Dear Davis, I see that you ...

Dear Davis, I see that you are getting some good responses, such as the one from Mr. Zanata. It was not clear if you are looking for testing methods for samples already collected or for a follow-up round of sampling. Sampling technique (the ways in which the samples are collected, handled and stored) and holding times before analysis are critical to obtaining accurate results, so the samples already collected may not be usable. If you have evidence of pollutant discharge or migration into the bay and potential contamination of sediments and biological resources is a concern, there some different and additional protocols that would be appropriate to add to your testing program such as toxicity and bio-accumulation tests. The USEPA and Environment Canada have good guidance on testing sediments. Interpretation of sediment testing results is tricky, as hard and fast numerical thresholds do not apply for most constituents and a risk-based approach is typically used. Happy to discuss further if needed; gene.peck@viridianalliance.com.