Chapter 13 An Evaluation of the Effects of Man-Derived Wastes on the Viability of the Gulf of Mexico

Abstract

The Gulf of Mexico receives runoff and wastes from about two third of the continental United States of America, excluding Alaska, it is particularly sensitive to the introduction of man-generated wastes. This chapter provides realistic appraisals of the present problems and the fate of marine life in the Gulf of Mexico. The circulation and mixing characteristics of the Gulf is discussed and the types and biological effects of various man-derived chemical contaminants are described in the chapter. An analysis of the inputs and fates of the most serious contaminants is combined with the circulation and biological aspects to give a prediction of the fate of marine life in the Gulf of Mexico. In considering potential long-term lethal and sub-lethal effects of pollutants on life in the Gulf of Mexico, the most serious situation is for certain pollutants to be confined to the northern shelf of the western Gulf. Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) continues to be the most serious pollutant in the Gulf of Mexico, primarily because of its characteristic magnification through the food chain. C 6– C 14 hydrocarbons may be important in the areas where they are discharged, but they are probably not important on a long-term basis because of their volatility and only moderate stability. Heavy metals such as Hg and Pb do not seem to be serious pollutants in so far as the open Gulf of Mexico is concerned but may be important in the vicinity of industrial wastes and sewage outfalls.