High spatial resolution sampling of metals in the sediment and water column in Port Jefferson Harbor, New York

Eighteen sediment samples and six water-column samples were collected in a small (6 km(2)), coastal embayment (Port Jefferson Harbor, New York) to def ine a high-resolution spatial distribution of metals and to elucidate sourc es of contaminants to the harbor. Sediment metal (Ag, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, V, an d Zn) concentrations varied widely, reflecting differences in sediment grai n size, with higher metal concentrations located in the fine-grained inner harbor sediments. Calculated enrichment factors for these sediments show th at Ag, Pb, Cu, and Zn are elevated relative to both crustal abundances and their respective abundances in sediments in central Long Island Sound. Meta l concentrations were 1.2 to 10 fold greater in water from the inner harbor compared to water from Long Island Sound collected outside the mouth of th e harbor. Spatial variations in trace metals in surface waters within the b ay parallel the spatial variations of trace metals in sediments within the harbor Elevated water-column metal concentrations appear to be partially de rived from a combination of diagenetic remobilization from contaminated sed iments (e.g., Ag) and anthropogenic sources (e.g., Cu and Zn) within the so uthern portions of the harbor. Although the National Status and Trends Prog ram had reported previously that sediment metal concentrations in Port Jeff erson Harbor were low, the results of this study show sediment metals have high spatial variability and are enriched in the inner harbor sediments at levels comparable to more urbanized western north shore Long Island harbors .