Sources of pollution and sediment contamination in Newark Bay, New Jersey

A review of historical water quality and sediment quality data and chemical body burdens in biota reveals significant levels of a wide range of chemicals and water quality stressors throughout the Newark Bay, New Jersey estuary. The estuary, which encompasses the Passaic River, Hackensack River, Kill van Kull, and the Arthur Kill, has been heavily impacted by both industrial and urban expansion for more than 200 years. The available information was sufficient to identify the major sources of pollution and the contributions of various metals and organic chemicals to the aquatic environment. Mass loadings for several chemicals and water quality parameters were estimated for publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) and combined sewer overflows (CSOs), industrial waste discharged either directly to the estuary or through POTWs, stormwater runoff, and accidental spills of petroleum products and hazardous chemicals. The recent trend toward regionalized waste treatment systems to provide secondary levels of treatment have provided some reductions of overall contaminant mass loadings. However, CSOs remain a significant source of untreated waste in the estuary. Additionally, the magnitude of the major sources relative to the ability of the estuary to absorb and dilute the various waste streams suggests that much more must be done to reduce chemical inputs at the source.