Nickel Cycling in the South San Francisco Bay
| Type |
- Feasibility Studies
- Site Characterization
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| Location |
San Francisco Bay, CA |
| Partners |
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| Technology |
Load Allocations |
| Contaminants |
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| Description |
USGS scientists conducted field and laboratory studies that provided
the first direct measurements of the mass of dissolved nickel moving
out of bottom sediment and into the water column at three sites
in the southern component of the San Francisco Bay (South Bay),
California
(Scientists call the movement of dissolved contaminants, which can be either into or out of bottom sediments, the benthic flux). Dissolved nickel and predominant ligands (represented
by dissolved organic carbon, and sulfides) were the solutes of primary
interest, although a variety of ancillary measurements were also
performed to provide a framework for interpretation. The study showed
that the amount of dissolved nickel from bottom sediments is comparable
to the amount of dissolved nickel in streams and rivers that flow
into the Bay. These results add to a growing body of knowledge that strongly suggests a need to consider the role of contaminant transport across the sediment-water interface (the benthic flux) when establishing future management strategies for the watershed. This is particularly important for
the establishment of Total
Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) of contaminants into the South Bay.
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| More Information |
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| Contact |
James Kuwabara, USGS, National Research Program, Menlo
Park, CA, |
| Publications |
- Topping, B.R., Kuwabara, J.S., Parchaso, F., Hager, S.W., Arnsberg,
A.J., and Murphy, F., 2001,
- Benthic flux
of dissolved nickel into the water column of South San Francisco
Bay: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 01-89, 50 p.
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| Links |
Other Studies Using the Same Methods to Determine the Benthic
Flux of Metals
San Francisco Bay Information
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