Summary

Description

The U.S. Fish Wildlife ServiceEcological Services, Corpus Christi Field Office conducted baseline contaminants assessments of sediments and biota from the Corpus Christi Bay Complex in 19881989. Two hundred and eightytwo sediment samples and 80 biota samples were collected. Biota included composite samples of shoalgrass Halodule wrightii, eastern oysters Crassostrea virginica, blue crabs Callinectes sapidus, calico crabs Eriphia gonagra, toadfish Opsanus beta, and hardhead catfish A rius felis. Samples were analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons PAHs, organochlorines OCs, polychlorinated biphenyls PCBs, and twentythree trace elements. Six biota samples were also analyzed for the dioxin 2,3,7,8 TCDD. The results of organic analyses revealed levels of P AHs, OCs, and PCBs either below detection lower limit of detection was 0.01 ppm wet weight or at very low levels in sediments. All biota samples analyzed for dioxins were below detection lower limit of detection ranged from 0.25 to 0.64 picograms per gram, or parts per trillion. OCs were below FDA levels of concern in all biota except for one Corpus Christi Bay hardhead catfish sample, which had 3.8 ppm PCBs wet weight. However, an overall trend toward biomagnification of PCBs and p,pDDE was observed. Total PCBs were detected in 45 of the biota samples and DDE was detected in 86.