U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
WATER QUALITY SURVEY
OF THE
UPPER POTOMAC
ESTUARY ENFORCEMENT
CONFERENCE AREA
1970
DATA REPORT
Number 29
ATLANTIC REGION-iii 6th and Walnut Streets, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106
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I Annapolis Field Office
Region III
Environmental Protection Agency
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1970 Data Report
Number 29
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James W. Marks, Chief, Analytical Laboratory Section
Orterio Villa, Jr., Chief, Development Laboratory Section
Anna R. Favorite. Statistician
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WATER QUALITY SURVEY
OF THE
UPPER POTOMAC
ESTUARY ENFORCEMENT
CONFERENCE AREA
Staff:
Anna R. Favorite, Statistician
Evelyn P. McPherson, Technician
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I TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Page
I INTRODUCTION 1
II STATION LOCATIONS 7
III SURVEY RESULTS 8
I IV MAP appendix i
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I I INTRODUCTION
A. Purpose and Scope
M In August, 1970, the Annapolis Field Office, Region III,
Environmental Protection Agency initiated a monitoring survey
I to establish data on existing water quality with respect to
possible enforcement proceedings. The results of these in-
| vestigations of the upper portion of the Potomac estuary are
presented here.
B. General Remarks
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I For the first week of sampling (August 12), only DO and
bacterial analyses were made. Subsequent nutrient runs in-
I eluded DO, chlorophyll a, BOD and/ or carbon analyses.
Surface sample transects were made on the Maryland (RSM)
and Virginia (LSV) sides of the river with surface and usually
a bottom sample being taken in mid-channel (MC).
C. Sampling Procedures
I Samples were obtained using a small submersible pump
attached to a wire cable calibrated in feet. The pump was
lowered to the desired depth and allowed to run for two
minutes before receiving samples in plastic containers.
Dissolved oxygen (DO) samples were obtained directly from
the pump outlet extending to the bottom of a conventional
300 ml DO bottle. The sample was allowed to overflow the
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bottle several times and fixed.
Bacteriological samples were taken from surface waters |
directly into a sterile 160 ml prescription bottle.
Samples were stored on ice and analyses started upon
return to the Annapolis Field Office, generally within two I
hours of sampling.
D. Measured Parameters and Analytical Methods |
1. Water temperature was determined using a mercury _
thermometer inserted into the sample container immediately
upon collection. I
2. Light extinction, in inches, was read with a 12"
(30 cm) white secchi disk.
3. Total Phosphorus
Reference: Menzel, D.W. and Corwin, N., 1965. The
Measurement of Total Phosphorus in Seawater Based on the Lib-
eration of Organically Bound Fractions by Persulfate Oxida-
tion. Limonology and Oceanography, 10: 280-282.
Murphy, J. and Riley, J.P., 1962. A Modified Single
Solution Method for the Determination of Phosphate in Natural
Waters. Analytica Chimica Acta, 27: 31-36.
Total Phosphorus was determined after persulfate
oxidation of the sample in an autoclave at 15 psi for 30
minutes. The resultant ortho-phosphate was then determined
colorimetrically as the molybdenum-blue complex with the op- |
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tical density measured at 882 JTHJI.
k- Inorganic Phosphorus
Reference: Murphy, J. and Riley, J.P., 1962. A
Modified Single Solution Method for the Determination of Phos-
phate in Natural Waters. Analytica Chimica Acta, 27: 31-36.
Inorganic Phosphorus was determined by automation
of the above procedure using the Technicon "Auto Analyzer. "
I The molybdenum-blue complex formed was determined colorimet-
j rically with the optical density measured at 88£ m^.
5. Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen
Reference: Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Wastewater, 12 ed., 1965.
| Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen includes ammonia and organ-
_ ic nitrogen and was determined by the standard micro-kjeldahl
procedure. The sample was digested in the presence of strong
I acid to convert the organic nitrogen to ammonia. The ammonia
was then distilled, collected in boric acid solution, nessler-
ized and determined colorimetrically.
6. Nitrate + Nitrite
Reference: A Practical Handbook of Sea Water Analysis,
J.D.H. Strickland and T.R. Parsons, Bulletin 16?, Fisheries Re-
search Board of Canada, Ottawa, Canada, 1968.
I Nitrate plus nitrite nigrogen was determined by
automation of the above procedure using the Technicon "Auto
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Analyzer." This procedure utilizes cadmium reduction of
nitrate to nitrite and subsequent diazotizntion with sulfan- |
ilamide and N-(l-naphthyl)-ethylenediamine dihydrochloride with «
the optical density measured at £l|0 mn>. The results were re-
ported as nitrogen.
7 . Ammonia
Reference: Southeast Water Laboratory, FWQA, |
Methodology for the colorimetric determination of ammonia _
by the phenol-hypochlorite reaction. *
FWPCA Methods for Chemical Analysis of Water and
Wastes, November 1969.
Ammonia nitrogen was determined by automation of
the phenol-hypochlorite procedure as described in the South-
east Water Laboratory Methodology and later adopted as the
official FWPCA procedure. The intensity of the indophenol
blue color, formed by the reaction of ammonia with alkaline
phenol-hypochlorite, was increased using sodium nitroprusside
as an intensifying agent. The optical density was measured
at 630 mn and calculated as NH^-N.
8. Dissolved Oxygen
Reference: Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Wastewater, 12 ed. , 1965. I
FWPCA Methods for Chemical Analysis of Water and
Wastes, November 1969. |
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Dissolved Oxygen was determined by the azide modi-
fication of the basic Winkler method with the titration done
I potentiometrically with a Fisher automatic "titralyzer."
9. Biochemical Oxygen Demand
Reference: Standard Methods for the Examination of
I Water and Wastewater, 12 ed., 1965°.
The Biochemical Oxygen Demand was determined by the
I azide modification of the basic Winkler method with the titra-
_ tion done potentiometrically with a Fisher automatic "titraly-
zer." The samples as received were diluted if necessary and
transferred to standard 300 ml BOD bottles in triplicate. One
initial DO and two final DO determinations were used throughout.
Incubation was started immediately at 20°C and continued for
five days after which they were titrated.
I 10. Total Organic Carbon
Reference: Beckman Instruments, Bulletin If.059-
FWPCA Methods for Chemical Analysis of Water and
Wastes, November 1969.
Total Organic Carbon was determined with a Dow-Beck-
| man Carbonaceous Analyzer after the sample had been purged with
M nitrogen gas for five minutes.
11. Chlorophyll a
I Reference: A Practical Handbook of Sea Water Anal-
ysis, J.D.H. Strickland and T.R. Parsons, Bulletin 16?, Fish-
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eries Research Board of Canada, Ottawa, Canada. 1968.
Chlorophyll a was determined by extraction of mil-
lipore filtered samples in 90% acetone and read spectrophoto-
metrically.
12. Fecal Coliform
Reference: Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Wastewater, 12 ed., 1965. I
Water Pollution Control Research Series, WP-20-3.
Fecal Coliform population was determined using the
5 tube-3 dilution Multiple-Tube Fermentation Technique.
Lauryl sulfate tryptose broth was used for the presumptive
test with incubation at 35e±0.5eC. EC medium was used for I
the confirmatory test with air incubation at l|5.5e-0.5°C.
The results were reported as the Most Probable Number (MPN). I
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13. Fecal Streptococcal Group
Reference: Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Wastewater, 12 ed., 1965.
Fecal Streptococcal population was determined using
the 5 tube-3 dilution Multiple-Tube Fermentation Technique. |
Azide dextrose broth was used for the presumptive test with _
incubation at 35e±0«5>eC. Ethyl violet azide broth was used
for the confirmatory test with incubation at 35e±0.5°C. The
results were reported as the Most Probable Number (MPN).
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II STATION LOCATIONS
Station Location
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0 Anacostia River, South Capital Street Bridge
I 1 Key Bridge
2 llith Street Bridge
3 Haines Point
k Bellevue
IjA Goose Island
| 5 Woodrow Wilson Bridge
_ 6 Broad Creek
7 Piscataway
8A Gunston Cove
10 Indian Head
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INSERT A
UPPER POTOMAC ESTUARY
ENFORCEMENT SURVEY
1970
1NSCRT SCALE IN MILCS
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