Contaminant Assessment of Surface Sediments from Tanapag Lagoon, Saipan

In June 1999, a pilot study was undertaken to determine levels of heavy metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface sediment cores (5 x 15 cm) from the southern end of Tanapag Lagoon off the western shore of central Saipan. Samples were collected from 32 nearshore sites (500 m offshore) between Flores Point to the north and Muchot Point to the south. Sets of three sediment cores were collected within an approximate 3m-diameter circle at each site. Each core was homogenized and analyzed separately, following petrographic and organic carbon determinations. Site mean values for each contaminant were subsequently derived from each core set. All data presented here are expressed on a dry weight basis.