The samples collected at the center of the "A" mound 

 had a large volume of homogeneous organic detritus and a large 

 number of polychaetes and polychaete fragments in the fine 

 low-density fraction. Following a technique used with similar 

 samples from the EPA/COE Field Verification Program, this 

 fraction was divided with a plankton splitter and one-half 

 counted. Because of the large numbers of polychaetes recovered 

 and the homogeneity of the samples in terms of species 

 composition, one half was considered to give an adequate 

 representation of the assemblage present and is the basis of the 

 counts given here. The remaining half was sorted and counted to 

 provide a check on the technique for possible inclusion in future 

 WLIS monitoring plans. 



Organisms were identified to species in most cases. 

 Individuals from all fractions were combined during counting. 

 All individuals were stored in 70% alcohol. Sieve residues were 

 described in laboratory notes and discarded. A combined 

 reference collection was made of all species found in 1986 

 Central and Western Long Island Sound disposal site samples and 

 is being maintained at the University of Rhode Island, Graduate 

 School of Oceanography. 



2.5 Body Burden Analysis 



The test organisms for body burden analysis were 

 collected at the Reference station and at the WLIS "A" mound with 

 the Smith-Mclntyre grab. Sediment was sieved through a 2mm mesh 

 and the deposit-feeding organisms (the polychaete Nephtys incisa) 

 were isolated and placed in seawater at ambient temperature. 

 Sufficient biomass was collected for triplicate analyses. The 

 animals were allowed to purge their gut contents for 2 4 hours 

 before they were frozen and transported to the laboratory for 

 chemical analysis. The polychaetes were analyzed for eight trace 

 metals and PCBs. These analyses were conducted by the SAIC 

 laboratory in La Jolla, California. A detailed description of 

 the methods used for the analysis of the polychaete tissue can be 

 found in DAMOS Contribution #60 (SAIC, 1986a) . 



The PCB analyses were quality assured by measuring the 

 recovery of a surrogate compound (dibutylchlorendate) in each 

 sample. The recovery of this compound was 62% ±9 for the Western 

 Long Island Sound Disposal Site samples. 



