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P. C. Baumann

Publications and source records attributed to P. C. Baumann.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2007

First steps in developing a multimetric macroinvertebrate index for the Ohio River

The causes of degradation of aquatic systems are often complex and stem from a variety of human influences. Comprehensive, multimetric biological indices have been developed to quantify this degradation and its effect on aquatic communities, and measure subsequent recovery from anthropogenic stressors. Traditionally, such indices have concentrated on small-to medium-sized streams. Recently, however, the Ohio River Fish Index (ORFIn) was created to assess biotic integrity in the Ohio River. The goal of the present project was to begin developing a companion Ohio River multimetric index using benthic macroinvertebrates. Hester-Dendy multiplate samplers were used to evaluate benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in relation to a gradient of water quality disturbance, represented by varying distances downstream of industrial and municipal wastewater outfalls in the Ohio River. In August 1999 and 2000, samplers were set every 100 m downstream of outfalls (12 outfalls in 1999, 22 in 2000) for 300-1000 m, as well as at upstream reference sites. Candidate metrics (n = 55) were examined to determine which have potential to detect changes in water quality downstream of outfalls. These individual measures of community structure were plotted against distance downstream of each outfall to determine their response to water quality disturbance. Values at reference and outfall sites were also compared. Metrics that are ecologically relevant and showed a response to outfall disturbance were identified as potentially valuable in a multimetric index. Multiple box plots of index scores indicated greater response to outfall disturbance during periods of low-flow, and longitudinal river-wide trends. Evaluation of other types of anthropogenic disturbance, as well as continued analysis of the effects of chemical water quality on macroinvertebrate communities in future years will facilitate further development of a multimetric benthic macroinvertebrate index to evaluate biotic integrity in the Ohio River. Copyright ?? 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

River Research and Applications↗
USGS2006

DNA damage and external lesions in brown bullheads (Ameiurus nebulosus) from contaminated habitats

The Comet assay was used to compare levels of DNA damage in brown bullheads ( Ameiurus nebulosus ) collected from three known contaminated locations, the Cuyahoga River (OH, USA), Ashtabula River (OH, USA; both tributaries to Lake Erie, USA), and Ashumet Pond (Cape Cod, MA, USA), with brown bullheads collected from three paired reference sites, Old Woman Creek (OH, USA), Conneaut River (OH, USA; both tributaries to Lake Erie), and Great Herring Pond (mainland MA, USA), respectively. Blood was sampled from each fish, and the Comet assay was conducted on erythrocytes. The assay results demonstrate that fish from the three contaminated sites each suffered higher DNA damage compared with fish from their respective reference sites. The results also show that the genetic damage was associated with the occurrence of external lesions and deformities in fish. The Comet assay is sufficiently sensitive to detect exposure of natural fish populations to environmental levels of genotoxic contaminants.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗
USGS2006

Biliary PAH metabolites and the hepatosomatic index of brown bullheads from Lake Erie tributaries

In studies designed to investigate the environmental exposure of fish in Lake Erie tributaries, a benthic fish, the brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus), was collected from the industrially contaminated Detroit River, Ottawa River, Black River, Cuyahoga River-harbor and -upstream, Ashtabula River, Buffalo River, and Niagara River, and the non-industrialized Old Woman Creek during 1997-2000. Biliary benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P)- and naphthalene (NAPH)-type metabolites and the hepatosomatic index (HSI) were measured in fish and compared between different sites. Fish from all of the contaminated sites except Niagara River had significantly higher concentrations of both types of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites than fish from the Old Woman Creek. Concentrations of PAH metabolites in bile of fish were positively associated with concentrations of PAHs in sediments, supporting the use of bile metabolites as a measure of PAH exposure. Relatively low concentrations of PAHs detected in fish bile and sediments of the Niagara River, which had undergone extensive remediation, suggested a lowered PAH exposure for fish at this site. No apparent trend was observed in HSI between the industrialized and non-industrialized sites. This study demonstrates that biliary PAH metabolites are an effective indicator of exposure of fish to PAHs. However, because factors other than contamination could also affect the liver size of wild fish, HSI alone may be not a reliable biomarker for assessing contaminant stress. ?? 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ecological Indicators↗
USGS2006

Fish health study Ashtabula River natural resource damage assessment

INTRODUCTION The Ashtabula River is located in northeast Ohio, flowing into Lake Erie at Ashtabula, Ohio. Tributaries include Fields Brook, Hubbard Run, Strong Brook, and Ashtabula Creek. The bottom sediments, bank soils and biota of Fields Brook have been severely contaminated by unregulated discharges of hazardous substances. Hazardous substances have migrated downstream from Fields Brook to the Ashtabula River and Harbor, contaminating bottom sediments, fish and wildlife. There are presently more than 1,000,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment in the Ashtabula River and Harbor, much of which originated from Fields Brook. Contaminants include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), chlorinated benzenes, chlorinated ethenes, hexachlorobutadiene, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), other organic chemicals, heavy metals and low level radionuclides. A Preassessment Screen, using existing data, was completed for the Ashtabula River and Harbor on May 18, 2001. Among the findings was that the fish community at Ashtabula contained approximately 45 percent fewer species and 52 percent fewer individuals than the Ohio EPA designated reference area, Conneaut Creek. The Ashtabula River and Conneaut Creek are similar in many respects, with the exception of the presence of contamination at Ashtabula. The difference in the fish communities between the two sites is believed to be at least partially a result of the hazardous substance contamination at Ashtabula. In order to investigate this matter further, the Trustees elected to conduct a study of the status and health of the aquatic biological communities of the Ashtabula River and Conneaut Creek in 2002-2004. The following document contains brief method descriptions (more detail available in attached Appendix A) and a summary of the data used to evaluate the health status of brown bullheads (Ameiurus nebulosus) and largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) collected from the above sites.

Ohio↗
USGS2003

Fish biliary PAH metabolites estimated by fixed-wavelength fluorescence as an indicator of environmental exposure and effects

Biliary polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites have been studied since the mid 1980s as an indicator of exposure of fish to PAHs. However, the measurements of PAH metabolites are often costly and time-consuming. A simple and rapid method, fixed-wavelength fluorescence (FF), was used to measure the concentrations of benzo(a)pyrene (B[a]P)-type and naphthalene (NAPH)-type PAH metabolites in the bile of brown bullheads ( Ameiurus nebulosus ) collected from Old Woman Creek, Ottawa River, Cuyahoga River-harbor and Cuyahoga River-upstream. The biliary PAH metabolites in fish from the less contaminated Old Woman Creek were significantly lower than those from the industrially contaminated Ottawa and Cuyahoga rivers. The levels of biliary PAH metabolites were found to be related to the PAH sediment contamination for the four sites except Cuyahoga River-upstream, and to the prevalence of fish barbel abnormalities and external raised lesions observed in all rivers except Ottawa. Statistical analysis revealed a significant association between the occurrence of barbel abnormalities and concentrations of biliary NAPH-type metabolites and between the occurrence of raised lesions and concentrations of B[a]P-type metabolites. This study provides added evidence that FF is an effective bile analysis method for determining the exposure of fish to PAHs. This study also indicates that the measurement of PAH metabolites could help establish causal relationship between the chemical exposure and effects such as barbel abnormalities and raised lesions.

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗
USGS2000

Cancer

No abstract available at this time

Book chapter↗
USGS1998

Epizootics of cancer in fish associated with genotoxins sediment and water

Neoplasm epizootics in fish from a wide variety of freshwater, marine, and estuarine locations have been associated with genotoxins in sediment or water. The majority of cases have involved benthic or bottom feeding fish living in habitats with sediment contaminated by PAHs. The most common lesions involved in such epizootics include liver neoplasms, both biliary and hepatic, and skin neoplasms. Laboratory research has demonstrated the ability of fish to metabolize carcinogenic PAHs such as B( a )P into the ultimate carcinogen with the resulting formation of DNA adducts. Fish dosed with B( a )P or sediment extracts containing carcinogenic PAHs have developed skin and liver neoplasms. In the Black River, OH, neoplasm prevalence in wild brown bullhead has reflected PAH exposure as the latter has changed due to coke plant closures and remedial dredging activity. The weight of evidence supports a cause-and-effect relationship between exposure to genotoxins in sediment and water and neoplasm epizootics in wild fish populations.

Mutation Research↗
USGS1998

Long term trends liver neoplasm epizootics of brown bullhead in the Black River, Ohio

Since 1980, liver neoplasms in brown bullhead and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in sediment have been researched in a series of studies on the Black River in Lorain, Ohio. In the early 1980s the liver cancer prevalence in fish of age 3 and older was high, ranging from 22% to 39% of the adult population. These high cancer rates corresponded to high levels of PAHs in the sediment resulting from long-term releases by an upstream coking facility (USX). In 1983 this coking plant was closed, and by 1987 the PAH in sediment had declined by about two orders of magnitude. Coincidentally the tumor prevalence in 1987 was only about one-fourth of that in the early 1980s. In 1990, the most contaminated sediments were dredged. Neoplasm surveys in 1992 and 1993 found liver tumor frequencies in mature bullhead were as high as or higher than in the early 1980s. However liver tumor incidence declined in 1994, especially among age 3 fish, where neoplasm incidence was zero. These age 3 fish were the first group sampled that were not present during the 1990 dredging. These data are consistent with a hypothesis that the increase in tumor prevalence in 1992 and 1993 was caused by exposure to buried PAH-contaminated sediments released by the dredging. This research points out the insight provided by long term effects studies.

Ohio↗
USGS1996

Linkages between chemical contaminants and tumors benthic Great Lakes fish

Cutaneous papilloma have been observed at high prevalences in populations of brown bullheads ( Ameiurus nebulosus ) and white suckers ( Catostomus commersoni ) distributed throughout the Great Lakes, with no clear-cut delineation between prevalences in fish populations from industrialized sites in comparison to more pristine sites. However, bullhead papilloma prevalences greater than 20% were never observed at pristine reference sites, while high prevalences of sucker papilloma (> 20%) were only observed in populations from the lower Great Lakes. It is probable that there is a viral etiology for papilloma affecting bullheads and suckers, although chemical contaminants may influence the development of these neoplasms through some mechanism. Hepatic neoplasms of both cholangiocytic and hepatocytic origin have been observed at relatively high prevalences in Great Lakes populations of brown bullheads and white suckers. Prevalences of total hepatic neoplasms of > 9% in bullheads and > 3% in suckers were usually only observed in populations from industrialized areas of the Great Lakes. However, relatively high prevalences of hepatic neoplasms were also observed in suckers and bullheads from pristine areas where there is a preponderance of older fish in the population. In the case of both bullheads and suckers, high prevalences of hepatic neoplasms appear to be associated with severe biliary disease (e.g. cholangiofibrosis, cholangiohepatitis). It is highly probable that the etiology of hepatic cancers in bullheads and suckers from the Great Lakes is associated with exposure to chemical contaminants, and in some areas, specifically with exposure to polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons. However, other chemical contaminants may indirectly influence hepatic tumor rates by increasing the severity of biliary disease in fish from contaminated areas. Overall, cutaneous papilloma prevalences above approximately 25% and hepatic neoplasm prevalences above approximately 5% in these species should be interpreted as an indicator of environmental degradation in the area where fish were surveyed.

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗