HR: 1340h
AN: H43D-0396    [Abstracts]
TI: SF6 Tracer Release Study: A Contaminant Fate Study in Newtown Creek
AU: * Schmieder, P J
EM: schmied@ldeo.columbia.edu
AF: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Geochemistry Bldg. 61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964-8000 United States
AU: Ho, D T
EM: david@ldeo.columbia.edu
AF: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Geochemistry Bldg. 61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964-8000 United States
AU: Peter, S
EM: schlosser@ldeo.columbia.edu
AF: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Geochemistry Bldg. 61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964-8000 United States
AU: Peter, S
EM: schlosser@ldeo.columbia.edu
AF: Department of Environmental Engineering, Columbia University, 2960 Broadway, New York, NY 10027-6902 United States
AU: Simpson, H J
EM: simpsonj@ldeo.columbia.edu
AF: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Geochemistry Bldg. 61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964-8000 United States
AU: Flores, S
EM: ssf2002@columbia.edu
AF: Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, 2960 Broadway, New York, NY 10027-6902 United States
AU: Dugan, W A
EM: wdugan@nycboe.net
AF: The High School for Math, Science, and Engineering at The City College, 138th Street and Convent Ave. Building C 107, New York, NY 10031 United States
AB: Newtown Creek is a 5.5km creek that discharges into the East River, a 25km strait connecting Long Island Sound to the north and the New York Harbor to the south. Surface runoff dominates the freshwater input into the creek, for natural tributaries no longer exist. The areas directly adjacent to the creek are highly industrialized, and New York City's largest Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) discharges directly into creek. In August 2004, we injected sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) into Newtown creek to study the fate of oil seeping into the creek from an underground oil spill and the fate of nutrient rich effluent from the WPCP. We monitored SF6 in Newtown Creek, the East River, and the Upper Bay of New York Harbor for 7 consecutive days following the injection in order to investigate the spreading patterns and transport mechanics of waters exiting the creek, and to determine the ultimate fate of the contaminants/solutes originating in Newtown Creek. Dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements were collected simultaneously with SF6 measurements. A strong DO gradient exists in the creek, where waters in the upper reaches are anoxic. We use SF6 data to calculate mean residence times for Newtown Creek waters. SF6 was detected above background concentrations approximately 15km to the south of the creek at the Verrazano Bridge only 1 day after the tracer injection. By combining the movements of the SF6 distribution, the position of the oxygen gradient, and the residence time of Newtown Creek water, we can determine a lower boundary for oxygen consumption rates.
DE: 4251 Marine pollution
DE: 1803 Anthropogenic effects
DE: 1860 Runoff and streamflow
DE: 1871 Surface water quality
DE: 1894 Instruments and techniques
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting