Grantee Research Project Results
Metal Toxicity Thresholds for Important Reclamation Plant Species of the Rocky Mountains
EPA Grant Number: R829515C012Subproject: this is subproject number 012 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant R829515
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: Center for Comprehensive, optimaL, and Effective Abatement of Nutrients
Center Director: Arabi, Mazdak
Title: Metal Toxicity Thresholds for Important Reclamation Plant Species of the Rocky Mountains
Investigators: Paschke, Mark W , Redente, Edward F
Institution: Colorado State University
EPA Project Officer: Aja, Hayley
Project Period: October 1, 2003 through September 30, 2006
RFA: Hazardous Substance Research Centers - HSRC (2001) Recipients Lists
Research Category: Hazardous Waste/Remediation , Land and Waste Management
Objective:
The objective of this research project is to establish soil metal toxicity thresholds for numerous plant species that are commonly used in reclamation activities in the Rocky Mountains. This information currently is not available; therefore ecological risk assessments must rely on toxicity thresholds established for agronomic species. These crop plants have very different physiological characteristics and sensitivity levels than native species used in the reclamation of sites contaminated with metals. As a result, risk assessors may classify sites as phytotoxic to native species and call for intensive remediation activities that may not be necessary. The objective of this work is to provide a better estimate of the soil metal toxicity thresholds for four metals and a large number of native plant and a few commonly used introduced species. These threshold values would be used by those in the reclamation industry (government regulators and private entities) to assess more accurately risks associated with soil metal contamination and to better match revegetation plant species to site conditions.
Supplemental Keywords:
Technical Outreach Services for Communities, TOSC, Technical Assistance to Brownfields, TAB, groundwater, industry sectors, waste, water, ecological risk assessment, ecology, ecosystems, ecology and ecosystems, environmental chemistry, environmental engineering, geology, geochemistry, toxicology, microbiology, hazardous, hazardous waste, mining-NAIC 21, selenium, acid mine drainage, acid mine runoff, aquatic ecosystems, arsenic, contaminant transport, contaminated sediments, contaminated marine sediment, contaminated waste sites, contaminated sites, contaminated soil, field monitoring, mining-impacted runoff, sediment transport, stream ecosystems, suspended sediment, sediments, mining, remediation, metal mobility, subsurface, extraction of metals, heavy metals, leaching of toxic metals, metal release, metal wastes, metals, metals-contaminated soil, mining wastes, remediation technologies, risk assessment,, RFA, Industry Sectors, Scientific Discipline, INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, Waste, TREATMENT/CONTROL, POLLUTANTS/TOXICS, Waste Treatment, Remediation, Mining - NAIC 21, Chemicals, Hazardous Waste, Ecological Risk Assessment, Ecology and Ecosystems, Hazardous, Geology, contaminated sediments, risk assessment, plant species, contaminated waste sites, contaminant transport, contaminated sites, acid mine drainage, remediation technologies, contaminated soil, metal release, environmental engineering, leaching of toxic metals, metals-contaminated soil, treatment, metal extraction, extraction of metals, metal wastes, phytoremediation, heavy metals, mining wastes, acid mine runoff, metalsProgress and Final Reports:
Main Center Abstract and Reports:
R829515 Center for Comprehensive, optimaL, and Effective Abatement of Nutrients Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R829515C001 Redox Transformations, Complexation and Soil/Sediment
Interactions of Inorganic Forms of As and Se in Aquatic Environments: Effects
of Natural Organic Matter
R829515C002 Fate and Transport of Metals and Sediment in Surface Water
R829515C003 Metal Removal Capabilities of Passive Bioreactor Systems: Effects of Organic Matter and Microbial Population Dynamics
R829515C004 Evaluating Recovery of Stream Ecosystems from Mining Pollution:
Integrating Biochemical, Population, Community and Ecosystem Indicators
R829515C005 Rocky Mountain Regional Hazardous Substance Research Center
Training and Technology Transfer Program
R829515C006 Technical Outreach Services for Communities and Technical Assistance to Brownfields
R829515C007 Evaluation of Hydrologic Models for Alternative Covers at Mine Waste Sites
R829515C008 Microbial Reduction of Uranium in Mine Leachate by Fermentative and Iron-Reducing Bacteria
R829515C009 Development and Characterization of Microbial Inocula for High-Performance Passive Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage
R829515C010 Reactive Transport Modeling of Metal Removal From Anaerobic Biozones
R829515C011 Assessment of Electrokinetic Injection of Amendments for Remediation of Acid Mine Drainage
R829515C012 Metal Toxicity Thresholds for Important Reclamation Plant Species of the Rocky Mountains
R829515C013 An Improved Method for Establishing Water Quality Criteria for Mining Impacted Streams
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.