Technical Memorandum Report No. 61
Monitoring of Pollutants in Waste Water, Sewage, and Sediment
Reginald H.F. Young, Estelle Shiroma, John Demetriou, Darryl E. Wong, and Susan Artman
December 1980
ABSTRACT
Quarterly samples of Waipahu Incinerator quench water and Sand Island and Honouliuli waste water were analyzed for heavy metals and chlorinated hydrocarbons. Semiannual sediment samples from the old and new Sand Island ocean outfall sites were also examined for both classes of toxicants. A few supplemental samples of both waste waters were examined for EPA designated priority pollutants as part of the City and County of Honalulu effort to obtain a waiver of secondary treatment requirements for major waste water discharges. Based on the results of this work, there appears to be no significant or alarming levels of the examined substances in the waste waters or sediments compared to data from the literature or from other Hawaiian waste waters and sediments. All monthly monitoring of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) in the Sand Island discharge yielded values below detection limits. Thus, this discharge permit requirement is being satisfied. Project staff also assisted with on-the-job training of city laboratory personnel in the techniques necessary for heavy metals and chlorinated hydrocarbon analyses. Twenty-four flow-weighted composites were collected for the analysis of pesticides, metals, and base-neutral extractable compounds. Grab samples were collected for the determination of phenols, cyanides, and volatile organics. Volatile organics were not detectable by gas chromatography and further analysis by mass spectrometer was not performed. Acid extractable compounds (phenols) were not detected in all waste waters (less than 0.l ug/l). Only a few base-neutral extractables were detected. The only pesticides detected were dieldrin in the Mokapu and Waianae effluents and demeton in the Waianae effluent. The level of heavy metals detected was not considered significant compared to existing environmental criteria. Cyanides were, if present, below detection limits. Total phenols were not detected, except in the Sand Island sample at 6 ug/l. Overall, the levels of priority pollutants were extremely low as expected.