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SedimentsSediments

Under the Water Resources Development Act of 1992, Congress directed the Environmental Protection Agency, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Secretary of the Army, to conduct a national survey on sediment quality. The EPA responded with the National Quality Sediment Inventory (January 1998; Second Edition 2004). This survey determined that there are contaminated sediments in all regions and every state.

There are an estimated 1.2 billion cubic yards of sediment in the US waterways with 10% estimated to be sufficiently contaminated so as to pose a potential risk to wildlife and human health.

Contamination of Sediments Sediments are the final repositories and contaminant reservoirs for persistent organic and inorganic pollutants. These include Organochlorine Pesticides (OCPs), Polychlorinated Biphenyl’s (PCBs), Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), Dioxins/Furans and Metals. Many of these persistent pollutants bioaccumulate and biomagnify and therefore may have a significant ecological and human health risk effect.

The EPA has called for better data on sediment quality and direct measurement of chemical concentrations in edible fish biota are needed. TestAmerica is able to provide the analysis to generate this quality of data.

TestAmerica also offers the sediment characterization techniques and water quality tests to evaluate the bioavailability of toxic metals in aquatic systems, including Acid Volatile Sulfides/Simultaneously Extracted Metals, Sequential Extraction Procedures, Dissolved Organic Carbon, Anions, Hardness and Alkalinity.

TestAmerica offers e-Solutions for information management through TotalAccess (our online data access portal), data on CD-ROM, and an extensive library of project specific Electronic Data Delivery formats.

Sediment Analytical Programs Supported by TestAmerica • Source Investigation • Baseline Site Assessment • Site Characterization • Ecological Risk Assessment • Human Health Risk Assessments • Dredged Material Evaluation Programs • Inland Testing Manual - EPA 823-B-98-004 Feb. 1998 • Ocean Testing Manual - EPA 503/8-91/001 Feb. 1991 • Upland Testing Manual- Technical Report ERDC/El TR-03-1 2003 • Multiple Regional Implementation Manuals • Monitored Natural Recovery/Natural Attenuation • Long Term Monitoring

Biota Programs Supported by TestAmerica • Bioaccumulation and bio-uptake study biota support • Fish Consumption Advisories • Native or indigenous species evaluation for risk assessment support

Certifications • NELAP – National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program • USDA Soil Permit • Comprehensive State certifications Capacity and Experience • Largest program capacity to support these complex projects in the nation • Most experienced environmental testing laboratory network

For more information, please visit us at www.testamericainc.com or contact your local sales representative.

Legislative Background on Sediments Sediment management decisions must often be made within in a complex regulatory arena. No single government agency is completely responsible for addressing the problem of contaminated sediments. More than 10 federal laws provide US EPA, US Army Corps of Engineers, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other federal, state and tribal agencies authority to address sediment quality issues. TestAmerica’s objective is to generate analytical data to meet the project data quality objectives to make appropriate sediment management decisions. TestAmerica has extensive experience in providing analytical services in support of sediment projects within various US EPA Regions, USACE Districts, and state and local agencies.

TestAmerica will assist in the development of a comprehensive analytical strategy to support your sediment management program.

Sediment Quality Assessments are an important component of Water Quality Protection

Analytical Chemistry TestAmerica utilizes US EPA methods, USACE procedures, and NOAA technical guidance in support of sediments projects, which matrices can include sediments, water, elutriates, biota, and pore water. We have extensive successful experience and proven solutions to the challenges presented by these various matrices. These challenges can include: • High percent moisture of whole sediment samples • Project specific sample handling procedures • Low or ultra low reporting limit requirements • Complex Matrix Interferences • Special sample preparation and cleanup techniques • Expanded compound lists • Potential limited sample volume

TestAmerica’s solutions for these challenges include:• Specialty analytical methods• Large program capacity

TestAmerica offers comprehensive sediments and biota analytical support, which include:

ORGANICS : Chlorinated Pesticides, Organophosphorus Pesticides, PCB’s as Aroclors, congeners and/or homologs, Polychlorinated Terphenyls, Polychlorinated Napthalenes/Halowaxes, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons including alkylated homologs, Dioxins/Furans, Semivolatiles, Volatiles, Herbicides, Organotins.

INORGANICS and CLASSICAL WET CHEMISTRY: Metals, Low Level Mercury, Inorganic Arsenic Speciation, Hexavalent Chromium, Radiodating analysis for Be7, Ce137 and Pb 210, Total Petroluem Hydrocarbons, Total Organic Carbon, Total Sulfides, Total Phosphorus, Nitrogen series (TKN, Ammonia, NO2 & NO3), Cyanide, BOD, COD, Salinity

GEOTECHNICAL: Grain Size, Atterburg Limits, Permeability of Granular Soils, Classification of Soils, Specific Gravity, Density, Long Tube Column Settling Test.

LEACHATE PROCEDURES: Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure, Synthetic Precipitate Leaching Procedure, Multiple Extraction Procedure, and ASTM leaching procedure, Simplified Laboratory Runoff Procedure (SLRP), Pancake Leachate Test.

BIOAVAILABILITY: Black Carbon, Acid Volatile Sulfides/Simultaneous Extracted Metals (AVS/SEM), Sequential Extraction Procedure, Pore water analysis of PAHs included alkylated homologs using Solid Phase Microextraction.

EMERGING CONTAMINANTS OF CONCERN: Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs), Perflourinated Compounds, including PFOA and PFOS, Nitrosamines, Pyrethroid Pesticides, Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) such as triclosan, tribromosalan, alkoxylphenols, bisphenol-A, caffeine, acetaminophen, warfarin, ibuprofen, and other Endocrine Disrupting Compounds (EDCs).

Elutriate Generation Dredged Material Management Programs often require the generation of elutriate from sediment and site water. Elutriate generation procedures supported include: • Standard Elutriate Test (SET) • Modified Elutriate Test (MET)

TestAmerica also supports additional procedures for the evaluation of dredged material, including a variety of leachate procedures like the Simplified Laboratory Runoff Procedure (SLRP) and Pancake Leachate Test

Pore water TestAmerica offers project support for both in situ and ex situ pore water generation and analyses. In situ pore water is supported with samples collected in peepers and other pore water sample collection devices. Ex situ pore water generation is supported by high speed sediment sample centrifugation. The analytical methods used for these programs include the use of reduced sample volume while still providing low reporting limits.

BiotaTestAmerica offers analytical methods that allow the use of reduced sample volume while still providing low reporting limits. Typical biota types supported are: shellfish, crustaceans, worms, amphibians, fish, birds, mammals, and vegetation. In addition to the analytical procedures, TestAmerica also provides: • Sample preparation and homogenization • Special clean-up procedures • Ultra low level analysis for organic and inorganics • Lipid analysis

Bioavailability of Contaminants of Concern TestAmerica is the first commercial laboratory to offer EPA Draft Method 8272, the Hawthorne Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) Method for PAHs and alkyl PAHs in freely dissolved pore water. We support the entire list of 34 analytes recommended for calculating the risk of narcosis. We participate on the research team of the Sediment Contaminant Bioavailability Alliance, to advance the use of empirical data in determining bioavailability. This work includes the use of equilibrium analytical techniques (such as SPME, desorption profiling, semipermeable membrane devices, air bridge studies, and flocculation).

• Effluent Elutriate Test (EET) • Dredge Elutriate Test (DRET)