128 



trend surveys should be planned to be "part of a continual monitoring program 

 through which changes in conditions at a disposal site can be documented and 

 assessed." 



The NYD has conducted various physical monitoring efforts. However, a 

 chemical and biological monitoring program was never conducted at the Mud 

 Dump Site prior to. or since its designation until 1990. 



i. First monitoring survey of Mud Dump Site conducted in 1990 



In 1990, EPA Region II sponsored a monitoring survey of the Mud Dump 

 Site and its environs 7 . Heavy metals. PCBs, pesticides, polycyclic aromatic 

 hydrocarbons and dioxin were measured in surficial sediments and in benthic 

 worms at 39 different stations. The monitoring survey revealed several notable 

 findings. 



o Body burden levels of metals in the tissue of worms were on par 

 with levels found at other disposal sites in Massachusetts Bay, Central and Long 

 Island Sound and the Cape Arundel Disposal Sites. However, chromium, iron 

 and lead levels were higher at the Mud Dump Site than these other disposal 

 sites 8 . No other studies have been conducted to assess levels of contaminants in 

 benthic worms throughout the NY Bight Apex against which to compare these 

 values. 



o Heavy metal concentrations in the sediments of the Mud Dump 

 Site were higher than outside the Mud Dump Site. Stations along the eastern and 

 southern margins of the Mud Dump Site were found to have the highest 

 enrichment factors, meaning the concentrations of sediments at the Mud Dump 

 Site were much greater than the concentrations in naturally-occurring 

 uncontaminated sediments. Several metals (silver, chromium, mercury and lead) 

 were found at several stations to have levels above values considered by NOAA 

 to represent average concentrations that have a potential for causing adverse 

 effects on biological life. 



o High concentrations of dioxin (2,3,7, 8-TCDD) were found at 

 stations along the eastern, southern and southwestern sides of the Mud Dump Site 

 and dioxin was strongly correlated to silt content. The maximum concentrations 



"Judith B. Charles and JoAnn Muramoto. October 11, 1990. Assessment of 

 Contaminants in Sediment and Biota at the Mud Dump Site . New York. 



s ibid at 35 



