Contaminated Sediments — Web References
Assessment of Contaminated Sediments

Note: Most of the following links will take you out of the MPCA's website.

Sampling and analysis of chemical, physical, and biological endpoints

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

• Methods for Collection, Storage and Manipulation of Sediments for Chemical and Toxicological Analyses: Technical Manual
• Sampling for Contaminants in Sediments and Sediment Pore Water
• Methods for Measuring the Toxicity and Bioaccumulation of Sediment-associated Contaminants with Freshwater Invertebrates-Second Edition
• Bioaccumulation Testing and Interpretation for the Purpose of Sediment Quality Assessment: Status and Needs
• Sediment Toxicity Identification Evaluation (TIE). Phases I, II, and III Guidance Document
• A Compendium of Chemical, Physical and Biological Methods for Assessing and Monitoring the Remediation of Contaminated Sediment Sites
• Evaluation of Dredged Material Proposed for Discharge in Waters of the U.S. — Testing Manual (Inland Testing Manual) (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency/U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
• Great Lakes Dredged Material Testing and Evaluation Manual (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency/U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
• Evaluating Environmental Effects of Dredged Material Management Alternatives - A Technical Framework (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency/U.S. Army Corps of Engineers).
• The Incidence and Severity of Sediment Contamination in Surface Waters of the United States, National Sediment Quality Survey: Second Edition
• National Sediment Bioaccumulation Conference Proceedings Summary

Great Lakes National Program Office (of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)

• Assessment and Remediation of Contaminated Sediments Program.  Assessment Guidance Document
• Assessment and Remediation of Contaminated Sediments Program - see this site for other sediment assessment-related documents
• Detection of Genotoxins in Contaminated Sediments: An Evaluation of a New Test for Complex Environmental Mixtures
• Great Lakes Assessment Work and the R/V Mudpuppy

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

• The Coastal Resource Coordinator's Bioassessment Manual
• Utility of AVS/EqP in Hazardous Waste Site Evaluations

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

• Evaluation of Dredged Material Proposed for Disposal at Island, Nearshore, or Upland Confined Disposal Facilities — Testing Manual (Upland Testing Manual)

U.S. Geological Survey

• A Guidance Manual to Support the Assessment of Contaminated Sediments in Freshwater Ecosystems.
  • Volume I - An Ecosystem-Based Framework for Assessing and Managing Contaminated Sediments
  • Volume II - Design and Implementation of Sediment Quality Investigations
  • Volume III - Interpretation of the Results of Sediment Quality Investigations
• A Guide to the Proper Selection and Use of Federally Approved Sediment and Water-Quality Samplers

U.S. Navy

• Guidance for Environmental Background Analysis - Volume II: Sediment (Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center)

State agencies

• Sediment Sampling and Analysis Plan Appendix (Washington Department of Ecology)
• Guidance for Assessing Bioaccumulative Chemicals of Concern in Sediments (Oregon Department of Environmental Quality)

Canadian agencies

• A Guidance Manual to Support the Assessment of Contaminated Sediments in Freshwater, Estuarine, and Marine Ecosystems Volume I - An Ecosystem-Based Framework for Assessing and Managing Contaminated Sediments. (British Columbia Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection)
• A Guidance Manual to Support the Assessment of Contaminated Sediments in Freshwater, Estuarine, and Marine Ecosystems Volume II- Design and Implementation of Sediment Quality Investigations (British Columbia Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection)
• A Guidance Manual to Support the Assessment of Contaminated Sediments in Freshwater, Estuarine, and Marine Ecosystems Volume III - Interpretation of Results of Sediment Quality Investigations. (British Columbia Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection)
• A Guidance Manual to Support the Assessment of Contaminated Sediments in Freshwater, Estuarine, and Marine Ecosystems in British Columbia Volume IV - Supplemental Guidance on the Design and Implementation of Detailed Site Investigations in Marine and Estuarine Ecosystems (British Columbia Ministry of Water, Land, and Air Protection)
• Canada - Ontario Decision-making Framework, for Assessment of Great Lakes Contaminated Sediment (Environment Canada and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment)
• Sediment Quality Index Calculator (Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment)

American Society for Testing and Materials

• List of Published Sediment Toxicity Test Standards Under the Jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E47 on Biological Effects and Environmental Fate. Note: Once on this website, proceed with the following steps: Select "Technical Committees," then search by keyword "E47" under "Search for ASTM Committees," then click on search results for "E47-Biological Effects and Environmental Fate," then select "List of Subcommittees, Standards, and Work Items," and finally select "E47.03 — Sediment Assessment and Toxicology."

Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials

• Guide to the Assessment and Remediation of State-Managed Sediment Sites

Great Lakes Commission

• Great Lakes Upland Testing and Evaluation for Beneficial Use.

International Joint Commission

• Deciding When to Intervene - Data Interpretation Tools for Making Sediment Management Decisions Beyond Source Control [Sediment Priority Action Committee (SedPac) of the International Joint Commission's Water Quality Board]
• Ecological Benefits of Contaminated Sediment Remediation in the Great Lakes Basin [Sediment Priority Action Committee (SedPac)

United Nations Environment Programme

• Methods for Sediment Sampling and Analysis (United Nations Environment Programme, Mediterranean Action Plan)

Sediment quality guidelines

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

• Sediment Quality Guidelines developed for the National Status and Trends Program.
• Screening Quick Reference Tables (SQuiRTs)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

• Procedures for the Derivation of Equilibrium Partitioning Sediment Benchmarks (ESBs) for the Protection of Benthic Organisms: Compendium of Tier 2 Values for Nonionic Organics
• Procedures for the Derivation of Equilibrium Partitioning Sediment Benchmarks (ESBs) for the Protection of Benthic Organisms: Dieldrin
• Procedures for the Derivation of Equilibrium Partitioning Sediment Benchmarks (ESBs) for the Protection of Benthic Organisms: Endrin
• Procedures for the Derivation of Equilibrium Partitioning Sediment Benchmarks (ESBs) for the Protection of Benthic Organisms: PAH Mixtures
• Volume 1: National Sediment Quality Survey (1997).  Appendix D - Screening Values for Chemicals Evaluated.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

• Use of Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs) in Dredged Material Management Decision-Making

U.S. Geological Survey

• Sediment Effect Concentrations
• Sediment Effect Concentration (SEC) Database
• Prediction of Sediment Toxicity using Consensus-based Freshwater Sediment Quality Guidelines (US Geological Survey and five other collaborating organizations)

State agencies

• Guidance for the Use and Application of Sediment Quality Targets for the Protection of Sediment-dwelling Organisms in Minnesota. (Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - tdr-gl-04)
• Development of a Framework for Evaluating Numerical Sediment Quality Targets and Sediment Contamination in the St. Louis River Area of Concern (Minnesota Pollution Control Agency) Note: scroll down to the report, which is divided into four PDF files.
• Consensus-based Sediment Quality Guidelines. Recommendations for Use and Application. Interim Guidance (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources)
• Technical Guidance for Screening Contaminated Sediments (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation)
• Sediment Quality Chemical Criteria (Washington Department of Ecology)
• Sediment Management Standards (Washington Department of Ecology)
• Developing Health-Based Sediment Quality Criteria for Cleanup Sites: A Case Study Report (Washington Department of Ecology)
• Development and Evaluation of Numerical Sediment Quality Assessment Guidelines for Florida Inland Waters (Florida Department of Environmental Protection )
• 1994 Florida Sediment Quality Assessment Guidelines (SQAGs) (Florida Department of Environmental Protection)

Canadian agencies

• Canadian Sediment Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Aquatic Life (Environment Canada)
• Guidelines for Identifying, Assessing and Managing Contaminated Sediments in Ontario: An Integrated Approach (Ontario Ministry of the Environment)
• Criteria for Managing Contaminated Sediment in British Columbia. Technical Appendix. (British Columbia Ministry of  the Environment)
• Development and Applications of Sediment Quality Criteria for Managing Contaminated Sediment in British Columbia (British Columbia Ministry of the Environment)

Other

• Summary of Discussions During the Interactive Short Course on "Use of Sediment Quality Guidelines in the Assessment and Management of Contaminated Sediments."  Presented before the 18th Annual Meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) in San Francisco, CA on Nov. 16, 1997 (Science Advisory Group on Sediment Quality Assessment)
• Use of Sediment Quality Guidelines and Related Tools for the Assessment of Contaminated Sediments. Executive Summary Booklet of a SETAC Pellston Workshop (Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry)