Contaminants in Oregon's Coastal Environment: A Look at Water, Sediment, and Shellfish

In 2013, the Water Quality Toxics Monitoring Program at the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality sampled Oregon’s coastal environments to investigate the presence of toxic chemicals. These chemicals included legacy chlorinated pesticides, brominated flame retardants, dioxins and furans, and selected metals (including inorganic arsenic).  Multiple sources exist for these including regional legacy use, airborne transport, natural geology, and current consumer products. This sampling included water, sediment and shellfish at certain sites in each coastal region. The results of the analyses were compared to water quality criteria, sediment effect levels, and wildlife and human health tissue screening levels. Certain chemicals including legacy pesticides and metals were present in all three media sampled. This coupled with their presence above referenced screening levels may indicate an effect on ecosystem and food web health.