Organic compounds near dumpsites in niagara falls, New York

Abstract

Water and sediment samples were taken from sites adjacent to hazardous waste disposal areas in Niagara Falls, New York. The samples were analyzed by gas chromatographic mass spectrometry. The following compounds were identified: chlorobenzenes, chlorotoluenes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon derivatives, cyclohexane derivatives, polychlorinated biphenyls, trichlorophenol and other phenols, benzotrifluorides, mirex and phenothiazine. A large number of benzyl derivatives and unusual fluorinated compounds were also found; they were probably waste by-products of industrial chemical production. The hazardous waste disposal sites were probably the major sources for most of the compounds.

Atsdr Evaluation of Health Effects of Chemicals

“…Mirex levels in the sediment ranged from 0.5 to 2 mg/kg (ppm) (detection limit, 0.5 mg/kg [ppm]) (Elder et al, 1981).…”

Can We Use Zebra and Quagga Mussels for Biomonitoring Contaminants in the Niagara River?

“…The Niagara River is contaminated due to the discharge of persistent bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals from outfalls and hazardous waste landfills (Elder et al, 1981;Jaffe and Hites, 1984;NRTC, 1984). The contaminants that were historically discharged, and which in some cases are still released from outfalls and inactive hazardous waste sites include chemicals such as mirex, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), organochlorine pesticides such as BHC (lindane) and chlordane, chlorinated benzenes, chlorinated phenols, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) as well as trace metals (Interagency Task Force on Hazardous Waste, 1979;Elder et al, 1981;Jaffe and Hites, 1984;NRTC, 1984;USEPA/NYSDEC, 1998).…”

“…The contaminants that were historically discharged, and which in some cases are still released from outfalls and inactive hazardous waste sites include chemicals such as mirex, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), organochlorine pesticides such as BHC (lindane) and chlordane, chlorinated benzenes, chlorinated phenols, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) as well as trace metals (Interagency Task Force on Hazardous Waste, 1979;Elder et al, 1981;Jaffe and Hites, 1984;NRTC, 1984;USEPA/NYSDEC, 1998). Presumably the contaminants have impacted the integrity of the aquatic ecosystem and fish and wildlife habitat throughout the Niagara River and Lake Ontario.…”

Short-Term Bioassays in the Analysis of Complex Environmental Mixtures IV

“…However, the isolation of residue organics from sludges presented a different problem. Our results suggest that two previously described general approaches, the EPA procedure (Billets and Lichtenburg, 1983) and the Hites procedure (Jungclaus et al, 1978;Elder et al, 1981) appear to be producing mutagenic artifacts of isolation or destroying labile mutagens during isolation. Therefore, we have developed a procedure for isolating mutagenic residue organics from sludges that features not only gentle conditions but also produces a homogeneous sample that is easily manipulated.…”

“…The Hites procedure has been shown to be applicable to the extraction of a wide variety of classes of organic compounds from moist solid samples such as river sediments (Jungclaus et aI., 1978;Elder et al, 1981). For the primary sludge, the Hites extraction procedure gave significantly lower mutagenicity recoveries compared to the EPA and ball mill procedures (Table 1).…”