Final Reports and White Papers

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10929/16968

Final reports and white papers published by the Division of Science and Research. Short, 3-5 page research project summaries for many of these reports can be found in the Research Project Summary collection: https://dspace.njstatelib.org/handle/10929/68526

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Now showing 1 - 20 of 172

Salt Marsh Ponds as Harmful Algae Reservoirs
(Trenton, N.J. : Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science and Research, 2025-03-27) Ren, Ling; Gillevet, Patrick M.; Sikaroodi, Masoumeh; Yepsen, Metthea; O'Neill, Heidi; Enache Mihaela D.; Grothues, Thomas
Salt marsh ponds (SMPs) make up a vital component of coastal marshes. The ponds provide unique microhabitats for diverse aquatic organisms, including algae, snails, fish, crustacea, and insects; thus, they function as year-round food sources and shelters for many birds and animals that are dependent on marshes. We carried out a two-year study from May 2022 to November 2024 to investigate the temporal and spatial changes of microalgae, with a focus on harmful algae blooms (HABs) and algal/bacterial toxins in the SMPs of the marsh on the Sheepshead Meadow peninsula in Tuckerton, New Jersey. The study is based on a one-year monthly samplings for microalgae and water quality field measurements performed between May 2022 and June 2023, and three additional samplings performed July-August 2023 for HABs toxin detection. The objective of the study was to determine the presence and extent of HABs and related toxins in the SMPs. We hypothesized that the tidal SMPs can serve as inoculants of HABs and potentially function as harmful algae reservoirs and HAB sources for coastal waters.
Plasma Water Treatment of Emerging Contaminants: Assessing PFAS and 1,4- Dioxane in New Jersey
(Trenton, N.J. : Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science and Research, 2025-03-03) Mujovic, Selman; Arias, Luis
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) wants to assess alternative technologies for the treatment of emerging contaminants. The primary contaminants of concern are state-regulated and include perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and 1,4-dioxane (1,4-D). Purafide evaluated the initial concentrations and plasma-based destruction of these emerging contaminants in wastewater influent, wastewater effluent, leachate-impacted groundwater, and landfill leachate. Purafide performed time-resolved, bench-scale studies and varied the operating conditions to estimate the treatment efficacy and cost. Withstanding matrix effects, plasma demonstrated effective destruction of target contaminants, precursors, and transformation products. Purafide determined that the most efficient treatment occurred in landfill leachate and leachate-impacted groundwater samples. Future work could involve studying additional matrices and deploying pilots with NJDEP.
Future Projections of Phytoplankton Dynamics and Marine Harmful Algal Bloom Events Due to Climate Change: New Jersey’s Changing Coastal Shelf Ecosystem
(Trenton, N.J. : Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science and Research, 2025-03) Grubb, Austin; Procopio, Nicholas A.
New Jersey’s coast, encompassed within the Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB), is characterized by physical and seasonal dynamics that drive phytoplankton growth, abundance, and composition. Phytoplankton are generally highest in abundance during the fall bloom, when the temperature-induced stratification breaks down stimulating mixing and increasing nutrient concentrations in surface waters. The MAB is one of the fastest warming regions of the ocean, which has coincided with small decreases in primary productivity and shifts in the timing of seasonal transitions. The relative contribution of larger groups (e.g., diatoms) to the phytoplankton community has decreased, whereas the relative contribution of smaller groups (e.g., dinoflagellates, green algae) has increased. These trends, including the variation in growth patterns, are likely to continue as climate change progresses. These variations may result in the increase in the harmful overgrowth of the phytoplankton population, known as a harmful algal bloom (HABs). Harmful algal blooms have occurred in NJ marine waters for decades with the potential to negatively impact New Jersey residents and ecosystems. While there is a lack of short- and intermediate-terms studies investigating the future of HABs in the MAB, future conditions associated with climate change will likely increase the potential for marine HAB events.
Development of Electrochemical Treatment Technologies for PFOA, PFOS and 1,4-Dioxane in New Jersey Drinking Water and Regional Wastewater Treatment Plants
(Trenton, N.J. : Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science and Research, 2024-11) Sadik, Omowunmi; Osonga, Francis
Calibration Experiments for a Novel Clam Survey Dredge and Monitoring Carbonate Chemistry of Surfclam Habitat
(2024-02-15) Munroe, Daphne; Borsetti, Sarah; Saba, Grace; Dameron, Tom; Hennen, Daniel; Morson, Jason
The Atlantic surfclam (Spisula solidissima) fishery is an important commercial fishery in the U.S. Northeast region, and particularly so for the state of New Jersey. Annual landings in this fishery net approximately 22,400 tonnes (50 million lbs.) worth over USD 30 million. The fishery is conducted in the Middle Atlantic Bight (MAB), a marine region where seasonal temperature extremes are undergoing long-term changes at rates faster than other continental shelves. Additionally, the Atlantic surfclam fishery has been identified among the most exposed to offshore wind energy development impacts due to overlap of surfclam habitat and prime fishing grounds with wind energy areas (Scheld et al., 2022). Vulnerability of surfclam, and other fishery stocks in the region, to climate stressors must be evaluated so that stock changes over time can be attributed to climate, offshore wind development, or the combination of the two.
Determination of Fish Bioaccumulation Factors (BAFs) for Selected PFAS Contaminants in Marine and Freshwater Systems
(Trenton, N.J. : Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science and Research, 2024-11-11) Keller, David H.; Maguire, Timothy; Kurz, Marie J.; Morrill, Daniel; Curran, Tracey; Heiczinger, Joseph; Gannon, Michelle
This technical report investigates the bioaccumulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in New Jersey’s aquatic ecosystems, providing critical data to aid the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) in developing surface water quality standards (SWQS). PFAS, a group of over 9,000 synthetic chemicals, have been widely used since the 1950s. They are persistent in the environment, bioaccumulate in organisms, and are linked to significant human health risks, including immune suppression and cancer. Understanding PFAS behavior, particularly in fish species across various water bodies, is essential for informed regulatory decisions.
PFAS Occurrence, Biotransformation, and Transport through Vegetation
(Trenton, N.J. : Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science and Research, 2024-08) Li, Mengyan; Rodriguez-Freire, Lucia
Contamination of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has emerged with increasing concern in New Jersey and other states across the country. In this project, we first developed sensitive and reliable PFAS analytical methods using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) and nano-electrospray ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry (Nano-ESI-HRMS). Particularly, analysis by Nano-ESI-HRMS can be complementary to the standard method using LC/MS/MS, since this new approach enables the non-target screening of new PFAS features in environmental and laboratory samples. A standard operating procedure (SOP) for PFAS analysis by this newly developed Nano-ESI-HRMS was generated and attached in the appendix. Second, we further analyzed PFAS in a multimedia environment from four sites in New Jersey. The highest PFAS concentration in surface water was found near the Ringwood Superfund site downstream a waste disposal area on a foamy stream (PFOS 445.56 ng/L). The highest sediment concentration was found near the landfill in Kearny (PFOS replicate range of 3.17-5.79 ng/g). The highest plant concentration was found in Little Pine Lake (PFOS replicate range of 22.79-24.90 ng/g). Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was dominantly detected in both plant samples and environmental matrices where the plants were collected, supporting the occurrence of bioaccumulation. Furthermore, perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) was primarily detected in shoot samples of plants, suggesting the uptake and translocation of PFAS from the environment. Using Nano-ESI-HRMS, chloroperfluoropolyether carboxylates (ClPFPECA) in soil and plant samples were screened. However, none of these samples showed significant detection of ClPFPECA, warranting further optimization of the extraction and analytical procedures for the analysis of ClPFPECA in environmental samples. Third, pairing with the observation of PFAS in the field, we characterized the biotransformation of 6:2 fluorotelomer carboxylic acid (6:2 FTCA) by Rhodococcus jostii RHA1, a model rhizospheric bacterium. This bacterium exhibited significant biodefluorination activities that can be sustained by the amendment of carbohydrate substrates, such as glucose and fructose. Coupling with the liberation of free fluoride, a 6:2 FTUCA conjugate molecule (m/z = 696.20) was identified as an important biotransformation product of 6:2 FTCA. Such process was regulated by the presence of copper and other metallic anions, though the molecular foundations remains unknown. Collectively, findings of this study underscore the needs to investigate the PFAS contamination and attenuation in the environment and natural biota (i.e., plants and aquatic animals) in the proximity of landfills. This project has contributed to two research publications to date.
Last Millennium Relative Sea-Level Change on the Western Coast of Southern New Jersey
(Trenton, N.J. : Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science and Research, 2024-10-17) Walker, Jennifer
The main goal of this study was to reconstruct last millennium sea-level changes on the western coast of southern New Jersey (Delaware Bay) shore. The project used proven paleoecological techniques (sediment archives/cores) to provide quantitative information on sea level/subsidence in Dennis Creek over the last millennium through analysis of biogeochemical indicators accumulated and preserved in Dennis Creek wetland sediments. Salt-marsh sediment cores were used to understand the underlying stratigraphy, and cores were analyzed using foraminifera, geochemistry, and sediment characteristics. Results from this investigation were used to analyze relative sea-level changes associated with extensive subsidence previously observed at Dennis Creek. The timing of subsidence and relative sea-level change at Dennis Creek were determined with radiocarbon dating and pollution chronomarkers. Changes in fossil foraminifera species abundances isolated from dated core intervals were used to reconstruct relative sea level changes through time. The results from this project were compared to the available sea-level studies on the east coast of New Jersey to determine whether similar processes are occurring on both the Delaware Bay and a Cape May site located on the Atlantic Ocean-facing coast of New Jersey. Understanding the local and regional physical processes controlling relative sea-level change is crucial for sea-level projections and future mitigation efforts, especially at locations where such high rates of change are documented. Project results revealed that relative sea-level started to accelerate earlier in Delaware Bay’s Dennis Creek than sites located along the New Jersey Atlantic coast, and also maintains present day higher rates. This finding underscores that there could be significant differences in local processes contributing to relative sea-level change at individual locations along the New Jersey coast. At Dennis Creek, relative sea-level rise reached a rate of 2 mm/yr by the mid 1600s and 3 mm/yr by 1800 CE, roughly a hundred years earlier than a site located at Cape May Courthouse, around 15km from Dennis Creek. In the 20th century, relative sea-level rise was approximately 3.6 mm/yr at Cape May Courthouse, but 4.2 mm/yr at Dennis Creek. Results from this project have profound implications for understanding local and regional processes controlling relative sea-level change and projections into the future. As the present results suggest, potentially significant local differences in relative sea-level rise could highlight important implications for how individual coastlines respond to accelerating sea-level rise. The protection and mitigation strategies that wetland stakeholders will need to provide at local levels may need to correspond with local conditions.
A Strategy to Advance Carbon Sequestration on New Jersey's Natural and Working Lands
(Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, 2024) Genievich, Heather; Yepsen, Metthea; Blum, Julie; Sinclare, Lauren; McLaughlin, Frank; Colagiovanni, Nina; Rho, Tony; DeFlumeri, Rachel; New Jersey. Department of Environmental Protection; New Jersey. Department of Agriculture
Climate change is an existential global crisis informed by clear scientific consensus. It is altering precipitation patterns, temperature, and rates of sea-level rise and will impact nearly all our natural resources and developed areas. A coordinated effort to decrease greenhouse gas emissions locally and globally is needed to slow the rate of global warming. New Jersey has made great strides in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels for energy generation. The Natural and Working Lands Strategy (NWLS) is our blueprint for enhancing carbon sequestration across New Jersey's diverse landscapes, aiming to boost the capture of carbon dioxide on both public and private lands, including wetlands, aquatic habitats, agricultural areas, and forests. New Jersey is committed to significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change. To achieve our goal of an 80% reduction in emissions from 2006 levels by 2050, we not only need to cut emissions but also enhance our carbon sequestration efforts. The NWLS provides a plan to help us reach this goal.
Identification of Diatom DNA Barcodes for Biomonitoring of the New Jersey Pine Barrens Aquatic Ecosystems
(Trenton, N.J. : Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science and Research, 2024-08-18) Potapova, Marina
The goal of this project was to investigate the use of DNA metabarcoding for evaluating and monitoring environmental health of waterbodies in the New Jersey Pinelands. Metabarcoding is a technique of taxonomic identification of organisms in environmental samples via analysis of short DNA sequences. We explored metabarcoding of diatom and other protistan assemblages in ephemeral ponds which are increasingly appreciated as valuable ecosystems and targets for environmental conservation. Metabarcoding has proven to be an efficient approach to monitor changes in aquatic biological communities circumventing the need for time and labor-consuming visual identification of organisms. While this approach has many advantages, such as reduced cost and the ability to characterize multiple taxonomic groups simultaneously, it also has some shortcomings. The major limitation of metabarcoding is incompleteness of the taxonomic reference databases that leaves many DNA sequences unassigned to taxa. For example, the reference database suitable for diatom metabarcoding (Diat.barcode) was developed mostly using diatoms from European rivers and therefore, does not have a good coverage of other geographic areas and habitats. Adding new records to this database typically involves culturing and sequencing diatoms, which is often prohibitively expensive. In this project we explored an opportunity to establish diatom barcodes from natural samples with low species diversity to establish correlation between dominant morphospecies and most abundant sequences.
Mapping and Assessing Tidal Marsh Condition Via Multispectral Imaging
(Trenton, N.J. : Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science and Research, 2024-07) Wilburn, Brittany P.; Moody, Joshua; Enache, Mihaela; Raper, Kirk; Yepsen, Metthea; Lester, Lori; Smith, William; Jacobus, Steven; DuMont, David; Blythe, Kevin; VanWieren, Molly; Schutte, Charles
Within New Jersey, there are approximately 66,000 hectares of tidal saltwater wetlands. These wetlands are integral to the health and well-being of the residents that live within these coastal areas, as they provide a number of invaluable ecosystem services, including: carbon sequestration (Were et al., 2019), coastal storm energy reduction (Rezaie et al., 2020), flood water storage (Rezaie et al., 2020), water quality enhancement (Fisher and Acreman, 2004), and traditional and cultural significance (Pedersen et al., 2019). However, New Jersey has lost a significant portion of its coastal habitat as a result of climate change and other anthropogenic factors, such as reduced hydrological function from agricultural ditching (Smith et al., 2022). A first step to intervene in these losses is to determine vulnerable habitat as quickly, accurately, and efficiently as possible, in order to prioritize areas of marsh for protection or enhancement.
A Pragmatic Approach for Determining Practical Quantitation Levels (PQLs) for Regulatory Purposes
(Trenton, N.J. : Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science and Research, 1995) Sanders, Paul F.; Lippincott, R. Lee; Eaton, Andrew
Characterization of Phytoplankton Community Changes in Barnegat Bay Related to the Closure of Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station, Combining Next Generation Sequencing and Microscopic Analyses : Final Report
(Trenton, N.J. : Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science and Research, 2024-05) Ren, Ling; Gillevet, Patrick M.; Sikaroodi, Masoumeh
Following Exelon Inc.’s announcement that the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station (OCNGS) would cease operation ahead of planned decommissioning in 2029, the NJDEP engaged with researchers to begin an investigation to determine what impacts to marine biota (i.e., phytoplankton, zooplankton, benthic invertebrates, fish, and crabs) may occur because of the plant shutdown. Our project was designed specifically to examine the influence on phytoplankton community composition and dynamics. This report comprises a comprehensive analysis comparing all three years of OCNGS post-closure (2018-2021) phytoplankton data to baseline data collected between 2012-2017 as part of the Barnegat Bay Comprehensive Research Initiative, thus in effect the “final report” for this study (see NJDEP| Division of Science and Research | Barnegat Bay). This report also contains the analysis and interpretation of data generated in Year 3 (2020-2021) of the OCNGS project effort.
New Jersey Aquatic Invasive Species Management Plan
(Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, 2024) New Jersey Aquatic Invasive Species Working Group
Recognizing the immediate and lasting threats posed by non-native, invasive species, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) recently initiated discussions to revisit invasive species actions to date and explore short-term actionable items that could be implemented from the 2009 New Jersey Strategic Management Plan for Invasive Species. From these discussions, it was recommended to pursue the development of an Aquatic Invasive Species Management Plan. With at least 81 aquatic invasive species already reported within New Jersey, compounded by a lack of funding and dedicated resources, this Aquatic Invasive Species Management Plan is a necessary step in limiting potential negative impacts to New Jersey’s water resources, natural communities, and species diversity.
Geochemical and Mineralogical Investigation of Elevated Arsenic and Trace Elements in Soils and Sediments of New Jersey Inner Coastal Plain
(Trenton, N.J. : Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science and Research, 2024-04) Aziz, Zahid
Soil cores were collected in 2018 at four locations in the Burlington-Bordentown-Hamilton region of central New Jersey to examine occurrences of elevated concentrations of arsenic (As), vanadium (V), and other metals at various depths in this region. Chemical analyses by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and by portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF), and mineralogical studies by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning-electron microscopy (SEM) were performed on collected soil samples to evaluate geologic factors that may control the distribution of the high As and V zones in soils.
Generator Cooling Water Effluent Restriction Effects of Oyster Creek Generating Station Closure on the Barnegat Bay Fish, Crab, and Infaunal Invertebrate Community
(Trenton, N.J. : Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science and Research, 2023-10-31) Grothues, Thomas; Jivoff, Paul; Piper, Sophia; Petrecca, Rose; Taghon, Gary; Able, Kenneth
Closure of the Oyster Creek Nuclear Power Generating Station in Forked River, Lacey Township, NJ, in September of 2018 resulted in a 95% reduction of cooling water flow. Since cooling water was drawn from and discharged back into the Barnegat Bay near Barnegat Inlet, the historical effluent plume heated water with the potential to affect the thermal ecology of cold-blooded fish and invertebrates. The cooling water pumps also entrained larval fish and crabs directly and thus potentially affected the mortality of select species in the bay’s larval source pool. The effluent plume secondarily affected stratification and flow in the area through production of a warm, low-density, plume . Closure allowed a retrospective examination of these potential effects as well as provided a model for the sensitivity of the local fish and invertebrate community to climate change. This study leveraged previously collected samples of fish, crabs, and invertebrates from as far back as 2012 for comparison with recent sampling (2018-2021) in a Before/After Control/Impact design (for fishes and crabs) or a Before/After/Gradient design (for benthic infauna) to challenge the null hypothesis that there was no effect of closure and to quantify any noted effects relative to natural variation. Measures included abundance/distribution (for fishes, crabs and benthic infauna), assemblage change/beta diversity (for fishes and invertebrates), and size (for fishes) at different life stages as sampled by plankton net, otter trawl, crab traps, and gillnets. The strength of effects and the confidence in their measure was dependent on species and life stage, and for some there were no measurable effects. In all cases, BACI/BAG interactions (effects measured as different after closure in the Impact sites relative to their measure in the Control sites) were secondary to other sources of variation, including habitat, seasonal, and interannual variation, and spatial variation among the control sites. It is apparent that control site choice, as a function of measurement scale, affects the answer, pointing to a recognized and fundamental challenge in ecology. In retrospect, the plant was well sited because the spatial extent and persistence of the plume effects were dampened by regular tidal exchange with the ocean through Barnegat Inlet. Measured effects on sex-specific crab distribution and benthic invertebrate distribution and abundance decreased rapidly with distance from the discharge. Abundance was never seriously depressed (and was increased for adult fish) during operation in the Impact site, most likely because it was never source limited. Fish, benthic infauna, and many of the crabs utilizing the bay arrive from distant spawning sites as larvae, and many of the adult stages arrive as migrants; thus, local consumption by the plant was mitigated. Further, the life history of these species are adapted to and experience, individually and as populations, a greater annual and range-wide thermal variation than that produced by the generating station. This is a function of the station’s location near the apex of the Middle Atlantic Bight, and should be expected to differ from similar power-plant cooling water disturbances elsewhere in the country or world.
Assessing the impacts of the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station and its Closure on Gelatinous Zooplankton and Planktonic Community Structure
(Trenton, N.J. : Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science and Research, 2023-04) Bologna, Paul; Gaynor, John; Meredith, Robert; Schuler, Matthew
For the last decade we have been monitoring and investigating the gelatinous zooplankton community in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey. During this time frame, Barnegat Bay was severely impacted by Superstorm Sandy, which directly impacted the density of the top predator the Bay Nettle (Chrysaora chesapeakei), allowing a more diverse community of gelatinous zooplankton species to flourish after the storm. In addition, the operation of the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station (OCNGS) has put significant stresses on the health of Barnegat Bay for over 50 years through direct destruction of planktonic organisms, redirection of water flow used in cooling the plant, and a chronic thermal stress. This research looked at determining the changes associated with the closure of the plant on the zooplankton community to assess whether the closure resulted in improved ecological conditions to support the recovery of Barnegat Bay after this chronic stress.
A Multi-Metric Site Evaluation Tool for Restoration of New Jersey’s Tidally Influenced Wetlands.
(Trenton, N.J. : Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science and Research, 2023-02) Yepsen, Metthea; Nassry, Mike; Raper, Kirk; Morrison, Donald
Wetland restoration is a complex science that attempts to facilitate positive changes in ecologic function via changes in integrated physical and biologic structure. Although wetland ecology is driven by a suite of interactive factors, frequently, a single parameter or metric is used to determine the restoration goals and measures of a project. Additionally, restoration and/or mitigation targets may be set and evaluated without a complete understanding of appropriate reference conditions the project is proposing to duplicate. As interest in adaptive restoration (focusing on resilience to sea level rise and storm impacts) grows, it is vital to provide information to correctly characterize baseline and changing conditions of the wetland being manipulated relative to a natural or reference condition for greater resilience. Precise evaluation of condition, function, and structure will allow for greater refinement in project design, effective monitoring plan development, and adaptive management strategies to achieve the target goals and objectives. The goals of this effort were to: 1) fill gaps in tidal wetland reference data in New Jersey, and 2) increase the accessibility of monitoring data to the public. This was accomplished by: 1) developing the NJ Reference Wetland Tool database; 2) filling data gaps on tidal wetland hydrology and water quality; 3) adding a long-term monitoring site in the Raritan River; and 4) developing tools that will assist standardized data collection in the future.
Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Groundwater Quality
(Trenton, N.J. : Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science and Research, 2023-10) Aziz, Zahid
This report synthesizes available scientific literature on the potential responses of different hydrogeological and biogeochemical processes to climate change and discusses how these processes could impact groundwater quality. This review suggests that the effects of climate change are likely to cause ephemeral and long-term impacts on groundwater quality driven by modifications of hydrogeological processes, including precipitation, groundwater recharge, discharge, capacity, and seawater intrusion. These modifications would influence biogeochemical reactions and the ultimate chemical fate and transport of contaminants, and are likely to drive the variability of both anthropogenic and geogenic contaminants.
Sources of Atmospheric Fine Particles and Mercury in New Jersey
(Trenton, N.J. : Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science and Research, 2023-09) Polissar, Alexander
Statistical analyses showed that the annual mercury wet deposition levels in New Jersey did not decline substantially despite new regulations that significantly reduced mercury emissions in New Jersey. To explain this and to identify possible sources of air pollution in New Jersey, a receptor modeling study was conducted. The goal of the study was identification of the major sources of fine particles (PM2.5) and mercury (Hg) in New Jersey and investigation of changes in their contributions over time. An advanced factor analysis method, Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF), was used as a receptor modeling tool for the combined mercury and chemical composition particulate data set from Brigantine, New Jersey. Different sources of air pollution, such as coal and oil combustion, metal production, wood combustion, soil, and sea salt emissions, have been identified. Midwestern coal combustion was identified as a major source for PM2.5 in New Jersey. Time series for the three sources – oil combustion source with high loadings of V and Ni, coal combustion source with high loadings of SO4=, and incineration/metal production source with high loadings of Pb and Zn showed a negative trend. Major sources of the different mercury fractions have been identified as well. Time series for some of these sources, related to mercury emissions, showed a negative trend, while others exhibited no trend. Further research is necessary to determine the reasons behind the lack of decline in wet deposition of mercury. The results of the receptor modeling show that the PMF represents a useful and important tool for identifying and quantifying the sources of air pollutants.

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