Grantee Research Project Results
2002 Progress Report: Evaluating Recovery of Stream Ecosystems from Mining Pollution: Integrating Biochemical, Population, Community and Ecosystem Indicators
EPA Grant Number: R829515C004Subproject: this is subproject number 004 , 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: Evaluating Recovery of Stream Ecosystems from Mining Pollution: Integrating Biochemical, Population, Community and Ecosystem Indicators
Investigators: Clements, William , Ranville, James
Institution: Colorado State University , Colorado School of Mines
EPA Project Officer: Aja, Hayley
Project Period: November 1, 2001 through October 31, 2003
Project Period Covered by this Report: November 1, 2001 through October 31, 2002
Project Amount: Refer to main center abstract for funding details.
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 evaluate indicators of recovery in a metal-polluted stream (the Arkansas River) following remediation and improvements in water quality to: (1) assess the influence of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) on metal bioavailability and toxicity; and (2) investigate potential interactions between heavy metals and other anthropogenic stressors.
Progress Summary:
A summary of the primary accomplishments to date is as follows:
A portion of HSRC funding is being used to continue the biannual (spring and fall), long-term monitoring (since 1989) of the Arkansas River for benthic macroinvertebrate communities and water quality as part of an assessment to validate indicators and to test the hypothesis that aquatic organisms have responded to improvements in water quality after remediation of the Arkansas River. Samples have been collected upstream and downstream from the two primary sources of heavy metals: Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel (LMDT) and California Gulch (CG). Metal levels downstream from LMDT have decreased significantly since 1993, resulting in a dramatic improvement in benthic macroinvertebrate communities. In contrast, we have observed little recovery of benthic communities below CG, where metal levels remain elevated (500-1,500 µg/L).
We conducted experiments in stream microcosms to quantify concentration-response relationships between heavy metals and ecological indicators at different levels of biological organization (biochemical, population, community, and ecosystem). Results of these experiments indicate that mixtures of heavy metals (e.g., Zn+Cd+Cu) were more toxic to benthic macroinvertebrates than single metals, suggesting potential synergistic interactions. These microcosm results also showed that metal levels in the Arkansas River below CG sufficiently are elevated, causing direct mortality to natural populations.
We conducted a field experiment during summer 2002, to assess the effects of heavy metals on benthic macroinvertebrate communities in the Arkansas River. We placed colonization trays at an upstream reference site, and removed them after 35 days. We transferred the associated communities to 16 exposure chambers (25 x 25 x 10 cm). We then transferred chambers (n = 4) to an upstream site (EF5) located 200 m downstream from CG (AR3), and a third site located 7 km farther downstream (AR5). We removed the remaining four chambers to station AR1 as an additional reference. After 4 days, each chamber was removed, and the remaining organisms were preserved in the field. We currently are analyzing the results from this experiment.
In fall 2002, we examined the influence of organic carbon on Zn toxicity and bioavailability to macroinvertebrate communities in stream microcosms. Using a 2 x 2 factorial design (n = 4), we exposed communities to Zn (1,000 µg/L) in the presence or absence of organic carbon (12 mg/L as humic acids). We placed benthic invertebrate communities and periphyton from the Upper Arkansas River in each experimental stream and exposed them to treatments for 10 days. To measure metal bioavailability, we placed caddisflies (Arctopsyche grandis) in an enclosed cage in each of the streams. Response variables included community composition, bioaccumulation of Zn in A. grandis, drift frequency, community respiration, productivity, and chlorophyll-a. We currently are analyzing the results from this experiment.
In fall 2002, we measured the influence of organic carbon and ultraviolet radiation (UV-B) on Zn toxicity in stream microcosms. Using a 2 x 2 factorial design, we exposed communities to Zn in the presence or absence of organic carbon 1 (2 mg/L as humic acid) and UV-B radiation. We placed a small, enclosed cage containing five A. grandis in each stream. Response variables included community composition, bioaccumulation of Zn in A. grandis, drift frequency, community respiration, productivity, and chlorophyll-a. Currently, we are analyzing the results from this experiment.
Future Activities:
We will continue field experiments, microcosm experiments, and routine biomonitoring of potential recovery at the Arkansas River in 2003. In addition, we will investigate the interactions between heavy metals and novel stressors on sublethal endpoints, including growth and secondary production of benthic macroinvertebrates.
Supplemental Keywords:
streams, ecological effects, Rocky Mountains, ecosystem protection, industry sectors, aquatic ecosystem restoration, chemical mixtures, groundwater remediation, NAIC 21, environmental biology, acid mine discharge, acid mine drainage, acid mine runoff, aquatic ecosystem, aquatic toxicology, bioavailability, community involvement, contaminant transport, contaminated aquifers, contaminated groundwater, contaminated waste sites, ecological recovery, environmental rehabilitation, extraction of metals, geochemistry, groundwater pollution, heavy metal contamination, hydrogeology, leaching of toxic metals, metal release, metal wastes, mining wastes, monitoring, remediation technologies, restoration strategies, rivers, stakeholder groups, stream ecosystem, treatment, dissolved organic carbon, DOC., RFA, Industry Sectors, Scientific Discipline, Waste, Water, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Remediation, Ecosystem/Assessment/Indicators, Ecosystem Protection, Mining - NAIC 21, Restoration, Hazardous Waste, Ecology and Ecosystems, Ecological Risk Assessment, Environmental Engineering, Groundwater remediation, Hazardous, Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration, hydrogeology, risk assessment, monitoring, stakeholder groups, aquatic ecosystem, contaminated waste sites, contaminant transport, contaminated sites, community involvement, streams, acid mine drainage, remediation technologies, bioavailability, metal release, restoration strategies, mining, leaching of toxic metals, treatment, ecological recovery, geochemistry, rivers, water quality criteria, contaminated groundwater, acid mine discharge, aquatic ecosystems, environmental rehabilitation, water quality, contaminated aquifers, extraction of metals, metal wastes, ecological impact, ecological indicators, heavy metal contamination, heavy metals, mining wastes, metals, stream ecosystem, acid mine runoffRelevant Websites:
http://www.engr.colostate.edu/hsrc/ Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractMain 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.