Benthic Community and Sediment Quality Assessment of Port Hope Harbour,Lake Ontario

Sediments in Port Hope Harbour, Lake Ontario, have been heavily contaminated by radionuclides and heavy metals from a radium recovery plant, a uranium refinery, and other industrial activities. Spatial patterns in surficial sediment contamination, benthic community structure, and bioaccumulation of contaminants were assessed to determine possible relationships and potential environmental hazards in the event of dredging. Benthic community differences in species composition and density between inner and outer harbour areas corresponded with both habitat and sediment quality differences. Sediment loss-on-ignition, nitrogen, iron, copper, lead, chromium, zinc, and nickel concentrations in the inner harbour exceeded provincial guidelines for open water disposal of dredged spoils. Only iron exceeded those guidelines in the outer harbour. Tissue levels of radionuclides and heavy metals in benthic invertebrates were greatest at the most heavily contaminated stations in the inner harbour. Reduced benthic densities and maximum sediment contamination occurred near a refinery cooling water discharge.