Sourcing of Dioxins from the San Jacinto Waste Pit Superfund Site into the Galveston Bay System

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dc.contributor.advisorRifai, Hanadi S.
dc.contributor.committeeMemberStrom, Kyle B.
dc.contributor.committeeMemberRixey, William G.
dc.creatorTucker, Taft 1983-
dc.date.accessioned2014-11-21T18:47:21Z
dc.date.available2014-11-21T18:47:21Z
dc.date.createdAugust 2012
dc.date.issued2012-08
dc.date.updated2014-11-21T18:47:21Z
dc.description.abstractIn 1965 and 1966, dioxin laden paper mill wastes were disposed of in the San Jacinto River Waste Pits (SJWP) on the banks of the San Jacinto River (SJR). Regional land subsidence has caused submergence of portions of the waste pits, directly exposing the wastes to the SJR. This thesis is aimed at quantifying the contribution of the SJWP to the observed dioxin pollution in water, sediment, and tissue samples collected from the Galveston Bay System (GBS). A qualitative investigation of dioxin fingerprints in sediments identified 3 primary source profiles most likely representing dioxins from a) SJWP (paper mill), b) the Houston Ship Channel (HSC) upstream of its confluence with the SJR, and c) Houston’s urban air. A quantitative source apportionment model, positive matrix factorization (PMF), identified similar source profiles and indicated that industrial point sources have a significant impact on nearby sediment quality within the HSC and SJR; however, atmospheric deposition is the dominant source of dioxins observed in the more open waters of Galveston and Trinity Bays. PMF results also indicate the locations within the GBS where the SJWP affected sediment quality. An EFDC model of the GBS was used to aid in the understanding of the complex hydrodynamics of the system. Model results provide supporting evidence of SJWP dioxin laden sediment transport and deposition within the GBS.
dc.description.departmentCivil and Environmental Engineering, Department of
dc.format.digitalOriginborn digital
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10657/775
dc.language.isoeng
dc.rightsThe author of this work is the copyright owner. UH Libraries and the Texas Digital Library have their permission to store and provide access to this work. Further transmission, reproduction, or presentation of this work is prohibited except with permission of the author(s).
dc.subjectDioxin
dc.subjectPositive matrix factorization
dc.subjectPMF
dc.subjectSource apportionment
dc.subjectFingerprinting
dc.subjectPCDD
dc.subjectFuran
dc.subjectPCDF
dc.subjectPaper mill
dc.subjectHouston
dc.subjectGalveston Bay
dc.subject.lcshEnvironmental engineering
dc.titleSourcing of Dioxins from the San Jacinto Waste Pit Superfund Site into the Galveston Bay System
dc.type.dcmiText
dc.type.genreThesis
thesis.degree.collegeCullen College of Engineering
thesis.degree.departmentCivil and Environmental Engineering, Department of
thesis.degree.disciplineEnvironmental Engineering
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Houston
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science

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