Water quality studied on Texas gulf coast
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THE TEXAS GULF COAST IS AN ESTUARINE SYSTEM WHICH HAS UNDERGONE SUBSTANTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL MODIFICATIONS AND WHICH IN PLACES IS SUBJECTED TO EXCESSIVE LEVELS OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION. THE STUDY HAS AS ITS FIRST OBJECTIVES THE QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE EVALUATION OF SEDIMENT MATERIALS, DETERMINING THE OVERALL MASS BALANCE OF OXYGEN DEMANDING ORGANIC MATERIAL, THE RATE OF SEDIMENTATION AND THE OIL AND GREASE CONTENT. ADDITIONAL QUALITY PARAMETERS CONSIDERED ARE: HEAVY METAL CONTENT OF THE SEDIMENTS, INCLUDING COPPER, CHROMIUM, ZINC, LEAD, CADMIUM AND MERCURY AND TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON. DATA WERE OBTAINED FOR THE HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL, AND FIVE ADDITIONAL ESTUARIES INCLUDING THE NECHES, S SHIP CHANNEL. RECOMMENDATION IS MADE THAT THE DREDGING INDUSTRY MORE CAREFULLY DOCUMENT ITS POSITION, WITH REGARD TO ENVIRONMENTAL MODIFICATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION WITH SPECIAL CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO COASTAL BAYS, MARSHES AND ESTUARIES. (ENSIGN-PAI)