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Portfolio VII: Understanding Contaminants
The Issue
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CBEEC - A Regional Partnership
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Contaminants enter Chesapeake
Bay from land runoff and air deposition as well as surface and
groundwater. In addition, human activities, storms or the activities
of benthic organisms may remobilize toxic compounds and metals buried
in sediments. A variety of physical and biological processes can
transport these contaminants throughout the Bay with potential
impacts extending across many sectors of the biota. In 1989, The
Chesapeake Bay Program's Executive Committee recognized that
contaminants had the potential to impede efforts to restore the Bay
and adopted a Basinwide Toxics Reduction Strategy with the implicit
goal of reaching a "toxics-free Bay." This strategy raised a number
of significant questions. Little was known about the distribution and
concentration of toxic chemicals or their behavior in the dynamic
estuarine environment. Metrics of toxic effect on important estuarine
species were also lacking. The recognition of the potential threat of
toxic chemicals to the Bay ecosystem required that emphasis be placed
upon developing a strong research foundation for future management
efforts.
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