Summary - CI_16478

National Plan for Aton Battery Recovery and Disposal - index
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Collect and analyze groundwater and surface water if it is adjacent to

batteries.

Describe physical attributes of the AtoN and surrounding area.

Locate, describe, and count batteries at each AtoN.

Summary

The site investigations were designed to assess contamination from metals

released from batteries found at AtoNs. Initial site investigations revealed

that the only contaminants of concern were mercury and zinc (the components of

primary batteries) since few secondary batteries were found at any AtoN. Of

the two contaminants, mercury is considered the more potentially harmful to

humans and biota, however, the investigations continued to assess both zinc

and mercury levels since both metals were present in primary batteries.

The sampling program was conducted in locations that represented the variety

of the water depths, bottom types, currents and salinities of most AtoNs. The

program followed a typical approach to site investigation used at Superfund

sites, including a high sampling density near the "hot spots" of

contamination. Uncertainties exhibited at AtoNs, such as expected contaminant

dispersal and concentration warranted sampling density at AtoNs an order of

magnitude higher than at most Superfund site investigations. Sampling

stratification was implemented to address potential variability in contaminant

dispersal due to battery movement.

The biological sampling conducted at prototype sites was, by necessity, site-

specific. Variability among locations chosen for study sometimes required

that

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