Acute laboratory toxicity tests were performed on
surficial sediments collected from 1176 locations
throughout 22 estuarine areas in the United States.
Toxicity was determined with three standardized
procedures: 10-day amphipod survival tests with
solid-phase (bulk) sediments; 5-min microbial bioluminescence tests with organic solvent extracts of the
sediments; and either 1-h sea urchin fertilization
tests or 48-h mollusc embryo tests with the porewater
of the sediments. Test results were weighted to
the sizes (km2) of the geographic strata in which
samples
were collected. Selected bays and estuaries were
sampled along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico
coasts and in southern California along the Pacific
coast of the United States. The individual survey
areas
ranged in size from <1.0 km2 to over 550 km2.
Col
lectively, approximately 2532 km2 were sampled
in
the 22 surveys. Toxicity was observed in the amphipod
survival tests of bulk sediments in approximately
10.9% of the combined area. These data suggest that
acute toxicity as measured with adult crustaceans
was restricted to small portions of these urbanized
estuaries, principally maritime harbors and industrial
ized bayous and waterways. Toxicity was much more
pervasive in the tests of solvent extracts and 100%
porewater, indicating that approximately 61% and
43%, respectively, of the combined areas sampled were
toxic. The spatial extent of toxicity decreased to
11% and 5% in tests of 50% and 25% porewater,
respectively. In most areas each test indicated
different patterns in toxicity, and consequently, the
concordance in estimates of toxicity among different
tests was very small. Estimates of the spatial extent
of toxicity probably would differ if tests were
performed elsewhere and/or with different
organisms.
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