Sediment-Contaminant Database

Sampling Purpose: In 1992, the Rock Island District Office of the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) collected sediment samples from Pools 12 and 14 on the Upper Mississippi River. Sampling was conducted to further investigate areas of concern that were discovered in a 1985 contaminant assessment of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. A total of 50 sediment grab samples were analyzed for organic carbon, water and lipid content, particle size, acid volatile sulfide (AVS), metals, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, and polychlorinated biphenyls. In addition to the sediment sampling, mussel and avian tissues were also collected and analyzed for contaminants during the course of the study. Sample coordinates (Universal Transverse Mercator) were provided by the FWS, and river mile was determined from detailed maps provided in the report or from navigation charts.
Please note: The AVS values were included in the database for reference only, and may be inaccurate. As stated in the FWS report, these samples were held for an extended period of time and were not simultaneously extracted with metals.