As soon as I saw the mercury language in the BEACH Act amendment, I was also confused.
The best chemical predictor of elevated bacteria levels I've found is salinity, for which low values simply indicate high levels of freshwater influence at beaches near a freshwater outlet (river, storm drain, or otherwise). But this is certainly site-specific; some beaches tend to exceed criteria during high tides (high salinities) due to flushing of terrestrial sources.
But mercury? What gives?
______________________
Dustin Bambic
Watershed Hydrologist
AMEC Earth & Environmental
3800 Ezell Road, Suite 100
Nashville, TN 37211
Office 615.333.0630 ext. 417
Mobile 615.618.2380
Fax 615.781.0655
dustin.bambic@amec.com
______________________
----- Original Message -----
From: owner-beachnet@great-lakes.net <owner-beachnet@great-lakes.net>
To: rosejo@msu.edu <rosejo@msu.edu>; lwhite@kci.com <lwhite@kci.com>; beachnet@great-lakes.net <beachnet@great-lakes.net>
Cc: DBARKER@HRSD.COM <DBARKER@HRSD.COM>
Sent: Sat May 10 12:04:01 2008
Subject: Re: BEACHNET==> Mercury as a Pathogen Indicator.
Agreed. The closest linkage is nitrogen from emissions, but nothing on pathogens.
As for other chemical markers like coprostanol, caffeine or optical brighteners, they are used for source tracking only.
----- Original Message -----
From: owner-beachnet@great-lakes.net <owner-beachnet@great-lakes.net>
To: lwhite <lwhite@kci.com>; beachnet@great-lakes.net <beachnet@great-lakes.net>
Cc: 'Barker, Danny' <DBARKER@HRSD.COM>
Sent: Sat May 10 08:45:58 2008
Subject: Re: BEACHNET==> Mercury as a Pathogen Indicator.
Chemicals have never been able to serve as a pathogen indicator. I know of no data which would correlate mercury to other microbial pollutants of concern. I do not even think that most of the sources are correlated (industrial and atmospheric).
Do you know anything more about it?
Joan
Joan B. Rose, PhD
Homer Nowlin Chair in Water Research
Michigan State University
13 Natural Resources
E. Lansing MI 48824
517-432-4412 (ph)
517-432-1699 (fax)
rosejo@msu.edu
----- Original Message -----
From: lwhite <mailto:lwhite@kci.com>
To: beachnet@great-lakes.net
Cc: 'Barker, Danny' <mailto:DBARKER@HRSD.COM>
Sent: Friday, May 09, 2008 10:06 AM
Subject: BEACHNET==> Mercury as a Pathogen Indicator.
Representative Mark Kirk offered an amendment to the Beach Protection Act of 2008 “to treat Mercury as a Pathogen Indicator”. I’m looking for what the main point of this amendment is. Is it that mercury should be consider a contaminant or an indicator of something else?
Lewis R. White, P. E.
Senior Associate
KCI Technologies, Inc
4605 Pembroke Lake Circle, Suite 101
Virginia Beach, VA
Phone 757-671-9032 Fax 757-671-9071
mwȲo+xjjґs
yjG鹻&~+陨j敩w+i۲ryr)w*ʋjˍ)jzn
jّzߊriz
| The information contained in this e-mail is intended only for the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. Its contents (including any attachments) may contain confidential and/or privileged information. If you are not an intended recipient you must not use, disclose, disseminate, copy or print its contents. If you receive this e-mail in error, please notify the sender by reply e-mail and delete and destroy the message. |