Boston Harbor Research Articles

Flume Measurements of Sediment Erodibility in Boston Harbor

To obtain in situ measurements of sediment erodibility in defined bottom shear stress environments, a portable, straight flume was built, tested, and deployed in the field for six experiments at three locations in Quincy Bay of Boston Harbor, Mass. The flume had a 1.0-m-long inlet section, which included a boundary-layer trip and a roughened, plexiglass bottom; this design prevented erosion of the sediment bed in the boundary-layer-development region. Downstream of the inlet section was a 1.2-m-long sediment test section, which had a laboratory-verified, uniform bottom stress. In the absence of algal mats, our flume experiments on sites exhibiting a range of bed properties indicated quite uniform erodibility, with a critical shear stress τc of 0.10 ± 0.04 Pa and an erosion rate constant M of 3.2 ± 0.2 × 10−3 kg m−2 s−1 Pa−1 (R2 = 0.92, N = 17, where N is the total number of erosion rate measurements made in the absence of algal mats). The measured rates were consistent with those of many other in situ studies. We observed markedly reduced erodibility in early October 1995 when the sediment was covered by a benthic diatom mat, and measured erosion rates were lessened by 50–80%. The possibility of depth-dependent sediment erodibility in near surface (top 3 mm) was investigated by calculating a set of depth-dependent erosion parameters. The parameters obtained suggested that both the critical shear stress and the erosion rate constant were depth-sensitive (both doubling by 1 mm into the sediment).

Role of prior exposure on anaerobic degradation of naphthalene and phenanthrene in marine harbor sediments

The anaerobic degradation of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) naphthalene and phenanthrene was investigated in several marine harbor sediments. In sediments from Boston Harbor that were heavily contaminated with petroleum, [ 14C]-naphthalene and [ 14C]-phenanthrene were oxidized to 14CO 2 without a lag, suggesting that the microbial community was adapted for anaerobic PAH oxidation in situ. The addition of molybdate, a specific inhibitor of sulfate-reducing microorganisms, inhibited PAH mineralization which suggested that sulfate reducers were involved in the anaerobic oxidation of the PAHs. PAHs were also anaerobically oxidized at another site in Boston Harbor that was less heavily contaminated, but at a slower rate than in the most heavily contaminated sediments. Sediments not contaminated with petroleum did not significantly oxidize the PAHs. A similar correspondence between rates of anaerobic PAH oxidation and the degree of PAH contamination was observed in sediments from Tampa Bay and San Diego Bay. When relatively pristine sediments from San Diego Bay that did not have a significant capacity for anaerobic PAH oxidation were exposed to high concentrations of naphthalene, they developed a potential for naphthalene degradation that was comparable to that in sediments that had a history of PAH contamination. The increase in potential for naphthalene degradation in the sediments exposed to naphthalene was associated with an increase in naphthalene-degrading microorganisms. These results suggest that many marine harbor sediments contain microorganisms capable of anaerobically oxidizing PAHs under sulfate-reducing conditions and that these microorganisms will respond with an increase in their activity when PAHs are introduced into the sediments. Thus, if PAH inputs into harbor sediments from petroleum can be reduced there may be a widespread potential for microorganisms to remove this PAH contamination from the sediments, despite anaerobic conditions.

Analyses of tissues of eight marine species from Atlantic and Pacific coasts for dioxin-like chlorobiphenyls (CBs) and total CBs.

Eight commercially and recreationally important marine species were collected in 1993 and 1994 from several Atlantic and Pacific coastal regions of the contiguous United States. Approximately 700 edible tissue samples (e.g., whole body of mussel, crustacean muscle and hepatopancreas, and fish muscle) were analyzed for dioxin-like chlorobiphenyls (CBs) and other selected CB congeners using a rapid high-performance liquid chromatography photodiode array detection method (HPLC/PDA). Total CBs and toxic equivalents (TEQs) of dioxin-like CBs were also determined. The most abundant congeners measured in these tissues were the moderately chlorinated CBs (e.g., CB 138, 153), with mean concentrations ranging from below the limits of detection (approximately 0.2 ng/g) to 1,500 ng/g, wet weight. Certain dioxin-like CBs (e.g., CBs 77, 105, 118, 126) were also found in several of these samples (mean concentrations ranging from below the limits of detection [approximately 0.4 ng/g] to 680 ng/g). Similar to previous studies, the majority of seafood tissues contained total CB concentrations that were below the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) tolerance limit for CBs of 2,000 ng/g, wet weight (2.0 ppm). Furthermore, the majority of samples that contained CB levels below the FDA CB tolerance limit also had CB TEQs that were lower than the FDA's advisory level for TCDD (25 ppt or 25 pg/g, wet weight) in fish from the Great Lakes, which is used in evaluating CB TEQs. Several crustacean hepatopancreas samples collected from certain Atlantic and Pacific urban sites (e.g., Dungeness crab from Elliott Bay in Puget Sound, WA, American lobster from Deer Island in Boston Harbor, MA), however, did contain total CB and CB TEQs that exceeded the FDA CB tolerance and TCDD advisory limits. Mono-ortho- (e.g., CBs 118, 105) and non-ortho-substituted congeners (e.g., CBs 77 and 126) were the largest contributors to the CB TEQs of the hepatopancreas samples that exceeded the action limit.http://link.springer-ny. com/link/service/journals/00244/bibs/37n2p205.html

Structure analysis of a class II transposon encoding the mercury resistance of the Gram-positive Bacterium bacillus megaterium MB1, a strain isolated from minamata bay, Japan.

A unique transposon was found in the chromosome of Bacillus megaterium MB1, a Gram-positive bacterium isolated from mercury-polluted sediments of Minamata Bay, Japan. The transposon region of a 14.5kb DNA fragment was amplified by PCR using a single PCR primer designed from the nucleotide sequence of an inverted repeat of class II transposons. The molecular analysis revealed that the PCR-amplified DNA fragment encodes a transposition module similar to that of Tn21. The transposon also encodes a broad-spectrum mercury resistance region having a restriction endonuclease map identical to that of Bacillus cereus RC607, a strain isolated from Boston Harbor, USA. The result of a phylogenetic analysis of the amino acid sequence of putative resolvase of the transposon showed that the transposon is phylogenetically closer to the transposons of Gram-positive bacteria than those of Gram-negative bacteria. Besides the transposition module and mer operon, the transposon encodes a mobile genetic element of bacterial group II introns between the resolvase gene and mer operon. The intron, however, does not intervene in any exon gene. The discovery of this newly found combination of the complex mobile elements may offer a clue to understanding the horizontal dissemination of broad-spectrum mercury resistance among microbes.

Coliphages and indicator bacteria in Boston Harbor, Massachusetts

Surface water was tested for two bacterial and two coliphage indicators of fecal pollution at four sites in Boston Harbor, MA over 1 year. Of 108 samples tested, somatic coliphages, fecal coliforms, enterococci, and F-specific phages were present in 107, 105, 73, and 58 water samples, respectively. The means of all samples, per 100 mL, were 195.6 pfu (range: 0–1833) for somatic coliphages, 101.3 cfu (0–2670) for fecal coliforms, 20.0 pfu (0–261) for F-specific phages, and 3.1 cfu (0–32) for enterococci. Somatic coliphages and fecal coliforms were more prevalent indicators of fecal pollution than enterococci and F-specific phages. No indicator correlated well with any of the others. No statistically significant difference in phage numbers was found between samples taken in summer and winter. No correlation was found between salinity and any indicator. There was no increase in counts of any indicator due to localized input from two marinas. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Environ Toxicol 14: 404–408, 1999

Assessment of various biomarkers in winter flounder from coastal Massachusetts, USA

AbstractSince 1992, the Massachusetts Water Resource Association has organized a Fish Day to assess the health of winter flounder in Boston Harbor and nearby areas. This report describes the levels of metal contaminants and selected biomarkers in flounder from Fish Day, 1996. Mean age for males and females was 3.5 years, which is lower than the age reported for fish collected during previous efforts. Body weight/body length ratios were significantly higher in females versus males. Liver Cd, As, Zn, and Cu, and muscle As were all elevated relative to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency designations for marine fish liver and muscle tissue in all animals from all sites. Male flounder from Boston Harbor had significantly higher liver Cd levels than female flounder from Cape Cod and Boston Harbor. Female flounder from Boston Harbor showed significantly less metallothionein (MT) protein and lower liver metal levels than those from Cape Cod. Metallothionein mRNA did not significantly differ between sites nor did MT protein or mRNA between males and females from Boston Harbor. Cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1)‐like and CYP1A1 activities were significantly higher at optimal temperatures than activity measured at field temperatures. No differences between groups were observed for either parameter at ambient temperatures, but at optimal temperature(s), Boston Harbor females had significantly higher CYP2E1‐like and CYP1A1 activities than Boston Harbor males. A negative correlation was found between maximal CYP1A1 activity and age for the Boston Harbor fish and a positive correlation for all fish between CYP2E1‐like activity at ambient temperature and percent liver lipid. No differences were observed for liver lipid and microsomal protein between any of the groups. Liver glycogen showed a sex‐dependent difference for the Boston Harbor group with levels in females significantly higher than males. These differences in contaminant levels and biomarkers are discussed within the context of data from previous Fish Days and the implications for flounder health within Boston Harbor.

Recovery and validation of historical sediment quality data from coastal and estuarine areas: an integrated approach

A comprehensive database of sediment chemistry and environmental parameters has been compiled for Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay. This work illustrates methodologies for rescuing and validating sediment data from heterogeneous historical sources. It greatly expands spatial and temporal data coverage of estuarine and coastal sediments. The database contains about 3500 samples containing inorganic chemical, organic, texture and other environmental data dating from 1955 to 1994. Cooperation with local and federal agencies as well as universities was essential in locating and screening documents for the database. More than 80% of references utilized came from sources with limited distribution (gray literature). Task sharing was facilitated by a comprehensive and clearly defined data dictionary for sediments. It also served as a data entry template and flat file format for data processing and as a basis for interpretation and graphical illustration. Standard QA/QC protocols are usually inapplicable to historical sediment data. In this work outliers and data quality problems were identified by batch screening techniques that also provide visualizations of data relationships and geochemical affinities. No data were excluded, but qualifying comments warn users of problem data. For Boston Harbor, the proportion of irreparable or seriously questioned data was remarkably small (<5%), although concentration values for metals and organic contaminants spanned 3 orders of magnitude for many elements or compounds. Data from the historical database provide alternatives to dated cores for measuring changes in surficial sediment contamination level with time. The data indicate that spatial inhomogeneity in harbor environments can be large with respect to sediment-hosted contaminants. Boston Inner Harbor surficial sediments showed decreases in concentrations of Cu, Hg, and Zn of 40 to 60% over a 17-year period.

Analysis of the Copper Bead from Calf Island, Massachusetts

Given the increasing interest in copper analysis and the relative scarcity of prehistoric copper artifacts in the Northeast, those of us with unpublished data have an obligation to make them available to other researchers. Therefore, this article presents new metric and chemical data on a copper bead from the Calf Island site, a Late Woodland fishing and hunting camp in Boston Harbor, Massachusetts. In addition, several new radiocarbon dates from the site are presented and discussed. It is suggested that beads may have been increasing in quantity and variety during the Late Woodland period in eastern Massachusetts.

Characterization of organotin-resistant bacteria from boston harbor sediments

Organotins are widely used in agriculture and industry. They are toxic to a variety of organisms including bacteria, although little is known of their physiology and ecology. Bacteria resistant to six organotins-tributyltin (TBT), dibutyltin (DBT), monobutyltin (MBT), triphenyltin (TPT), diphenyltin (DPT), and monophenyltin (MPT)-were isolated from Boston Harbor sediments, Massachusetts, USA. Bacteria resistant to each of the organotins, except DPT, were isolated directly from estuarine sediments. Viability of the organotin-resistant bacteria on serial transfer in the laboratory ranged from 80 to 91%. Each isolate was screened for resistance to the other organotins. All of 250 isolates were resistant to at least two organotins. No DPT-resistant isolates were found on initial isolation on DPT, although there was DPT resistance among the other organotin-resistant bacteria. Eighty percent of TBT-resistant bacteria were TPT-resistant, suggesting that antifouling paints containing TPT will not be a suitable substitute for TBT in paints designed to inhibit microbial biofilms. Debutylation reduced toxicity in some cases while dephenylation did not. Thus, even though trisubstituted organotins are generally believed to be more toxic than di- or monosubstituted organotins, this may not always be the case, and more than one mechanism of resistance may be involved. All the bacteria were resistant to at least six of eight heavy metals tested, suggesting that resistance to heavy metals may be associated with resistance to organotins.

Laser-induced fluorescence of pyrene and other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in seawater

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in the marine environment are currently of great concern due to their potential carcinogenicity. The standard methods of detection and quantification of PAH in seawater and sediments are costly, time-consuming and do not account for the heterogeneous nature of their distribution and sources. Laser-induced, time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy may help to overcome these limitations. Several PAH have relatively long-lived stimulated fluorescence emissions, which allow them to be detected among a background of more intense but shorter-lived chromophores. Using time-delayed techniques we have shown an ability to detect PAH, principally pyrene, at environmental levels (ng l −1) both in the laboratory and in situ in Boston Harbor and other study areas. Further development may lead to the rapid determination of several PAH in typical near-shore marine environments.

Coliphages and indicator bacteria in birds around Boston Harbor

Droppings from feral populations of pigeons, geese and herring gulls from the urban/suburban environment around Boston Harbor, MA, USA contained up to 106 somatic coliphages, 108 enterococci, 109 thermotolerant coliforms and 102 F-specific coliphages per gram of feces. Somatic coliphages, enterococci and thermotolerant coliforms were common in the feces of all three kinds of birds but F-specific coliphages were found in droppings from only three of 32 gulls. Thus these sources of bacterial and viral indicators should be considered when dealing with the ecology of fecal pollution indicators. Moreover, microbial indicators of fecal or sewage pollution originating from bird droppings may be mistaken for indicators that come from humans. This may cause an overestimate of the hazard from human pathogens in water and confound attempts to locate sources of fecal or sewage pollution.

Research Watch: Metals in Boston Harbor

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVDepartmentsNEXTResearch Watch: Metals in Boston Harbor Sediments Cite this: Environ. Sci. Technol. 1998, 32, 15, 376APublication Date (Web):June 8, 2011Publication History Published online8 June 2011Published inissue 1 August 1998https://doi.org/10.1021/es983662lRIGHTS & PERMISSIONSArticle Views15Altmetric-Citations-LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InReddit PDF (2 MB) Get e-AlertsSUBJECTS:Metals Get e-Alerts

Spatial and temporal variation of phenanthrene-degrading bacteria in intertidal sediments.

Phenanthrene-degrading bacteria were isolated from a 1-m2 intertidal sediment site in Boston Harbor. Samples were taken six times over 2 years. A total of 432 bacteria were isolated and characterized by biochemical testing. When clustered on the basis of phenotypic characteristics, the isolates could be separated into 68 groups at a similarity level of approximately 70%. Several groups (a total of 200 isolates) corresponded to well-characterized species belonging the genera Vibrio and Pseudomonas. Only 51 of the 437 isolates (< 11.7% of the total) hybridized to a DNA probe that encodes the upper pathway of naphthalene and phenanthrene degradation in Pseudomonas putida NCIB 9816. A cluster analysis indicated that the species composition of the phenanthrene-degrading community changed significantly from sampling date to sampling date. At one sampling time, 12 6-mm-diameter core subsamples were taken within the 1-m2 site to determine the spatial variability of the degrading communities. An analysis of molecular variance, performed with the phenotypic characteristics, indicated that only 6% of the variation occurred among the 12 subsamples, suggesting that the subsamples were almost identical in composition. We concluded that the communities of phenanthrene-degrading bacteria in the sediments are very diverse, that the community structure undergoes significant change with time but does not vary significantly on a spatial scale of centimeters, and that the predominant genes that encode phenanthrene degradation in the communities are not well-characterized.

Metal concentrations in surface sediments of boston harbor—Changes with time

The concentrations of metals in surface sediments of Boston Harbor have decreased during the period 1977–1993. This conclusion is supported by analysis of: (1) surface sediments collected at monitoring stations in the outer harbor between 1977 and 1993; (2) metal concentration profiles in sediment cores from depositional areas of the harbor; and (3) historical data from a contaminated-sediment database, which includes information on metal and organic contaminants and sediment texture. The background and matrix-corrected concentrations of lead (Pb) measured in the surficial layer (0–2cm) of cores decreased by an average of 46%±12% among four locations in the outer harbor during the 16y period. Chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), silver (Ag), and zinc (Zn) exhibited similar trends. Results from our sediment sampling are supported by historical data that were compiled from diverse sources into a regional sediment database. This sediment database contains approximately 3000 samples; of these, about 460 samples were collected and analyzed for Cu, Hg, or Zn and many other sediment parameters in Boston Harbor surface sediments between 1971–1993. The database indicates that the concentrations of these three metals also decreased with time in Boston’s Inner Harbor. The decreases in metal concentrations that are observed in more recent years parallel a general decrease in the flux of metals to the harbor, implemented by: (1) ending the sewage sludge discharge to the Harbor in December, 1991; (2) greater source reduction (e.g. recovery of silver from photographic processing) and closing or moving of industries; (3) improvements in wastewater handling and sewage treatment; and (4) diminishing use of lead in gasoline beginning about 1973. Despite the general decrease in metal concentrations in Boston Harbor surface sediments, the concentrations of Ag and Hg measured at some outer harbor stations in 1993 were still at, or above, the level associated with frequent adverse effects to marine organisms (guidelines are: Ag 3.7μg g−1, Hg 1.17μg g−1, from Long et al., 1995). Concentrations of the other metals listed were in the range considered to occasionally induce adverse biological effects.

Deposition of Contaminated Sediments in Boston Harbor Studied Using Fluorescent Dye and Particle Tracers

The residence time of water and suspended particles in Fort Point Channel, a sub-region of Boston Harbor containing a major combined sewer overflow and highly contaminated sediment, was determined during three field surveys by measuring the disappearance of fluorescent tracers from the water column. Flushing by advective movement was quantified using Rhodamine WT dye, a dissolved tracer which has negligible interaction with suspended sediment. The fate of suspended particles was inferred from measured concentrations of fluorescent pigment particles which were initially well mixed with Rhodamine dye and which have a size range and settling velocity comparable to the sewage particles of interest. Dye and particle concentrations were measured by fluorescent spectroscopy of water samples obtained throughout the channel over a week following tracer introduction. Dye measurements indicate that channel water is replaced on a scale of 1–2·7 days, depending on tidal amplitude and phase during tracer release, and the magnitude of freshwater inflow. Ratios of normalized particle concentration to dye concentration suggest effective deposition velocities of 1·5–3·3m day−1; this is an order of magnitude faster than observed in laboratory settling columns suggesting that removal of suspended tracer particles from Fort Point Channel during our surveys may have been the result of scavenging by a bottom ‘fluff’ layer. This finding is consistent with our previous observation of particle deposition in Salem Sound, Massachusetts, U.S.A. and in controlled laboratory studies of particle aggregation at the sediment–water interface.

“Boston Harbor”-type project labor agreements in construction: Nature, rationales, and legal challenges

This article examines union action to gain jobs by inducing state and municipal governmental bodies, and most recently, the federal government as well, to direct that all work on a tax-financed construction project must be performed under the terms of a pre-hire project labor agreement ("PLA"). The effect is to freeze out nonunion ("open-shop") contractors and their employees unless such contractors are willing to sign, or at least adhere to, the labor agreement, recruit employees from the union hiring halls, or have their employees join or pay fees to the union.

A PROBABILISTIC APPROACH FOR ESTIMATING TUNNELING DURATION

This paper describes an analytical approach for developing the Cumulative Distribution Function, CDF, of time to completion of any segment of the Outfall Tunnel of Boston Harbor Cleanup Project. For any given tunnel length, one can calculate the probability of completing that length within a specified time. The approach proposed is general enough to be used on relatively long tunnels with durations extending over several months. It presents a case in data modeling where a large volume of data is reduced and reported in a usable format. Model application is shown through a numerical example and the results are compared wih the actual data obtained which shows that the difference between actual data and predicted result is not significant.

Quantification and potential role of ocean nutrient loading to Boston Harbor, Massachusetts, USA

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 173:53-65 (1998) - doi:10.3354/meps173053 Quantification and potential role of ocean nutrient loading to Boston Harbor, Massachusetts, USA John R. Kelly* 3 Willow Lane, Rye, New Hampshire 03870, USA *Present address: U.S. EPA, Mid-Continent Ecology Division, 6201 Congdon Blvd, Duluth, Minnesota 55804-2595, USA. E-mail: kelly.johnr@epa.gov ABSTRACT: While tidal flushing helps export most of the nitrogen added to Boston Harbor (MA, USA) from land sources (>8000 mmol N m-2 yr-1; 90% in sewage effluent) to the offshore waters of Massachusetts Bay, the tidal inflow also brings material into the Harbor. For Boston Harbor and many other coastal embayments, tidal inputs must be quantified if we are to develop complete nutrient budgets. This study quantifies tidal input of nutrients and suspended solids (i.e. 'ocean loading') and predicts the future role of ocean loading after sewage effluent discharge is diverted away from the Harbor to a location about 15 km into the Bay. Ocean loading is determined by simple box modeling using data sets available for the 1994 annual cycle. Critical data for modeling include a series of surveys on which high-resolution data for salinity and turbidity were collected using in situ sensors housed in a towed instrument package (i.e. a 'towfish'); surveys covered 2 transects in and out of the 2 Harbor inlets which regulate tidal exchange. Study results show that ocean loading dominates the input-output budgets of nutrients and suspended solids, generally providing more than twice the loading from present land sources. Results further suggest that, although the absolute values of ocean loading will decrease after effluent diversion, the relative contribution of the ocean to the Harbor budget will increase. Predictive modeling suggests that total nitrogen concentrations will decrease about 20% and dissolved inorganic concentrations will decrease about 50% from present levels; these predicted decreases are smaller than one would calculate if the ocean loading term of budgets were neglected. Ocean loading thus will have a role in the nature of Harbor recovery from the planned sewage diversion. KEY WORDS: Estuary nutrient budgets · Ocean loading · Boston Harbor Full text in pdf format PreviousNextExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 173. Publication date: November 12, 1998 Print ISSN:0171-8630; Online ISSN:1616-1599 Copyright © 1998 Inter-Research.

Editorial - The Boston Tea Party of 1997

On December 2, 1997, the Boston Tea Party, originally held on December 16, 1773, was reenacted. The ship was the same, as was the location. The original Boston Tea Party was an expression by the American colonists that they had become so dissatisfied with the status quo a protest was necessary. Tea was among the items taxed, and thus the colonists, some disguised as Native Americans, unloaded tea from a ship into the Boston Harbor, rather than onto the dock, to protest the Tea Act. The so-called Boston Tea Party of 1997 was also an act of protest against the status quo. The …

Hydrodynamic Forcing and Sediment Character in Boston Harbor

Calculated annual excess skin friction stress at various locations in Quincy Bay (outer Boston Harbor) was found to be correlated positively with sediment sand content. The correlation was optimized when a critical shear stress (τc) of 0.085 Pa was assumed for the bay. The excess shear stress was correlated negatively with sediment lead (Pb) and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations. These correlations suggest that area surveys of properties like sand content may be sufficient to estimate τc.