Conley Terminal, Boston Harbor, Massachusetts.  Confidential Client, Senior Project Manager.
The pilot study, at Conley Terminal, for the Boston Harbor Navigation Improvement Project called for water column monitoring of As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, Zn and total suspended solids.  Sea water samples underwent membrane filtration under Class 100 clean conditions, microwave digestion and chelation extraction-preconcentration followed by analysis by either graphite furnace atomic absorption (GFAA) spectroscopy or inductively coupled argon plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP AES).  Arsenic was analyzed by hydride generation atomic absorption and mercury by atomic absorption with gold amalgamation preconcentration utilizing flow injection techniques.  Detection limits were in the low parts per trillion (ppt) range.  Results were reported within 24 hours to give a real-time estimate of potentially harmful effect to the ecosystem from the dredge and disposal operation.

Boston Harbor Navigation Improvement and Berth Dredging Project, Boston, Massachusetts.  Confidential Client, Senior Project Manager.
Boston Harbor Navigation Improvement and Berth Dredging Project requires water column monitoring and analysis with detection limits sufficiently low so as to provide reliable data at the following chronic water quality criteria, according to Massachusetts Surface Water Quality Standards, for dissolved metals, total recoverable mercury and PCB aroclors:  As 36 µg/L, Cd 9.2 µg/L, Cu 2.4 µg/L, Hg 0.025 µg/L, Pb 8.1 µg/L, Ni 8.2 µg/L, Zn 81 µg/L, Cr (VI) 50 µg/L and PCB Aroclors 0.030 µg/L.  For metals analyses, seawater samples underwent membrane filtration under Class 100 clean conditions, microwave digestion and chelation extraction-preconcentration followed by analysis by either graphite furnace absorption (GFAA) spectroscopy or inductively coupled argon plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP AES).  Arsenic was analyzed by hydride generation atomic absorption and mercury by atomic absorption with gold amalgamation preconcentration utilizing flow injection techniques.  Samples were received in batches of six and results were reported within 36 hours to give a real-time estimate of potentially harmful effects to the ecosystem from the dredge and disposal operation.

Portland Harbor and Searsport, Sediment Characterization, Maine.  Confidential Client, Senior Project Manager.
A sample delivery group of sediments from each project site was analyzed for PAH (NS&T list), organochlorine pesticides, PCB Aroclors, metals and TOC.  Results were reported on a 28-day turnaround time.

Five Mile River Sediments.  Confidential Client, Senior Project Manager.
Sediment analyses were conducted in accordance with the USACE Inland Testing Manual.  The ‘summation list’ of PCB congeners were analyzed with a reporting limit of 1 µg/kg.  The NS&T list of PAHs were analyzed by GC / MS with selected ion monitoring (SIM) to provide reporting limits on the order of 20 mg/Kg (ppb) dry weight.  A target list of metals, pesticides, TOC and percent water were also measured and reported.

Site Assessment, Eastern Massachusetts. Confidential Client, Senior Project Manager.
Subsurface soil, groundwater and sediment samples were analyzed from a municipally owned recreational facility.  The site includes playing fields and a swimming pool.  The site is heavily used by athletic teams and area residents.  Analyses were performed to assess the potential presence of contaminants caused from a railway construction activity and/or migration of contaminants from a former chemical manufacturing facility.  Soils and groundwaters were analyzed for volatile and semivolatile organics including Tentatively Identified Compounds (TICs), metals, cyanide and sulfate.  Sediments were analyzed for similar parameters including methanol preservation, Method 5035, for volatile organics.  A third-party data validator evaluated analytical data and results.  All data was found to be acceptable and in compliance with the analytical methods and project work plan.

Publications and Presentations

Robbat, A., Jr., N.P. Corso, P.J. Doherty, and D. Marshall.  1986.  “Multivariate Relationships Between Gas Chromatographic Retention Index and Molecular Connectivity of Monitrated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons.” Analytical Chemistry, 58, 2072.

Robbat, A., Jr., N.P. Corso, P.J. Doherty, and M.H. Wolf.  1986.  “Gas Chromatographic Chemiluminescent Detection and Evaluation of Predictive Models for Identifying Nitrated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in a Diesel Fuel Particulate Extract.”  Analytical Chemistry, 58, 2078.

Robbat, A., Jr., N.P. Corso, T.Y. Liu, 1988.  “Evaluation of a Nitrosyl-Specific Gas Phase Chemiluminescent Detector with High Performance Liquid Chromatography.”  Analytical Chemistry, 60,1783.

Corso, N.P., A. Robbat, Jr.  1986.  “High Performance Liquid Chromatography with Chemiluminescence Detection for the Analysis of Nitrated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons.” Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, Atlantic City, N.J.

Corso, N.P., D. Marshall, A. Robbat, Jr.  1986.  “Predictive Models for Identifying GC Retention Indices of Nitro-PAH in Complex Environmental Samples.”  Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, Atlantic City, N.J.

Robbat, A., Jr., P.J. Doherty, and N.P. Corso.  1985.  “Chromatographic Analysis of Nitrated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Employing Chemiluminescent Detection."  189th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Miami, FL.

Robbat, A., Jr., N.P. Corso, M. Mazziotta.  1983.  “Differential Pulse Voltammetry of Condensed Thiophenes in Synfuels.”  Eastern Analytical Symposium, New York, NY.