Sewage contamination in sediments beneath a deep-ocean dump site off New York

M. H. Bothner; H. Takada; I. T. Knight; R. T. Hill; B. Butman; J. W. Farrington; R. R. Colwell; J. F. Grassle

doi:10.1016/0141-1136(94)90045-0

Sewage contamination in sediments beneath a deep-ocean dump site off New York

M. H. Bothner, H. Takada, I. T. Knight, R. T. Hill, B. Butman, J. W. Farrington, R. R. Colwell, J. F. Grassle

School of Science (Behrend)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

55 Scopus citations

Abstract

The world's largest discharge of municipal sewage sludge to surface waters of the deep sea has caused measurable changes in the concentration of sludge indicators in sea-floor sediments, in a spatial pattern which agrees with the predictions of a recent sludge deposition model. Silver, linear alkylbenzenes, coprostanol, and spores of the bacterium Clostridium perfringens, in bottom sediments and in near-bottom suspended sediment, provide evidence for rapid settling of a portion of discharged solids, accumulation on the sea floor, and biological mixing beneath the water-sediment interface. Biological effects include an increase in 1989 of two species of benthic polychaete worm not abundant at the dump site before sludge dumping began in 1986. These changes in benthic ecology are attributed to the increased deposition of utilizable food in the form of sludge-derived organic matter.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	43-59
Number of pages	17
Journal	Marine Environmental Research
Volume	38
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/0141-1136(94)90045-0
State	Published - 1994

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Oceanography
Aquatic Science
Pollution

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10.1016/0141-1136(94)90045-0

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@article{0f709bc74d99416a81d2f1eb732fe35d,

title = "Sewage contamination in sediments beneath a deep-ocean dump site off New York",

abstract = "The world's largest discharge of municipal sewage sludge to surface waters of the deep sea has caused measurable changes in the concentration of sludge indicators in sea-floor sediments, in a spatial pattern which agrees with the predictions of a recent sludge deposition model. Silver, linear alkylbenzenes, coprostanol, and spores of the bacterium Clostridium perfringens, in bottom sediments and in near-bottom suspended sediment, provide evidence for rapid settling of a portion of discharged solids, accumulation on the sea floor, and biological mixing beneath the water-sediment interface. Biological effects include an increase in 1989 of two species of benthic polychaete worm not abundant at the dump site before sludge dumping began in 1986. These changes in benthic ecology are attributed to the increased deposition of utilizable food in the form of sludge-derived organic matter.",

author = "Bothner, {M. H.} and H. Takada and Knight, {I. T.} and Hill, {R. T.} and B. Butman and Farrington, {J. W.} and Colwell, {R. R.} and Grassle, {J. F.}",

note = "Funding Information: crews of D.S.R.V. ALVIN, R.V. ATLANTIS II, and R.V. OCEANUS. Sampling and analytical work was supported by NOAA's National Undersea Research Program.",

year = "1994",

doi = "10.1016/0141-1136(94)90045-0",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "38",

pages = "43--59",

journal = "Marine Environmental Research",

issn = "0141-1136",

publisher = "Elsevier Ltd",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Sewage contamination in sediments beneath a deep-ocean dump site off New York

AU - Bothner, M. H.

AU - Takada, H.

AU - Knight, I. T.

AU - Hill, R. T.

AU - Butman, B.

AU - Farrington, J. W.

AU - Colwell, R. R.

AU - Grassle, J. F.

N1 - Funding Information: crews of D.S.R.V. ALVIN, R.V. ATLANTIS II, and R.V. OCEANUS. Sampling and analytical work was supported by NOAA's National Undersea Research Program.

PY - 1994

Y1 - 1994

N2 - The world's largest discharge of municipal sewage sludge to surface waters of the deep sea has caused measurable changes in the concentration of sludge indicators in sea-floor sediments, in a spatial pattern which agrees with the predictions of a recent sludge deposition model. Silver, linear alkylbenzenes, coprostanol, and spores of the bacterium Clostridium perfringens, in bottom sediments and in near-bottom suspended sediment, provide evidence for rapid settling of a portion of discharged solids, accumulation on the sea floor, and biological mixing beneath the water-sediment interface. Biological effects include an increase in 1989 of two species of benthic polychaete worm not abundant at the dump site before sludge dumping began in 1986. These changes in benthic ecology are attributed to the increased deposition of utilizable food in the form of sludge-derived organic matter.

AB - The world's largest discharge of municipal sewage sludge to surface waters of the deep sea has caused measurable changes in the concentration of sludge indicators in sea-floor sediments, in a spatial pattern which agrees with the predictions of a recent sludge deposition model. Silver, linear alkylbenzenes, coprostanol, and spores of the bacterium Clostridium perfringens, in bottom sediments and in near-bottom suspended sediment, provide evidence for rapid settling of a portion of discharged solids, accumulation on the sea floor, and biological mixing beneath the water-sediment interface. Biological effects include an increase in 1989 of two species of benthic polychaete worm not abundant at the dump site before sludge dumping began in 1986. These changes in benthic ecology are attributed to the increased deposition of utilizable food in the form of sludge-derived organic matter.

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U2 - 10.1016/0141-1136(94)90045-0

DO - 10.1016/0141-1136(94)90045-0

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:0028184583

SN - 0141-1136

VL - 38

SP - 43

EP - 59

JO - Marine Environmental Research

JF - Marine Environmental Research

IS - 1

ER -

Sewage contamination in sediments beneath a deep-ocean dump site off New York

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

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