This study aims to improve knowledge of how suspended particulate matter (SPM) affects hydrophobic contaminant transport in the lower Columbia River and its estuary, using polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as model compounds. It is hypothesized that PAHs are transported to the estuarine turbidity maximum (ETM), a prime feeding zone in...
Analysis of suspended particulate material (SPM) collected from the Columbia River and its estuary in 2007–2008 revealed the ubiquitous presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from several distinct sources. The two dominant ones were: (1) a suite of non-alkylated, three to five-ringed compounds derived from high temperature combustion and (2)...