الفهرس 
INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Sediment contamination is a widespread environmental problem that can potentially pose a threat to a variety of aquatic ecosystems. Sediment functions as a reservoir for common chemicals such as trace metals and hydrophobic organics, such as dioxins, Poly Chlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) (USEPA, 2001a). Chemicals in contaminated sediments tend to sorbs to fine grained particles (Li et al., 2016), which offer a greater combined surface area for contaminant sorption than coarser particles (Montuori et al., 2016). Because of the physiochemical state of the hydrophobic organics, they tend either to sorbs to natural organic matter and fine clays or to be partitioned into a separate liquid phase. As a result, most highly contaminated sediments, regardless of the source of the contamination, tend to be fine-grained materials deposited in low-energy areas, which serve as sinks (Li et al., 2016; Montuori et al, 2016).Contaminated sediment can cause lethal and sub-lethal effects in benthic (sedimentdwelling and other sediment-associated organisms. In addition, natural and human disturbances can release pollutants to the overlying water, where pelagic (water column organisms can be exposed. Sediment pollutants can reduce or eliminate species of recreational, commercial, or ecological importance, either through direct effects or by affecting the food supply that sustainable populations require (USEPA, 2001b).