Particle Analysis
Particle levels in water (or air) can be measured with a turbidity meter and analyzed with a particle counter. They can also be scanned with an underwater microscope, such as ecoSCOPE. Collected particles of size 20 - 200 micrometers hovering in the free water in the vicinity of a harbor had the following contaminant levels (table). Many of those contaminants are carcinogenic.
| Contaminant | Mass of contaminant relative to total particle dry weight |
|---|---|
| Arsenic | 8.17 mg/kg |
| Lead | 80.1 mg/kg |
| Cadmium | 0.61 mg/kg |
| Chromium | 31.2 mg/kg |
| Copper | 44 mg/kg |
| Nickel | 20.6 mg/kg |
| mercury | 0.86 mg/kg |
| Zinc | 156 mg/kg |
| EOX | 0.79 mg/kg |
| Anthracene | 602 µg/kg |
| Fluoranthene | 5947 µg/kg |
| Pyrene | 5549 µg/kg |
| Benzo(a)anthracene | 5296 µg/kg |
| Benzo(b)fluoranthene | 2499 µg/kg |
| Benzo(k)fluoranthene | 1652 µg/kg |
| Benzo(a)pyrene | 1895 µg/kg |
| Dibenzo(ah)anthracene | 200 µg/kg |
| Benzo(ghi)perylene | 1533 µg/kg |
| Dichloromethane | 66 µg/kg |
| Chloroform | 11 µg/kg |
| Carbon tetrachloride | 5 µg/kg |
| 1,1,1-Trichloroethane | 4 µg/kg |
| Pentachlorophenol | 22 µg/kg |
| 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene | 0.4 µg/kg |
| 1,3,5-Trichlorobenzene | 0.4 µg/kg |
| 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene | 1.4 µg/kg |
| 1,2,3/4,5-Tetrachlorobenzene | 1.2 µg/kg |
| 1,2,3,4-Tetrachlorobenzene | 0.4 µg/kg |
| Pentachlorobenzene | 0.8 µg/kg |
| Hexachlorobenzene | 3.9 µg/kg |
| Total PCBs | 2205 µg/kg |
| PCB 28 | 598 µg/kg |
| PCB 52 | 331 µg/kg |
| PCB 101 | 205 µg/kg |
| PCB 138 | 414 µg/kg |
| PCB 153 | 432 µg/kg |
| PCB 180 | 225 µg/kg |
| Benzene | 108 µg/kg |
| Toluene | 655 µg/kg |
| o,-m,-p-Xylene | 247 µg/kg |
| 2,3,7,8-TCDF (dioxin) | 0.8 ng/kg |
Read more about this topic: Particle (ecology)
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