Many heavy metals form deposits on the sea floor. Processes, such as dredging during beach renourishment, can carry these metals to the surface where they pose a threat to human health and the environment. To-date, very little is known regarding the potential for this contamination along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. This presentation reports on the development of a method for quantification of heavy metals in sand using analytical techniques, including atomic absorption spectrometry. Samples of freshly pumped sand and native beach sand were collected from Surfside Beach, South Carolina. Both treatments (freshly pumped and existing shoreline) were examined for heavy metals and compared. By understanding more about this potential heavy metal content at the shore, appropriate remediation could be established to help make the beaches safer.

Investigation of heavy metal content in sand following beach renourishment in South Carolina

255th National Meeting (2018)

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