ence unanimously agree that the highest 

 priorities should be given to determining 

 the impact of pollutants (e.g., synthetic 

 organic chemicals, petroleum, and metals) 

 on the nearshore marine environment. 

 We feel that this is the concern of na- 

 tional or regional authorities. 



The readily identifiable contamination 

 in the open ocean by synthetic haloge- 

 nated hydrocarbons (such as PCB and 

 DDT and their metabolites) and petro- 

 leum hydrocarbons potentially constitute 

 a problem of global concern. We therefore 

 recommend: That a continuing research 

 program to determine inputs, dispersal 

 paths and present levels of the synthetic 

 halogenated hydrocarbons and of petro- 

 leum hydrocarbons in representative 

 plants and animals of coastal and open 

 ocean zones be immediately initiated 

 with the objectives of evaluating hazards 

 to living processes and of defining 

 sources of these materials. Simultane- 

 ously and with high priority, research 

 should be expanded in biological labora- 

 tories to evaluate the impacts of existing 

 levels of these substances upon living 

 organisms. Until this is done, every effort 

 should be directed toward restricting dis- 

 charges to the marine environment. 



Lead Analysis Workshop 



As a result of the Brookhaven Conference 

 discussions on the determination of lead 

 levels in seawater, a group of investigators 

 interested in heavy metal determinations un- 

 dertook a careful comparison of lead analysis 

 methods. The purpose is to ascertain that 

 technique which is rapid and inexpensive, but 

 which, nevertheless, gives the desired accu- 

 racy and sensitivity. Isotope dilution mass 

 spectrometry, although slow and expensive, 

 has sufficient sensitivity and accuracy to 

 provide standardized samples of seawater 

 suitable for evaluating the more rapid and 

 inexpensive atomic absorption and anodic 

 stripping techniques. The final evaluation of 

 techniques is taking place at the California 

 Institute of Technology following analysis by 

 the investigators of standard samples in their 

 own laboratory. 



Important objectives of these studies are 

 (a) to establish the minimum size of water 

 sample needed to overcome errors due to 



sensitivity and contamination, and (b) to 

 describe necessary precautions for reducing 

 contamination effects during shipboard col- 

 lection and analytical treatment. 



The program consists of three phases: 



(1) analysis of water samples by participat- 

 ing laboratories; 



(2) meeting to exchange views and formu- 

 late recommendations; and 



(3) analysis of additional standards, if 

 necessary, and the summarization of 

 program results. 



Projects of this type are vital to investiga- 

 tors concerned with the levels of pollutants in 

 the ocean, and it may be desirable to arrange 

 similar studies for measuring other pollutants. 



POLLUTANT TRANSFER PROCESS 

 RESEARCH 



A detailed understanding of mechanisms 

 controlling the rate of pollutant transfer from 

 source to and within the ocean is necessary 

 for predicting pollutant distribution in the 

 marine environment, for assessing whether 

 the oceans are becoming measurably polluted, 

 and ultimately for indicating rates at which 

 such pollutants may be released safely to the 

 environment. Before meaningful experiments 

 can be conducted on the effects of pollutants, 

 it is necessary to know if and how particular 

 pollutants are taken up and concentrated by 

 organisms. Likewise, if the final deposition 

 of pollutants is to be determined, one must 

 understand the types and rates of chemical 

 transformations that occur as the pollutants 

 are transferred into and among water, or- 

 ganisms and sediments. 



The IDOE Pollutant Transfer Process Re- 

 search Program is designed to contribute to 

 the solution of these problems. The research 

 projects in this area are summarized in Table 

 1. Research on riverine and atmospheric in- 

 troduction of pollutants (heavy metals and 

 synthetic organic compounds) may help to 

 answer the basic question of whether the 

 ocean is being measurably polluted. The 

 quantities and forms of heavy metals, haloge- 

 nated hydrocarbons and petroleum hydrocar- 

 bons are determined at the sea surface and in 

 the coastal regions where they enter the 



