118 



-7- 



(more than 38% of the Hudson-Raritan total) , lead (more 

 than 3 9%) , and mercury (more than 6 0%) . 



Lee and Jones (11) report on the mean concentration of 

 these four metals in the vicinity of the mud dumpsite. 

 Table C shows that the concentrations near the mud dump of 

 three of the four metals exceed natural ocean levels by as 

 much as 129 times. However, their concentrations all fall 

 short of EPA Marine Water Quality Criteria. 



These metals are found in the sediment of the Bight 

 Apex. During a survey over the summer of 1980, NOAA found (12) 

 that the peak concentration of cadmixim (3.68 ppm) , and lead 

 (134.9 ppm) was found at a station in the Christiansen Basin 

 about 5 km west of the sewage sludge disposal site. Figures 

 D through F show this pattern in detail. (Also refer to 

 Figure C which shows the location of the dumpsites and the 

 Basin. ) 



Elevated levels of mercury, lead, and cadmium are found 

 in the tissue of animals living in the New York Bight Apex. 

 Saila and Segar in a 1979 NOAA report (1) review information 

 on the levels of heavy metal in the tissue of animals in the 

 New York Bight. This information, along with levels generally 

 considered to be safe, is given in Table D. The maximiom 

 levels observed are all in excess of the levels considered 

 to be safe. The average levels of contamination (given in 

 Table D in parentheses) are 20 to 50% of the safe levels. 

 Given that the sampling for many metals in fish and shellfish 

 tissue is so limited, one would not be surprised if further 



