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Applications of Numerical Sediment Quality Targets for Assessing Sediment Quality Conditions in a US Great Lakes Area of Concern

Environmental Management volume 32, pages 128–140 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

Contaminated sediments are receiving increasing recognition around the world, leading to the development of various sediment quality indicators for assessment, management, remediation, and restoration efforts. Sediment chemistry represents an important indicator of ecosystem health, with the concentrations of contaminants of potential concern (COPCs) providing measurable characteristics for this indicator. The St. Louis River Area of Concern (AOC), located in the western arm of Lake Superior, provides a case study for how numerical sediment quality targets (SQTs) for the protection of sediment-dwelling organisms can be used to support the interpretation of sediment chemistry data. Two types of SQTs have been established for 33 COPCs in the St. Louis River AOC. The Level I SQTs define the concentrations of contaminants below which sediment toxicity is unlikely to occur, whereas the Level II SQTs represent the concentrations that, if exceeded, are likely to be associated with sediment toxicity. The numerical SQTs provide useful tools for making sediment management decisions, especially when considered as part of a weight-of-evidence approach that includes other sediment quality indicators, such as sediment contaminant chemistry and geochemical characteristics, sediment toxicity, and benthic macroinvertebrate community structure. The recommended applications of using the numerical SQTs in the St. Louis River AOC include: designing monitoring programs, interpreting sediment chemistry data, conducting ecological risk assessments, and developing site-specific sediment quality remediation targets for small, simple sites where adverse biological effects are likely. Other jurisdictions may benefit from using these recommended applications in their own sediment quality programs.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Gary J. Brierley, F. Douglas Shields, Jr., and an anonymous reviewer for their thorough reviews of this paper. Financial support for this project was provided by the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO), Chicago, Illinois, through grant number GL985604-01. C. Bolattino, S. Cieniawski, and K. O’Connor were the successive GLNPO project officers for this work. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the MPCA or US EPA.

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  1. Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Environmental Outcomes Division, 520 Lafayette Road North St. Paul, Minnesota 55155-4194, USA

    Judy L. Crane

  2. MacDonald Environmental Sciences Ltd., #24-4800 Island Highway North Nanaimo, British Columbia V9T 1W6, Canada

    Donald D. MacDonald

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  1. Judy L. Crane
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Correspondence to Judy L. Crane.

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Crane, J., MacDonald, D. Applications of Numerical Sediment Quality Targets for Assessing Sediment Quality Conditions in a US Great Lakes Area of Concern . Environmental Management 32, 128–140 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-003-2646-x

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Keywords

  • Contaminated sediments
  • Sediment quality targets
  • Sediment quality guidelines
  • Great Lakes, St. Louis River
  • Area of Concern