Status of Contamination in the Coastal United States as Revealed from NS&T Analyses of Surface Sediments

Sediment samples have been collected from more than 300 sites along the coasts of the U.S. since 1984 as part of NOAA's National Status and Trends (NS&T) Program. These samples have been analyzed for trace metals, chlorinated organic compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The overall concentration distributions for each contaminant are approximately lognormal distribution. Those high concentrations are useful for comparisons within the NS&T data set and with sediment data from other sources. The majority of the highest concentrations for any particular contaminant are found at sites near urban areas. In this paper the spatial distribution of selected contaminants is examined.