Grantee Research Project Results
2003 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, 2002 through October 31, 2003
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:
Results of an ongoing, long-term (14-year) monitoring project in the Arkansas River showed a suite of indicators across several levels of biological organization that are sensitive to heavy metal contamination. Experiments conducted in the field and in stream microcosms have quantified concentration-response relationships between heavy metals and these biological indicators. These experiments estimated concentrations of metals that must be achieved during remediation to protect aquatic organisms in the Arkansas River. To expand the scale of our studies, a spatially extensive survey of 16 watersheds in the Upper Arkansas River basin was conducted. Results showed that landscape characteristics (such as amount of vegetation in a watershed) determined dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and ultimately regulated metal bioavailability to aquatic organisms.
Stream microcosm and field experiments were conducted in the spring of 2003 to examine the response of macroinvertebrates to heavy metal contamination on the community and population level. In contrast to experiments conducted during the summer of 2002, results did not show population-level responses. These differences were attributed to seasonal changes in the size distribution of the mayfly Rhithrogena hageni. Stream microcosm experiments established a concentration-response relationship between heavy metals and percent mortality of R. hageni. Based on EC50 values, the metal concentration that reduced abundance by 50 percent, mortality of these sensitive species was size dependent. The results indicate that life-stage is an important factor in determining the sensitivity of aquatic macroinvertebrates to heavy metal contaminants, and that population-level endpoints increase the precision of community based bioassessments.
Microcosm experiments allowed quantification of interactions between ultraviolet (UV)-B, organics, and metals. Aquatic communities collected upstream from California Gulch on the Arkansas River in Colorado were exposed to varying concentrations of DOC (12 mg/L humic acid), metals (zinc), and UV-B radiation in artificial streams. Results showed that periphyton accumulated more Zn in streams with elevated DOC levels. This implies that, in systems with higher DOC concentrations, herbivores may be exposed to higher Zn than previously expected. Treatments with elevated UV-B levels had a significant increase in drift of sensitive taxa, specifically, the metal-sensitive mayfly Epeorus spp. Decreases in total abundance of Epeorus spp. at the end of the experiment could not be explained by drift alone; therefore, Epeorus spp. likely had increased mortality associated with the combination of UV-B and Zn exposure.
Future Activities:
All proposed microcosm and field experiments have been completed. Data processing and analysis are ongoing.
Supplemental Keywords:
Rocky Mountain Regional Hazardous Substance Research Center, HSRC, stream, exosystems, mining, pollution, biochemical, population, community, mines, water quality, dissolved organic carbon, DOC, metal, bioavailability, toxicity, Arkansas River, microcosm, heavy metal contaminant, streams, zinc, Zn, hazardous waste, Colorado, CO., 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.