Accumulation of resin acids in sediments adjacent to a log handling area, Tauranga Harbour, New Zealand

Recent analyses of storm runoff from the log handling area at the Port of Tauranga, North Island, New Zealand, have shown that the runoff may contain significant concentrations of resin acids. For example, the average total resin acid level of 16 wharf runoff samples collected during 2 storms was 1030 ppb. Since environmentally persistent resin acids such as dehydroabietic acid (DHAA) are known to accumulate in receiving water sediments we considered it likely that some of the resin acids were being deposited on the sea floor around the stormwater discharge points. In order to define the extent of resin acid deposition we determined the levels of resin acids in a series of the sea bed sediment samples collected from sites adjacent to the log handling area.