Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
A preliminary contaminant survey of the Upper Mississippi River
National Wildlife and Fish Refuge:
Sampling Purpose: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) collected sediment samples from the Upper Mississippi River in 1985 for a preliminary contaminant survey. The specific objectives were to examine selected areas on the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge and surrounding areas for contaminant presence in sediments and fish, and to establish baseline sediment quality criteria for refuge waters. A total of 76 sediment grab samples were analyzed for metals, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, organochlorines, petroleum-related compounds, and PCBs. Particle size of the sediment samples was not determined; however, samples were collected from areas assumed to contain high percentages of fines (e.g. off-channel, backwater). Coordinate information was provided by the FWS for some of the sampling locations, and was determined for others using site descriptions and ArcView software. Note: Only the selenium data that was analyzed using atomic absorption spectroscopy was included in the database.
Number of Observations (samples) in Data Set: 76
Institution Providing Data: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Data Set No. 5:
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Data source variables
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Sample variables
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Classes of Contaminants (in both data set 5 and other data sets)
Inorganic contaminants:
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Metals, metalloids, nutrients and others
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Organic contaminants:
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Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
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Organochlorine insecticides
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Petroleum-related compounds
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Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
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Toxicity
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Content manager: Michelle Bartsch
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://www.umesc.usgs.gov/data_library/sediments_contaminants/datasets/5.html
Page Contact Information: Contacting the Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
Page Last Modified:
January 29, 2016
