Lecture Slides Handout

(1)

Lecture Slides Handout

H A R V A R D U N I V E R S I T Y

Distance Learning Program - Environmental Management http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~environment/e101

Boston Harbor Cleanup

Assistant Professor of Aquatic Chemistry

Harvard School of Public Health

James Shine, Ph.D.

Copyright © 2005 James Shine, Ph.D. All rights Reserved. This presentation may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the express written permission of the author. Copyright © 2005 James Shine, Ph.D. All rights reserved. Produced by Science Network (Boston)

H A R V A R D U N I V E R S I T Y

“BOSTON HARBOR CLEANUP”

Environmental Management

ENVR E-101 - CRN 11925

Environmental Management

course materials adapted for the Internet

were created with support from the Instructional Innovations

Committee for the Harvard University Distance Education Program.

Copyright © 2000 -2005 James Shine, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

This presentation may not be reproduced in whole, or in part,

without the express written permission of the author.

Students enrolled in the current semester at the Harvard Divisio n of

Continuing Education are authorized to review this material onlin e

.

Course Web Site:

http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~environment/e101

Distance Education Program:

http://distanceed.dce.harvard.edu/de/

Contact Information:

James Shine, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Aquatic Chemistry

Department of Environmental Health & Engineering

Harvard School of Public Health - Landmark 404 H

401 Park Drive - Boston, Massachusetts 02215

Telephone:

(617) 384-8806

FAX:

(617) 384-8859

email: [email protected]

Outline of Lecture - 1

4 I. Introduction and Outline

4 II. Timeline of Pollution in Boston Harbor and

Massachusetts Bay

4 III. Hydrodynamic Considerations

4 IV. Deer Island Sewage Treatment Plant

4 V. Differences Between Boston Harbor and

Massachusetts Bay

– Impacts on the fate and effects of sewage effluent

4 VI. MWRA Outfall Monitoring Program

Outline of Lecture - 2

4 VI. Future of Boston Harbor

– Time scales of Recovery

4 VIII. Concluding Remarks

Boston Harbor, Massachusetts Bay,

and the New MWRA Ocean Outfall

(2)

Lecture Slides Handout

Location of Deer Island WWTP

Former Locations of Nut Island WWTP, Deer Island

& Nut Island Harbor Outfalls

History Of Boston Harbor Pollution - 1

4 1656: City regulations Require Dumping of Offal

in Mill Creek (near present day North End)

4 Mid 1800’s: Construction of Shoreline Sewers

4 Late 1800’s: Construction of Sewer Outfalls at

Moon Island (1884), Deer Island (1894), and Nut

Island (1904)

– raw sewage released on out-going tides

4 Mid 1900’s: Construction of Primary Sewage

Treatment Plants at Nut Island (1952) and Deer

Island (1968)

– separate and treat sludge

History of Boston Harbor Pollution - 2

4 1978: Metropolitan District Commission (MDC)

in violation of Clean Water Act

– Law Requires secondary treatment

– Waiver application denied in 1983, resubmittal denied

in 1985

4 1982: Class Action Suit taken against MDC/EPA

by the Quincy Conservation Law Foundation

– EPA later become co-plaintiffs

4 1985: Creation of Massachusetts Water Resources

Authority (MWRA)

– Assume responsibility for MDC water and sewer

systems

History of Boston Harbor Pollution - 3

4 1985: Federal Judge A. David Mazzone orders 13

year schedule to construct new sewage treatment

plant and related facilities

History of Boston Harbor Pollution - 4

History of Boston Harbor Pollution - 5

Source: Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA)

4 Dec. 1988

Scum

discharges

ended

4 Dec. 1991

Sludge

discharges

ended

(3)

Lecture Slides Handout

History of Boston Harbor Pollution - 6

4 Jan 1995

New primary

plant online

4 Dec 1995

Disinfection

facilities

completed

Deer Island Disinfection Facilities

under construction

History of Boston Harbor Pollution - 7

4 1997

Battery

A: Secondary

treatment

4 1998

Battery

B: Full (1200

MGD)

pumping

capacity

North Main Pump Station

History of Boston Harbor Pollution - 8

4 July 1998

Nut Island

discharges

ceased; South

System flows

transferred to

Deer Island

History of Boston Harbor Pollution - 9

4 Dec 1999

Secondary

Battery C

4 Sep 2000

New outfall

diffuser system

start-up

Types of Sewage Treatment

4 Primary: Physical Separation of Sludge and Effluent in

Quiescent Tanks

– advanced primary: addition of chemicals to promote contaminant

removal into sludge

4 Secondary Treatment: Promotion of Biological Activity to

Further Degrade Contaminants

– many forms

– also creates sludge

4 Tertiary Treatment: Further Treatment Targeted for

Specific Compounds (usually nutrients)

4 Anaerobic Sludge Digestion

4 Chlorination or other Disinfection Process

Deer Island Sewage Treatment Plant

Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Facility

4 Secondary

Treatment

since 1997

4 Maximum

Hydraulic

Capacity:

1270

MGD

4 Current

Average

Flow: 370

MGD

(4)

Lecture Slides Handout

What is an Estuary?

- Transition zone between freshwater and seawater

- Dynamic - Traps of nutrients (and contaminants)

Source: Schlesinger (1997)

Water Flows In Boston Harbor

4 Charles, Mystic, and Neponset Rivers: 18m

3 _/sec

4 Storm Runoff (CSOs): 0.1 m

3 _/sec

4 MWRA Sewage: 20 m

3 _/sec

– freshwater input at head of estuary?

4 Major Water Throughput: Tidal Exchange

– Average Tidal Range: 2.7m

– Hydraulic Residence Time: 1 - 2 weeks

Tidal Flushing of Boston Harbor

Source: United States Geological Survey (USGS)

Seasonal Temperatures in

Massachusetts Bay and Stratification

4 Temperature across

Massachusetts Bay,

from Boston Harbor

to Stellwagen Bank

varies seasonally

(data from the Mass

Bays Program)

4 Note the warmest

bottom water occurs

in October

8 0 6 0 4 0 2 0 Boston Stellwagen 7 4 Apr 28 1990 depth, m 8 0 6 0 4 0 2 0 7 5 1 6 Jul 25 1990 depth, m 8 0 6 0 4 0 2 0 1 0 14 9 Oct 17 1990 depth, m -70.9-70.85 -70.8-70.75 -70.7-70.65 -70.6-70.55 -70.5-70.45 8 0 6 0 4 0 2 0 4 F e b 5 1 9 9 1 longitude depth, m

Effects of Stratification

on Biological Activity

Effect of Stratification on Dissolved

Oxygen Levels in Bottom Waters

4 Mean DO in

bottom waters

has exceeded

the caution

level twice

4 A ‘natural’

phenomenon

4 Made worse

due to

sewage?

(5)

Lecture Slides Handout

Effect of Stratification on Dissolved

Oxygen Levels in Bottom Waters

Sources of Contaminants to

Massachusetts Bay

Changes in Contaminant Loadings

to Boston Harbor/Mass. Bay - 1

Changes in Contaminant Loadings

to Boston Harbor/Mass. Bay - 2

Changes in Contaminant Loadings

to Boston Harbor/Mass. Bay - 3

Source: Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) DITP Annual Loadings - PAHs

0 2000 4000 6000 8000 93 94 95 96 97 9 8 99 97 Projection

Total PAH (Kg/yr)

Other Source of

Contaminants:

Combined Sewer

Overflows

(CSOs)

(6)

Lecture Slides Handout

Characteristic of Boston Harbor:

Effects on Fate of Sewage

4 Average depth about 30 feet

4 Available dilution is about 14 to 1.

4 With onshore winds, effluent can reach the

shoreline.

4 Effluent plumes reach the surface and are

visible.

4 Effluent is flushed to Massachusetts Bay in

a surface plume.

Characteristics of Massachusetts Bay:

Effects on Fate of Sewage

4 Average depth about 100 feet

4 1.25 mile diffuser system provides effective

dispersion.

4 Available dilution is about 150 to 1.

4 Effluent is more than one tidal cycle away

from shoreline.

4 Circulation is greater and more variable

than in Harbor, providing better mixing.

Coastal Circulation Patterns

Source: United States Geological Survey (USGS)

Sewage Dilution: Harbor Outfall

USGS

Hydroqual Model

4 77 square miles

<200-fold

4 Lower dilution

contours extend

along shoreline

south of Boston

4 Parts of CCB

shoreline 600-1000.

Sewage Dilution: Mass. Bay Outfall

USGS

Hydroqual Model

4 3 square miles

< 200

4 Harbor and South

Shore 400-600.

4 Most of MB and

all of CCB >1000

Effects of Gulf of Maine Currents on

Toxic Red Tide Blooms in Mass. Bay

(7)

Lecture Slides Handout

Boston Harbor: A Nitrogen ‘Sink’ or

a Source to Massachusetts Bay?

Source: Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) l l l l l l l l BH02 B H0 3 QB0 1 MB 01 MB 02 M B03 MB 05 B H0 8A 42°12 ' 42 °12' 42°1 6' 42°16' 42 °20' 42°20' 42°24 ' 42° 24' 42°28' 42°28 ' 4 2°3 2' 42°32' 71°00' 71°00' 70°56' 70°56' 70°52' 70°52' 70°48' 70°48' 70°44' 70°4 4' 70°40' 70°40' N 0 2 468Ki lom eter s

Benthi c Flux Stat ions

l

LEGEN D

85%

ü

Of the nitrogen inputs

from Deer Island, only

10-20% are buried or

denitrified in the sediments

ü

Approximately 85% of

the nitrogen inputs

exported to Mass. Bay

ü

Relocation of the outfall:

No effect on nitrogen

budgets in Mass. Bay?

MWRA Outfall Monitoring Program

MWRA Monitors

21 Nearfield and

28 Farfield Water

Quality Stations in

Massachusetts Bay

Monitoring Locations in Boston Harbor

Survey Schedule

J | F | M | A | M| J | J | A | S | O | N | D months 1 0 2 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 weeks | | | | | | | | | | N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N water nearfield F F F F F F water farfield C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C fecal coliform V V V V V V virus x x x x sediment flux H S benthos (hard/soft-bottom) F L M flounder/ lobster/ mussel | | | | | | | | | |

1 0 2 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 weeks J | F | M | A | M| J | J | A | S | O | N | D months

- Baseline monitoring started in 1992

Development of Hydrodynamic Model

A 3 -dimensional

hydrodynamic

model has been

implemented to

examine circulation,

mixing, and

transport in

Massachusetts Bay.

The hydrodynamic

model forms the

basis for

water-quality modeling.

Miscellaneous Highlights of

the Monitoring Program

4 Disappearance of lobsters from Boston Harbor

– starting in the mid 1990’s

4 Phaeocystis bloom, 1994, 1997, 2004

– a nuisance phytoplankton (microflagellate)

4 Development of Food Web Model for Protection

of Marine Mammals

– Nutrients

→

Phytoplankton

→

Zooplankton

→

Zooplankton Patches

→

Whales

(8)

Lecture Slides Handout

Miscellaneous Highlights of

the Monitoring Program

4 Chlorophyll Bloom Immediately After Commencement of

Massachusetts Bay Discharge

–

Region-wide phenomenon (satellite data)

4 2 – 3 ‘Warning Levels’/Permit Violations per month

–

Expected based on numbers and types of tests?

4 Mussel Tissue Contaminant Threshold Exceedance in 2001, 2002,

and 2003.

–

Foreseeable? A problem? (Meaningful or Significant?)

4 2002: Fewer Right Whales in Cape Cod Bay

–

Natural variability? Returned in 2003.

Chlorophyll in Massachusetts Bay:

Before and After Outfall Startup

Regional Satellite Imagery:

Surface Chlorophyll Levels

Increasing Trends in Fall Chlorophyll Levels in the Gulf

of Maine

(data source: MWRA)

Oct 1997

Oct 1998

Oct 1999

Oct 2000

(Outfall Start-Up)

Miscellaneous Highlights of

the Monitoring Program

4 2003 – Red Tide Bloom

• North to South timing

4 2003 – Interdecadal patterns emerge

• North Atlantic Oscillation

4 2005 - Spring Red Tide Bloom

- Classic mechanism (currents from Maine)

- Highest cell counts since 1972

- New resident cell population?

-

October: Release of 25 million gallons of raw sewage

- Compare with: 280 mgd in recent past

Miscellaneous Highlights of

the Monitoring Program

4 2005+ Future of the Program

–

Space: Time Issues Better Understood

–

Sampling density reduced

• Minimal loss of information

–

New role: Long Term Trends

• Not short-term surprises

Procedure for Exceedances

Day 1

MWRA receives data indicating exceedance

<90 days after sampling; <150 days for benthic diversity

Day 5

Notify plant staff – adjust operations? Notify OMSAP.

Day X OMSAP convenes

• confirm exceedance

• decide on need for increased study or attention

Day 30 Warning Level exceedance

• were there adverse impacts?

• did MWRA contribute to such impacts?

• MWRA prepares a response plan to address adverse

impacts that it caused.

• report every 30 days until exceedance is remedied.

Later

MWRA reports responses in quarterly and annual reports.

(9)

Lecture Slides Handout

How Fast Will Boston Harbor Improve?

Changes in Water Clarity in Boston Harbor:

Source: MWRA

Amphipod Tube Mats: 1989-1990

Sediment Profile: 1990

Amphipod Tube Mats: 1996

Sediment Profile: 1996

(10)

Lecture Slides Handout

Model Change in Concentration of Lead

in Boston Harbor Sediments

0

10

20

30

40

50 Years Since Cessation of Input

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Sediment Pb Conc. (æg/g dry wt.)

Assumption: Pb input = 0 kg/yr

Last Effort: CSO Control

Anticipated

Completion: 2008

Concluding Remarks - 1

4 Boston Harbor: Long Legacy of Contamination

4 “Clean-Up” of Boston Harbor?

– Cessation of inputs

– Allow for self- cleansing

4 Boston Harbor vs. Massachusetts Bay Outfall

– Are we exporting the Boston Harbor problem to

Massachusetts Bay?

Concluding Remarks - 2

4 Differences in Massachusetts Bay and Boston

Harbor

– Do we understand them?

4 MWRA Outfall Monitoring Program

– How can we determine “significant” change?

– How is “significant” change related to “meaningful”

change?

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