Cowlitz River Sediment Contaminant Analysis from 1991

Four sediment samples from the old mouth of the Cowlitz River were analyzed in January 1991 for chemical contaminants and physical parameters. The study, conducted by SCIOPS, evaluated metals, hydrocarbons, pesticides, PCBs, grain size, and volatile solids to assess suitability for unconfined in-water disposal. Data are reported on a dry weight basis following EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers methodologies.

Use Cases

• Classify sediment disposal suitability based on concentrations of metals, PCBs, and pesticides.
• Analyze correlations between chemical contaminant levels (e.g., polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons) and physical parameters like grain size.
• Model historical sediment contamination in the Lower Columbia River using data for nine metals and volatile solids.
• Compare contaminant profiles across the four core samples collected in January 1991.

Strengths

• Analytical testing followed established EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers methodologies.
• Data covers multiple contaminant classes: nine metals, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, phenols, pesticides, and PCBs.
• Includes physical parameter analysis for six samples on grain size and volatile solids.

Limitations

• Very small sample size of only four sediment cores for chemical analysis.
• Data is temporally stale, collected in a single month (January 1991).
• Geographic scope is limited to one specific site: the old mouth of the Cowlitz River.

Provenance

Source

Columbia River Basin: Sediment Database Abstracts, via NASA EarthData.

Collection Method

Sediment cores were collected, subsampled into glass jars, cold stored, and analyzed in a laboratory.

Time Range

1991-01

Freshness

1991-01-01

Geography

Lower Columbia River, specifically the old mouth of the Cowlitz River.