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The application of sediment quality guidelines and toxicity assessment to identify contaminant hotspots in an urbanised West Australian estuary

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Abstract

This paper presents a tiered assessment approach that enabled identification, triage, interrogation and confirmation of significantly contaminated areas of an urbanised West Australian estuary. The spatial distribution of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and bioavailable metals was determined in surficial sediments of the Swan-Canning Estuary through broad-scale screening (500 cores, 100 composite samples, 20 locations). The application of sediment quality guideline values (SQGVs) enabled ranking of locations through risk-based scoring and identification of contaminant hotspots. Subsequent targeted ecotoxicological and chemical assessment was undertaken at the highest scoring location in each tributary (80 cores, 16 composite samples, 3 locations, 16 sites). In the Canning tributary, Bull Creek sediments demonstrated the highest metal concentrations and greatest number of SQGVs exceeded. High-level toxicity was experienced in copepods and moderate toxicity in mussels (test sensitivity: copepod>mussel>amphipod). Toxicity-inducing contamination was attributable to two stormwater outfalls and limited to 300 m from points of discharge. In the Swan tributary, Claisebrook sediments demonstrated the highest concentrations of all PAHs, most OCPs and metals and the greatest number of SQGVs exceeded. High-level toxicity was reported in fish and mussels and moderate toxicity in copepods and amphipods (test sensitivity: fish>mussel>amphipod>copepod). Toxicity-inducing contamination included a stretch of estuary >1 km long, and two stormwater outfalls in the area were likely sources. The distribution and nature of PAH contamination suggested an additional source at Claisebrook. This combined chemistry and biological effects dataset provides critical information for the management of planned major development and concomitant estuary-bed disturbance in the coming decade.

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Change history

  • 08 May 2022

    Tables 1 and 2 has been corrected.

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded by the Government of Western Australia through the Swan River Trust and the Department of Water through the Non-Nutrient Contaminant Program. Laboratory toxicity assessment was conducted by Dr R. Krassoi at Ecotox Services Australia. Chemical assessment by the National Measurement Institute, Australia. Assistance in the field was provided by G. Foulsham, L. Riley, L. Galvin, and Dr. S. Fisher (Department of Water) and divers from the Marine and Freshwater Research Laboratory, Murdoch. I gratefully acknowledge Drs T. Storer, L. Kalnejais and U. Salmon for the review of the manuscript and M. Robb for his exceptional knowledge of the Swan-Canning system and valuable insights regarding contemporary and historical contamination (Department of Water and Environmental Regulation).

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This research was supported by funding from the Government of Western Australia through the Swan River Trust and the Department of Water.

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    Helen E. Nice

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Nice, H.E. The application of sediment quality guidelines and toxicity assessment to identify contaminant hotspots in an urbanised West Australian estuary. Environ Monit Assess 194, 377 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-09970-1

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