Impact of WWII dumpsites on Saipan (CNMI): heavy metal status of soils and sediments.

A number of dumpsites occur on the island of Saipan and in the surrounding coastal waters. Many of these sites date back to the immediate post WWII clean-up period and contain a variety of wartime wastes. Metallic debris is generally the most visible waste material and commonly includes bomb fragments, artillery shells, bullets, and other military hardware.

Influence of urban runoff, inappropriate waste disposal practices and World War II on the heavy metal status of sediments in the southern half of Saipan Lagoon, Saipan, CNMI.

Heavy metals were examined in sediments from the southern half of Saipan Lagoon. These waters provided tactical access for US troops during WWII and were heavily shelled at the time. Mercury profiles in sediments were, to some extent, reflective of this event.

Impact of a medical waste incinerator on mercury levels in lagoon fish from a small tropical island in the Western Pacific.

In 2004-2005, several species of marine fish were collected for mercury (Hg) analysis from Saipan Lagoon, Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Relatively high concentrations were found in representatives from the Hafa Adai Beach area located some distance from known sources of Hg contamination. A follow-up investigation aimed at identifying additional land-based sources of Hg in the area was launched in early 2007.

An evaluation of the bioavailability and bioaccumulation of selected metals occurring in a wetland area on the volcanic island of Guam, Western Pacific Ocean.

This initial research examined the presence, distribution and bioavailability of Cu, Cr, Ni, Mn and Fe in a wetland area of southern Guam. The research sites are within an area covered with saporite, a soil type derived from volcanic deposits on the island. Leaf tissue of Pandanus tectorius was extracted and analysed to determine the bioaccumulation of the target metals.

Trace elements in Pandanus (Pandanus tectorius) from a manganese-enriched wetland in Southern Guam: a possible Lytico-Bodig connection?

Extremely high levels of manganese (Mn) were encountered in foliar tissue of the monocot tree Pandanus tectorius from southern Guam with values exceeding 10,000 microg/g dry weight in some wetland representatives. Historically, dried Pandanus leaves were used extensively as a source of domestic fiber in the local Chamorro culture. A possible link between the use of this plant and a neurodegenerative disease complex that once plagued the island and is symptomatically similar to the occupational disease "manganism" poses an intriguing question that merits further investigation.

Arsenic speciation study in some spring waters of Guam, Western Pacific Ocean.

A survey of the different forms of arsenic species: inorganic arsenic (As), As(III), As(V) and organic As(III) and (V) was carried out on spring waters located along Tumon Bay in Guam. The results show that total arsenic concentrations in the spring water samples ranged from <0.3-1.