Organic compounds and trace elements in the Pocomoke River and tributaries, Maryland
Open-File Report
99-57
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Abstract
In response to concern about recent blooms of the dinoflagellate, Pfiesteria piscicida, samples of sediment and water were collected from the lower Pocomoke River Basin and were screened for trace elements, pesticides, and other organic compounds. A large group of steroid and fatty acid methyl-ester compounds was detected in streamwater using gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy in scan mode. Some of these steroid compounds have been identified and further quantified in bed-sediment extracts. Spatial patterns of the concentrations of cholesterol suggest that these compounds are linked to the runoff of animal wastes into the river. Many of the organic compounds found in the Pocomoke River sediments have not yet been identified, but at least several are in the class of hormone compounds related to estradiols and have the potential to promote endocrine-disrupting effects in aquatic life. Particulate forms of arsenic and zinc are slightly elevated above normal levels for streams, but the sources for these elements are still undetermined. Several pesticides were found in low, parts-per-trillion concentrations, but were within the ranges commonly found in streams of this region.
Study Area
| Publication type | Report |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Title | Organic compounds and trace elements in the Pocomoke River and tributaries, Maryland |
| Series title | Open-File Report |
| Series number | 99-57 |
| DOI | 10.3133/ofr9957 |
| Edition | Revised January 2000 |
| Year Published | 1999 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | U.S. Geological Survey |
| Description | iv, 35 p. |
| Country | United States |
| State | Maryland |
| Other Geospatial | Pocomoke River |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |