Fate and Transport of Hydrophobic Organic Chemicals in the Lower Passaic River: Insights from 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin

The fate and transport of hydrophobic organic chemicals (HOCs) is particularly complex in estuaries because of bidirectional longitudinal currents, density stratification, the tendency to trap sediments, and significant dilution in the downstream bay or ocean. Investigations of HOCs in estuaries are further complicated because HOCs typically enter from multiple sources. The distribution of contaminants in estuarine sediment beds reflect a time integration of a complex balance of time- and space-variable fate and transport processes and loading history. A unique opportunity to study HOC fate and transport exists in the Lower Passaic River (LPR), where a pesticide manufacturer was the dominant source of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD) to the estuary and the distribution of this “tracer of opportunity” provides insights about fate and transport processes in estuarine systems. This paper presents observed sediment 2,3,7,8-TCDD patterns within the LPR and the adjacent Newark Bay, and interprets them in terms of fate and transport processes that likely distributed the contaminant from its dominant source, drawing upon other physical datasets as needed. Major observations include that estuarine transport processes have distributed 2,3,7,8-TCDD approximately 18 km upstream of the source and downstream across Newark Bay, and that, generally, HOC trapping processes within the LPR have been highly effective, particularly near the 2,3,7,8-TCDD source and in downstream areas. The present LPR surface sediment 2,3,7,8-TCDD distribution indicates spatially variable recovery, which appears broadly driven by historical net sedimentation patterns, though the dominant processes may be shifting as the system continues to evolve.