U.S. Geological Survey

Willamette NAWQA Data:
Dioxins and Furans in Bed Sediment and Fish Tissue

An occurrence and distribution study of polychlorinated dibenzo-p- dioxins and dibenzofurans was done in 1992-95 by the USGS Willamette NAWQA group with support from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and the Biological Resources Division of the USGS. Bed sediment and fish tissue were collected from 22 and 8 sites, respectively. Samples were analyzed for 10 tetra- through octa- congener class totals and for 17 individual 2,3,7,8- substituted congeners.

Publications

The results of this work are reported in two documents:

Bonn, B.A., 1998, Dioxins and furans in bed sediment and fish tissue of the Willamette Basin, Oregon, 1992-95: USGS WRIR 97-4082-D, 12 p.
(contains site-specific discussion of findings including toxicity equivalents concentrations in bed sediment and tissue and comparisons to USEPA criteria)
Bonn, B.A., 1998, Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofuran concentration profiles in sediment and fish tissue of the Willamette Basin, Oregon: Environmental Science & Technology, v. 32, no. 6, p. 729-735.
(discusses patterns of homolog profiles, including sediment-tissue comparisons and relation of profile to land-use)

Data

The data are contained in two space-delimited files that are keyed to one another with a two-character sample identifier (columns 1-2 of both files).

The sample file contains site information and and ancillary data. The file is 43 lines long with a line length of 153 characters. The format is:

Columns    Description

1-2      sample identifier (alphanumeric)

4-5      site number on map (integer)

7-21      USGS station number (integer)

25-70      USGS station name (alphanumeric)

72-78      sampling date (alphanumeric)

80-82      land use designation (alphanumeric)
A=agricultural; F=forested; I/U=industrial/urban; M=mixed use

84-104      media: bed sediment or fish species (alphanumeric)
all fish tissue samples were whole body
the number of fish in the composite sample is given in parenthesis

106-108      replicate information (alphanumeric)
the first value is the specific replicate, the second value is the number of replicates
for example, 2/3 indicates the second of three replicates

110-115      latitude (integer)

120-126

longitude (integer)

130-133      moisture content in percent (real number)

140-143      organic carbon in mg/g dry weight (bed sediment only) (real number)
- indicates not applicable or value not available

150-153      lipid content in percent (wet weight; fish tissue only) (real number)
- indicates not applicable or value not available

Columns	Description
1-2	sample identifier (alphanumeric)
4-5	site number on map (integer)
7-21	USGS station number (integer)
25-70	USGS station name (alphanumeric)
72-78	sampling date (alphanumeric)
80-82	land use designation (alphanumeric) A=agricultural; F=forested; I/U=industrial/urban; M=mixed use
84-104	media: bed sediment or fish species (alphanumeric) all fish tissue samples were whole body the number of fish in the composite sample is given in parenthesis
106-108	replicate information (alphanumeric) the first value is the specific replicate, the second value is the number of replicates for example, 2/3 indicates the second of three replicates
110-115	latitude (integer)
120-126
longitude (integer)
130-133	moisture content in percent (real number)
140-143	organic carbon in mg/g dry weight (bed sediment only) (real number) - indicates not applicable or value not available
150-153	lipid content in percent (wet weight; fish tissue only) (real number) - indicates not applicable or value not available

The data file contains dioxin and furan concentration data. The file is 1075 lines long with a line length of 54 characters. The format is:

Columns      Description

1-2      sample identifier (alphanumeric)

4-23      name of dioxin or furan congener or congener class (alphanumeric)

30-39      Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) number (alphanumeric)

45      remark code (alphanumeric)
< indicates the congener was not detected; estimated detection limit given as value
I indicates that an analytical interference prevented quantitation

47-54      concentration of congener or congener class (real number)
expressed in pg/g dry weight for both bed sediment and fish tissue

Columns	Description
1-2	sample identifier (alphanumeric)
4-23	name of dioxin or furan congener or congener class (alphanumeric)
30-39	Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) number (alphanumeric)
45	remark code (alphanumeric) < indicates the congener was not detected; estimated detection limit given as value I indicates that an analytical interference prevented quantitation
47-54	concentration of congener or congener class (real number) expressed in pg/g dry weight for both bed sediment and fish tissue

Back to the NAWQA Page

Bernadine Bonn <babonn@usgs.gov>

U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://or.water.usgs.gov/projs_dir/pn366/dioxin.html
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Last modified Thursday - Mar 2, 2000 at 15:42:14 EST
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U.S. Geological Survey

Willamette NAWQA Data: Dioxins and Furans in Bed Sediment and Fish Tissue

Publications

Data

Willamette NAWQA Data:
Dioxins and Furans in Bed Sediment and Fish Tissue