health risk. Since the marine area off OU A 

is not part of the working waterfront of the BNC, capping of 

this subtidal contaminated sediment with clean sediment was 

chosen as a remedy to isolate living marine resources from the 

contaminated sediment. A thick cap was placed over the most 

contaminated sediment near the shoreline and a thin cap was 

placed over most of the contaminated sediment off OU A. The 

assumption underlying the placement of a thin cap over the 

less contaminated sediment was that the thin cap would isolate 

living marine resources from contamination until such time 

that natural sedimentation of clean sediment (enhanced natural 

recovery) would permanently bury the contaminated sediment. 

Results of PCB analyses of sediment collected around the 

CAD Pit in 2001 and in state-owned aquatic lands (SOAL) in 

2003 led to additional thin caps being placed on the periphery 

of the CAD pit (U.S. Navy, 2004). 

The Record of Decision provides for post remediation 

monitoring to be used in reviews every five years to assess 

the effects of the initial and subsequent remedial actions. 

The Long-Term Monitoring Program (LTMP) examines the 

marine sediment and natural resources in Sinclair Inlet and 

in the groundwater resources of OU A, OU B, and OU NSC. 

Beginning in 2003, the LTMP examined the concentrations of 

PCBs and THg in sediment in 72 cells of a 500-ft sampling 

grid within the boundary of the BNC and 32 cells of a 1,500-ft 

sampling grid in Sinclair Inlet outside of the BNC boundary 

on a biennial basis. In addition, the cap of the CAD pit was 

examined in 2003 and 2005, as well as a ring of 15 cells of 

uncapped sediment around the CAD pit, called the CAD Pit 

Apron. In 2004, the boundary of OU B Marine was extended 

to include state-owned aquatic lands shown in fig. 2 (U.S. 

Navy, 2004).

The LTMP continues to monitor groundwater for THg, 

other dissolved metals, and organic contaminants in five wells 

installed during the Remedial Investigation and five new wells 

installed in 2004 within close proximity to the shoreline. 

The PCB and THg concentrations in composites of English 

sole were measured in 2003 and 2007 to assess impacts 

of contamination on human health. In the second 5-year 

review (U.S. Navy, 2007a), mercury contamination in marine 

sediment and groundwater continued to be a concern.

This report contains geographical systems for locating 

sites from the Site Investigation, the Remedial Investigation/ 

Feasibility Study, and the LTMP. To facilitate conversion 

among these systems, locations from earlier U.S. Navy 

programs are identified in this report within specific cells of 

the newer LTMP 500-ft grid or 1,500-ft grid. In addition, sites 

outside of Sinclair Inlet mentioned in this report are identified 

within a Puget Sound Partnership Action Area (accessed 

July 13, 2009, at http://www.psp.wa.gov/aa_action_areas.php).

The ENVironmental inVESTment (ENVVEST) project 

was developed between Federal, State and local partners to 

specifically address the development of Total Maximum Daily 

Loads for the Sinclair/Dyes Inlet Watershed adjacent to Puget 

Sound Naval Shipyard, and the Final Project Agreement was 

signed in September 2000 (Sinclair/Dyes Inlets Water Quality 

Improvement Project, accessed July 13, 2009, at http://www.

ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/tmdl/sinclair-dyes_inlets/).
10 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

The ENVVEST project documented fecal coliform 

contamination (Cullinan and other, 2007), and also measured 

contaminants of concern, including THg, to Sinclair and Dyes 

Inlets. 

In 2007, the U.S. Navy asked the U.S. Geological Survey 

(USGS) to evaluate the status of mercury in the sediment, 

water, and biota of Sinclair Inlet, and to evaluate the sources 

of mercury to Sinclair Inlet. Forty samples from 11 wells, 

two dry dock well discharge points, and the steam plant 

were collected between December 2007 and June 2008 to 

evaluate groundwater and point sources of mercury from the 

BNC. In addition, a survey of methylmercury concentrations 

in dry dock discharges, groundwater, five creeks, and two 

wastewater treatment facilities was completed in 2008. A 

tidal study of filtered THg in one LTMP well and the adjacent 

intertidal region was completed in June 2008. A survey of 

methylmercury concentration in the marine water column at 

six sites within Sinclair Inlet and three sites outside of Sinclair 

Inlet also was completed in 2008. 

A comprehensive field study examining the 

biogeochemical processes that transfer inorganic THg in the 

sediment to methylmercury in zooplankton was conducted 

by USGS between August 2008 and August 2009. The 

overall objective of this study is to describe and quantify 

the biogeochemical processes that lead to methylation of 

mercury in sediments, the release of methylmercury and 

ionic mercury from sediments, and the bioaccumulation 

of methylmercury into the base of the pelagic food web. 

Specific goals are to (1) determine the spatial and temporal 

variability of methylmercury concentrations in zooplankton 

and, as feasible, phytoplankton in Sinclair Inlet relative to the 

spatial and temporal variability of dissolved and particulate 

concentrations of total mercury and methylmercury in the 

water column and other water-column constituents associated 

with organic matter, (2) assess the seasonal probability 

that THg in the sediments throughout Sinclair Inlet may 

be methylated, and (3) confirm the seasonal assessment 

by intensively examining the pore waters of Sinclair Inlet 

sediments at six sites and the releases of total mercury and 

methylmercury from Sinclair Inlet sediments using incubated 

sediment-core experiments. The results of these field studies 

will be published in 2010. 

Mercury in the Sediment of 

Sinclair Inlet

Similar to most elements, the distribution of mercury in 

sediment often is controlled by the physical characteristics of 

the sediment (grain size, organic content, and mineralogy). 

Because of the electronic configuration of the outer shell of 

the mercury atom, mercury has a tendency to associate with 

organic compounds. Therefore, the concentration of mercury 

in sediment generally is highly correlated with the organic 

carbon content of the sediment. These organic compounds 

often are adsorbed onto the surfaces of silt and clay particles. 

Because the amount of surface area available for adsorption of 

organic compounds per a given weight of particles increases 

with decreasing size of particles, higher organic carbon 

content generally is associated with small particles. Thus, total 

organic carbon (TOC) content often increases with increasing 

amounts of finer grained particles in a sediment sample. The 

grain-size distribution of sediment is characterized by the 

percentage of dry weight of gravels and boulders (larger than 

2 mm), sands (between 0.064 mm and 2 mm), silts (between 

0.008 and 0.064 mm) and clays (smaller than 0.002 mm). The 

distribution of many contaminants often is correlated with 

amounts of fine-grained material (called total fines), which is 

defined as the silt and clay fraction less than 0.064 mm. 

In addition to higher organic carbon content in finer 

grained material, the mineralogy of the sediment generally 

varies with grain size. The clay and silt fractions contain more 

aluminosilicate minerals compared to the sand fraction, which 

contains silica sands. Thus, the total aluminum content is a 

surrogate for the amount of fine-grained material in a sediment 

sample. The finer grained aluminosilicate mineral assemblages 

also contain higher amounts of iron and manganese oxide 

minerals, which strongly adsorb mercury. Aluminum 

content, total fines, and organic carbon content, therefore, are 

interrelated and represent a measure of the organic and mineral 

surfaces that have a strong ability to adsorb metals. 

For each investigation of marine sediment in the 

following sections, THg concentrations in sediment of greater 

Sinclair Inlet outside of the BNC are regressed against 

TOC content, sediment total aluminum concentrations, 

and percentage of fines if sufficient data are available. A 

description of the quality of each data set is presented in 

appendix A and the environmental data are presented in 

tables in appendix B. For studies in which two or three of the 

sediment indicators were measured, the relations between sets 

of indicators are presented in appendix C. 

The depth of the sediment column over which a sediment 

sample was collected is also an important parameter in 

assessing the THg concentration in sediment. In estuaries, 

suspended solids enter marine water from rivers and streams 

in the watershed, from point discharges, and from overland 

flows over impermeable surfaces of the developed watershed 

(that is, stormwater). These suspended solids are transported 

throughout the estuary by tidal dispersion and estuarine 

circulation and are deposited as marine sediment in a fairly 

consistent manner over time spans of years, if watershed 

land use or the climate has not changed dramatically. The 

rate at which solids are buried by newly deposited suspended 

solids is called the sedimentation rate. Sedimentation 

rates in Puget Sound usually vary between millimeters to 
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 11

centimeters per year. If physical processes were the only forces 

acting on the sediment, then the sediment would record the 

history of pollution in the annual varves with high temporal 

resolutions, similar to the annual growth of tree rings or record 

of ice cores. However, in uncontaminated sediment, benthic 

organisms (worms, mussels, and shellfish) thoroughly mix 

sediment down to a depth called the surface mixed zone or 

the biologically active zone. The degree of biological activity 

decreases with increasing depth, with the most intense mixing 

by shallow bioturbators occurring near the surface. These 

bioturbators are at lower densities at greater depths in the 

sediment. In toxicological studies, sediment often is collected 

from the sediment-water interface to a depth of 10 cm to 

encompass the biologically active zone. Thus, the sediment in 

a surface sediment sample represents sedimentation over some 

time period. For instance, a 10-cm surface sediment represents 

20 years of sediment accumulation if the sedimentation rate 

is 0.5 cm/yr. If the depth interval of a 10-cm sample includes 

the legacy pollution, the THg concentration will be higher 

than the THg concentration of sediment that is currently be 

deposited. Thus, the THg to organic carbon relation for a study 

in which sediment was sampled to a depth of 10 cm may look 

very different from the THg to organic carbon relation for a 

study in which sediment was sampled to a depth of 2 cm. The 

depth to which sediment are collected often is dictated by the 

specific purpose of the study. In the studies examined herein, 

surface sediment was collected to depths from 2 to 10 cm. 

Caution should be exercised when comparing the relations 

between THg and the above sediment indicators, as the 

various studies collected sediment to different depths.

 The wet chemical method of assaying mercury in 

sediments also may influence results. In routine methods, the 

sediment is digested with strong inorganic acids that not only 

decompose organic matter and metal oxides associated with 

particle surfaces, but also digest some of the internal lattice of 

the mineral particles. The mercury concentrations measured 

by strong acid digestion often is called total mercury (THg). 

In a special study associated with the 1994 study of OU B 

Marine, four sediment samples were digested in 10 percent 

hydrochloric acid (HCl) and designated as mercury-HCl 

(described in appendix A). The Toxicity Characteristic 

Leaching Procedure (TCLP; U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency, 1990) used in the 1993 OU A study requires that 

sediment be extracted with a weak organic acid. This 

procedure extracts the organic carbon compounds associated 

with particle surfaces, but does not digest the clay mineral 

matrix of the sediment and the designation Hg-TCLP is 

used. The mercury concentrations measured by these three 

procedures only will be comparable if the majority of the 

mercury is absorbed to particle surfaces and not locked into 

the internal lattice of minerals. All sediment data for mercury, 

TOC, and total fines are reported on a dry weight basis.

In summary, caution must be exercised when examining 

mercury concentrations in sediment of Sinclair Inlet across 

the various studies described below. The extraction procedure 

used and the depth to which the surface sample was collected 

may result in different analytical results. Some of these 

methodological inconsistencies can be mitigated by examining 

mercury concentrations in relation to one or more of the three 

indicators of sediment physical characteristics described 

above (TOC content, percentage of fine-grained sediment less 

than 0.064 mm, and total aluminum). However, the choice 

of indicators was not consistent among the studies described 

below.

Site Investigation (1990)

As part of the Site Investigation in 1990 (U.S. Navy, 

1992) to investigate the contamination of marine sediment 

by storm drains from the BNC, marine surface sediment 

(0–4 cm) was collected from 53 stations within what is now 

OU B Marine and 6 sites outside the boundary of the BNC. 

THg and total aluminum concentrations were measured for 

all sites, TOC was determined in 14 samples, and total fines 

was determined for 13 of the 14 sites for which TOC was 

determined. The data generally were acceptable in that the 

relative percent difference (RPD) of two field duplicates 

averaged 23 percent, but samples collected off OU A were 

qualified (did not meet data quality objectives) for holding 

time exceedances (appendix A). The data used in this report 

are listed in tables B1 and B2. 

When THg concentrations are plotted against total 

aluminum concentrations (fig. 3), the six samples collected 

outside of the OU B boundary fell into two groups: one 

group with low total aluminum and THg concentrations 

(about 8,000 mg/kg and less than the detection limit of 

about 0.13 mg/kg, respectively) and the other with higher 

concentrations (22,000 mg/kg and about 1.2 mg/kg, 

respectively). The dashed line (fig. 3) between these two 

groups illustrates the qualitative trend between THg and 

total aluminum in greater Sinclair Inlet in 1990. Although 

about one-half the samples from the present OU B Marine 

were either below or slightly above this qualitative trend 

line, a number of samples in OU A and OU B Marine were 

significantly above this line, indicating possible local sources. 

In particular, one surface sample collected off OU A had a 

THg concentration of 5.2 mg/kg. 

For the subset of samples for which total carbon content 

and total fines data were available (figs. 4 and 5), there 

were not significant linear relations (p < 0.05) between THg 

concentrations and total organic carbon and total fines. For 

the small subset of samples for which total aluminum, TOC, 

and total fines were measured (figs. C1–C3), the significances 

of the relation of total aluminum concentrations versus TOC 

(R2 = 0.61, p = 0.001) and the relation of TOC versus total 

fines (R2 = 0.61, p = 0.004) were similar.
12 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Figure 3. Total mercury concentrations compared with total aluminum concentrations in 

surface sediment (0–4 cm) off Operable Unit A, off Operable Unit B Marine, and outside of the 

Bremerton naval complex, Washington, from the 1990 Site Investigation (tables B1 and B2). 

Open symbols are qualified because mercury values are below reporting levels or because of 

holding time exceedances. Dashed line shows qualitative relation between the two groups of 

samples outside of Bremerton naval complex.

watac09-0206_fig 03

0

1

2

3

6

5

4

 IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL ALUMINUM, 

0

OU B Marine

Outside of OU B Marine

Outside of OU B Marine, Qualified

5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000

Off OU A, qualified

TOTAL MERCURY,

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

Region
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 13

Figure 4. Total mercury concentrations compared to total organic carbon in surface 

sediment (0–4 cm) from Operable Unit A, Operable Unit B Marine, and outside of the 

Bremerton naval complex, Washington, from the 1990 Site Investigation (tables B1 and B2). 

Open symbols are qualified because mercury values are below reporting levels or because 

of holding time exceedance.

watac09-0206_fig 04

Off OU A, Qualified

0

1

2

3

6

5

4

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

1 2 3 4 5

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, 

0

OU B Marine

Outside of OU B Marine

Outside of OU B Marine, Qualified

Region

 TOTAL MERCURY,

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT
14 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Remediation Investigations (1993–95)

The Installation Restoration Program investigates 

potential environmental contamination at Department of 

Defense facilities resulting from past operations and waste 

disposal practices (U.S. Navy, 1995a). The long-range 

objective of the Installation Restoration Program is to develop 

remedies consistent with the National Oil and Hazardous 

Substances Pollution Contingency Plan for sites that pose 

a threat to human health or the environment. In June 1993, 

marine sediment was collected at 11 sites (locations 213–223 

in fig. 2) off OU A and one offshore site (ST48 at location 

148/228) at two depths (0–5 cm and generally 5–25 cm). In 

addition, sediment was collected at a third depth (25–60 cm) 

at five sites off OU A (219–223) and the one site offshore 

(table B3). After extracting the sediment using the weak 

organic acidic TCLP solution, the extract was analyzed for 

Hg-TCLP. The small amounts of aluminum extracted by this 

method indicated that the procedure did not dissolve the lattice 

structure of minerals. TOC and total fines also were measured. 

Although the RPD of three laboratory and one field duplicates 

were less than 4 percent, only 29 percent of the Hg-TCLP 

analyses were deemed acceptable due to low matrix spike 

recoveries and values below the reporting level (appendix A).

The Hg-TCLP concentrations in surface sediment 

(0–5 cm) at these 12 locations (table B3) ranged between 

0.42 and 2.1 mg/kg (U.S. Navy, 1995a) and were weakly 

correlated (p = 0.096) with TOC and total fines (figs. 6

Figure 5. Total mercury concentrations compared to total fines in surface sediment (0–4 cm) 

from Operable Unit A, Operable Unit B Marine, and outside of the Bremerton naval complex, 

Washington, from the 1990 Site Investigation (table B2). Open symbol is qualified because 

mercury value is below the reporting level.

watac09-0206_fig 05

0

1

2

3

6

5

4

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL MERCURY, 

0 20 40 60 80 100

OU B Marine

Outside of OU B Marine

Outside of OU B Marine, Qualified

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

Region
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 15

Figure 6. Mercury-toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) concentrations 

compared to total organic carbon in surface sediment (0–5 cm) from Operable Unit A 

stations (locations 213-223) and offshore site ST48 (location 228) of the Bremerton naval 

complex, Washington, from the 1993 Remedial Investigation (table B3). Open symbols are 

qualified because mercury values are below reporting levels or because matrix spikes 

were outside acceptable limits. Vertical and horizontal error bars represent the ranges for 

duplicate analyses of mercury and total organic carbon, respectively. 

watac09-0206_fig 06

0

1

2

3

5

4

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON,

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0 2 4 6 8

Region

Off OU A (Locations 213-223)

Outside of OU B Marine (Location 228)

MERCURY (TCLP), 

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

and 7). Higher Hg-TCLP concentrations in OU A were 

generally nearshore at depths between 5 cm and 25 cm in the 

sediment column. This trend is illustrated by a concentration 

of 7.1 mg/kg in the 20–25 cm section of the vertical profile 

(fig. 8) from the nearshore station MS219 (location 219). Off 

the western side of NBK Bremerton, Hg-TCLP concentrations 

as high as 4.9 mg/kg were measured at depth (fig. 9). In 

contrast to nearshore locations, the Hg-TCLP concentration in 

the deepest section at offshore station 228 (fig. 10) decreased 

to concentrations less than the reporting level of 0.19 mg/kg. 

The vertical profiles for stations MS220, MS221, and 

MS223 (locations 220, 221 and 223 in fig. 2) are shown in 

figures D1–D3.

In 1994, sampling focused on surface sediment 

(0–10 cm) in OU B and included analysis of THg, total 

aluminum, TOC, and total fines (U.S. Navy, 2002). Much of 

the THg data obtained by strong acid digestion was qualified. 

Sampling in 1995 concentrated on defining the areal extent 

over which sediment needed to be dredged or capped and six 

samples collected off the BNC were analyzed for THg, TOC 

and total fines. 
16 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_fig 07

0

1

2

3

4

5

Region

Off OU A (Locations 213-223)

Outside of OU B Marine (Location 228)

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

0 20 40 60 80 100

MERCURY (TCLP), 

Figure 7. Mercury-toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) concentrations 

compared to total fines in surface sediment (0–5 cm) from Operable Unit A stations 

(locations 213–223) and offshore site ST48 (location 228 of the Bremerton naval complex, 

Washington, from the 1993 Remedial Investigation (table B3). Open symbols are qualified 

because mercury values are below reporting levels or because matrix spikes were outside 

acceptable values. Vertical error bars represent the ranges for duplicate analyses. 
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 17

watac09-0206_fig 08

0 2 4 6 8

MERCURY (TCLP), 

20

40

60

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

0 20 40 60 80

GRAIN SIZES, 

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

20

40

60

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

0 20 40 60 80 100

SOLIDS, 

IN PERCENTAGE BY WEIGHT

20

40

60

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, 

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT 

20

40

60

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

Sand Clay Silt

NI MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM,

 

DRY WEIGHT

Figure 8. Vertical profiles of mercury-toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) concentrations, 

percentages of sand, silt and clay, total organic carbon, and percentage of solids at MS219 (location 219) 

of Operable Unit A of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington. Open symbols are qualified because 

matrix spikes were outside acceptable limits. The vertical bars represent the depth interval of each core 

section (table B3).
18 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_fig 09

0 2 4 6 8

MERCURY (TCLP), 

20

40

60

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

0 20 40 60 80

GRAIN SIZES, 

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

20

40

60

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

0 20 40 60 80 100

SOLIDS, 

IN PERCENTAGE BY WEIGHT

20

40

60

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

0 2 4 6

20

40

60

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON,

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

DRY WEIGHT

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM,

Sand Clay Silt

Figure 9. Vertical profiles of mercury-toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) concentrations, 

percentages of sand, silt and clay, total organic carbon, and percentage of solids at MS222 (location 222). 

The vertical bars represent the depth interval of each core section (table B3).
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 19

Figure 10. Vertical profiles of mercury-toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) concentrations, 

percentages of sand, silt and clay, total organic carbon, and percentage of solids at ST48 (location 228) off 

the Bremerton naval complex, Washington. Open symbols are qualified because matrix spikes were outside 

acceptable limits. The vertical bars represent the depth interval of each core section (table B3).

0 2 4

MERCURY (TCLP), 

20

40

60

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

0 20 40 60 80

GRAIN SIZES, 

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

20

40

60

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

0 20 40 60 80 100

SOLIDS, 

IN PERCENTAGE BY WEIGHT

20

40

60

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

0 2 4 6

TOTAL ORGANIC CA R BON,

 IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

20

40

60

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

watac09-0206_fig 10

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, 

DRY WEIGHT

Sand Clay Silt
20 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

THg concentrations in surface sediment outside of 

OU B ranged between 0.14 and 1.7 mg/kg (excluding outlier 

location 472 in table B4). Quantitative analyses of the linear 

relations between THg and the ancillary parameters of TOC 

and total fines for greater Sinclair outside of OU B Marine 

were obtained using results from 17 samples collected in 1994 

and 6 samples collected in 1995 from outside of BNC (figs. 11 

and 12). For the regressions of THg compared to TOC and 

total fines, the probability that the slope of the regression was 

zero was less than 0.001 (table 1), indicating that THg was 

statistically correlated with TOC and total fines. Regression 

statistics of THg compared with TOC and total fines outside 

of the BNC are listed in table 1, after outliers were identified 

and removed from the data set. Total aluminum (fig. 13) was 

measured only in 1994 and THg was significantly correlated 

with total aluminum (p = 0.039). 

Table 1. Linear regression statistics of total mercury concentration (dry weight) compared to total organic carbon (dry weight), total 

fiines (dry weight), and total aluminum concentration (dry weight) in sediments collected from stations outside of Bremerton naval 

complex, Washington, as part of the 1994–95 Remedial Investigation Study, the Long-Term Monitoring Program (2003, 2005, and 2007), 

and the 1997–99 Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program Study of Washington.

[Data sources: 1994–95 Sinclair Inlet, U.S. Navy 1995a, 2000; 2003 Sinclair Inlet, U.S. Navy, 2006a; 2005 Sinclair Inlet,U.S. Navy, 2006b; 2007 Sinclair Inlet, 

U.S.Navy, 2008b; Bellingham Bay and Port Garder, Long and others, 1999; 1998 Sinclair, Liberty Bay, and Elliott Bay; Long and others, 2000; Commencement 

Bay and Budd Inlet, Long and others, 2002. Outliers for the U.S. Navy Sinclair Inlet dataset for 2003, 2005, 2007 were identified as having ratios of the 

residuals to the interquartile range greater than 3 and are shown in figure E1. The ratios of the residuals to the interquartile range is listed in parenthesis for each 

outlier. Abbreviations: cm, centimeter; No., number; <, less than]

Year

Depth 

interval 

(cm)

No. of 

samples

Intercept Slope

R2

Outliers

Value Error p Value Error p Low High

Total mercury compared to total organic carbon1

Sinclair 1994–95 0–10 22 –0.23 0.18 0.21 0.41 0.069 <0.001 0.642 472 (-8.2)

Bellingham Bay 1997 0–3 19 –.13 .05 .026 .172 .023 <.001 .772

Port Gardner 1997 0–3 7 .02 .02 .393 .059 .012 .004 .830

Elliott Bay 1998 0–3 7 .03 .04 .488 .151 .024 .002 .884

Liberty Bay 1998 0–3 9 .01 .01 .486 .067 .005 <.001 .960

Sinclair 1998 0–3 8 –.01 .06 .930 .223 .024 <.001 .935

Commencement Bay 1999 0–3 8 .05 .01 .004 .018 .007 .030 .572

Budd Inlet 1999 0–3 6 .05 .03 .172 .030 .010 .041 .688

Sinclair 2003 0–10 29 –.11 .05 .028 .256 .017 <.001 .892 6 (-4.8), 

8(-4.5)

21 (+3.2)

Sinclair 2005 0–10 31 –.00 .06 .940 .1755 .022 <.001 .702 21 (+3.2)

Sinclair 2007 0–10 32 –.02 .06 .680 .187 .019 <.001 .825

Total mercury compared to total fines2

Sinclair 1994–95 0–10 23 –0.13 0.13 0.35 0.0137 0.0019 <0.001 0.734 

Bellingham Bay 1997 0–3 19 .39 .25 .137 –.002 .003 .579 .018

Port Gardner 1997 0–3 7 .03 .01 .014 .0012 .0001 <.001 .952

Elliott Bay 1998 0–3 6 .13 .10 .238 .002 .001 .249 .312

Liberty Bay 1998 0–3 9 .02 .01 .223 .0023 .0002 <.001 .962

Sinclair 1998 0–3 8 –.02 .05 .736 .009 .001 <.001 .958

Commencement Bay 1999 0–3 8 .05 .01 .004 .0004 .0001 .020 .623

Budd Inlet 1999 0–3 6 .06 .09 .559 .001 .001 .402 .180

Sinclair 2003 0–10 28 –.13 .04 .003 .00969 .001 <.001 .927 6(-2.2), 

8(-5.1)

Sinclair 2005 0–10 31 –.08 .05 .163 .00773 .001 <.001 .804 21 (+5.1)

Sinclair 2007 0–10 28 –.08 .03 .002 .00843 <.001 <.001 .940 1 (-3.7)

Total mercury compared to total aluminum3

Sinclair 1994 16 –0.21 0.47 0.66 6.7E-05 2.9E-05 0.038 0.272

1

 Slope in units of milligrams per kilogram (dry weight) per percentage total organic carbon by dry weight.

2

 Slope in units of milligrams per kilogram (dry weight) per percentage of total fines by dry weight.

3

 Slope is a ratio in the same units and is unitless.
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 21

Figure 11. Total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon in surface 

sediment (0–10 cm) from outside of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, from the 

1994 and 1995 Remedial Investigation (table B4). The solid line represents the statistically 

significant regression line (table 1) and the dashed lines represent the 95 percent prediction 

intervals.

watac09-0206_fig 11 IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

95% Prediction Interval

0

0.4

0.8

1.2

1.6

2.0

1994/1995 Data

1994/1995 Regression

0 1 2 3 4 5

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL MERCURY, 
22 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Figure 12. Total mercury concentration compared to total fines in surface sediment 

(0–10 cm) from outside of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, from the 1994 

and 1995 Remedial Investigation (table B4). The solid line represents the statistically 

significant regression line (table 1) and the dashed lines represent the 95 percent 

prediction intervals.

watac09-0206_fig 12 IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

95% Prediction Interval

0

0.4

0.8

1.2

1.6

2.0

0 20 40 60 80 100

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

1994 and 1995 Data

1994/1995 Regression

TOTAL MERCURY, 
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 23

watac09-0206_fig 13 IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0

1

2

3

4

5

95% Prediction Interval

1994 Regression

1994 Data

0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000

TOTAL ALUMINUM, 

(Location 472)

TOTAL MERCURY, 

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

Figure 13. Total mercury concentration compared to total aluminum in surface 

sediment (0–10 cm) from outside of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, from 

the 1994 Remedial Investigation (table B4). The solid line represents the statistically 

significant regression line (table 1) and the dashed lines represent the 95 percent 

prediction intervals.
24 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

When THg concentrations in surface sediment (0–10 cm) 

from OU B Marine (table B5) are plotted against TOC 

(fig. 14), six of the samples are outside of the prediction 

interval for the regression line for sediment outside of the 

BNC. In particular, THg concentrations from sites 458-6E 

BIASED and 463-6E REP (sampled on May 19, 1994) were 

approximately 4 mg/kg. In contrast, eight of the thirteen of 

the OU B Marine samples are above the prediction interval 

for regression line of THg compared to total fines for samples 

outside of the BNC (fig. 15). Total aluminum concentrations 

varied between about 15,000 to 25,000 mg/kg and THg 

concentrations varied by 7-fold (fig. 16). The relations among 

total fines, TOC content, and aluminum concentrations are 

shown in appendix C (figures C4–C6 for samples outside of 

OU B Marina and in figures C7–C9 for samples within OU B 

Marina). 

watac09-0206_fig 14 IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0

1

2

3

4

5

0 1 2 3 4 5

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL MERCURY, 

Figure 14. Total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon in surface 

sediment (0–10 cm) from Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, 

Washington, from the 1994 Remedial Investigation (table B5). Open symbols are qualified. 

The solid line represents the statistically significant 1994–95 regression between the 

variables for sediment outside of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington (fig. 11 and 

table 1) and the dashed lines represent the upper 95 percent prediction intervals.
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 25

watac09-0206_fig 15 IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0

1

2

3

4

5

0 20 40 60 80 100

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL MERCURY, 

Figure 15. Total mercury concentration compared to total fines in surface sediment 

(0–10 cm) from Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, 

from the 1994 Remedial Investigation (table B5). Open symbols are qualified. The solid 

line represents the statistically significant 1994–95 regression between the variables for 

sediment outside of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, (fig. 12 and table 1) and the 

dashed line represents the upper 95 percent prediction interval.
26 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_fig 16 IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000

0

1

2

3

4

5

TOTAL ALUMINUM, 

TOTAL MERCURY, 

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

Figure 16. Total mercury concentration compared to total aluminum in surface sediment 

(0–10 cm) from Operable Unit B Marine from the 1994 Remedial Investigation (table B5). 

Open symbols are qualified. The solid line represents the statistically significant 1994–95 

regression between the variables for sediment outside of the Bremerton naval complex, 

Washington, (fig. 13 and table 1) and the dashed line represents the upper 95 percent 

prediction interval. 
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 27

A core with high vertical resolution was collected in 

October of 1995 in greater Sinclair Inlet outside of the BNC 

boundary (location 490) and five sections in the top 30 cm 

were analyzed in triplicate (fig. 17). Mean THg concentrations 

increased with depth from a mean of 0.83 mg/kg in the top 

2.5 cm to an mean of 1.5 mg/kg in the 20–30 cm section. 

Below 30 cm depth, THg concentrations were less than 

or equal to 0.23 mg/kg. The 30-cm discontinuity also was 

observed with total fines and may be related to previous 

disturbances in the area, such as dredging.

In October 1995, three cores (locations 826–828 in fig. 2) 

were taken off eastern PSNS & IMF (location 826), off central 

PSNS & IMF (location 827) and off NBK Bremerton (location 

828). Surface (0–61 cm) and deeper subsurface (61–122 cm) 

core sections were collected at each site. THg concentrations 

were greatest in the surface core section and were 0.33, 6.5, 

and 1.2 mg/kg, respectively (table B5). The profiles for these 

cores are shown in figures D4–D6. 

Figure 17. Vertical distribution of total mercury concentrations and total fines (table B4) at station SINC-MIDCH

(location 490) off the Bremerton naval complex, Washington. The vertical error bars indicate the vertical interval of 

each core section and the horizontal error bars indicate one standard deviation of triplicate analyses. The open circles 

represent values below the method detection limit.

0.0 1.0 2.0

25

0

50

75

100

125

80 90 100

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL MERCURY, 

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM,

25

0

50

75

100

125

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

DRY WEIGHT
28 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Pier Dredging off Naval Base Kitsap Bremerton 

(1994–95) and Monitoring (1994–97)

Between December 1994 and March 1995, sediment on 

both sides of a pier off NBK Bremerton (shown in the inset 

of fig. 2) was dredged for navigational purposes and dredge 

spoils were disposed outside of Sinclair Inlet. Sampling 

of surface sediment (0–2 cm) occurred in December 1994 

(east side of pier) and in March 1995 (west side of pier) 

immediately after dredging of the respective sides. To detect 

recontamination of the dredged area, post-dredging sampling 

occurred on both sides of the pier (11 sites) in May of 1996 

and in September 1997 (table B6; U.S. Navy, 1998). In 

general, data of THg compared to TOC and total fines fall 

along the regressions lines for the 1994–95 sites outside of the 

BNC (figs. 18 and 19). However, higher THg concentrations 

were measured at the station nearest the shoreline (location 

D101) in 1995 and 1996. When sampled in 1997, the THg 

concentration at station D101 was below than the general 

scatter around the 1994–95 regression lines.

Figure 18. Total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon off pier in 

Naval Base Kitsap Bremerton (site shown in inset of figure 2) in 1994–1995, 1996, and 

1997 (table B6). The solid line represents the statistically significant 1994–95 regression 

between the variables for sediment outside of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington 

(fig. 11 and table 1) and the dashed lines represent the upper 95 percent prediction 

intervals. Location D101 for 1995, 1996, and 1997 data is labeled.

watac09-0206_fig 18

0 1 2 3 4

0

1

2

3

4

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0 - 2 cm Sediments

D101

D101

D101

1997

1996

1994-95

TOTAL MERCURY, 
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 29

Figure 19. Total mercury concentration compared to total fines at pier in Naval Base 

Kitsap Bremerton (site shown in inset of figure 2) in inset of figure 2 in 1994-1995, 1996, and 

1997 (table B6). The solid line represents the statistically significant 1994–95 regression 

between the variables for sediment outside of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington 

(fig. 12 and table 1) and the dashed lines represent the 95 percent prediction intervals. 

Location D101 for 1995, 1996, and 1997 data is labeled.

watac09-0206_fig 19

0

1

2

3

4

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0 - 2 cm Sediments

1997

1996

1994-95

0 20 40 60 80 100

D101

D101

D101

TOTAL MERCURY, 
30 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Studies in Preparation for Navigation and 

Comprehensive Environmental Response, 

Compensation, and Liability Act Dredging 

Because of the need for navigational dredging of marine 

sediment within OU B Marine to improve the shipyard’s 

homeport capabilities for three NIMITZ-class aircraft 

carriers, plans were developed in 1999 for the construction 

of a confined aquatic disposal (CAD) site that would confine 

the dredge spoils. These plans were expanded to confine 

contaminated sediments from cleanup activities of OU B 

Marine. The level of PCB in tissues of bottom-dwelling 

fish consumed by subsistence fishers was the primary basis 

for marine sediment cleanup. A secondary consideration 

was elevated levels of THg measured in rockfish collected 

in Sinclair Inlet (West and O’Neill, 1998) and THg 

concentrations in marine sediment above the state cleanup 

screening level (U.S. Navy, 2002). 

In 1999, two studies characterized the sediment to be 

dredged from the berths adjacent to western and central 

PSNS & IMF and NBK Bremerton from the turning basins 

off the BNC (U.S. Navy, 1999, 2000). Sediment to be 

dredged was divided into 77 surface Dredged Material 

Management Units (DMMUs) and eight subsurface DMMUs. 

A composite sediment sample from a surface 122-cm core 

from each surface DMMU or a core from each subsurface 

DMMU was tested to determine suitability for open-water 

disposal in accordance with the sediment quality assessment 

procedures of the Dredged Material Management Program, 

formerly known as the Puget Sound Dredged Disposal 

Analysis (PSDDA). The chemical results were compared to 

the Screening Level, Bioaccumulation Trigger, and Maximum 

Level criteria set by the PSDDA program.

Composites from such a large vertical section provide 

little information on the vertical distribution of THg and the 

potential mercury for exposure to living resources. However, 

DMMUs in which THg concentrations exceed the PSDDA 

Screening Level (0.41 mg/kg) or PSDDA Bioaccumulation 

Trigger (1.5 mg/kg) indicate locations where mercury has 

been depositing over decades. Figure 2 shows the 25 of 77 

DMMUs (dark blue regions in the CERCLA and Navigations 

areas) that were deemed “unsuitable” for open marine disposal 

because THg concentrations were above 0.41 mg/kg (U.S. 

Navy, 1999). Three DMMUs within the berthing areas off 

NBK Bremerton were above the bioaccumulation trigger of 

1.5 mg/kg. Dredged Material Management Units in which 

THg concentrations were greater than the screening level 

included: (1) berthing area in NBK Bremerton and (2) turning 

basin offshore of NBK Bremerton. In addition, a subsurface 

core from the berthing area off NBK Bremerton also exceeded 

the screening level. Sediment from nine DMMUs that did 

not exceed the screening level was retested later in 1999 

(U.S. Navy, 2000). Of these nine DMMUs, sediment from 

two DMMU taken from the turning basin offshore of NBK 

Bremerton slightly exceeded the screening level in the retest. 

In addition, one of three new DMMUs on the southern side 

of the turning basin off western PSNS & IMF also slightly 

exceeded the screening level. 

In June 2000 before the CAD was filled with dredge 

material (table B7), seven surface (0–10 cm) samples 

(DM-SE-1 to -11 in fig. 20) that formed a ring around the 

CAD were sampled (Grady May, U.S. Navy, written commun., 

2007) and represent ambient conditions in the area. THg 

concentrations in the ring around the CAD ranged between 

0.2 and 1.32 mg/kg. During the time that dredge spoils were 

being placed in the CAD in January of 2001, two samples 

(DM-SE-29 and DM-SE-30/DM-SE-31 in table B7) in the 

dredged area at the entrance of the smallest dry dock in central 

PSNS & IMF (dark blue area in fig. 2) had estimated THg 

concentrations of 1.39 and 7.54 mg/kg, respectively, which led 

to the CERCLA dredging of the entrance to smallest dry dock 

in central PSNS & IMF. 

A considerable mass of mercury was removed from the 

surface layer of Sinclair Inlet during the 2000 navigational and 

CERCLA dredging. Before examining the post-remediation 

monitoring data, it is valuable to assess sediment conditions 

in OU B Marine after remediation by describing the sediment 

that was analyzed between 1990 (the Site Investigation) and 

2000 (before filling and capping the CAD pit), but that had 

not been dredged. Assuming that THg concentrations of 

non-remediated sediment did not change dramatically between 

1990 and 2000, the characteristics of these samples should 

reflect sediment conditions of non-dredged areas for the 

different units of BNC after the closure of the CAD pit. 

The remediation of OU A (fig. 2) included placing a 

thick-layer cap over sediment containing THg concentrations 

of 5.2 mg/kg (table B2) at the surface of location 252 and 

Hg-TCLP concentrations of 12.3 mg/kg (table B3) in the 

subsurface section of MS213 (location 213). A thin-layer cap 

was used to cover surface sediment with THg concentrations 

ranging between 0.34 to 1.9 mg/kg (locations 101 and 253 

in table B2, respectively). The thin-layer cap further isolated 

subsurface (> 4 cm deep) sediment containing Hg-TCLP 

concentrations as high as 7.1 mg/kg (station MS219, 5-25 

cm in table B3). Surface sediment that was not remediated 

(locations 247, 255, 217, 218, 222, 223, 464, and 465) 

contained mercury concentrations between 0.95 (location 247 

in table B5) and 1.4 mg/kg (location 222 in table B3). When 

combined with the ambient June 2000 samples (table B7), 

non-remediated ambient sediment (sediment not under the 

thin- or thick-layer caps) showed very little correlation with 

TOC (p = 0.46) (fig. 21) and only moderately correlated with 

total fines (p = 0.027, R2 = 0.55) fig. 22). Polygons around the 

majority of the surface sediment samples collected between 

1993 and 2000 in the plot of mercury compared to TOC 

(fig. 21) and Hg compared to total fines (fig. 22) represent 

general conditions in the area off OU A before remedial 

dredging and closure of the CAD site. Subsurface samples as 

high as 4.9 mg/kg (fig. 9) at station MS222 (location 222 in 

table B3) also were not remediated. 
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 31 Figure 20. DM-SE surface samples (0–10 cm) collected in 2001 after the closure of the Confined Aquatic Disposal pit of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, with the eight labeled “spokes” in relation to the CP cells of the Long-Term Monitoring Program.

tac09-0206_Figure 20

20

17

13

8

7

9

11

14

16

10

19

20

15

17

12

13

18

5

22

21

6

23

Navy remediation type

OU AOU B Marine

Thick-layer capThin-layer cap (Enhanced natural recovery)

EXPLANATION

Operable unitsModel cells

PitPit Ring, innerPit Ring, outerPit Apron

Sampling cells Long-term monitoring program’s CAD Pit Apron cellSampling points Grouping by year

DM-SE (2000)DM-SE (2001)

1,500-foot grid cells

500-foot grid cells

6

17

13

Bremerton naval complex boundary

48

4CP

122°39'30" 122°40'

47°33'

Thin-layer cap 

Thick-layer cap

101/102

10/11

52

42

65

76

87/88

9

41

51

75 64

103/104

89/91

74

62/63

50

8

40

93

80

73

61

49

39

77/78

53/54

66

7

6

38

48

97/98

83

72

60

95/96

81/82

67 55

43 1

32

99/100

85/86

68

56

44 2

33

Pit Apron

Pit Ring Inner

Pit Ring withsupplementary cover

Pit

0

0 50 100 150 200 METERS

200 300 400 800 FEET 100 600 700 500

4CP

6CP

5CP

1CP

2CP

13CP

8CP

3CP

14CP

11CP

10CP

9CP

7CP

12CP

15CP

Spoke

3

Spoke 2

Spoke 1

Spoke

4

Spoke 5

Spoke 7

Spoke 

8

6 ekopS

at S et

wo- den

aquat ci

al

nds

S

ni

clair

 

 

 

 Inlet
32 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_fig 21

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

0

1

2

3

4

5

INVESTIGATION (Method, depth interval)

1993 OU A (TCLP, 0 - 5 cm)

1994 OU B (Total, 0-10 cm)

2000 CAD (Total, 0-10 cm)

OU A Pre-Remediation Polygon

MERCURY, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

Figure 21. Total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon for surface 

sediment samples in Operable Unit A (1993, table B3) and offshore of Operable Unit A, 

Bremerton naval complex, Washington (1994; table B5; 2000; table B7) that had not been 

capped as part of a remediation remedy or were not within the boundary of the Confined 

Aquatic Disposal site. Note that mercury assays included toxicity characteristic leaching 

procedure extraction (1993) and total digestion (1994, 2000) and samples compositing over 

different vertical intervals: 0–5 cm (1993) and 0–10 cm (1994, 2000). The pre-remediation 

polygon encompasses all surface sediment samples collected between 1993 and 2000 from 

locations that had not been dredged.
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 33

watac09-0206_fig 22

0

TOTAL MERCURY, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

0 20 40 60 80 100

0

1

2

3

4

5

INVESTIGATION (Method, depth interval)

1993 OU A (TCLP, 0 - 5 cm)

1994 OU B (Total, 0-10 cm)

2000 CAD (Total, 0-10 cm)

OU A Pre-Remediation Polygon

Figure 22. Total mercury concentration compared to total fines for surface sediment 

samples in Operable Unit A (1993; table B3) and offshore of Operable Unit A, Bremerton 

naval complex, Washington (1994; table B5; 2000; table B7) that had not been capped as 

part of a remediation remedy or were not within the boundary of the Confined Aquatic 

Disposal site. Note that mercury assays included toxicity characteristic leaching 

procedure extraction (1993) and total digestion (1994, 2000) and samples compositing over 

different vertical intervals: 0–5 cm (1993) and 0–10 cm (1994, 2000). The pre-remediation 

polygon encompasses most surface sediment samples collected between 1993 and 2000 

from locations that had not been dredged.
34 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

After navigational and CERCLA dredging in OU B 

(fig. 2) was completed in 2001, THg concentrations in surface 

sediment at locations that had not been dredged were not 

correlated with both TOC and total fines (p = 0.63 and 0.84, 

respectively, in figs. 23 and 24). Only two sites that were 

sampled for surface sediment between 1990 and 1995 and had 

not been dredged contained THg concentrations greater than 

2.5 mg/kg in surface sediment: (1) location 458 (table B5) to 

the east of the area dredged at the entrance to the smallest dry 

dock in central PSNS & IMF, and (2) location 110 (table B2) 

off NBK Bremerton (note that this location is not plotted 

in figures 22 and 23 because no data on TOC or total fines 

are available). In addition, the top 61-cm core section at 

location 827 (table B5) between piers in central PSNS & IMF 

contained a THg concentration of 6.5 mg/kg.

watac09-0206_fig 23 TOTAL MERCURY, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

0 2 4 6

0

2

4

6

8

10

YEAR INVESTIGATION (surface interval)

1990 Site Investigation( 0-4 cm)

1994 OU B RI/FS (0 - 5 cm)

1994 OU B RI/FS- Offshore (0-10 cm)

1995 OU B RI/FS (0-60 cm)

Station 827:

Between piers in 

central PSNS & IMF

Station 458:

East of smallest dry dock in 

central PSNS & IMF

Figure 23. Total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon for surface 

sediment samples collected from locations off Operable Unit B, Bremerton naval complex, 

Washington, that had not been dredged, 1990–94 (tables B2 and B5) and in Operable Unit B 

Marine, 1995 (table B5). Note that total mercury data is composited over different vertical 

intervals: 0–4 cm (1990), 0–5 cm and 0-10 cm (1994), and 0–60 cm (1995).
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 35

watac09-0206_fig 24

0 20 40 60 80 100

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL MERCURY, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0

2

4

6

8

10

YEAR INVESTIGATION (surface interval)

1990 Site Investigation( 0-4 cm)

1994 OU B RI/FS (0 - 5 cm)

1994 OU B RI/FS- Offshore (0-10 cm)

1995 OU B RI/FS (0-60 cm)

Station 458:

East of smallest dry dock in 

central PSNS & IMF

Station 827:

Between piers in 

central PSNS & IMF

Figure 24. Total mercury concentration compared to total fines for surface sediment 

samples from locations off Operable Unit B, Bremerton naval complex, Washington, that 

had not been dredged, 1990–94 (table B2 and B5), and in Operable Unit B Marine, 1995

(table B5). Note that total mercury data composited is over different vertical intervals: 

0–4 cm (1990), 0–5 cm and 0-10 cm (1994), and 0–60 cm (1995).
36 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Closure of Confined Aquatic Disposal Pit

After the Confined Aquatic Disposal (CAD) pit was 

covered, sediment samples around the perimeter of the pit 

were collected and PCB concentrations were reported in 

a closure report (U.S. Navy, 2004). This section presents 

unpublished THg concentrations in sediment near the CAD 

pit associated with its closure (Grady May, U.S. Navy, 

written commun., 2007). These THg concentrations in 

sediment collected after the closure of the CAD pit (August 

to November, 2001) were examined to assess changes in the 

general mercury conditions relative to conditions prior to the 

construction of the CAD pit (figs. 21 and 22). According to 

the U.S. Navy (2006a), “The confined aquatic disposal pit, or 

CAD pit, was constructed in the shape of a 615-by-600 foot 

rectangle, with a depth of 30 feet and side slopes of 3 

horizontal to 1 vertical.” The majority of contaminated 

sediment was placed in the CAD pit during October 2000 

through January 2001, and disposal of the last dredged 

material to the CAD pit occurred on February 15, 2001.

“After being filled with contaminated sediment, 

the CAD pit was left undisturbed to allow for 

consolidation. After four months, when tests 

indicated that the sediment had consolidated enough 

to allow capping, a one-foot layer of clean sand was 

distributed across the CAD pit to form the initial 

cap layer (primary sand cap). After more than two 

months of additional consolidation, the cap over 

the CAD pit was completed. The final cap layer 

was made up of sediment from the turning basins 

in central Sinclair Inlet that had been demonstrated 

to meet requirements for open water disposal, 

together with clean sediment stockpiled from the 

CAD pit excavation. Based on measured volumes 

of sediment, the final sediment cap layer had an 

average thickness of more than six feet.” (U.S. 

Navy, 2006a).

Sediment was resampled after the CAD pit was capped 

(table B7, Grady May, U.S. Navy, written commun., 2007)

with a sampling design that included eight lines radiating out 

from the boundary of the CAD pit in a manner that resembled 

eight spokes (fig. 20). Three to eight samples were collected 

along the line of each spoke. Some of these spokes formed 

the basis for the cells of the apron of the CAD pit as part 

of the LTMP. Fifteen cells (labeled 1CP to 15CP in fig. 20) 

were created around the CAD pit and sampled in 2003 and 

2005. Significant increases in mercury concentrations relative 

to pre-2000 conditions (polygons in figs. 21 and 22) were 

observed near the CAD pit boundary for spokes 1, 3, and 

4 (locations 38, 39 and 40 in figs. 25 and 26) and spokes 5 

and 7 (locations 32 and 41 in figs. 27 and 28). “The Navy 

elected, while the remedial contractor was still on site, to use 

stockpiled clean sediment to form a supplementary cover with 

an average thickness of 2 feet in an approximately 100-foot 

wide strip surrounding the three sides of the pit that are 

owned by the Navy.” (U.S. Navy, 2006a). The supplementary 

material covered the five locations with high sediment THg 

concentrations in coarse material near the CAD pit boundary 

referred to above. In contrast to the locations near the CAD 

pit that contained coarser material, THg concentrations greater 

than 2 mg/kg in the outer ends of spokes 4, 5, 6 (cells 5CP 

and 6CP) and spoke 8 (cell 13CP) were associated with finer 

sediment (figs. 26 and 28). Because the CAD pit boundary 

and the enhanced natural recovery area of OU A were not 

sampled as part of either the Site Investigation or Remedial 

Investigation, it is not known if elevated THg concentrations 

were present in this area prior to opening and closure of 

the CAD pit. This finer-grained material with higher THg 

concentrations could have been present before the CAD pit 

was opened or could have been deposited as fine-grained, 

slowly settling dredge material drifted from the CAD pit prior 

to closure by tidal currents. 

According to the U.S. Navy (2006a), 

“The area abutting the fourth side of the CAD 

Pit, being State-owned aquatic land (SOAL), was 

not addressed during the original remedial action 

because there was insufficient time while equipment 

was on site to obtain the required authorization. 

Instead, after discussion with the State, the Navy 

undertook a supplementary program to characterize 

the SOAL adjacent to the CAD pit as a basis for 

evaluating the need for further remediation in this 

area. This sediment characterization was performed 

in September 2003. Based on the findings of this 

field work, the Navy, EPA, and Ecology prepared 

an Explanation of Significant Differences (ESD) 

in early 2004, documenting a change in the OU B 

Marine boundary to incorporate the SOAL area and 

identifying action levels for a response action for the 

area.” 

The THg concentration data (Grady May, U.S. Navy, written 

commun., 2007) from the SOAL area (table B8) are plotted 

in comparison to TOC (fig. 29) against the background of the 

polygon representing samples collected from OU A between 

1993 and 2000 from locations not remediated (fig. 21). Only 2 

of 31 samples had higher total mercury concentrations than the 

polygon representing pre-CAD conditions. According to the 

U.S. Navy (2006a), 

“Subsequent to publication of the ESD, in early 

2004, after consultation with the State and [US]EPA, 

the Navy placed clean sediment from previouslycharacterized turning basin areas in central Sinclair 

Inlet with a thickness of 0.8 to 1.5 feet on the 

portion of the SOAL area that met the action level 

(U.S. Navy 2004).”
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 37

watac09-0206_fig 25

0 1 2 3 4 5

40

39

38

66

Spoke # 1

Spoke # 4

Spoke # 3

Spoke # 2

0

2

3

4

5

TOTAL MERCURY, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

1

OU A Pre-Remediation Polygon

Spoke 1 (Cell 1CP)

Spoke 2 (Cell 2CP)

Spoke 3 (Cell 3CP)

Spoke 4 (Cell 5CP)

Below supplementary cover

DMSE Spokes

Figure 25. Total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon in the surface 

sediment (0–10 cm) of spokes 1 to 4 collected in 2001 (table B7). Samples from each 

spoke are connected with lines and the spoke label is placed near the sample closest to 

the Confined Aquatic Disposal pit of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington (fig. 20). 

With the exception of spoke 2, the sample in each spoke nearest the pit was covered with 

the supplementary cover. The polygon encompasses all of the samples collected from 

Operable Unit A collected between 1993 and 2000 that were not remediated (fig. 21).
38 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_fig 26

0 20 40 60 80 100

0

1

2

3

4

5

38

39

40

66

Spoke # 1

Spoke # 4

Spoke # 3

Spoke # 2

TOTAL MERCURY, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

OU A Pre-Remediation Polygon

Spoke 1 (Cell 1CP)

Spoke 2 (Cell 2CP)

Spoke 3 (Cell 3CP)

Spoke 4 (Cell 5CP)

Below supplementary cover

DMSE Spokes

Figure 26. Total mercury concentration compared to total fines in the surface sediment 

(0–10 cm) of spokes 1 to 4 collected in 2001 (table B7). Samples from each spoke are 

connected with lines and the spoke label is placed near the sample closest to the Confined 

Aquatic Disposal pit of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington (fig. 20). With the 

exception of spoke 2, the sample in each spoke nearest the pit was covered with the 

supplementary cover. The polygon encompasses most of the samples collected from 

Operable Unit A collected between 1993 and 2000 that were not remediated (fig. 22). 
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 39

watac09-0206_fig 27

0 1 2 3 4 5

41

42

32

33

Spoke # 7

Spoke # 5

Spoke # 6

Spoke # 8

0

2

3

4

TOTAL MERCURY, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

1

OU A Pre-Remediation Polygon

Spoke 5 (Cell 6CP)

Spoke 6 (Cell 6~7CP)

Spoke 7 (Cell 8~9CP)

Spoke 8 (Cell 10,13,14CP)

Below supplementary cover

DMSE Spokes

Figure 27. Total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon in the surface 

sediment (0–10 cm) of spokes 5 to 8 collected in 2001 (table B7). Samples from each 

spoke are connected with lines and the spoke label is placed near the sample closest to 

the Confined Aquatic Disposal pit of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington (fig. 20). 

The sample in each spoke nearest the pit was covered with the supplementary cover. 

The polygon encompasses all of the samples collected from Operable Unit A collected 

between 1993 and 2000 that were not remediated (fig. 21). 
40 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Figure 28. Total mercury concentration compared to total fines in the surface sediment 

(0–10 cm) of spokes 5 to 8 collected in 2001 (table B7). Samples from each spoke are 

connected with lines and the spoke label is placed near the sample closest to the Confined 

Aquatic Disposal pit of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington (fig. 20). The sample 

in each spoke nearest the pit was covered with the supplementary cover. The polygon 

encompasses most of the samples collected from Operable Unit A collected between 1993 

and 2000 that were not remediated (fig. 22). 

watac09-0206_fig 28

41

42

32

33

Spoke # 7

Spoke # 5

Spoke # 6

Spoke # 8

0

2

3

4

TOTAL MERCURY, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

1

0 20 40 60 80 100

OU A Pre-Remediation Polygon

Spoke 5 (Cell 6CP)

Spoke 6 (Cell 6~7CP)

Spoke 7 (Cell 8~9CP)

Spoke 8 (Cell 10,13,14CP)

Below supplementary cover

DMSE Spokes
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 41

watac09-0206_fig 29

0

2

3

5

4

TOTAL MERCURY, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

1

0 2 4 6

OU A Pre-Remediation

Polygon

Figure 29. Total mercury concentration compared to total fines in the surface sediment 

(0–10 cm) from State-owned aquatic lands, Sinclair Inlet, Washington, collected in 2003

(table B8). The polygon encompassed all the samples from Operable Unit A collected 

between 1993 and 2000 that were not remediated (fig. 21). 

Long-Term Monitoring Program

The LTMP was developed to provide information 

expected to help answer questions regarding the integrity of 

the remedy for OU B Marine and the quality of the marine 

environment in Sinclair Inlet. The LTMP sediment sampling 

associated with requirements of the Record of Decision 

began in 2003. The LTMP includes biennial random-stratified 

sampling of surface sediment (0–10 cm) in thirty-two 1,500-ft 

grid cells in Sinclair Inlet that are outside of the BNC (fig. 30) 

and seventy-one 500-ft cells within the BNC (fig. 31). In each 

cell, three grab samples were composited for analyses of THg, 

TOC, and grain size. Monitoring focusing on the stability of 

the CAD pit and the dispersion of contaminants within the 

CAD apron also was part of the LTMP (U.S. Navy, 2006a, 

2006b, and 2008b).
42 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

tac09-0206_Figure 30

 

Wright

 Creek

oR ss ree C k

 l B ca k caj k

 

r C ee k

 enl O y keer C

s oli pannA

C er ke

Ander os n er C ke

pS

keer C gnir

Gorst

Creek

Sinclair 

 

 

 

 Inlet

Cable Area Seaward Boundary

PUGETSOUND

4

5

9

8

1

3

2

7

6

11

25

17

18

29

31

24

13

30

14

32

12

28

10

21

19

26

23

20

15

22

27

16

122°36' 122°38' 122°40' 122°42'

47°

34'

47°

32'

0 .5

.5

1 2 MILES

2 KILOMETERS 0 1

500 1,000 1,500 METERS

0

0

1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 FEET EXPLANATION

OU AOU B MarineOU B TerrestrialOU COU DOther

Operable units

1,500-foot grid cell

OU NSC

1

Navy Confined AquaticDisposal Pit 

Figure 30. Location of 1,500-ft grid cells in Sinclair Inlet outside of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington.
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 43

tac09-0206_Figure 31

Sinclair 

 

 

 

 Inlet

Bremerton naval complex boundaryPuget Sound Naval Shipyard PSNS —

IMF —

500-foot grid

OU AOU B MarineOU B TerrestrialOU COU DOther

EXPLANATION

Operable units

OU NSC

ShorelineIntermediate Maintenace Facility

500 1,000 1,500 METERS

00

1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 FEET

122°40' 122°39' 122°38'

47°33'

4

3 8

2

6

7

5 1

9

11

67

14

43

58

68

31

57

16

10

36

32

55

28 35

21

30

26

64

53

61

52

47

25

34

19

60

46

56

50

27

42

69

37

20

51

54

29

48

65

15

23

71

41

22

18

62

44

63

66

17

70

49

40

33

12

38

59

24

45 39

13

4

3 8

2

6

7

5 1

9

11

67

14

43

58

68

31

57

16

10

36

32

55

28 35

21

30

26

64

53

61

52

47

25

34

19

60

46

56

50

27

42

69

37

20

51

54

29

48

65

15

15

23

71

41

22

18

62

44

63

66

17

70

49

40

33

12

38

59

24

45 39

13

Dry dock

Dry dock

Dry dock

Dry dock

Dry dock

Dry dock

Western

PSNS & IMF

Naval Base Kitsap

Bremerton

Operable Unit A

Central

PSNS & IMF

Eastern

PSNS & IMF

Figure 31. Location of 500-ft grid cells in Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington.
44 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Sinclair Inlet Outside of Bremerton Naval 

Complex

In each of the biennial samplings (2003, 2005, 2007), the 

highest sediment THg concentrations outside of the BNC in 

Sinclair Inlet usually were measured in grid cell 21 (fig. 30), 

which is adjacent to the BNC, and ranged from 1.3 mg/kg 

in 2005 to 0.86 mg/kg in 2007 (table B9). THg sediment 

concentrations were related to both TOC and total fines 

(figs. 32–37). The relations between TOC and total fines are 

shown in figures C10-C12. The THg residuals (actual THg 

value minus the expected THg value from the regressions 

between THg and TOC and between THg and total fines) were 

computed and plotted (figs. E1- E2). Data from samples with 

low or high residuals were eliminated from the regression 

if the residual of a sample was greater than three times the 

interquartile range of the residuals. In 2003 grid cell 21 was 

identified as a high outlier and cells 6 and 8 near the northern 

shore line to the west of BNC were identified as low outliers in 

2003. In 2005, grid cell 21 was identified as a high outlier. The 

regression statistics after elimination of outliers are shown in 

table 1. For all three years, the slope of THg in comparison to 

TOC and total fines was significant (p < 0.001). The averaging 

process that occurred in compositing the three grab samples 

partially is responsible for these tight correlations. The strong 

relation among THg concentrations, TOC and total fines in 

Sinclair Inlet outside of the BNC suggests that the physical 

mixing processes of fine-grained, organic-rich particles 

generally are controlling THg concentrations in sediment. 

Throughout greater Sinclair Inlet, coarse solids with low THg 

concentrations are mixing with finer solids with higher TOC 

and THg concentrations. 

8

6

21

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0 1 2 3 4 5

0

0.4

0.8

1.2

1.6

2.0

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON

2003 Data; Outliers labeled with 1,500-ft grid cell number

95% Prediction Intervals

2003 Regression

TOTAL MERCURY, 

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

Figure 32. Total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon in the 

surface sediment (0–10 cm) from Sinclair Inlet outside of the Bremerton naval complex, 

Washington, collected in 2003 (table B9) with low and high outliers labeled.
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 45

watac09-0206_fig 33

8

6

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

2003 Data; Outliers labeled with 1,500-ft grid cell number

95% Prediction Intervals

2003 Regression

0 20 40 60 80 100

TOTAL MERCURY, 

Figure 33. Total mercury concentration compared to total fines in the surface sediment 

(0–10 cm) from Sinclair Inlet outside of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, 

collected in 2003 (table B9) with low outliers labeled.
46 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_fig 34

0 1 2 3 4 5

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

21

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2005 Data; Outliers labeled with 1,500-ft grid cell number

95% Prediction Intervals

2005 Regression

TOTAL MERCURY, 

Figure 34. Total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon in the 

surface sediment (0–10 cm) from Sinclair Inlet outside of the Bremerton naval complex, 

Washington, collected in 2005 (table B9) with the high outlier labeled.
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 47

watac09-0206_fig 35

21

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2005 Data; Outliers labeled with 1,500-ft grid cell number

95% Prediction Intervals

2005 Regression

0 20 40 60 80 100

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL MERCURY, 

Figure 35. Total mercury concentration compared to total fines in the surface sediment 

(0–10 cm) from Sinclair Inlet outside of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, 

collected in 2005 (table B9) with the high outlier labeled.
48 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_fig 36

21

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2007 Data; Outliers labeled with 1,500-ft grid cell number

95% Prediction Intervals

2007 Regression

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

0 1 2 3 4 5

TOTAL MERCURY, 

Figure 36. Total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon in the surface 

sediment (0–10 cm) from Sinclair Inlet outside of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, 

collected in 2007 (table B9) with cell 21 labeled for comparison to 2003 and 2005.
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 49

watac09-0206_fig 37

1

21

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2007 Data; Outliers labeled with 1,500-ft grid cell number

95% Prediction Intervals

2007 Regression

0 20 40 60 80 100

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL MERCURY, 

Figure 37. Total mercury concentration compared to total fines in the surface sediment 

(0–10 cm) from Sinclair Inlet outside of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, 

collected in 2007 (table B9) with cell 1 (low outlier) and cell 21 for comparison to 2003 and 

2005 labeled.
50 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Operable Unit B Marine Grid

Transport of sediments and sedimentary mercury in 

OU B Marine is controlled by the same physical mixing 

processes that control the relations among THg, TOC and 

total fines (figs. C13-C15) in greater Sinclair Inlet (outside of 

the BNC boundary). In the absence of localized sources, THg 

concentrations from OU B Marine could be expected to follow 

relations with ancillary parameters similar to those observed 

for greater Sinclair Inlet. To identify areas of recontamination 

by continuing sources of mercury from the BNC waterfront 

or historical sediment pollution that has not been remediated, 

deviations from the greater Sinclair Inlet relation of THg 

and TOC were evaluated. TOC concentrations from the 

sediment of OU B Marine are applied to the regression 

equation for greater Sinclair Inlet to calculate expected THg 

concentrations. Areas of concern for mercury contamination 

are identified when the actual THg concentrations exceeds the 

expected THg concentration by a prescribed concentration 

defined by the statistical analysis described below. 

Assessing THg concentration from the analysis of 

composite samples in relation to TOC and total fines requires 

information on the representativeness of the composite 

samples. The representativeness of the individual samples 

composing the composite samples used to characterize twelve 

500-ft grid cells was examined by the U.S. Navy (2006a) in 

2003 by the individual analyses of sub-samples of one to two 

of the three grab samples that contributed to the composite for 

the grid cell (table 2 with locations in figure 31). There were 

significant differences between the individual grab samples 

and the composites; differences for THg were greater than 

for TOC. For TOC, individual grab samples ranged from 

53 percent lower than the respective composite (cell 67) to 

78 percent higher than the composite (cell 61). For THg, 

individual grab samples ranged from 78 percent lower than 

the composite sample (cell 60) to 363 percent higher than 

the composite (cell 67 near the entrance to smallest dry dock 

in central PSNS & IMF). In addition, the two individual 

grab samples (60-A and 60-C) analyzed from cell 60 had 

THg concentrations that were about 78 percent lower than 

the THg concentrations of the composite from grid cell 60. 

Even though grab sample 60-B was not analyzed, the THg 

concentration of grab sample 60-B can be approximated from 

the mass balance of THg from equal masses of grabs 60-A, 

60-B, and 60-C in the composite sample. The calculated 

THg concentrations of grab sample 60-B is 10.9 mg/kg. A 

THg concentration this high is not unreasonable for cell 60 

because the THg concentration in the composite from cell 60 

collected in 2005 was 18.8 mg/kg. These analyses of separate 

grab samples indicate that there is substantial horizontal 

heterogeneity of THg concentrations around the piers of PSNS 

& IMF.

The 2003 sediment THg concentrations within the OU B 

Marine Boundary (cells with the 500-foot grid shown in fig. 31 

and data in table B10) plotted against TOC (fig. 38) show most 

of the data points fall around the trend line for greater Sinclair 

Inlet. TOC concentrations and total fines from sediments of 

OU B Marine were applied to the regressions for the 1,500-ft 

grid to calculate the expected concentrations. Deviations of 

the actual values from the expected values (residuals) were 

then ordered by rank (figs. E3 and E4). Breaks in the rank 

order of residuals of the THg for the TOC regression were 

used to classify samples at two levels. Classification of ‘tier 

1’ samples was visually based on the most obvious break and 

‘tier 2’ samples were above and to the right of a more subtle 

break in the rank order of residuals. These two breaks in the 

distribution of ranked ordered residuals were used to classify 

eleven of seventy-one cell samples of the 500-ft. Samples 

from four tier 1 grid cells (11, 19, 60 and 63) easily can be 

recognized in figure 38; the sample from cell 63 had a THg 

concentration of 6.13 mg/kg. Seven of the 71 samples (tier 2 

samples) were offset by more than 0.64 mg/kg and less than 

2.26 mg/kg, a more subtle break in the rank order (fig. E3). 

These seven samples were above the upper 95 percent 

prediction interval of greater Sinclair Inlet. Note that there 

is also a group of samples near the mean of TOC 

(2.7 percentage by weight) that are at about the 95 percent 

prediction interval for the greater Sinclair Inlet, and are 

not classified as tier 2 samples because their residuals do 

not exceed the 0.64 mg/kg offset value. Tier 1 samples and 

tier 2 samples are listed in table 3. Similar deviations were 

observed when THg concentrations were plotted against total 

fines (fig. 39) and samples visually above the greater Sinclair 

Inlet trend line are labeled in figure 39.

In 2005, three sediment samples were classified as tier 

1 by the most obvious break in the rank order of residuals 

(fig. E5). The sample from cell 60 located in central PSNS 

& IMF (fig. 31) had far greater THg sediment concentrations 

(18.8 mg/kg) than any other sample collected over duration 

of the Long-Term Sampling Program (fig. 40). Eight other 

samples were classified as tier 2 samples with residuals above 

the break of 0.53 mg/kg, but below 2.13 mg/kg. In 2005, the 

95 percent prediction interval from the greater Sinclair Inlet 

regression and the 0.53 mg/kg tier 2 offset were similar. The 

plot of THg compared to total fines shows a similar pattern 

(fig. 41 and fig. E6). 

Cell 67 near the entrance to smallest dry dock in central 

PSNS & IMF between piers in central PSNS & IMF 

(fig. 31) contained sediment with the highest THg 

concentration in 2007 (fig. 42). Deviations of tier 1 samples 

from the trend line for the relation of THg with TOC for 

greater Sinclair Inlet in 2007 (fig. E7) were smaller than the 

deviations observed in 2003 and 2005 data (figs. E3 and E5). 
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 51

Table 2. Comparison of analysis of 500-foot grid composites with selected pier grab samples collected in 2003 from Operable Unit B 

Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington. 

[Data source: U.S. Navy, 2006a. Composite is from grab samples A, B and C from each grid cell. Abbreviations: TOC, total organic carbon; mg/kg, 

milligram per kilogram; <, less than] 

Sample

Values Percent difference

Description of individual grab samples

TOC 

(percentage 

by dry 

weight)

Total 

mercury 

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

TOC

Total 

mercury 

Composite-29 3.4 1

Grab 29-C 3.3 0.76 –3 –24 Grab C does not appear to be a true underpier sample; grab A (not analyzed) 

is a

 under-pier sample.

Composite-33 3.1 1.4

Grab 33-B 4.3 1.1 39 –21 Grab B appears to be a near-mooring sample.

Composite-34 2.3 1.2

Grab 34-C 2.6 3.8 13 217 Grab C was collected outside cell 34 and in a nearshore area that is likely 

rarely dredged.

Composite-35 2.7 0.58

Grab 35-A 2.3 1.1 –15 90 Grab A was collected on sideslope of dredged area.

Composite-41 2.6 0.82

Grab 41-B 2.8 0.7 8 –15 Grabs B and C appear to be near-pier samples; grab A (not analyzed) appears 

to be from sideslope.

Grab 41-C 2.5 1.3 –4 59

Composite-45 3 0.61

Grab 45-B 3.2 0.33 7 –46 Grabs B and C are from near-pier locations.

Grab 45-C 2.8 0.9 –7 48

Composite-46 1.2 0.42

Grab 46-B 1 0.3 –17 –29 Grabs B and C are near-mooring samples from outside cell; grab A (not 

analyzed) is effectively a nearshore sample.

Grab 46-C 1.2 0.4 0 –5

Composite-55 2.1 0.53

Grab 55-B 3.2 0.29 52 –45 Grab B is from a near-pier location; grab C (not analyzed) is likely a nearshore 

sample.

Composite-56 3.2 0.85

Grab 56-A 3.7 2.3 16 171 Grab A is from a near-pier location.

Composite-60 3.1 4.3

Grab 60-A 3.3 0.95 6 –78 Grabs A and C are from near-pier locations, as is grab B.

Grab 60-C 3.1 1.1 <1 –74

Grab 60-B 3 10.9 From mass balance of composite from equal mass of grabs A, B and C.

Composite-61 1.8 0.35

Grab 61-A 3.2 0.43 78 23 Grabs A and C are from near-pier locations, as is grab B.

Grab 61-C 2.3 0.42 28 20

Composite-67 4.5 1.9

Grab 67-C 2.1 8.8 –53 363 Grab C is in partially dredged drydock mouth area; grab A (not analyzed) is on 

near-pier sideslope.

Minimum –53 –78

Maximum 78 363
52 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_fig 38 IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0

0

1 2 3 4 5 6

2

4

6

8

10

11

15

19

33

3439

57

60

63

64 67

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON,

Tier 1 Offset = 2.26 mg/kg

Tier 2 Offset = 0.64 mg/kg

TOTAL MERCURY, 

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

Figure 38. Total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon in composite 

surface sediment (0–10 cm) from Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, 

Washington, collected in 2003 (table B10). Tier 1 and 2 samples are labeled with their 

respective cell numbers of the 500-ft grid. The black solid line represents the regression 

line for Sinclair Inlet samples collected in 2003 from outside of the Bremerton naval 

complex (fig. 32 and table 1) and the red and green solid lines are the offsets for tier 1 and 

tier 2 samples, respectively, identified by breaks in the rank-ordered residuals (fig. E3). 

The dashed black line is the upper 95 percent prediction interval for greater Sinclair Inlet 

shown in fig. 32.
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 53

Table 3. Years and cell numbers for which total mercury 

sediment concentrations in 500-foot grid cells within Operable 

Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, 

deviated from predicted values were based on the regression of 

mercury compared to total organic carbon for greater Sinclair 

Inlet sediments. 

[Locations of grid cells are shown on figure 31; tier 1 and tier 2 samples are 

identified by breaks in the rank ordered of the residuals in figures E3, E5, and 

E7 and are shown as red squares in figures 38, 40, and 42. Symbol: –, no tier 

assigned]

Grid cell 

number

Number of 

times grid 

cell was an 

outlier

Tier to which grid cell sample 

was assigned

2003 2005 2007

Remediated areas off Operable Unit A

11 1 1 – –

15 2 – –

18 1 – – 2

19 1 1 – –

Naval Base Kitsap Bremerton

39 3 2 2 1

34 1 2 – –

31 1 – 2 –

33 2 2 2 –

35 1 – – 2

40 1 – – 2

42 1 – 2 –

Western PSNS & IMF

43 1 – 2 –

Central PSNS & IMF

60 3 1 1 1

63 3 1 1 1

67 3 2 1 1

64 3 2 2 2

57 2 2 2 –

59 2 – 2 2

Eastern PSNS & IMF

68 1 – – 2

71 1 – – 1
54 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_fig 39

11

19

33

34

39

57

60

63

67 64

2003

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0

0

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE OF DRY WEIGHT

2

4

6

8

10

20 40 60 80 100

TOTAL MERCURY, 

Figure 39. Total mercury concentration compared to total fines in surface composite 

sediment (0–10 cm) from Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, 

Washington, collected in 2003 (table B10). Samples of interest are labeled with their 

respective cell numbers of the 500-ft grid (fig. E4). The black solid and dashed lines 

represent the regression line and upper 95 percent prediction interval, respectively, 

for the Sinclair Inlet samples collected in 2003 outside of the Bremerton naval complex 

(fig. 33 and table 1).
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 55

watac09-0206_fig 40

31 33

39 42

43

57 59

63

64

67

Tier 1 Offset = 2.13 mg/kg

Tier 2 Offset = 0.53 mg/kg

18.8 mg/kg in cell 60

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0

0

1 2 3 4 5 6

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

2

4

6

8

10

TOTAL MERCURY, 

Figure 40. Total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon in composite 

surface sediment (0–10 cm) from Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, 

Washington, collected in 2003 (table B10). Tier 1 and 2 samples are labeled with their 

respective cell numbers of the 500-ft grid. The black solid line represents the regression 

line for Sinclair Inlet samples collected in 2003 from outside of the Bremerton naval 

complex (fig. 32 and table 1) and the red and green solid lines are the offsets for tier 1 and 

tier 2 samples, respectively, identified by breaks in the rank-ordered residuals (fig. E5). 

The dashed black line is the upper 95 percent prediction interval for greater Sinclair Inlet 

shown in fig. 34. 
56 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_fig 41

18.8 in cell 60

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0

0

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE OF DRY WEIGHT

2

4

6

8

10

20 40 60 80 100

39 42 43 56

59 57

63

64

67

2005

TOTAL MERCURY, 

Figure 41. Total mercury concentration compared to total fines in surface composite 

sediment (0–10 cm) from Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, 

Washington, collected in 2005 (table B10). Samples of interest are labeled with their 

respective cell numbers of the 500-ft grid. The black solid line and dashed lines represent 

the regression line and upper 95 percent prediction interval, respectively, for the Sinclair 

Inlet samples collected in 2005 outside of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington 

(fig. 35 and table 1).
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 57

watac09-0206_fig 42

2 4 6

18 35

39

59 40

60 63

64

67

68

71

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

Tier 1 Offset = 1.42 mg/kg

Tier 2 Offset = 0.67 mg/kg

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0

0

2

4

6

8

10

TOTAL MERCURY, 

Figure 42. Total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon in composite 

surface sediment (0–10 cm) from Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, 

Washington, collected in 2003 (table B10). Tier 1 and 2 samples are labeled with their 

respective cell numbers of the 500-ft grid. The black line represents the regression line 

for Sinclair Inlet samples collected in 2003 from outside of the Bremerton naval complex 

(fig. 32 and table 1) and the red and green solid lines are the offsets for tier 1 and tier 2 

samples, respectively, identified by breaks in the rank-ordered residuals (fig. E7). The 

dashed black line is the upper 95 percent prediction interval for greater Sinclair Inlet 

shown in fig. 36. 
58 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

More rigorous mixing of the composite samples in 2007 may 

have reduced heterogeneity of the 2007 composite samples. 

Seven other samples were classified as tier 2 samples with 

residuals greater than 0.67 mg/kg. Similar to 2003, there is 

a group of samples near the mean of TOC that are about the 

95 percent prediction interval for greater Sinclair Inlet, and 

are not classified as tier 2 samples because their residuals do 

not exceed the 0.67 mg/kg offset value. The regression of THg 

sediments concentrations compared to total fines for the 2007 

data also showed fewer samples with large deviations (fig. 43

and fig. E8). In general, the 2007 LTMP data from OU B 

Marine exhibit tighter grouping of results around the general 

Sinclair Inlet trend line, and a smaller range of deviations 

around the trend line. 

watac09-0206_fig 43

18 35

39

40

59

60 63

64

67

68

71

2007

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0

0

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

2

4

6

8

10

20 40 60 80 100

TOTAL MERCURY, 

Figure 43. Total mercury concentration compared to total fines in surface composite 

sediment (0–10 cm) from Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, 

Washington, collected in 2007 (table B10). Samples of interest are labeled with their 

respective cell numbers of the 500-ft grid. The black solid line and dashed lines represent 

the regression line and upper 95 percent prediction interval, respectively, for the Sinclair 

Inlet samples collected in 2007 outside of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington 

(fig. 37 and table 1).
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 59

Cap of the Confined Aquatic Disposal Pit and 

Apron Surrounding the Pit

One part of the LTMP included monitoring of the CAD 

pit to evaluate whether the CAD pit cover was continuing to 

prevent the release of contaminants from sediment disposed 

in the pit. Physical and chemical characteristics of the cap 

of the CAD pit and the CAD apron were monitored (U.S. 

Navy 2006a, 2006b, 2008a) and the bathymetric elevation of 

the CAD pit decreased 2 ft between 2001 and 2003 and 4 ft 

between 2001 and 2005. This settling has been attributed to 

consolidation of the dredge spoils and the cap material rather 

than erosion of the cap material (U.S. Navy, 2006a). The 

CAD pit apron sediment was monitored to evaluate whether 

PCB concentrations from the apron were sufficiently elevated 

to prevent meeting the area-wide average remedial goal for 

PCBs. 

THg, TOC and total fines data from the cores collected 

during the 2003, 2005, and 2007 LTMP sampling are listed in 

table B11. Only one core (PIT-01) with two vertical sections 

was successfully collected and analyzed in 2003 (fig. D7). In 

2005, four cores with three vertical sections were collected 

(figs. D8–D11). Clean sand cap seemed to be encountered 

in the 61-91 cm sections at cores PIT-02 and PIT-03 in 2005 

(figs. D9–D10). A significant high anomaly in TOC was 

observed in the 30–61 cm section of core PIT-02 (fig. D9). In 

2005 and 2007, the profiles of THg in cores PIT-1 (figs. D8

and D12) and PIT-02 (figs. D9 and D13) were uniform with 

depth, and THg concentrations decreased with depth in cores 

PIT-03 and PIT-04 in 2007 (figs D14–D15). 

THg sediment concentrations from core sections 

plotted against TOC (fig. 44) show two of the four 2003 core 

segments with TOC greater than 1 percent were within the 

Figure 44. Total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon for surface 

and subsurface sediment core sections collected from the Confined Aquatic Disposal pit 

of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, in 2003, 2005, and 2007 (table B11). The solid 

and dashed lines represent the regression lines and 95 percent lower prediction intervals, 

respectively, for samples collected outside of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, in 

2003, 2005, and 2007 (figs. 32, 34, and 36; table 1).

2003

2003

2005

2005

2007

2007

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0

0

0.4

0.8

1.2

1.6

2.0

GREATER SINCLAIR INLET REGRESSION

95% Lower Prediction Interval

Regression

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE OF DRY WEIGHT

21-55

0-27

0-21

0-31

2003 Data by Interval (cm)

2005 Data by Interval (cm)

2007 Data by Interval (cm)

0-30

30-61

61-91

0-30

30-61

61-91

TOTAL MERCURY, 
60 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

95 percent prediction interval of the greater Sinclair Inlet 

regression and the other two were below the 95 percent 

prediction interval. Because of the greater 95 percent 

prediction intervals for the 2005 and 2007 regressions, most 

of the 2005 and 2007 pit samples were within the prediction 

interval. THg sediment concentrations plotted against total 

fines (fig. 45) show most samples were below the lower 

95 percent prediction intervals for greater Sinclair Inlet for the 

respective collection year. 

Composite samples comprised of three surface sediment 

(0–10 cm) grab samples were collected in each of 15 cells 

(labeled CP) within the CAD pit apron on three sides of 

the CAD pit in 2003 and 2005 (fig. 20). The highest THg 

sediment concentrations in 2003 (1.17 mg/kg) and 2005 

(1.6 mg/kg) were measured in cell 6CP (table B12), which is 

on the northwest side of the CAD pit. Cell 5CP, located to the 

west of cell 6CP, had the second highest THg concentration 

in both years. THg sediment concentrations from the fifteen 

CP cells plotted against TOC show that most of the samples 

Figure 45. Total mercury concentration compared to total fines for surface and subsurface 

sediment core sections collected from the Confined Aquatic Disposal pit of the Bremerton 

naval complex, Washington, in 2003, 2005, and 2007 (table B11). The solid and dashed lines 

represent the regression lines and 95 percent lower prediction interval, respectively, for 

samples collected outside of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, in 2003, 2005, and 

2007 (figs. 33, 35, and 37; table 1).

watac09-0206_fig 45

21-55

0-27

0-21

0-31

2003 Data by Interval (cm)

2005 Data by Interval (cm)

2007 Data by Interval (cm)

0-30

30-61

61-91

0-30

30-61

61-91

2003

2005

2007

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0 20 40 60 80 100

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

0

0.4

0.8

1.2

1.6

2.0

GREATER SINCLAIR INLET REGRESSION

95% Lower Prediction Interval

2003

2005

2007

TOTAL MERCURY, 
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 61

collected in 2003 and 2005 plot above the regression line 

of THg compared to TOC for the greater Sinclair Inlet 

samples (fig. 46). Only 5CP and 6CP samples were above 

the 95 percent confidence interval of greater Sinclair Inlet in 

both years. However, only the 2005 sample from cell 6CP was 

outside of the polygon representing locations in the vicinity 

of the CAD pit that were not remediated (not shown). THg 

sediment concentrations from the CP cells plotted against 

total fines show a similar pattern; the samples from 5CP and 

6CP have higher THg concentrations than CAD pit apron 

samples and are higher than the upper 95 percent prediction 

interval (fig. 47). Similar to CAD pit apron sediment samples 

collected in 2001 after the CAD pit closure (spokes 4 and 5 in 

figs. 25–28), most samples are above the greater Sinclair Inlet 

regression lines but within the polygon representing locations 

in the area that were not remediated. These observations 

indicate that THg concentrations in the apron area are more 

a result of historical sediment conditions before the CAD pit 

was developed, rather than due the filling and closing of the 

CAD pit. Localized effects of the CAD pit operation seemed 

to be limited to the apron area on the northwest side of the pit 

(cells 5CP and 6CP). 

Figure 46. Total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon for surface 

sediment (0–10 cm) collected from the Confined Aquatic Disposal pit apron of the 

Bremerton naval complex, Washington, in 2003 and 2005 (table B12). The sold and dashed 

lines represent the regression lines and upper 95 percent prediction intervals, respectively, 

for Sinclair Inlet samples collected in 2003 and 2005 outside of the Bremerton naval 

complex (figs. 32 and 34, table 1). 

watac09-0206_fig 46

6CP

6CP

5CP

5CP

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Regression

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

0

0.4

0.8

1.2

1.6

2.0

CAD Pit apron

GREATER SINCLAIR INLET REGRESSION

95% Upper Prediction Interval

2003

2005

2003

2003

2005

2005

TOTAL MERCURY, 
62 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_fig 47

6CP

6CP

5CP

5CP

2005

2003

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0 20 40 60 80 100

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

0

0.4

0.8

1.2

1.6

2.0

CAP Pit apron

GREATER SINCLAIR INLET REGRESSION

95% Upper Prediction Interval

2003

2005

2003

2005

TOTAL MERCURY, 

Figure 47. Total mercury concentration compared to total fines for surface sediment 

collected from the Confined Aquatic Disposal pit apron of the Bremerton naval complex, 

Washington, in 2003 and 2005 (table B12). The solid and dashed lines represent the 

regression lines and upper 95 percent prediction intervals, respectively, for Sinclair Inlet 

samples collected in 2003 and 2005 outside of the Bremerton naval complex (figs. 33 and 

35, table 1). 
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 63

Sediment Transport Studies

Four studies have examined resuspension of sediment 

into the water column and transport of suspended solids and 

resuspended sediments in Sinclair Inlet. In one study, an 

acoustic Doppler current profiler was deployed at three 

sites in Sinclair Inlet (fig. 1C) in February–March 1994 and 

July–August 1994. During periods of weak winds, tidal 

currents in Sinclair Inlet were determined to be weak with 

typical speeds of 5 to 10 cm/s (Gartner and others, 1998). 

Tidal and residual currents were of the same magnitude and 

reversals of flow from the expected estuarine circulation 

were driven by wind events. On the station on the east side 

of Sinclair Inlet, a Geoprobe that contained a downward 

looking camera and transmissometers at different heights 

above the bed sediment also were deployed. The amplitudes 

of the fluctuations in the light transmissivity diminished 

away from the bed and suggest that material was resuspended 

from bottom sediment due to tidal stresses. The median total 

suspended solids concentrations in discrete water samples 

collected 0.5 m off the bottom ranged between 27 to 45 mg/L 

for the three sites. Although current-generated ripples were 

absent, the camera showed that small scale animal tracks about 

1 cm in depth were erased during peak tidal currents. During 

the deployments, bottom sediment movement in Sinclair Inlet 

was minimal and critical shear velocities for resuspension only 

were achieved up to 1.5 hours per day.

The second study (U.S. Navy, 2007b) consisted of 

sampling of sediment and settling particles, deployment of 

current and turbidity meters, and Seaflume tests to assess 

sediment erosion rates and critical shear stress. In 2005, 

sediment (table B13) and settling particles (table 4) were 

sampled at specific locations within 500-ft cell 35 (fig. 31) 

that had undergone navigational dredging (labeled ND 

in table B13) and at specific locations within 500-ft cell 

56 that had undergone remedial dredging (labeled RD in 

table B13) to determine if previously dredged areas were 

being recontaminated by the transport and deposition of 

sediment within the BNC. The definition of recontamination 

includes input from terrestrial sources and movement of 

nearby sediment that had not been dredged that contained 

legacy THg. Within each cell, two surface sediment samples 

(0–10 cm), and two sediment cores (RDC01 and -02 and 

NDC01 and -02 each with three 5-cm vertical sections) were 

collected. THg sediment concentrations and organic carbon 

content in the surface 0–5 cm sections were higher than the 

10–15 cm sections in all four cores (figs. D16–D19). THg 

sediment concentrations plotted against TOC (fig. 48) show 

that the samples from cell 35 that had undergone navigational 

dredging were within the 95 percent prediction interval of the 

2005 regression for samples collected from greater Sinclair 

Inlet during 2005 (fig. 34). In contrast, most of the samples 

from cell 56 that had undergone remedial dredging fall above 

the 95 percent prediction interval for greater Sinclair Inlet. A 

similar difference between cells 35 and 56 is observed for THg 

sediment concentrations plotted against total fines (fig. 49).

The elevated THg sediment concentrations at RD sites 

in cell 56 relative to the greater Sinclair Inlet 2005 trend line 

could have resulted from (1) conditions after the CERCLA 

dredging, (2) transport of organic-rich, fine-grained material 

from nearby regions of high THg concentrations due to tidal 

dispersion, (3) transport of nearby contaminated sediment 

during episodic events, such as propeller scour or wave action 

from extreme storms, or (4) recontamination from waterfront 

terrestrial stormwater discharges. The THg concentration of 

the subsurface DMMU within cell 56 (greater than 4 ft below 

the sediment-water interface before dredging occurred) was 

0.177 mg/kg (U.S. Navy, 1999), suggesting that clean material 

remained after CERCLA dredging. 

As part of the 2005 Transport Study (U.S. Navy, 2007b), 

physical transport mechanisms were examined at sites within 

1,500-ft cells 13 and 21 (site SI-01 and SI-02, respectively) 

and 500-ft cells 35 and 56 (sites SI-03 and SI-05, respectively) 

from June to August 2005 (figs. 30–31). Surface sediment 

(0–10 cm) was collected before the deployment of three 

sediment traps at each site (table 4). The sediment traps were 

recovered in August (deployment periods between 55 and 

57 days). The total dry weight of settling particles of the 

individual traps at each site was measured and the contents 

of the three traps at each site were composited. TOC content, 

grain-size distributions, and THg concentration of solids of 

each composite were measured. When the THg sediment 

concentrations of settling solids are plotted against total fines 

(fig. 50), THg concentrations of both sediments and trap 

particles fall on or near the regression line for greater Sinclair 

Inlet surface sediment (0–10 cm) and within the 95 percent 

prediction interval for the regression of greater Sinclair Inlet 

sediments during 2005. Settling particles contained more 

organic carbon than sediment samples from the corresponding 

site (fig. 51). Both sediment and sediment trap material from 

the four sites were within the 95 percent prediction interval of 

the 2005 greater Sinclair Inlet regression of THg versus TOC. 

For each site, the amounts of sediment settling into 

the three sediment traps were similar (standard deviations 

ranging from 4 percent at site SI-05 to 11 percent at site 

SI-01, table 4). When the amount of dry sediment collected by 

the traps was normalized by the duration of the deployment 

and the area over which sediment was collected (182-cm2

opening), the mean mass rate of settling of dry solids at SI-01, 

SI-02 and SI-03 ranged between 3.38 and 3.77 g/cm2/yr. 

The mean mass settling rate at SI-05 was slightly higher at 

5.50 g/cm2/yr.

Current meters and backscatter turbidity sensors were 

deployed in 1,500-ft cells 13 and 21 (site SI-01 and SI-02, 

respectively) and 500-ft cells 35 and 56 (site SI-03 and SI-05, 

respectively) from June to August 2005. Mean current speeds 

ranged between 3.3 and 4.3 cm/s, and maximum currents were 

12.4, 13.9, 10.9, and 12.1 cm/s, respectively. Biofouling of 

the optical backscatter sensors after 3 weeks in two sensors 

and malfunctioning data loggers limited the usefulness of the 

turbidity measurements. 
64 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Table 4. Mean mass settling rate of dry solids in sediment traps deployed in 2005 (U.S. Navy Special Transport Study) and in 2002 

(ENVironmental inVESTment Study) in Sinclair Inlet, Washington. 

[Data: U.S. Navy program,U.S. Navy, 2007b; ENVVEST Program, http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/tmdl/sinclair-dyes_inlets/sinclair_cd/DATA/2002_

Data/Sediment_Traps_2002/Metals/Sediment_Trap_Data_plots.pdf. Locations for ENVVEST traps are shown in figures 1C and 2, and the locations of the 

1,500-foot grid and 500-foot grid cells are shown in figures 30 and 31, respectively. Abbreviations: ENVVEST, ENVironmental inVESTment; LTMP, LongTerm Monitoring Program; CERCLA, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; PSNS, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard; mg/kg, 

milligram per kilogram; g/cm2/yr, gram per square centimeter per year; RPD, relative percent difference; RSD, relative standard deviation; NA, not applicable; -, 

no data] 

Program Sample 

identifier

Sediment 

trap

location

Start

date

End

date Remediation

500-

foot 

grid

cell 

no.

1,500-

foot 

grid

cell 

no.

Total

mercury 

(mg/

kg, dry 

weight)

Total

aluminum 

(mg/kg, 

dry weight)

Total 

organic 

carbon 

(percentage by dry 

weight)

Total

fines 

(percentage 

by dry 

weight)

Particle mass 

settling rate

Mean 

(g/cm2

/

yr)

RPD RSD

(percent)

Inside Bremerton naval complex

ENVVEST Trap 2 Bremerton 

wastewater 

treatment 

facility outfall

 04-15-02 06-13-02 Not 

remediated

1 NA 0.615 46,600 – – 4.26 0.8

U.S. Navy, 

LTMP 

SI-03 500-foot grid 

cell 35

06-08-05 08-04-05 CERCLA 

dredging

35 NA .71 – 5.18 95.7 3.58 6

U.S. Navy, 

LTMP 

SI-05 500-foot grid 

cell 56

06-08-05 08-04-05 CERCLA 

dredging

56 NA .73 – 4.83 93.2 5.50 4

Inside Sinclair Inlet study area of 1,500-foot grid

ENVVEST Trap 1 Gorst 04-15-02 06-11-02 Not 

remediated

 NA 9 0.583 44,000 – – 5.78 4.1

ENVVEST Trap 3 East Sinclair off 

PSNS

04-17-02 06-13-02 Near 

navigation 

dredging

 NA 121 0.705 60,500 – – 7.45 0.1

ENVVEST Trap 4 Port Orchard 

Marina

04-18-02 06-13-02 Not 

remediated

 NA 23 0.317 32,800 – – 0.90 17.4

U.S. Navy, 

LTMP 

SI-01 1,500-foot grid 

cell 13

 06-07-05 08-04-05 Not 

remediated

NA 22 0.506 – 4.97 92.6 3.77 11

U.S. Navy, 

LTMP 

SI-02 1,500-foot grid 

cell 1

21

 06-07-05 08-04-05 Not 

remediated

NA 13 .61 – 4.88 90.1 3.38 6

Outside of Sinclair Inlet study area of 1,500-foot grid

ENVVEST Trap 5 Port Orchard 

wastewater 

treatment 

facility outfall

04-17-02 06-11-02 Not 

remediated

NA NA 0.248 44,500 – – 9.30 0.2

1

 Just outside of the northeastern facing border of 1,500-foot grid cell 21 and adjacent to several navigation dredging areas.
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 65

watac09-0206_fig 48 IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0

0

0.4

0.8

1.2

1.6

2.0

NDC1 and NDC2: 10-15 cm

NDC1 and NDC2: 5-10 cm

NDC1 and NDC2: 0-5 cm

ND 1 and ND2: 0-10 cm

RDC1 and RDC2:10-15

RDC1 and RDC2: 5-10 cm

RDC1 and RDC2: 0-5 cm

RD2: 0-10 cm

ND and RD SAMPLES

GREATER SINCLAIR INLET

Regression

95% Prediction Interval

1 2 3 4 5

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL MERCURY, 

Figure 48. Total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon in the surface 

sediment (0–10 cm; ND1 and ND2) and cores (NDC1 and NDC2) from the 500-ft cell 35

(fig. 31) that had undergone navigational dredging (ND) and in the surface sediment 

(0–10 cm; RD1 and RD2) and cores (RDC1 and RDC2) from 500-ft cell 56 that had undergone 

remedial dredging (RD) collected as part of the 2005 transport study (table B13). The solid 

and dashed lines represent the regression line and upper 95 percent prediction interval 

for greater Sinclair Inlet, Washington, samples collected in 2005 outside of the Bremerton 

naval complex (fig. 34 and table 1). 
66 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_fig 49 IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0 20 40 60 80 100

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

0

0.4

0.8

1.2

1.6

2.0

NDC1 and NDC2: 10-15 cm

NDC1 and NDC2: 5-10 cm

NDC1 and NDC2: 0-5 cm

ND 1 and ND2: 0-10 cm

RDC1 and RDC2:10-15

RDC1 and RDC2: 5-10 cm

RDC1 and RDC2: 0-5 cm

RD2: 0-10 cm

ND and RD Data

GREATER SINCLAIR INLET

Regression

95% Prediction Interval

TOTAL MERCURY, 

Figure 49. Total mercury concentration compared to total fines in the surface sediment 

(0–10 cm; ND-01 and ND-02) and cores (NDC1 and NDC2) from 500-ft cell 35 (fig. 31) 

that had undergone navigational dredging (ND) and in the surface sediment (0–10 cm; 

RD-01 and RD-02) and cores (RDC1 and RDC2) from the 500-ft cell 56 that had undergone 

remedial dredging (RD) collected as part of the 2005 transport study (table B13). The solid 

and dashed lines represent the regression line and upper 95 percent prediction interval 

for greater Sinclair Inlet, Washington, samples collected in 2005 outside of the Bremerton 

naval complex (fig. 35 and table 1). 
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 67

watac09-0206_fig 50 IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

0 20 40 60 80 100

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

Sediment

Sediment

Trap Site

1500-ft Cell 21 (SI-01)

1500-ft Cell 13 (SI-02)

500-ft Cell 35 (SI-03)

500-ft Cell 56 (SI-05)

TOTAL MERCURY, 

Figure 50. Total mercury concentration compared to total fines (tables 4 and B13) in 

surface sediment in June 2005 (black symbols) and particles settling into sediment traps 

between June and August 2005 (red symbols) in 1,500-ft grid cells 13 and 21 in figure 

30 (SI-01 and SI-02, respectively), and in 500-ft grid cells 35 and 56 in figure 31 (SI-03 

and SI-05, respectively). The solid and dashed lines represent the regression line and 

95 percent prediction interval for greater Sinclair Inlet, Washington, samples collected in 

2005 outside of the Bremerton naval complex (fig. 35 and table 1). 
68 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Figure 51. Total mercury concentration compared to total organic carbon (tables 4

and B13) in surface sediment in June 2005 and particles settling into sediment traps 

between June and August 2005 in 1,500-ft grid cells 13 and 21 in figure 30 (SI-01 and SI-02, 

respectively), and in 500-ft grid cells 35 and 56 in figure 31 (SI-03 and SI-05, respectively). 

The solid and dashed lines represent the regression line and 95 percent prediction interval 

for greater Sinclair Inlet, Washington, samples collected in 2005 outside of the Bremerton 

naval complex (fig. 34 and table 1. 

watac09-0206_fig 51 IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

Sediment

Sediment

Trap Site

1500-ft Cell 21 (SI-01)

1500-ft Cell 13 (SI-02)

500-ft Cell 35 (SI-03)

500-ft Cell 56 (SI-05)

TOTAL MERCURY, 
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 69

When sensors were judged to be operating properly, 

turbidity was generally below 10 nephelometric turbidity 

units (NTU), but several spikes in turbidity occurred in central 

Sinclair Inlet (1,500-ft grid cell 21) that were unrelated to 

current speed. Similar to Gartner and others (1998), the U.S. 

Navy (2007b) concluded that sediment erosion and transport 

within the OU B Marine and Sinclair Inlet only occurs to a 

limited extent. In contrast, the critical shear stress measured 

by Seaflume tests were an order of magnitude higher than 

bed shear stresses inferred from Sinclair Inlet current meter 

measurements. The Seaflume tests seem to suggest that 

Sinclair Inlet sediments did not erode during conditions typical 

of the current meter deployments.

The third study focusing on bottom sediment scour 

by conventional propellers and cycloidal thrusters (U.S. 

Navy, 2008b) provides some insights into the mechanisms 

that transport sediments within BNC and possibly could be 

responsible for the recontamination of dredged areas observed 

in the 2005 Transport Study (U.S. Navy, 2007b). Bottom 

sediment scour lines observed by high resolution multibeam 

sonar ranged in depths from 6 cm to 24 cm. Particles with 

a diameter of 25 μm from the sediment of the scoured area 

were predicted to travel up to 3 km when suspended 12 m 

into the water column. Combined with the Seaflume sediment 

erosion tests, hydraulic modeling of the near-bottom currents 

(45–100 cm/s) from conventional propellers and the cycloidal 

thruster, used on water tractors operating within the BNC, 

predicted bottom sediment scour depths ranging from 0.3 cm 

to 18 cm, respectively. This level of scour of bottom sediments 

and resuspension of bottom sediments readily can explain 

temporal trends in the sediment chemistry of BNC following 

the significant dredging that occurred in 1994 and 2000–01.

The fourth set of studies on sediment transport (McLaren, 

2008) examined changes in the grain-size distribution between 

May 1998, October 2003, and May 2007 for about 100 pairs 

of sediment samples that were collected within 250 m of each 

other (McLaren, 2004). Between 1998 and 2003, the grainsize distribution in Sinclair Inlet changed significantly from 

medium silt to coarse silt (mean mean grain size decreased 

from 5.92 phi in May 1998 to 4.96 phi in October 2003). 

Remedial and navigational dredging during 2001, which 

removed fine-grained sediments and exposed underlying 

coarser glacial, is a possible cause of this coarsening of 

sediments throughout Sinclair Inlet (McLaren, 2004). The 

May 2007 sediments compared to nearby sediments collected 

in May 1998 showed less coarsening of the sediments (mean 

mean grain size decreased from 5.92 phi in May 1998 to 

5.23 phi in May 2007) than sediments between May 1998 and 

October 2003. In greater Sinclair Inlet and the BNC, sediment 

coarser than very fine sand (phi of 4) was present to a lesser 

extent in May 2007 relative to October 2003, and more finer 

grained sediment near the peak of grain-size distribution 

(phi of about 6.5) was present in May 2007 relative to 

October 2003. Comparison between May 1998 and May 2007 

clearly indicates coarsening of the sediment occurred during 

the interval that major dredging occurred (2000-2001). 

Although recovery of Sinclair Inlet between October 2003 and 

May 2008 from prior dredging may be occurring (McLaren, 

2008), the effects of seasonal effects between October and 

May sampling cannot be ruled out.

Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program 

Puget Sound Assessment and Monitoring Program 

(PSAMP) of the Marine Sediment Monitoring Team of the 

Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) conducts 

monitoring of Puget Sound sediments to provide regional and 

ecosystem-wide information on Puget Sound sediment quality 

to environmental managers and decision-makers.

Temporal Trends

The Long-Term Temporal Monitoring Program was 

established as part of PSAMP to record sediment conditions 

for various habitats and geographic locations throughout 

Puget Sound and to identify if any significant changes in 

physical, chemical, and biological sediment parameters 

occurred over time. The results of the initial 1989 sampling 

of marine sediment in Sinclair Inlet by the PSAMP partially 

were responsible for initiating the 1990 Site Investigation. 

The Sinclair Inlet station for PSAMP’s Long-Term Temporal 

Monitoring is located on the border of the BNC in the 

southwest corner of the CAD pit apron area (fig. 20). The 

1989 data showed that THg sediment concentrations at the 

PSAMP Long-Term Temporal Monitoring station in Sinclair 

Inlet were more than five times the concentrations of other 

comparable industrial embayments (fig. 52). In general, THg 

concentrations at the Sinclair Inlet station ranged from 0.5 to 

0.9 mg/kg and were at least three times larger than any other 

Long-Term Temporal Monitoring station in Puget Sound 

(Sediment Database (PSAMPSedComponentdatabase.zip) 

accessed at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/eap/psamp/

index.htm). Although no temporal trends in THg sediment 

concentrations were detected (Dutch and others, 2005), the 

2005 THg concentrations were the highest of the 16-year 

sampling history at Sinclair Inlet Long-Term Temporal 

Monitoring station. 

Because TOC and total fines previously have been 

shown to be important in controlling THg concentrations 

in Sinclair Inlet, the temporal relationships between THg 

concentrations and TOC and total fines are shown in figure 53. 
70 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_fig 52 IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0

0.6

0.4

0.2

1.0

0.8

1.2

YEAR

TOTAL MERCURY, 

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

San Juan/Whatcom: Strait of Georgia (3)

San Juan/Whatcom: Bellingham Bay (4)

Hood Canal: North Hood Canal (13R)

Whidbey: Port Gardner (21)

North Central Puget Sound: Shilshole (29)

North Central Puget Sound: Sinclair Inlet (34)

South Central Puget Sound: Thea Foss Waterway (40)

PSP Area: Location (PSAMP Station No.)

Figure 52. Total mercury concentrations in surface sediment (0–3 cm) at seven LongTerm Temporal Monitoring stations of the Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program of 

Washington, sampled between 1989 and 2005 arranged by their Puget Sound Partnership 

Area. The Sediment Database (PSAMPSedComponentdatabase.zip) was accessed at 

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/eap/psamp/index.htm.
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 71

watac09-0206_fig 53

0

90

80

100

1

2

3

4

0

TOTAL MERCURY, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

Total fines

Total organic carbon

Total mercury

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

2000

2005

YEAR

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

Figure 53. Total mercury concentrations, total organic carbon, and total fines in surface 

sediment (0–3 cm) at the Sinclair Inlet Long-Term Temporal Monitoring station 34 of the 

Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program of Washington, sampled between 1989 and 2005. 

The Sediment Database (PSAMPSedComponentdatabase.zip) was accessed at 

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/eap/psamp/index.htm.
72 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

The continuous decrease in THg concentrations between 1990 

and 1993, and the increase between 1993 and 1994 seemed 

to be related to changes in grain-size distribution. However, 

the 2005 increase in THg sediment concentrations did not 

seem to be related to either TOC or total fines. Because the 

THg sediment concentrations in the area off OU A prior to 

remediation were variable and the Long-Term Temporal 

Monitoring Sinclair Inlet station is near the CAD pit, the 

entire Sinclair Inlet Long-Term Temporal Monitoring data set 

was compared to the sediment conditions in the area before 

remediation. The 1989 to 2005 PSAMP Sinclair Inlet THg 

sediment data plotted against TOC (fig. 54) show that all of 

the Long-Term Temporal Monitoring samples fall within 

the polygon that represents THg sediment data collected 

by the U.S. Navy between 1993 and 2000 at locations that 

were not remediated. When THg sediment data are plotted 

against total fines (fig. 55), some of the Long-Term Temporal 

Monitoring data fall below the polygon representing THg 

sediment data collected by the U.S. Navy between 1993 and 

2000 at locations that were not remediated. Thus, it appears 

that much of the variability of the PSAMP THg data is due to 

the variability associated with sampling Long-Term Temporal 

Monitoring site and not due to general temporal trends. 

Ecology also concluded that there was no significant temporal 

trend in THg at the PSAMP Sinclair Inlet site. 

watac090206fig 54

0

2

3

5

4

TOTAL MERCURY, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

1

0 2 4 6

OU A Pre-Remediation

Polygon

Figure 54. Total mercury concentrations compared to total organic carbon for surface 

sediment (0–3 cm) at the Sinclair Inlet Long-Term Temporal Monitoring station 34 of the 

Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program of Washington, sampled between 1989 and 

2005. The Sediment Database (PSAMPSedComponentdatabase.zip) was accessed at 

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/eap/psamp/index.htm. The polygon represents data from 

locations near the Confined Aquatic Disposal pit that were not remediated (fig. 21). 
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 73

watac09-0206_fig 55

0 20 40 60 80 100

0

2

3

5

4

TOTAL MERCURY, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

1

OU A Pre-Remediation

Polygon

Figure 55. Total mercury concentrations compared to total fines for surface sediment 

(0–3 cm) at the Sinclair Inlet Long-Term Temporal Monitoring station 34 of the Puget Sound 

Ambient Monitoring Program of Washington, sampled between 1989 and 2005. 

The Sediment Database (PSAMPSedComponentdatabase.zip) was accessed at 

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/eap/psamp/index.htm. The polygon represents data from 

locations near the Confined Aquatic Disposal pit that were not remediated (fig. 22).
74 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Embayment Studies

Use of a single station for long-term monitoring within 

an embayment can make interpretation of the results difficult, 

especially if the one station representing the embayment is 

located near a pollution point source with inputs that vary 

with time, or if the station lies within an area with strong 

gradients for the constituent of interest. PSAMP completed 

three random stratified samplings between 1997 and 1999 that 

examined distribution of contaminants in surface sediment 

(0–3 cm) within the boundaries of numerous embayments and 

sub-regions of Puget Sound (Long and others, 1999, 2000, 

2002). These studies allow direct comparisons of the offshore 

distribution of THg in sediment of Sinclair Inlet with the 

general distribution of THg in offshore stations (table B14) of 

several urban embayments within Puget Sound. The PSAMP 

Figure 56. Total mercury concentrations compared to total organic carbon in the surface 

sediment (0–3 cm) collected by the Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program embayment 

study in 1998 (Long and others, 1999) and the regression line (table 1) for the 1994 Offshore 

Sinclair Inlet surface sediment (0–10 cm) from the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study

(fig. 14) and the 2003 offshore surface sediment (0–10 cm) from the Long-Term Monitoring 

Program 1,500-ft grid sampling (fig. 32). 

data for Sinclair Inlet first is compared with the U.S. Navy 

data for Sinclair Inlet. The eight samples collected by PSAMP 

in 1998 from offshore regions of Sinclair Inlet fell into two 

distinct groups (fig. 56): one represented by four sites with low 

TOC (< 0.05 percent by weight) and one group represented 

by four sites with high TOC (3–4 percent by weight). The 

THg sediment concentration of the high TOC Sinclair Inlet 

group was in the top 10 percent of samples measured by 

PSAMP. The four high TOC samples collected in 1998 by 

PSAMP were between the regression lines of THg versus TOC 

represented by the 1994 Remediation Investigation data and 

the 2007 data from the offshore LTMP 1,500-ft grid sampling. 

Although the PSAMP and U.S. Navy samples were collected 

at different times and used different depth intervals for surface 

sediment, the data generally were comparable.

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

1.2

1.0

0.8

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL MERCURY, 

0 1 2 3 4 5

U.S. Navy (0 - 10 cm)

2003 LTMP Regression

1994 RI/FS Regression

1998 Regression

Sinclair Inlet 1998

PSAMP (0 - 3 cm)
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 75

THg sediment concentrations measured by PSAMP 

were highly correlated with sediment TOC within each 

urban embayment of Puget Sound (table 1). By comparing 

the relations of THg with TOC across geographical regions, 

one can normalize for the physical and biogeochemical 

processes that tend to enrich THg in marine surface sediment. 

THg sediment concentrations plotted against TOC (fig. 57) 

show that PSAMP samples from Bellingham Bay and Elliott 

Bay (fig. 1A) were below the regression line for PSAMP 

Sinclair Inlet samples. The sediment of Bellingham Bay 

was highly contaminated with mercury from wastewater 

discharges from a mercury-cell chlor-alkali plant (Crecelius 

and others, 1975) and Bellingham Bay is a State Cleanup site. 

Elliott Bay is an urban embayment off Seattle and receives 

wastewater from the Renton wastewater treatment facility, as 

well as non-point stormwater discharges from the industrial 

area of the Duwamish Waterway. Although THg has been 

identified as a chemical of concern for Elliott Bay, THg has 

not been a primary factor in Superfund designations within 

the Duwamish industrial area. Although samples from Elliott 

and Bellingham Bays are below the Sinclair Inlet regression 

line, the 95 percent confidence intervals of the slopes of THg 

sediment concentrations compared to sediment TOC for the 

three embayments are not significantly different. 

Figure 57. Total mercury concentrations compared to total organic carbon in the surface 

sediment (0–3 cm) collected by Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program embayment 

study in Washington State from Sinclair Inlet (1998), Elliott Bay off Seattle (1998), and 

Bellingham Bay (1997) (Long and others, 1999, 2000). The statistics for the regression lines 

are shown in table 1.

watac09-0206_fig 57

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

1.2

1.0

0.8

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL MERCURY, 

0 1 2 3 4 5

Sinclair Inlet

Bellingham Bay

Elliott Bay

PSAMP Regression Lines

Sinclair Inlet

Bellingham Bay

Elliott Bay

Mid-Estuary Sediments
76 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

The THg sediment concentrations of the other urban and 

non-urban embayments (fig. 1A and 1B) were low compared 

to Sinclair Inlet when examined in relation to TOC (fig. 58). 

Offshore sediment of Commencement Bay (a Superfund site 

associated with Tacoma) and Port Gardner (located off the city 

of Everett) had TOC content of about 2 percent by dry weight 

and THg concentrations of about 0.1 mg/kg. In contrast, Budd 

Inlet (adjacent to Olympia) and Liberty Bay (adjacent to the 

suburban town of Poulsbo) had TOC concentrations as high as 

those of Sinclair Inlet, but THg sediment concentrations were 

about one-quarter of those of Sinclair Inlet. 

Figure 58. Total mercury concentrations compared to total organic carbon (Long and 

others, 1999, 2000, 2001) in the surface sediment (0–3 cm) from Sinclair Inlet (1998), Port 

Gardner off Everett (1997), Liberty Bay off Poulsbo (1998), Commencement Bay off Tacoma

(1999), and Budd Inlet off Olympia (1999). The line is the regression of the 1998 Puget 

Sound (Washington) Ambient Monitoring Program Sinclair Inlet samples (fig. 56 and

table 1).

watac09-0206_fig 58

SITE LOCATION

Sinclair Inlet

Port Gardner

Liberty Bay 

Commencement Bay

Budd Inlet

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

1.2

1.0

0.8

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0 1 2 3 4 5

TOTAL MERCURY, 
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 77

Figure 59. Total mercury concentrations compared to total fines (Long and others, 1999, 

2000, 2001) in the surface sediment (0–3 cm) from Sinclair Inlet (1998), Bellingham Bay

(1997), Port Gardner off Everett (1997), Elliott Bay off Seattle (1998), Liberty Bay off Poulsbo

(1998), Commencement Bay off Tacoma (1999), and Budd Inlet off Olympia (1999). The line is 

the regression of the 1998 Puget Sound (Washington) Ambient Monitoring Program Sinclair 

Inlet samples (fig. 56 and table 1). 

watac09-0206_fig 59

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

1.0

0.8

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM

0 20 40 60 80 100

SITE LOCATION

Sinclair Inlet

Port Gardner

Liberty Bay 

Commencement Bay

Budd Inlet

Bellingham Bay

Elliott Bay

TOTAL MERCURY, DRY WEIGHT

When THg sediment concentrations from Sinclair Inlet 

and other urban embayments are plotted against total fines, 

similar relations are apparent, but less striking. Most of the 

THg data for all embayments are below the 1998 PSAMP 

regression line for Sinclair Inlet (table 1), especially at higher 

total fines (fig. 59). However, a number of the embayments 

have weak correlations with total fines (table 1). For instance, 

all but two samples from Bellingham Bay had total fines 

greater than 90 percent, yet the THg concentrations varied 

from 0.08 to 0.46 mg/kg. In contrast, the percentage of fines 

in Commencement Bay varies from 19 percent to 91 percent, 

yet THg concentrations only vary between 0.055 and 

0.092 mg/kg. 
78 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Environment Investment (ENVVEST) Dated Cores 

and Sediment Traps

The ENVVEST program (Crecelius and others, 2003) 

determined THg sediment concentrations at five locations 

along the center-line of Sinclair Inlet (fig. 1C) from the Gorst 

mudflats (S1) to the entrance of Sinclair Inlet (S5). Depth 

profiles were highly resolved with 2.5-cm sections for the 

first 5 cm followed by 5-cm sections to 60 cm (table B15). 

Sediment traps also were deployed near stations S1 and S5 

to collect settling particles (Sediment_Trap_Data_plots.pdf 

available at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/tmdl/

sinclair-dyes_inlets/sinclair_cd/DATA/2002_Data/

BMSL/). The cores were dated by radionuclide analyses 

and sedimentation rates were calculated for each sediment 

core. Additional sediment traps were deployed along the 

northern shoreline, near the Port Orchard Marina and along 

the southern shoreline just outside of the study area (fig. 1C) 

and at one location within the BNC (fig. 2). Aluminum 

concentrations of sediment cores and sediment trap materials 

also were measured. 

Dated Cores

The THg concentrations in the three sediment sections 

within the top 10 cm of the cores (Crecelius and others, 

2003) were fairly constant (standard deviation of less than 

0.08 mg/kg, table 5), except for core S1 in inner Sinclair 

Inlet (fig. 1C) in which only the top 5 cm of sediment was 

uniform (figs. D20–D24). The THg concentrations of surface 

(0–2.5 cm) sediment of cores S2 to S5 (fig. 1C) were between 

0.74 to 0.93 mg/kg, and the surface sediment at S1 contained 

0.51 mg/kg. Below the surface mixed layer in cores S2 to S5, 

THg concentrations reached a maximum at depths between 

10 and 30 cm. These results are comparable to the RI/FS 

results of the one core (location 490 in fig. 1C, which is near 

S4) sectioned with high vertical resolution (table B4). THg 

concentrations in cores at locations S4 and 490 peaked at 

about 25 cm below the sediment–water interface (figs. 17 and 

D23). The maximum THg concentration at location S4 was 

3.2 mg/kg, whereas the maximum concentration at location 

490 was 1.50 ±0.27 mg/kg.

The approximate date at which sediment was deposited 

was determined for each section of the ENVVEST cores. The 

radionuclide data suggest that sediment with the maximum 

THg concentrations generally were deposited in cores S2, S3, 

and S5 between 1950 and 1965. Maximum concentrations in 

the Gorst mudflat occurred in the top 5 cm, which represents 

deposition between 1985 and 2002. Disturbance of the 

sediment during dredging precluded the dating of core S4.

The maximum THg concentrations at depth in the 

sediment cores increased with distance from the Gorst 

mudflats (table 5). Maximum concentrations in the 

central part of Sinclair Inlet west of the BNC were 1.46 

and 1.72 mg/kg for cores S2 and S3, respectively and 

concentrations off the shipyard and the entrance to Sinclair 

Inlet were 3.21 and 3.25 mg/kg for cores S4 and S5, 

respectively. The significant decreases in THg concentrations 

between sediment that was deposited around World War II at 

depth and recently deposited sediment at the surface confirms 

that THg discharges have decreased over the last 50 years.

Particles Settling in Sediment Traps

The particles settling into sediment traps could have 

entered Sinclair Inlet recently or could have been re-suspended 

from the sediment column (table 4). To determine the sources 

of particles, surface sediment and solids settling in sediment 

traps were analyzed at two locations: offshore of the Gorst 

mudflats (S1/T1; fig. 1C) and off the BNC (S4/T3; fig. 2). The 

composition of settling particles compared to surface sediment 

at the same location provides some insight into the relative 

importance of the accumulation of particles into traps (1) from 

particles recently entering Sinclair Inlet and (2) from particles 

that had been resuspended from the sediments. At Gorst 

(S1 and T1) and a northshore site (S4 and T3), the surface 

sediment and sediment trap material had similar THg and total 

aluminum concentrations (fig. 60), suggesting that sediment 

traps contain a substantial portion of resuspended sediments. 

Settling particles with the lowest THg concentrations in 

Table 5. Variability of total mercury concentrations in the top 

10-cm of ENVironmental inVESTment cores, and the depth and the 

maximum total mercury concentration of total mercury peak in the 

sediment column of Sinclair Inlet, Washington. 

[Data source: Crecelius and others, 2003; Locations are shown in figure 1C. 

Details for total mercury data listed in table B15. Abbreviations: cm, 

centimeter; Std. dev., standard deviation; mg/kg, milligram per kilogram; wt., 

weight; ~, about; –, date could not be determined because top of core was 

disturbed] 

Core 

locations

Surface (0–10 cm) Maximum

Total mercury

(mg/kg, dry 

weight) Depth at 

maximum 

(cm)

Total 

mercury 

(mg/kg, 

dry weight)

Approximate 

date

Mean Std.

dev.

S1 0.51 0.01 0–2.5 0.51 1985–2002

S2 .92 .01 10–20 1.46 ~1950

S3 .93 .08 20–30 1.72 ~1950

S4 .81 .06 20–25 3.21 –

S5 .92 .01 10–15 3.26 1965
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 79

watac09-0206_fig 60

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

0 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000

TOTAL MERCURY, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL ALUMINUM, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

Gorst Sediment Trap (T1)

Northshore Sediment Traps

 (T2 and T3)

and Core Sediment S4

(off western PSNS & IMF)

and Core Sediment S1

Core Sediments S2, S3, and S5

Port Orchard Shore Sediment

 Traps (T4 and T5)

S3

S2

S5

S4 

S1 

T3

T2

T1

T5

T4

Figure 60. Total mercury concentrations compared to total aluminum concentrations 

for surface sediment (0–2.5 cm) in Sinclair Inlet, Washington (table B15) and material 

collected by sediment traps (table 4) by the ENVironmental InVESTment Project in 2002. 

The two lines connect surface sediment and settling particles collected at the same 

location (Gorst and Northshore).

Sinclair Inlet were collected off the southern shoreline, either 

near the Port Orchard Marina (trap 4, 0.317 mg/kg) or near 

the outfall of the Port Orchard wastewater treatment facility 

(trap 5, 0.248 mg/kg). In contrast, the trap material collected 

in traps along the northern shore contained 0.615 and 0.705 

mg/kg near the outfall of the Bremerton wastewater treatment 

facility (trap 2) and off eastern PSNS & IMF (trap 3), 

respectively.
80 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Summary of Mercury in the Sediment of 

Sinclair Inlet

In a large area of Sinclair Inlet offshore of the 

Bremerton naval complex, a peak in THg concentrations 

is observed in the sediment below the present sediment–

water interface. ENVVEST cores S2-S5 and U.S. Navy 

core 490 in central Sinclair Inlet (fig. 1C) all show subsurface maximums (table 5 and figs. D21–24; table B4 and 

fig. 17, respectively). Core S4 collected off PSNS had the 

largest sub-surface maximum with the THg concentration of 

3.21 mg/kg in the 10–15 cm depth horizon. The ENVVEST 

cores were radiometrically dated and the historical record 

of sedimentation was consistent with the timing of PSNS 

activities in Sinclair Inlet (Crecelius and others, 2003). 

Similar to many lake cores in Western Washington (Paulson 

and Norton, 2008) in which THg concentrations began to 

increase in sediment with the beginning of the Industrial 

Revolution around 1900, THg concentrations in Sinclair 

Inlet began to increase with the opening of PSNS in 1896. In 

contrast to the timing of lake cores, the peak in sub-surface 

THg concentrations in Sinclair Inlet represents sedimentation 

occurring around the time of World War II, when PSNS 

activities were most intense. The sub-surface maximums 

of THg concentrations in cores S2-S5 and 490 range from 

1.46 to 3.26 mg/kg compared to 0.3 mg/kg for core sections 

in the main basin of Puget Sound that represent World War 

II-era deposition (Bloom and Crecelius, 1987). Following 

World War II, better metallurgical management practices 

and environmental regulations were initiated and mercury 

sedimentation and THg sediment concentrations began to 

decrease from these sub-surface maximum concentrations 

to lower THg concentrations measured at the current 

sediment surface. However, the precise historical record of 

sedimentation of contaminants is blended because physical 

and biological processes continually mix sediment in about 

the top 4 cm of sediments (Brandenberger and others, 2007). 

The consequences of the historical contamination in Sinclair 

Inlet also are reflected in long-living organisms. For example, 

old rockfish (hatched between 1950 and 1970) collected from 

Sinclair Inlet contained the highest THg concentrations of any 

rockfish from Puget Sound (West and O’Neill, 1998). 

Nearshore sites off OU A show even higher sub-surface 

maximums in Hg-TCLP concentrations. At station MS213, a 

nearshore location of OU A (location 213 in fig. 2), Hg-TCLP 

concentrations as high as 12.3 mg/kg were observed at depths 

between 5 and 20 cm station MS213 (table B3). The majority 

of locations with sub-surface concentrations maximums 

of THg and Hg-TCLP were capped during the 2000–2001 

remedial activities. No core with a vertical resolution less 

than 60 cm was taken in the nearshore area off OU B that 

had not been dredged. In contrast, inner Sinclair Inlet seems 

to be less affected by PSNS activities. Both ENVVEST core 

S1 and RI/FS core ST-48 (location 228) showed maximum 

concentrations (0.51 and 1.1 mg/kg for THg and Hg-TCLP in 

tables 5 and B3, respectively) just below the sediment-water 

interface with concentrations decreasing with depth. 

Two cells in the CAD pit apron (5CP and 6CP in fig. 20) 

had THg concentrations higher than the greater Sinclair 

Inlet trend (figs. 46 and 47) and higher than concentrations 

measured in the area shortly after the closure of the CAD 

pit. Because the area of apron cells 5CP and 6CP were not 

sampled before the development of the CAD pit, it is unknown 

if similar THg was present within these two cells before the 

CAD pit construction or if these elevated THg concentrations 

represent deposition of slowly settling fine-grained dredged 

material that was transported away from the pit (to the apron 

area) by tidal currents. 

Strong relations of THg sediment concentrations with 

sediment TOC were observed for Sinclair Inlet, as well as 

many other Puget Sound embayments. The slope of the 

relation of THg sediment concentration to sediment TOC 

seems to be the best indicator of mercury enrichment and 

provides a valuable tool for comparisons of overall mercury 

contamination among the sediments of Puget Sound estuaries 

(table 1). Based on the PSAMP embayment studies (Long and 

others, 1998, 2000, 2001), the slope of the 1998 THg-to-TOC 

relation in Sinclair Inlet (table 1 and fig. 61) is comparable 

to the slope for sediment from Bellingham Bay (a mercury 

Superfund site) and Elliott Bay (adjacent to Superfund sites 

on the Duwamish Waterway). This indicates that Sinclair 

Inlet ranks in the top tier of urban estuaries contaminated with 

mercury. 

When programs that used the same sampling depth 

interval (0–10 cm) for sediment collection in Sinclair 

Inlet are compared over time, it appears that there was a 

significant decrease in the slope of the regression between 

THg concentrations and TOC derived from sediment collected 

during 1994-95 compared to the slopes derived from samples 

collected between 2003 and 2007 (fig. 61). This suggests that 

the dredging around the pier (shown in the inset of figure 

2) during 1994–95 and the larger CERCLA 2000–2001 

activities (dredging and capping) significantly decreased 

mercury conditions throughout the greater Sinclair Inlet. This 

conclusion must be qualified because the RI/FS program 

(1994/1995) was not a randomly stratified sampling program 

and targeted sampling may have biased the slope.
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 81

Figure 61. Slopes calculated from the linear relations between total mercury 

concentrations and total organic carbon content in sediments from Sinclair Inlet and other 

Puget Sound embayments in Washington

watac09-0206_fig 61

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

SLOPE OF TOTAL MERCURY CONCENTRATIONS

VERSUS TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON CONTENT,

IN NANOGRAMS PER MILLIGRAM

Sinclair

Inlet

Bellingham

Bay Elliott

Bay

Liberty

Bay

Port

Gardner

Budd

Inlet

19941996199820002002200420062008

YEAR

PROGRAM / DEPTH INTERVAL

U.S. Navy / 0 - 10 cm

 Sinclair Inlet

PSAMP / 0 - 3 cm
82 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Concentrations of THg measured in OU B Marine 

sediments were compared with the relation of THg with 

TOC and total fines collected from the greater Sinclair Inlet 

1,500-ft grid in 2003, 2005, and 2007. TOC and total fines 

from OU B Marine sediments were applied to the regression 

equation for the greater Sinclair Inlet 1,500-ft grid to calculate 

the predicted THg concentrations. Deviations of the actual 

values from the predicted values then were rank ordered 

(appendix E). Samples above the most significant break in 

the rank-order of deviations of THg for the TOC regression 

were identified as tier 1 samples. Tier 2 samples were 

identified as being above more subtle breaks in the rank-order 

for each data set, which ranged from 0.53 mg/kg in 2005 to 

0.67 mg/kg in 2007. All tier 1 and tier 2 samples were greater 

than the 95 percent prediction intervals for the greater Sinclair 

Inlet regressions. These tier 1 and tier 2 samples indicate areas 

possibly affected by present terrestrial sources of mercury or 

recontamination resulting from either episodic events or from 

inputs of nearby contaminated sediment that had not been 

dredged. Areas of concern within BNC were identified by 

categorizing cells by the instances of tier 1 samples and the 

frequency of tier 2 samples (table 3). Three areas of particular 

concern are evident (fig. 62): (1) cell 39 off NBK Bremerton, 

(2) the area off central PSNS & IMF, and (3) cell 71 off 

eastern PSNS & IMF. Cell 39 includes location 110 (fig. 2), 

which contained a THg concentration of 2.9 mg/kg and which 

was not dredged. The area between also contained two sites 

that were not dredged and had high THg concentrations, 

including a 60-cm vertical section with 6.6 mg/kg just to the 

east of the navigational dredged area off western PSNS & 

IMF. In addition, the composite sample from cell 60 collected 

in 2004 contained a THg concentration of 18.8 mg/kg in 2005. 

Cells 11 and 19 near the CAD pit also were categorized as 

tier 1 samples in 2003, but their THg concentrations were 

within the general Sinclair Inlet trend in 2005 and 2007. This 

temporary elevation of THg may be related to the closure of 

the CAD pit and to the elevated THg in CAD pit apron cells 

5CP and 6CP. 

The extent of sediment transport inferred from physical 

measurements seems to contradict measurements associated 

with sediments in the water and sediment column. During 

winter (February–March) and summer (July–August) of 

1994 and summer (June–August) of 2005, 10 current meters 

were deployed for durations ranging between 6 and 8 weeks 

(Gartner and others, 1998; U.S. Navy, 2007b). Mean current 

speeds were weak (3–10 cm/s) and maximum speeds ranged 

from 10.9 to 13.9 cm/s for the summer 2005 deployments. 

The authors concluded that critical shear velocities for 

resuspension were achieved less than 1.5 hours per day 

(Gartner and others, 1998) and sediment transport “only 

occurs to a limited extent” (U.S. Navy, 2007b). In addition, 

the critical shear stress measured by Seaflume tests indicates 

that currents measured by current meters were not sufficient to 

achieve critical bed shear stresses for erosion. 

In contrast, concentrations of total suspended solids 

samples collected within the water column during the velocity 

measurements indicate a considerable amount of suspended 

solids. The median total suspended solids concentrations 

in discrete water samples collected 0.5 m above the bottom 

in 1994 ranged between 27 to 45 mg/L for the three sites 

(Gartner and others, 1998). Spikes in the transmissivity 

measurements (as high as 10 NTU) were observed during 

limited measurements of optical backscatter during the 2005 

current meter deployment. 

The rate of mass settling into the sediment traps set in 

the summer of 2005 provides the strongest evidence that 

sediments were resuspended. The rate of dry settling mass 

ranged between 3.58 and 5.50 g/cm2/yr at the two sites within 

OU B Marine and ranged between 3.38 and 3.77 g/cm2/yr at 

the two sites in greater Sinclair Inlet (U.S. Navy, 2007a). In 

contrast, the range of net dry mass sedimentation within the 

sediment column ranged between 0.072 and 0.17 g/cm2/yr for 

four sites in greater Sinclair Inlet (Brandenberger and others, 

2008). Because the rate at which dry mass settled through the 

water column was higher than the rate at which sediments 

actually accumulated in the sediment column throughout 

Sinclair Inlet, solids are likely resuspended into the water 

column numerous times before being ultimately buried in the 

sediment column.

Sediment trap data from the ENVVEST study also 

confirm the observations of resuspension. Two sediment 

traps (T1 and T3) were co-located at the sites of the sediment 

core collection as part of the study. Similar to the U.S. Navy 

(2007b) observations, the rates of mass settling (5.78 and 

7.45 g/cm2/yr, respectively) were more than an order of 

magnitude greater than the range of net mass sedimentation 

in Sinclair Inlet (0.072 and 0.17 g/cm2/yr; Brandenberger and 

others, 2008). In addition, the similarity of the chemistry of 

solids settling into sediment traps to the chemistry of nearby 

sediments (figs. 50, 51, and 60) limits the possible source 

of the unknown dry mass settling through the water column 

into the traps. The source of this settling dry mass can be 

reevaluated when additional data on mercury concentrations 

from ongoing studies by the USGS and other agencies become 

available.

Temporal trends in Sinclair Inlet suggest that physical 

processes are changing the size distribution and chemistry 

of sediments more quickly than can be explained by 

sedimentation of new solids discharged to Sinclair Inlet. The 

radiometric data from sediment cores suggest that a 10-cm 

core section represents about 20 years of net sedimentation. 

Between May 1998 and October 2003, the sediment grainsize distributions in surface sediment (0–10 cm) throughout 

Sinclair Inlet became coarser by one phi unit (from medium 

silt to coarse silt). Such a dramatic change in just 5 years 

(McLaren, 2004) is inconsistent with the rate of sedimentation 

of newly deposited solids obtained from dated sediment 

cores that were collected in 2002 (Crecelius and others, 

2003). McLaren (2004) attributed this change in grain size 
Mercury in the Sediment of Sinclair Inlet 83 Figure 62. Categorization of cells in the 500-ft Operable Unit B Marine grid of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, by the occurrence of tier 1 outliers and the frequency of tier 2 outliers from the 2003, 2005, and 2007 Long-Term Monitoring Program sampling listed in table 3.

tac09-0206_Figure 62

Dry dock

Dry dock

Dry dock

Dry dock

Dry dock

Dry dock500-foot grid outline Bremerton naval complex boundary

OU AOU B MarineOU B TerrestrialOU COU DOther

EXPLANATION

Operable units 500-foot grid cell

 color code

Tier 1Tier 2

1 or more instances3 instances2 instances1 instances

OU NSC

Shoreline

500 1,000 1,500 METERS

00

1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 FEET

122°40' 122°39' 122°38'

47°33'

4

3 8

2

6

7

5 1

9

11

67

14

43

58

68

31

57

16

10

36

32

55

28 35

21

30

26

64

53

61

52

47

25

34

19

60

46

56

50

27

42

69

37

20

51

54

29

48

65

15

23

71

41

22

18

62

44

63

66

17

70

49

40

33

12

38

59

24

45 39

13

4

3 8

2

6

7

5 1

9

11

67

14

43

58

68

31

57

16

10

36

32

55

28 35

21

30

26

64

53

61

52

47

25

34

19

60

46

56

50

27

42

69

37

20

51

54

29

48

65

15

23

71

41

22

18

62

44

63

66

17

70

49

40

33

12

38

59

24

45 39

13

Sinclair 

 

 

 

 

 Inlet

Western

PSNS & IMF

Naval Base Kitsap

Bremerton

Operable Unit A

Central

PSNS & IMF

Eastern

PSNS & IMF
84 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

distribution to exposure of coarser glacial material during the 

2001 dredging. Because the change in grain-size distribution 

occurred throughout Sinclair Inlet, the coarser glacial material 

from the exposed dredged areas must have been transported 

throughout Sinclair Inlet. In a more recent investigation of 

the grain-size distribution in 2007, McLaren determined that 

the grain-size distribution is changing to the finer material 

measured in 1998. 

THg concentrations also are changing more rapidly 

than would be expected solely from deposition of newly 

discharged particles. Within the four year period of the LTMP 

(figs. 32, 34, and 36), the deviations of THg above the general 

Sinclair Inlet trend line decreased in the composite samples 

from cell 21 of the 1,500-ft grid (fig. 30). This would suggest 

that sediment from a nearby cell, which has the typical 

THg:TOC relation, is mixing with sediment from cell 21. 

In contrast, the hotspot at location D101 of the post-1995 

monitoring around the pier (shown in inset of figure 2) also 

became indistinguishable with the general relation between 

THg and TOC within 3 years of dredging (fig. 18). Because 

the recontamination of areas recently dredged (fig. 2) was a 

concern, the U.S. Navy in a special study (U.S. Navy, 2007b) 

reassessed OU B 500-ft grid cell 35 and cell 56. Sub-surface 

sediment that would be exposed after dredging had low THg 

concentrations (for example, 0.177 mg/kg in 500-ft grid cell 

56, U.S. Navy, 1999). Within 7 years, the THg concentrations 

of sediment and settling particles from 500-ft grid cell 35 

that was dredged for navigational purposes plotted along 

the greater Sinclair Inlet trend line for the relations with 

THg concentrations compared to total fines (fig. 50). This 

observation indicates that sediment that has the general 

characteristics of greater Sinclair Inlet settled within this cell. 

In contrast, the THg concentrations in sediment from the 500-

ft cell grid 56 that had been dredged for remediation purposes 

were above the general trend line for greater Sinclair Inlet, 

and the THg concentrations of solids settling into traps fell on 

the general trend line. The recontamination of 500-ft grid cell 

56 with mercury above the general trend line could not have 

occurred from the deposition of settling particles under normal 

conditions and likely was a result of redistribution of nearby 

sediments that had not been dredged and contained historical 

THg buried in the sediment.

The strong relation among THg concentrations, TOC 

and total fines in Sinclair Inlet outside of the BNC suggests 

that the physical mixing processes of fine-grained, organicrich particles generally are controlling THg concentrations 

in sediment. Throughout greater Sinclair Inlet, coarse solids 

with low THg concentrations are mixing with finer solids with 

higher TOC and THg concentrations. The rapid changes in 

sediment grain-size and sediment chemistry and the large rate 

of mass settling through the water column into sediment traps 

are consistent with extensive long-term mixing of sediments 

within Sinclair Inlet. 

However, current speeds measured in near-bottom 

waters do not support extensive erosion of Sinclair Inlet 

sediments. The discrepancy may be a matter of temporal and 

geographical scale. Perhaps the daily 1.5-hour resuspension 

events that increased total suspended solids near the bottom 

and caused spikes in turbidity are sufficient to cause the higher 

rates of mass settling into sediment traps and mix sediments 

geographically throughout Sinclair Inlet in 10-cm sediment 

samples that represent 20 years of deposition. Bottom 

sediment scour by conventional propellers and cycloidal 

thrusters used by the BNC can explain sediment transport 

within the BNC and from the BNC to greater Sinclair Inlet, 

as could dry dock docking and undocking operations, ship 

movements, ferry docking/undocking, and other harbor 

operations that are localized short term events. These episodic 

events may not be evident in the current meter records of 

limited temporal and spatial extent, but could be an important 

contributing factor for resuspension. This discrepancy among 

the observations must be resolved before the processes 

controlling mercury in Sinclair Inlet sediment can be fully 

understood. 

Mercury in Marine Waters of 

Sinclair Inlet

The detection limit of the analytical technique used for 

the remedial investigations (cold vapor atomic absorption 

spectrometry) during the 1990s was 200 ng/L. No marine 

water sampled during these years contained THg levels above 

the detection limit.

In 2002, the ENVVEST program began looking at 

the presences and sources of THg in the marine waters of 

Sinclair Inlet to complement its study of THg from the 

watersheds of Sinclair and Dyes Inlets (fig. 1B). By the time 

that the ENVVEST project began, a newer, more-sensitive 

method of cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry had 

been developed and was used by ENVVEST between 2002 

and 2005 (Brandenberger and others, 2007). The quality 

assurance data from the ENVVEST project is extensive and 

well documented. In general, the quality of ENVVEST data is 

excellent even at concentrations less than 10 ng/L. 

On each of four days in 2002 (March 10, 12, and 13 and 

September 17), THg concentrations were measured in the 

near-surface waters at marine locations (figs. 1B and 1C) in 

Rich Passage (M1), Port Orchard Passage (M2), central outer 

Sinclair Inlet (M3), and central inner Sinclair Inlet (M4). 

During two days during the wet season of 2004 (March 31 

and May 27), marine water within the nearshore area of the 

PSNS and off Port Orchard were sampled and compared to 

various locations in central Sinclair Inlet (M3, M3.1, M3.2, 

M3.4, and M4 in fig. 1C). During 2005, nine samples were 

collected from central Sinclair Inlet (M3.1, M3.3, and M4). 
Mercury in Marine Waters of Sinclair Inlet 85

For all marine samples collected in 2005 for which THg was 

measured, discrete samples were collected for ancillary data 

(total aluminum, TOC, and total suspended solids).

To establish the fluxes of THg at the boundary of the 

ENVVEST study area, a more detailed study of water entering 

and leaving Sinclair Inlet began with sampling of both nearsurface and near-bottom water from Rich Passage (M1), Port 

Orchard Passage (M2), and central outer Sinclair Inlet (M3.3) 

on June 21, 2004. (figs. 1B and 2) The boundary-condition 

study continued during September 2005 with sampling of 

near-surface water from M1, M2 and M3.3 and additional 

locations (figs. 1B and 1C) in Port Orchard Passage (M9 and 

M10), at the entrance to Liberty Bay (M10.1), and in Port 

Madison (M11). Near-bottom water samples were collected 

at several sites. Only data from Dyes Inlet from September 

2005 (M5-M8) are presented here because the availability of 

ancillary data allows for comparisons to Sinclair Inlet. 

The THg concentrations in the water column of central 

Sinclair Inlet generally range between 0.7 and 1.3 ng/L 

(table 6 and fig. 63). For most sampling locations, the shortterm temporal variability was as large as the long-term 

temporal variability. For instance, the temporal variability at 

sampling locations M1–M4 during three days in March 2002 

was almost as large as the temporal variability during the 

4-year study. For sampling locations in central Sinclair Inlet 

(M3-M4), the highest THg water column concentrations 

at each location were observed during the storm events 

of May-June 2004 and the highest THg concentrations 

(~1.6 ng/L) in central Sinclair Inlet were observed at locations 

M3.2 and M3.4 following the May 26–27, 2004 storm event 

that coincided with higher tides. THg concentrations in 

Sinclair Inlet are higher than the THg concentrations at 5 m in 

the water column throughout the main basin of Puget Sound 

(0.3 to 0.34 ng/L for Admiralty Inlet, Colvos Passage, and 

Jefferson Head in table 6) in 1999 and 2000 (King County 

Department of Natural Resources and Parks,2001). However, 

THg concentrations in the marine plume of the outfall of the 

West Point Sewage Treatment Facility (table 6) that is located 

across Puget Sound from Bainbridge Island were much higher 

(49.8 ng/L) and highly variable. 

Following the May 26–27, 2004 storm event (3.4 cm 

of rain in Bremerton) that coincided with higher tides, 

near-surface water was collected at five PSNS nearshore 

locations and one location off Port Orchard. Although THg 

concentrations at four of the five nearshore locations were less 

than 2.2 ng/L, a concentration of 10.71 ng/L was observed at 

PSNS location P2 in the 500-ft grid cell 39 (fig. 31) off NBK 

Bremerton. 

Variations in THg concentrations in unfiltered marine 

waters are a function of independent variations associated 

with mercury on particles and in the dissolved phase. 

Particulate mercury varies primarily because of variations 

in the amount of solids suspended in the water column 

(total suspended solids (TSS) concentration), but it also 

can vary due to variable mercury content of the suspended 

solids. Because dissolved aluminum concentrations in 

marine waters are low, total aluminum concentrations reflect 

aluminum associated with particles (that is, the amount of 

aluminosilicate clays suspended in the water column). Thus, 

total aluminum concentrations can be used as a surrogate for 

suspended solids. Plots of THg concentrations compared to 

total aluminum concentrations (fig. 64) show that the high 

THg concentrations at locations M3.2 and M3.4 during 

May 2004 were not coincident with the highest total aluminum 

concentrations. This observation indicates that moderate 

suspended solids concentrations, as reflected by moderate 

total aluminum concentrations, were not entirely responsible 

for the high THg concentration at locations M3.2 and M3.4. 

Likewise, when all data from late May 2004 are plotted, the 

high THg concentration at location P2 is abnormally high for 

the slight elevation of total aluminum concentrations relative 

to location P1. The concentrations of copper, lead, zinc, and 

fecal coliform also were high at location P2 (http://www.

ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/tmdl/sinclair%2Ddyes%5Finlets/

sinclair%5Fcd/DATA/2004%5FSampling/2004_05_27_

Preliminary_Metals_Data_Plots.pdf). These observations 

indicate that the high concentration of THg at P2 was the 

result of discharge from storm drains, not mineral particles or 

resuspended sediment. 

Seventeen unfiltered water samples collected September 

13–14, 2005 (fig. 65) were examined to infer the effects of 

physical processes on THg concentrations (Brandenberger 

and others, 2006a). If freshwater was simply mixing with 

marine waters, the plot of THg compared to salinity would 

be represented by a straight line. The plot of THg compared 

to salinity in the complex system of Sinclair Inlet, Dyes Inlet, 

Port Orchard Passage, and Rick Passage indicates mixing 

is more complicated than the mixing of freshwater with one 

marine water mass. 

These samples were examined more closely as subsets 

collected during each of the tidal cycles on September 13 

and 14, 2005 (fig. 66). During the beginning of the flooding 

tide of September 13 when the vertical difference in salinity 

in Sinclair Inlet (M4) was 0.6 on the practical salinity scale 

(PSS) (fig. 67), the unfiltered deeper sample had higher THg 

concentration (1.36 ng/L) relative to the unfiltered two surface 

samples (0.97 ng/L) in Sinclair (M3.3 and M4). Likewise, 

the THg concentration in the deeper sample of Rich Passage 

(M2) had higher concentrations than the surface water sample; 

even the water column was well mixed. In contrast, the water 

column was well mixed in Port Orchard Passage (M1) during 

the later stages of flooding tidal cycle of September 13 and the 

higher salinity water of Port Orchard Passage had the lowest 

THg. 
86 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Location Collection 

date

Total mercury (ng/L) Total 

aluminum 

(μg/L)

TOC 

(mg/L)

TSS 

(mg/L)

Salinity (PSS)

Mean Std. dev. Discrete CTD

Port Madison/Port Orchard Passage

M1 03-10-02 0.69 – 12.45 – – – – 

M1 03-12-02 .96 – 50.9 – – – –

M1 03-13-02 .75 – 28.3 – – – –

M1 09-17-02 .83 – 25.5 – – – –

M1 06-21-04 .62 – 6.1 – – – 27.6

M1 09-13-05 .76 – 8.25 1.15 1 30.34 – 

M1D 06-21-04 .62 – 8.3 – – – 28.2

M1D 09-13-05 .73 – 10.1 1.2 2 30.35 –

M9 09-14-05 1.14 – 10.4 2 4 30.08 – 

M9D 09-14-05 1.79 – 48.7 1.2 5 30.23 –

M10 09-14-05 1.08 – 10.8 2.2 5 30.07 –

M10.1 09-14-05 1.12 – 22.2 2 5 30.07 –

M11 09-14-05 1.58 – 7.68 1.6 4 30.29 – 

M11D 09-14-05 1.82 – 35.2 0.6 3 30.54 –

Rich Passage

M2 03-10-02 1.33 – 13.2 – – – – 

M2 03-12-02 .79 – 23.5 – – – – 

M2 03-13-02 .88 – 34.2 – – – – 

M2 09-17-02 .72 – 23.1 – – – – 

M2 06-21-04 1.25 – 10.7 – – – 27.9

M2 09-13-05 1.19 – 7.48 2.1 3 30.08 – 

M2D 06-21-04 .80 – 12.6 – – – 28.4

M2D 09-13-05 1.69 – 16.4 1.3 2 30.17 –

Central Sinclair Inlet

1

M3 03-10-02 0.95 – 13.1 – – – – 

1

M3 03-12-02 .70 – 34.3 – – – – 

1

M3 03-13-02 .85 – 30.2 – – – – 

1

M3 09-17-02 .86 – 28.2 – – – – 

1

M3 05-27-04 1.13 – 22.1 – – – – 

M3.1 03-31-04 1.05 – 15.1 – – – – 

M3.1 02-09-05 1.01 – 19.65 1 0 28.76 – 

M3.1 03-02-05 .55 – 13.2 1.3 0 29.21 –

M3.1 03-19-05 .70 – 11.9 1 2 29.26 –

M3.1 03-28-05 .72 – 18.1 1.2 1 29.00 –

Table 6. Concentrations of total mercury and ancillary data from unfiltered marine water-column samples collected from Sinclair Inlet 

and other Puget Sound locations in Washington. 

[Data sources: M stations (figures 1B and 1C ); description for Sinclair Inlet nearshore samples are described relative to landmarks in figs. 1B and 2; 

Brandenberger and others, 2006a; 2007 (values in italics indicated replicate samples); Main Basin (figure 1), King County, 2001. Location: “D” after M 

locations indicates a near bottom sample. Abbreviations: Std. dev., standard deviaiton; ng/L, nanogram per liter; μg/L, microgram per liter; TOC, total organic 

carbon; mg/L, milligrams per liter; TSS, total suspended solids; PSS, Practical Salinity Scale; CTD, Conductivity-Temperature-Depth sensor; POTW, publically 

owned treatment works; –, no data] 
Mercury in Marine Waters of Sinclair Inlet 87

Location Collection 

date

Total mercury (ng/L) Total 

aluminum 

(μg/L)

TOC 

(mg/L)

TSS 

(mg/L)

Salinity (PSS)

Mean Std. dev. Discrete CTD

2

M3.2 05-27-04 1.68 – 24.4 – – – –

M3.3 06-21-04 .95 – 17.0 – – – 28.35

M3.3 06-20-05 .85 – 22.4 2.8 5 28.94 –

M3.3 09-13-05 .97 – 8.44 1.7 3 29.59 –

M3.3D 06-21-04 .76 – 7.5 – – – 28.4

3

M3.4 05-27-04 1.59 – 31.0 – – – – 

Central Sinclair Inlet—Continued

M4 03-10-02 0.82 – 10.7 – – – – 

M4 03-12-02 .94 – 33.0 – – – – 

M4 03-13-02 1.06 – 33.6 – – – – 

M4 09-17-02 1.05 – 37.5 – – – – 

M4 05-27-04 1.19 – 34.0 – – – – 

M4 02-09-05 .94 – 1U 1.1 0 28.06 – 

M4 03-02-05 .86 – 16.6 1.1 0 28.33 – 

M4 03-19-05 .97 – 18.1 1.1 0 29.22 – 

M4 03-28-05 .83 – 19.4 1.2 2 28.96 – 

M4 9-13-2005 .97 – 12.8 1.5 4 29.30 – 

M4D 9-13-2005 1.36 – 6.73 2.3 3 29.86 – 

Dyes Inlet

M5 09-14-05 1.76 – 25.3 1.5 4 30.05 –

M6 09-13-05 1.28 – 13.6 1.7 – 29.93 –

M7 09-14-05 1.89 – 19.2 1.5 3 30.04 –

M8 09-14-05 2.27 – 35.1 2.7 5 29.76 –

Nearshore Sinclair Inlet

P1 05-27-04 2.02 – 91.1 – – – –

P2 05-27-04 10.71 – 116.0 – – – –

P3 03-31-04 1.79 – 7.8 – – – –

P4 05-27-04 2.10 – 12.4 – – – –

P5 05-27-04 1.03 – 13.9 – – – –

SN03 05-27-04 2.16 – 64.0 – – – –

Main Basin-Admiralty Inlet

ADMIRALC14-5m June 1999 to 0.34 0.13 – – – – –

ADMIRALC14-110m June 2000 .36 0.12 – – – – –

Table 6. Concentrations of total mercury and ancillary data from unfiltered marine water-column samples collected from Sinclair Inlet 

and other Puget Sound locations.—Continued

[Data sources: M stations (figures 1B and 1C ); description for Sinclair Inlet nearshore samples are described relative to landmarks in figs. 1B and 2; 

Brandenberger and others, 2006a; 2007 (values in italics indicated replicate samples); Main Basin (figure 1), King County, 2001. Location: “D” after M 

locations indicates a near bottom sample. Abbreviations: Std. dev., standard deviaiton; ng/L, nanogram per liter; μg/L, microgram per liter; TOC, total 

organic carbon; mg/L, milligrams per liter; TSS, total suspended solids; PSS, Practical Salinity Scale; CTD, Conductivity-Temperature-Depth sensor; POTW, 

publically owned treatment works; –, no data] 
88 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

1

 Location M3 is near location M3.1 on figure 2.

2

 Location M3.2 is located mid-channel between M3.1 and M3.3 in figure 2.

3

 Location M3.4 is located mid-channel between M3.3 and M4 in figure 2.

Location Collection 

date

Total mercury (ng/L) Total 

aluminum 

(μg/L)

TOC 

(mg/L) TSS (mg/L)

Salinity (PSS)

Mean Std. dev. Discrete CTD

Main Basin-Colvos Passage

COLVOSPASS-5m June 1999 to 0.33 0.12 – – – – –

COLVOSPASS-85m June 2000 .39 0.13 – – – – –

Main Basin-Jefferson Head

KSBP01-5m June 1999 to 0.34 0.09 – – – – –

KSBP01-210m June 2000 .46 0.15 – – – – –

Main Basin-West Point POTW Outfall

KSSK02-5m June 1999 to 49.8 124.5 – – – – –

KSSK02-55m June 2000 21.3 32.9 – – – – –

Table 6. Concentrations of total mercury and ancillary data from unfiltered marine water-column samples collected from Sinclair Inlet 

and other Puget Sound locations.—Continued

[Data sources: M stations (figures 1B and 1C ); description for Sinclair Inlet nearshore samples are described relative to landmarks in figs. 1B and 2; 

Brandenberger and others, 2006a; 2007 (values in italics indicated replicate samples); Main Basin (figure 1), King County, 2001. Location: “D” after M 

locations indicates a near bottom sample. Abbreviations: Std. dev., standard deviaiton; ng/L, nanogram per liter; μg/L, microgram per liter; TOC, total 

organic carbon; mg/L, milligrams per liter; TSS, total suspended solids; PSS, Practical Salinity Scale; CTD, Conductivity-Temperature-Depth sensor; POTW, 

publically owned treatment works; –, no data] 
Mercury in Marine Waters of Sinclair Inlet 89

watac09-0206_fig 63

0.5

0

1.0

1.5

2.0

10 11 12 13

MARCH 2002

2003 2004 2005

SITES

TOTAL MERCURY, IN NANOGRAMS PER LITER

M1

M2

M3

M3.1

M3.2

M3.3

M3.4

M4

Figure 63. Total mercury concentrations in unfiltered near-surface waters of Sinclair Inlet, 

Port Orchard Passage, and Rich Passage (Washington) between 2002 and 2005 (table 6). 

Note the dashed line indicates the May 27, 2004 sampling after a storm event.
90 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_fig 64

0 40 80 120

TOTAL ALUMINUM, IN MICROGRAMS PER LITER

LOCATION

M3

M3.2

M3.4

P1-P5

SN03

P1

P2

0

4

8

12TOTAL MERCURY, IN NANOGRAMS PER LITER

Figure 64. Total mercury compared to total aluminum concentrations in unfiltered 

marine water at nearshore stations within the Bremerton naval complex of Washington (P 

stations), a nearshore station off Port Orchard (SN03) and stations in central Sinclair Inlet

(M stations) in the wet season of 2004 (table 6). 
Mercury in Marine Waters of Sinclair Inlet 91

watac09-0206_fig 65

29.0 29.5 30.0 30.5 31.0

0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

SALINITY, ON PRACTICAL SALINITY SCALE

TOTAL MERCURY, IN NANOGRAMS PER LITER

Sinclair Inlet (M3.3 and M4 Deep) - Sept.13

Rich Passage (M2 Deep) - Sept.13

Port Orchard Passage (M1 Deep) - Sept.13

Port Orchard Passage (M1 Deep) - Sept.13

Port Orchard Passage (M9 Deep) - Sept.14

Port Orchard Passage (M9, M10, M10.4 Deep) - Sept.14

Dyes Inlet (M6 Deep) - Sept.13

Dyes Inlet (M5,M7, and M8 Deep) - Sept.14

Figure 65. Total mercury concentrations compared to salinity for unfiltered marine water 

column samples collected in Puget Sound, Washington, September 13–14, 2005 (table 6)
92 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_fig 66 ELEVATION ABOVE MEAN LOWER LOW WATER, IN METERS

9:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

September 13

September 14

Port Orchard Passage- M1

Rich Passage- M2

Sinclair Inlet- M3.3

Sinclair Inlet- M4

Port Orchard Passage-

 M9, M10, M10.1

Port Madison- M11

Dyes Inlet- M5, M7 & M8

Dyes Inlet- M6

watac09-0206_fig 67

29.0 30.0 31.0

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

29.0 30.0 31.0

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

SALINITY, ON THE PRACTICAL

SALINITY SCALE

TOTAL MERCURY, NANOGRAMS PER LITER

September 13

September 14

Rich Passage-M2

Port Orchard Passage- M1

Dyes Inlet- M6

Sinclair Inlet- M3.3

Sinclair Inlet- M4

Port Madison-M11

Port Orchard Passage-

 M9, M10 &10.1

Dyes Inlet- M5, M7 & M8

Figure 66. Water elevation 

in Puget Sound, Washington, 

compared to time and time of 

sampling at locations during 

the flooding tidal cycles of 

September 13 and 14, 2005. 

Figure 67. Total mercury 

concentrations in waters of Puget 

Sound, Washington, compared to 

salinity for each of the subsets of 

unfiltered marine samples collected 

during the flooding tidal cycles of 

September 13 and 14, 2005 (table 6). 

Filled symbols represent samples 

collected near the surface while 

open symbols represent samples 

collected near the bottom sediment. 
Mercury in Marine Waters of Sinclair Inlet 93

Examination of TOC and total aluminum helps to explain 

the complex relation of THg during the flooding stage of 

September 13. During the flooding tidal cycle of September 

13, THg concentrations were correlated (R2 = 0.90, p = 0.005) 

to the TOC concentrations in the water column (fig. 68), with 

the exception of the higher THg concentration in the deeper 

water sample Rich Passage. The deeper water column sample 

in Rich Passage contained the highest concentrations of 

both THg and total aluminum (table 6 and fig. 69), probably 

indicating the resuspension of bottom sediments in this high 

energy channel. Thus, the complex relation of THg during the 

flooding tidal cycle of September 13 seems to be controlled 

by a complex mixing of multiple water masses with differing 

TOC concentrations and possibly affected by resuspension 

of sediments that increase THg and total aluminum 

concentrations in unfiltered water.

During initial stages of the flooding tidal cycle on 

September 14 (fig. 66), THg concentrations in Port Orchard 

Passage (M9, M10 and M10.1) and Port Madison (M11) 

increased (R2 = 0.86, p = 0.03) with increasing salinity 

(fig. 67). While the THg concentration of central Dyes Inlet 

(M5 and M7) collected at the later stages of the flooding 

tide (high slack water) plot on the relation above, the THg 

concentration in Ostrich Bay in Dyes Inlet (M8, table 6) was 

offset from this trend. In contrast to the samples collected 

on September 13, the THg concentrations collected in 

Port Orchard Passage and Port Madison on September 

14 decreased (R2 = 0.97, p = 0.001) with increasing TOC 

concentrations (fig. 68). Similar to the relation of salinity, THg 

concentration of central Dyes Inlet (M5 and M7) plot on the 

TOC relation above while the THg concentration in Ostrich 

Bay in Dyes Inlet (M8, table 6) was offset from this trend. 

Unlike sampling on September 13, the sample with the highest 

THg (M8) was not the sample with the highest total aluminum 

concentration (deeper sample at M9 in Port Orchard Passage).

The varying THg on September 13 and 14, 2005 

illustrates the need to understand the environmental context 

of the marine system from which samples are collected. 

Measures of the suspended solids concentrations, of tracers 

that differentiate water masses, and of organic carbon that 

facilitate the physical transport of mercury are necessary to 

understand mercury cycling in this complex system. Even 

with a full suite of ancillary data, the limitation of describing 

the mercury system from analysis of THg from 17 unfiltered 

samples collected over two days is evident. 

Figure 68. Concentrations of total 

mercury compared to total organic 

carbon concentrations for each of 

the unfiltered subsets of samples 

collected during the flooding tidal 

cycles of September 13 and 14, 

2005 in Puget Sound, Washington

(table 6). Filled symbols represent 

samples collected near the surface 

while open symbols represent 

samples collected near the bottom 

sediment.

watac09-0206_fig 68

0 1 2 3

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

0 1 2 3

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON,

IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER

TOTAL MERCURY, IN NANOGRAMS PER LITER

September 13

September 14

Rich Passage-M2

Port Orchard Passage- M1

Dyes Inlet- M6

Sinclair Inlet- M3.3

Sinclair Inlet- M4

Port Madison-M11

Port Orchard Passage-

 M9, M10 &10.1

Dyes Inlet- M5, M7 & M8
94 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Summary of Mercury in Marine Waters of 

Sinclair Inlet

Total mercury (THg) concentrations in the marine water 

from central Sinclair Inlet generally ranged between 0.7 

and 1.3 ng/L (fig. 63), except during the 2004 storm event 

sampling when THg concentrations were about 1.6 ng/L. 

These concentrations were higher than those measured in 

central Puget Sound (~0.3 ng/L). Water from one nearshore 

station near the OU B Marine 500-ft grid cell 39 had a THg 

concentration of 10.7 ng/L during a time of higher tides and 

storm events. Mixing of Sinclair Inlet water with adjacent 

water bodies was examined during two flooding tidal cycles 

during September 13 and 14. Ancillary data indicate that 

multiple water masses were observed during the study and 

the THg concentrations may have been affected by sediment 

resuspension. The spatial and temporal resolution of the 

sampling was not sufficient to develop a clear and precise 

understanding of the mixing of particulate and dissolved 

mercury into and out of Sinclair Inlet.

Mercury in Biota of Sinclair Inlet

Several past studies in Puget Sound have analyzed 

mercury in biological sampling, including the U.S. Navy as 

part of the RI/FS process (U.S. Navy, 2002, 2006a, 2008a) 

and the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife 

(WDFW) in cooperation with PSAMP (West and others, 

2001; Brandenberger and others, 2006b, 2008). Recently, the 

ENVVEST project coordinated some aspects of the additional 

biological sampling among the interested agencies. The 

primary purpose of these studies was to evaluate risk to human 

health from the consumption of fish and invertebrate, with a 

secondary purpose of to compare bioaccumulation of toxic 

contaminants across Puget Sound regions.

Past analyses of mercury in biota in Puget Sound and 

Sinclair Inlet generally were performed on composite samples, 

including the PSAMP study that collected a number of species 

throughout Puget Sound between 1989 and 1999 (West and 

others, 2001). Analyses of composite samples were adequate 

for assessing human health risk and reduced the project costs 

relative to analyses of individual specimens. However, when 

attempting to compare bioaccumulation of toxic contaminants 

in fish across geographical regions, analyses of individual 

specimens provide a more accurate representation of the 

chemical conditions of fish at a specific location because 

differences in specimen sizes or between populations can 

be considered. In 2003, 2005, and 2007, PSAMP provided 

individual specimens of several fish and invertebrates species 

that were analyzed for THg by ENVVEST (Brandenberger and 

others, 2006b, 2008; Johnston and others, 2007). The WDFW 

also analyzed a number of individual specimens of English 

sole collected from Sinclair Inlet in 1996.

watac09-0206_fig 69

0 10 20 30 40 50

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

0 10 20 30 40 50

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

TOTAL ALUMINUM, IN

MICROGRAMS PER LITER

TOTAL MERCURY, IN NANOGRAMS PER LITER

Port Madison-M11

Port Orchard Passage-

 M9, M10 &10.1

Dyes Inlet- M5, M7 & M8

September 13

September 14

Rich Passage-M2

Port Orchard Passage- M1

Dyes Inlet- M6

Sinclair Inlet- M3.3

Sinclair Inlet- M4

Figure 69. Total mercury 

concentrations in water from 

Puget Sound, Washington, 

compared to total aluminum 

concentrations for each of the 

subsets of unfiltered samples 

collected during the flooding 

tidal cycles of September 13 and 

14, 2005 (table 6). Filled symbols 

represent samples collected near 

the surface while open symbols 

represent samples collected near 

the bottom sediment.
Mercury in Biota of Sinclair Inlet 95

The concentration of mercury in fish naturally increases 

as the age of the fish increases due to relatively low rates 

of physiological loss from tissues (West and O’Neill, 

1998). It therefore is important to know the corresponding 

weight, length, and age data for each specimen used in 

a composite or as an individual sample to accurately 

determine the significance of THg concentration data. If the 

THg concentration in a fish species is significantly higher 

for a given region, then the weight, length, and age of the 

specimen can be used to determine how the observed mercury 

concentration is related to physiological parameters associated 

with that specimen or to environmental contamination. 

The analysis of individual whole-body staghorn sculpin 

specimens collected by PSAMP in 2005 (Brandenberger 

Off Vendovi Island

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Sinclair Inlet

0

0.1

0.2

TOTAL MERCURY, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, WET WEIGHT

FISH LENGTH, IN CENTIMETERS

Figure 70. Total mercury concentration of whole- body staghorn sculpin compared to fish 

length for individual specimens collected in 2005 from Sinclair Inlet, Washington, and near 

Vendovi Island (table F1).

and others, 2006b) provides an example of the importance 

of considering physiological parameters. The mean THg 

concentration of individual specimens from Sinclair Inlet 

was higher than the mean THg concentration of individual 

specimens collected near Vendovi Island (fig. 1A). The higher 

mean THg concentration for Sinclair Inlet specimens may 

have been due to the fact that the mean length of staghorn 

sculpin from Sinclair Inlet (table F1) was greater than the 

mean length of specimens from Vendovi Island (fig. 70). There 

was no significant difference in THg concentration between 

the two locations when the samples were about 25 cm in 

length. All concentrations in this section are on wet weight 

basis, except for the 2005 caged mussel experiment for which 

concentrations are on a dry weight basis.
96 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Composite Samples

English Sole

The U.S. Navy studied toxic contamination in 

fish from Sinclair Inlet in 1994 (U.S. Navy, 2002) in 

which composite muscle samples of English sole (five 

individuals per composite) were prepared from five 

stations (fig. 71). English sole composites had a mean THg 

concentration of 0.036 mg/kg that ranged from 0.02 to 0.05 

mg/kg (wet weight) (table 7). In 2003, biota was sampled by 

PSAMP in May and analyzed by ENVVEST (Johnston and 

others, 2007) and sampled by the U.S. Navy in September 

(U.S. Navy, 2006a). Composites of muscle tissue from 20 

English sole from Sinclair Inlet were collected and analyzed 

during both studies. THg concentrations in English sole 

muscle composites from the PSAMP study sampled in 

May ranged between 0.038 and 0.058 mg/kg for composites 

in which individual specimens averaged 33 cm long and 

5.9 years old. THg concentrations of muscle composites of 

English sole collected by the U.S. Navy in September 2003 

ranged from 0.027 to 0.041 mg/kg in which individual 

specimens had a mean length of 31 cm and a mean age of 

5.1 years. In 2007, the U.S. Navy (2008a) analyzed another 

set of 10 muscle composites of English sole (20 individuals 

per composite with mean lengths from 27 to 32 cm) that 

had THg concentrations ranging between 0.019 and 

0.035 mg/kg. Overall, the THg concentration of muscle from 

the three recent data sets (2003–07) ranged between 0.01 and 

0.06 mg/kg and had similar ranges of fish lengths; the 2007 

data set had the lowest mean THg concentrations. 

Figure 71. Mean total mercury concentrations in muscle tissue composites of English 

sole collected in Sinclair Inlet, Washington, by the U.S. Navy and the Puget Sound Ambient 

Monitoring Program between 1994 and 2007. The horizontal error bars represent the range 

of lengths of individual specimens represented by each composite (table 7).

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

U.S. Navy / May, 2007

U.S. Navy / Sept, 2003

PSAMP / May, 2003

U.S. Navy / July, 1994

PROGRAM / MONTH, YEAR

0

0.04

0.08

0.02

0.06

TOTAL MERCURY, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, WET WEIGHT

FISH LENGTH, IN CENTIMETERS
Mercury in Biota of Sinclair Inlet 97

Sample 

identifier

Total 

mercury 

(mg/kg, 

wet weight)

 Length (cm)

Mean Standard 

deviation

RI/FS U.S. Navy, July 1994

21922 0.03J 33.5 5.7

21923 .03J 29.7 2.9

21924 .03J 33.5 6.9

21925 .03J 28.5 6.6

21926 .04J 27.3 4.2

21931 .04J 33.6 2.8

21932 .03J 30.8 8.1

21933 .03J 32.0 3.5

21934 .03J 30.5 5.6

21935 .04J 37.6 3.0

21936 .03J 32.3 5.8

21937 .05J 34.8 4.0

21938 .04J 33.8 6.5

21939 .03J 33.4 7.4

21940 .04J 28.4 2.4

21943 .04J 31.1 5.8

21944 .03J 32.8 4.9

21945 .04J 33.3 2.6

21947 .03J 32.6 2.6

21948 .05J 32.6 7.5

PSAMP, May 2003

63125 0.038 33.0 1

23 to 48

63126 .058 32.0 1

22 to 44

Table 7. Total mercury concentrations in muscle tissue composites of English sole collected from Sinclair Inlet, Washington. 

[Data sources: 1994 RI/FS, U.S. Navy, 2006; 2003 U.S. Navy and PSAMP data, U.S. Navy 2006a; 2007 U.S. Navy data, U.S. Navy, 2008a. Abbreviations: 

mg/kg, milligram per kilogram; cm, centimeter; RI/FS, Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study; PSAMP, Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program; J, data 

qualified by quality assurance assessment]

1

 Only ranges available.

Sample 

identifier

Total 

mercury 

(mg/kg, 

wet weight)

 Length (cm)

Mean Standard 

deviation

PSAMP, May 2003—Continued

63127 0.050 32.0 1

22 to 40

63128 .048 32.0 1

24 to 44

63129 .056 32.0 1

23 to 45

63130 .049 34.0 1

26 to 45

U.S. Navy, September 2003

63101 0.043 30.1 5.0

63102 .033 30.7 3.4

63103 .036 29.5 4.1

63108 .027 32.4 5.6

63109 .041 30.7 4.9

U.S. Navy, May 2007

232641 0.026 30.4 5.4

232642 .035 32.3 6.2

232643 .022 31.1 4.0

232644 .025 32.2 6.0

232645 .024 28.5 2.7

232646 .022 30.4 2.9

232647 .028 30.6 4.8

232648 .025 37.6 4.1

232649 .028 31.2 6.7

232651 .019 31.0 3.5

From 1989–99 the WDFW collected and analyzed fish 

samples from several locations in Puget Sound (West and 

others, 2001). The main purpose of the study was to collect 

data regarding the bioaccumulation of toxic contaminants in 

biota (fish) in different Puget Sound regions. Ten fish species 

were collected and muscle tissue composites were analyzed 

for THg. At each location in Puget Sound, muscle fillets 

and livers from individual English sole were combined in 

composites (tables 8 and 9). The mean THg concentrations 

of English sole muscle in Puget Sound locations ranged from 

0.02–0.11 mg/kg. The mean THg concentration of English 

sole muscle in Sinclair Inlet (0.08 mg/kg) was in the top 20th 

percentile of Puget Sound locations. Locations with higher 

mean THg concentrations in muscle fillets included Eagle 

Harbor and Harbor Island (fig. 1A). Data from other Sinclair 

Inlet studies are included in table 7 for comparison, but are 

not included in the rankings. Mean THg concentrations of 

English sole liver in Puget Sound locations ranged from 

0.03–0.18 mg/kg and Sinclair Inlet ranked 25th highest of 

33 locations in Puget Sound with a value of 0.12 mg/kg. 

To compare composite THg concentrations in English 

sole muscle analyzed by PSAMP, the U.S. Navy, and WDFW 

at various locations in Puget Sound, each location was 

grouped into specific Puget Sound Action Areas. The sample 

location in each Puget Sound Action Area with the highest 

mean THg concentration tended to be located near the most 

urban/industrial area (table 8). This trend also was observed 

for English sole liver (table 9). 
98 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Puget Sound

Action Area Location No. of analyses

Total mercury (mg/kg, wet weight)

Standard

deviation References

Mean Minimum Maximum

C Boulder Rock 3 0.04 0.04 0.05 0.00 WDFW 1989–1999

C Iona Study Area 3 .04 .04 .05 .01 WDFW 1989–1999

SOJDF Discovery Bay 3 .09 .06 .13 .04 WDFW 1989–1999

SOJDF Strait of Juan de Fuca 6 .05 .04 .06 .01 WDFW 1989–1999

SJ/W Outer Birch 3 .05 .03 .06 .02 WDFW 1989–1999

SJ/W Strait of Georgia 26 .05 .03 .09 .02 WDFW 1989–1999

SJ/W Birch Point 6 .03 .02 .05 .01 WDFW 1989–1999

SJ/W Orcas Island 3 .03 .02 .03 .01 WDFW 1989–1999

SJ/W Outer Bellingham Bay 9 .03 .02 .04 .01 WDFW 1989–1999

SJ/W Point Roberts 3 .02 .02 .02 .00 WDFW 1989–1999

SJ/W Roberts Bank 3 .02 .02 .02 .00 WDFW 1989–1999

HC Port Ludlow 3 .07 .06 .08 .01 WDFW 1989–1999

HC North Hood Canal 27 .06 .04 .09 .01 WDFW 1989–1999

HC Port Townsend 12 .05 .03 .08 .01 WDFW 1989–1999

HC Mid Hood Canal 6 .04 .03 .05 .01 WDFW 1989–1999

HC South Hood Canal 6 .03 .02 .04 .01 WDFW 1989–1999

W Port Susan 3 .07 .06 .07 .01 WDFW 1989–1999

W Saratoga Passage 6 .07 .04 .10 .02 WDFW 1989–1999

W Possession Point 6 .06 .04 .07 .01 WDFW 1989–1999

W Port Gardner 25 .05 .02 .09 .01 WDFW 1989–1999

W Vendovi Island 35 .04 .02 .08 .01 WDFW 1989–1999

W Mukilteo-Everett 2 .04 .03 .05 .01 WDFW 1989–1999

W McAurthur Bank 3 .04 .04 .05 .01 WDFW 1989–1999

W Holmes Habor 5 .02 .01 .03 .01 U.S. Navy 1994

NCPS Eagle Harbor 9 .11 .08 .14 .02 WDFW 1989–1999

NCPS Sinclair Inlet 49 .08 .03 .14 .02 WDFW 1989–1999

NCPS Outer Sinclair Inlet 3 .07 .05 .09 .02 WDFW 1989–1999

NCPS Port Orchard 9 .07 .05 .07 .01 WDFW 1989–1999

NCPS Sinclair Inlet 1 .0576 .0504 .0682 .0094 PSAMP 2003

NCPS Sinclair Inlet 6 .050 .038 .058 .007 PSAMP 2003

NCPS Liberty Bay 6 .05 .04 .06 .01 WDFW 1989–1999

NCPS Dyes Inlet 6 .05 .03 .06 .01 WDFW 1989–1999

NCPS Port Madison 3 .05 .04 .06 .01 WDFW 1989–1999

NCPS Sinclair Inlet 25 .036 .010 .050 .010 U.S. Navy1994

NCPS Sinclair Inlet 5 .036 .027 .043 .006 U.S. Navy 2003

NCPS Sinclair Inlet 8 .025 .019 .035 .004 U.S. Navy 2007

SCPS Harbor Island 3 .10 .09 .10 .01 WDFW 1989–1999

SCPS Blake Island 3 .09 .07 .12 .03 WDFW 1989–1999

SCPS Dash Point 6 .08 .07 .09 .01 WDFW 1989–1999

SCPS Seattle Waterfront 54 .08 .04 .13 .03 WDFW 1989–1999

SCPS Outer Commencement Bay 6 .08 .05 .09 .02 WDFW 1989–1999

Table 8. Mean total mercury concentration in composites of English sole muscle collected throughout Puget Sound, Washington, 

between 1989 and 1999.

[Values in milligrams per kilogram. Data sources: West and others, 2001; U.S. Navy, 2000, 2006a, and 2008a. Puget Sound Action Areas (fig. 1A): C, Canada; 

SOJDF, Strait of Juan de Fuca; SJ/W, San Juan/Whatcom; HC, Hood Canal; W, Whidbey; NCPS, North Central Puget Sound; SCPS, South Central Puget 

Sound; SPS, South Puget Sound. Abbreviations: mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; No., number; WDFW, Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife; 

PSAMP, Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program; Sinclair Inlet WDFW data in bold for emphasis]
Mercury in Biota of Sinclair Inlet 99

Table 8. Mean total mercury concentration in composites of English sole muscle collected throughout Puget Sound, Washington, 

between 1989 and 1999.—Continued

[Values in milligrams per kilogram. Data sources: West and others, 2001; U.S. Navy, 2000, 2006a, and 2008a. Puget Sound Action Areas (fig. 1A): C, Canada; 

SOJDF, Strait of Juan de Fuca; SJ/W, San Juan/Whatcom; HC, Hood Canal; W, Whidbey; NCPS, North Central Puget Sound; SCPS, South Central Puget 

Sound; SPS, South Puget Sound. Abbreviations: mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; No., number; WDFW, Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife; 

PSAMP, Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program; Sinclair Inlet WDFW data in bold for emphasis]

Puget Sound

Action Area Location No. of analyses

Total mercury (mg/kg, wet weight)

Standard

deviation References

Mean Minimum Maximum

SCPS Myrtle Edwards 3 .08 .06 .09 .02 WDFW 1989–1999

SCPS Alki 3 .07 .07 .07 .00 WDFW 1989–1999

SCPS Thea Foss Waterway 49 .07 .03 .12 .02 WDFW 1989–1999

SCPS Fern Cove 3 .07 .07 .08 .01 WDFW 1989–1999

SCPS Apple Cove Point 6 .06 .04 .08 .02 WDFW 1989–1999

SCPS Duwamish River 9 0.06 0.04 0.08 0.01 WDFW 1989–1999

SCPS Shilshole 6 .06 .03 .08 .02 WDFW 1989–1999

SPS Nisqually Reach 15 .07 .04 .09 .02 WDFW 1989–1999

SPS Carr Inlet 6 .05 .04 .07 .01 WDFW 1989–1999

SPS Wollochet 6 .05 .05 .06 .01 WDFW 1989–1999

SPS South Case Inlet 6 .04 .03 .05 .01 WDFW 1989–1999

SPS Dana Passage 9 .04 .03 .04 .01 WDFW 1989–1999

SPS North Case Inlet 3 .04 .04 .04 .00 WDFW 1989–1999

SPS Pickering Passage 6 .03 .02 .05 .01 WDFW 1989–1999
100 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Table 9. Mean total mercury concentration in composites of English sole liver collected 

throughout Puget Sound, Washington, between 1989 and 1999.

[Data sources: West and others, 2001. Puget Sound Action Areas (fig. 1): C, Canada; SOJDF, Strait of Juan de 

Fuca; SJ/W, San Juan/Whatcom; HC, Hood Canal; W, Whidbey; NCPS, North Central Puget Sound; SCPS, South 

Central Puget Sound; SPS, South Puget Sound; W, Whidbey. Abbreviation: mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; No., 

number. Sinclair Inlet data in bold for emphasis] 

Puget Sound

Action Area Location

Total mercury (mg/kg, wet weight)

Standard

No. of deviation

analyses Mean Minimum Maximum

C Iona Study Area 3 0.07 0.07 0.08 0.01

C Boulder Rock 1 .05

SOJDF Strait of Juan de Fuca 5 .09 .07 .10 .01

SJ/W Strait of Georgia 12 .07 .05 .12 .02

SJ/W Birch Point 2 .06 .04 .09 .04

SJ/W Roberts Bank 2 .05 .04 .05 .01

SJ/W Outer Bellingham Bay 4 .05 .04 .06 .01

SJ/W Point Roberts 3 .03 .03 .05 .01

HC Port Ludlow 3 .12 .11 .14 .02

HC North Hood Canal 15 .12 .07 .17 .03

HC Port Townsend 6 .06 .04 .09 .02

W Port Susan 1 .15

W Saratoga Passage 1 .13

W Mukilteo-Everett 2 .11 .07 .14 .05

W Port Gardner 11 .09 .06 .13 .02

W Possession Point 3 .08 .08 .09 .01

W Vendovi Island 5 .05 .04 .07 .01

NCPS Eagle Harbor 3 .14 .12 .15 .02

NCPS Sinclair Inlet 14 .12 .08 .17 .03

NCPS Port Orchard 3 .11 .09 .12 .02

NCPS Dyes Inlet 3 .07 .06 .08 .01

NCPS Port Madison 3 .07 .07 .08 .01

NCPS Liberty Bay 3 .06 .05 .08 .02

SCPS Seattle Waterfront 9 .18 .12 .27 .05

SCPS Outer Commencement Bay 3 .13 .13 .14 .01

SCPS Thea Foss Waterway 15 .13 .06 .27 .06

SCPS Apple Cove Point 6 .12 .07 .19 .05

SCPS Dash Point 3 .12 .11 .13 .00

SCPS Duwamish River 6 .10 .06 .12 .02

SPS Wollochet 1 .11

SPS Nisqually Reach 6 .09 .05 .13 .03

SPS Carr Inlet 1 .08

SPS Dana Passage 3 .04 .04 .04 .00
Mercury in Biota of Sinclair Inlet 101

Rockfish

The fish species with the highest overall mean THg 

concentrations in Puget Sound were yellow, brown, and 

quillback rockfish (West and others, 2001). Of these species, 

the largest were yellow rockfish with a mean length of 

67.9 cm for the individuals that were composited, followed by 

quillback and brown rockfish with mean lengths of 31.6 and 

25.8 cm, respectively. 

The mean THg concentration in quillback rockfish 

from Sinclair Inlet was 0.8177 mg/kg and the highest of 

sixteen locations in Puget Sound (table F2). The mean 

THg concentration of quillback rockfish from Sinclair Inlet 

was about nine times higher than the lowest concentration 

measured for quillback rockfish in South Puget Sound 

(fig. 1A). The mean THg concentration in brown rockfish from 

Sinclair Inlet (table F3) was 0.81 mg/kg, which was about 

eight-fold higher than brown rockfish from the Thea Foss 

Waterway in Tacoma (fig. 1A)

Salmon

The mean THg concentration in Chinook salmon from 

Sinclair Inlet (0.099 mg/kg) was near the mean value for 

Puget Sound (table F4). The mean THg concentration of 

Coho salmon from Sinclair Inlet (0.060 mg/kg) was the eighth 

highest out of ten locations in Puget Sound (table F5). 

Sea Cucumber

Of the 24 composite samples of sea cucumber collected 

from Sinclair Inlet during 1995 (U.S. Navy, 2002), only 

2 acceptable THg concentrations values of 0.0120 and 

0.0184 mg/kg and 1 qualified value of 0.0106 mg/kg (wet 

weight) were obtained (table F6). Of the three composites and 

eight individual specimens collected from Blake Passage and 

Rich Passage, six qualified concentrations ranging between 

0.0107 and 0.0199 mg/kg were measured. Because of the 

quality of the data, a rigorous statistical analysis among 

locations was not performed. Three composite samples were 

collected in 2007 ranging from a value near the reporting 

level of 0.00256 mg/kg (wet weight) in the Strait of Georgia 

to 0.0137 mg/kg (wet weight) in Sinclair Inlet Brandenberger 

and others, 2008).

Geographical Comparison of Mercury 

Concentrations in Biota Using Individual 

Specimens

When comparing the THg concentrations in individual 

fish across locations, the physiological parameters of the 

individual fish must be considered. The discussion of the 

relations between THg and fish age in rockfish (1995–97) 

from Puget Sound locations (West and O’Neill, 1998) is an 

example of the statistical analysis required to make valid 

conclusion regarding THg concentrations across Puget 

Sound locations. In this USGS report, THg concentrations 

of individual fish or invertebrates (Brandenberger and 

others, 2006b; 2008; Johnston and others, 2007; Jim West, 

Washington State Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, 

written commun., 2008) were examined in relation to the 

length or weight of the individuals using Generalized Linear 

Models (SAS, 1990). Samples were analyzed for THg and 

corresponding weight/length data were list in tables F1 and 

F7. For all species examined from Sinclair Inlet, significant 

differences (probability that THg concentrations among 

collection years was less than 5 percent, or p < 0.05) in THg, 

length or weight data were identified among the collection 

years (table 10). Since differences in THg might have been 

a result of differences in the size of individual fish analyzed, 

an analysis of covariance was performed on the regression of 

THg with size (length and weight) for Sinclair Inlet data by 

collection year for each species. If no significant difference of 

the THg relation by collection year (p < 0.05) was observed 

for Sinclair Inlet, data for all collection years for each location 

were grouped together, and analysis of covariance of THg 

compared to size was performed. A probability of less than 

5 percent (p < 0.05) indicates that the relation between THg 

and size for at least one group is significantly different from 

the other groups. Analysis that is performed by grouping data 

with information that is independent of the data set is called 

post ad-hoc analysis. Post ad-hoc analysis of covariance 

included comparing the relation of THg concentrations 

compared to size in Sinclair Inlet individuals with the relation 

compared to size from individuals grouped by urban and nonurban estuaries. 

Rockfish

Individual rockfish samples were collected from 

six locations in Puget Sound during 1995–1997 by 

WDFW/PSAMP (West and O’Neill, 1998), including north 

Puget Sound, central Puget Sound, Elliott Bay, and Sinclair 

Inlet (fig. 1A). THg concentrations in rockfish increased 

considerably with fish age. The seven individual rockfish 

collected from Sinclair Inlet had higher THg concentrations 

than rockfish from other locations in Puget Sound. Using 

methods similar to analysis of covariance, West and O’Neill 

(1998) concluded that the relation of THg compared to age 

Sinclair Inlet was different than other Puget Sound regions. 

However, rockfish from Sinclair Inlet were the oldest of all 

individuals collected and ranged between 20 and 35 years. The 

oldest rockfish from Sinclair Inlet at 35 years had the highest 

THg concentration at about 1.1 mg/kg.
102 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Table 10. Statistics of analysis of variance and analysis of covariance of total mercury concentrations in fish and invertebrate from 

Puget Sound, Washington, 1996–2007.

Locations are shown in in figure 1A. Data source: Jim West, Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, written commun., 2008; Johnston and others, 

2007; Brandenberger and others, 2006b; Johnston, U.S. Navy, written commun., 2009. Analysis of variance and covariance performed with Generalized Linear 

Models (SAS, 1990). Numbers in bold represent differences that are statistically different at the 0.05 level; >, greater than; blank, no data; –, no urban data] 

Variable Grouping

English 

sole 

muscle

English 

sole1

muscle

Rock 

sole

muscle

Sand 

sole

muscle

Graceful 

crab

muscle

Whole-body 

staghorn 

sculpin

Ratfish 

muscle

Surf 

perch

muscle

Whole-body 

sea cumber

Analysis of variance and covariance of species from Sinclair Inlet by year

Number of individuals analyzed

1996 22

2003 3 3 3 3 3 2 6 5

2005 4 6 3 3 3 4

2007 6 6 3 3 2 1 2

Probability of differences of variable with collection year in Sinclair Inlet

Length 0.0034 0.016 0.049 0.15 0.14 0.15 0.30 – –

Weight – 0.020 0.049 0.15 0.047 0.15 0.022 – 0.20

Total mercury 0.019 0.30 0.13 0.035 0.39 0.15 0.035 – 0.22

Probability of differences of relation with collection year in Sinclair Inlet

Relation between total 

mercury and size2

>0.001 0.75 0.56 0.014 0.71 0.32 0.75 – 0.30

Analysis of covariance of species by estuary (2003–07 data)

Number of individuals analyzed

Commencement Bay Urban 9 3

Duwamish Urban 3

Eagle Harbor Urban 3 3

Elliott Bay Urban 9 3

Hood Canal Non-urban 9 1 4 7 5

Nisqually Delta Non-urban 9 6 6 3

Port Gardner Urban 8 3

Sinclair Inlet Sinclair Inlet 9 6 3 11 6 11 3 10

Strait of Georgia Non-urban 12 3 12 6

Vendovi Island Non-urban 10 3 3 6 6 3

Probability of differences of relation among all estuaries2

Relation between total 

mercury and size2 0.16 0.18 0.045 0.003 0.001 0.38 0.043 0.002

Probability of differences of relation between Sinclair Inlet and non-urban estuaries3

Relation between total 

mercury and size2

 0.06 0.08 0.045 0.002 >0.001 0.28 0.026 <0.001

Probability of differences of relation between Sinclair Inlet and urban estuaries3

Relation between total 

mercury and size2

0.38 – – – – 0.13 – –

1

Analysis includes only data collected in 2003 and after.

2

 Total mercury concentrations in wet weight and size as length and weight, except for weight for sea cucumber.

3

 Post ad-hoc analysis of covariance.
Mercury in Biota of Sinclair Inlet 103

English, Rock, and Sand Sole

Individual English sole samples were collected from 

Sinclair Inlet by PSAMP during 1996 (Jim West, Washington 

State Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, written commun., 

2008) and were collected by PSAMP and analyzed by 

ENVVEST from various locations in Puget Sound during 

2003 and 2007 (Johnston and others, 2007; Brandenberger 

and others, 2009; respectively). The 22 individual English sole 

from Sinclair Inlet collected during 1996 had THg in muscle 

that ranged from 0.0342 to 0.136 mg/kg (wet weight, table F7) 

and increased (p = 0.003) with increasing length, which 

ranged between 26.5 cm and 45.1 cm. English sole collected 

in 1996 were longer and had higher THg concentrations 

(p = 0.0034 and 0.019 in table 10) than those caught in 2003 

and 2007 (table 11 and fig. 72). The analyses of covariance 

indicated that there was a significant difference (p > 0.001) 

in the relation of THg compared to length of English sole 

(table 10) when grouped by collection years 1996, 2003, 

and 2007, but no difference (p = 0.75) was observed in 

this relation between 2003 and 2007. The mean THg was 

0.0480 mg/kg (wet weight) for individuals collected from 

Sinclair Inlet in 2003 and 2007 that had a mean length of 

31.4 cm (table 11). An analysis of covariance then was 

performed on the relation of THg compared to size (length and 

weight) for individuals collected in 2003, 2005, and 2007 in 

Sinclair Inlet compared to other Puget Sound estuaries.. 

Between 2003 and 2007, individual English sole 

(table F7 and fig. 73) also were collected from urban estuaries 

(Commencement Bay, Duwamish Waterway, Elliott Bay, 

and Port Gardner; fig. 1A) and non-urban estuaries (Hood 

Canal, the Nisqually Delta, Strait of Georgia, and off 

Vendovi Island) by PSAMP and analyzed by ENVVEST. 

Mean THg concentrations ranged from 0.0403 mg/kg (wet 

weight) for Duwamish Waterway English sole with a mean 

length of 21.8 cm to 0.0810 mg/kg (wet weight) for Elliott 

Bay English sole with a mean length of 26.1 cm (table 11). 

Analysis of covariance indicated no significant difference 

(p = 0.16) in the relation of THg compared to size among 

the estuaries (table 10). No significant difference in the 

Sinclair Inlet relation of THg compared to size was observed 

when compared to non-urban estuaries (p = 0.06) and urban 

estuaries (p = 0.38). 

Rock sole (table F1) were collected from Sinclair 

Inlet in 2003 and 2007 (mean THg concentration of 

0.0784 mg/kg (wet weight) and a mean fish length of 

27.1 cm) (fig. 74). Although there were significant differences 

in the weight and length between collection years, there 

was no significant difference (p = 0.56) in the relation of 

THg compared to size between years. The relation of THg 

compared to length of rock sole in Sinclair Inlet was not 

different (p = 0.08) from the relation of non-urban estuaries 

(Hood Canal and off Vendovi Island). 

Sand sole individuals were collected in 2003, 2005, and 

2007 and the THg concentrations in muscle tissue among 

years were statistically different (p = 0.035). Sand sole was 

the only species in which the relation of THg compared to fish 

length for Sinclair Inlet individuals was statistically different 

(p = 0.015) for collection year (table 10). Because Port 

Gardner was the only other location where THg concentrations 

in sand sole were available for individuals collected in 2003, 

the analysis of covariance was limited to the 2003 data set. 

The relation of THg compared to size for Sinclair Inlet (mean 

THg concentration of 0.0895 mg/kg (wet weight), and a mean 

fish length of 33.9 cm) was significantly different (p = 0.045) 

than the relation for Port Gardner (mean THg concentration of 

0.0490 mg/kg (wet weight), and mean fish length of 30.4 cm). 

Graceful Crab

THg concentrations in graceful crab (fig. 75) 

collected from Sinclair Inlet (mean THg concentration of 

0.0714 mg/kg (wet weight) and a mean crab length of 9.1 cm; 

table 11) were not significantly different (p = 0.39; table 10) 

by collection year (2003, 2005, and 2007), nor was the 

relation of THg compared to size grouped by year (p = 0.71). 

Therefore, the analysis of covariance was performed on 

data from each location for all collection years. When the 

size of individual specimens is taken into account, THg 

concentrations in graceful crab individuals (fig. 75) collected 

from Sinclair Inlet were higher (p = 0.002) than those 

collected from non-urban estuaries (Hood Canal, the Nisqually 

Delta, and off Vendovi Island; fig. 1A). 

Staghorn Sculpin

Staghorn sculpin from Sinclair Inlet were collected 

in 2003, 2005 and 2007 (table F1) and no significant 

different was observed in Sinclair Inlet among collection 

years (p = 0.32, table 10). The mean THg concentration of 

whole-body staghorn sculpin collected from Sinclair Inlet 

for all collection years was 0.0851 mg/kg (wet weight) for a 

mean fish length of 20.2 cm (table 11). The THg concentration 

relation with size of staghorn sculpin from Sinclair Inlet was 

significantly different from the relation among other non-urban 

estuaries (off Vendovi Island and the Strait of Georgia), both 

when other estuaries were considered separately (p = 0.001) or 

when other estuaries were considered together (p <0.001).
104 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Variable Grouping No. of 

samples

Total mercury 

(mg/kg, wet weight)

Length 

(cm)

Weight 

(kg)

Mean Std. dev. Mean Std. dev. Mean Std. dev.

English Sole Muscle

Sinclair Inlet Sinclair Inlet 9 0.0480 0.0211 31.4 6.7 0.360 0.204

Commencement Bay Urban 9 .0554 .0134 24.6 2.0 .127 .048

Duwamish Waterway Urban 3 .0403 .0050 21.8 4.1 .109 .042

Eagle Harbor Urban 3 .0648 .0211 28.4 6.8 .236 .169

Elliott Bay Urban 9 .0810 .0445 26.1 4.7 .146 .065

Hood Canal Non-urban 9 .0550 .0181 24.6 1.6 .129 .041

Nisqually Delta Non-urban 9 .0716 .0230 36.5 3.7 .188 .090

Port Gardner Urban 8 .0507 .0185 25.1 2.2 .125 .035

Strait of Georgia Non-urban 12 .0577 .0206 32.1 6.4 .367 .207

Vendovi Island Non-urban 10 .0488 .0216 27.0 4.1 .208 .071

Rock sole muscle

Sinclair Inlet Sinclair Inlet 6 0.0784 0.0512 27.1 9.0 0.322 0.189

Hood Canal Non-urban 1 .0477 – 31.8 – .460 –

Vendovi Island Non-urban 3 .0390 .0138 24.1 6.0 .257 .219

1

Sand sole muscle (2003)

Sinclair Inlet Sinclair Inlet 3 0.0895 0.0399 33.9 6.9 0.464 0.240

Port Gardner Urban 3 .0490 .0150 30.4 5.1 .409 .202

Graceful crab muscle

Sinclair Inlet Sinclair Inlet 11 0.0714 0.0224 9.1 2.5 0.110 0.050

Hood Canal Non-urban 4 .0219 .0134 9.9 1.2 .122 .078

Nisqually Delta Non-urban 6 .0441 .0137 10.1 1.0 .173 .057

Vendovi Island Non-urban 3 .0297 .0187 9.8 .8 .110 .020

Whole-body staghorn sculpin

Sinclair Inlet Sinclair Inlet 6 0.0851 0.0513 20.2 6.8 0.115 0.101

Strait of Georgia Non-urban 3 .0422 .0054 20.2 2.9 .112 .067

Vendovi Island Non-urban 6 .0655 .0155 22.8 3.4 .204 .099

Ratfish muscle

Sinclair Inlet Sinclair Inlet 11 0.1823 0.1099 42.7 5.3 0.612 0.166

Commencement Bay Urban 3 .1014 .0262 39.3 1.1 .353 .035

Eagle Harbor Urban 3 .1522 .0828 40.6 9.2 .457 .273

Elliott Bay Urban 3 .1659 .0630 45.3 7.0 .510 .260

Hood Canal Non-urban 7 .1148 .0320 38.4 2.1 .393 .061

Nisqually Delta Non-urban 6 .1553 .0646 39.4 5.0 .507 .080

Strait of Georgia Non-urban 12 .2140 .1616 40.3 6.3 .555 .278

Surf perch muscle

Sinclair Inlet Sinclair Inlet 3 0.0745 0.0166 11.8 0.8 0.017 0.006

Hood Canal Non-urban 5 .0444 .0048 11.3 1.7 .023 .010

Nisqually Delta Non-urban 3 .0589 .0205 11.0 .7 .020 .000

Vendovi Island Non-urban 6 .0514 .0064 10.0 1.9 .020 .006

Whole-body sea cucumber

Sinclair Inlet Sinclair Inlet 10 0.0186 0.0078 – – 0.636 0.189

Strait of Georgia Non-urban 6 .0042 .0004 – – .365 .122

Vendovi Island Non-urban 3 .0030 .0012 – – .533 .196

1

Significant difference in mercury concentration relation with size was detected for Sinclair Inlet sand sole (table 10). Therefore, the 2003 sand sole from Port 

Gardner was compared only to the 2003 sand sole from Sinclair Inlet.

Table 11. Means and standard deviations of fish and invertebrate collected between 2003 and 2007 from Puget Sound, Washington, 

used in the analysis of covariance. 

[Data source: Brandenberger and others, 2006b; Johnston and others, 2007; Johnston, U.S. Navy, written commun., 2009. Locations are shown in figure 1A. 

Abbreviations: mg/kg, milligram per kilogram; cm, centimeter; kg, kilogram; Std. dev., standard deviation; No., number]
Mercury in Biota of Sinclair Inlet 105

watac09-0206_fig 72

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

1996

2003

2007

TOTAL MERCURY, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, WET WEIGHT

0 0

0.1

0.2

FISH LENGTH, IN CENTIMETERS

Figure 72. Total mercury concentrations in muscle of individual English sole specimens 

collected from Sinclair Inlet, Washington, during 1996, 2003, and 2007 compared to fish 

length (table F7).
106 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_fig 73

0 10 20 30 40 50

Duwamish Waterway

Off Vendovi Island

Port Gardner

0.45

Sinclair Inlet

Commencement Bay

Elliott Bay

0

0.1

0.2

TOTAL MERCURY, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, WET WEIGHT

FISH LENGTH, IN CENTIMETERS

Eagle Harbor

Nisqually Delta

Hood Canal

Strait of Georgia

Figure 73. Total mercury concentrations in muscle of individual English sole specimens 

collected from Sinclair Inlet, Commencement Bay, Duwamish Waterway, Elliott Bay, 

Eagle Harbor, Nisqually Delta, Hood Canal, off Vendovi Island, the Strait of Georgia, and 

Port Gardner between 2003 and 2007 compared to fish length (table F7). Locations of 

Puget Sound estuaries in Washington are shown in figure 1A.
Mercury in Biota of Sinclair Inlet 107

watac09-0206_fig 74

Sinclair Inlet 

TOTAL MERCURY, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, WET WEIGHT

0

Off Vendovi Island 

Hood Canal 

0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

FISH LENGTH, IN CENTIMETERS

SITE LOCATION 

Figure 74. Total mercury concentrations in muscle of individual rock sole specimens 

individuals collected from Sinclair Inlet, Hood Canal, and off Vendovi Island between 

2003 and 2007 compared to fish length (table F7). Locations of Puget Sound estuaries in 

Washington are shown in figure 1.
108 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_fig 75

SITE LOCATION

Sinclair Inlet

0

0.1

0.2

TOTAL MERCURY, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, WET WEIGHT

Nisqually Delta

Hood Canal

0 4 8 12 16

Off Vendovi Island

CRAB LENGTH, IN CENTIMETERS

Figure 75. Total mercury concentrations in individual graceful crab specimen collected 

from Sinclair Inlet, off Vendovi Island, the Nisqually delta, and Hood Canal between 

2002 and 2005 compared to crab length (table F7). Locations of Puget Sound estuaries in 

Washington are shown in figure 1A.
Mercury in Biota of Sinclair Inlet 109

Ratfish

The higher trophic level ratfish generally had higher 

THg concentrations than other species for a given estuary 

(table F1). THg concentrations in ratfish collected from 

Sinclair Inlet were significantly different (p = 0.035) by 

collection year (2003, 2005, and 2007), but the relation of 

THg concentration compared to size grouped by year was not 

significantly different (p = 0.75). The mean THg concentration 

of ratfish collected from Sinclair Inlet for all collection years 

was 0.1823 mg/kg (wet weight) for a mean length of 42.7 cm 

(table 11). When data from all collection years was combined 

by location (fig. 76), no difference in the relation between THg 

and size was observed among estuaries (p = 0.38 in table 10). 

Post ad-hoc analyses of covariance indicate no significant 

differences in the Sinclair Inlet relation of THg compared to 

size when compared to non-urban estuaries (p = 0.13) or to 

other urban estuaries (p = 0.28).

Figure 76. Total mercury concentrations in muscle of individual ratfish specimens 

collected from Sinclair Inlet, Commencement Bay, Eagle Harbor, Elliott Bay, the Nisqually 

Delta, Hood Canal, and the Strait of Georgia between 2003 and 2005 compared to fish 

length (table F7). Locations of Puget Sound estuaries in Washington are shown in 

figure 1A.

watac09-0206_fig 76

SITE LOCATION

Sinclair Inlet

Commencement Bay

Elliott Bay

25 30 35 40 45 50 55

0

0.5

1.0

TOTAL MERCURY, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, WET WEIGHT

FISH LENGTH, IN CENTIMETERS

Eagle Harbor

Nisqually Delta

Hood Canal

Strait of Georgia
110 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Surf Perch

Surf perch were collected in Sinclair Inlet only during 

2005 (fig. 77) and had a mean THg concentration of 

0.0745 mg/kg (wet weight) and a mean length of 11.8 cm 

(table 11). The relation of THg concentration compared to 

fish size for Sinclair Inlet was significantly different (table 10) 

than those relations of non-urban estuaries (Hood Canal, the 

Nisqually Delta, and off Vendovi Island, table F1), whether 

estuaries were considered individually (p = 0.043) or when 

data from non-urban estuaries were combined during the post 

ad-hoc analysis (p = 0.026). 

Sea Cucumber

Sea cucumber were not significantly different in 

THg concentrations (p = 0.22) and weight (p = 0.20) by 

collection year (2003 and 2005), nor was the relation of THg 

concentration compared to weight significantly different by 

collection year (p = 0.30). THg concentrations in individual 

sea cucumber specimens collected from Sinclair Inlet in 2003 

and 2005 (0.0186 mg/kg (wet weight) and a mean wet weight 

of 0.636 kg; table 11) were significantly higher than in those 

collected from non-urban estuaries (the Strait of Georgia and 

off Vendovi Island) when weight was considered (p < 0.001 in 

table 10). 

Figure 77. Total mercury concentrations of individual specimens and composites of two 

surf perch of comparable size from Sinclair Inlet, off Vendovi Island, the Nisqually Delta, 

and Hood Canal compared to fish length collected in 2005 and 2007 (table F7). Locations of 

Puget Sound estuaries in Washington are shown in figure 1A.

watac09-0206fig 77

SITE LOCATION

Sinclair Inlet

0

0.1

0.2

TOTAL MERCURY, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, WET WEIGHT

FISH LENGTH, IN CENTIMETERS

Nisqually Delta

Hood Canal

0 4 8 12 16

Off Vendovi Island
Mercury in Biota of Sinclair Inlet 111

Caged Mussel

Caged mussels were studied in Sinclair Inlet in 1994 and 

2005. For the caged mussel test in 1994 (U.S. Navy, 2002), 

three replicate cages, each consisting of 100 mussels, were 

deployed for 121 days at four stations in Sinclair Inlet and 

one reference station in Holmes Harbor, an inlet of Whidbey 

Island (fig. 1A). THg concentrations in composites of mussels 

prior to deployment were less than the reporting level of 

0.01 mg/kg wet weight (table 12). The THg concentrations 

in composites of mussels deployed in Holmes Harbor were 

at or below the reporting level of 0.01 mg/kg wet weight. 

Four composites of recovered mussels deployed in Sinclair 

Inlet for 121 days had concentration sat the reporting level 

of 0.01 mg/kg (wet weight) and eight had concentration of 

0.02 mg/kg. Although THg concentrations from Sinclair Inlet 

were at the reporting level or one significant unit above the 

reporting level, a Wilcoxon rank-sum test indicates that THg 

concentrations in mussels deployed in Sinclair Inlet were 

significantly (p = 0.028) higher than those deployed in Holmes 

Harbor. However, because All THg concentrations were within 

one significant unit of the reporting level, the significance of 

this conclusion is limited.

In 2005, ENVVEST (Applied Biomonitoring, 2009) 

deployed 56 mussels in each of 3 cages vertically stacked on 

top of each other at six sites site for 82 days. Mussels were 

deployed at two sites located at the BNC (NAVSTA and CIA 

in fig. 2), two sites located in heavy boat traffic areas of the 

Port Orchard Marina and Sinclair Inlet Ross Point (POM and 

SIRP in fig. 1C, respectively), and sites in Ostrich Bay, Dyes 

Inlet (OBDI is near M8, fig. 1B) and Port Orchard Passage 

(POP, fig. 1B); the latter two were considered reference sites. 

In addition, indigenous mussels were collected from Waterman 

Point (IWP in fig. 1B), Naval Station Kitsap Bremerton 

and the Port Orchard Marina at the time the caged mussels 

were recovered. Mussel tissue was analyzed as composites 

and the reporting and quality of the THg analysis was good 

(Brandenberger and others, 2006c). A paired Dunnett’s 

Table 12. Total mercury concentration of composites of mussels deployed in cages in Sinclair Inlet and Holmes Harbor, Puget Sound, 

Washington, 1994. 

[Data source: U.S. Navy, 2002. Abbreviations: No.,number; mg/kg, milligram per kilogram; mm, millimeter; g, gram; U, below reporting level]

Location Sample 

date

Sample 

number

No. of 

individual 

samples in 

composite

Total 

mercury 

(mg/kg, 

wet weight)

Length (mm) Weight (g) Gain

Initial Final Initial Final Length 

(mm)

Weight 

(g)

Sinclair Inlet

488 06-15-94 20091 2 0.02 34.59 39.45 3.63 6.46 4.89 2.83

20092 4 .01 34.50 39.20 3.70 6.57 4.62 2.84

20093 11 .01 34.60 40.50 3.60 6.88 6.01 3.31

489 06-15-94 20085 7 .02 34.56 39.90 3.67 6.52 5.42 2.88

20086 6 .02 34.56 39.80 3.64 6.63 5.04 3.00

20087 13 .01 34.50 40.00 3.61 6.70 5.45 3.09

490 06-15-94 20088 14 .02 34.58 40.40 3.57 6.73 5.82 3.16

 20089 10 .02 34.60 40.10 3.62 6.74 5.48 3.12

20090 9 .02 34.50 39.40 3.67 6.30 4.88 2.63

491 06-15-94 20094 15 .02 34.58 40.24 3.63 6.84 5.66 3.21

20095 12 .02 34.50 40.20 3.59 6.58 5.69 2.99

20096 1 .01 34.50 39.10 3.63 6.23 4.50 2.58

Holmes Harbor

492 06-16-94 20099 8 0.01U 34.55 39.46 3.62 6.18 4.93 2.57

20100 3 .01 34.50 39.40 3.64 6.17 4.90 2.53

21551 5 .01 34.50 40.10 3.68 6.29 5.58 2.61

Pre-deployment

03-16-94 20031 0.01U

20032 .01U

20033 .01U
112 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Figure 78. Mean mercury concentrations of tissue from indigenous mussels and caged 

mussels deployed in Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, and nearby water bodies for 

84 days during 2005. The error bars represent ± one standard deviation (table F8).

multiple comparison test was used to evaluate differences 

of mussel growth metrics from the combined data from the 

three cages among sites (table F8). Mussel growth was higher 

at reference sites (Ostrich Bay, Dyes Inlet and Port Orchard 

Passage), whereas a group of sites with lower growth included 

Port Orchard Marina, Sinclair Inlet Ross Point, and Controlled 

Industrial Area, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard sites. Growth 

in the Naval Station Kitsap Bremerton site was intermediate 

between the groups with lower and higher growth (Applied 

Biomonitoring, 2009). The cause of the variance of the THg 

in mussel tissue of the three stacked cages at each site could 

not be evaluated because statistics on the weight and length 

of mussels from individual cages were not readily available 

(fig. A1).

For both caged and indigenous mussels, THg 

concentrations in mussel tissue (table F8) at all locations 

were higher than the THg concentration of pre-deployment 

mussels (0.0283 mg/kg dry weight) (fig. 78). Turkey-The 

Kramer multiple comparisons (Applied Biomonitoring, 2009) 

indicated that caged mussels at the two BNC stations (mean 

concentration of 0.108 ± 0.002 and 0.0850 ± 0.002 mg/kg, 

dry weight for sites CIA and NAVSTA, respectively) and the 

reference stations (mean concentrations of 0.071 ± 0.0076 

and 0.0819 ± 0.0073 mg/kg, dry weight for POP and OBDI, 

respectively) were ranked as one group. Caged Port Orchard 

Marina mussels (0.216 ± 0.006 mg/kg dry weight) and caged 

Sinclair Inlet Ross Point mussels (0.212 ± 0.043 mg/kg dry 

weight) were ranked as a second group with significantly 

higher THg concentrations than the first group that contained 

the reference sites. The Sinclair Inlet Ross Point site had the 

greatest differences in THg concentrations among the three 

replicate cages.

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

Pre-deployment

SITES

Port Orchard Passage (1B)

Indigenous, Waterman Point (1B)

Ostrich Bay, Dyes Inlet (1B near M8)

Port Orchard Marina (1C)

Indigenous, Port Orchard Marina

Sinclair Inlet, Ross Point (1C)

Controlled Industrial Area,

 Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (2)

Naval Station Kitsap at Bremerton (2)

Pre

POP

IWP

OBDI

POM

IPOM

SIRP

CIA

LOCATION

NAVSTA

INAVSTA

TOTAL MERCURY, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

NAVSTA

Pre

POP

OBDI

IWP

POM

IPOM

SIRP

CIA

INAVSTA Indigenous, Naval Station Kitsap at Bremerton
Mercury in Biota of Sinclair Inlet 113

Mean THg concentration of tissue from indigenous 

mussels ranged from 0.0835 to 0.130 mg/kg, dry weight 

(Brandenberger and others, 2006c). Indigenous mussels 

from Waterman Point (IWP in fig. 1C) had a slightly lower 

mean concentration of THg (0.0835 mg/kg, dry weight) 

than the indigenous mussels collected at the Naval Station 

Kitsap Bremerton (0.130 mg/kg, dry weight) and Port 

Orchard Marina stations (0.110 mg/kg, dry weight). At 

the Port Orchard Marina site, the mean THg concentration 

of indigenous mussels (0.110 mg/kg, dry weight) was 

much lower than the concentration of caged test mussels 

(0.216 ± 0.006 mg/kg, dry weight) at the same location by 

the end of the caging period. In contrast, the mean THg 

concentration of tissue of indigenous BNC mussels collected 

from the Naval Station Kitsap Bremerton site (0.130 ± 0.025 

mg/kg, dry weight) was higher than the concentration of caged 

test mussels (0.085 ± 0.002 mg/kg, 

dry weight). 

Summary of Mercury in the Biota of Sinclair Inlet

THg concentrations in fish generally are dependent on 

age, length, and weight of individual specimens. In order to 

detect differences among populations, the analyses of numerous 

samples over a wide range of ages, lengths, and weights are 

needed for each population of interest. Alternatively, sampling 

at all locations could target a narrow size and age range. Past 

analyses of mercury in biota in Puget Sound and Sinclair Inlet 

generally were performed on composite samples for human 

health-risk assessments (table 13). In the absence of data on 

age, size, and length for individual specimens in composites 

collected between 1989 and 1999, THg concentrations in 

composites of tissue of quillback rockfish from Sinclair 

Inlet were determined to be the highest of 16 sites examined 

throughout Puget Sound and concentrations in English sole and 

Coho salmon from Sinclair Inlet were in the top 20th percentile. 

Programs Species Summary results References

Composites

RI/FS

 U.S. Navy

English sole In Sinclair Inlet THg were relatively low ranging from 0.02 to 0.05 mg/kg 

wet weight with corresponding lengths ranging from 28 to 38 cm.

U.S. Navy, 2002

PSAMP English sole In Sinclair Inlet total mercury concentrations were relatively low ranging 

from 0.04 to 0.06 mg/kg wet weight with corresponding lengths ranging 

from 32 to 34 cm.

U.S. Navy, 2006a

WDFW English sole – 

muscle

Sinclair Inlet (0.08 mg/kg wet weight ) ranked 41 out of 51 locations 

ranked lowest to highest THg. Locations with the highest mean THg 

tended to be located near urban/industrial areas in Puget Sound. 

West and others, 2001

WDFW English sole – 

liver

Sinclair Inlet was ranked 22nd out of 32 locations with a value of 

0.12 mg/kg. Locations with the highest mean mercury concentration 

tended to be located near urban/industrial areas in Puget Sound.

West and others, 2001

RI/FS 

U.S. Navy

Sea cucumber There was no significant difference between THg at Sinclair Inlet 

compared to the reference stations of Blake Island and Rich Passage. 

U.S. Navy, 2002

WDFW Rockfish Yellow, brown and quillback rockfish had the highest mean THg of 

species sampled in Puget Sound. Quillback rockfish from Sinclair Inlet 

had the highest THg concentrations (0.8177 mg/kg wet weight ) out of 

16 locations. The THg concentration of brown rockfish in Sinclair Inlet 

(0.81 mg/kg wet weight ) was about 8 times higher than the only other 

observaton (Thea Foss Waterway in Tacoma). 

West and others, 2001

WDFW Salmon The mean THg concentration in Chinook salmon in Sinclair Inlet (0.099 

mg/kg wet weight ) was near the mean for Puget Sound. The mean 

THg for Coho salmon from Sinclair Inlet was 0.060 mg/kg wet weight, 

which was the eighth highest of 10 locations in Puget Sound.

West and others, 2001

Table 13. Summary of mercury in composites and individual specimens of various species and results of caged mussel experiments in 

Puget Sound, Washington. 

[Abbreviations: RI/FS, Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study; PSAMP, Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program; WDFW, Washington State Department 

of Fish and Wildlife; BNC, Bremerton naval complex; mg/kg, milligram per kilogram; cm, centimeter]
114 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Programs Species Summary results References

Individual specimens

PSAMP Rockfish THg concentrations in long-lived rockfish are highly correlated with 

age. THg concentrations in rockfish from Sinclair Inlet are highest of 

all Puget Sound regions. The rockfish from Sinclair Inlet were up to 

50 years old and hatched at the time that mercury concentrations in 

Sinclair Inlet were at their highest.

West and O’Neill, 1998

PSAMP/

ENVVEST

English sole Individual specimens collected from Sinclair Inlet in 1996 were longer 

and have slightly higher total mercury concentrations than those 

collected in 2003 and 2007. Total mercury concentrations increased 

with size in Sinclair Inlet English sole caught in 1996 and 2003. When 

individual size was considered, total mercury concentrations of English 

sole collected from Sinclair Inlet (2003, 2007) were not significantly 

different from English sole caught from urban or non-urban estuaries.

Brandenberger and others, 

2006b, 2008; Johnston 

and others, 2007; Jim 

West, Washington State 

Department of Fish 

and Wildlife, written 

commun. 2008.

PSAMP/

ENVVEST

Sand sole Sand sole was the only species for which the relation of THg and size 

differed by the year individuals were caught from Sinclair Inlet. The 

relation of THg concentrations versus size of sand sole caught from 

Sinclair Inlet in 2003 was significantly different from the relation of 

individuals caught from Port Gardner in 2003.

Brandenberger and others, 

2006b, 2008; Johnston 

and others, 2007.

PSAMP/

ENVVEST

Rock sole When individual size was considered, THg concentrations of 

rock sole collected from Sinclair Inlet (2003, 2007) were not 

significantly different from rock sole non-urban estuaries.

Johnston and others, 2007; 

Brandenberger and others, 

2008.

PSAMP/

ENVVEST

Graceful crab 

and staghorn 

sculpin

Individual specimens from Sinclair Inlet had higher THg concentrations 

compared to other non-urban locations in Puget Sound when individual 

size was considered.

Brandenberger and others, 

2006b, 2008, Johnston 

and others, 2007.

PSAMP/

ENVVEST

Ratfish In estuaries where they were caught, ratfish had the highest total mercury 

concentrations of any species. When individual size was considered, 

total mercury concentrations of ratfish collected from Sinclair Inlet 

(2003, 2005, 2007) were not significantly different from ratfish caught 

from urban or non-urban estuaries.

Brandenberger and others, 

2006b, 2008; Johnston 

and others, 2007.

PSAMP/

ENVVEST

Surf perch Total mercury concentrations in Sinclair Inlet were significantly higher 

than non-urban estuaries.

Johnston and others, 2007; 

Brandenberger and others, 

2008.

PSAMP/

ENVVEST

Sea cucumber Total THg in sea cucumbers collected from Sinclair Inlet were higher than 

those collected off Vendovi Island and from the Strait of Georgia.

Brandenberger and others, 

2006b; Johnston and 

others, 2007, 

Caged mussel experiments

RI/FS U.S. Navy THg concentrations in mussels in Sinclair Inlet were significantly higher 

than in mussels at the reference station. All THg concentrations were 

within one significant unit of the reporting level which limited the 

significance of the results. 

U.S. Navy, 2002

ENVVEST THg concentrations at all locations were higher than those for caged and 

indigenous mussels. Mean THg concentrations at the two BNC stations 

and the two reference stations had similar values. Mussels deployed 

in Port Orchard Marina and off Ross Point in Sinclair Inlet had 

significantly higher concentrations than the BNC and reference stations. 

Indigenous mussels from Port Orchard Marina and the BNC were not 

significantly different than indigenous mussels outside of Sinclair Inlet.

Brandenberger and others, 

2006c

Table 13. Summary of mercury in composites and individual specimens of various species and results of caged mussel experiments in 

Puget Sound, Washington.—Continued 

[Abbreviations: RI/FS, Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study; PSAMP, Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program; WDFW, Washington State Department 

of Fish and Wildlife; BNC, Bremerton Naval Complex; THg, total mercury; mg/kg, milligram per kilogram; cm, centimeter]
Observations to be Considered for Future Sampling Efforts 115

In contrast, THg concentrations of composites of Chinook 

salmon were near the mean concentrations of 10 locations 

throughout Puget Sound. THg concentrations near the 

reporting level in caged mussels from Sinclair Inlet were 

statistically higher than those from the reference site in 

Holmes Harbor. THg concentrations in composites of tissue 

of caged mussels within OU B Marine were higher than those 

in caged mussels in Port Orchard Passage, but the highest 

THg concentrations were measured in composites of mussels 

caged off Port Orchard Marina and in inner Sinclair Inlet. THg 

concentrations of sea cucumber composites collected in 1994 

were below the reporting level for most samples. 

The study of long-lived rockfish (West and O’Neill, 

1998) is an example of a study in which sufficient individual 

specimens from Sinclair Inlet were analyzed to show 

significantly higher THg concentrations relative to THg 

concentrations in individuals collected from other Puget 

Sound locations. When the size of individual English sole 

were taken into consideration, English sole collected between 

2003 and 2007 had lower THg concentrations than those 

collected in 1996, before the remedial dredging occurred 

in 2000–2001. For a given size, sand sole, graceful crab, 

staghorn sculpin, surf perch and sea cucumber collected from 

Sinclair Inlet had higher THg concentrations than individuals 

collected from non-urban estuaries. For the two species in 

which individuals from urban bays were collected (English 

sole and ratfish), THg concentrations in individuals collected 

from Sinclair Inlet did not differ from the THg concentrations 

of individuals from either urban or non-urban estuaries when 

the size of the individuals was taken into consideration.

Observations to be Considered for 

Future Sampling Efforts

This report describes mercury concentrations data from 

a variety of sources and from multiple studies with differing 

purposes. Because mercury concentrations in most media are 

controlled by a variety of biological, geochemical and physical 

processes, the mercury data need to be examined in the 

context of these environmental processes. This examination 

requires the collection of a consistent set of ancillary data. 

Below are observations concerning collection of ancillary data 

associated with the collection of mercury data for sediment, 

biota, and water to assist in interpreting mercury data within 

the broader context of the entire Sinclair Inlet watershed. It is 

recognized that the collection of additional data that might be 

suggested by observations listed below often are beyond the 

data requirements required for regulatory programs such as 

total daily maximum loadings calculations or human health 

risk assessments.

Sediment, Settling Particles, and Suspended 

Solids

1. Sediment samples were collected for mercury analyses 

over a variety of depth intervals, with a variety of 

ancillary data, and by multiple agencies often with 

differing program objectives. In Sinclair Inlet, both grainsize and TOC data seem to be equally useful as variables 

for normalizing mercury concentrations. Consistent sets 

of sediment aluminum concentrations were only collected 

in the Sinclair Inlet during the 1994–95 OU B Remedial 

Investigation and during the ENVVEST coring program. 

For these two data sets, THg concentrations seemed 

to be less related to aluminum than to grain size and 

TOC. Data from the PSAMP program suggest that TOC 

content is a more universal normalizing parameter for the 

embayments of Puget Sound. 

• Observation: Collection of TOC data in conjunction 

with mercury analyses of sediment, settling particles, 

and suspended solids would provide the environmental 

context to interpret the mercury data. 

2. Surface sediment was collected to a variety of depth 

intervals (0–2 to 0–60 cm) in Sinclair Inlet for a variety 

of purposes. As a surface sediment sampling interval 

increases, the time period of deposition that it represents 

becomes longer. For instance, a 5-cm surface section at 

ENVVEST core S3 (fig. 1C) represents deposition over 

about 11 years and a 10-cm surface section represents 

deposition over about 24 years. Surface sediment often 

was collected to a depth of 0–10 cm because 10 cm is 

considered to be the maximum depth of the biologically 

active zone. In Sinclair Inlet, radiometric data suggest that 

the mixing zone extends down to about 4 cm (Crecelius 

and others, 2003). Scientists planning sediment collection 

in Sinclair Inlet should recognize that collection of 

surface sediment below the mixing zone will result in 

mercury data that represent longer periods of deposition. 

Mercury concentrations data from sediment depth 

intervals representing longer periods of deposition are less 

useful for investigating recent sources of mercury. 

• Observation: The depth interval to which surface 

sediment is collected affects the ability to measure 

changes in concentrations of contaminants in recently 

deposited sediment in the surface mixed layer. In 

Sinclair Inlet, this layer is about 4 cm.

3. The PSAMP Long-Term Temporal Monitoring site was 

established before the contamination in nearby OU A was 

known and before the nearby CAD pit was constructed, 

filled, and covered. The area near the Sinclair Inlet 
116 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

PSAMP Long-Term Temporal Monitoring site is subject 

to significant horizontal gradients in the total fines and 

TOC content, both of which affect mercury concentrations 

(fig. 53). In addition, the relations of mercury between 

both total fines and TOC content do not follow the 

corresponding strong correlations observed in greater 

Sinclair Inlet (table 1).

• Observation: The present PSAMP Long-Term 

Temporal Monitoring site in Sinclair Inlet does not 

represents the general environmental conditions of 

greater Sinclair Inlet.

4. Mercury in sediment was extracted by a variety of 

methods before the mercury in the liquid extractant 

was analyzed by either cold vapor atomic absorption 

spectrometry, cold vapor atomic fluorescence 

spectrometry, or graphite furnace atomic absorption 

spectrometry. Extractants included weak acid (TCLP), 

10 percent hydrochloric acid (AVS-SEM), strong acid (for 

example, aqua-regia), or total digestion, which includes 

hydrofluoric acid. Because the majority of the mercury 

seemed to be associated with organic carbon bound to the 

surfaces of the particles, total digestion could be avoided 

with little effect on the recovery of mercury without 

comprising the measurement of biologically available 

mercury. Analytical methods that completely oxidize 

organic matter are suitable if sufficient sediment is 

available for digestion and appropriate laboratory qualitycontrol procedures are implemented and reported. 

• Observation: When sample mass for ancillary 

analyses is limited, such as in the collection of 

sediment-trap materials or suspended solids, 

evaluation of analytical methods that provide 

completeness of organic matter oxidation may 

limit sample mass needed for mercury analyses and 

provide mass for ancillary analyses.

Water

1. It is recognized that only THg concentration data in 

source waters and the marine waters of Sinclair Inlet 

are required to manage using the Total Daily Maximum 

Loading approach. However, information regarding 

partitioning of mercury between particulate and dissolved 

phases is extremely helpful in assessing the effects 

of different sources, especially on bioavailability. For 

instance, the measurement of the particulate/dissolved 

partitioning of mercury nearshore in marine water sample 

P2 and central Sinclair Inlet samples M3.2 and 3.4 

(fig. 1C) would have provided a better understanding of 

the impact of stormwater on Sinclair Inlet. 

• Observation: Analyses of filtrate and particles of 

unfiltered water samples for THg provide useful 

information of biogeochemical processes affecting 

mercury in environmental systems. 

2. Knowledge of amount of particulate mercury in a sample 

of source water or marine water also is useful in assessing 

whether the mercury is likely to settle in Sinclair Inlet 

or to be advected to Puget Sound through Rich or Port 

Orchard Passages. In order to assess what effect the 

particles in a water sample may have on increasing 

or decreasing the sediment THg concentrations, the 

concentration of total suspended solids (TSS) in 

the water column must also be known. Because the 

ultra-trace sampling method with quartz fiber filters 

precludes simultaneously obtaining the accurate mass 

of the particles on the filter and concurrent accurate 

measurement of TSS, other methods are required. To 

allow accurate determination of mercury concentrations 

on the particulates using small volumes (~ 1 liter), the 

reporting level for TSS should be less than 0.1 mg/L. 

To assure that the sample population of particles being 

measured by the mercury and TSS method are the same, 

sub-sampling from the same larger bottle (~ 2-L bottle) 

for both mercury and TSS is suggested.

• Observation: Measurements of total suspended solids 

concentrations in the water column concurrent with 

measurement of mercury concentrations associated 

with suspended solids allow calculations of the 

mercury concentrations on the particles, which can be 

compared to sediment mercury concentrations.

3. Methylmercury is the species of mercury most 

responsible for bioaccumulation of mercury in biota. 

But, no measurements of methylmercury have been 

reported by the major monitoring programs described 

in this report. As part of this study, USGS will report on 

the concentrations of methylmercury in groundwater, 

waste water treatment plant effluents, dry dock 

discharges, stormwater, surface water, marine water, 

and the interstitial waters of marine sediments. The 

relative concentrations of methylmercury in these 

various effluents and natural waters should provide 

the background information to begin monitoring 

methylmercury in a manner that relates to mercury 

bioaccumulation in biota.

• Observation: Measurements of methylmercury in 

monitoring programs, especially those programs 

related to bioaccumulation of mercury in marine biota, 

provide valuable information on biogeochemical 

processes.
Summary 117

4. Field parameters, especially electrical conductivity (from 

which salinity is calculated) should be collected for all 

water samples. In addition, dissolved organic carbon is 

a useful tracer of aqueous phase mercury. Analysis of 

particulate organic carbon also is suggested as a routine 

ancillary measurement when sampling for particulate 

mercury. 

• Observation: Field parameters, particulate organic 

carbon, and dissolved organic carbon provide the 

environmental context in which to interpret mercury 

concentrations.

Biota

1. It is recognized that the majority of biota samples 

collected for mercury analyses are performed on 

composites of varying sizes for human health-risk 

assessments. 

• Observation: Data on key physical characteristics (that 

is, weight, length, and age) of the individual specimens 

that compose each composite sample should be 

measured and be accessible. 

2. Although the process of sample compositing is a cost 

effective approach for human-health risk assessment 

programs, this approach limits the usefulness of the 

biota mercury data for other purposes. Because mercury 

concentrations in most living aquatic resources have 

been shown to be highly correlated with a number of key 

physical characteristics, detecting significant differences 

among populations, either geographically or temporally, 

requires an analysis of covariance using a correlating 

factor. For programs measuring mercury in living aquatic 

resources that wish their mercury data to be used for 

detecting differences among populations, the analyses of a 

number of individual specimens over a range of recorded 

sizes should be considered. As an alternative, compositing 

individual specimens within a specific and consistent size 

bracket(s) would allow direct comparisons across sites.

• Observation: Measurement of mercury in individual 

specimens over specific and consistent size ranges in 

a subset of measurements would allow data collected 

for human health risk assessment to be used for 

geographical comparisons.

Summary

Data from dated sediment cores indicate that mercury 

concentrations in Sinclair Inlet began to increase above 

pre-Industrial Revolution concentrations during the 1890s 

with the construction of the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard of 

the Bremerton naval complex (BNC) and reached maximum 

concentrations around the time of World War II. Total mercury 

concentrations in sediment deposited in Sinclair Inlet in the 

1950s were 5- to 10-fold larger than in sediment deposited 

in central Puget Sound during the same period. The peak in 

total mercury concentrations in sediment deposited around 

the 1950s probably is partially responsible for the highest 

body burden of mercury in long-lived rockfish among Puget 

Sound locations. Although total mercury concentrations in 

sediments have been decreasing since the 1960s due to the 

implementation of environmental regulations, the decrease has 

been slow. The slow rate of sedimentation relative to vertical 

mixing of sediment in Sinclair Inlet limits the decrease of 

mercury in sediment in the top 10 cm. 

Monitoring after two dredging projects in and off the 

BNC illustrates that sediment texture and chemistry do change 

with time. Three years after dredging both sides of the pier 

off NBK Bremerton, total mercury concentrations in the 

dredged area were along the trend of mercury concentration 

with total organic carbon observed for greater Sinclair Inlet. 

After navigational and CERCLA dredging in 2000–01, 

mercury concentrations in sediment just outside the BNC 

collected in 2003 deviated from the greater Sinclair Inlet 

correlation of mercury concentrations with total organic 

carbon content. By 2007, the deviation was less noticeable. 

Within the BNC, higher than mean mercury concentrations in 

two areas adjacent to the Confined Aquatic Disposal pit were 

observed in 2003, but resampling of these areas in 2005 and 

2007 revealed total mercury concentrations consistent with 

the greater Sinclair Inlet trend. In addition, the 2000–2001 

dredging also caused a shift in the grain-size distribution 

throughout Sinclair Inlet. In contrast, the recontamination 

of areas dredged down to clean sediment prompted a special 

study of sediment adjacent to two piers within the Bremerton 

naval complex. In the eastern portion of NBK Bremerton 

and western PSNS & IMF, total mercury concentrations in 

sediment followed the greater Sinclair Inlet trend, suggesting 

recontamination by resuspension and settling of normal 

Sinclair Inlet particles. The total mercury concentrations in a 

cell off central PSNS & IMF were above the greater Sinclair 

Inlet trend, suggesting transport of a localized source of 

high total mercury sediments. Bottom sediment scour from 

propellers and thrusters operating during normal operations 
118 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

can explain the resuspension of bottom sediment and transport 

of suspended solids within the BNC. However, the mechanism 

of sediment transport within greater Sinclair Inlet is unknown 

because a number of physical oceanographic studies indicate 

that the maximum velocity of tidal currents of Sinclair Inlet 

is insufficiently strong to resuspend and erode sediments. 

This discrepancy among the observations must to be resolved 

before the processes controlling total mercury in Sinclair Inlet 

sediment can be understood fully.

The slope of the line relating total mercury concentrations 

to total organic content in mid-estuary sediment of Puget 

Sound urban estuaries seems to be the best indicator of the 

baseline mercury contamination above pre-industrial levels. 

An extensive sampling of estuarine sediment by the National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Washington 

State Department of Ecology in Puget Sound allows for direct 

comparisons among urban estuaries. The slopes of the linear 

regression between total mercury concentrations and total 

organic carbon across Puget Sound (mid-estuary sediment 

from urban estuaries) distinguishes Sinclair Inlet within the 

top tier of estuaries contaminated with mercury, along with 

Bellingham Bay and Elliott Bay off Seattle. The slope of this 

linear regression in Sinclair Inlet between 2003 and 2007 is 

lower than the slope of the pre-remediation 1994 correlation, 

suggesting that the remediation dredging had significant 

positive effect on Sinclair Inlet as a whole. 

Total mercury sediment concentrations inside the 

boundary of the BNC in 2003, 2005, and 2007 were compared 

to the greater Sinclair Inlet trend to identify areas of localized 

contamination. About 80 percent of BNC sediment had total 

mercury concentrations that are within about 0.6 mg/kg of 

the greater Sinclair Inlet trend. Three areas adjacent to the 

waterfront of the BNC have total mercury concentrations 

above this range and indicate a possible terrestrial source 

from waterfront areas of the BNC or continuing effects of 

World War II era contamination. Sources of mercury will be 

examined in the final phase of this study.

The ENVVEST program measured THg concentrations 

in a limited number of unfiltered marine water samples from 

Sinclair Inlet and connecting water bodies, including Dyes 

Inlet, Port Orchard Passage, and Rich Passage between 

2002 and 2005. THg concentrations in unfiltered Sinclair 

Inlet water are about 1 ng/L, which is three-fold higher than 

concentrations observed in central Puget Sound during 2000. 

The tidal mixing of numerous distinct water masses in this 

complex estuarine system coupled with sediment resuspension 

effects in the Passages makes it difficult to discern the 

geographical distribution of total mercury within Sinclair Inlet 

and among adjacent water bodies. One notable observation 

is the high concentration of THg (10.7 ng/L) in unfiltered 

nearshore waters off the BNC during the May 24, 2004 storm 

event coincident with higher than normal tides, where higherthan-average total mercury sediment concentrations also were 

observed. 

Total mercury concentrations in biota were compared 

among geographical locations using data from composite 

samples, individual specimens, and caged mussels. Total 

mercury concentrations from composite samples containing 

specimens over a range of sizes and ages are more useful for 

human health risk assessments than geographical comparisons. 

Total mercury concentrations in muscle and liver of English 

sole from Sinclair Inlet ranked in the upper quarter or third 

of all Puget Sound locations sampled. For other species, 

there were no differences among locations (sea cucumber) or 

concentrations from Sinclair Inlet were within the mid-range 

of locations (Chinook salmon). Mercury concentrations of the 

long-lived and higher trophic-level rockfish in both composites 

and individual specimens from Sinclair Inlet tended to be the 

highest of locations sampled in Puget Sound. 

For a given size, sand sole, graceful crab, staghorn 

sculpin, surf perch, and sea cucumber individuals collected 

from Sinclair Inlet had higher THg concentrations than 

individuals collected from non-urban estuaries. Mercury 

concentrations in English sole and ratfish were not 

significantly different from concentrations in individuals 

of various sizes collected from either urban or non-urban 

estuaries in Puget Sound. Mercury concentrations in English 

sole collected from Sinclair Inlet in 2003 and 2005 after 

the 2000–2001 dredging appear to have lower mercury 

concentrations those collected in 1996 before the dredging 

project. In a 1994 study, mercury concentrations in caged 

mussels deployed throughout Sinclair Inlet were higher than 

that of a reference site (Holmes Harbor, Whidbey Island). In 

contrast, the highest mercury concentrations of mussels caged 

in 2002 were measured not in the Bremerton naval complex, 

but in the Port Orchard Marina and the inner Sinclair Inlet off 

Ross Point. 

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Grady May, Suzanna 

M. Jefferis, and Dwight Leisle, U.S. Navy, Engineering 

Command Northwest Naval Base Kitsap; Robert K. Johnston, 

U.S. Navy, Marine Environmental Support Office; Margaret 

Dutch, Washington State Department of Ecology; Jim West, 

Washington State Department of Fisheries and Wildlife; Jill 

M. Brandenberger, Battelle Marine Science Laboratory of the 

Pacific Northwest National Laboratories; and Paul Johanson, 

URS Corporation, for access to mercury data not previously 

available. Robert Crist and Theresa Olsen, USGS, provided 

graphical and GIS support, respectively, for production of the 

figures. Mark Marvin-DiPasquale, Robin Stewart, Richard J. 

Wagner, and Marijke van Heeswijk, USGS, and Dwight Leisle 

and Robert K. Johnston, U.S. Navy, provided a technical 

review of an earlier manuscript and Debra Grillo, Johanna 

Fabian-Marks and Eavon Mobley provided an editorial review.
References Cited 119

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online November 10, 2009, at http://www.pnl.gov/main/

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Crecelius, E.A., Bothner, M.H., and Carpenter, R., 1975, 

Geochemistries of arsenic, antimony, mercury and related 

elements in sediment of Puget Sound: Environmental 

Science and Technology, v. 9, p. 325-333.

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Guerrero, J., Mille, M., and Brandenberger, J., 2003, 

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Puget Sound, WA, in Georgia Basin Puget Sound Research 

Conference, Vancouver, B.C., Canada, April 2, 2003, 

Proceedings: Olympia, Wash., Puget Sound Partnership, 

paper 6e_crece.

Cullinan,Valerie I., May, C.W., Brandenberger, J.M., Judd, 

Chaeli, and Johnston, R.K., 2007, Development of an 

Empirical Water Quality Model for Stormwater Based on 

Watershed Land-Use in Puget Sound, in Georgia Basin 

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papers/5e_culli.pdf.

Dutch, M., Partridge, V., Aasen, S., and Welch, K., 2005, 

Changes and Trends in Puget Sound Sediment—Results 

of the Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program, 

1989-2000: Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program, 

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Evans-Hamilton, Inc., and D.R. Systems, Inc., 1987, 

Puget Sound Environmental Atlas: Prepared for U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency, Puget Sound Water 

Quality Authority, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; 

Seattle, Wash., Evans-Hamilton, Inc., 2 v.

Gartner, J.W., Prych, E.A., Tate, G.B., Cacchione, D.A., 

Cheng, R.T, Bidlake, W.R., and Ferreria, J.T., 1998, Water 

velocities and the potential for the movement of bed 

sediment in Sinclair Inlet of Puget Sound, Washington: U.S. 

Geological Survey Open-File Report 98-572, 140 p.

Johnston, R.K., Leisle, D.E., Brandenberger, J.M., Steinert, 

S.A., Salazar, Michael, and Salazar, Sandra, 2007, 

Contaminant residues in demersal fish, invetebrates, 

and deployed mussels in selected areas of the Puget 

Sound, WA, in Georgia Basin Puget Sound Research 

Conference, Vancouver, B.C., Canada, March 26-29, 2007, 

Proceedings: Olympia, Wash., Puget Sound Partnership, 

and Vancouver, B.C., Environment Canada, accessed online 

July 13, 2003, at http://www.engr.washington.edu/epp/

psgb/2007psgb/2007proceedings/papers/13e_johns.pdf.

King County Department of Natural Resources, 2001, 

Water quality status report for marine waters, 1999 and 

2000: Seattle, Wash., King County Department of Natural 

Resources, 558 p.
120 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Long, E.D., Hameedi, J., Robertson, A., Dutch, M., Aasen, 

S., Ricci, C., Welch, K., Magoon, S., Carr, R.S., Johnson, 

T., Biedenbach, J., Scott, K.J., Mueller, C., and Anderson, 

J.A., 1999, Sediment quality in Puget Sound, Year 1–

Northern Puget Sound: Olympia, Wash., Washington State 

Department of Ecology, 221 p. and appendixes.

Long, E.D., Dutch, M., Aasen, S.,Welch, K., Magoon, S., Carr, 

R.S., Johnson, T., Biedenbach, J., Scott, K.J., Mueller, C., 

and Anderson, J.A., 2000, Sediment quality in Puget Sound, 

Year 2–Central Puget Sound: Olympia, Wash., Washington 

State Department of Ecology, 343 p.

Long, E.D., Dutch, M., Aasen, S., Welch, K., Hameedi, J., 

Magoon, S., Carr, R.S., Johnson, T., Biedenbach, J., Scott, 

K.J., Mueller, C., and Anderson, J.A., 2002, Sediment 

quality in Puget Sound, Year 3–Southern Puget Sound: 

Olympia, Wash., Washington State Department of Ecology, 

295 p. and appendixes.

Malins, D.C., McCain, B.B., Brown, D.W., Sparks, A.K., 

and Hodgins, H., 1982, Chemical contaminants and 

abnormalities in fish and invertebrates from Puget Sound: 

Boulder, Colo., National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration Technical Memorandum OMPA-19, 168 p.

McLaren, P., 2004, The Sediments of Sinclair Inlet–An 

assessment of progressive change from 1997–8 to 2003: 

Bremerton, Wash., Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and 

Intermediate Maintenance Facility. 

McLaren, P., 2008, The sediments of Sinclair Inlet–An 

assessment of progressive change from 1998 to 2008: 

Bremerton, Wash., Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and 

Intermediate Maintenance Facility.

Paulson, A.J., and Norton, D., 2008, Mercury sedimentation in 

lakes in western Whatcom County, Washington, U.S.A. and 

its relation to local industrial and municipal atmospheric 

sources: Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, v. 189, p. 5-19

SAS, 1990, SAS/STAT User’s Guide (4th ed.): Cary, N.C., 

SAS Institute. 

Tetra Tech, Inc., 1990, Puget Sound ambient monitoring 

program 1989–Marine sediment monitoring program: 

Olympia, Wash., Washington State Department of Ecology. 

URS Consultants, Inc., 1991, Time critical removal action at 

initial assessment study site 2, Remedial Action Report–

November 8, 1991.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1990, Test methods 

for evaluating solid waste, physical/chemical methods (3d 

ed.): Washington, D.C., U.S. Environmental Protections 

Agency, accessed online July 13, 2009, at http://www.epa.

gov/waste/hazard/testmethods/sw846/index.htm.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2000, EPA Superfund 

Record of Decision–Puget Sound Naval Shipyard 

Complex, Bremerton, Washington: Washington, D.C., 

U.S. Environmental Protections Agency, accessed July 13, 

2009, at http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/rods/fulltext/

r1000516.pdf.

U.S. Navy, 1992, Site inspection report, v. 1: Seattle, Wash., 

URS Consultants, 2063 p.

U.S. Navy, 1994a, Data quality assessment historical data, 

Operable Unit B, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, 

Washington: Seattle, Wash., URS Consultants 331 p.

U.S. Navy, 1994b, Phase 1 technical memorandum for the 

remedial investigation and feasibility study (RI/FS) at 

Operable Unit B, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, 

Washington: Seattle, Wash., URS Consultants,243 p.

U.S. Navy, 1995a, Final remedial investigation report 

Operable Unit A–Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, 

Washington, v. 1: Seattle, Wash., URS Consultants, 2433 p.

U.S. Navy, 1995b, Final remedial investigation report, 

Operable Unit NSC Fleet and Industrial Supply Center 

Bremerton, Washington, v. 1: Seattle, Wash., URS 

Consultants, 1956 p.

U.S. Navy, 1998, Final 1997 sampling and analysis report, 

Pier D long-term sediment monitoring program, Puget 

Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington: Seattle, 

Wash., URS Greiner, Inc., 254 p.

U.S. Navy, 1999, Sediment characterization at Puget Sound 

Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington–Phase 1: Bothell, 

Wash., Science Applications International Corporation, 

110 p.

U.S. Navy, 2000, Sediment characterization at Puget Sound 

Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington–Phase 2: Bothell, 

Wash., Science Applications International Corporation, 

77 p.

U.S. Navy, 2002, Final remedial investigation report, Operable 

Unit B, Bremerton naval complex, Bremerton, Washington, 

v. 1: Seattle, Wash., URS Greiner, 1402 p.

U.S. Navy, 2004, Closure report–Enhanced natural recovery 

for Operable Unit B Marine, Confined Aquatic Disposal 

(CAD) Pit BNC Bremerton, Washington: Pasadena, Calif., 

Tetra Tech, Inc., 35 p.

U.S. Navy, 2006a, 2003 Marine monitoring report, OU B 

Marine, BNC Bremerton, Washington: Seattle, Wash., URS 

Group., Inc., 295 p.

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Marine, BNC Bremerton, Washington: Seattle, Wash., URS 

Group., Inc., 272 p.
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U.S. Navy, 2007a, Second five-year review, BNC, Bremerton, 

Washington: Silverdale, Wash., U.S. Navy Naval Facilities 

Engineering Command Northwest, 258 p.

U.S. Navy, 2007b, Sediment transport study and natural 

recovery model report, BNC Bremerton, Washington: 

Seattle, Wash., URS Group., Inc., 224 p.

U.S. Navy, 2008a, 2007 Marine monitoring report OU B 

Marine, BNC Bremerton, Washington: Seattle, Wash., URS 

Group., Inc., 284 p.

U.S. Navy, 2008b, Cycloidal thruster scour analysis 

memorandum, Bremerton naval complex, Bremerton, 

Washington: Pasadena, Calif., Tetra Tech., Inc., 39 p.

Wang, P.F., and Richter, K., 1999, A hydrodynamic modeling 

study using CH3D for Sinclair Inlet: San Diego, Calif., 

SPAWAR Systems Center, 50 p.

West, J., and O’Neill, S., 1998, Persistent pollutants and 

factors affecting their accumulation in rockfishes (Sebastes 

spp.) from Puget Sound, Washington: Olympia, Wash. Puget 

Sound Research Conference, Puget Sound Partnership.

West, J., O’Neill, S., Lippert, G., and Quinnell, S., 2001, 

Toxic contaminants in marine and anadromous fishes from 

Puget Sound, Washington–Results from the Puget Sound 

Ambient Monitoring Program Fish Component, 1989-

1999: Olympia, Wash., Washington Department of Fish and 

Wildlife Technical Report FTP01-14.
122 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

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Appendix A 123

Appendix A. Evaluation of the Quality of Available Data for Marine Sediment, 

Marine Water, and Biota

Quality of Sediment Data

The quality assurance data reported as part of the Site 

Investigation and Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study 

(RI/FS) were of limited usefulness because only the laboratory 

data that were outside of the data quality objectives were 

reported. The numerical values of spike recoveries and outside 

quality control samples were not reported. In most cases, the 

values of field replicates were reported, which allowed for 

calculation of relative percent difference or relative standard 

deviations. 

Site Investigation (1990)

As part of the Site Investigation in 1990, the surface 

sediment (0–4 cm) from 7 sites in Operable Unit (OU) A, 

47 sites in OU B Marine and 7 sites outside of the PSNS 

(fig. 2 and tables B1–B5) were sampled and analyzed for 

THg and total aluminum. The reporting level for THg was 

about 0.12 mg/kg (U.S. Navy, 1994a). The spike recoveries 

of mercury for samples PS06-SD17 and PS06-SD41 were 

less than 25 percent. The relative percent difference (RPD) of 

the THg analyses of samples PS06-SD17 (mean 1.3 mg/kg) 

and PS06-SD46 (mean 0.32 mg/kg) were 24 and 22 percent, 

respectively. Four of the seven samples outside of the BNC 

were less than the reporting level and all mercury results 

for OU A were qualified for holding time exceedances. The 

RPDs for the total aluminum analyses of samples PS06-SD17 

and PS06-SD46 were 6 and 2 percent, respectively. TOC 

content was determined for 14 samples, and total fines 

were determined for 13 of the 14 sites for which TOC was 

determined. Although no field replicates for TOC were 

performed on the 14 marine sediment samples, the overall 

assessment of analysis of TOC was deemed acceptable. In 

summary, RPDs of two field duplicates for THg averaged 

23 percent and THg analyses of OU A samples were qualified 

for holding time exceedances.

Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study

In 1993, mercury was extracted from 46 marine sediment 

samples from OU A by Laucks Laboratory using the TCLP6010 protocol (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 

1990) and the leachate was analyzed by cold-vapor atomic 

absorption spectrometry. No analysis of standard reference 

materials was performed because TCLP extraction does not 

dissolve the entire solid matrix. Four of five matrix spikes 

of TCLP leachates were outside of the quality control limits 

(page H-76 of Appendix H of U.S. Navy, 1995, which is 

p. 1882 in the electronic PDF file of the document) and 

sediment samples were qualified accordingly. Even though 

only 29 percent of the mercury analyses were deemed 

acceptable due to low matrix spike recoveries and values 

below the reporting level, the RPDs of three laboratory 

duplicates and one field duplicate of this weak acid digestion 

were less than 4 percent. 

In 1994, marine sediment samples were collected from 

38 locations in Phase 1 of the RI/FS OU B and analyzed 

for mercury by Southwest Research Institute (SWRI). The 

reporting level was about 0.23 mg/kg, and 18 of the samples 

had unqualified positive results. The reason for the qualified 

data could not be determined in interim reports (U.S. Navy, 

1994b) or the final report (U.S. Navy, 2002). The RPD 

of one sample with a mean mercury concentration of 

0.58 mg/kg was 26 percent. The analytical method of samples 

shown in Section 70.8–70.15 in volume 3 of the RI/FS Report 

(p. 903-910 of volume 3 of the electronic PDF file) seems 

to be mislabeled, and this error is carried over into the Navy 

Database. In Section 70.8 (p. 903 in volume 3 of electronic 

PDF file), the report switches from the 1993 TCLP-6010 

procedure used by Laucks Laboratory to the 1994 analyses of 

SWRI. The TCLP extraction is a selective extraction and does 

not attack the clay matrix of sediment. Therefore, the amounts 

of aluminum yielded by the TCLP extraction performed by 

Laucks Laboratory were low (tens of mg/kg). All of 

the 1994–95 analyses performed by SWRI yielded 

aluminum concentrations that ranged between 7,000 and 

23,000 mg/kg, indicating a strong acid digestion. As part of the 

RI/FS study, metals simultaneously extracted for acid-volatile 

sulfur (SEM-AVS) were measured in four samples listed in 

table A1. In the SEM-AVS procedure, the sediment is digested 

in 10 percent (volume/volume) hydrochloric acid. The 

mercury concentrations released by 10 percent hydrochloric 

acid in the SEM-AVS method were very similar to the results 

of the method shown in Section 70.8–70.15 in volume 3 of the 

RI/FS (table A1), thereby strongly indicating that the method 

used by SWRI was a strong acid digestion yielding THg 

values rather than the TCLP values for the weaker extraction. 

Marine sediment samples with aluminum concentrations 

greater than 5,000 mg/kg listed in Section 70.8–70.15 will be 

assumed to have been digested by a strong acid.
124 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Phase 2 of the RI/FS of OU B (after May 30, 1995) 

included sediment sampling for the core at station 490, the 

surface sediment offshore of OUs A and B (locations 811 

to 816), and three cores between piers (locations 826-828 

in fig. 2). The RPD of one sample with an estimated THg 

concentration of 6.5 mg/kg was 2 percent, and the RPD of 

the second replicate at an estimated THg concentration of 

about 2 mg/kg was 87 percent. The six samples for the cores 

between the piers were qualified because holding times were 

exceeded (appendix R (PDF p. 202) of U.S. Navy, 2002). 

Monitoring of Dredging off NBK Bremeton 

(1994–97)

The quality assurance of the chemical analysis of the 

annual monitoring after the pier navigational dredging 

included blanks and field replicates (U.S. Navy, 1998). The 

two blanks for the 1996 pier monitoring were less than 

the total mercury reporting level of 0.2 mg/kg. The RPD 

of one field duplicate with a mean THg concentration of 

0.73 mg/kg was 6.9 percent, and the RPD of field replicates 

for TOC and total fines were 1.8 and 0.8 percent, respectively. 

The relative standard deviation of triplicate laboratory 

replicates was 2 percent at a total fines value of 25 percent. 

One 1997 processing blank THg was less than the reporting 

level of 0.1 mg/kg. Duplicate analyses of one sample at a THg 

concentration of 0.8 mg/kg were identical within the reporting 

precision of 0.1 mg/kg. The RPDs of measurements of TOC 

and total fines of field duplicates were 3 and 13 percent, 

respectively, and the RPD for replicate laboratory analyses for 

one total fine sample was 27 percent.

Sediment Characterization for Dredging

For sediment in proposed Dredged Material Management 

Units sampled in January 1999 (U.S. Navy, 1999), all 1.2-m 

surface core sections had THg concentrations were above 

the reporting level of about 0.025 mg/kg. One-half of the 

six sub-surface cores were at or below the reporting level. 

The RPD for three field duplicates of THg in surface cores 

ranged between 36 and 51 percent (table A2). One set of the 

subsurface cores collected for field duplicates was below the 

THg reporting level, and the RPD for the second set of field 

duplicate THg measurements for subsurface cores was 46 

percent. For both studies, the authors conclude (U.S. Navy, 

2000), “Overall, the sediment chemistry data results are 

acceptable and useable as qualified.” Horizontal variability 

over the 1.2-m length core probably was the cause of the high 

RPDs. 

Table A1. Comparison of mercury concentrations in different 

samples at four stations from the routine total mercury analysis 

and mercury extracted by strong acid during a special study on 

acid volatile sulfur.

[Mercury is in milligrams per kilogram. Data Source: U.S. Navy, 2000. 

Abbreviations: AVS, acid volatile sulfur; J, qualified data]

Station name Date

Mercury (mg/kg)

Total analysis AVS

special study

451-6W BIASED 05-10-94 0.9 J 1.1 J

453-6W REP 05-09-94 1.3 J 1.4 J

454-6W REP 05-09-94 1.6 J 1.4 J

455-6W REP 05-09-94 1.6 J 1.5 J

Table A2. Results of field replicates of total mercury during 

sediment characterization of Dredged Material Management Units 

in 1999.

[Data source and locations: U.S. Navy, 1999. Abbrevations: RPD, relative 

percent difference; U, below reporting level, NA, not applicable; mg/kg, 

milligrams per kilogram]

Sample 

identification 

number

Total 

mercury 

(mg/kg)

Sample 

identification 

number

Total 

mercury

(mg/kg)

RPD

January 1999 field replicates

S39 0.121 S79 0.084 36

S48 .262 S81 .379 37

S71 .166 S82 .281 51

D1 .83 D9 .517 46

D4 .025 U D10 .026 U NA

October 1999 field replicates

73 0.068 173 0.138 68

DD4-PB-64 .0244 DD4-

PB-164

.0299 20

SS101 .302 SS201 .464 42

Confined Aquatic Disposal Closure and 

Explanation of Significant Difference

No report was written and no quality control samples 

were obtained for the samples collected in June 2000 

before the CAD pit was filled, the two samples in front of 

the smallest dry dock in central PSNS & IMF collected in 

January 2001, and the samples collected around the CAD pit 

after it was covered in August 2001. The U.S. Navy database 

(Grady May, U.S. Navy, written commun., 2007) indicated 

that the two samples collected in front of this dry dock with 

THg concentrations of 1.39 and 7.54 mg/kg were qualified. 

No report was written and no quality control samples 

were obtained for the samples collected in the State Owned 

Aquatic Lands (fig. 2) in June 2003 (Grady May, U.S. Navy, 

written commun., 2007). Unlabeled locations and PCB 

concentrations for these samples are in figure 2-1 of 

U.S. Navy (2004).
Appendix A 125

Long-Term Monitoring Program

Assessment of the quality of sediment data presented in 

reports of the Long-Term Monitoring Program is limited to 

evaluating RPDs of field replicates. In 2003, replicate field 

composites were taken from two 1,500-ft grid cells (table A3), 

six 500-ft grid cells (table A3), one surface CP cell (table A4), 

and one surface section from a CAD pit core (table A4). The 

RPD for mercury of field composites from the 1,500‐ft grid 

cells was 6 percent, and the RPDs for the six field composites 

from 500-ft grid cells ranged from 1 to 50 percent with a 

median RPD of 9 percent. The composite sample with a RPD 

of 50 percent was located in the apron of the CAD pit. The 

RPDs for TOC of field replicates from the 1,500-ft grid cells 

were 1 percent or less, and the RPDs for the six field replicates 

from 500-ft grid cells ranged from 1 to 10 percent with a 

median RPD of 3 percent. The RPDs for total fines of field 

replicates from the 1,500-ft grid cells were 1 percent, and the 

RPDs for the six field replicates from 500-ft grid cells ranged 

from 0.3 to 14 percent with a median RPD of 4 percent. The 

field duplicates with a RPD of 14 percent for total fines was 

collected from 500-ft grid cell 52, which adjacent to the 

shoreline stabilization project. The RPD for THg of duplicates 

from a cell in the apron of the CAD pit (CP10) was 80 percent 

and the RPD of a surface section of the core from the PIT-01 

location was 29 percent. The RPDs for TOC for the CAD pit 

apron and the pit core were also higher (15 and 55 percent, 

respectively) than the composite samples. The field replicate 

for the CAD pit apron was disregarded in the discussion of the 

results. 

In 2005, replicate field composites were taken from 

one 1,500-ft grid cells, four 500-ft grid cells (table A3), two 

surface CP cells, and one surface section from a CAD pit 

core (table A4). The RPDs for the one field composite from 

the 1,500-ft grid cell were 33, 4, and 1 percent for THg, 

TOC, and total fines, respectively. The RPD of the mercury 

concentration for the 0–30 cm section of core PIT-04 was 

55 percent for a mean qualified value of 0.4 mg/kg. The 

RPD for TOC and total fines was less than 0.1 and 2 percent, 

respectively. The asterisk for the 0–1 ft core section of PIT-04 

of table 3-1 (U.S. Navy, 2006b) is missing to indicate an 

average of field duplicates. 

In 2007, replicate field composites were taken from 

two 1,500-ft grid cells, four gird 500-ft cells (table A3), and 

one subsurface section from a CAD pit core (table A4). The 

RPDs for THg of field composites from the 1,500-ft grid 

cells were 1 and 22 percent, and the RPD for the four field 

composites from 500-ft grid cells ranged from 1 to 16 percent 

with a median RPD of 3 percent. The RPDs for TOC of field 

replicates from the 1,500-ft grid cells were 1 and 2 percent 

and the RPD for the six field replicates from 500-ft grid cells 

ranged from 1 to 10 percent with a median RPD of 3 percent. 

The RPDs for total fines of field replicates were generally less 

than 1 percent. The RPD of the THg concentration for the 

30–61 cm section of core PIT-02 was 2 percent for a mean 

qualified value of 0.4 mg/kg. The RPD of total fines was 

70 percent, mainly as a result of a three-fold difference in the 

clay fraction. This difference in the clay fraction probably also 

caused a 35 percent RPD for TOC. The RPD of total solids 

was less than 4 percent.

In general, the RPDs of THg, TOC and total fines from 

the LTMP were acceptable. High RPD differences were 

measured in samples from grid cells with a significant gradient 

in sediment characteristics, such as in cells where the total 

fines were low. 

Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program 

Quality control measures for analysis of sediment 

for THg during 1989–2005 for the Long-Term Temporal 

Monitoring program consisted of matrix spikes, field 

duplicates, and an occasional analysis of standard reference 

material (SRM). In most instances, case narratives provided 

by Margaret Dutch (Washington State Department of Ecology, 

written commun., 2008) only reported results that were 

outside the data quality objectives, which was ±25 percent 

for recovery of mercury matrix spikes and ±35 percent RPD 

for field duplicates. In 1989 and 1993, one of five matrix 

spikes for THg was outside the acceptable range, and in 1992 

mercury was qualified because THg analyses were outside the 

acceptable range. The actual spike recoveries were reported 

for mercury in 1995 and they were 99 percent ±4 percent. In 

1990, recovery of SRM was reported to be ±30 percent of 

the certified value. Throughout most estuaries sampled, THg 

concentrations in 1996 were systematically low, suggesting an 

analytical basis. As a result, the 1996 data were disregarded in 

this study.

Quality control measures for TOC included matrix 

spikes, replicated analyses, blind replicate field analyses, 

and laboratory control standards. In 1989, 20 percent of the 

analyses were outside of the ±25 percent acceptable range for 

matrix spikes and at least one of the four samples in 1990 was 

outside the ±25 percent acceptable range. All matrix spikes 

from 1991 and thereafter were acceptable. The maximum 

coefficients of variance for triplicate analyses in 1991 and 

1992 were 13.3 and 11.2 percent, respectively, and less than 

20 percent thereafter. Reported recoveries of laboratory 

control samples for TOC in 1994 was 99 percent ±1 percent. 

The RPD of field duplicates in some cases approached 

50 percent and was attributed to natural variability. For 

grain size measurements, recovery of solids was generally 

within ±5 percent. In 1990, analyses from some stations were 

qualified. RPD of field blanks was reported to be less than 

35 percent between 1989 and 1993, and less than 20 percent 

thereafter. In 1989, three samples were revalidated and two of 

the three initial values were deemed incorrect.
126 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007 Table A3. Results of field replicates for 500-foot and 1,500-foot grid cells from the Long-Term Monitoring Program. 

[Data Source: U.S Navy, 2006a, 2006b; 2008b. Locations of identification numbers are shown in figures 30 and 31 Bold indicates the average of multiple field duplicates. Fine fraction = clay fraction + silt fraction. Abbreviations: THg, total mercury; RPD, relative percent difference; TOC, total organic carbon; Rep, replicate; cm,. centimeter; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram]

Location

Date

Total mercury 

(mg/kg, dry weight)

Total organic carbon 

(percentage by dry weight) Grain 

size

fraction

Fines 

(percentage by dry weight)

Total solids

(weight percent)

Name Cell number Rep 1 Rep 2 Mean RPD Rep 1 Rep 2 Mean RPD Rep 1 Rep 2 Mean RPD Rep 1 Rep 2 Mean RPD

500-foot Grid

2003

Clay 20.2 12.7

Silt 59.6 69.3

500-G06 06 10-13-03 0.746 0.75 0.748 1 2.55 2.51 2.53 2 Fines 79.8 82 80.9 3

Clay 30.5 31

Silt 56.9 56.8

500-G16 16 10-20-03 .929 .555 .742 50 2.29 2.32 2.305 1 Fines 87.4 87.8 87.6 0.5

Clay 27.1 25.3

Silt 57.2 54.8

500-G25 25 10-27-03 1.2 1.07 1.135 11 2.81 2.73 2.77 3 Fines 84.3 80.1 82.2 5

Clay 27.3 26.6

Silt 64.9 65.9

500-G31 31 10-23-03 .727 .772 .7495 6 2.86 2.89 2.875 1 Fines 92.2 92.5 92.35 0.3

Clay 23.3 20.1

Silt 57 50

500-G52 52 10-24-03 .891 .96 .9255 7 2.27 2.51 2.39 10 Fines 80.3 70.1 75.2 14

Clay 27.3 29.1Silt 52.1 53.2

500-G53 53 10-03-03 .534 .836 .685 44 2.71 2.49 2.6 8 Fines 79.4 82.3 80.85 4

2005

500-G13 13 0.46 0.54 0.50 16 2.8 2.7 2.75 4 Fines 88 89 88.5 1500-G62 62 .69 .57 .63 19 2.9 2.8 2.85 4 Fines 90 84 87 7500-G64 64 1.9 2.1 2.0 10 3.3 3.4 3.35 3 Fines 86 84 85 2600-G66 66 1.2 .69 .95 54 3.9 3.0 3.45 26 Fines 88 86 87 2

2007

Clay 23.3 23.7Silt 68.6 69

500-G09 0.629 0.597 0.613 5 2.72 2.64 2.68 3 Fines 91.9 92.7 92.3 1 32.7 32.6 32.65 0.1
Appendix A

127

Location

Date

Total mercury 

(mg/kg, dry weight)

Total organic carbon 

(percentage by dry weight) Grain 

size

fraction

Fines 

(percentage by dry weight)

Total solids

(weight percent)

Name Cell number Rep 1 Rep 2 Mean RPD Rep 1 Rep 2 Mean RPD Rep 1 Rep 2 Mean RPD Rep 1 Rep 2 Mean RPD

500-foot Grid—Continued

Clay 26.6 22.9

Silt 57.3 61.1

500-G27 27 0.685 0.623 0.654 9 3.72 3.18 3.45 16 Fines 83.9 84 83.95 0 32.4 32.8 32.6 1

Clay 12.6 12

Silt 15.4 15.9

500-G46 46 .2 .202 .201 1 1.3 1.22 1.26 6 Fines 28 27.9 27.95 0 56.6 58.7 57.65 4

Clay 31.2 32.2

Silt 48.9 49.1

500-52 52 .717 .705 .711 2 2.81 2.89 2.85 3 Fines 80.1 81.3 80.7 1 34 34.9 34.45 3

1,500-foot Grid

2003

Clay 27.6 27.6

Silt 57.3 58.1

1500-G14 14 0.868 0.816 0.842 6 3.51 3.55 3.53 1 Fines 84.9 85.7 85.3 1

Clay 26.9 23.4

Silt 67.5 71.8

1500-G22 22 .661 .62 .641 6 2.74 2.73 2.735 0.4 Fines 94.4 95.2 94.8 1

2005

Clay 29.8 27.2Silt 52.9 56.1

1500-G14 14 0.6 0.43 0.515 33 2.59 2.69 2.64 4 Fines 82.7 83.3 83 11500-G31 31 .43 .6 .515 33 2.7 2.6 2.65 4 Fines 83 83 I

2007

Clay 32.6 34.4Silt 57 56.3

1500-G11 11 0.697 0.705 0.701 1 3.63 3.65 3.640 1 Fines 89.6 90.7 90.15 1 23.8 24 23.9 1

Clay 28.5 26.4Silt 60.7 57.6

1500-G15 .692 .864 .778 22 4.02 3.94 3.980 2 Fines 89.2 84 86.6 6 25.9 26.2 26.05 1

Table A3. Results of field replicates for 500-foot and 1,500-foot grid cells from the Long-Term Monitoring Program.—Continued [Data Source: U.S Navy, 2006a, 2006b; 2008b. Locations of identification numbers are shown in figures 30 and 31 Bold indicates the average of multiple field duplicates. Fine fraction = clay fraction + silt fraction. Abbreviations: THg, total mercury; RPD, relative percent difference; TOC, total organic carbon; Rep, replicate; cm,. centimeter; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram]
128 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007 Table A4. Results of field replicates for the Confined Aquatic Disposal pit cores and apron cells from the Long-Term Monitoring Program. 

[Data Source: U.S Navy, 2006a, 2006b. Location of CP cells shown in figure 20. Abbreviations: Rep, replicate; RPD, relative percent difference; TOC, total organic carbon; NA, indicates point does not fall within grid boundaries; cm,. centimeter; ft, foot; THg, total mercury; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; I indicates replicates are identical to number of digits in the reporting level; J, estimated positive value; >, greater than]

Location

Date

Depth 

interval 

(cm)

500-ft 

grid 

cell

1,500-ft 

grid cell

Total mercury 

(mg/kg, dry weight) 

Total organic carbon 

(percentage by dry weight) Grain 

size 

fraction

Total fines 

(percentage by dry weight)

Name

Identification 

number

Rep 1 Rep 2 Mean RPD Rep 1 Rep 2 Mean RPD Rep 1 Rep 2 Mean RPD

2003

Clay 25.9 25.4

Silt 57.3 56

10 CP 2110 10-01-03 0-10 16 NA 0.272 0.636 0.454 80 2.24 2.61 2.425 15 Fines 83.2 81.4 82.3 2

Clay 1.84 1.93Silt 3.54 2.98

PIT-01 2333 10-10-03 21-55 NA NA .1 .075 .0875 29 .20 .35 .275 55 Fines 5.38 4.91 5.1 9

2005

Clay 17.9 19.7

Silt 37.8 37.2

4 CP 2104 05-17-05 0-10 10 NA 0.48 0.51 0.50 6 1.43 1.59 1.51 11 Fines 55.7 56.9 56.3 2

Clay 21.6 21.6Silt 66.8 68.6

15 CP 2115 05-18-05 0-10 20 NA .63 .57 .60 10 2.55 2.53 2.54 1 Fines 88.4 90.2 89.3 2

Clay 37.2 37.7Silt 56.7 54.3

PIT-04 2336 06-08-05 0-61 NA NA .51 J .29 J .4 J 55 J 2.5 2.49 2.50 > 0.1 Fines 93.9 92 93.0 2

2007

Clay 22.9 7.31

Silt 7.58 7.42

PIT-02 2334 05-23-07 30-61 NA NA 0.092 0.094 0.093 2 0.53 0.76 0.645 36 Fines 30.48 14.73 22.6 70
Appendix A 129

ENVironmental InVESTment (ENVVEST) Cores 

and Settling Particles

Assessment of the quality of mercury analysis of 

sediment cores taken by ENVVEST in 2002 was based on 

laboratory blanks, laboratory control samples, analyses of 

standard reference materials, matrix spikes, and laboratory 

replicates (Battelle Marine Sciences Laboratory, QA/QC 

narrative for MVS Sediment Confirmatory Analyses Project, 

written commun., 2004). The values from seven procedural 

blanks resulted in a THg reporting level of 0.006 mg/kg. 

Six of the seven laboratory control samples spiked at a THg 

concentration of 1 mg/kg ranged between 94 and 102 percent 

recovery, but the THg recovery of one laboratory control 

sample was only 60 percent. The relative percent difference 

from the analysis of seven samples of the standard reference 

material MESS-3 (certified THg value of 0.091 mg/kg) 

ranged between 1 and 10 percent, and had a median relative 

percentage difference from the certified value of 3 percent. 

The relative percent difference from the certified value of 

seven analyses of the higher concentration PACS-3 (certified 

THg value of 3.04 mg/kg) ranged between 1 and 4 percent, 

and had a median of 2 percent. The recovery of THg spikes 

(spiked with about 0.95 mg/kg) added to four Sinclair Inlet 

samples that ranged in concentration between 0.045 and 

1.46 mg/kg ranged between 94 and 116 percent, and had a 

median RPD of duplicate spike recoveries of 8 percent. The 

RPDs of the four laboratory replicate spikes samples were 

between 1 and 7 percent. Except for the samples associated 

with the 60 percent recovery of the laboratory control sample, 

the accuracy and precision of the analyses were less than 

15 percent. 

Quality of Water Data

The quality control data for the THg analyses by the 

cold vapor-atomic fluorescence spectrometry analysis 

from four stations (KSS02, ADMIRALC14, KSBP01, and 

COLVOSPASS)in seawater from four stations (KSS02, 

ADMIRALC14, KSBP01, and COLVOSPASS) performed 

by Frontier Geosciences, Inc. (Seattle, Wash.) between 

June 1999 and June 2000 (King County Department of 

Natural Resources, 2001) included reagent, filter and method 

blanks, duplicate matrix spikes and analysis of standard 

reference materials (Colin Elliott, King County Department 

of Natural Resources, written commun., 2008). For each of 

the 13 months of sampling, the minimum detection limit 

was estimated by three standard deviations of the replicate 

reagent blanks, with the number of analyses ranging from 3 

to 15. The median minimum detection limit was 0.075 ng/L; 

however, the analyses from November 1999 to January 2000 

seemed to suffer from random contamination resulting in the 

minimum detection limits exceeding 0.1 ng/L. The amounts 

of THg gained when filtering blank water were generally less 

than 0.1 ng/L for filtering blanks performed from June 1999 

to November 1999. For the sampling between December 1999 

and June 2000, the THg concentration of the distilled blank 

water that was filtered was greater than 0.12 ng/L, which 

resulted in a change in total THg concentrations ranging from 

a loss of 0.412 ng/L during filtration to a gain of 0.082 ng/L. 

For the other four filtering blanks between December 1999 

and June 2000, for which the THg concentration of the 

distilled blank water was less than 0.12 ng/L, the change in 

THg concentration ranged from a loss of 0.05 ng/L to a gain 

of 0.14 ng/L. The method blank for THg ranged from 0.01 to 

0.17 ng/L in 10 out of the 13 sampling periods, and was used 

to correct laboratory values. For August and September 1999 

and April 2000, the mean THg method blanks ranged from 

0.27 to 0.33 ng/L, which were comparable to the THg 

concentrations reported for Puget Sound water. The August 

data was not blank corrected because it was determined that 

the high THg method blank was limited to distilled blank 

water used in the method blank. For September 1999 and 

April 2000, quality control documents do not mention any 

corrective action concerning the method blanks and the 

reported concentrations are similar to concentrations from 

other months. For the four stations listed in table 6, the median 

recovery of 47 duplicate analyses of Puget Sound Seawater 

samples spiked with THg at a concentration of about 2 ng/L 

(matrix spike) was 97 percent (range from 75 to 117 percent). 

The mean RPD of the duplicate matrix spikes was 4.5 percent 

(ranged from 0 percent (identical values to 0.01 ng/L) to 

24 percent). From June 1999 to February 2000, a digest 

of the Dogfish muscle SRM DORM-2 (National Research 

Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) was analyzed 

33 times for THg resulting in a median recovery of 92 percent 

(± 3.8 percent) and a range between 85 and 101 percent. 

From March to June 2000, the SRM 1641d (mercury in water, 

National Institute of Science and Technology, Gaithersburg, 

MD) diluted to 4,640 ng/L (March 2000) and 1,590 ng/L 

(April to June 2000) was analyzed 16 times with a median 

THg recovery of 101 percent (± 7.9 percent) and recoveries 

ranging from 86 to 118 percent.

The quality of the cold vapor-atomic fluorescence 

spectrometry analysis of THg in seawater in Sinclair Inlet 

and outside its boundary by the ENVironmental inVEStment 

(ENVVEST) program collected between 2002 and 2005 was 

good. The laboratory blank was 0.17 ng/L for THg, and three 

methods blanks were below this THg reporting level. The 

mean recoveries of a THg spike at about a concentration of 

5 ng/L to a 0.4 ng/L blank was 97 percent, and had a range 

between 81 and 111 percent. For the analyses outside the 

boundary of the Sinclair Inlet Study area, the THg recovery 

of a 10 ng/L spike to the 1.22 ng/L seawater matrix was 

102 percent, and had a RPD of 1 percent. For the analyses 

of samples in Sinclair Inlet, the recovery of a 19 ng/L spike 

to the 1.3 ng/L seawater matrix was 114 percent and had a 

RPD of 8 percent. The THg recovery of a 1,590,000 ng/L 

(±18 percent) standard reference material SRM 1641 ranged 

between 88 and 111 percent. 
130 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Quality of Biota Data 

English Sole

English sole specimens were collected between July 11 

and 14, 1994 during Phase 2 of the RI/FS and analyzed for 

mercury by the normal level Inductively-coupled Plasma 

spectrometric method. All values were qualified in the final 

report (U.S. Navy, 2002). 

Sea Cucumber

Of the 35 individual and composite samples analyzed 

for mercury in the RI/FS (U.S. Navy, 2002), 26 samples 

were below the reporting level, 7 results were qualified and 

2 samples were acceptable. 

Individual Specimens, 2003, 2005, 2007

The quality control samples for individual specimens 

collected by the Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program 

and analyzed by ENVVEST (Brandenberger and others, 

2006a) included procedural blanks, laboratory control 

samples, matrix spikes and matrix spike duplicates, laboratory 

replicates, and analyses of standard reference materials. In 

2003, four blank samples had THg concentrations below 

the reporting level of 0.005 mg/kg. Recoveries of two blank 

samples spiked with THg corresponding to a concentration 

of 2 mg/kg were near 100 percent and two others at 76 and 

56 percent. The recoveries of four matrix samples spiked at a 

THg corresponding to a concentration of 2 mg/kg were within 

10 percent of the expected values. The RPD of the duplicates 

of matrix spikes were less than 5 percent and the RPD of four 

laboratory duplicates ranged between 7 and 12 percent. The 

recovery of four aliquots of Dogfish Muscle SRM DORM2 

(certified THg value of 4.64 ± 0.26 mg/kg) ranged between 96 

to 97 percent. 

Analyses of five procedural blanks in 2007 resulted in 

a THg reporting level of 0.002 mg/kg dry weight. The 

recovery of five laboratory control samples ranged between 

100 and 109 percent, and had a median recovery of 

106 percent. Five matrix spikes at THg concentrations of 

about 5 mg/kg dry weight ranged between 99 and 103 percent 

and had a median value of 99 percent. The RPD for the 

five matrix spikes were 1 percent or less. The RPD of five 

laboratory duplicate analyses ranged between 2 and 15 percent 

and had a median RPD of 4 percent. The recoveries of five 

analyses of the Dogfish Muscle SRM DORM2 ranged between 

101 and 103 percent. 

In 2007, the THg concentrations of five of six 

blanks were within 0.001 mg/kg of the reporting level of 

0.005 mg/kg and the sixth blank had a THg concentration of 

0.0161 mg/kg. Blank recoveries ranged from 78 to 103 percent 

and the recoveries of four matrix samples spiked at a THg 

concentration of about 2 mg/kg ranged from 94 to 106 percent. 

RPDs of matrix spikes were 3 percent or less. The RPDs of 

16 laboratory duplicates ranged between 1 and 7 percent with 

the highest RPD of 20 percent from a Hood Canal ratfish 

(mean THg concentration of 0.331 mg/kg). Recoveries of six 

samples of Dogfish Muscle SRM DORM2 ranged between 86 

and 94 percent.

Caged Mussel Studies

All mercury concentrations of mussels for the 1994 RI/

FS study were within one significant unit of the reporting level 

of 0.01 mg/kg (U.S. Navy, 2002).

The THg concentration of procedural blank for the 

2005 ENVVEST caged mussel study ranged between 0.002 

and 0.004 mg/kg dry weight. Laboratory controls with THg 

concentrations of about 5 mg/kg dry weight were within 

5 percent of expected values, and recoveries of matrix spikes 

at THg concentrations corresponding to 5 mg/kg dry weight 

were within 3 percent of expected values. The RPDs of 

two samples with mean THg concentrations of 0.043 and 

0.106 mg/kg dry weight were 1 percent. The recoveries of 

two analyses of oyster tissue (SRM1566b with certified THg 

value of 0.0371 mg/kg dry weight) were 107 and 114 percent 

(Brandenberger and others, 2006b).

The differences in mercury concentrations among the 

replicates at some of the sites seem to trend with the relative 

vertical position of each cage (fig. A1). For instance, the 

THg concentration of the composite of the mussels caged in 

the bottom cage at the Sinclair Inlet Ross Point site (SIRP in 

fig. 1C) was 26 percent higher than that mussels deployed in 

the top cage. THg concentrations often are correlated with 

biological metrics. A possible reason for the differences in 

THg concentration could be that the bottom cage is closer to 

the bottom sediment and the mussels in the bottom cage grew 

faster and larger. Unlike the caged mussel experiment from the 

RI/FS, the corresponding weight/length data for the mussels 

recovered by ENVVEST that made up each composite are not 

available to test this hypothesis. 
Appendix A 131

watac09-0206_figApp.A01

Bottom Middle Top

0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

TOTAL MERCURY, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT 

Port Orchard Passage

Ostrich Bay

Port Orchard Marina

Ross Point

PSNS Controlled Industrial Area

Bremerton naval complex

LOCATION

CAGE POSITION

Figure A1. Mercury concentrations in mussels caged in 2002 as a function of vertical 

position. 
132 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Appendix A: References Cited

Brandenberger, J.M., Suslick, C.R., and Johnston, R.K., 

2006a, Biological sampling and analysis in Sinclair and 

Dyes Inlets, Washington—Chemical analyses for 2005 

Puget Sound biota study: Pacific Northwest National 

Laboratory, PNNL 15834, 125 p., accessed online July 13, 

2009, at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/tmdl/sinclairdyes_inlets/sinclair_cd/DATA/2005_Data/BIOTA/

Brandenberger, J.M., Suslick, C.R., and Johnston, R.K., 

2006b, Biological sampling and analysis in Sinclair and 

Dyes Inlets, Washington—Chemical analyses for the caged 

mussel study: Richland, Wash., Pacific Northwest National 

Laboratory, PNNL-15835, 122 p., accessed online July 13, 

2009, at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/tmdl/sinclairdyes_inlets/sinclair_cd/DATA/2005_Data/BIOTA/

King County Department of Natural Resources, 2001, 

Water quality status report for marine waters, 1999 and 

2000: Seattle, Wash., King County Department of Natural 

Resources, 558 p.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1990, Test Methods 

for Evaluating Solid Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods 

(3d ed.): U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Report 

SW-846.

U.S. Navy, 1994a, Data Quality Assessment Historical Data, 

Operable Unit B, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Bremerton, 

Washington: Seattle, Wash., URS Team 331 p.

U.S. Navy, 1994b, Phase 1 Technical Memorandum for the 

Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study (RI/FS) at 

Operable Unit B, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, 

Washington: Seattle, Wash., URS Consultants, 243 p.

U.S. Navy, 1995, Final Remedial Investigation Report, 

Operable Unit A. Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, 

Washington, v. 1: Seattle, Wash., URS Team, 2433 p.

U.S. Navy, 1998, Final 1997 Sampling and Analysis Report, 

Pier D Long-Term Sediment Monitoring Program, Puget 

Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington: Seattle, 

Wash., URS Greiner, Inc., 254 p.

U.S. Navy,1999, Sediment Characterization at Puget Sound 

Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington- Phase 1: Bothell, 

Wash., Science Applications International Corporation, 

110 p.

U.S. Navy, 2000, Sediment Characterization at Puget Sound 

Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington–Phase 2: Bothell, 

Wash., Science Applications International Corporation, 

77 p.

U.S. Navy, 2002, Final Remedial Investigation Report, 

Operable Unit B, BNC, Bremerton, Washington, v. 1: 

Seattle, Wash., URS Grier 1402 p.

U.S. Navy, 2004, Closure report–Enhanced natural recovery 

for Operable Unit B Marine, Confined Aquatic Disposal 

(CAD) Pit BNC Bremerton, Washington: Pasadena, Calif., 

Tetra Tech, Inc., 35 p.

U.S. Navy, 2006a, 2003 Marine Monitoring Report, OU B 

Marine, BNC Bremerton, Washington: Seattle, Wash., URS 

Group., Inc., 295 p.

U.S. Navy, 2006b, 2005 Marine Monitoring Report, OU B 

Marine, BNC Bremerton, Washington: Seattle, Wash., URS 

Group, Inc., 272 p.

U.S. Navy, 2008, 2007 Marine Monitoring Report, OU B 

Marine, BNC Bremerton, Washington, Seattle, Wash., URS 

Group.
Appendix B 133

Appendix B. Listings of Sediment Data Examined 

Table B1. Concentrations of total mercury and total aluminum and percentage of total organic 

carbon and total fines from marine surface sediment (0–4 cm) outside of Operable Unit B Marine of the 

Bremerton naval complex, Washington, from the 1990 Site Investigation.

[Data Source: U.S. Navy, 1992. Location number in figures 1B and 1C. Mercury qualifier: A, acceptable; U, Not detected. 

Abbreviations: NA, indicates point does not fall within grid boundaries; –, data not available; cm, centimeter; mg/kg, 

milligrams per kilogram; no., number]

Location

Date

Depth

interval

(cm)

1,500-

foot grid 

cell no.

Total 

mercury

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

Mercury 

qualifier

Total 

aluminum

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

Total organic 

carbon

(percentage by 

dry weight)

Name Number

PS06-SD48 148 11-29-90 0-4 10 1.4 A 22,000 4.00

PS06-SD49 149 11-29-90 0-4 6 1 A 22,500 –

PS06-SD50 150 11-29-90 0-4 3 .12 U 10,200 –

PS06-SD51 151 12-07-90 0-4 NA .13 U 7,730 1.00

PS06-SD52 152 12-07-90 0-4 NA .14 U 7,600 –

PS06-SD53 153 12-07-90 0-4 NA .13 U 7,130 –
134 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007 Table B2. Concentrations of total mercury and total aluminum and percentage of total organic carbon, and total fines from marine surface sediment (0–4 cm) in Operable Unit B Marine off Operable Unit A and Operable Unit B Terrestrial of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, from the 1990 Site Investigation.

[Data Source: U.S. Navy, 1992. Location number on figures 1

C and 2. Abbreviations: NA, indicates point does not fall within grid boundaries; –, data not available; cm, centimeter; mg/kg, milligrams per 

kilogram; no., number]

Location

Date

Depth 

interval

(cm)

Remediation type

Grid Total 

mercury

(mg/kg. dry 

weight)

Total 

aluminum

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

Total organic 

carbon

(percentage

by dry weight)

Total fines

(percentage

by dry weight) Name Number 500-foot cell no. 1,500-foot cell no.

Off Operable Unit A

PS03-SD01 249 12-10-90 0-4 Not remediated 24 NA 1.3 21,700 – –

PS03-SD02 250 12-10-90 0-4 Thin-layer cap (enhanced natural recovery) 24 NA 0.79 13,400 – –

PS03-SD03 251 12-10-90 0-4 Not remediated 21 NA 1.1 22,500 – –

PS03-SD04 252 12-10-90 0-4 Thick layer cap NA NA 5.2 11,600 – –

PS03-SD05 253 12-10-90 0-4 Thin-layer cap (enhanced natural recovery) 21 NA 1.9 19,200 – –

PS03-SD06 254 11-29-90 0-4 Thin-layer cap (enhanced natural recovery) 21 NA 1.9 21,100 – –PS03-SD07 255 11-29-90 0-4 Not remediated 22 NA 1.1 22,000 3.0 –

Off Operable Unit B Terrestrial

PS06-SD01 101 12-10-90 0-4 Thin-layer cap (enhanced natural recovery) 19 NA 0.34 10,600 – –

PS06-SD02 102 12-10-90 0-4 Pit apron 16 NA 0.95 19,700 – –

PS06-SD02 102 12-12-90 0-4 Pit apron 16 NA 1.7 13,600 3.2 96PS06-SD03 103 12-10-90 0-4 Pit apron 19 NA 0.5 14,900 – –

PS06-SD04 104 12-10-90 0-4 Not remediated 22 NA 1.2 21,600 – –

PS06-SD05 105 12-10-90 0-4 Not remediated 26 NA 1.2 22,400 3 97PS06-SD06 106 11-30-90 0-4 Not remediated 28 NA 1.6 18,200 – –PS06-SD07 107 11-30-90 0-4 Not remediated 29 NA 1.3 19,600 – –PS06-SD08 108 11-30-90 0-4 Not remediated 30 NA 0.86 18,100 – –PS06-SD09 109 11-30-90 0-4 Not remediated 34 NA 1.7 18,900 – –PS06-SD10 110 11-30-90 0-4 Not remediated 39 NA 2.9 13,200 – –PS06-SD11 111 11-30-90 0-4 Berth navigation dredging 30 NA 1.1 20,400 – –PS06-SD12 112 12-04-90 0-4 Berth navigation dredging 40 NA 1.2 19,700 3.5 92

PS06-SD13 113 12-04-90 0-4 Not remediated 31 NA 0.95 21,300 – –

PS06-SD14 114 12-04-90 0-4 Berth navigation dredging 35 NA 0.88 19,400 – –PS06-SD16 116 12-04-90 0-4 Not remediated 36 NA 0.93 20,100 – –PS06-SD17 117 12-05-90 0-4 Not remediated 41 NA 1.4 21,300 – –PS06-SD18 118 12-05-90 0-4 Not remediated 36 NA 0.88 21,200 3.7 92

PS06-SD19 119 12-05-90 0-4 Not remediated 42 NA 0.96 19,500 – –PS06-SD20 120 12-05-90 0-4 Not remediated 0 NA 1.1 15,700 – –

PS06-SD21 121 12-05-90 0-4 Berth navigation dredging 37 NA 0.56 17,500 – –

PS06-SD22 122 12-05-90 0-4 Berth navigation dredging 45 NA 0.45 15,700 3.1 37PS06-SD23 123 12-05-90 0-4 Not remediated 38 NA 0.33 16,800 – –

PS06-SD24 124 12-05-90 0-4 Not remediated 46 NA 0.36 15,100 – –
Appendix B

135

Location

Date

Depth 

interval

(cm)

Remediation type

Grid Total 

mercury

(mg/kg. dry 

weight)

Total 

aluminum

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

Total organic 

carbon

(percentage

by dry weight)

Total fines

(percentage

by dry weight) Name Number 500-foot cell no. 1,500-foot cell no.

Off Operable Unit B Terrestrial—Continued

PS06-SD25 125 12-05-90 0-4 Not remediated 46 NA 0.41 19,100 – –

PS06-SD26 126 12-05-90 0-4 Not remediated 50 NA 0.53 2,2700 – –

PS06-SD27 127 12-05-90 0-4 Not remediated 48 27 0.65 19,200 – –

PS06-SD28 128 12-05-90 0-4 Not remediated 50 NA 0.72 21,000 – –

PS06-SD29 129 12-05-90 0-4 CERCLA dredging 55 NA 0.58 16,200 2.9 54PS06-SD30 130 12-06-90 0-4 Not remediated 51 27 0.41 20,000 3.4 93PS06-SD31 131 12-06-90 0-4 Not remediated 53 27 2.3 19,800 – –

PS06-SD32 132 12-06-90 0-4 CERCLA dredging 56 NA 1.2 16,800 – –

PS06-SD33 133 12-06-90 0-4 Berth navigation dredging NA NA 0.68 20,200 – –

PS06-SD34 134 12-06-90 0-4 Not remediated 57 NA 0.97 20,400 – –

PS06-SD35 135 12-06-90 0-4 Not remediated 59 NA 1.2 18,600 3.8 83PS06-SD36 136 12-06-90 0-4 Not remediated 58 NA 0.95 20,500 – –

PS06-SD37 137 12-06-90 0-4 Not remediated 60 NA 2.4 14,300 – –

PS06-SD38 138 12-06-90 0-4 CERCLA dredging 64 NA 3.2 18,800 – –

PS06-SD39 139 12-06-90 0-4 Not remediated 58 NA 0.55 17,900 – –

PS06-SD40 140 12-06-90 0-4 Not remediated 61 NA 0.54 15,500 – –

PS06-SD41 141 12-06-90 0-4 Not remediated 64 NA 0.88 21,500 4.5 81PS06-SD42 142 12-06-90 0-4 Not remediated 66 NA 0.84 19,800 – –

PS06-SD43 143 12-07-90 0-4 Not remediated 68 NA 2.3 20,100 3.7 83PS06-SD44 144 12-07-90 0-4 Not remediated 69 32 0.77 15,800 – –

PS06-SD45 145 12-07-90 0-4 Not remediated 70 32 0.77 21,300 3.8 85

PS06-SD46 146 12-07-90 0-4 Not remediated 71 32 0.28 8,740 – –

PS06-SD47 147 12-07-90 0-4 Not remediated 71 32 0.15 7,970 – –

PS06-SD54 154 11-29-90 0-4 Not remediated 1 NA 1.2 20,700 – –

Table B2. Concentrations of total mercury and total aluminum and percentage of total organic carbon, and total fines from marine surface sediment (0–4 cm) in Operable Unit B Marine off Operable Unit A and Operable Unit B Terrestrial of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, from the 1990 Site Investigation.—Continued.[Data Source: U.S. Navy, 1992. Location number on figures 1C and 2. Abbreviations: NA, indicates point does not fall within grid boundaries; –, data not available; cm, centimeter; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; no., number]
136 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007 Table B3. Concentrations of total mercury and percentage of total organic carbon, total fines, and solids from marine surface (0–5 cm) and subsurface (to 60 cm) sediment in Operable Unit A (MS213 to MS223, and MS228) of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington.

[Data Source: U.S. Navy, 1995a. Location number on figures 1

C and 2. Bold indicates the average of multiple field duplicates. Abbreviations:TCLP, Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure; NA, indicates 

point does not fall within grid boundaries; cm, centimeter; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; no., number]

Location

Date

Depth 

interval

(cm)

Remediation type

Grid Mercury

(TCLP)

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

Total organic 

carbon

(percentage

by dry weight)

Total 

fines

(percentage

by dry weight) 

Solids

(weight 

percent) Name Number 500-foot cell no. 1,500-foot cell no.

MS213 213 06-02-93 0-5 Thick layer cap NA NA 2.1 7.9 37 40.6

MS213 213 06-02-93 5-40 Thick layer cap NA NA 12.3 4.2 43 58.3

MS214 214 06-02-93 0-5 Thick layer cap 21 NA 1.7 4.4 68 36.5

MS214 214 06-02-93 5-15 Thick layer cap 21 NA 3.5 6.6 73 39.9

MS215 215 06-02-93 0-5 Thin-layer cap (enhanced natural recovery) 24 NA .65 5.9 31 52.9

MS215 215 06-02-93 5-15 Thin-layer cap (enhanced natural recovery) 24 NA .86 4.3 59 46.64

MS216 216 06-03-93 0-5 Not remediated 24 NA .561 2.5 18 57.7

MS216 216 06-03-93 5-14 Not remediated 24 NA .9 7.2 43 44.4

MS217 217 06-03-93 0-5 Not remediated NA NA 1.2 6.7 69 33.8

MS217 217 06-03-93 5-16 Not remediated NA NA 1.3 5.9 87 33.3

MS218 218 05-28-93 0-5 Not remediated 24 NA 1.3 4.0 79 32.5

MS218 218 06-03-93 5-16 Not remediated 24 NA 1.5 6.5 86 33

MS219 219 06-01-93 0-5 Thin-layer cap (enhanced natural recovery) 21 NA 1.6 7.8 88 33

MS219 219 06-01-93 5-25 Thin-layer cap (enhanced natural recovery) 21 NA 7.1 5.9 81 43.5

MS219 219 06-01-93 25-60 Thin-layer cap (enhanced natural recovery) 21 NA 2.2 7.2 90 45.2

MS220 220 06-01-93 0-5 Thin-layer cap (enhanced natural recovery) 21 NA .42 3.8 72 36.9

MS220 220 06-01-93 5-25 Thin-layer cap (enhanced natural recovery) 21 NA .33 4.5 64 47.7

MS220 220 06-01-93 25-60 Thin-layer cap (enhanced natural recovery) 21 NA .86 4.4 71 53.2

MS221 221 05-28-93 0-5 Thin-layer cap (enhanced natural recovery) 21 NA 1.2 4.9 91 29.5

MS221 221 05-28-93 5-25 Thin-layer cap (enhanced natural recovery) 21 NA 4.3 4.9 92 37

MS221 221 05-28-93 25-60 Thin-layer cap (enhanced natural recovery) 21 NA .24 3.0 88 42.9

MS222 222 05-28-93 0-5 Not remediated 24 NA 1.4 3.5 84 31.5

MS222 222 05-28-93 5-25 Not remediated 24 NA 4.9 3.5 86 38.4

MS222 222 05-28-93 25-60 Not remediated 24 NA .57 2.4 87 42.8

MS223 223 05-27-93 0-5 Not remediated 22 NA 1.28 3.2 95 32.5

MS223 223 05-27-93 5-25 Not remediated 22 NA 1.6 3.1 96 37.6

MS223 223 05-27-93 25-60 Not remediated 22 NA 2.00 2.9 99 37.2

ST-48 228 06-01-93 0-5 Not remediated NA 10 1.1 6.0 93 31.4

ST-48 228 06-01-93 5-25 Not remediated NA 10 .7 4.0 92 39

ST-48 228 06-01-93 25-60 Not remediated NA 10 .19 4.3 95 44.25
Appendix B

137

Table B4. Concentrations of total mercury and total aluminum and percentage of total organic carbon and total fines from marine surface (0–10 cm) sediment collected in 1994 outside of the Bremerton naval complex within Sinclair Inlet, Washington (non sequential locations 463–493) and in 1995 outside of the Bremerton naval complex (non sequential locations 801–811), and from sites outside of Sinclair Inlet including Holmes Harbor (locations 449–450 and 476–477) and near Raft Inland, Carr Inlet, south Puget Sound (location 822) reported in the Operable Unit B Marine Remedial Investigation.[Data Source: U.S. Navy, 2002. Location number on figures 1C and 2. Bold indicates the average of multiple field duplicates. Abbreviations: NA, indicates point does not fall within grid boundaries; 

cm, centimeter; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; no., number]

Location

Date

Depth 

interval

(cm)

Remediation type

Grid Total

mercury

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

Total 

aluminum

(mg/kg, dry 

weight) 

Total 

organic

carbon

(percentage

by dry weight) 

Total fines

(percentage

by dry weight) Name Number 500-foot cell no. 1,500-foot cell no.

Outside OU B Marine in Sinclair Inlet

466-SINC-A-SYS 466 05-11-94 0-10 Not remediated NA 13 .86 – 3.3 89

467- SINC-A-SYS 467 05-12-94 0-10 Not remediated 9 NA .91 21,100 2.19 91

468-SINC-B-SYS 468 05-16-94 0-10 Not remediated NA 20 1.2 22,200 3.3 91

469-SINC-B-SYS 469 05-16-94 0-10 Not remediated NA NA 1.1 17,200 3.205 89

470-SINC-B-SYS 470 05-16-94 0-10 Not remediated NA 17 1 18,300 2.815 90

471-SINC-B-SYS 471 05-16-94 0-10 Turning navigation dredging NA 21 .99 17,400 3.05 87

472-SINC-C-SYS 472 05-19-94 0-10 Not remediated NA 27 .01 15,100 3.765 67

473-SINC-C-SYS 473 05-19-94 0-10 Not remediated NA 31 1.2 15,200 3.08 74

474- SINC-C-SYS 474 05-18-94 0-10 Not remediated NA 27 .575 13,300 3.29 73

475-SINC-C-SYS 475 05-19-94 0-10 Not remediated NA 31 .7 13,600 2.70 70

479-BIASED 479 05-16-94 0-10 Not remediated NA 17 1.7 17,600 2.98 92

482- SINC-C-SYS 482 05-18-94 0-10 Not remediated NA 24 .93 15,300 2.275 82

484-SINC-C-SYS 484 05-20-94 0-10 Not remediated NA 31 1.1 11,300 2.195 52

485- SINC-C-SYS 485 05-20-94 0-10 Not remediated NA 31 .55 13,900 2.31 67

486- DD6 BIASED 486 05-02-94 0-10 Not remediated NA NA .14 11,300 1.21 14

487- DD6 BIASED 487 05-02-94 0-10 Not remediated NA NA .19 13,700 1.74 33

493- DD6 BIASED 493 05-02-94 0-10 Not remediated NA NA .23 11,500 1.38 29

94 816 09-19-95 0-10 Not remediated NA NA .24 – 1.41 40

95 815 09-19-95 0-10 Not remediated NA NA .42 – 1.6 51

1996 814 09-19-95 0-10 Not remediated NA 25 .27 – .814 21

1997 813 09-18-95 0-10 Not remediated NA 18 1.3 – 3.5 90

1998 812 09-18-95 0-10 Not remediated NA 10 1.1 – 3.73 93

1999 811 09-18-95 0-10 Not remediated NA NA .14 – 1.3 19

Core 490 - SINC-MIDCH 490 10-19-95 0-2.5 Not remediated NA 24 .83 – – 94

Core 490 - SINC-MIDCH 490 10-19-95 2.5-5 Not remediated NA 24 .83 – – 92

Core 490 - SINC-MIDCH 490 10-19-95 5-10 Not remediated NA 24 .94 – – 87

Core 490 - SINC-MIDCH 490 10-19-95 10-20 Not remediated NA 24 1.00 – – 84

Core 490 - SINC-MIDCH 490 10-19-95 20-30 Not remediated NA 24 1.5 – – 81

Core 490 - SINC-MIDCH 490 10-19-95 30-60 Not remediated NA 24 .225 – – 88

Core 490 - SINC-MIDCH 490 10-19-95 60-90 Not remediated NA 24 .23 – – 90

Core 490 - SINC-MIDCH 490 10-19-95 90-120 Not remediated NA 24 .22 – – 87
138 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007 Location Date Depth interval (cm) Remediation type Grid Total mercury (mg/kg, dry weight) Total aluminum (mg/kg, dry weight) Total organic carbon (percentage by dry weight) Total fines (percentage by dry weight) Name Number 500-foot cell no. 1,500-foot cell no. Outside of Sinclair Inlet 449-HH05B (Holmes Harbor, Whidbey) 449 05-24-94 0-10 NA NA NA 0.15 6,870 1.06 25 450-HH07 (Holmes Harbor, Whidbey) 450 05-25-94 0-10 NA NA NA .345 17,300 2.2 83 476-HH05 (Holmes Harbor, Whidbey) 476 05-24-94 0-10 NA NA NA .18 10,400 1.99 72 477-HH08 (Holmes Harbor, Whidbey) 477 05-24-94 0-10 NA NA NA .28 18,100 3.05 88 Blake Island 1993 (North Central Puget Sound) 804 09-19-95 0-10 NA NA NA .115 5,930 .181 – Raft Island (South Puget Sound) 822 09-28-95 0-10 NA NA NA – – .826 – Table B4. Concentrations of total mercury and total aluminum and percentage of total organic carbon and total fines from marine surface (0–10 cm) sediment collected in 1994 outside of the Bremerton naval complex within Sinclair Inlet, Washington (non sequential locations 463–493) and in 1995 outside of the Bremerton naval complex (non sequential locations 801–811), and from sites outside of Sinclair Inlet including Holmes Harbor (locations 449–450 and 476–477) and near Raft Inland, Carr Inlet, south Puget Sound (location 822) reported in the Operable Unit B Marine Remedial Investigation.—Continued.

[Data Source: U.S. Navy, 2002. Location number on figures 1C and 2. Bold indicates the average of multiple field duplicates. Abbreviations: NA, indicates point does not fall within grid boundaries; 

cm, centimeter; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; no., number]
Appendix B

139

Table B5. Concentrations of total mercury and total aluminum and percentage of total organic carbon and total fines from marine surface (0–10 cm) sediment collected in 1994 from Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, and surface and subsurface (to 122 cm) sediment collected in 1995 between piers (locations 826–828).[Data Source: U.S. Navy, 2002. Sinclair Inlet location number in figure 1C; locations outside of Sinclair Inlet are labeled in figure 1. Bold indicates the average of multiple field duplicates. Abbreviations:

CERCLA, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; RI/FS, Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study; NA, indicates point does not fall within grid boundaries; cm, centimeter; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; –, data not available; no., number]

Location

Date

Depth 

interval

(cm)

Remediation type

Grid Total

mercury

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

Total 

aluminum

(mg/kg, dry 

weight) 

Total 

organic

carbon

(percentage

by dry weight) 

Total fines

(percentage

by dry weight) Name Number 500-foot cell no. 1,500-foot cell no.

RI/FS off OU B (Phase 1)

247 247 05-16-94 0-10 Not remediated 20 NA 0.95 – – 87

248 248 05-12-94 0-10 Pit Ring 16 NA 1.1 – – 88

451-6W BIASED 451 05-10-94 0-10 Not remediated 26 20 .9 21,300 3.08 85

452-6W REP 452 05-02-94 0-10 Not remediated 0 NA 1.2 18,900 2.56 78

453-6W REP - 453 05-09-94 0-10 Not remediated 29 NA 1.3 21,100 3.89 79

454-6W REP 454 05-09-94 0-10 Berth navigation dredging 40 NA 1.6 22,400 3.54 79

455-6W REP - 455 05-09-94 0-10 Not remediated 41 NA 1.6 15,500 1.91 54

456-6C BIASED 456 05-02-94 0-10 Berth navigation dredging 45 NA 1.1 19,000 3.51 69

457-6E BIASED - 457 05-02-94 0-10 Not remediated 0 NA 1.1 22,100 2.82 68

458-6E BIASED 458 05-02-94 0-10 Not remediated 67 NA 3.9 14,300 3.23 35

459-6E BIASED - 459 05-02-94 0-10 Not remediated 68 NA 2.2 19,300 2.63 72

460- 6E REP 460 05-02-94 0-10 Not remediated 59 NA 1.5 19,300 3.04 80

461 6E REP 461 05-02-94 0-10 CERCLA dredging 60 NA 2.1 19,900 3.34 83

462-6E REP 462 05-02-94 0-10 Not remediated 65 NA 1.7 19,400 3.25 79

463-6E REP 463 05-02-94 0-10 CERCLA dredging 66 NA 1.6 19,800 – –

463-6E REP 463 05-19-94 0-10 CERCLA dredging 66 NA 4.2 16,000 3.33 73

464-SINC-A-SYS -464 464 05-11-94 0-10 Not remediated 5 NA 1.2 21,100 3.15 85

465-SINC-A-SYS -465 465 05-11-94 0-10 Not remediated 8 13 1.1 21,500 1.89 89

480-6E BIASED - 480 05-02-94 0-10 Site 1 shoreline stabilization 52 NA .87 19,800 2.97 82

481-SINC-C-SYS 481 05-18-94 0-10 Not remediated 48 27 .76 16,500 3.66 73

483-6E REP 483 05-02-94 0-10 Not remediated 70 32 .81 19,200 2.92 –

RI/FS OU B Marine (Phase 2)

481-SINC-C-SYS -481 481 09-26-95 0-10 Not remediated 48 27 0.86 – 3.16 52

3/4 827 10-20-95 0-61 Not remediated 59 NA 6.5 16,500 2.06 –

3/4 827 10-20-95 61-122 Not remediated 59 NA 1.5 15,200 1.46 79

6/7 826 10-20-95 0-61 Not remediated 66 NA .33 7,390 .488 –

6/7 826 10-20-95 61-122 Not remediated 66 NA .11 6,400 .291 14

G/F 828 10-20-95 0-61 Not remediated 25 NA 1.2 17,200 2.46 –

G/F 828 10-20-95 61-122 Not remediated 25 NA .2 15,200 2.24 90
140 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007 Table B6 Concentrations of total mercury and total aluminum and percentage of total organic carbon, total fines, and total solids from marine surface (0–2 cm) sediment collected around Pier D of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, 1994–1997.

[Data Source: U.S. Navy,1998. Location number on figure 2. Bold indicates the average of multiple field duplicates. Abbreviations: NA, indicates point does not fall within grid boundaries; 

cm, centimeter; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; –, data not available; no., number]

Location

Date

Depth 

interval

(cm)

Remediation type

500-foot

grid cell 

no.

Total

mercury

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

Total

aluminum

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

Total 

organic 

carbon

(percentage

by dry weight) 

Total fines

(percentage

by dry weight) 

Total solids

(percentage

by dry weight) Name Number

1995

D101 101 12-17-94 0-2 Berth navigation dredging 40 2.7 – 2.9 61 39.2

D102 102 12-17-94 0-2 Berth navigation dredging 40 .4 – 1.6 23 65.8

D103 103 12-17-94 0-2 Berth navigation dredging 34 .42 – 1.3 63 46

D104 104 12-17-94 0-2 Berth navigation dredging 34 1.0 – 2.9 74 33.3

D105 105 12-17-94 0-2 Berth navigation dredging 30 .1 – 2.6 86 35.3

D106 106 03-07-95 0-2 Berth navigation dredging 40 .89 – 1.5 21 72.3

D107 107 03-07-95 0-2 Berth navigation dredging 40 .33 – 1.4 49 57.3

D108 108 03-07-95 0-2 Berth navigation dredging 35 1.1 – 2.7 81 35.9

D109 109 03-07-95 0-2 Berth navigation dredging 35 .69 – 2.6 78 37.3

D110 110 03-07-95 0-2 Berth navigation dredging 31 .2 – 2 72 43.3

1996

D101 101 05-15-96 0-2 Berth navigation dredging 40 2.6 19,400 3.6 88 –D102 102 05-15-96 0-2 Berth navigation dredging 40 .93 – 2.73 55.2 50

D103 103 05-15-96 0-2 Berth navigation dredging 34 .81 17,100 2.61 84.6 37

D104 104 05-15-96 0-2 Berth navigation dredging 34 .69 17,100 2.78 89.1 35

D105 105 05-15-96 0-2 Berth navigation dredging 30 .7 19,800 2.85 94.3 33

D106 106 05-15-96 0-2 Berth navigation dredging 40 1.6 19,600 3.66 90.6 31

D107 107 05-15-96 0-2 Berth navigation dredging 40 1.2 16,800 2.68 73.4 44

D108 108 05-16-96 0-2 Berth navigation dredging 35 1.3 19,500 2.71 88.2 34

D109 109 05-16-96 0-2 Berth navigation dredging 35 .41 17,200 2.29 54 44

D110 110 05-16-96 0-2 Berth navigation dredging 31 .6 15,600 2.26 68.6 40

1997

D101 101 09-17-97 0-2 Berth navigation dredging 40 0.33 – 3.5 82.5 31.8

D102 102 09-17-97 0-2 Berth navigation dredging 40 .9 21,700 2.5 72.4 34.5

D103 103 09-17-97 0-2 Berth navigation dredging 34 .7 22,700 2.3 82.3 41

D104 104 09-17-97 0-2 Berth navigation dredging 34 .8 22,600 3.1 67.1 37

D105 105 09-17-97 0-2 Berth navigation dredging 30 .8 25,000 3 88.7 27.9

D106 106 09-17-97 0-2 Berth navigation dredging 40 1.3 26,300 3.4 90.7 29

D107 107 09-17-97 0-2 Berth navigation dredging 40 .67 20,600 2.2 82.1 37.7

D108 108 09-17-97 0-2 Berth navigation dredging 35 1.0 24,400 3 88.1 32

D109 109 09-17-97 0-2 Berth navigation dredging 35 26,800 1.9 82.8 42.7

D110 110 09-17-97 0-2 Berth navigation dredging 31 1.0 22,000 2.20 65.9 41.85
Appendix B

141

Table B7. Concentrations of total mercury and percentage of total organic carbon, total fines, and total solids from marine surface (0–10 cm) sediment in the Confined Aquatic Disposal pit apron in 2000 and 2001 and at the entrance of Dry Dock 1 (2001) of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington. [Data Source: Grady May, U.S. Navy, written communication, 2007. Location number on figure 20. Bold indicates the average of multiple field duplicates. Abbreviations: CERCLA, Comprehensive 

Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; NA, indicates point does not fall within grid boundaries; cm, centimeter; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; J, estimated positive value; –, data not available; no., number]

Location

Date

Depth 

interval

(cm)

Remediation type

500-foot

grid 

cell no.

Total

mercury

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

Total organic

carbon

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

Total 

fines

(percentage

by dry weight) 

Total 

solids

(percentage

by dry weight) Name Number

OU B Marine – June 2000

DM-SE-01 01 06-15-00 0-10 Pit Apron 16 0.2 2.12 69.9 –

DM-SE-02 02 06-15-00 0-10 Pit Apron 16 1.01 3 79.0 –

DM-SE-06 06 06-15-00 0-10 Pit Apron 11 .81 3.38 83.5 –

DM-SE-07 07 06-15-00 0-10 Pit Ring 11 .7 2.24 59.6 –

DM-SE-08 08 06-15-00 0-10 Pit Apron 15 .7 3.53 43.6 –

DM-SE-09 09 06-15-00 0-10 Pit Apron 15 1.06 2.61 67.1 –

DM-SE-10/DM-SE-11 10/11 06-15-00 0-10 Pit Apron 15 1.32 2.13 70.6 –

OU B Marine – January 2001

DM-SE-29 29 01-19-01 0-10 CERCLA Dredging 67 1.39 J 3.44 – –

DM-SE-30/DM-SE-31 30/31 01-19-01 0-10 CERCLA Dredging 67 7.54 J 4.02 – –

OU B Marine – After closure (August-November 2001)

DM-SE-32 32 08-16-01 0-10 Pit Apron 16 2.11 1.4 53.0 –

DM-SE-33 33 08-16-01 0-10 Pit Apron 16 .89 1.5 46.8 –

DM-SE-38 38 08-16-01 0-10 Pit Apron 11 2.91 .9 28.7 –

DM-SE-39 39 08-16-01 0-10 Pit Apron 11 1.26 1.19 40.1 –

DM-SE-40 40 08-16-01 0-10 Pit Apron 15 1.86 1.08 35.2 –

DM-SE-41 41 08-16-01 0-10 Pit Apron 15 1.45 1.16 40.3 –

DM-SE-42 42 08-16-01 0-10 Pit Apron 15 1.24 1.51 50.0 –

DM-SE-43 43 09-28-01 0-10 Pit Apron 16 .9 2.3 82.8 36.4

DM-SE-44 44 09-28-01 0-10 Pit Apron 16 1.18 2.2 80.6 42

DM-SE-48 48 09-28-01 0-10 Pit Apron 11 1.24 2 81.5 36.4

DM-SE-49 49 09-28-01 0-10 Pit Apron 11 1.38 1.6 63.9 46.3

DM-SE-50 50 09-28-01 0-10 Pit Apron 15 1.55 1.5 59.0 50

DM-SE-51 51 09-28-01 0-10 Pit Apron 15 1.68 2.2 57.8 50.7

DM-SE-52 52 09-28-01 0-10 Pit Apron 15 1.67 2 73.1 42.8

DM-SE-53/DM-SE-54 53/54 09-28-01 0-10 Pit Apron 11 .5 1.8 85.8 39.2

DM-SE-55 55 10-08-01 0-10 Pit Apron 16 .8 2.4 86.7 33.2

DM-SE-56 56 10-08-01 0-10 Pit Apron 16 3.1 2.2 82.1 39.2

DM-SE-60 60 10-08-01 0-10 Pit Apron 11 1.67 1.7 73.3 43.4

DM-SE-61 61 10-08-01 0-10 Pit Apron 11 1.2 1.9 80.1 39.6

DM-SE-62/DM-SE-63 62/63 10-08-01 0-10 Pit Apron 15 1.68 1.7 72.9 43.8
142 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007 Location Date Depth interval (cm) Remediation type 500-foot grid cell no. Total mercury (mg/kg, dry weight) Total organic carbon (mg/kg, dry weight) Total fines (percentage by dry weight) Total solids (percentage by dry weight) Name Number OU B Marine – After Closure (August–November 2001)—Continued DM-SE-64 64 10-08-01 0-10 Pit Apron 15 1.6 1.6 69.6 45.5 DM-SE-65 65 10-08-01 0-10 Pit Apron 15 2.7 1.9 78.8 40 DM-SE-66 66 10-08-01 0-10 Pit Apron 11 1.5 2 72.6 41.7 DM-SE-67 67 10-09-01 0-10 Pit Apron 16 1.4 2.5 83.1 37.9 DM-SE-68 68 10-09-01 0-10 Pit Apron 16 2 1.8 81.0 39.8 DM-SE-72 72 10-09-01 0-10 Pit Apron 11 2 1.9 77.9 40.2 DM-SE-73 73 10-09-01 0-10 Pit Apron 11 1.2 2.2 81.3 38.2 DM-SE-74 74 10-09-01 0-10 Pit Apron 15 4.6 2 76.5 41.3 DM-SE-75 75 10-09-01 0-10 Pit Apron 15 2.5 2.1 77.3 42.6 DM-SE-76 76 10-09-01 0-10 Pit Apron 15 1.9 2 84.4 39.4 DM-SE-77/DM-SE-78 77/78 10-09-01 0-10 Pit Apron 11 1.5 1.9 75.3 41.8 DM-SE-77/DM-SE-78 77/78 10-09-01 0-10 Pit Apron 11 1.7 1.9 75.8 41.9 DM-SE-80 80 11-07-01 0-10 Pit Apron 11 .7 2.5 91.2 33.2 DM-SE-81/DM-SE-82 81 11-07-01 0-10 Pit Apron 19 1 2.6 92.8 34.5 DM-SE-83 83 11-07-01 0-10 Pit Apron 8 1.3 2.5 84.9 35 DM-SE-85/DM-SE-86 85/86 11-07-01 0-10 Pit Apron 16 .7 2.1 90.0 38.7 DM-SE-87/DM-SE-88 87/88 11-07-01 0-10 Pit Apron 18 1.6 2 81.7 39.2 DM-SE-89/SM-SE-91 89/91 11-07-01 0-10 Pit Apron 14 .8 2.2 86.2 34.9 DM-SE-93 93 11-07-01 0-10 Pit Apron 11 1.1 2.5 89.3 35.1 DM-SE-95/DM-SE-96 95/96 11-07-01 0-10 Pit Apron 19 1 3.1 91.4 33.7 DM-SE-97/DM-SE-98 97/98 11-07-01 0-10 Not remediated 8 1.4 2.4 88.9 34.2 DM-SE-99/DM-SE-100 99/100 11-08-01 0-10 Pit Apron 17 .5 2.2 91.2 37.5 DM-SE-101/DM-SE-102 101/102 11-08-01 0-10 Not remediated 18 .55 1.5 59.9 49.5

DM-SE-103/DM-SE-104 103/104 11-08-01 0-10 Not remediated 14 1.25 2 82.1 40.3DM-SE-79 79 11-07-01 0-2 Pit Apron 11 .9 2.4 89.2 35.8

DM-SE-81/DM-SE-82 81/82 11-07-01 0-2 Pit Apron 19 .6 3 92.4 36.4DM-SE-84 84 11-07-01 0-2 Pit Apron 8 .6 2.5 85.9 36.3

DM-SE-85/DM-SE-86 85/86 11-07-01 0-2 Pit Apron 16 1.4 2.5 88.9 39.6DM-SE-87/DM-SE-88 87/88 11-07-01 0-2 Pit Apron 18 .6 2.2 87.5 37.4DM-SE-90/DM-SE-92 90/92 11-07-01 0-2 Pit Apron 15 .4 2.4 89.3 37.2DM-SE-94 94 11-07-01 0-2 Pit Apron 11 .6 2.4 88.2 34.3

Table B7. Concentrations of total mercury and percentage of total organic carbon, total fines, and total solids from marine surface (0–10 cm) sediment in the Confined Aquatic Disposal pit apron in 2000 and 2001 and at the entrance of Dry Dock 1 (2001) of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington.—Continued[Data Source: Grady May, U.S. Navy, written communication, 2007. Location number on figure 20. Bold indicates the average of multiple field duplicates. Abbreviations: CERCLA, Comprehensive 

Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; NA, indicates point does not fall within grid boundaries; cm. centimeter; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; J, estimated positive value; –, data not available; no., number]
Appendix B

143

Location

Date

Depth 

interval

(cm)

Remediation type

500-foot

grid 

cell no.

Total

mercury

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

Total organic

carbon

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

Total 

fines

(percentage

by dry weight) 

Total 

solids

(percentage

by dry weight) Name Number

OU B Marine – After Closure (August–November 2001)—Continued

DM-SE-95/DM-SE-96 95/96 11-07-01 0-2 Pit Apron 19 0.7 2.2 94.0 34.5

DM-SE-97/DM-SE-98 97/98 11-07-01 0-2 NA 8 .7 2.4 92.0 33.2DM-SE-99/DM-SE-100 99/100 11-08-01 0-2 Pit Apron 17 .5 2 89.3 38.7DM-SE-101/DM-SE-102 101/102 11-08-01 0-2 NA 18 .88 1.4 72.9 45.8DM-SE-103/DM-SE-104 103/104 11-08-01 0-2 NA 14 .6 2.2 92.9 33.7

Outside of OU B Marine – No locations available

DM-SE-03 03 06-15-00 0-10 – – 0.87 3.29 81.4 –

DM-SE-04 04 06-15-00 0-10 – – .76 3.63 85.6 –

DM-SE-05 05 06-15-00 0-10 – – .85 3.83 87.9 –

DM-SE-34 34 08-16-01 0-10 – – 1.81 1.53 56.2 –

DM-SE-35 35 08-16-01 0-10 – – 1.99 1.61 60.6 –

DM-SE-36/DM-SE-37 36/37 08-16-01 0-10 – – 2.28 1.6 59.7 –DM-SE-45 45 09-28-01 0-10 – – 1.4 2 82.6 39.1

DM-SE-46 46 09-28-01 0-10 – – 1.1 1.9 83.6 36.2

DM-SE-47 47 09-28-01 0-10 – – 3.3 2.2 78.9 38.9

DM-SE-57 57 10-08-01 0-10 – – 1.2 2.1 88.2 34.6

DM-SE-58 58 10-08-01 0-10 – – 2.1 2.1 85.1 38.2

DM-SE-59 59 10-08-01 0-10 – – .8 1.6 82.0 43.4

DM-SE-69 69 10-09-01 0-10 – – 4.1 2.1 86.3 37.2

DM-SE-70 70 10-09-01 0-10 – – 1 2.2 86.6 35.2

DM-SE-71 71 10-09-01 0-10 – – 1.8 2.4 86.8 36.7

DM-SE-105/DM-SE-106 105/106 11-08-01 0-10 – – 1.35 2.35 91.9 34DM-SE-107 THRU DMSE-110 107 through 110 11-08-01 0-10 – – 1.6 2.4 94.9 32.9DM-SE-111/DM-SE-112 111/112 11-08-01 0-10 – – .95 2.35 93.2 33.3

DM-SE-113 113 11-08-01 0-10 – – – 2.3 – 33.5

DM-SE-115/DM-SE-116 115/116 11-08-01 0-10 – – 2.25 2.65 93.0 33.15DM-SE-117 117 11-08-01 0-10 – – .6 2.1 90.1 32.6DM-SE-114 114 11-08-01 0-2 – – .5 2.7 – 32.8DM-SE-118 118 11-08-01 0-2 – – .6 2.5 92.7 31.4DM-SE-119 119 11-08-01 0-2 – – .5 2.4 91.1 32.8DM-SE-120 120 110-8-01 0-2 – – .6 2.6 94.4 34.1

Table B7. Concentrations of total mercury and percentage of total organic carbon, total fines, and total solids from marine surface (0–10 cm) sediment in the Confined Aquatic Disposal pit apron in 2000 and 2001 and at the entrance of Dry Dock 1 (2001) of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington.—Continued[Data Source: Grady May, U.S. Navy, written communication, 2007. Location number on figure 20. Bold indicates the average of multiple field duplicates. Abbreviations: CERCLA, Comprehensive 

Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; NA, indicates point does not fall within grid boundaries; cm., centimeter; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; J, estimated positive value; –, data not available; no., number]
144 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Table B8. Concentrations of total mercury and percentage of total organic carbon and 

total fines from marine sediment collected from State-owned aquatic lands to the southeast 

of the Confined Aquatic Disposal pit of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, 2003.

[Data Source: Grady May, U.S. Navy, written commun., 2007. Location of State-owned aquatic lands 

shown in figure 20 and location of samples are shown in figure 2-1 of U.S. Navy, 2004. Abbreviations: 

cm, centimeter; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; –, no data]

Location

Date

Depth

interval

(cm)

Total 

mercury

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

Total organic 

carbon

(percentage

by dry weight)

Total 

fines

(percentage

by dry weight)

 Name Number

DNR-SE-1 1 09-26-03 0-10 1.36 2.4 35.7

DNR-SE-2 2 09-26-03 0-10 1.18 2.3 38.3

DNR-SE-3 3 09-26-03 0-16 .59 2.2 38.6

DNR-SE-4 4 09-26-03 0-12 .44 2.2 37.5

DNR-SE-5 5 09-26-03 0-12 .29 2.2 37.9

DNR-SE-6 6 09-26-03 0-14 .56 2.4 38.2

DNR-SE-7 7 09-26-03 0-12 .46 2.3 36.7

DNR-SE-8 8 09-26-03 0-10 .73 2.4 37.9

DNR-SE-9 9 09-26-03 0-10 .62 2.2 38.2

DNR-SE-10 10 09-26-03 0-10 .63 2.4 39

DNR-SE-11 11 09-26-03 0-10 .6 2.2 37.6

DNR-SE-12 12 09-26-03 0-10 .65 2.4 35.6

DNR-SE-13 13 09-25-03 0-10 .76 2.3 36.3

DNR-SE-14 14 09-25-03 0-10 .98 2.3 35.9

DNR-SE-15 15 09-25-03 0-10 .85 2.5 36.2

DNR-SE-16 16 09-25-03 0-10 .67 2.3 35.7

DNR-SE-17 17 09-25-03 0-10 – 2.3 35.4

DNR-SE-18 18 09-25-03 0-12 .66 2.3 36.6

DNR-SE-19 19 09-25-03 0-10 1.05 2.4 36.5

DNR-SE-20 20 09-25-03 0-10 1.33 2.3 36.3

DNR-SE-21 21 09-25-03 0-10 1.53 2.5 33.8

DNR-SE-22 22 09-25-03 0-10 1.7 2.3 38.1

DNR-SE-23 23 09-25-03 0-10 2.2 2.2 39.1

DNR-SE-24 24 09-25-03 0-10 1.14 2.4 33.9

DNR-SE-25 25 09-25-03 0-10 1.46 2.7 32.9

DNR-SE-26 26 09-24-03 0-10 1.04 2.4 35.3

DNR-SE-27 27 09-24-03 0-10 .92 2.7 33.6

DNR-SE-28 28 09-24-03 0-10 .92 2.6 33.8

DNR-SE-29 29 09-24-03 0-10 1.17 2.4 33.2

DNR-SE-30 30 09-24-03 0-10 .96 2.6 33.3

DNR-SE-31 31 09-24-03 0-10 .86 3.1 29.9
Appendix B

145

Table B9. Concentrations of total mercury and percentage of total organic carbon, total fines, and total solids from marine sediment collected from the 1,500-ft grid outside of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, 2003, 2005, and 2007.[Data Source: U.S. Navy, 2006a, 2006b, 2008b. Location number on figure 30. Bold indicates the average of multiple field duplicates. Abbreviations: CERCLA, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; NA, indicates point does not fall within grid boundaries; cm, centimeter; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; –, data not available; no., number]

Location

Date

Depth 

interval

(cm)

Remediation type

500-foot

grid 

cell no.

Total

mercury

(mg/kg, dry 

weifht)

Total organic

carbon

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

Total 

fines

(percentage by 

dry weight) 

Total 

solids

(percentage by 

dry weight)

Sample 

name

Cell 

number

2003

1500-G01 01 10-30 0-10 Not remediated NA 0.081 1.3 29 64.3

1500-G02 02 10-29 0-10 Not remediated NA .081 .86 37 65.4

1500-G03 03 10-29 0-10 Not remediated NA .084 1.6 29 58.4

1500-G04 04 10-29 0-10 Not remediated NA .071 .94 23 68.5

1500-G05 05 10-29 0-10 Not remediated NA .44 2.8 64 39.1

1500-G06 06 10-29 0-10 Not remediated NA .11 3.6 95 25.7

1500-G07 07 10-30 0-10 Not remediated NA .83 4.1 96 29.36

1500-G08 08 10-30 0-10 Not remediated NA .14 3.6 96 25.8

1500-G09 09 10-30 0-10 Not remediated NA .81 3.8 97 29.00

1500-G10 10 10-30 0-10 Not remediated NA .88 3.4 98 26.8

1500-G11 11 10-30 0-10 Not remediated NA .82 3.5 92 27.5

1500-G12 12 10-29 0-10 Not remediated NA .15 .77 19 65.0

1500-G13 13 10-30 0-10 Near the Pit apron 5,7,8,9 .72 3.0 91 28.7

1500-G14 14 10-30 0-10 Not remediated NA .84 3.5 85 26.5

1500-G15 15 10-28 0-10 Not remediated NA .84 3.3 98 26.2

1500-G16 16 10-28 0-10 Not remediated NA .74 3.6 94 24.2

1500-G17 17 10-30 0-10 Near turning navigation dredging and the Pit Apron 13 .81 3.2 90 29.1

1500-G18 18 10-30 0-10 Not remediated NA .84 3.2 87 29.8

1500-G19 19 10-28 0-10 Not remediated NA .71 3.0 97 26.1

1500-G20 20 10-30 0-10 Contains turning navigation dredging, near CERCLA 

and berth navigation dredging

23,26,27,

29,30,31

.59 2.8 86 30.4

1500-G21 21 10-30 0-10 Contains turning navigation dredging NA .98 2.6 83 34.26

1500-G22 22 10-28 0-10 Contains turning navigation dredging NA .64 2.7 95 30.4

1500-G23 23 10-28 0-10 Not remediated NA .46 2.4 63 32.5

1500-G24 24 10-28 0-10 Contains turning navigation dredging 44 .59 2.7 80 33.1

1500-G25 25 10-28 0-10 Not remediated NA .39 1.6 56 44.0

1500-G26 26 10-29 0-10 Not remediated NA .025 .54 13 75.34

1500-G27 27 10-28 0-10 Contains cercla dredging, near CERCLA and berth 

navigation dredging

47,48,50,

51,53,54

.60 3.5 80 30.6
146 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007 Location Date Depth interval (cm) Remediation type 500-foot grid cell no. Total mercury (mg/kg, dry weifht) Total organic carbon (mg/kg, dry weight) Total fines (percentage by dry weight) Total solids (percentage by dry weight) Sample name Cell number 2003—Continued 1500-G28 28 10-28 0-10 Not remediated NA 0.60 2.5 75 32.9 1500-G29 29 10-28 0-10 Not remediated NA .31 1.5 49 45.8 1500-G30 30 10-29 0-10 Not remediated NA .022 .35 9 75.1 1500-G31 31 10-29 0-10 Contains CERCLA dredging 66,62 .55 2.4 81 34.7 1500-G32 32 10-29 0-10 Contains CERCLA dredging 66,69,70,71 .39 1.4 39 52.7 2005 1500-G01 01 05-26 0-10 Not remediated NA 0.10 2.0 55 58.9 1500-G02 02 05-26 0-10 Not remediated NA .090 .94 40 69.8 1500-G03 03 05-26 0-10 Not remediated NA .080 1.5 26 65.2 1500-G04 04 05-26 0-10 Not remediated NA .080 1.1 25 65.8 1500-G05 05 05-26 0-10 Not remediated NA .45 3.8 71 37.4 1500-G06 06 05-26 0-10 Not remediated NA .87 4.1 88 32.3 1500-G07 07 05-25 0-10 Not remediated NA .62 4.3 95 32.8 1500-G08 08 05-26 0-10 Not remediated NA .83 3.3 96 28.3 1500-G09 09 05-26 0-10 Not remediated NA .63 4.0 85 30.2 1500-G10 10 05-25 0-10 Not remediated NA .72 3.7 98 27.6 1500-G11 11 05-26 0-10 Not remediated NA .74 3.5 87 28.9 1500-G12 12 06-10 0-10 Not remediated NA .15 .97 20 63.8 1500-G13 13 05-23 0-10 Near the Pit apron 5,7,8,9 .78 3.2 95 32.5 1500-G14 14 05-23 0-10 Not remediated NA .60 3.8 97 25.1 1500-G15 15 05-23 0-10 Not remediated NA .56 4.0 98 29.1 1500-G16 16 05-23 0-10 Not remediated NA .48 4.2 93 27.4 1500-G17 17 05-23 0-10 Near turning navigation dredging and the PIT apron 13 .70 2.9 96 30.9

1500-G18 18 05-23 0-10 Not remediated NA .65 3.4 97 28.1

1500-G19 19 05-23 0-10 Not remediated NA .52 3.7 96 27.1

1500-G20 20 05-23 0-10 Contains turning navigation dredging, near CERCLA 

and berth navigation dredging

23,26,27,

29,30,31

.58 3.1 94 32.1

1500-G21 21 05-25 0-10 Contains turning navigation dredging NA 1.3 3.3 94 33.6

1500-G22 22 05-23 0-10 Contains turning navigation dredging NA .53 3.3 90 32.3

1500-G23 23 05-23 0-10 Not remediated NA .42 2.6 67 35.2

Table B9. Concentrations of total mercury and percentage of total organic carbon, total fines, and total solids from marine sediment collected from the 1,500-ft grid outside of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, 2003, 2005, and 2007.—Continued[Data Source: U.S. Navy, 2006a, 2006b, 2008b. Location number on figure 30. Bold indicates the average of multiple field duplicates. Abbreviations: CERCLA, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; NA, indicates point does not fall within grid boundaries; cm, centimeter; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; –, data not available; no., number]
Appendix B

147

Location

Date

Depth 

interval

(cm)

Remediation type

500-foot

grid 

cell no.

Total

mercury

(mg/kg, dry 

weifht)

Total organic

carbon

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

Total 

fines

(percentage by 

dry weight) 

Total 

solids

(percentage by 

dry weight)

Sample 

name

Cell 

number

2005—Continued

1500-G24 24 05-26 0-10 Contains turning navigation dredging 44 0.62 2.9 82 35.7

1500-G25 25 05-26 0-10 Not remediated NA .42 1.7 51 46.8

1500-G26 26 06-10 0-10 Not remediated NA .020 .42 13 73.5

1500-G27 27 06-09 0-10 Contains CERCLA dredging, near CERCLA and berth 

navigation dredging

47,48,50,

51,53,54

.58 2.9 84 32.4

1500-G28 28 05-25 0-10 Not remediated NA .60 2.8 82 37.0

1500-G29 29 05-25 0-10 Not remediated NA .24 1.8 49 49.5

1500-G30 30 06-10 0-10 Not remediated NA .060 .41 16 73.8

1500-G31 31 05-25 0-10 Contains CERCLA dredging 66,62 .52 2.6 83 37.6

1500-G32 32 06-10 0-10 Contains CERCLA dredging 66,69,70,71 .36 1.1 32 54.7

2007

1500-G01 01 05-16 0-10 Not remediated NA 0.093 2.0 61 55.1

1500-G02 02 05-16 0-10 Not remediated NA .082 .88 40 67.5

1500-G03 03 05-16 0-10 Not remediated NA .070 1.1 22 64.0

1500-G04 04 05-16 0-10 Not remediated NA .057 .60 16 71.1

1500-G05 05 05-01 0-10 Not remediated NA .47 3.4 71 34.8

1500-G06 06 05-01 0-10 Not remediated NA .71 3.9 86 26.5

1500-G07 07 05-01 0-10 Not remediated NA .62 4.1 86 27.1

1500-G08 08 05-01 0-10 Not remediated NA .67 3.9 92 23.3

1500-G09 09 05-01 0-10 Not remediated NA .67 4.0 88 25.2

1500-G10 10 05-01 0-10 Not remediated NA .69 3.4 94 23.5

1500-G11 11 05-01 0-10 Not remediated NA .70 3.6 90 23.8

1500-G12 12 05-21 0-10 Not remediated NA .14 1.0 21 58.9

1500-G13 13 05-16 0-10 Near the Pit apron 5,7,8,9 .75 3.2 92 31.0

1500-G14 14 05-16 0-10 Not remediated NA .69 3.7 92 22.8

1500-G15 15 05-16 0-10 Not remediated NA .78 4.0 87 25.9

1500-G16 16 05-16 0-10 Not remediated NA .51 4.2 85 24.9

1500-G17 17 05-17 0-10 Near turning navigation dredging and the Pit apron 13 .69 3.4 89 30.1

1500-G18 18 05-17 0-10 Not remediated NA .70 3.4 89 28.8

1500-G19 19 05-17 0-10 Not remediated NA 0.56 3.6 84 23.5

Table B9. Concentrations of total mercury and percentage of total organic carbon, total fines, and total solids from marine sediment collected from the 1,500-ft grid outside of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, 2003, 2005, and 2007.—Continued[Data Source: U.S. Navy, 2006a, 2006b, 2008b. Location number on figure 30. Bold indicates the average of multiple field duplicates. Abbreviations: CERCLA, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; NA, indicates point does not fall within grid boundaries; cm, centimeter; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; –, data not available; no., number]
148 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007 Location Date Depth interval (cm) Remediation type 500-foot grid cell no. Total mercury (mg/kg, dry weifht) Total organic carbon (mg/kg, dry weight) Total fines (percentage by dry weight) Total solids (percentage by dry weight) Sample name Cell number 2007—Continued 1500-G20 20 05-17 0-10 Contains turning navigation dredging, near CERCLA and berth navigation dredging 23,26,27, 29,30,31 0.56 3.1 90 31.5 1500-G21 21 05-08 0-10 Containst urning navigation dredging NA .86 3.3 90 34.0 1500-G22 22 05-08 0-10 Contains turning navigation dredging NA .59 3.0 89 33.2 1500-G23 23 05-08 0-10 Not remediated NA .46 3.2 64 37.3 1500-G24 24 05-08 0-10 Contains turning navigation dredging 44 .69 2.9 84 35.6 1500-G25 25 05-08 0-10 Not remediated NA .34 2.6 55 46.6 1500-G26 26 05-21 0-10 Not remediated NA .029 .37 12 73.8 1500-G27 27 05-08 0-10 Contains CERCLA dredging, near CERCLA and berth navigation dredging 47,48,50, 51,53,54 .61 2.9 84 33.8 1500-G28 28 05-08 0-10 Not remediated NA .55 3.3 81 36.1 1500-G29 29 05-08 0-10 Not remediated NA .28 1.7 53 47.1 1500-G30 30 05-21 0-10 Not remediated NA .055 .39 15 72.6 1500-G31 31 05-17 0-10 Contains CERCLA dredging 66,62 .64 2.6 78 35.5 1500-G32 32 05-17 0-10 Contains CERCLA dredging 66,69,70,71 .46 1.4 37 50.7 Table B9. Concentrations of total mercury and percentage of total organic carbon, total fines, and total solids from marine sediment collected from the 1,500-ft grid outside of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, 2003, 2005, and 2007.—Continued

[Data Source: U.S. Navy, 2006a, 2006b, 2008b. Location number on figure 30. Bold indicates the average of multiple field duplicates. Abbreviations: CERCLA, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; NA, indicates point does not fall within grid boundaries; cm, centimeter; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; –, data not available; no., number]
Appendix B

149

Table B10. Concentrations of total mercury and percentage of total organic carbon, total fines, and total solids from marine sediment collected from the 500-ft grid within the 

boundary of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, 2003, 2005, and 2007.

[Data Source: U.S. Navy, 2006a, 2006b, 2008b. Location number on figure 31. Bold indicates the average of multiple field duplicates. Abbreviations: CERCLA, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; NA, indicates point does not fall within grid boundaries; cm, centimeter; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; –, data not available; no., number]

Location

Date

Depth 

interval

(cm)

Remediation type

1,500-foot

grid

cell no.

Total

mercury

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

Total

organic

carbon

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

Total 

fines

(percentage by 

dry weight) 

Total

solids

(percentage by

dry weight)

Sample 

name

Cell 

number

2003

500-G01 01 10-13 0-9 Not remediated NA 0.62 2.9 45.7 41.3500-G02 02 10-13 0-9 Not remediated NA .84 3.08 87.3 27.4500-G03 03 10-13 0-9 Not remediated NA .49 1.58 37.5 46.4500-G04 04 10-13 0-9 Not remediated NA .71 2.84 80.8 29.5500-G05 05 10-13 0-9 Not remediated 13 .98 2.74 81.1 31.3500-G06 06 10-13 0-9 Not remediated NA .75 2.51 82 34.6500-G07 07 10-13 0-9 Not remediated 13 .90 2.5 84.3 32.8500-G08 08 10-13 0-9 Not remediated 13 .91 2.37 84.9 34.7500-G09 09 10-13 0-9 Not remediated 13 .98 2.68 89.9 30.6500-G10 10 10-13 0-9 Not remediated NA .42 1.23 46 54.4

500-G11 11 10-20 0-9 Pit Apron NA 4.52 2.24 83.9 36.5

500-G12 12 10-20 0-9 Pit Ring NA .45 3.07 89.2 35500-G13 13 10-20 0-9 Pit Apron NA 1.09 3.06 81.9 29.5500-G14 14 10-20 0-9 Not remediated NA .37 1.26 37.67 54.5500-G15 15 10-20 0-9 Pit Apron NA 1.19 2.19 86 40.9500-G16 16 10-20 0-9 Pit Apron NA .56 2.32 87.8 37.5500-G17 17 10-20 0-9 Pit Apron NA .72 2.61 89 32.1500-G18 18 10-20 0-9 Thin-layer cap (enhanced natural recovery) NA .35 2.51 44.7 50.1500-G19 19 10-22 0-9 Not remediated NA 4.08 2.07 76.9 37.9500-G20 20 10-27 0-9 Not remediated NA .66 2.5 10.9 32.2500-G21 21 10-27 0-9 Thin-layer cap (enhanced natural recovery) NA .48 1.66 64.5 43500-G22 22 10-27 0-9 Not remediated NA .80 2.77 98.3 28.1500-G23 23 10-27 0-9 Not remediated 20 .86 2.67 84.5 30.6

500-G24 24 10-28 0-9 Thin-layer cap (enhanced natural recovery) NA .84 2.74 91.9 29.2500-G25 25 10-27 0-9 Not remediated NA 1.07 2.73 80.1 33.1500-G26 26 10-27 0-9 Not remediated 20 .82 2.69 75.7 31.9500-G27 27 10-23 0-9 Not remediated 20 .69 2.89 88.9 31.4500-G28 28 10-27 0-9 CERCLA dredging NA .68 2.08 56.2 39.2500-G29 29 10-27 0-9 Not remediated 20 1.00 3.37 71 32.8500-G30 30 10-23 0-9 Not remediated 20 .82 2.99 85.1 32.3500-G31 31 10-23 0-9 Not remediated 20 .77 2.89 92.2 30.4500-G32 32 10-24 0-9 Not remediated NA .83 2.65 92.5 30.8500-G33 33 10-27 0-9 Not remediated NA 1.44 3.11 86.3 31.8
150 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007 Location Date Depth interval (cm) Remediation type 1,500-foot grid cell no. Total mercury (mg/kg, dry weight) Total organic carbon (mg/kg, dry weight) Total fines (percentage by dry weight) Total solids (percentage by dry weight) Sample name Cell number 2003—Continued 500-G34 34 10-23 0-9 Berth navigation dredging NA 1.15 2.32 54.6 43.9 500-G35 35 10-22 0-9 Berth navigation dredging NA .58 2.74 78.9 31.2 500-G36 36 10-23 0-9 Not remediated NA .74 2.91 91.1 31.6 500-G37 37 10-23 0-9 Not remediated NA .30 2.75 88.6 33.1 500-G38 38 10-24 0-9 Not remediated NA .91 2.29 70.9 38.5 500-G39 39 10-23 0-9 Not remediated NA 1.24 1.8 33.8 49.2 500-G40 40 10-22 0-9 Not remediated NA 1.12 2.46 68.3 38.2 500-G41 41 10-22 0-9 Not remediated NA .82 2.6 65.4 35.6 500-G42 42 10-22 0-9 Not remediated NA .75 2.57 76.3 35.9 500-G43 43 10-23 0-9 Not remediated NA .50 3.53 65.3 36.8 500-G44 44 10-24 0-9 Not remediated NA .85 2.78 86 30.8 500-G45 45 10-22 0-9 Berth navigation dredging NA .61 3.01 51.6 43.9 500-G46 46 10-23 0-9 Not remediated NA .42 1.23 29 60.6 500-G47 47 10-24 0-9 CERCLA Dredging 27 .53 2.21 77.2 – 500-G48 48 10-24 0-9 Not remediated 27 .71 2.96 90.6 27.4 500-G49 49 10-23 0-9 Not remediated NA .59 2.55 81.3 36.4 500-G50 50 10-24 0-9 Not remediated 27 .57 2.58 85.4 27.8 500-G51 51 10-24 0-9 Not remediated 27 .57 3.32 80 27.2 500-G52 52 10-24 0-9 Not remediated NA .96 2.51 70.1 37.1 500-G53 53 10-03 0-9 Not remediated 27 .84 2.49 82.3 35.1 500-G54 54 10-03 0-9 Not remediated 27 .66 3.32 79.7 31.6 500-G55 55 10-24 0-9 Not remediated NA .53 2.11 48.8 41.4 500-G56 56 10-03 0-9 CERCLA dredging NA .85 3.20 80.9 30.2 500-G57 57 10-03 0-9 Not remediated NA 2.11 5.08 69 33.7

500-G58 58 10-02 0-9 Not remediated NA .52 2.91 83.9 30.8500-G59 59 10-03 0-9 Not remediated NA 1.16 3.61 76.8 35.9500-G60 60 10-03 0-9 CERCLA dredging NA 4.29 3.25 47.7 35.6500-G61 61 10-02 0-9 Not remediated NA .35 1.85 40.6 40.1500-G62 62 10-02 0-9 Not remediated 31 .71 3.06 80.8 30.3500-G63 63 10-03 0-9 Not remediated NA 6.13 4.96 71.4 33.4500-G64 64 10-02 0-9 CERCLA dredging NA 1.87 3.56 76.9 29.4500-G65 65 10-27 0-9 Not remediated NA 1.06 2.66 75.8 36.1500-G66 66 10-02 0-9 CERCLA dredging 31,32 .74 3.27 72.8 32.5

Table B10. Concentrations of total mercury and percentage of total organic carbon, total fines, and total solids from marine sediment collected from the 500-ft grid within the boundary of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, 2003, 2005, and 2007.—Continued[Data Source: U.S. Navy, 2006a, 2006b, 2008b. Location number on figure 31. Bold indicates the average of multiple field duplicates. Abbreviations: CERCLA, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; NA, indicates point does not fall within grid boundaries; cm, centimeter; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; –, data not available; no., number]
Appendix B

151

Location

Date

Depth 

interval

(cm)

Remediation type

1,500-foot

grid

cell no.

Total

mercury

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

Total

organic

carbon

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

Total 

fines

(percentage by 

dry weight) 

Total

solids

(percentage by

dry weight)

Sample 

name

Cell 

number

2003—Continued

500-G67 67 10-03 0-9 Not remediated NA 1.89 4.54 55.5 38.2

500-G68 68 10-27 0-9 Not remediated NA .49 2.76 86.5 30.8500-G69 69 10-27 0-9 Not remediated NA .56 2.4 38.4 48.4500-G70 70 10-10 0-9 Not remediated 32 .65 2.64 72.0 32.5500-G71 71 10-10 0-9 Not remediated 32 .16 1.16 16.6 67.9

2005

500-G01 01 05-25 0-10 Not remediated NA 0.99 3.41 73.3 33.3500-G02 02 05-24 0-10 Not remediated NA .64 3.36 96.3 27.4500-G03 03 05-18 0-10 Not remediated NA .50 1.79 49.7 44.4500-G04 04 05-20 0-10 Not remediated NA .61 3.27 97.4 30.7500-G05 05 05-26 0-10 Not remediated 13 .91 2.89 92.1 33.5

500-G06 06 05-26 0-10 Not remediated NA .72 2.79 90.3 36.5500-G07 07 05-26 0-10 Not remediated 13 .87 2.69 92.9 35.2500-G08 08 06-09 0-10 Not remediated 13 .89 2.61 90 35.6500-G09 09 06-09 0-10 Not remediated 13 .55 2.63 89.8 33.6500-G10 10 05-25 0-10 Not remediated NA .48 1.78 59.6 49.1500-G11 11 06-09 0-10 Pit Apron NA .59 2.33 87.9 38.1

500-G12 12 06-09 0-10 Pit Ring NA .52 2.43 90 35.8500-G13 13 06-09 0-10 Pit Apron NA .46 2.79 88 31.1500-G14 14 06-09 0-10 Not remediated NA .35 0.83 29.15 62.9500-G15 15 06-03 0-10 Pit Apron NA .39 2.19 89.9 39.6500-G16 16 06-03 0-10 Pit Apron NA .51 2.35 92.2 36.5500-G17 17 06-03 0-10 Pit Apron NA .87 2.78 96.2 30.7500-G18 18 06-03 0-10 Thin-layer cap (enhanced natural recovery) NA .32 1.08 37.1 59.7

500-G19 19 06-03 0-10 Not remediated NA .84 2.21 86.3 36.9500-G20 20 06-03 0-10 Not remediated NA .81 2.79 10.4 32.3500-G21 21 05-24 0-10 Thin-layer cap (enhanced natural recovery) NA .39 1.85 66.1 44.3500-G22 22 06-02 0-10 Not remediated NA .66 3.14 98.4 29.7500-G23 23 06-03 0-10 Not remediated 20 .59 2.95 94.4 32.4500-G24 24 06-02 0-10 Thin-layer cap (enhanced natural recovery) NA .71 3.25 87.9 29.7500-G25 25 06-02 0-10 Not remediated NA .76 2.94 92.4 33500-G26 26 05-24 0-10 Not remediated 20 .70 3.26 96.1 32.9

Table B10. Concentrations of total mercury and percentage of total organic carbon, total fines, and total solids from marine sediment collected from the 500-ft grid within the boundary of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, 2003, 2005, and 2007.—Continued[Data Source: U.S. Navy, 2006a, 2006b, 2008b. Location number on figure 31. Bold indicates the average of multiple field duplicates. Abbreviations: CERCLA, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; NA, indicates point does not fall within grid boundaries; cm, centimeter; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; –, data not available; no., number]
152 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007 Location Date Depth interval (cm) Remediation type 1,500-foot grid cell no. Total mercury (mg/kg, dry weight) Total organic carbon (mg/kg, dry weight) Total fines (percentage by dry weight) Total solids (percentage by dry weight) Sample name Cell number 2005—Continued 500-G27 27 06-02 0-10 Not remediated 20 0.67 3.58 82.5 34.2 500-G28 28 06-02 0-10 CERCLA dredging NA .65 1.95 73.7 32.5 500-G29 29 06-01 0-10 Not remediated 20 .83 3.44 91.7 31.8 500-G30 30 05-19 0-10 Not remediated 20 .76 3.12 86.6 30.83 500-G31 31 06-01 0-10 Not remediated 20 1.13 2.91 10.6 34.3 500-G32 32 06-02 0-10 Not remediated NA .85 2.67 94.9 34.1 500-G33 33 06-01 0-10 Not remediated NA 1.22 3.04 90.1 34.6 500-G34 34 05-19 0-10 Berth navigation dredging NA .62 2.71 77.2 35.2 500-G35 35 05-19 0-10 Berth navigation dredging NA .56 2.2 72.6 38.5 500-G36 36 05-19 0-10 Not remediated NA .77 2.91 85.2 34.00 500-G37 37 05-24 0-10 Not remediated NA .58 3.26 87 35.9 500-G38 38 06-02 0-10 Not remediated NA .65 2.12 70.8 42.1 500-G39 39 06-01 0-10 Not remediated NA 1.43 2.98 44.8 45.1 500-G40 40 05-19 0-10 Not remediated NA .77 2.71 72.5 36.8 500-G41 41 05-20 0-10 Not remediated NA .65 3.76 70.9 36.6 500-G42 42 05-19 0-10 Not remediated NA 1.54 2.82 82.2 35.5 500-G43 43 06-01 0-10 Not remediated NA 1.29 2.73 76.8 37.3 500-G44 44 05-24 0-10 Not remediated NA .57 2.99 10.7 32.1 500-G45 45 06-01 0-10 Berth navigation dredging NA .54 2.32 54.5 47.9 500-G46 46 05-31 0-10 Not remediated NA .38 1.61 34 56.3 500-G47 47 06-01 0-10 CERCLA dredging 27 .55 2.45 80.2 38.28 500-G48 48 06-02 0-10 Not remediated 27 .89 3.09 94.9 31.1 500-G49 49 06-01 0-10 Not remediated NA .42 1.65 43.4 51.5 500-G50 50 06-01 0-10 Not remediated 27 .57 2.85 87.8 32.1

500-G51 51 06-02 0-10 Not remediated 27 .80 3.15 97.2 29.3500-G52 52 05-24 0-10 Not remediated NA .73 3.14 10.2 31.8500-G53 53 05-19 0-10 Not remediated 27 .42 2.65 82.9 34.5500-G54 54 05-19 0-10 Not remediated 27 .61 3.77 83.1 34.1500-G55 55 05-20 0-10 Not remediated NA .76 4.49 62.6 35.3500-G56 56 05-19 0-10 CERCLA dredging NA 1.20 4.18 70.9 32.4500-G57 57 05-24 0-10 Not remediated NA 1.86 3.12 87.8 32.6500-G58 58 05-27 0-10 Not remediated NA .70 2.99 86.5 33.8500-G59 59 05-20 0-10 Not remediated NA 1.88 3.61 78.5 31.9

Table B10. Concentrations of total mercury and percentage of total organic carbon, total fines, and total solids from marine sediment collected from the 500-ft grid within the boundary of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, 2003, 2005, and 2007.—Continued[Data Source: U.S. Navy, 2006a, 2006b, 2008b. Location number on figure 31. Bold indicates the average of multiple field duplicates. Abbreviations: CERCLA, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; NA, indicates point does not fall within grid boundaries; cm, centimeter; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; –, data not available; no., number]
Appendix B

153

Location

Date

Depth 

interval

(cm)

Remediation type

1,500-foot

grid

cell no.

Total

mercury

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

Total

organic

carbon

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

Total 

fines

(percentage by 

dry weight) 

Total

solids

(percentage by

dry weight)

Sample 

name

Cell 

number

2005—Continued

500-G60 60 05-24 0-10 CERCLA dredging NA 18.80 2.66 54.3 37.5

500-G61 61 05-31 0-10 Not remediated NA .31 2.23 32.1 40.1500-G62 62 06-02 0-10 Not remediated 31 .69 2.89 89.8 31.9500-G63 63 05-20 0-10 Not remediated NA 3.31 2.65 55.7 42.4500-G64 64 05-20 0-10 CERCLA dredging NA 1.94 3.33 85.8 33.5500-G65 65 05-20 0-10 Not remediated NA .67 2.84 71.7 38.6500-G66 66 05-31 0-10 CERCLA dredging 31,32 1.19 3.92 88.3 27.9500-G67 67 05-20 0-10 Not remediated NA 5.71 4.01 58.2 34.63500-G68 68 05-31 0-10 Not remediated NA .94 2.99 66.1 38.9500-G69 69 05-31 0-10 Not remediated NA .57 1.73 35.7 55.3

500-G70 70 06-03 0-10 Not remediated 32 .58 2.76 86.2 34.7500-G71 71 06-03 0-10 Not remediated 32 .25 0.71 17.9 64.3

2007

500-G01 01 05-02 0-10 Not remediated NA 0.70 3.0 60 31.8500-G02 02 05-02 0-10 Not remediated NA .66 3.3 96 24.9500-G03 03 05-14 0-10 Not remediated NA .58 1.8 45 44.9500-G04 04 05-14 0-10 Not remediated NA .78 2.9 94 30500-G05 05 05-14 0-10 Not remediated 13 .89 2.9 92 33500-G06 06 05-14 0-10 Not remediated NA .87 2.9 91 32.8500-G07 07 05-14 0-10 Not remediated 13 .94 2.8 92 33.6500-G08 08 05-14 0-10 Not remediated 13 .88 2.6 90 34.9500-G09 09 05-14 0-10 Not remediated 13 .59 2.6 92 32.6500-G10 10 05-15 0-10 Not remediated NA .41 1.3 52 51.3500-G11 11 05-15 0-10 Pit Apron NA .59 2.3 89 37.8

500-G12 12 05-15 0-10 Pit Ring NA .73 2.4 90 36.7500-G13 13 05-15 0-10 Pit Apron NA .72 2.8 93 31.2500-G14 14 05-14 0-10 Not remediated NA .39 .90 30 62500-G15 15 05-15 0-10 Pit Apron NA .44 2.2 89 38.4500-G16 16 05-15 0-10 Pit Apron NA .67 2.7 89 34500-G17 17 05-15 0-10 Pit Apron NA .62 2.8 92 32.7500-G18 18 05-15 0-10 Thin-layer cap (enhanced natural recovery) NA 1.3 1.3 46 54.2500-G19 19 05-15 0-10 Not remediated NA .64 2.5 79 37.8

Table B10. Concentrations of total mercury and percentage of total organic carbon, total fines, and total solids from marine sediment collected from the 500-ft grid within the boundary of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, 2003, 2005, and 2007.—Continued[Data Source: U.S. Navy, 2006a, 2006b, 2008b. Location number on figure 31. Bold indicates the average of multiple field duplicates. Abbreviations: CERCLA, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; NA, indicates point does not fall within grid boundaries; cm, centimeter; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; –, data not available; no., number]
154 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007 Location Date Depth interval (cm) Remediation type 1,500-foot grid cell no. Total mercury (mg/kg, dry weight) Total organic carbon (mg/kg, dry weight) Total fines (percentage by dry weight) Total solids (percentage by dry weight) Sample name Cell number 2007—Continued 500-G20 20 05-15 0-10 Not remediated NA 0.54 2.8 91 34.5 500-G21 21 05-15 0-10 Thin-layer cap (enhanced natural recovery) NA .48 2.0 74 40.9 500-G22 22 05-09 0-10 Not remediated NA .72 3.2 94 28.1 500-G23 23 05-09 0-10 Not remediated 20 .67 3.0 91 32.6 500-G24 24 05-16 0-10 Thin-layer cap (enhanced natural recovery) NA .52 3.4 85 30.8 500-G25 25 05-16 0-10 Not remediated NA .82 3.4 82 32.7 500-G26 26 05-16 0-10 Not remediated 20 .75 3.5 78 32.6 500-G27 27 05-10 0-10 Not remediated 20 .65 3.4 85 32.4 500-G28 28 05-10 0-10 CERCLA dredging NA .93 3.0 82 28.7 500-G29 29 05-10 0-10 Not remediated 20 .97 3.6 86 30.8 500-G30 30 05-02 0-10 Not remediated 20 .65 2.9 87 31.2 500-G31 31 05-10 0-10 Not remediated 20 .71 3.0 91 32.6 500-G32 32 05-09 0-10 Not remediated NA .59 2.8 90 33.9 500-G33 33 05-10 0-10 Not remediated NA .90 3.5 87 29.6 500-G34 34 05-02 0-10 Berth navigation dredging NA 1.0 2.9 83 31 500-G35 35 05-02 0-10 Berth navigation dredging NA 1.4 2.5 76 37.2 500-G36 36 05-02 0-10 Not remediated NA .75 3.0 88 32 500-G37 37 05-10 0-10 Not remediated NA .85 2.9 84 33.4 500-G38 38 05-10 0-10 Not remediated NA .53 2.1 66 41.9 500-G39 39 05-09 0-10 Not remediated NA 2.0 1.6 34 49.1 500-G40 40 05-02 0-10 Not remediated NA 1.5 3.0 79 33.4 500-G41 41 05-04 0-10 Not remediated NA .76 2.8 85 33.5 500-G42 42 05-02 0-10 Not remediated NA .84 2.6 77 35.1 500-G43 43 05-02 0-10 Not remediated NA .87 2.6 75 35.3

500-G44 44 05-10 0-10 Not remediated NA .60 3.0 90 30.9500-G45 45 05-04 0-10 Berth navigation dredging NA .82 3.7 91 30.1500-G46 46 05-04 0-10 Not remediated NA .20 1.2 28 56.6500-G47 47 05-03 0-10 CERCLA dredging 27 .61 2.6 84 33.8500-G48 48 05-04 0-10 Not remediated 27 .52 3.1 90 32.4500-G49 49 05-03 0-10 Not remediated NA .36 1.5 49 46.3500-G50 50 05-03 0-10 Not remediated 27 .60 2.8 82 33.2500-G51 51 05-09 0-10 Not remediated 27 .67 2.9 90 32.2500-G52 52 05-03 0-10 Not remediated NA .71 2.8 81 34

Table B10. Concentrations of total mercury and percentage of total organic carbon, total fines, and total solids from marine sediment collected from the 500-ft grid within the boundary of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, 2003, 2005, and 2007.—Continued[Data Source: U.S. Navy, 2006a, 2006b, 2008b. Location number on figure 31. Bold indicates the average of multiple field duplicates. Abbreviations: CERCLA, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; NA, indicates point does not fall within grid boundaries; cm, centimeter; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; –, data not available; no., number]
Appendix B

155

Location

Date

Depth 

interval

(cm)

Remediation type

1,500-foot

grid

cell no.

Total

mercury

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

Total

organic

carbon

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

Total 

fines

(percentage by 

dry weight) 

Total

solids

(percentage by

dry weight)

Sample 

name

Cell 

number

2007—Continued

500-G53 53 05-03 0-10 Not remediated 27 0.48 2.7 87 33.6

500-G54 54 05-09 0-10 Not remediated 27 .80 3.0 83 34.4500-G55 55 05-04 0-10 Not remediated NA .80 3.3 74 33.8500-G56 56 05-03 0-10 CERCLA dredging NA 1.1 2.9 82 33.3500-G57 57 05-03 0-10 Not remediated NA 1.0 3.5 84 33.8500-G58 58 05-09 0-10 Not remediated NA .61 3.0 84 33.9500-G59 59 05-03 0-10 Not remediated NA 1.2 2.6 75 31.9500-G60 60 05-07 0-10 CERCLA dredging NA 2.3 2.3 50 39500-G61 61 05-07 0-10 Not remediated NA .49 1.7 34 47.6500-G62 62 05-07 0-10 Not remediated 31 .67 2.9 81 35.1

500-G63 63 05-04 0-10 Not remediated NA 2.3 3.2 59 33.6500-G64 64 05-07 0-10 CERCLA dredging NA 1.4 3.6 82 29.5500-G65 65 05-07 0-10 Not remediated NA .69 2.4 52 46.3500-G66 66 05-09 0-10 CERCLA dredging 31,32 .70 3.0 83 30.4500-G67 67 05-07 0-10 Not remediated NA 2.6 2.1 42 47.1500-G68 68 05-07 0-10 Not remediated NA 1.6 3.0 64 35.8500-G69 69 05-09 0-10 Not remediated NA .49 2.4 33 51.6500-G70 70 05-03 0-10 Not remediated 32 .65 2.6 77 34.8500-G71 71 05-07 0-10 Not remediated 32 2.0 0.89 20 64.1

Table B10. Concentrations of total mercury and percentage of total organic carbon, total fines, and total solids from marine sediment collected from the 500-ft grid within the boundary of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, 2003, 2005, and 2007.—Continued[Data Source: U.S. Navy, 2006a, 2006b, 2008b. Location number on figure 31. Bold indicates the average of multiple field duplicates. Abbreviations: CERCLA, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; NA, indicates point does not fall within grid boundaries; cm, centimeter; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; –, data not available; no., number]
156 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Table B11. Concentrations of total mercury and percentage of total organic carbon, total fines, and total 

solids from marine sediment collected from the Confined Aquatic Disposal pit cores, Bremerton naval 

complex, Washington, 2003, 2005, and 2007.

[Data Source: U.S Navy, 2006a,2006b, 2008a. Bold indicates the average of multiple field duplicates. Abbreviations: cm, 

centimeter; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; –, no data]

Location

Date

Depth

interval

(cm)

Total 

mercury

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

Total organic 

carbon

(percentage by 

dry weight)

Total 

fines

(percentage by 

dry weight)

Total 

solids 

(percentage by 

weight)

 Sample 

name

Sample 

number

2003

PIT-01 2333 10-10-03 0-21 0.143 1.97 65.9 58.1

PIT-01 2333 21-55 .09 .20 5.38 88.1

PIT-02 2334 0-27 .17 2.31 90.6 38.8

PIT-02 2334 27-49 – .44 4.79 82.2

PIT-03 2335 0-30 .40 2.25 90.5 41.5

PIT-04 2336 0-30 .61 2.71 76.3 39.5

PIT-04 2336 30-46 .10 – – –

2005

PIT-01 2333 06-07-05 0-30 .13 2.15 93.9 41.6

PIT-01 2333 30-61 .10 2.30 94.1 43.3

PIT-01 2333 61-91 .26 2.35 92.4 44.5

PIT-02 2334 06-08-05 0-30 .19 2.47 92.4 40

PIT-02 2334 30-61 .27 6.70 83 42.1

PIT-02 2334 61-91 .05 .68 20.56 73.9

PIT-03 2335 0-30 .23 2.27 91.9 43

PIT-03 2335 30-61 .11 2.39 93.8 43.2

PIT-03 2335 61-91 .06 .91 27.7 67.1

PIT-04 2336 0-30 .40 2.50 93 37.4

PIT-04 2336 30-61 .55 2.48 92.4 40.6

PIT-04 2336 61-91 .53 3.25 88.9 43.2

2007

PIT-01 2333 05-23-07 0-30 0.253 2.29 90.4 38.2

PIT-01 2333 30-61 .212 2.67 93 39.8

PIT-01 2333 61-91 .31 2.3 88.4 44.2

PIT-02 2334 0-30 .179 2.37 92.3 39.2

PIT-02 2334 30-61 .093 .645 14.85 74.3

PIT-02 2334 61-91 .223 1.7 70 49.8

PIT-03 2335 0-30 .304 1.97 83.6 44.5

PIT-03 2335 30-61 .121 2.11 78.7 46.3

PIT-03 2335 61-91 .029 .34 7.76 78.2

PIT-04 2336 0-30 .615 2.58 91.8 39.8

PIT-04 2336 30-61 .289 2.47 90.7 42.6

PIT-04 2336 61-91 .157 5.57 86.9 44.9
Appendix B 157

Table B12. Concentrations of total mercury and percentage of total organic carbon, total fines, and total solids 

from marine sediment collected from the apron (CP Cells) of the Confined Aquatic Disposal pit, Bremerton naval 

complex, Washington, 2003 and 2005.

[Data Source: U.S Navy, 2006a, 2006b. Location number on figure 20. Bold indicates the average of multiple field duplicates. 

Abbreviations: cm, centimeter; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; –, no data; no., number]

Location

Date

Depth

interval

(cm)

500-foot

grid

cell no.

Total 

mercury

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

Total organic 

carbon

(percentage by 

dry weight)

Total 

fines

(percentage by 

dry weight)

Total 

solids 

(percentage by

weight)

Sample 

name

Sample 

number

2003

1 CP 2101 09-30-03 0-10 8 0.798 2.19 87.7 36.1

2 CP 2102 0-10 11 .479 2.18 87.4 38.6

3 CP 2103 0-10 11 .807 2.72 83.4 36.5

4 CP 2104 0-10 10 .706 1.51 52.5 46.6

5 CP 2105 10-01-03 0-10 15 .958 2.14 81.9 39.7

6 CP 2106 0-10 15 1.17 1.65 68.8 37.3

7 CP 2107 0-10 18 .681 2.15 84.3 37.7

8 CP 2108 0-10 19 .761 2.34 84.2 36.7

9 CP 2109 0-10 19 .698 2.28 84 36.3

10 CP 2110 0-10 16 .636 2.61 81.4 36.6

11 CP 2111 0-10 19 .489 2.18 83.2 35.2

12 CP 2112 0-10 20 .575 3.2 89.6 38.7

13 CP 2113 0-10 17 .642 2.2 81.4 35.3

14 CP 2114 0-10 17 .544 2.2 85.5 38

15 CP 2115 0-10 20 .654 2.34 85.1 34.6

2005

1 CP 2101 05-17-05 0-10 8 – 2.65 89.3 37.9

2 CP 2102 0-10 11 0.59 2.35 87.7 39.2

3 CP 2103 0-10 11 .84 2.45 90.7 36.7

4 CP 2104 0-10 10 .5 1.51 56.3 50.3

5 CP 2105 0-10 15 1.29 2.22 83.0 41.7

6 CP 2106 0-10 15 1.6 1.88 78.0 44.7

7 CP 2107 0-10 18 .75 2.36 87.5 40

8 CP 2108 0-10 19 .8 2.33 86.3 38.2

9 CP 2109 0-10 19 .8 2.44 87.2 35.3

10 CP 2110 05-18-05 0-10 16 .61 2.32 87.3 36.8

11 CP 2111 0-10 19 .37 2.52 89.3 34

12 CP 2112 0-10 20 .38 2.44 92.2 34.5

13 CP 2113 0-10 17 .62 2.49 90.8 34.4

14 CP 2114 0-10 17 .60 2.45 90.2 35.3

15 CP 2115 0-10 20 .60 2.54 93.0 34.5
158 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007 Table B13. Concentrations of total mercury and percentage of total organic carbon, total fines, and total solids from marine sediment collected during the Transport Study at the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, 2005.

[Data Source: U.S. Navy, 2007b. Locations of 1,500-foot grid cells are shown in figure 30 and 500-foot grid cell locations are shown in figure 31.Bold indicates the average of multiple field duplicates. 

Abbreviations: BNC, Bremerton Naval Complex; CERCLA, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; cm, centimeter; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; –, data not available; no., number]

Location

Date

Depth 

interval

(cm)

Remediation type

500-foot

grid

cell no.

1,500-foot

grid

cell no.

Total

mercury

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

Total organic

carbon

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

Total fines

(percentage by 

dry weight) 

Total

solids

(percentage by 

weight) Sample name Number

Operable Unit B Marine

BNC-4002 SI-03 06/-08-05 0-10 Berth navigation dredging 35 NA 0.551 3.05 85.3 36.4

BNC-4003 SI-04 0-10 CERCLA remedial dredging 56 NA .842 3.31 88 30.2

ND-1 – 05-27-05 0-10 Navagitional dredging 35 NA .740 2.55 88.4 35.1

ND-2 – 0-10 Navagitional dredging 35 NA .680 2.97 85.6 32.6

NDC1 – 06-06-05 0-5 Navagitional dredging 35 NA .640 2.93 86.8 37.7

NDC1 – 5-10 Navagitional dredging 35 NA .430 1.83 83.9 47.8

NDC1 – 10-15 Navagitional dredging 35 NA .210 1.64 87.6 50.2

NDC2 – 06-07-05 0-5 Navagitional dredging 35 NA .560 2.91 88.2 37

NDC2 – 5-10 Navagitional dredging 35 NA .440 2.38 90.9 39.8

NDC2 – 10-15 Navagitional dredging 35 NA .360 2.14 91.7 41.5

RD-1 – 05-27-05 0-10 CERCLA remedial dredging 56 NA – 2.91 85.8 30.4

RD-2 – 0-10 CERCLA remedial dredging 56 NA 1.200 2.68 78.6 35.3

RDC1 – 06-07-05 0-5 CERCLA remedial dredging 56 NA .880 2.38 75.3 35.9

RDC1 – 5-10 CERCLA remedial dredging 56 NA .870 1.93 75.1 46.5

RDC1 – 10-15 CERCLA remedial dredging 56 NA .380 1.91 85.9 47.6

RDC2 – 0-5 CERCLA remedial dredging 56 NA 1.760 2.55 84.4 38.6

RDC2 – 5-10 CERCLA remedial dredging 56 NA 1.330 2.17 81 43

RDC2 – 10-15 CERCLA remedial dredging 56 NA 1.070 2.2 86.6 44.1

Outside of Operable Unit B Marine

BNC-4000 SI-01 06-07-05 0-10 Not remediated NA 13 0.737 3.11 96.5 32.5

BNC-4001 SI-02 0-10 Not remediated NA 22 .635 3.51 92.1 30
Appendix B 159

Table B14. Station locations from the Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program of Washington used in the regressions listed in 

table 1.

[Data is from Long and others, 1999, 2000, 2002 and in the sediment database PSAMPSedComponentdatabase.zip accessed at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/

eap/psamp/index.html]

Embayment Station numbers used in the regression

Figure no. 

and PDF page 

of online 

document

Reference URL of online PDF

Bellingham Bay 20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,

4,37,59,60,61

3c, 45 Long and others, 1999 http://www.ecy.wa.gov/

biblio/99347.html

Port Gardner 85,95,96,97,98,99,100 3h, 50 Long and others, 1999 http://www.ecy.wa.gov/

biblio/99347.html

Elliott Bay 172,173,174,185,187 3f, 104 Long and others, 2000 http://www.ecy.wa.gov/

biblio/0003055.html

Liberty Bay 142,143,144,145,146 3c, 101 Long and others, 2000 http://www.ecy.wa.gov/

biblio/0003055.html

Sinclair Inlet 156,157,158,159,160 3e, 103 Long and others, 2000 http://www.ecy.wa.gov/

biblio/0003055.html

Commencement Bay 281,282,283,284,288 3c, 114 Long and others, 2002 http://www.ecy.wa.gov/

biblio/0203033.html

Budd Inlet 236,237,241,242,243 3e, 112 Long and others, 2002 http://www.ecy.wa.gov/

biblio/0203033.html
160 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

Depth

interval

(cm)

Section

mid-point

(cm)

Total

solids

(percentage 

by weight

Total

mercury

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

Total 

aluminum

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

S1

0-2.5 1.25 30.93 0.505 60,600

2.5-5.0 3.75 34.90 .509 61,400

5-10 7.50 36.04 .256 61,100

10-15 12.5 38.56 .097 65,800

15-20 17.5 38.41 .0399 63,200

20-25 22.5 37.49 .0507 66,200

25-30 27.5 44.83 .0414 62,600

30-35 32.5 50.00 .0319 66,900

35-30 37.5 43.13 .0449 65,960

40-45 42.5 45.81 .0430 65,620

45-50 47.5 37.27 .0486 72,390

55-60 57.5 34.76 .0445 72,260

S2

0-2.5 1.25 27.72 0.932 62,350

2.5-5.0 3.75 31.22 .922 63,760

5-10 7.50 34.65 .922 64,910

10-15 12.5 38.37 1.12 68,290

15-20 17.5 38.04 1.46 60,200

20-25 22.5 35.02 1.31 61,000

25-30 27.5 39.72 .863 57,300

30-35 32.5 36.69 .641 58,000

35-30 37.5 36.86 .233 56,800

40-45 42.5 37.01 .129 61,800

45-50 47.5 36.96 .0826 60,100

55-60 57.5 32.91 .0772 58,100

S3

0-2.5 1.25 25.37 0.841 61,400

2.5-5.0 3.75 28.73 .965 63,250

5-10 7.50 31.76 .966 65,400

10-15 12.5 36.13 1.08 65,800

15-20 17.5 38.00 1.37 70,100

20-25 22.5 39.09 1.72 66,300

Depth

interval

(cm)

Section

mid-point

(cm)

Total

solids

(percentage 

by weight

Total

mercury

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

Total 

aluminum

(mg/kg, dry 

weight)

S3—Continued

25-30 27.5 39.94 1.85 66,000

30-35 32.5 37.85 .506 64,500

35-30 37.5 37.37 .0705 64,100

40-45 42.5 36.84 .0441 62,400

45-50 47.5 35.44 .0536 63,700

55-60 57.5 36.12 .0514 62,400

S4

0-2.5 1.25 34.33 0.738 61,000

2.5-5.0 3.75 37.26 .805 62,300

5-10 7.50 40.48 .853 60,800

10-15 12.5 66.87 1.02 62,300

15-20 17.5 46.13 2.78 65,200

20-25 22.5 43.58 3.21 65,200

25-30 27.5 42.78 3.01 64,100

30-35 32.5 43.54 2.08 62,100

35-30 37.5 44.61 1.31 63,100

40-45 42.5 43.88 .732 65,000

45-50 47.5 42.30 .196 62,700

55-60 57.5 41.06 .0576 62,500

S5

0-2.5 1.25 30.20 0.900 52,260

2.5-5.0 3.75 35.87 .671 54,350

5-10 7.50 44.61 .886 55,350

10-15 12.5 51.56 3.26 56,550

15-20 17.5 57.63 1.47 56,100

20-25 22.5 57.15 .244 55,450

25-30 27.5 46.68 .169 56,420

30-35 32.5 44.63 .0334 55,780

35-30 37.5 42.29 .0602 63,115

40-45 42.5 42.15 .0346 65,700

45-50 47.5 44.47 .0389 65,030

55-60 57.5 45.63 .0663 66,830

Table B15. Concentrations of total mercury and total aluminum, and total solids for five ENVnvironment InVESTvestment (ENVVEST) 

cores collected in Sinclair Inlet, Washington.

[Data Source: Crecelius and others, 2003. Bold values are average of replicate samples. Abbreviations: cm, centimeter; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram]
Appendix C 161

Appendix C. Relations Between Ancillary Sediment Parameters

watac09-0206_appC1

0 1 2 3 4 5

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

Site 6 (OU B Marine)

Site 3 (OU A)

Outside BNC

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL ALUMINUM, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

Figure C1. Total aluminum concentrations compared to total organic carbon in surface 

sediment (0–4 cm) off Operable Unit A and Operable Unit B Terrestrial and outside of Bremerton 

naval complex, Washington, from the 1990 site investigation (U.S. Navy, 1992).
162 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_appC2

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

Site 6 (OU B Marine)

Outside BNC

TOTAL ALUMINUM, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0 20 40 60 80 100

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

Figure C2. Total aluminum concentrations compared to total fines compared to in surface 

sediment (0–4 cm) off Operable Unit A and Operable Unit B Terrestrial and outside of the 

Bremerton naval complex, Washington, from the 1990 site investigation (U.S. Navy, 1992).
Appendix C 163

watac09-0206_appC3

Site 6 (OU B Marine)

Outside BNC

0 20 40 60 80 100

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

Figure C3. Total organic carbon compared to total fines in surface sediment (0–4 cm) off 

Operable Unit A and Operable Unit B Terrestrial and outside of the Bremerton naval complex, 

Washington, from the 1990 s ite investigation (U.S. Navy, 1992).
164 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_appC04

1 2 3 4 8,000

12,000

16,000

20,000

24,000

TOTAL ALUMINUM, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

Figure C4. Total aluminum concentrations compared to total organic carbon concentrations 

in surface sediment (0–10 cm) outside of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, from the 

1993-1994 Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (U.S. Navy, 2000). 
Appendix C 165

watac09-0206_appC05 TOTAL ALUMINUM, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

0 20 40 60 80 100

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

8,000

12,000

16,000

20,000

24,000

Figure C5. Total aluminum concentrations compared to fines total fines compared to in surface 

sediment (0–10 cm) outside of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, from the 1993-1994 

Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (U.S. Navy, 2000).
166 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_appC06

0 20 40 60 80 100

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

0

1

2

3

4

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

Figure C6. Total organic carbon compared to total fines in surface sediment (0–10 cm) outside 

of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, from the 1993-1994 Remedial Investigation/

Feasibility Study (U.S. Navy, 2000)
Appendix C 167

watac09-0206_appC07

1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 14,000

16,000

18,000

20,000

22,000

24,000

TOTAL ALUMINUM, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

Figure C7. Total aluminum concentrations compared to total organic carbon concentrations 

in surface sediment (0–10 cm) from Operable Unit B Marine from the 1993-1994 Remedial 

Investigation/Feasibility Study (U.S. Navy, 2000). 
168 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_appC08

14,000

16,000

18,000

20,000

22,000

24,000

TOTAL ALUMINUM, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

20 40 60 80 100

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

Figure C8. Total aluminum concentrations compared to fines total fines compared to in surface 

sediment (0–10 cm) from Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, 

from the 1993-1994 Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (U.S. Navy, 2000).
Appendix C 169

watac09-0206_appC09

20 40 60 80 100

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

0

2

4

6

8

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

Region (surface interval)

OFF OU A (0-5 cm)

OFF OU B Terrestrial (0-10 cm)

Figure C9. Total organic carbon compared to total fines in surface sediment (0–5 cm and 0–10 

cm) from Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, from the 1993-

1994 Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (U.S. Navy, 2000).
170 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_appC10

0 20 40 60 80 100

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

0

1

2

3

4

5

Figure C10. Total organic carbon compared to total fines in surface sediment (0–10 cm) outside 

of the of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, from the 2003 1,500-ft Long-Term Monitoring 

Program grid (U.S. Navy, 2006a).
Appendix C 171

watac09-0206_appC11

0 20 40 60 80 100

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

0

1

2

3

4

5

Figure C11. Total organic carbon compared to total fines in surface sediment (0–10 cm) outside 

of the Bremerton naval complex Washington, from the 2005 1,500-ft Long-Term Monitoring 

Program grid (U.S. Navy, 2006b).
172 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_appC12

0 20 40 60 80 100

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

0

1

2

3

4

5

Figure C12. Total organic carbon compared to total fines in surface sediment (0–10 cm) 

outside of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, from the 2007 1,500-ft Long-Term 

Monitoring Program grid (U.S. Navy, 2008b).
Appendix C 173

watac09-0206_appC13

0 20 40 60 80 100

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

0

1

2

3

4

6

5

Figure C13. Total organic carbon compared to total fines in surface sediment (0–10 cm) from 

Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, from the 2003 500-ft LongTerm Monitoring Program grid (U.S. Navy, 2006a).
174 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_appC14

0 20 40 60 80 100

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

0

1

2

3

4

5

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

6

Figure C14. Total organic carbon compared to total fines in surface sediment (0–10 cm) from 

Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, from the 2005 500-ft LongTerm Monitoring Program grid (U.S. Navy, 2006b).
Appendix C 175

watac09-0206_appC15

0 20 40 60 80 100

TOTAL FINES, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

0

1

2

3

4

5

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

6

Figure C15. Total organic carbon compared to total fines in surface sediment (0–10 cm) from 

Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, from the 2007 500-ft LongTerm Monitoring Program grid (U.S. Navy, 2008b).
176 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

This page intentionally left blank.
Appendix D 177

Appendix D. Core Profiles from the Operable Units A and B Remedial 

Investigation/Feasibility Studies from the Confined Aquatic Disposal Pit for the 

Long-Term Monitoring Program, from the Special Transport Study, and from the 

Environment Investment (Envvest) Project 

watac09-0206_appD01

0 2 4

MERCURY (TCLP), 

 IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, 

20

40

60

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

0 20 40 60 80

GRA N SI ES, I Z PERCENTAG BY DRY WEIGHT E

20

40

60

0 20 40 60 80 100

SOLIDS 

20

40

60

0 2 4 6

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON,

PERCENTAG B E Y DRY WEIGHT

20

40

60

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

SAND

and

CLAY

Clay Sand Silt

PERCENTAGE BY WEIGHT

DRY WEIGHT

0 0

0 0

Figure D1. Vertical profiles of mercury concentrations by toxicity characteristic leaching 

procedure (TCLP) extraction, percentages of sand, silt and clay, total organic carbon, and 

percentage of solids at MS220 (location 220) of Operable Unit A of the Bremerton naval 

complex Washington.
178 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_appD02

Sand Clay Silt

0 2 4 6 8

MERCURY (TCLP), 

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM,

DRY WEIGHT 

20

40

60

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

0 20 40 60 80

GRAIN SIZES,

PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT 

20

40

60

0 20 40 60 80 100

SOLIDS, IN PERCENTAGE BY WEIGHT

20

40

60

0 2 4 6

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON,

PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

20

40

60

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

0 0

0 0

Figure D2. Vertical profiles of mercury concentrations by toxicity characteristic leaching 

procedure (TCLP) extraction, percentages of sand, silt and clay, total organic carbon, and 

percentage of solids at MS221 (location 221) of Operable Unit A of the Bremerton naval 

complex, Washington (U.S. Navy, 1995a).
Appendix D 179

watac09-0206_appD03

0 2 4

MERCURY (TCLP , )

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM

DRY WEIGHT 

20

40

60

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

0 20 40 60 80

GRAIN SIZES,

PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

20

40

60

0 20 40 60 80 100

SOLIDS, IN PERCENTAGE BY WEIGHT

20

40

60

0 2 4 6

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON,

PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT 

20

40

60

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

0 0

0 0

Sand Clay Silt

Figure D3. Vertical profiles of mercury concentrations by toxicity characteristic leaching 

procedure extraction, percentages of sand, silt and clay, total organic carbon, and 

percentage of solids at MS223 (location 223) of Operable Unit A of the Bremerton naval 

complex, Washington (U.S. Navy, 1995a). 
180 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_appD04

Sand Clay Silt

0 1 2 3

TOTAL MERCURY, 

 N MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRA I M,

40

80

120

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

0 20 40 60 80 100

GRAIN SIZES,

PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

40

80

120

0 4000 8000 12000 16000 20000

TOTAL ALUMINUM,

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM,

40

80

120

0 1 2 3

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, 

PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

40

80

120

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

0 0

0 0

DRY WEIGHT

DRY WEIGHT

Figure D4. Vertical profiles of total mercury concentrations, percentages of sand, silt 

and clay, total organic carbon, and total aluminum concentrations of location core 826 of 

Operable Unit B of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington. 
Appendix D 181

watac09-0206_appD05

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

TOTAL MERCURY, 

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM,

40

80

120

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

0 20 40 60 80 100

GRAIN SIZES, 

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

40

80

120

0 4000 8000 12000 16000 20000

TOTAL ALUMINUM,

 IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM,

40

80

120

0 1 2 3

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON,

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT 

40

80

120

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

DRY WEIGHT

DRY WEIGHT

Sand Clay Silt

0 0

0 0

Figure D5. Vertical profiles of total mercury concentrations, percentages of sand, silt 

and clay, total organic carbon, and total aluminum concentrations of location core 827 of 

Operable Unit B of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington. 
182 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_appD06

Sand Clay Silt

0 1 2 3

TOTAL MERCURY,

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM

40

80

120

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

0 20 40 60 80 100

GRAIN SIZES, 

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

40

80

120

0 4000 8000 12000 16000 20000

TOTAL ALUMINUM,

DRY WEIGHT 

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM,

40

80

120

0 1 2 3

40

80

120

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON,

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

0 0

0 0

DRY WEIGHT

Figure D6. Vertical profiles of total mercury concentrations, percentages of sand, silt and 

clay, total organic carbon, and total aluminum concentrations of solids at location 828 of 

Operable Unit B of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington. Open symbols (presently red 

squares) are qualified (U.S. Navy, 2000).
Appendix D 183

watac09-0206_appD07

0.0 1.0 2.0

TOTAL MERCURY,

 DRY WEIGHT 

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM,

30

60

90

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

0 20 40 60 80 100

GRAIN SIZES, 

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

30

60

90

0 1 2 3 4

TOTAL ORGANI C C A R B O N,

 IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT 

30

60

90

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

Sand Clay Silt

0 0

0

Figure D7. Vertical profiles of total mercury concentrations, percentages of sand, silt and 

clay, and total organic carbon at confined aquatic disposal pit core PIT-01 of Operable Unit B 

Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, 2003 (U.S. Navy, 2006a). 
184 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_appD08

0.0 1.0 2.0

DRY WEIGHT

TOTAL MERCURY, 

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM

30

60

90

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

0 20 40 60 80 100

GRAIN SIZES, 

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

30

60

90

0

0

0 0

1 2 3 4

30

60

90

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, 

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

Sand Clay Silt

Figure D8. Vertical profiles of total mercury concentrations, percentages of sand, silt and 

clay, and total organic carbon at confined aquatic disposal pit core PIT-01 of Operable Unit B 

Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, 2005 (U.S. Navy, 2006b). 
Appendix D 185

watac09-0206_appD09

0.0 1.0 2.0

TOTAL MERCURY,

DRY WEIGHT

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM,

30

60

90

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

0 20 40 60 80 100

GRAIN SIZES, 

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

30

60

90

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

TOTAL ORGAN IC C A R B O N, 

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT 

30

60

90

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

Sand Clay Silt

0 0

0

Figure D9. Vertical profiles of mercury concentrations, percentages of sand, silt and clay, 

and total organic carbon at confined aquatic disposal pit core PIT-02 of Operable Unit B 

Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, 2005 (U.S. Navy, 2006b). 
186 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_appD10

Sand Clay Silt

0.0 1.0 2.0

TOTAL MERCURY,

DRY WEIGHT

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM,

30

60

90

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

0 20 40 60 80 100

GRAIN SIZES, 

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT 

30

60

90

0 1 2 3 4

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, 

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

30

60

90

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

0 0

0

Figure D10. Vertical profiles of total mercury concentrations, percentages of sand, silt and 

clay, and total organic carbon at confined aquatic disposal pit core PIT-03 of Operable Unit B 

Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, 2005 (U.S. Navy, 2006b). 
Appendix D 187

watac09-0206_appD11

Sand Clay Silt

0.0 1.0 2.0

TOTAL MERCURY,

DRY WEIGHT

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM,

30

60

90

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

0 20 40 60 80 100

GRAIN SIZES, 

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

30

60

90

0 1 2 3 4

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, 

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

30

60

90

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

0 0

0

Figure D11. Vertical profiles of total mercury concentrations, percentages of sand, silt and 

clay), and total organic carbon at confined aquatic disposal pit core PIT-04 of Operable Unit B 

Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, 2005 (U.S. Navy, 2006b). 
188 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_appD12

Sand Clay Silt

0.0 0.5 1.0

TOTAL MERCURY, 

DRY WEIGHT,

 

90

60

30

0

0 20 40 60 80 100

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

90

60

30

0

0 20 40 60 80 100

SOLIDS, PERCENTAGE BY WEIGHT

90

60

30

0

0 1 2 3

90

60

30

0

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, 

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

GRAIN SIZES, 

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM,

Figure D12. Vertical profiles of total mercury concentrations, percentages of sand, silt 

and clay, and total organic carbon, and percentage of solids at confined aquatic disposal 

pit core PIT-01 of Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, 

2007 (U.S. Navy, 2008b). 
Appendix D 189

watac09-0206_appD13

0.0 0.5 1.0

TOTAL MERCURY,

DRY WEIGHT

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, 

90

60

30

0

0 20 40 60 80 100

GRAIN SIZES,

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT 

90

60

30

0

0 20 40 60 80 100

SOLIDS, PERCENTAGE BY WEIGHT

90

60

30

0

0 1 2 3

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, 

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

90

60

30

0

Sand Clay Silt

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

Figure D13. Vertical profiles of total mercury concentrations, percentages of sand, silt 

and clay, and total organic carbon, and percentage of solids at confined aquatic disposal 

pit core PIT-02 of Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, 

2007 (U.S. Navy, 2008b). 
190 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_appD14

0.0 0.5 1.0

TOTAL MERCURY, 

DRY WEIGHT

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM,

 

90

60

30

0

0 20 40 60 80 100

GRAIN SIZES,

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

90

60

30

0

0 20 40 60 80 100

SOLIDS, PERCENTAGE BY WEIGHT

90

60

30

0

0 1 2 3

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, 

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

90

60

30

0

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

Sand Clay Silt

Figure D14. Vertical profiles of total mercury concentrations, percentages of sand, silt 

and clay, and total organic carbon, and percentage of solids at confined aquatic disposal 

pit corePIT-03 of Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, 

2007 (U.S. Navy, 2008b). 
Appendix D 191

watac09-0206_appD15

0.0 0.5 1.0

TOTAL MERCURY,

 DRY WEIGHT

90

60

30

0

0 20 40 60 80 100

GRAIN SIZES, 

NI PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

90

60

30

0

0 20 40 60 80 100

SOLIDS, PERCENTAGE BY WEIGHT

90

60

30

0

0 2 4 6

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, 

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT 

90

60

30

0

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM,

Sand Clay Silt

Figure D15. Vertical profiles of total mercury concentrations, percentages of sand, silt and 

clay, and total organic carbon, and percentage of solids at confined aquatic disposal pit core 

PIT-04 of Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, 2007 (U.S. 

Navy, 2008b).
192 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_appD16

Sand Clay Silt

0.0 1.0 2.0

TOTAL MERCURY,

DRY WEIGHT

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM,

5

10

15

0 20 40 60 80 100

GRAIN SIZES, 

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

5

10

15

0 1 2 3 4

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON, 

 IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

5

10

15

0 0

0

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

Figure D16. Vertical profiles of total mercury concentrations, percentages of sand, silt and 

clay, and total organic carbon in Transport Study Core NDC1 of Operable Unit B Marine of the 

Bremerton naval complex, Washington (U.S. Navy, 2007).
Appendix D 193

watac09-0206_appD17

0.0 1.0 2.0

TOTAL MERCURY,

DRY WEIGHT

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM,

5

10

15

0 20 40 60 80 100

GRAIN SIZES, 

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

5

10

15

0 1 2 3 4

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON,

 IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

5

10

15

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

Sand Clay Silt

0 0

0

Figure D17. Vertical profiles of total mercury concentrations, percentages of sand, silt and 

clay, and total organic carbon in Transport Study Core NDC2 of Operable Unit B Marine of the 

Bremerton naval complex, Washington (U.S. Navy, 2007).
194 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_appD18

Sand Clay Silt

0.0 1.0 2.0

TOTAL MERCURY,

DRY WEIGHT

MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM,

5

10

15

0 20 40 60 80 100

GRAIN SIZES, 

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

5

10

15

0 1 2 3 4

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON,

 IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT

5

10

15

0 0

0

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

Figure D18. Vertical profiles of total mercury concentrations, percentages of sand, silt and 

clay, and total organic carbon in Transport Study Core RDC1 of Operable Unit B Marine of 

the Bremerton naval complex, Washington (U.S. Navy, 2007).
Appendix D 195

watac09-0206_appD19

Sand Clay Silt

0.0 1.0 2.0

TOTAL MERCURY,

DRY WEIGHT

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM,

5

10

15

0 20 40 60 80 100

GRAIN SIZES, 

IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT 

5

10

15

0 1 2 3 4

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON,

 IN PERCENTAGE BY DRY WEIGHT 

5

10

15

0 0

0

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

Figure D19. Vertical profiles of total mercury concentrations, percentages of sand, silt and 

clay, and total organic carbon in Transport Study Core RDC2 of Operable Unit B Marine of 

the Bremerton naval complex, Washington (U.S. Navy, 2007).
196 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_appD20

0.0 0.5 1.0

TOTAL MERCURY,

DRY WEIGHT

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM,

60

40

20

0

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

0 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000

TOTAL ALUMINUM,

DRY WEIGHT

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM,

60

40

20

0

Figure D20. Vertical profiles of the total concentrations of total mercury and total aluminum from 

the ENVironment InVESTment core S1 in Sinclair Inlet, Washington, collected in 2002 (Crecelius and 

others, 2003).
Appendix D 197

watac09-0206_appD21

0 1 2

TOTAL MERCURY,

DRY WEIGHT

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM,

60

40

20

0

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

0 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000

TOTAL ALUMINUM,

DRY WEIGHT

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM,

60

40

20

0

Figure D21. Vertical profiles of the total concentrations of total mercury and total aluminum from 

the ENVironment InVESTment core S2 in Sinclair Inlet, Washington, collected in 2002 (Crecelius and 

others, 2003).
198 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_appD22

0 1 2

TOTAL MERCURY,

DRY WEIGHT

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM,

60

40

20

0

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

0 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000

TOTAL ALUMINUM,

DRY WEIGHT

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM,

60

40

20

0

Figure D22. Vertical profiles of the concentrations of total mercury and total aluminum from the 

ENVironment InVESTment core S3 in Sinclair Inlet, Washington, collected in 2002 (Crecelius and 

others, 2003).
Appendix D 199

watac09-0206_appD23

0 1 2 3 4

TOTAL MERCURY,

DRY WEIGHT

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM,

60

40

20

0

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

0 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000

TOTAL ALUMINUM,

DRY WEIGHT

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM,

60

40

20

0

Figure D23. Vertical profiles of the concentrations of total mercury and total aluminum from the 

ENVironment InVESTment core S4 in Sinclair Inlet, Washington, collected in 2002 (Crecelius and 

others, 2003).
200 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_appD24

0 1 2 3 4

TOTAL MERCURY,

DRY WEIGHT

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM,

60

40

20

0

DEPTH, IN CENTIMETERS

0 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000

TOTAL ALUMINUM,

DRY WEIGHT

 IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM,

60

40

20

0

Figure D24. Vertical profiles of the concentrations of total mercury and total aluminum from the 

ENVironment InVESTment core S5 in Sinclair Inlet, Washington, collected in 2002 (Crecelius and 

others, 2003).
Appendix E 201

Appendix E. Residuals for Long-Term Monitoring Program 

watac09-0206_figappE_fig01

-0.8

-0.4

0

0.4

0.8

6

8

21

-0.8

-0.4

0

0.4

0.8 21

-0.8

-0.4

0

0.4

0.8

1

16

24

13

31

32

21

+3 * Interquartile Range

-3 * Interquartile Range

+3 * Interquartile Range

2003

2007

2005

RESIDUALS, DIFFERENCE (ACTUAL MINUS PREDICTED), 

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

Figure E1. Rank ordered residuals of total mercury compared to total organic 

carbon in the surface sediment (0–10 cm) from outside of Operable Unit B Marine 

of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, collected in 2003, 2005 and 2007 with 

low and high outliers labeled with 1,500-ft grid cell numbers. The samples were 

composites of three grab samples collected within each 1,500-ft grid cell (Data from 

U.S. Navy, 2006a, 2006b, 2008a). 
202 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_figappE_fig02

-0.8

-0.4

0

0.4

0.8

6

8

-0.8

-0.4

0

0.4

0.8 21

-0.8

-0.4

0

0.4

0.8

1

3* Interquartile Range

-3* Interquartile Range

3* Interquartile Range

21

21

-3* Interquartile Range

2003

2007

2005

RESIDUALS, DIFFERENCE (ACTUAL MINUS PREDICTED),

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

Figure E2. Rank ordered residuals of total mercury compared to total fines in 

the surface sediment (0–10 cm) from outside of Operable Unit B Marine of the 

Bremerton naval complex, Washington, collected in 2003, 2005 and 2007 with 

low and high outliers labeled with 1500-ft grid cell numbers. The samples were 

composites of three grab samples collected within each 1,500-ft grid cell (Data 

from U.S. Navy, 2006a, 2006b, 2008a).
Appendix E 203

watac09-0206_figappE_fig03

-1

0

1

2

3

4

5

33 34 15

39

67 57

64

60

19

11

63

Tier 1 Offset = 2.26

Tier 2 Offset = 0.64

RESIDUALS OF TOTAL MERCURY (ACTUAL MINUS PREDICTED)

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

Figure E3. Rank ordered residuals of total mercury compared to total organic carbon in the surface sediment 

(0–10 cm) within the Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, collected in 2003 with 

tier 1 and tier offsets and 500-ft grid cell numbers of tier 1 and tier 2 samples labeled. The samples were composites 

of three grab samples collected within each 500-ft grid cell (Data from U.S. Navy, 2006a). 
204 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_figappE_fig04

-1

0

1

2

3

4

5

33

34 39

64

67 57

19

11

60

63

RESIDUALS OF TOTAL MERCURY (ACTUAL MINUS PREDICTED)

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM, DRY WEIGHT

Figure E4. Rank ordered residuals of total mercury compared to fines in the surface sediment (0–10 cm) within 

the Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, collected in 2003. The samples were 

composites of three grab samples collected within each 500-ft grid cell (Data from U.S. Navy, 2006a). Samples of 

interest are labeled with their respective cell numbers of the 500-ft grid. 
Appendix E 205

watac09-0206_figappE_fig05

-1

0

1

2

3

4

5

31 33

43

39

42 59

57 64

63

67

Grid 60, y=19^

Tier 2 Offset = 0.53

Tier 1 Offset = 2.13

RESIDUALS OF TOTAL MERCURY (ACTUAL MINUS PREDICTED)

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM

Figure E5. Rank ordered residuals of total mercury compared to total organic carbon in the surface sediment 

(0–10 cm) within the Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, collected in 2005 

with tier 1 and tier offsets and 500-ft grid cell numbers of tier 1 and tier 2 samples labeled. The samples were 

composites of three grab samples collected within each 500-ft grid cell (Data from U.S. Navy, 2006b). 
206 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_figappE_fig06 RESIDUALS OF TOTAL MERCURY (ACTUAL MINUS PREDICTED) IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM

-1

0

1

2

3

4

5

56

43

42 39

57

59

64

63

67

Cell 60, y=~18.6^

Figure E6. Rank ordered residuals of total mercury compared to total fines in the surface sediment (0–10 cm) 

within the Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, collected in 2005. The samples 

were composites of three grab samples collected within each 500-ft grid cell (Data from U.S. Navy, 2006b). 

Samples of interest are labeled with their respective cell numbers of the 500-ft grid.
Appendix E 207

watac09-0206_figappE_fig07

-1

0

1

2

3

4

5

59 64

35

40

68 18

63 39

71 60

67

Tier 2 Offset = 0.67

Tier 1 Offset = 1.42

RESIDUALS OF TOTAL MERCURY (ACTUAL MINUS PREDICTED)

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM

Figure E7. Rank ordered residuals of total mercury compared to total organic carbon in the surface sediment 

(0–10 cm) within the Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, collected in 2007 

with tier 1 and tier offsets and 500-ft grid cell numbers of tier 1 and tier 2 samples labeled. The samples were 

composites of three grab samples collected within each 500-ft grid cell (Data from U.S. Navy, 2008a). 
208 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007

watac09-0206_figappE_fig08

-1

0

1

2

3

4

5

59 64

35

40

18 68

39 63

71 60

67

RESIDUALS OF TOTAL MERCURY (ACTUAL MINUS PREDICTED)

IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM

Figure E8. Rank ordered residuals of total mercury compared to total fines in the surface sediment (0–10 cm) within 

the Operable Unit B Marine of the Bremerton naval complex, Washington, collected in 2007. The samples were 

composites of three grab samples collected within each 500-ft grid cell (Data from U.S. Navy, 2008a). Samples of 

interest are labeled with their respective cell numbers of the 500-ft grid. 
Appendix F 209

Appendix F. Listings of Biological Data Examined

Table F1. Total mercury concentrations in whole specimens of staghorn sculpin, graceful crab, ratfish, surf perch, sand sole, rock 

sole, and sea cucumber collected from Puget Sound, Washington, and Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada, 2003, 2005, and 2007.

[Data Source: Brandenberger and others, 2006b, 2008; Johnston and others, 2007. Locations shown in figure 1A. Mercury: J, estimated positive value; U, not 

detected. Abbreviations: PSAMP, Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; kg, kilogram; cm, centimeter; –, length not 

applicable]

Station PSAMP 

code

Laboratory 

code

Collection 

date

Percent 

moisture

Mercury

Weight

(kg)

Length

(cm) (mg/kg, 

dry weight)

 (mg/kg, 

wet weight)

Staghorn sculpin

Sinclair Inlet 2016-5A 2016*89 05-05-03 80.67 0.255 0.0493 0.026 13.0

2016-5B 2016*90 80.84 .272 .0521 .058 16.0

SHS-SI-1 2465-63 05-13-05 81.52 .988 .1825 .290 30.5

SHS-SI-3 2465-64 80.28 .490 .0966 .180 25.4

SHS-SI-4 2465-65 80.45 .400 .0782 .090 21.6 1SI-SSc-1-2 2838-77-78 05-17-07 79.34 .250 .0517 .048 14.9

Strait of Georgia STAG01 2016*91 04-28-03 77.06 .208 .0478 .188 23.5

STAG02 2016*92 79.09 .199 .0416 .062 18.3

STAG03 2016*93 77.97 .168 .0371 .084 18.7

off Vendovi Island SHS-V-2 2465-90 05-03-05 79.44 .346 .0711 .270 25.4

SHS-V-3 2465-91 79.75 .433 .0877 .190 24.1

SHS-V-6 2465-92 79.22 .198 .0411 .080 19.1

V-SSc-1 2838-13 05-01-07 80.46 .300 .0586 .094 17.8

V-SSc-2 2838-14 79.46 .312 .0641 .298 24.8

V-SSc-3 2838-15 80.1 .353 .0702 .294 25.4

Graceful crab

Hood Canal GC-HC-2 2465-24 05-11-05 76.13 0.073 0.0174 0.100 11.4

GC-HC-5 2465-25 73.33 .042 .0113 .070 8.9

GC-HC-6 2465-26 61.41 .108 .0415 .080 8.9

HC-GC-1 2838-43 05-03-07 80.86 .090 .0173 .237 10.2

Nisqually Delta CANCERG3 2016*86 05-07-03 61.08 .109 .0423 .254 11.3

CANCERG2 2016*87 70.78 .089 .0260 .211 10.8

CANCERG1 2016*88 61.28 .091 .0351 .184 10.3

CG-N-2 2465-39 05-05-05 62.07 .173 .0654 .120 8.9

CG-N-3 2465-40 62.65 .117 .0438 .100 8.9

CG-N-5 2465-41 58.72 .127 .0522 .170 10.2

Sinclair Inlet 2016-12I 2016*83 62.87 .205 .0761 .197 10.5

2016-12G 2016*84 59.57 .135 .0545 .167 10.0

2016-12A 2016*85 59.42 .143 .0579 .152 10.5

GC-SI-1 2465-48 05-13-05 63.61 .081 .0296 .050 6.4

GC-SI-2 2465-49 59.04 .231 .0946 .050 6.4

GC-SI-3 2465-50 67.79 .257 .0828 .100 8.9

GC-SI-4 2465-51 66.38 .173 .0582 .080 8.9

GC-SI-5 2465-52 64.42 .186 .0661 .100 8.9

GC-SI-6 2465-53 62.04 .264 .1002 .150 15.2 1SI-GC-2-6 2838-93-97 05-17-07 71.25 .217 .0624 .103 7.6 1SI-GC-7-1 2838-98-92 45.15 .187 .1030 .060 6.7

off Vendovi Island GC-V-1 2465-84 05-03-05 61.99 .135 .0512 .130 10.2

GC-V-4 2465-85 65.63 .054 .0184 .110 10.2

GC-V-5 2465-86 73.7 .074 .0194 .090 8.9
210 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–200

Station PSAMP 

code

Laboratory 

code

Collection 

date

Percent 

moisture

Mercury

Weight

(kg)

Length

(cm) (mg/kg, 

dry weight)

 (mg/kg, 

wet weight)

Ratfish

Commencement Bay CB-RF-1 2838-113 05-31-07 69.83 0.236 0.0712 0.320 40.6

CB-RF-2 2838-114 71.46 .404 .1150 .350 38.7

CB-RF-3 2838-115 69.42 .387 .1180 .390 38.7

Eagle Harbor EH-RF-1 2838-55 05-19-07 73.5 .255 .0676 .230 33.0

EH-RF-2 2838-56 76.61 .668 .1560 .380 38.1

EH-RF-3 2838-57 68.32 .737 .2330 .760 50.8

Elliott Bay EB-RF-1 2838-48 05-16-07 73.57 .734 .1940 .350 40.6

EB-RF-2 2838-49 72.77 .344 .0937 .370 41.9

EB-RF-3 2838-50 72.89 .776 .2100 .810 53.3

Hood Canal RF-HC-1 2465-27 05-11-05 74.15 .448 .1157 .410 38.1

RF-HC-5 2465-28 73.17 .480 .1289 .410 36.8

RF-HC-6 2465-29 74.26 .348 .0894 .330 36.8

Hood Canal 2

RF-HC-6 2465-29 74.26 .342 .0879 .330 36.8

Hood Canal HC-RF-1 2838-37 05-03-07 74.37 .298 .0764 .480 39.4

HC-RF-2 2838-38 72.96 .522 .1410 .340 38.1

HC-RF-3 2838-39 72.39 .593 .1640 .450 42.5

Nisqually Delta RF-N-2 2465-42 05-05-05 71.69 .221 .0625 .580 38.1

RF-N-4 2465-43 74.98 .490 .1227 .440 33.0

RF-N-5 2465-44 72.99 .834 .2253 .520 38.1

NIS-RF-1 2838-107 05-30-07 68.79 .739 .2310 .620 48.3

NIS-RF-2 2838-108 67.47 .485 .1580 .430 40.6

NIS-RF-3 2838-109 70.65 .449 .1320 .450 38.1

Sinclair Inlet 2016-13F 2016*42 05-05-03 67.76 .371 .1200 1.004 49.0

2016-13G 2016*43 71.37 .270 .0772 .777 52.0

2016-13H 2016*44 70.98 .435 .1260 .708 50.0

2016-13E 2016*45 72.74 .744 .2030 .552 41.8

2016-13A 2016*46 70.86 .289 .0842 .519 41.5

2016-13B 2016*47 71.58 .278 .0789 .501 42.8

RF-SI-1 2465-54 05-13-05 72.94 .835 .2259 .590 38.1

RF-SI-2 2465-55 73.46 1.670 .4419 .600 38.1

RF-SI-3 2465-56 68.67 .810 .2538 .550 38.1

SI-RF-1 2838-83 05-17-07 67.33 .788 .2570 .550 41.3

SI-RF-2 2838-84 73.39 .517 .1380 .380 36.8

Strait of Georgia RAT07 2016*48 04-28-03 51.38 .477 .2320 1.093 48.0

RAT06 2016*49 27.5 .493 .3570 .965 50.0

RAT11 2016*50 50.51 1.060 .5230 .584 43.0

RAT09 2016*51 10.19 .428 .3850 .563 41.0

RAT10 2016*52 23.23 .515 .3950 .398 36.0

RAT02 2016*53 55.83 .223 .0983 .303 38.0

RF-SG-1 2465-75 05-10-05 70.25 .324 .0963 .530 40.6

RF-SG-2 2465-76 71.78 .593 .1672 .540 38.1

RF-SG-4 2465-77 71.74 .287 .0810 .480 36.8

SG-RF-1 2838-29 05-02-07 80.14 .153 .0304 .115 27.9

SG-RF-2 2838-30 72.01 .227 .0635 .320 35.6

SG-RF-3 2838-31 66.36 .413 .1390 .770 48.3

Table F1. Total mercury concentrations in whole specimens of staghorn sculpin, graceful crab, ratfish, surf perch, sand sole, rock sole, 

and sea cucumber collected from Puget Sound, Washington, and Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada, 2003, 2005, and 2007.—

Continued.

[Data Source: Brandenberger and others, 2006b, 2008; Johnston and others, 2007. Locations shown in figure 1A. Mercury: J, estimated positive value; U, not 

detected. Abbreviations: PSAMP, Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; kg, kilogram; cm, centimeter; –, length not 

applicable]
Appendix F 211

Station PSAMP 

code

Laboratory 

code

Collection 

date

Percent 

moisture

Mercury

Weight

(kg)

Length

(cm) (mg/kg, 

dry weight)

 (mg/kg, 

wet weight)

Surf perch

Hood Canal SP-HC-1 2465-30 05-11-05 78.54 0.217 0.0465 0.040 14.0

SP-HC-3 2465-31 79.05 .207 .0433 .020 11.4

SP-HC-5 2465-32 77.94 .231 .0510 .020 11.4

HC-SP1 2838-40 05-03-07 72.16 .155 .0432 .016 9.5

HC-SP2 2838-41 65.95 .112 .0381 .020 10.2

Nisqually Delta SP-N-1 2465-45 05-05-05 75.98 .153 .0368 .020 10.2

SP-N-3 2465-46 75.73 .318 .0772 .020 11.4

SP-N-5 2465-47 78.06 .286 .0627 .020 11.4

Sinclair Inlet SP-SI-1 2465-66 05-13-05 77.14 .348 .0795 .020 11.4

SP-SI-3 2465-67 74.71 .222 .0560 .020 12.7

SP-SI-5 2465-68 76.52 .375 .0881 .010 11.4

off Vendovi Island SP-V-1 2465-93 05-03-05 76.73 .234 .0544 .020 11.4

SP-V-3 2465-94 76.59 .235 .0550 .020 10.2

SP-V-4 2465-95 77.82 .237 .0526 .030 12.7

V-SP-1 2838-16 05-01-07 76.72 .190 .0442 .016 7.6

V-SP-2 2838-17 77.81 .267 .0592 .015 8.9

V-SP-3 2838-18 75.87 .179 .0432 .016 8.9

Sand sole

Sinclair Inlet 2016-1E 2016*66 05-05-03 81.38 0.233 0.0434 0.663 40.5

2016-1B 2016*67 78.65 .526 .1120 .531 34.5

2016-1D 2016*68 78.02 .513 .1130 .198 26.8

SS-SI-1 2465-57 05-13-05 81.53 .995 .1837 .940 38.1

2

SS-SI-1 2465-57 81.53 1.090 .2004 .940 38.1

SS-SI-3 2465-58 80.17 .657 .1303 .370 30.5

SS-SI-5 2465-59 80.96 .634 .1207 .330 34.3

SI-SS-1 2838-71 05-17-07 78.34 .512 .1110 .270 25.4

SI-SS-2 2838-72 77.87 .397 .0879 .290 27.3

SI-SS-3 2838-73 78.95 .480 .1010 .320 29.8

Port Gardner SAND01 2016*69 05-02-03 76.6 .244 .0570 .581 34.6

SAND04 2016*70 77.75 .143 .0317 .459 32.0

SAND02 2016*71 76.85 .251 .0582 .186 24.7

Rock sole

Sinclair Inlet 2016-3A 2016*77 05-05-03 78.33 0.633 0.1370 0.585 35.5

2016-3E 2016*78 79.61 .685 .1400 .404 33.5

2016-3C 2016*79 75.04 .179 .0450 .378 29.5 1SI-RS-1-2 2838-67-68 05-17-07 75.72 .090 .0218 .023 10.2

SI-RS-3 2838-69 78.88 .187 .0395 .320 27.3

SI-RS-4 2838-70 78.83 .410 .0868 .220 26.7

Hood Canal HC-RS-1 2838-36 05-03-07 77.93 .216 .0477 .460 31.8

off Vendovi Island V-RS-1 2838-10 05-01-07 78.21 .149 .0325 .119 20.3

V-RS-2 2838-11 78.77 .140 .0297 .142 21.0

V-RS-3 2838-12 79.7 .270 .0548 .510 31.1

Table F1. Total mercury concentrations in whole specimens of staghorn sculpin, graceful crab, ratfish, surf perch, sand sole, rock sole, 

and sea cucumber collected from Puget Sound, Washington, and Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada, 2003, 2005, and 2007.—

Continued.

[Data Source: Brandenberger and others, 2006b, 2008; Johnston and others, 2007. Locations shown in figure 1A. Mercury: J, estimated positive value; U, not 

detected. Abbreviations: PSAMP, Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; kg, kilogram; cm, centimeter; –, length not 

applicable]
212 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–200

Station PSAMP 

code

Laboratory 

code

Collection 

date

Percent 

moisture

Mercury

Weight

(kg)

Length

(cm) (mg/kg, 

dry weight)

 (mg/kg, 

wet weight)

Sea cucumber

Sinclair Inlet 2016-4B 2016*54 05-05-03 90.45 0.155 0.0148 0.881 –

2016-4F 2016*55 91.85 .089 .0073 .859 –

2016-4A 2016*56 91.19 .170 .0150 .808 –

2016-4E 2016*57 91.41 .194 .0167 .585 –

2016-4D 2016*58 92.07 .022 .00171J .585 –

2016-4C 2016*59 89.34 .329 .0351 .454 –

SC-SI-2 2465-60 05-13-05 88.34 .211 .0245 .440 –

SC-SI-3 2465-61 89.14 .191 .0208 .330 –

SC-SI-4 2465-62 88.88 .151 .0168 .710 –

2

SC-SI-4 2465-62 88.88 .145 .0161 .710 –

Strait of Georgia CUC05 2016*60 04-28-03 89.82 .043 .0044 .509 –

CUC06 2016*61 92.82 .044 .00314J .494 –

CUC01 2016*62 91.4 .004 .0039 .380 –

CUC03 2016*63 91.52 .003 .00338J .310 –

CUC04 2016*64 93.02 .001 .0012U .306 –

CUC02 2016*65 91.48 .004 .00350J .190 –

off Vendovi Island SC-V-2 2465-87 05-03-05 91.13 .040 .0036 .480 –

SC-V-4 2465-88 90.18 .039 .0038 .750 –

SC-V-5 2465-89 90.15 .016 .0016 .370 –

1

Designates a composite of two individuals of comparable size.

2

Laboratory replicate.

Table F1. Total mercury concentrations in whole specimens of staghorn sculpin, graceful crab, ratfish, surf perch, sand sole, rock sole, 

and sea cucumber collected from Puget Sound, Washington, and Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada, 2003, 2005, and 2007.—

Continued.

[Data Source: Brandenberger and others, 2006b, 2008; Johnston and others, 2007. Locations shown in figure 1A. Mercury: J, estimated positive value; U, not 

detected. Abbreviations: PSAMP, Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; kg, kilogram; cm, centimeter; –, length not 

applicable]
Appendix F 213

Table F2. Total mercury concentrations in quillback rockfish collected between 1989 and 1999 from Puget Sound, 

Washington.

[Total mercury concentrations in milligrams per kilogram wet weight from West and others, 2001. See figure 1A for location of Puget 

Sound action areas. Abbreviations: HC, Hood Canal; NCPS, North Central Puget Sound; SCPS, South Central Puget Sound; SJ/W, 

San Juan/Whatcom; SPS, South Puget Sound; W, Whidbey. Sinclair Inlet bolded for emphasis.]

Puget Sound

Action Area Location

Number of 

samples 

analyzed

Mean Minimum Maximum Standard 

deviation

SJ/W San Juan Islands 36 0.2423 0.0818 0.806 0.1564

Orcas Island 5 .4012 .1350 .770 .3232

HC Triton Head 8 .1825 .1000 .400 .1070

Foulweather Bluff 14 .2909 .1370 .751 .1613

W Double Bluff 36 .2305 .0987 .410 .0780

Mukilteo-Everett 6 .3238 .2290 .490 .0883

NCPS Blakely Rocks 35 .2500 .0800 .470 .1000

Sinclair Inlet 3 .8177 .5120 1.060 .2794

SCPS Gig Harbor 5 .2214 .0040 .394 .1504

Brown's Point 2 .2700 .1800 .360 .1300

Lakota 4 .2948 .0963 .409 .1409

Fuller Wreck 21 .3558 .0922 .631 .1500

Seattle Waterfront 35 .3979 .0761 .832 .1982

Harbor Island 8 .4076 .2250 .567 .1245

Dalco Passage 2 .4960 .3720 .620 .1754

SPS Day Island 6 .0983 .0600 .130 .0264

Table F3. Total mercury concentrations in brown rockfish collected between 1989 and 1999 from Puget Sound, 

Washington.

[Total mercury concentrations in milligrams per kilogram wet weight from West and others, 2001. See figure 1A for location of Puget 

Sound action areas. Abbreviations: NCPS, North Central Puget Sound; SCPS, South Central Puget Sound. Sinclair Inlet bolded for 

emphasis.]

Puget Sound

action area Location

Number of 

samples 

analyzed

Mean Minimum Maximum Standard 

deviation

NCPS Sinclair Inlet 11 0.81 0.33 1.150 0.28

SCPS Thea Foss Waterway 1 .11
214 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–200

Table F4. Total mercury concentrations in Chinook salmon collected between 1989 and 1999 from Puget Sound, 

Washington.

[Total mercury concentrations in milligrams per kilogram wet weight from West and others, 2001. See figure 1A for location of Puget 

Sound action areas. Abbreviations: NCPS, North Central Puget Sound; SCPS, South Central Puget Sound; SJ/W, San Juan/Whatcom; 

SPS, South Puget Sound; W, Whidbey. Sinclair Inlet bolded for emphasis.]

Puget Sound

action area Location

Number of 

samples 

analyzed

Mean Minimum Maximum Standard 

deviation

SJ/W Nooksack River 18 0.087 0.062 0.110 0.015

W Skagit River 18 .100 .058 .160 .030

NCPS Sinclair Inlet 6 .099 .074 .120 .018

SCPS Apple Cove Point. 12 .062 .051 .074 .007

Central Sound 4 .070 .070 .070 .000

Duwamish River 18 .102 .059 .150 .027

SPS Nisqually River 12 .085 .065 .105 .014

Deschutes River 12 .108 .077 .160 .028

South Sound 6 .113 .092 .130 .016

Table F5. Total mercury concentrations in Coho salmon collected between 1989 and 1999 from Puget Sound, 

Washington.

[Total mercury concentrations in milligrams per kilogram wet weight from West and others, 2001. See figure 1A for location of 

Puget Sound action areas. Abbreviations: NCPS, North Central Puget Sound; SCPS, South Central Puget Sound; SJ/W, San Juan/

Whatcom; SPS, South Puget Sound; W, Whidbey. Sinclair Inlet bolded for emphasis.]

Puget Sound

action area Location

Number of 

samples 

analyzed

Mean Minimum Maximum Standard 

deviation

SJ/W Nooksack River 18 0.041 0.027 0.056 0.010

W Skagit River 18 .049 .028 .075 .014

NCPS Sinclair Inlet 2 .060 .059 .061 .001

Colvos Passage 6 .062 .051 .069 .006

SCPS Apple Cove Point 12 .040 .028 .054 .008

Duwamish River 18 .041 .025 .053 .008

Central Sound 6 .052 .050 .060 .004

SPS Deschutes River 10 .049 .026 .073 .017

South Sound 6 .057 .045 .071 .009

Nisqually River 12 .070 .037 .110 .023
Appendix F

215

Location Station number Sample number Sample date Total mercury (mg/kg, wet weight)

Bremerton naval complex (1995)

West BNC near location 464 

Six samples are composites of eight individuals.

494 26437 08-10-95 0.0090 U

26435 .0097 U26436 .0099 U26438 .0100 U26439 .0094 U

Offshore of western PSNS & IMF

Four samples are composites of eight individuals and eight samples are individual specimens

496 26412 08-09-95 0.0094 UJ

26413 .0097 UJ26414 .0103 UJ26415 .018426416 .012026417 .0093 U26418 .0100 U26419 .0095 U26420 .0100 U26421 .0097 UJ26422 .0090 UJ26423 .0106 J

Offshore of central PSNS & IMF

Five samples are composites of eight individuals and two samples are individual specimens

800 26424 08-09-95 0.0088 UJ

26425 .0103 UJ26426 .0086 UJ26427 .0090 U26428 .0086 U26429 .0090 U22938 .0095 U

Offshore of eastern PSNS & IMF

Six samples are composites of eight individuals

801 26430 08-10-95 0.0094 U

26431 .0088 U26432 .0096 U26433 .0094 U26434 .0100 U

Table F6. Total mercury concentrations in composites and individual specimens of sea cucumber collected in August of 1995 and 2007 from Puget Sound, Washington, and the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada.[Data Source: U.S. Navy, 2002, 2008a. Abbreviations: PSNS & IMF, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & IMF; PSAMP, Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program; BNC, Bremerton naval complex; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; U, below reporting level; J: above reporting level, UJ: estimated value near reporting level]

Location Station number Sample number Sample date Total mercury (mg/kg, wet weight)

Sinclair Inlet (2007)

(See figure 2 for features describing location)

Greater Sinclair Inlet

One sample is a composite of six individuals

PSAMP 2838-100 05-17-07 0.0137

Rich Passage (1995)

(See figure 1A for general location)

For Rich Passage and Blake Island 

three samples are composites of three individuals and eight samples are individual specimens

802 26401 08-07-95 0.0141 J

26402 .0199 J26403 .0094 UJ26404 .0167 J26405 .0162 J

Blake Island (1995)

(See figure 1C for general location)

For Rich Passage and Blake Island 

three samples are composites of three individuals and eight samples are individual specimens

803 26411 08-08-95 0.0094 UJ

26406 .0120 J26407 .0098 UJ26408 .0107 J26409 .0090 UJ26410 .0088 UJ

Strait of Georgia (2007)

(See figure 1A for general location)

One sample is a composite of 

six individuals

PSAMP 2838-32 05-02-07 0.00256 J

off Vendovi Island (2007)

One sample is a composite of 

three individuals

PSAMP 2838-19 05-01-07 0.00677
216 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–200

Table F7. Total mercury concentrations in the muscle of English sole from individual specimens collected 

from Puget Sound, Washington, and the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada, 1996, 2003, 2005, and 2007.

[Data Source: PSAMP, 1996; Jim West, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, written commun., 2008; Puget Sound 

Ambient Monitoring Program/ENVironmental inVESTment, Brandenberger and others, 2006b, 2008; Johnston and others, 

2007; Abbreviations: PSAMP, Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring System; PSAMP/ENVEST, Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring 

Program/ENVironmental inVESTment; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; kg, kilogram, cm, centimeter; – , not available]

Sample No. Location

Total mercury

Length

(cm)

Weight

(kg) (mg/kg, 

dry weight)

(mg/kg,

wet weight)

PSAMP 1996

F1442 Sinclair Inlet – 0.0718 35.5 –

F1450 – .0818 35.1 –

F1451 – .0973 37.5 –

F1453 – .0779 38.1 –

F1457 – .0829 45.0 –

F1458 – .0567 38.8 –

F1462 – .0957 42.3 –

F1463 – .0342 26.5 –

F1465 – .1360 43.1 –

F1467 – .0937 35.0 –

F1470 – .0345 28.3 –

F1472 – .0520 39.1 –

F1474 – .0861 45.1 –

F1475 – .0801 41.0 –

F1480 – .0716 27.2 –

F1481 – .0707 37.0 –

F1482 – .0814 40.1 –

F1487 – .0713 36.5 –

F1490 – .0405 30.1 –

F1491 – .0642 34.1 –

F1497 – .1150 41.6 –

F1498 – .0970 31.6 –

PSAMP/ENVVEST 2003

2016*31 Sinclair Inlet 0.299 0.0682 44.5 0.7933

2016*32 .262 .0543 37.8 .5529

2016*33 .255 .0504 36.8 .4198

2016*34 Strait of Georgia .186 .0328 47.0 .8782

2016*35 .436 .0853 39.4 .5486

2016*36 .436 .0876 37.5 .5279

PSAMP/ENVVEST 2005

5241 Commencement Bay 0.254 0.0600 29.2 0.19

5242 .187 .0403 24.1 .11

5243 .244 .0521 24.1 .11

5244 .191 .0500 22.9 .12

5245 .263 .0641 22.9 .02

5246 .334 .0674 25.4 .13

5721 Elliott Bay .364 .0918 24.1 .11

5722 .324 .0758 25.4 .12

5723 .176 .0378 29.2 .18 1

5723 .204 .0439 29.2 .18

5724 2.210 .4543 25.4 .11

5725 .503 .1154 33.0 .28

5726 .368 .0833 26.7 .13
Appendix F 217

Sample No. Location

Total mercury

Length

(cm)

Weight

(kg) (mg/kg, 

dry weight)

(mg/kg,

wet weight)

PSAMP/ENVVEST 2005—Continued

5141 Everett (Port Gardner) 0.337 0.0742 25.4 0.13

5142 .216 .0451 27.9 .15

5143 .245 .0527 25.4 .09

5144 .143 .0310 21.6 .06

5145 .601 .1241 29.2 .18

5601 Hood Canal .376 .0782 24.1 .12

5602 .273 .0600 26.7 .12

5603 .374 .0773 22.9 .09

5604 .244 .0521 25.4 .09

5605 .165 .0355 25.4 .16

5606 .351 .0723 24.1 .10

5361 Nisqually Delta .247 .0544 21.6 .09

5362 .275 .0631 24.1 .10

5363 .254 .0568 27.9 .19

5364 .404 .0843 21.6 .08

5365 .643 .1277 29.2 .22

5366 .347 .0750 31.8 .34

5481 Strait of Georgia .180 .0467 30.5 .35

5482 .296 .0685 31.8 .35

5483 .240 .0648 29.2 .31

5484 .288 .0724 33.0 .41

5485 .302 .0663 31.8 .31

5486 .233 .0661 25.4 .15

5001 off Vendovi Island .302 .0622 33.0 .28

5002 .443 .0959 33.0 .30

5003 .272 .0617 29.2 .27

5004 .128 .0299 21.6 .09

5005 .144 .0325 22.9 .13 1

5005 .141 .0319 22.9 .13

5006 .294 .0637 24.1 .21

PSAMP/ENVVEST 2007

2838–110 Commencement Bay 0.160 0.0344 22.9 0.145

2838–111 .327 .0774 24.8 .157

2838–112 .229 .0530 24.8 .162

2838–116 Duwamish Waterway .170 .0390 17.8 .075

2838–117 .177 .0360 21.6 .096

2838–118 .199 .0458 26.0 .156

2838–52 Eagle Harbor .406 .0704 35.6 .420

2838–53 .353 .0825 22.2 .089

2838–54 .191 .0414 27.3 .199

2838–45–46 Elliott Bay .108 .0232 15.8 .044

2838–47 .443 .0874 26.0 .157

Table F7. Total mercury concentrations in the muscle of English sole from individual specimens collected 

from Puget Sound, Washington, and the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada, 1996, 2003, 2005, and 

2007.—Continued.

[Data Source: PSAMP, 1996; Jim West, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, written commun., 2008; Puget Sound 

Ambient Monitoring Program/ENVironmental inVESTment, Brandenberger and others, 2006b, 2008; Johnston and others, 

2007; Abbreviations: PSAMP, Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring System; PSAMP/ENVEST, Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring 

Program/ENVironmental inVESTment; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; kg, kilogram, cm, centimeter; – , not available]
218 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–200

Sample No. Location

Total mercury

Length

(cm)

Weight

(kg) (mg/kg, 

dry weight)

(mg/kg,

wet weight)

PSAMP/ENVVEST 2007—Continued

2838–101 Everett (Port Gardner) 0.159 0.0306 24.8 0.158

2838–102 .101 .0210 21.6 .101

2838–103 .135 .0269 24.8 .128

2838–33 Hood Canal .212 .0380 22.9 .131

2838–34 .154 .0312 22.9 .133

2838–35 .239 .0506 26.7 .220

2838–104 Nisqually Delta .310 .0641 25.4 .166

2838–105 .280 .0603 26.7 .214

2838–106 .273 .0590 30.5 .290

2838–58 Sinclair Inlet .133 .0295 29.2 .330

2838–59 .126 .0244 29.2 .330

2838–61 .207 .0842 25.4 .192

2838–63 .113 .0230 25.4 .178

2838–64 .294 .0603 25.4 .179

2838–65 .180 .0373 29.2 .261

2838–22 Strait of Georgia .132 .0271 26.7 .184

2838–23 .178 .0373 26.0 .189

2838–24 .177 .0379 26.7 .192

2838–5 off Vendovi Island .228 .0424 27.9 .224

2838–6 .198 .0352 27.9 .250

2838–8 .143 .0324 27.3 .197

1

Laboratory replicate.

Table F7. Total mercury concentrations in the muscle of English sole from individual specimens collected 

from Puget Sound, Washington, and the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada, 1996, 2003, 2005, and 

2007.—Continued.

[Data Source: PSAMP, 1996; Jim West, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, written commun., 2008; Puget Sound 

Ambient Monitoring Program/ENVironmental inVESTment, Brandenberger and others, 2006b, 2008; Johnston and others, 

2007; Abbreviations: PSAMP, Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring System; PSAMP/ENVEST, Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring 

Program/ENVironmental inVESTment; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; kg, kilogram, cm, centimeter; – , not available]
Appendix F 219

Table F8. Concentration of total mercury in tissue of caged and indigenous mussels collected from Puget Sound, Washington, 

2005.

[Data source: Total mercury concentrations rounded to three significant figures, Brandenberger and others, 2006c; Gain data, Applied Biomonitoring, 

2009. Abbreviations: mg/wk, milligram per week; mg/kg, milligram per kilogram; Std. Dev., standard deviation; mm, millimeters]

Sample type and 

identifier

Cage

position

Total mercury

(mg/kg, dry weight)

Gain

(mg/wk)

Cage value Mean Std. Dev. Weight Length

Pre-deployment

Pre-deployment Top 0.0269 0.0283 0.0023

Middle .0271

Bottom .0310

Port Orchard Passage (fig. 1B)

Caged (POP) Top 0.0623 0.0711 0.0076 671 0.64

Middle .0752

Bottom .0758

Waterman Point (fig. 1B)

Indigenous (IWP) Top 0.0797 0.0835 0.0033

Middle .0851

Bottom .0858

Ostrich Bay, Dyes Inlet (near M8 in fig. 1B) 

Caged (OBDI) Top 0.0751 0.0819 0.0073 836 0.76

Middle .0810

Bottom .0897

Port Orchard Marina (fig. 1C)

Caged (POM) Top 0.210 0.216 0.006 597 0.58

Middle .222

Bottom .218

Indigenous (IPOM) Top .1064 0.111 0.004

Middle .1123

Bottom .1128

Sinclair Inlet, Ross Point (fig. 1C)

Caged (SIRP) Top 0.1634 0.212 0.043 603 0.59

Middle .2293

Bottom .2439

Controlled Industrial Area, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (fig. 2)

Caged (CIA) Top 0.106 0.108 0.002 648 0.57

Middle .109

Bottom .110

Naval Station Kitsap at Bremerton (fig. 2)

Caged (NAVSTA) Top 0.0871 0.0850 0.002 668 0.70

Middle .0851

Bottom .0829

Indigenous (INAVSTA) Top .103 0.130 0.025

Middle .133

Bottom .153
220 Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–200

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Paulson and others— Mercury in Sediment, Water, and Biota of Sinclair Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington, 1989–2007—Open-File Report 2009–1285