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PCB Profiles < Characterization of PCBs in sediment from stormwater conveyances
Member agencies of the Bay Area Stormwater Management Agencies Association (BASMAA)
conducted a characterization of PCB and mercury contamination in sediment of stormwater
conveyances in the watersheds of the San Francisco Estuary. The study was conducted by
the Alameda County Clean Water Program and a Joint Stormwater Agency, which was a
collaborative effort between the remaining agencies in the Bay area: Santa Clara Valley
Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention Program, Contra Costa County Clean Water Program, San
Mateo Countywide Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program, Marin County Stormwater
Pollution Prevention Program, Vallejo Flood Control and Sanitation District and
Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District. Sediment
samples from 83 sites throughout the watersheds of the Bay area were collected and
analyzed for PCBs and mercury concentrations in 2000. The goal of the study was to
provide assistance to the Regional Board in developing TMDLs for mercury and PCBs for
San Francisco Bay by assessing the distribution and concentration ranges of these
contaminants and identifying potentially significant sources and pathways of
contamination to the Bay. PCB concentrations in sediment from watershed monitoring from 2000 were adapted for
use in this study from the two following reports: Methods of quality assurance/quality control were based on methods used by the RMP and the USGS National Water Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) for sample collection and methods described in the Quality Assurance Project Plan (2000) from Kinnetic Laboratories, Inc. for sample analysis. PCB concentrations represent the sum of 39 individual PCB congeners routinely measured by the RMP. |