their tissues did not show a high concentration of heavy metals. Be- 

 cause of such ambiguities, it is recommended that an intensive study be 

 undertaken to determine the mechanism of heavy-metal uptake by planktonic 

 and larger marine organisms. This is an important consideration in 

 assessing possible concentration of such heavy metals in the food chain. 

 Specific analyses should be performed on certain tissues of marine animals 

 to determine if preferential concentration of metals in such tissues 

 occurs, and the significance of such concentrations. 



g. Effects of Organic Materials on Marine Organisms . Both sewage 

 sludge and dredge spoils contain large quantities of organic material. 

 Sewer sludges are particularly rich in organic material, ranging from 

 about 50 to about 80 percent of the dry weight. Most of these materials 

 consist of soluble acids, sugars, proteins, fats and esters, which are 

 not harmful to marine life, and may be beneficial. Dredge spoils, al- 

 though containing lower concentrations of organic materials than sewage 

 sludges, may contain such dangerous constituents as pesticides and 

 petrochemicals. These materials are known to be absorbed by the lipid 

 and fatty tissues of marine animals, particularly by benthic organisms 

 such as oysters and clams, and to interfere with the lipid metabolism 

 and the enzymatic breakdown of fats into glycerids and fatty acids. 



None of the studies completed in the New York Bight treated this 

 problem. A study of Penici Ilium , Nocardia , Micrococcus , Candida , and 

 other microbial organisms would be useful. Such organisms are known to 

 attack components of petrochemicals such as olefins and napthas, by 

 generating certain enzymes. An attempt should also be made in the 

 laboratory to identify chemically the harmful hydrocarbons, and to 

 check on the efficiency of micro-organisms to degrade them. Data from 

 such an investigation would be helpful in determining whether active 

 biodegradation of the oil-polluted dredge spoils occurs. 



4, Sources of Coastal Pollution in the New York Bight 



No evidence shows that ocean waste disposal is the most serious source 

 of pollution in the Bight. Of equal concern should be other sources of 

 pollution, such as sewer outfalls, river discharges, land runoff, vessel 

 discharges and accidental spills on land and sea. 



Basic sources of coastal water pollution fall into two broad cate- 

 gories: easily identified point-of-origin sources such as municipal 

 waste treatment discharges and industrial plants, and waste from 

 diffuse or non-point sources such as silt or fertilizers washed into 

 streams during heavy rains as a result of agricultural and urban runoff. 

 Additional sources may be atmospheric precipitants, thermal discharges, 

 and accidental oil spills. 



It is difficult to assign responsibility to any class of pollutants 

 or to single out and quantify their adverse environmental effects. In 

 the Bight, the adverse effects of coastal pollution from sources other 

 than ocean dumping have not been considered to date, even though coastal 



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