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278 records · Page 16Linked to original sources
USGS2000

Effects of contaminants in dredge material from the Lower Savannah River

Contaminants entering aquatic systems from agricultural, industrial, and municipal activities are generally sequestered in bottom sediments. The environmental significance of contaminants associated with sediments dredged from Savannah Harbor, Georgia, USA, are unknown. To evaluate potential effects of contaminants in river sediments and sediments dredged and stored in upland disposal areas on fish and wildlife species, solid-phase sediment and sediment pore water from Front River, Back River, an unnamed Tidal Creek on Back River, and Middle River of the distributary system of the lower Savannah River were tested for toxicity using the freshwater amphipod Hyalella azteca . In addition, bioaccumulation of metals from sediments collected from two dredge-disposal areas was determined using the freshwater oligochaete Lumbriculus variegatus . Livers from green-winged teals ( Anas crecca ) and lesser yellowlegs ( Tringa flavipes ) foraging in the dredge-spoil areas and raccoons ( Procyon lotor ) from the dredge-disposal/river area and an upland site were collected for metal analyses. Survival of H. azteca was not reduced in solid-phase sediment exposures, but was reduced in pore water from several locations receiving drainage from dredge-disposal areas. Basic water chemistry (ammonia, alkalinity, salinity) was responsible for the reduced survival at several sites, but PAHs, metals, and other unidentified factors were responsible at other sites. Metal residues in sediments from the Tidal Creek and Middle River reflected drainage or seepage from adjacent dredge-disposal areas, which could potentially reduce habitat quality in these areas. Trace metals increased in L. variegatus exposed in the laboratory to dredge-disposal sediments; As, Cu, Hg, Se, and Zn bioaccumulated to concentrations higher than those in the sediments. Certain metals (Cd, Hg, Mo, Se) were higher in livers of birds and raccoons than those in dredge-spoil sediments suggesting bioavailability. Cadmium, Ct, Hg, Pb, and Se in livers from raccoons collected near the river and dredge-disposal areas were significantly higher than those of raccoons from the upland control site. Evidence of bioaccumulation from laboratory and field evaluations and concentrations in sediments from dredge-disposal areas and river channels demonstrated that some metals in the dredge-disposal areas are mobile and biologically available. Drainage from dredge-disposal areas may be impacting habitat quality in the river, and fish and wildlife that feed and nest in the disposal area pm the lower Savannah River may be at risk from metal contamination.

Georgia, South Carolina↗
USGS2000

Toxicity of manganese to Ceriodaphnia dubia and Hyalella azteca

Manganese is a toxic element frequently overlooked when assessing toxicity of effluents, sediments, and pore waters. Manganese can be present at toxic levels in anoxic solutions due to increased solubility under chemically reducing conditions, and it can remain at those levels for days in aerated test waters due to slow precipitation kinetics. Ceriodaphnia dubia and Hyalella azteca are freshwater organisms often used for toxicity testing and recommended for assessments of effluents and pore waters. Lethal and reproductive-inhibition concentrations of Mn were determined for C. dubia in acute 48-h tests and chronic three-brood tests using animals <24 h old and between 24 and 48 h old. Sensitivity of H. azteca to Mn was determined with 7-day-old animals in acute 96-h tests. Tests were run at three levels of water hardness to assess the amelioratory effect, which was often significant. Manganese concentrations were measured analytically at test initiation and after 96 h for calculation of toxicity and determination of Mn precipitation during the tests. Minimal amounts of Mn (≤3%) precipitated within 96 h. LC 50 s determined for H. azteca progressively increased from 3.0 to 8.6 to 13.7 mg Mn/L in soft, moderately hard, and hard waters, respectively. The tolerance of C. dubia to Mn was not significantly different between moderately hard and hard waters, but was significantly lower in soft water. Manganese sensitivity of C. dubia was not significantly different between the ages tested. Acute LC 50 values for C. dubia averaged 6.2, 14.5 and 15.2 mg Mn/L and chronic IC 50 values averaged 3.9, 8.5 and 11.5 mg Mn/L for soft, moderately-hard and hard waters, respectively. Manganese toxicity should be considered when assessing solutions with concentrations approaching these levels.

Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxico↗
USGS2000

Selenium concentrations in the Colorado pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius): Relationship with flows in the upper Colorado River

A Department of the Interior (DOI) irrigation drainwater study of the Uncompahgre Project area and the Grand Valley in western Colorado revealed high selenium concentrations in water, sediment, and biota samples. The lower Gunnison River and the Colorado River in the study area are designated critical habitat for the endangered Colorado pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius) and razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus). Because of the endangered status of these fish, sacrificing individuals for tissue residue analysis has been avoided; consequently, little information existed regarding selenium tissue residues. In 1994, muscle plugs were collected from a total of 39 Colorado pikeminnow captured at various Colorado River sites in the Grand Valley for selenium residue analysis. The muscle plugs collected from 16 Colorado pikeminnow captured at Walter Walker State Wildlife Area (WWSWA) contained a mean selenium concentration of 17 ??g/g dry weight, which was over twice the recommended toxic threshold guideline concentration of 8 ??g/g dry weight in muscle tissue for freshwater fish. Because of elevated selenium concentrations in muscle plugs in 1994, a total of 52 muscle plugs were taken during 1995 from Colorado pikeminnow staging at WWSWA. Eleven of these plugs were from fish previously sampled in 1994. Selenium concentrations in 9 of the 11 recaptured fish were significantly lower in 1995 than in 1994. Reduced selenium in fish may in part be attributed to higher instream flows in 1995 and lower water selenium concentrations in the Colorado River in the Grand Valley. In 1996, muscle plugs were taken from 35 Colorado squawfish captured at WWSWA, and no difference in mean selenium concentrations were detected from those sampled in 1995. Colorado River flows during 1996 were intermediate to those measured in 1994 and 1995.

Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxico↗
USGS2000

Mixed-function oxygenases, oxidative stress, and chromosomal damage measured in lesser scaup wintering on the Indiana Harbor Canal

During the winter of 1993-1994, male lesser scaup ( Aythya alfinis ) were collected on the heavily polluted Indiana Harbor Canal, East Chicago, Indiana, and examined for several bioindicators of chemical exposure. Livers were analyzed for activities of three cytochrome P450-associated monooxygenases and four measures of oxidative stress. Blood and spleen were analyzed by flow cytometry for chromosomal damage. In a concurrent study, scaup tissues were analyzed for organic and inorganic contaminants. Ethoxyresomfm-O-dealkylase (EROD) activity in livers of scaup collected in January 1994 was significantly higher than in livers of scaup collected in March 1994 or in livers of reference birds. Three hepatic monooxygenase activities were each significantly correlated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations in scaup carcasses. Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) activity in scaup livers was positively correlated with iron, boron, and lead concentrations in livers and polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations in carcasses. TBA activity was negatively correlated with protein-bound thiol activity and mercury concentrations in livers. The coefficient of variation of DNA content in scaup blood cells was correlated with PAH concentrations in scaup carcasses. This is the first field study with birds to demonstrate a correlation between liver monooxygenase activity and carcass PAH concentrations and to show a direct correlation between PAH concentrations in tissues and somatic chromosomal damage in blood.

Indiana↗
USGS2006

Trends of chlorinated organic contaminants in Great Lakes trout and walleye from 1970-1998

Levels of chlorinated organic contaminants in predator fish have been monitored annually in each of the Great Lakes since the 1970s. This article updates earlier reports with data from 1991 to 1998 for lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) and (Lake Erie only) walleye (Sander vitreus) to provide a record that now extends nearly 30 years. Whole fish were analyzed for a number of industrial contaminants and pesticides, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT), dieldrin, toxaphene, and mirex, and contaminant trends were quantified using multicompartment models. As in the past, fish from Lakes Michigan, Ontario, and Huron have the highest levels of PCBs, DDT, and dieldrin; Superior has the highest levels of toxaphene; and Ontario has the highest levels of mirex. In the period after curtailment of chemical use, concentrations rapidly decreased, represented by relatively short half-lives from approximately 1 to 9 years. Although trends depend on both the contaminant and the lake, in many cases the rate of decline has been decreasing, and concentrations are gradually approaching an irreducible concentration. For dioxin-like PCBs, levels have not been decreasing during the most recent 5-year period (1994 to 1998). In some cases, the year-to-year variation in contaminant levels is large, mainly because of food-web dynamics. Although this variation sometimes obscures long-term trends, the general pattern of a rapid decrease followed by slowing or leveling-off of the downward trend seems consistent across the Great Lakes, and future improvements of the magnitude seen in the 1970s and early 1980s likely will take much longer.

Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxico↗
USGS2006

Phosphorus amendment reduces hematological effects of lead in mallards ingesting contaminated sediments

Lead poisoning of waterfowl has been reported for decades in the Coeur d?Alene River Basin (CDARB) in Idaho as a result of the ingestion of lead-contaminated sediments. This study was conducted to determine whether the addition of phosphoric acid to sediments would reduce the bioavailability and toxicity of lead to mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) as related to adverse hematological effects and altered plasma chemistries. Mallards received diets containing 12% clean sediment (controls) or 12% sediment from three different CDARB sites containing 4520, 5390, or 6990 :g/g lead (dw) with or without phosphoric acid amendment. Blood lead concentrations were significantly higher in all CDARB treatment groups and ranged from geometric mean values of 5.0 ug/g for the first two sites to 6.2 ug/g for the third site. With amendments, all blood lead concentrations became 41% to 64% lower. Red blood cell ALAD activity was depressed by 90% or more with lead-contaminated sediment from all sites and did not differ with amended diets. Free erythrocyte protoporphyrin (FEP) concentrations were elevated by contaminated sediment from all sites. Amendment decreased the elevations in FEP by as much as 80%. Hematocrit values and hemoglobin concentrations were lower for all lead site sediments by as much as 30% for site 3. Plasma enzyme activities for ALT, CK, and LDH-L were elevated by as much as 2.2-fold, and plasma creatinine concentration was 1.7-fold higher for site 3 sediment. Amendments restored hematocrit, hemoglobin, and plasma enzyme activities so that they did not differ from controls. Although amendments of phosphorus substantially reduced the bioavailability of lead and alleviated many of the adverse hematological effects, lead concentrations in the blood of mallards fed the amended sediments were still above those believed to be harmful to waterfowl under the present conditions.

Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxico↗
USGS2006

Effects of lead-contaminated sediment on Rana sphenocephala tadpoles

We exposed larval southern leopard frogs (Rana sphenocephala) to lead-contaminated sediments to determine the lethal and sublethal effects of this metal. Tadpoles were laboratory-raised from early free-swimming stage through metamorphosis at lead concentrations of 45, 75, 180, 540, 2360, 3940, 5520, and 7580 mg/kg dry weight in sediment. Corresponding pore water lead concentrations were 123, 227, 589, 1833, 8121, 13,579, 19,038, and 24,427 ug/L. Tadpoles exposed to lead concentrations in sediment of 3940 mg/kg or higher died within 2 to 5 days of exposure. At lower concentrations, mortality through metamorphosis ranged from 3.5% at 45 mg/kg lead to 37% at 2360 mg/kg lead in sediment. The LC50 value for lead in sediment was 3728 mg/kg (95% CI=1315 to 72,847 mg/kg), which corresponded to 12,539 ug/L lead in pore water (95% CI= 4000 to 35,200 ug/L). Early growth and development were depressed at 2,360 mg/kg lead in sediment (8100 ug/L in pore water) but differences were not evident by the time of metamorphosis. The most obvious effect of lead was its pronounced influence on skeletal development. Whereas tadpoles at 45 mg/kg lead in sediment did not display permanent abnormalities, skeletal malformations increased in frequency and severity at all higher lead concentrations. By 2360 mg/kg, 100% of surviving metamorphs displayed severe spinal problems, reduced femur and humerus lengths, deformed digits, and other bone malformations. Lead concentrations in tissues correlated positively with sediment and pore water concentrations.

Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxico↗
USGS2009

Species differences in the sensitivity of avian embryos to methylmercury

We injected doses of methylmercury into the air cells of eggs of 26 species of birds and examined the dose-response curves of embryo survival. For 23 species we had adequate data to calculate the median lethal concentration (LC50). Based on the dose-response curves and LC50s, we ranked species according to their sensitivity to injected methylmercury. Although the previously published embryotoxic threshold of mercury in game farm mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) has been used as a default value to protect wild species of birds, we found that, relative to other species, mallard embryos are not very sensitive to injected methylmercury; their LC50 was 1.79 ug/g mercury on a wet-weight basis. Other species we categorized as also exhibiting relatively low sensitivity to injected methylmercury (their LC50s were 1 ug/g mercury or higher) were the hooded merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus), lesser scaup (Aythya affinis), Canada goose (Branta canadensis), double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus), and laughing gull (Larus atricilla). Species we categorized as having medium sensitivity (their LC50s were greater than 0.25 ug/g mercury but less than 1 ug/g mercury) were the clapper rail (Rallus longirostris), sandhill crane (Grus canadensis), ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), chicken (Gallus gallus), common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula), tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor), herring gull (Larus argentatus), common tern (S terna hirundo), royal tern (Sterna maxima), Caspian tern (Sterna caspia), great egret (Ardea alba), brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis), and anhinga (Anhinga anhinga). Species we categorized as exhibiting high sensitivity (their LC50s were less than 0.25 ug/g mercury) were the American kestrel (Falco sparverius), osprey (Pandion haliaetus), white ibis (Eudocimus albus), snowy egret (Egretta thula), and tri-colored heron (Egretta tricolor). For mallards, chickens, and ring-necked pheasants (all species for which we could compare the toxicity of our injected methylmercury with that of published reports where methylmercury was fed to breeding adults and was deposited into the egg by the mother), we found the injected mercury to be more toxic than the same amount of mercury deposited naturally by the mother. The rank order of sensitivity of these same three species to methylmercury was, however, the same whether the methylmercury was injected or maternally deposited in the egg (i.e., the ring-necked pheasant was more sensitive than the chicken, which was more sensitive than the mallard). It is important to note that the dose-response curves and LC50s derived from our egg injections are useful for ranking the sensitivities of various species but are not identical to the LC50s that would be observed if the mother bird had put the same concentrations of mercury into her eggs; the LC50s of maternally deposited methylmercury would be higher.

Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxico↗