On June 18th, MRRI staff completed the final retrieval of a suspended sediment trap deployed in Anderson Creek as part of an ongoing EPA study examining the movement of contaminated sediments within the lower Hackensack River estuary. The bi-directional sediment trap was installed to collect suspended particles transported by flood and ebb tides independently. This unique bi-directional time-integrated approach allows MRRI to quantify the movement of legacy contaminants, including mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and determine whether sediments are being imported onto marsh surfaces or exported into tidal channels and the main stem of the Lower Hackensack River. By analyzing the collected sediment, MRRI will identify potential contaminant hotspots and evaluate how factors such as wetland type, surrounding land cover, and water elevation influence contaminant transport.
