Limited bioavailability of sediment pah near an aluminum smelter: Contamination does not equal effects

A Sediment Quality Triad study involving synoptic measures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination, toxicity, and resident community (benthic infauna, crab) alteration was conducted to assess impacts from an aluminum smelter discharge. No sediment toxicity was observed, despite extensive testing since 1988 on four test species. Evidence of effects on resident communities was minimal. Effects were not expected in areas >1 km from the smelter, because PAH concentrations have decreased with recent effluent improvements to below levels associated with effects in other studies. However, concentrations within 1 km of the smelter were high (maximum concentration was 10,000 mg/kg total PAH, although most were