Pollutants found in 2 area ( Florida) water bodies

[Guest guest]

http://www.sunone.com/articles/2002-03-30e.shtml

March 30, 2002

Pollutants found in 2 area water bodies

By RON MATUS

Sun staff writer

Sediments in Biven's Arm lake and Sweetwater Branch in Gainesville contain

high levels of toxic chemicals and metals, according to the draft report of

a new study.

The chemicals include several pesticides and PCBs that likely accumulated

from years of stormwater runoff.

PCBs are chemical cocktails that were used as coolants and lubricants in

heavy electrical equipment until the Environment Protection Agency banned

them in the mid-1970s.

The draft by the St. s River Water Management District says the

concentrations " appeared to be of significant concern. " But district

officials said Friday they did not know how much of a risk they posed for

humans or animals.

" We can tell you whether it's high or low, but we can't tell you whether

it's good or bad, " said Larry Battoe, the district administrator who is

overseeing the study. " We'd like to understand what these levels mean a

little bit better than we do now. And we're moving in that direction. "

Biven's Arm is a magnet for bank fishermen, and a wildlife sanctuary known

for osprey, bald eagles and alligators.

Sweetwater Branch channels water from downtown and southeast Gainesville

into a sinkhole at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park. People occasionally

wade in it.

The draft report also noted relatively high levels of pesticides in Hogtown

Creek and metals in Newnan's Lake.

The findings are part of an ongoing, $1.1 million study the district began

in 1996 to find out how much pollution is in the sediment in lakes and

streams throughout the St. s River basin.

District scientists compiled the draft in November 2000, but it has not been

released. Battoe said the district is double-checking results and doing

additional testing. He said the report should be finalized within a few

months.

Local officials have been notified about the findings, but said they don't

know what to make of the numbers, either.

" Maybe we could present this to (the state Department of Environmental

Protection) and say, 'Do we have cause for concern here?' " said Gainesville

stormwater engineer Stu Pearson.

The sources are likely to be a combination of stormwater runoff and more

direct discharges from industry and businesses, district officials said.

Stormwater flushes pollution from roads, farms and yards.

The new reports presents the most detailed picture yet of the toxins that

have accumulated in some of Florida's waters.

" Overall the results showed very little cause for concern, " said district

spokeswoman Monson. " Most sites are in good condition. "

But some raised red flags, including the Gainesville waters, several lakes

in Central Florida and a couple of streams in ville.

Lake Norris in Lake County had high levels of the banned pesticide DDT, with

numbers several times higher than any other location, the report said. Cedar

and Ortega rivers in ville showed high levels of many pollutants,

district officials said.

All the sites were tested for PCBs; pesticides such as DDT and chlordane;

and heavy metals including arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, silver

and zinc.

Biven's Arm, Sweetwater Branch and Hogtown Creek all had DDT levels of

" potential environmental concern, " the report said.

It said metals found in Biven's Arm and Sweetwater Branch, especially lead

and chromium, were at levels high enough to potentially harm aquatic life.

As for people, Battoe said it would not be " too big of a problem " as long as

the pollutants remain buried in the sediments and are not re-suspended.

Studies show DDT, PCBs and metals such as mercury can accumulate in animals

as they move up the food chain.

Last year, the Alachua County Environmental Protection Department tested

fish from Biven's Arm for a variety of contaminants.

Joe Sekerke, a toxicologist with the state Department of Health, said based

on those numbers " there's little or no risk of adverse health effects " -

even from eating the fish every day.

For Biven's Arm and Sweetwater Branch, the report said the source of PCBs

and pesticides appeared to have originated upstream.

For the metals, the report said the source might be runoff from older parts

of Gainesville or, in the case of Sweetwater Branch, discharge from the

city's Main Street sewage treatment plant, which has dumped effluent into

the creek for decades.

Once the report is finalized, it will be sent to a host of local and state

agencies, including DEP and the state Department of Health. Battoe said

other agencies will be able to determine health risks.

More studies are planned to find potential sources, see how the contaminants

have moved and find out how old they are.

Ron Matus can be reached at 374-5087 or ron.matus@....