averages 8 to 10 percent organics (Panuzio, 1965). Hudson River sedi- 

 ments have an average organic matter content of 5.5 percent (McCrone, 

 1967). Much of the organic matter in dredge spoils from harbor areas 

 consists of petrochemicals. (Saila, 1968). 



Distribution of waste deposits in New York Harbor and nearby waters 

 was studied by the SUNY-SB. They measured the abundance of carbon-rich 

 wastes on the Continental Shelf using loss-on-ignition (volatile matter) 

 or total-carbon techniques. Loss on ignition (volatile matter), and 

 total carbon concentrations of deposits from the New York Bight dumping 

 grounds and adjacent areas are shown in Figures 33, 34. 



Within the Harbor, the total carbon concentrations served as an index 

 of organic matter abundance. About 160 square kilometers (62 square 

 miles or 40 percent) of the total harbor area is covered by fine grained 

 wastes containing more than 2 percent total carbon. Sewage solids are 

 suspected of contributing most of the carbonaceous material. Distribution 

 of carbon-rich surface deposits in the Harbor and adjacent waters is 

 shown in Fig. 35. Outside the Harbor, the area on the Shelf covered by 

 sediments with more than 2 percent total carbon, or 5 percent volatile 

 matter, is about 50 square kilometers (20 square miles). Sediments 

 with more than 1 percent total carbon were found to cover about 100 

 square kilometers (40 square miles). Oxidizable carbon and reducing 

 capacity of the deposits were correlated with the abundance of total 

 carbon in the deposits. The waste deposits in the dumping grounds, 

 according to Gross (1970) , had median total carbon concentrations that 

 were 30 times greater than the median for Continental Shelf deposits. 



f. Other Chemical Species . Acid wastes in the New York Bight acid 

 dumping groimds consist of about 8.5 percent sulphuric acid and 10 percent 

 ferrous sulphate in solution. The acid, according to Redfield and Walford, 

 (1951), is rapidly neutralized; the ferrous sulphate is oxidized to the 

 ferric state and precipitates as the hydroxide which is easily traced in 

 the bottom sediments. This is the major source of iron in the area, 

 other than occasional contributions from river water, northeast of the 

 dumping grounds. The disposal of acid wastes has resulted in an easily 

 identified, iron-rich, water mass, which sinks and is moved northeast 

 along the bottom by currents. High iron concentrations for these waters 

 have been reported in the past by Ketchum, Redfield and Ayers (1951) and 

 by Ketchxim et al, (1958). These investigators found a maximum of about 

 1 microgram- atom per liter (ug-at/1) in 1950 and 4 yg-at/1 in 1958 com- 

 pared with the average of maximiom values of 8.9 yg-at/1, found in 1969- 

 70. This increase in concentration has been attributed to the increase 

 in the discharge of iron in the area from 60 tons per day in 1948, to 

 80 tons per day in 1950, and 229 tons per day in 1969-70. 



High iron concentrations in the waters were confirmed by the SHL 

 study of the area. The total concentration of iron for surface, mid- 

 depth and bottom water averaged from .46 to 3.42 yg-at/1, with higher 

 values for bottom water. A single maximum measurement of 37.3 iJg-at/1 

 was obtained by SHL near the acid dumping grounds. This measurement. 



74 



