Worldwide coral reefs are being threatened by a range of human activities. Sedimentation, overfishing, global climate change, ship groundings, pathogens and pollution are some of the major human-related stressors impacting coral reefs. Land based sources of pollution can include both organic (e.g. PAHs, PCBs, pesticides) and inorganic (e.g. heavy metals) contaminants, all of which have the potential to impact the ecology of a coral reef ecosystem.
The objectives of this study were to: quantify contaminant levels in surface sediment of Faga'alu Bay; determine spatial differences within the study area and put findings in a larger context using information available in the scientific literature.
The units that these parameters are stored in is: in ug/dry g for trace metals and ng/dry g for everything else. The latitude and longitude is measured using datum NAD83. The QA/QC file including Procedural Blanks, Duplicates, Matrix Spikes, Matrix Spike Duplicates and Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) are available upon request.
ground condition
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This data set was developed by National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
The measurement quality objectives of NS&T specify accuracy and precision requirements of 30% for organic analytes and 15% for inorganic analytes in sediment and tissue samples. QA procedures include running blanks, spiked samples, and standard reference materials with each batch of samples. Any batch failing to meet the specifications is reanalyzed or rejected. The QA Criteria may be found in NOAAs Tech Memo 71, and Tech Memo 130.
All spiking/calibration and internal standard stocks were stored refrigerated in glass amber bottles. Working stocks for spiking and calibration were volumetrically prepared weekly from concentrated stocks in methanol to minimize degradation. Standards for the native compounds were purchased from AccuStandard, while stable isotope-labeled standards were purchased from AccuStandard and Cambridge Isotope Laboratories.
This dataset is complete.
Data Acquisition: The sediment samples were collected by NOAA personnel via kayak, wading or surface diving. Nitrile gloves were worn to prevent cross contamination between samples. Samples were placed immediately on ice. At the end of each field day, samples were stored frozen at American Samoa Community College. At the end of the field mission, the samples were transported via commercial carrier to Honolulu where they were re-frozen and then shipped on overnight on blue ice to the analytical contract lab (TDI Brooks, College Station, TX). Sample Collection: Calibration: The sampling gear does not require any calibration, although it was inspected daily for wear and damage.Sample Collection: Quality Control:
Data Preparation and Sample Processing:Sample Processing Objective: Sediment samples are analyzed for metals, butyltins, PAHs, PCBs, PBDEs and organochlorine-pesticides. Methods Summary: All samples from the Gulf of Mexico Coast collected from 1986 to 1999 were analyzed by scientists from the Geochemical and Environmental Research Group or the Department of Oceanography at Texas A&M University (TAMU) in College Station, TX. For 1986–1988, samples from California and Hawaii were analyzed by Scientific Applications International Corporation in LaJolla, CA. For 1986–1994 all other West Coast samples and all East Coast samples were analyzed by scientists from the Battelle Laboratories in Duxbury, MA and Sequim, WA. For 1994–1999 all samples from all coasts were analyzed by the Geochemical and Environmental Research Group of the Department of Oceanography at Texas A&M University in College Station, TX. Since 2000, all samples have been analyzed by TDI-Brooks in College Station, TX. All laboratories, in all years, have used cold vapor atomic absorption for the analysis of Hg. TDI-Brooks International, Inc which has been performing the analyses since 2000 uses a modified version of EPA method 245.6. At Battelle, analyses for As, Cu, Se, and Zn have been made by X-ray fluorescence and those for Cd, Ni, and Pb by graphite furnace atomic absorption (GFAA). Beginning in 1992, inductively-coupled plasma with mass spectroscopy detection (ICP/MS) was used for Cd, Cr, Ni, and Pb. The analytical instruments used by SAIC and TAMU were GFAA for As, Cd, Ni, Pb, and Se; flame atomic absorption (FAA) for Zn; and both GFAA and FAA for Cu, depending on the concentration present. Since 2000 As and Se have been analyzed by atomic fluorescence spectrometry; As has also been analyzed by ICP-optical emission spectrometry (ICP/OEP). ICP/OEP is also used to determine Al,Cu, Ni and Zn while ICP/MS is used for Cd, Ni and Pb. Digestion procedures prior to elemental analysis varied to some extent among laboratories and years. Prior to 1990, Battelle used concentrated nitric and perchloric acids in aTeflon digestion bomb in a conventional oven. Since 1991, samples have been digested in nitric acid only, and heating has been by microwave irradiation. SAIC used conventional ovens and nitric acid. The Texas A&M Laboratory used nitric and perchloric acids with heating in a conventional oven. From 1991 to 1999, only nitric acid was used. The current analytical laboratory sequentially adds nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide to Teflon bombs to achieve sample dissolution of all but Hg samples.Organic chemical extractions were similar among laboratories. After addition of internal standards and anhydrous sodium sulfate, the tissue was extracted three times with dichloromethane using a tissumizer. After concentration by solvent evaporation and exchange of dichloromethane with hexane, the tissue extract was fractionated by alumina:silica chromatography. The aromatic fraction eluted from the column with 1:1 pentane: dichloromethane was further purified by removing lipids through chromatography on a Sephadex column. Since 1988, this purification has been accomplished via an HPLC procedure. Organic sample extraction since 2000 remains similar to that of previous years but Hydromatrix is used to dry tissue samples and dichloromethane is the only solvent used in accelerated solvent extractor cells. Extracts are purified using alumina/silica gel chromatography followed by high performance liquid chromatography. Purified extracts were chromatographed on 30-m DB-5 fused silica capillary columns. Since 2000, a second column (DB-17HT) has also been used for chlorinated hydrocarbon confirmation. Chlorinated hydrocarbon concentrations were quantified using an electron capture detector (GC-ECD) by all laboratories in all years. For polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons all analyses by SAIC in 1986–1988 (California and Hawaiian coasts) and those by Battelle in 1986 (East and Northwest Coasts) employed flame ionization detection (GC-FID). Battelle used mass spectrometry detection (GC-MSD) in full-scan mode in 1987. In all other cases the PAH analysis has been by GC-MSD in the selected ion mode (SIM). For butyltin analyses, anhydrous homogenized tissue was extracted with troplone and hexane (East and West Coast samples) or troplone and dichloromethane (Gulf Coast samples). Current methods use either hexane or dichloromethane. The extracts underwent Grignard reactions by addition of hexylmagnesium bromide (Gulf Coast samples) and n-pentyl magnesium bromide (East and West Coast samples). The Gulf Coast method is currently in use for samples from all coasts. Florisil/silica gel or silica alumina column chromatography were used to separate the analytes.Calibration:The analytical instruments were calibrated by standard laboratory procedures including: constructing calibration curves, running blank and spiked quality control samples, and analyzing reference materials.Quality Control:Each batch of sediment and tissue samples was accompanied by QC analyses consisting of method blanks, matrix spikes, matrix spike duplicates, and standard reference materials (SRMs). In total, approximately 5% of all analyses were QC analyses. Processing quality was considered acceptable if the following criteria were met: blanks were less than three times the minimum detection limit; accuracy, as determined by analysis of certified reference materials, was within 30% for organic analytes and within 20% for inorganic analytes; and precision, as determined by replicate analyses, was within 30% for organic analytes and within 20% for inorganic analytes. Additional specifications and guidelines are presented in Cantillo and Lauenstein (1998).All laboratories annually participate in annual intercalibration exercise where common samples are analyzed by them, by other laboratories, and by a lead laboratory for the exercise. The lead laboratory for trace element intercalibrations has been the National Research Council of Canada and that for trace organic analysis has been the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Project related references: Kimbrough, K.L., G.G. Lauenstein, and W.E. Johnson. 2007. Organic Contaminant Analytical Methods of the National Status and Trends Program: Update 2000-2006, NOAA Technical Memorandum, NOS NCCOS 30. 22 Apr. 2008. Kimbrough, K.L., and G.G. Lauenstein. 2007. Major and Trace Element Analytical Methods of the National Status and Trends Program: 2000-2006, NOAA Technical Memorandum, NOS NCCOS 29. 22 Apr 2008. McDonald, S. J., D. S. Frank, J. A. Ramirez, B. Wang, and J. M. Brooks. 2006. Ancillary Methods of the National Status and Trends Program: Update 2000-2006, NOAA Technical Memorandum, NOS NCCOS 28. 22Apr. 2008 http://www2.coastalscience.noaa.gov/publications/handler.aspx?resource=3Qy6dD5SKzp6qSIbiw0zZm3IfEn1ajewncp0CWu+1Oc= Apeti, D.A., S.I. Hartwell, W.E. Johnson and G.G. Lauenstein. 2012. National Status and Trends Bioeffects Progam: Field Methods. NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Center for Coastal Monitoring and Asssessment. NOAA NCCOS Technical Memorandum 135. Silver Spring, MD.27 pp. http://www2.coastalscience.noaa.gov/publications/detail.aspx?resource=kXUVxxA8LH64JetFFum2pA6CRM0NB9yNGhLpzqLyij4=
Data Dictionary for the "BAsites" File: SITES http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/datasets/nsandt/dictionaries/Sites_Data_Dictionary.pdf Data Dictionary for all "BA and MW Chemistry" Files: Chem http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/datasets/nsandt/dictionaries/AllElse_Data_Dictionary.pdf
National Status and Trends Program
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