Petroleum and hazardous chemical spills in Newark Bay, New Jersey, USA from 1982 to 1991.

Newark Bay, New Jersey, is particularly vulnerable to ecological damage from petroleum and chemical spills, as a result of the enclosed nature and shallow depth of the bay, the high frequency of shipping traffic, and the numerous chemical and petroleum transfer terminals located alongs its shores. To evaluate the potential impacts to the natural resources of this coastal estuarine ecosystem, chemical and petroleum accidents reported to the US Coast Guard (USCG) between 1982 and 1991 were compiled to determine the frequency and volume of these incidents in Newark Bay and in each of its major tributaries. Records obtained from the USCG National Response Center's computerized database indicated that more than 1453 accidental incidents, resulting in the release of more than 18 million US gallons of hazardous materials and petroleum products, occurred throughout Newark Bay during this period of time. The bulk of the materials released to the aquatic environment consisted of petroleum products, specifically No. 6 Fuel Oil (103 spills, 12 829 272 US gal) and gasoline (207 spills, 48 816 US gal). The majority of the reported incidents occurred in the Arthur Kill and its tributaries, as well as in the Kill Van Kull and the Passaic River. The results of this study indicated that the accidental discharge of petroleum and hazardous chemicals represents a significant source of chemical pollution in Newark Bay. Based on the frequency of spills and the volume of materials released to the aquatic environment, it is likely that these events are having a deleterious effect on the Newark Bay ecosystem.

Profile of perceptual-cognitive traits and personality style of possible relevance to creative productivity.

The amount of illusory movement perceived on the autokinetic test, manifestations of primary process expression on the Rorschach, and creative productivity as measured by the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, were collected from 47 volunteer college students. Those individuals who expressed primary process thinking as blatant affect and the fusion of images, and elaborated on a stimulus pictorially, had extensive movement on the autokinetic test (P less than .05). We further delineated certain personality characteristics of these individuals employing a 26-item bipolar questionnaire. They are among other things, active, striving, assertive, in touch with and free to express emotion, rebellious, incautious, self-determing, productive, motivated to influence others, and excelling in producing objects or ideas which are unique.

Mercury contamination in the Newark Bay estuary.

As a result of several decades of industrialization, heavy metals, including mercury, have become the focus of ecological and human health concerns in Newark Bay, New Jersey. In this study, concentrations of mercury were determined in 18 surficial sediment samples collected from throughout the estuary. Measured concentrations ranged from nondetectable (0.1 mg/kg) to 9.8 mg/kg (dry weight). These results were compared to data from previous investigations of sediment and biota in the estuary in an effort to characterize the extent of mercury contamination and the potential for toxic effects in humans and biota. Mean concentrations of total mercury were elevated above estimated background levels throughout the estuary. Areas with the highest sediment concentrations included the lower Passaic River and the Arthur Kill. Comparisons to various state and federal sediment quality criteria and guidelines suggest that the presence of mercury poses a toxic hazard to aquatic biota. These data suggest that further investigation of sources is needed to reduce or eliminate this contamination.

Historical changes in the ecological health of the Newark Bay Estuary, New Jersey.

A review of ecological conditions in the Newark Bay estuary over the past century was conducted to characterize chemical, physical, and biological indices of the health of the estuary and to evaluate the relationship of these trends with past and current urban-industrial influences within the watershed. The available data indicate that both the diversity and the abundance of aquatic species within the estuary have been substantially reduced since the late 1800s due to the intense industrialization and urbanization that occurred throughout the region. Water and sediment quality in major rivers and bays linked to the estuary have also been severely impacted. In addition, significant natural habitat has been destroyed as a result of industrial development, urban expansion, and shoreline modifications. Each of these parameters directly influences the status and condition of the ecological community, and their deterioration has likely been the cause of multiple adverse impacts on the overall health of the ecosystem. Review of more recent studies of sediment and water quality indicates that pollution control measures and the reduction or control of other environmental stressors have produced a gradual improvement in the ecosystem over the past 2 decades.

Assessment of chemical loadings to Newark Bay, New Jersey from petroleum and hazardous chemical accidents occurring from 1986 to 1991.

Newark Bay, New Jersey, is particularly vulnerable to ecological damage from accidental petroleum and chemical spills due to the enclosed nature of the bay and the large volume of chemical and petroleum commerce within the region. A review of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Energy's database of hazardous chemical spills in New Jersey waterways was conducted to determine the frequency and volume of chemical and petroleum spills in Newark Bay and its major tributaries. Accidents reported from 1986 to 1991 were extracted from the database and summarized. The compilation of records indicated that 1400 incidents, resulting in the release of more than 18 million gallons of hazardous materials to the estuary had been reported to state officials. The bulk of the chemicals released to the aquatic environment were petroleum products, specifically No. 2 Fuel Oil (4,636,512 gallons) and No. 6 Fuel Oil (12,600,683 gallons). The majority of the reported incidents occurred in the Arthur Kill and its tributaries. The results indicate that accidental discharge of petroleum and other hazardous chemicals to Newark Bay represents a significant ongoing source of chemical pollution.

Physical activity and responses to projective stimuli in neurotic vs. psychotic depression.

Responses to projective material by neurotically and psychotically depressed patients were scored for fluency, movement, and primary process during light physical activity and inactivity. A depression measure was also obtained. Significant positive correlations were found between fluency, movement, and primary process. Movement scores did not increase significantly during physical activity for either group. No significant correlations were found between level of depression and production of movement and primary process. However, primary process, controlled for fluency, increased significantly during physical activity for neurotic, but not for psychotic depressives.

An approach for modeling noncancer dose responses with an emphasis on uncertainty.

This paper presents an approach for characterizing the probability of adverse effects occurring in a population exposed to dose rates in excess of the Reference Dose (RfD). The approach uses a linear threshold (hockey stick) model of response and is based on the current system of uncertainty factors used in setting RfDs. The approach requires generally available toxicological estimates such as No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Levels (NOAELs) or Benchmark Doses and doses at which adverse effects are observed in 50% of the test animals (ED50s). In this approach, Monte Carlo analysis is used to characterize the uncertainty in the dose response slope based on the range and magnitude of the key sources of uncertainty in setting protective doses. The method does not require information on the shape of the dose response curve for specific chemicals, but is amenable to the inclusion of such data. The approach is applied to four compounds to produce estimates of response rates for dose rates greater than the RfD.