Charles River Basin

Figure 1. Diagram of the Charles River Basin in Boston, NYC, Newton Yacht Club LAB, Lars Anderson Bridge BUB, Boston University Bridge HB,...

In general, the compounds which were identified in the sediment of the Charles River Basin can be divided into three groups. The first group comprises fractions 1-30 from the alumina chromatography and contains aliphatic and olefinic hydrocarbons and elemental sulfur. The second group is made up of fractions 31-91 and contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The third group consists of fractions 92-122 and contains phthalate esters. 

Table I. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Found in Sediment of the Charles River Basin by GC-MS...

When taken together with the previous data on the aromatic hydrocarbons present in the water (1), it is now apparent that PCAH ranging from naphthalene to dibenzopyrene are present in the Charles River Basin system. The more water-soluble of these PCAH, the naphthalenes, are found in the water only those of intermediate solubility, anthracenes or phenanthrenes, are found in both water and sediment and those of... 

Table II. Nonlinear Abundances of Polycyclic of the Charles River Basin...

The single most abundant class of compounds identified in the sediment of the Charles River Basin is the polycyclic hydrocarbons. This... 

Continental crust is the ultimate source of trace elements in hydrologic systems. Trace elements are introduced in the river basin by rock weathering, atmospheric dry and wet deposition and by anthropogenic activities. The sketch diagram of Figure 8 summarizes the natural and anthropogenic sources of elements in aquatic environments (modified after Foster and Charles worth, 1996). 

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