from the dumping sites had been concentrated in the sh through the food
chain.
Another observation was the spread of toxic or disease—bearing substances
-
_
across the ocean oor. Heavy metals were carried to the north of the disposal
sites and as far as 25 nautical miles south of the sewage sludge station. Water
from sediments up
to six miles from the center of the sewage sludge dump
contained coliform bacteria—indicative of fecal contamination at levels that
exceeded those recommended for estuary waters used for shellshing, an en—
terprise popular in the New York Eight.
Experiences elsewhere in the world parallel conditions in the New York
Eight in certain respects. According to the Sandy Hook Laboratory in—
vestigators, other studies have shown apparent accumulation of heavy metals
in sludge and sewage dumps in the Thames Biver Estuary, England; the Firth
of Clyde, Scotland; and the coastal waters off California. Studies in a Dela—
ware Bay sludge disposal ground, however, have shown no accumulation of
,
heavy metals—nor, for that matter, of sludge. A number of factors may account for variances in the effects of waste at different dump sites. For ex—
ample, about 53 percent of the sewage sludge dumped in the New York Eight
is untrea‘ted and therefore has a higher content of fecal matter, other organic
material, and, possibly, toxic metallic compounds than would be found in
*
chemically or biologically treated sludge [41]. Sludge from Philadelphia has
received biologicaltreaünent (digestion) that renders it less hazardbus when
‘
dumped at sea [42]. Natural elements that cause variations in waste effects fin# ‘
clude water depth, bottom topography, currents, vvinds, and ‘îtides. Against
these variables, however, must be set the invariable threat posed bytoxîoma—
terials disposed of in water anywhere. Long—lived toxic substances may be
swept out of the immediate disposal area only to ca'use ,serioüsbiological
problems in other waters or in the marine food chain.
\
To shift back to the national scene, of the total 62 millidn tons of wastes
\
dumped off the continental United States in 1968, more than 52 million tons
were dredging wastes. This was nearly 15 times the amount dumped in the
New York Eight, as we can see in the preceding table. ‘The U.S. Corps of En—
gineers "estimated that about 34 percent of these dredging wastes were pol—
—
luted to some unspecied degree [43]. Even material with no direct toxic ef—
fect, however, could have produced sediment buildup or turbidity that
interfered with marine life. To round out the picture, in addition to the 52
'
million tons of dredging wastes. and 4.7 million tons of industrial wastes cate—
gorized earlier, 4.5
of sewage sludge, 26,000 tons of refuse and
garbage, 574,000 tons of construction and demolition debris, 15,200 tons of
outdated military
and chemicals and small amounts of mis—
cellaneous waste were-dumped
into U.S. coastal waters in 1968.
Thé
ocean «dispo‘Sal is ever upward. Available data on disposalof
radioactive Wastes, and dredging materials
,
(whichaccountforthelaigest
amount of ocean wastéS)
i ; _Ç; f ï Ï f __i ï Ÿ
creasemtonnagefrole49 to 1968—up from 1.7 million tous in 1949t074
Ï.ÇËÏ..È‘ .
.
.
.
“
‘ Ï-”?%..’
“.
î
chain.
Another observation was the spread of toxic or disease—bearing substances
-
_
across the ocean oor. Heavy metals were carried to the north of the disposal
sites and as far as 25 nautical miles south of the sewage sludge station. Water
from sediments up
to six miles from the center of the sewage sludge dump
contained coliform bacteria—indicative of fecal contamination at levels that
exceeded those recommended for estuary waters used for shellshing, an en—
terprise popular in the New York Eight.
Experiences elsewhere in the world parallel conditions in the New York
Eight in certain respects. According to the Sandy Hook Laboratory in—
vestigators, other studies have shown apparent accumulation of heavy metals
in sludge and sewage dumps in the Thames Biver Estuary, England; the Firth
of Clyde, Scotland; and the coastal waters off California. Studies in a Dela—
ware Bay sludge disposal ground, however, have shown no accumulation of
,
heavy metals—nor, for that matter, of sludge. A number of factors may account for variances in the effects of waste at different dump sites. For ex—
ample, about 53 percent of the sewage sludge dumped in the New York Eight
is untrea‘ted and therefore has a higher content of fecal matter, other organic
material, and, possibly, toxic metallic compounds than would be found in
*
chemically or biologically treated sludge [41]. Sludge from Philadelphia has
received biologicaltreaünent (digestion) that renders it less hazardbus when
‘
dumped at sea [42]. Natural elements that cause variations in waste effects fin# ‘
clude water depth, bottom topography, currents, vvinds, and ‘îtides. Against
these variables, however, must be set the invariable threat posed bytoxîoma—
terials disposed of in water anywhere. Long—lived toxic substances may be
swept out of the immediate disposal area only to ca'use ,serioüsbiological
problems in other waters or in the marine food chain.
\
To shift back to the national scene, of the total 62 millidn tons of wastes
\
dumped off the continental United States in 1968, more than 52 million tons
were dredging wastes. This was nearly 15 times the amount dumped in the
New York Eight, as we can see in the preceding table. ‘The U.S. Corps of En—
gineers "estimated that about 34 percent of these dredging wastes were pol—
—
luted to some unspecied degree [43]. Even material with no direct toxic ef—
fect, however, could have produced sediment buildup or turbidity that
interfered with marine life. To round out the picture, in addition to the 52
'
million tons of dredging wastes. and 4.7 million tons of industrial wastes cate—
gorized earlier, 4.5
of sewage sludge, 26,000 tons of refuse and
garbage, 574,000 tons of construction and demolition debris, 15,200 tons of
outdated military
and chemicals and small amounts of mis—
cellaneous waste were-dumped
into U.S. coastal waters in 1968.
Thé
ocean «dispo‘Sal is ever upward. Available data on disposalof
radioactive Wastes, and dredging materials
,
(whichaccountforthelaigest
amount of ocean wastéS)
i ; _Ç; f ï Ï f __i ï Ÿ
creasemtonnagefrole49 to 1968—up from 1.7 million tous in 1949t074
Ï.ÇËÏ..È‘ .
.
.
.
“
‘ Ï-”?%..’
“.
î