A Model for the Evaluation and Management of Contaminants of ...

levels of contaminants of concern in the biota (Macoma sp., Nereis sp., and
other species selected for modeling).
• Model simulations of the interactions of “hot-spot,” in-place, contaminated
sediments with water, sediment and biota of the Estuary. The goal of these
scenarios will be to evaluate these selected Harbor areas as contaminant sources
to other areas of the Harbor and to evaluate the burial or further contamination of
these sediments in the future.
• Time History/projections for improvements in newly deposited sediment quality
after the simulated contaminant reductions are made or dredging is conducted,
as specified above. Of particular interest is the minimum timeframe required for
a reduction in the amount of contaminated dredged material to 15% by the year
2040.
Task 1-8: Develop a windows-based user interface for simulating additional scenarios with
both the chemical fate and bioaccumulation models. This interface will
incorporate the calibrated fate and transport models, and provide windows
dialog boxes for prescribing alternate combinations of external loads and
species-specific parameters (e.g., % lipid, age class, trophic level, egestion and
excretion rates, etc.). Also, a post-processor will be developed to store and
display the model results in a GIS-compatible format.
Task 1-9: Develop a modeling approach to evaluate sediment toxicity. Many of the
sediments of New York Harbor have been shown to exhibit unacceptable toxicity
to amphipods (Ampelisca sp.) through laboratory testing. While the causes of
the toxicity have yet to be specifically linked to any particular contaminant or
suite of contaminants, research results from this region and from other systems
may be useful in formulating conceptual and mathematical models of toxicity.
For instance, narcosis based upon PAH contamination may be a way of
evaluating and predicting toxicity.
VIII.
Tier-2 Modeling Tasks
As noted above, the goal of the Tier-2 modeling effort will be to develop explicit, finer-scale
models that couple hydrodynamics, water quality, and sediment transport, and that can be
used to guide and implement geographically specific reduction strategies and dredged
material management. Because there may be several viable approaches to achieve this
goal, the Tier-2 tasks will be more open-ended than Tier-1 tasks. Nevertheless, all
possible approaches should build on existing knowledge and databases.
Task 2-1: Develop a Tier-2 model(s) that includes the following fully linked components and
qualities:
• Water Quality Model (including carbon kinetics)
• Hydrodynamic Model: updatable to take into account changes in Harbor
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