The use of passive membrane samplers to assess organic contaminant inputs at five coastal sites in west Maui, Hawaii

Abstract

ii Cover: Passive membrane sampler (foreground) and a sediment tube trap deployed on the nearshore coral reef of Wahikuli, west Maui. For more information on the USGS-the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment-visit https://www.usgs.gov/ or call 1-888-ASK-USGS (1-888-275-8747).For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit https://store.usgs.gov.Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner. AcknowledgmentsThis study was conducted as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Coral Reefs Project, which is an effort by the USGS to better understand the effect of geologic and oceanographic processes on coral reef systems in the United States and its trust territories. This project was funded by the USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the State of Hawaii Department of Health (HI-DOH). Watson Okubo (HI-DOH) provided administrative support, and Darla White and Russell Sparks (State of Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources) graciously helped with the SPMD deployments and recovery. Christopher Conaway (USGS) and Renee Takesue (USGS) contributed numerous excellent suggestions and a timely review of our work. All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in the main text of this publication as numbered tables. The Use of Passive Membrane Samplers to Assess AbstractFive passive membrane samplers were deployed for 28 continuous days at select sites along and near the west Maui coastline to assess organic compounds and contaminant inputs to diverse, shallow coral reef ecosystems. Daily and weekly fluctuations in such inputs were captured on the membranes using integrative sampling. The distribution of organic compounds observed at these five coastal sites showed considerable variation; with high concentrations of terrestrially sourced organic compounds such as C29 sterols and high molecular weight nalkanes at the strongly groundwater-influenced Kahekili vent site. In comparison, the coastal sites were presumably influenced more by seasonal surface and stream water runoff and therefore had marine-sourced organic compounds and fewer pharmaceuticals and personal care products. The direct correlation to upstream land-use practices was not obvious and may require additional wet-season sampling. Pharmaceuticals and personal care products as well as flame retardants were detected at all sites, and the Kahekili vent site had the highest number of detections. Planned future work must also determine the organic compound and contaminant concentrations adsorbed onto water column particulate matter, because it may also be an important ...