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Robert J. Hesselberg

Publications and source records attributed to Robert J. Hesselberg.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2020

Versatile combustion-amalgamation technique for the photometric determination of mercury in fish and environmental samples

Total mercury in a variety of substances is determined rapidly and precisely by direct sample combustion, collection of released mercury by amalgamation, and photometric measurement of mercury volatilized from the heated amalgam. Up to 0.2 g fish tissue is heated in a stream of O 2 (1.2 L/min) for 3.5 min in 1 tube of a 2-tube induction furnace. The released mercury vapor and combustion products are carried by the stream of O 2 through a series of traps (6% NaOH scrubber, water condenser, and Mg(ClO 4 ) 2 drying tube) and the mercury is collected in a 10 mm diameter column of 24 gauge gold wire (8 g) cut into 3 mm lengths. The resulting amalgam is heated in the second tube of the induction furnace and the volatilized mercury is measured with a mercury vapor meter equipped with a recorder-integrator. Total analysis time is approximately 8 min/sample. The detection limit is less than 0.002 μ g and the system is easily converted for use with other biological materials, water, and sediments.

Journal of the Association of Official Analytical ↗
USGS2002

Accumulation by fish of contaminants released from dredged sediments

Inasmuch as the process of dredging and disposing of dredged materials causes a resuspension of these materials and an increase in bioavailability of associated contaminants, we conducted a series of experiments to examine the potential accumulation by fish of contaminants from suspended sediments. In the first experiment we compared accumulation of contaminants by yellow perch of hatchery and lake origin and found that after 10 days of exposure to nonaerated sediments, fish of hatchery origin accumulated PCBs and Fe, while fish of lake origin accumulated As, Cr, Fe, and Na. Two additional exposures were conducted to evaluate the effects of aerating the sediments prior to measuring bioavailability of associated contaminants. Fish of hatchery origin exposed to nonaerated sediments for 10 days accumulated PCBs and Hg, while fish of hatchery origin exposed to aerated sediments for 10 days accumulated PCBs, DDE, Zn, Fe, Cs, and Se. These results demonstrated not only the potential for uptake of contaminants by fish as a result of dredging but also the potential utility of fish bioassays in evaluating proposed dredging operations.

Environmental Science & Technology↗
USGS1998

Net trophic transfer efficiency of PCBs to Lake Michigan coho salmon from their prey

Most of the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) body burden accumulated by coho salmon ( Oncorhynchus kisutch ) from the Laurentian Great Lakes is from their food. We used diet information, PCB determinations in both coho salmon and their prey, and bioenergetics modeling to estimate the efficiency with which Lake Michigan coho salmon retain PCBs from their food. Our estimate was the most reliable estimate to date because (a) the coho salmon and prey fish sampled during our study were sampled in spring, summer, and fall from various locations throughout the lake, (b) detailed measurements were made on the PCB concentrations of both coho salmon and prey fish over wide ranges in fish size, and (c) coho salmon diet was analyzed in detail from April through November over a wide range of salmon size from numerous locations throughout the lake. We estimated that coho salmon from Lake Michigan retain 50% of the PCBs that are contained within their food.

Environmental Science & Technology↗
USGS1996

Contaminant trends in lake trout and walleye from the Laurentian Great Lakes

Trends in PCBs, DDT, and other contaminants have been monitored in Great Lakes lake trout and walleye since the 1970s using composite samples of whole fish. Dramatic declines have been observed in concentrations of PCB, ΣDDT, dieldrin, and oxychlordane, with declines initially following first order loss kinetics. Mean PCB concentrations in Lake Michigan lake trout increased from 13 μg/g in 1972 to 23 μg/g in 1974, then declined to 2.6 μg/g by 1986. Between 1986 and 1992 there was little change in concentration, with 3.5 μg/g observed in 1992. ΣDDT in Lake Michigan trout followed a similar trend, decreasing from 19.2 μg/g in 1970 to 1.1 μg/g in 1986, and 1.2 μg/g in 1992. Similar trends were observed for PCBs and ΣDDT in lake trout from Lakes Superior, Huron and Ontario. Concentrations of both PCB and ΣDDT in Lake Erie walleye declined between 1977 and 1982, after which concentrations were relatively constant through 1990. When originally implemented it was assumed that trends in the mean contaminant concentrations in open-lake fish would serve as cost effective surrogates to trends in the water column. While water column data are still extremely limited it appears that for PCBs in lakes Michigan and Superior, trends in lake trout do reasonably mimic those in the water column over the long term. Hypotheses to explain the trends in contaminant concentrations are briefly reviewed. The original first order loss kinetics used to describe the initial decline do not explain the more recent leveling off of contaminant concentrations. Recent theories have examined the possibilities of multiple contaminant pools. We suggest another hypothesis, that changes in the food web may have resulted in increased bioaccumulation. However, a preliminary exploration of this hypothesis using a change point analysis was inconclusive.

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗
USGS1996

Discrimination among spawning concentrations of Lake Superior lake herring based on trace element profiles in sagittae

Little is known about the stock structure of lake herring Coregonus artedi in Lake Superior, and recent increases in harvestable stock sizes has led to expanded exploitation in some areas. Research on marine teleosts has demonstrated that chemical differences in sagittal otoliths can be used for identification of fish stocks. We used plasma emission spectrophotometry to measure the concentrations of 10 trace elements in the sagittal otoliths from lake herring captured at eight spawning sites in Lake Superior and from Little Star Lake. an inland lake outside the Lake Superior basin. Discriminant function analysis indicated that elemental concentrations provided site‐specific information but that considerable overlap existed among some locations, especially those in western Lake Superior. Correct classification rates varied from 12.0% to 86.1% and were generally higher for spawning locations from embayments in eastern Lake Superior and for the outgroup population from Little Star Lake. The results presented here demonstrate the potential usefulness of this technique for strictly freshwater species, especially those that live in highly oligotrophic waters such as Lake Superior.

Lake Superior, Little Star Lake↗
USGS1995

Evidence that PCBs are approaching stable concentrations in Lake Michigan fishes

We examined PCB concentration data for seven species of Lake Michigan fishes to determine what trends were apparent °20 yr after PCB restrictions became effective. Total PCB concentrations in all seven species, lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), brown trout (Salmo trutta), chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus), and bloater chub (Coregonus hoyi) declined and appeared to stabilize in the mid-to-late 1980s. Concentrations in two species, chinook and coho salmon, appear to have increased slightly since the late 1980s. All species are currently well below the high PCB levels that existed when PCB use was curtailed in the 1970s. We believe stabilizing concentrations are the result of large pools of PCBs that are being recycled in the environment. Atmospheric and sediment PCB inputs to the lake probably constitute current PCB sources. Increasing concentrations in chinook and coho salmon are likely the result of changing growth dynamics caused by alterations in the mid-trophic levels of the food web. Median stable PCB concentrations estimated in this analysis are below the current FDA action level of 2 mg/kg, but not appreciably below this threshold. Improvements beyond these levels may result if management practices that maximize fish growth rates are implemented. Detection of future improvements in PCB levels may require samples in the range of 1000-2000 fish because of the high variability in PCB concentrations among individuals.

Ecological Applications↗
USGS1990

A bioaccumulation bioassay for freshwater sediments

A laboratory bioassay is described for determining the bioavailability of contaminants from freshwater sediments. The bioassay consists of 10-d exposures to whole sediments under flow-through conditions. After testing five species, the fathead minnow ( Pimephales promelas ) and the earthworm ( Lubricus terrestris ) were recommended for use in the test. When the availability of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), Hg and Zn from Great Lakes sediments was examined in laboratory exposures, only the PCBs were accumulated. A field validation study demonstrated that the magnitude of accumulation in laboratory exposures was similar to that in organisms caged in the field. A protocol is recommended for using the test as a standardized bioaccumulation bioassay.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗
USGS1985

Contaminant trends in lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) of the upper Great Lakes

Contaminant body burdens in lake trout from the Upper Great Lakes have been monitored since 1970 on Lake Michigan and since 1977 and 1978 on Lakes Superior and Huron by USEPA, Great Lakes National Program Office and USFWS, Great Lakes Fishery Laboratory. Analysis of the Lake Michigan data shows that mean PCB concentrations declined from a maximum of 22.91 mg/kg in 1974 to 5.63 in 1982. Mean total DDT concentrations declined from 19.19 mg/kg in 1970 to 2.74 mg/kg in 1982. The decline in both contaminants closely followed first order loss kinetics. If the current decline continues, PCB concentrations will decline to the USFDA tolerance of 2.0 mg/kg in 1988. Mean total DDT concentrations will fall to the IJC objective of 1.0 mg/kg by 1991. Mean dieldrin concentrations increased significantly from 0.20 mg/kg in 1971 to 0.58 mg/kg in 1979 before declining to 0.21 mg/kg in 1982. The decline from 1979-1982 followed first order loss kinetics. As this decline is not reflected in other species (bloater chubs, smelt) it will require additional years of monitoring to determine if the decline in dieldrin concentrations between 1979 and 1982 truly represents a declining trend. Contaminants in lake trout from Lake Superior and Lake Huron generally declined over the study period. The only statistically significant trend other than in Lake Michigan was for total DDT which declined significantly in Lake Superior lake trout. Large data variance and the short time frame covered (1977-1982) interfered with detection of trends on Lakes Superior and Huron.

Report↗
USGS1984

Flow-through bioassay for measuring bioaccumulation of toxic substances from sediment

Over 10 million cubic meters of sediment are dredged annually from Great Lakes waterways. Because much of this material is taken from harbors, connecting channels, and other nearshore areas that often are contaminated with toxic substances, the sediments proposed for dredging need to be evaluated for the presence of bioavailable contaminants and the potential for toxicity to the biota. Sound decisions on the appropriate disposal of the dredged material can be made only after such an evaluation. Presently, no standardized procedure exists for evaluating dredged material in freshwater systems although current criteria for discharge of dredged material into marine water have been developed (USEPA/CE 1977). In the ocean discharge guideline, it is recommended that bioassays be conducted on liquid, solid, and suspended particulate phases of dredged material. because it appears that the solid phase has the greatest potential for environmental damage and because measurement of bioaccumulation must be made to evaluate sediments for disposal (USEPA/CE 1977, Seeyle and Mac 1983), we developed a bioassay for testing the solid phase of dredged material that measures the survival of organisms and, perhaps more important, the bioaccumulation of toxic substances by aquatic organisms from naturally contaminated sediments (Peddicord et al. 1980; Rubinstein et al. 1980, 1983; Seeyle st al. 1982), several have used testing methods that result in unacceptable mortality to control organisms (Bahnick et al. 1981, Prater et al. 1983). Our bioassay is intended to estimate the potential for bioaccumlation of contaminants from sediments that are not acutely toxic to test organisms, but are suspected of containing persistent contaminants. By using test organisms that are not highly susceptible to toxic compounds, the bioaccumulation test allows estimation of the potential food-chain accumulation of contaminants that may occur in local biota from surficial sediments. In practice, bioaccumulation observed in this bioassay by organisms exposed to test sediments (sediments to be dredged) would be compared to bioaccumulation observed from sediments collected from a reference site (e.g. a disposal site or open lake), and also from control sediments (relatively clean sediment). Decisions could then be based on a comparison of results between tests and reference sediments to determine if disposal would cause dehydration to the habitat, and between reference and control sediment to determine if even the reference material is seriously contaminated. Although the test is not intended to be a toxicity test per se, use of test, reference, and control sediments enables interpretation of any mortality of organisms that may occur during the bioassays. High mortality in bioassays with test or reference sediment would indicate acute toxicity of sediments in the project area. However if high mortality occurs in all three sediments, it can be assumed that the organisms were not in a healthy state at the time of testing. We describe the results of 10-day sediment bioassays in which both mortality and bioaccumulation were measured in four aquatic organisms. We exposed two infaunal organisms and two species of fish to test and control sediments in the laboratory.

Report↗
USGS1981

Growth and mortality of fry of Lake Michigan lake trout during chronic exposure to PCB's and DDE

Fry hatched from eggs of Lake Michigan lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) were exposed (beginning about 1 week after hatching) to contaminant concentrations of PCB's and DDE similar to those in water and plankton in southeastern Lake Michigan (1X level), and to concentrations about 5 (5X) and 25 (25X) times greater. Body concentrations of contaminants in fry (I?g/g) decreased at 1X levels of PCB's and at 1X and 5X levels of DDE, but generally increased at all other contaminant exposure levels. Uptake of PCB's and DDE was evident from increases in body burden (I?g/fish) of the contaminants at all exposure levels and the controls. Growth was not significantly affected by any of the contaminant exposures. Mortalities of fry exposed to the lower concentrations (1X and 5X) were significantly less than those of control fry before day 56; however, between days 57 and 136, mortality rates increased dramatically and were significantly higher in all nine exposed groups than in the control group. For the last 40-day period (days 137-176), mortality was low and leveled off, but continued to be significantly higher in all exposed fry (except those in 1X and 5X PCB's) than in control fry. By the end of the 176-day study, the total cumulative mortality ranged from 30.5 to 46.5% in the exposed groups and was 21.7% in the control group.

Technical Paper↗
USGS1981

Introduction and summary: Chlorinated hydrocarbons as a factor in the reproduction and survival of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) in Lake Michigan

Although lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush ) were considered extinct in Lake Michigan by the mid 1950's, control of the parasitic sea lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus ) and extensive restocking resulted in an abundance of hatchery-produced lake trout in the lake by the early 1970's. However, no naturally produced yearling or older lake trout have been found in the lake during nearly a decade of assessment sampling. Among the numerous hypotheses proposed to account for this apparent reproductive failure of the planted lake trout, a frequently suggested cause is the well-documented contamination of the fish by toxic substances such as DDT and its metabolites, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) at concentrations reported as adversely affecting the hatching of eggs and survival of larval fish. However, manually stripped and fertilized eggs of Lake Michigan lake trout have hatched successfully and the fry have survived normally under a variety of hatchery conditions. This observation led to studies at the Great Lakes Fishery Laboratory on the performance and survival of fry hatched from eggs of Lake Michigan lake trout and exposed for 6 months to PCB's (Aroclor 1254) and DDE at concentrations similar to those present in offshore waters and zooplankton of Lake Michigan (10.0 ng/L PCB's and 1.0 ng/L DDE in water; 1.0 μg/g PCB's and 0.1 μg/g DDE in food), and at concentrations 5 and 25 times higher. Cumulative mortality of the fry exposed to simulated Lake Michigan levels of PCB's and DDE for 6 months was 40.7% — nearly twice that of unexposed (control) fry — and mortality at the highest exposure level was 46.5%. Evaluation of the growth, swimming performance, predator avoidance, temperature preference, and metabolism of the fry showed no significant effects attributable to exposure to PCB's and DDE, except for a lowering of preferred temperature at the highest (25x) exposures (the only concentration tested) to each contaminant and (additively) both contaminants combined. Although several factors have undoubtedly contributed to the lack of recruitment of naturally produced lake trout in Lake Michigan, the levels of PCB's and DDE present during the early to mid 1970's were sufficient to significantly reduce survival of any fry produced in the lake and thereby impede restoration of the lake trout population to self-sustainability. The added exposure of the fry to other toxic substances known to be present in the lake could have further reduced survival.

Book chapter↗
USGS1974

PCB's and p,p'DDE in the blood of cachectic patients

The pheasant, in its North American range, seems to have had its greatest success in glaciated or in other areas associated with calcareous soils. Success has been slight in areas deficient in calcium.....In Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, no environmental difference other than presence or absence of limestone was discovered that might explain the high population in the limestone valley and the scarcity of pheasants in the non-calcareous Piedmont area....Pheasants at the Patuxent Refuge, when given limestone grit, reproduced successfully on a diet roughly comparable to the natural pheasant diet but failed to reproduce adequately on such a diet when granite grit, instead of limestone, was supplied.....A supplement of powdered calcium carbonate in the diet was adequate t,o permit production of eggs by birds on the granite grit.....Birds receiving granite grit had apparently normal eggs in the ovary but failed to ovulate more than a very few eggs. The precise role of calciun~i n permitting ovulation was not investigated.....It is concluded that calcium, which is low in the natural pheasant diet, must be supplemented in some way to permit pheasants to reproduce. Scarcity of this element in non-calcareous areas may well explain the failure of the pheasant in many parts of North America.

Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxico↗