ABSTRACT

In May 1998, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Environmental and Natural Resources Management Office of the U.S. Army Signal Center and Fort Gordon, investigated the presence and disbursal of trace elements and semi-volatile organic compounds in bed sediments from selected streams and impoundments at the Fort Gordon military installation near Augusta, Georgia. Concentrations of 18 trace elements and total organic carbon, and 66 semi-volatile compounds were determined from analysis of the fine-grained fraction of bed-sediment samples from 29 surface-water deposition locations.

Analysis of the bed-sediment data indicates that commercial and industrial land-use areas generally are associated with the highest concentrations of trace elements and semi-volatile organic compounds, and the greatest occurrence and distribution of trace elements and semi-volatile organic compounds in bed sediments at Fort Gordon. Bed sediment collected at sites having drainage areas less than 1.0 square mile and greater than 45 percent commercial and industrial land uses, have the most occurrences and the highest concentrations of trace elements and semi-volatile organic compounds. Sampling sites having less than 2 percent commercial and industrial land uses had the lowest concentrations, regardless of drainage basin size. Relative rankings and evaluation of individual trace element and semi-volatile organic compound concentration data identified two sites that have substantially higher sediment-quality scores than the other sites. This suggests that these sites have the greatest potential risk for adverse effects on aquatic life. The effects of these elevated trace element and semi-volatile organic compound concentrations on aquatic life in these basins may merit further investigation.

First posted February 5, 2010