C & P fluxes along NE shelf

Our research into the transport and fate of black carbon and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) focuses on the importance of riverine/freshwater sources relative to atmospheric transport. Results from samples we took on EN 545 and EN 592 imply that atmospheric transport can be important for delivering black carbon to remote, deep sediments, while riverine transport likely dominates for coastal regions. The proposed RIEP cruise would help us constrain the role of estuaries (Narragansett Bay, Mass Bay and Gulf of Maine). It would complement RIEP cruise EN 592, which covered five estuaries (Rhode Island and Long Island Sound, Hudson River, Delaware and Chesapeake Bay), but we would extend our focus on organophosphorous compounds, and how the delivery of organic phosphorous might impact phosphorous cycling in offshore regions. Here, we propose to use the R/V Endeavor to measure these newer organic contaminants in water and air along the northeastern seashore with a special focus on much and which compounds are transported into the North Atlantic Ocean. Simultaneous air and water samples will be taken on-board and analyzed for combustion byproducts like black carbon and PAHs as well as P-containing chemicals, in particular organophosphate esters (OPEs), which are extensively used as flame retardants, perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) and mercury (Hg) dynamics. This research will contribute to our understanding of the global significance of estuaries such as our own Narragansett Bay, Massachusetts Bay and the Gulf of Maine act as sources of persistent pollutants and carbon to the Atlantic.