Open techniques for trackingg plumes in the ocean: a case study of sludge plume dispersion at the 106-mile site

With increased public concern for pollution of the marine environment, ocean disposal of manmade wastes has become a topic of growing interest. Under contract to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Battel le Ocean Sciences i s conducting an oceanographic monitoring program at the 106-Mi le Deepwater Municipal Sludge Site to determine the fate and effects of sewage sludge dumped at the site. collect physical oceanographic and chemical data from within sludge plumes to determine rates of plume dilution and the effect on water quality within and around the site. The success of the recent studies has been due to an integration of physical and chemical sampling techniques which allows 1) tracking of sludge plumes for periods up to 1 day, 2) collection of hydrographic and current data to resolve plume advection and dilution, and 3) directed water sampling within the plumes for analyses of trace metals and organic compounds. optimum measurement tool for tracking sludge plumes is an in situ transmissometer interfaced to a CTD profiler and Loran-C navigation system to provide real-time, 3-dimensional information on plume turbidity. Results from these field studies will be presented, and the use o f this measurement capability for other pollution monitoring programs will be discussed. A series of cruises has been conducted to