Contaminant and Toxicity Pulses in the SFE

The San Francisco Estuary (SFE) is polluted by agricultural, urban, and industrial outlets resulting in chemical concentrations of concern to aquatic ecosystems. We are currently working on a meta-analysis to determine how water flow in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta impacts chemical concentrations, both in relation to the first flush effect (i.e. higher chemical concentrations in initial storm runoff) and more generally. We are particularly interested in looking at how different analyte groups (e.g., organophosphates and metals) with differing use patterns and chemical properties are affected by flow.