Newark Bay Environmental Study

Due to a high rate of shipping traffic and the numerous amount of chemical and petroleum terminals located along its shore, Newark is extremely vulnerable to spills and accidents. Between 1982 and 1991 the United States Coast Guard (USCG) National Response Center’s computerized database indicated more than 1453 accidental incidents. This resulted in the release of more than 18 million US gallons of hazardous materials and petroleum products. Much of the spill was petroleum materials consisting of No. 6 fuel oil and gasoline. The study has recognized that the accidental release of petroleum and hazardous chemicals represents an important source of chemical pollution in the Newark Bay. “In addition, many of the chemicals and petroleum products typically involved in accidental spills are long lived in the environment” and “these compounds tend to accumulate in the sediments, thereby posing a chronic threat to aquatic organisms long after the initial effects of the spill have abated” (Gunster, Gillis, Bonnevie, Abel, & Wenning,
Due to the rapid rate of occurrences it is possible that these incidents are having a harmful on the Newark Bay ecosystem and because of its current limited impact on human health and the environment but could to prove to be critical in the near future. The continuous release of chemicals into the bay can impact areas such as; reproductive impairment, depressed growth rates, aquatic marine organisms, depressed growth rates, mortality, and increased susceptibility to infectious and non-infectious diseases (Gunster, Gillis, Bonnevie, Abel, & Wenning, 1992). Newark is most vulnerable to spills due to its small and enclosed environment. Studies have shown that with a large spill materials can be confined to the bay and spread due to tidal circulation patterns. The effect of a hazardous chemical spill in the