Grantee Research Project Results
1998 Progress Report: Site-specific Validation of a Chronic Toxicity Test with the Amphipod Hyalella azteca : An Integrated Study of Heavy Metal Contaminated Sediments in Peak Creek, Virginia
EPA Grant Number: R826198Title: Site-specific Validation of a Chronic Toxicity Test with the Amphipod Hyalella azteca : An Integrated Study of Heavy Metal Contaminated Sediments in Peak Creek, Virginia
Investigators: Cairns, John , Smith, Eric , Niederlehner, Barbara R. , Voshell, Joseph Reese
Institution: Virginia Tech
EPA Project Officer: Aja, Hayley
Project Period: January 2, 1998 through December 31, 1999
Project Period Covered by this Report: January 2, 1998 through December 31, 1999
Project Amount: $211,116
RFA: Contaminated Sediments (1997) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration , Hazardous Waste/Remediation , Land and Waste Management
Objective:
We are measuring the degree of correspondence between endpoints in chronic toxicity tests with the amphipod, Hyalella azteca, and a series of in situ macrobenthic community endpoints, starting with endpoints most similar to those monitored in the laboratory test, then expanding to include community level endpoints that represent the most developed methods for characterizing ecological condition in streams. Characterizing the consistency of these observations will facilitate inferences about the relationship between chronic toxicity tests with contaminated sediments and field response in general.Progress Summary:
We have completed preliminary surveys of Peak Creek in January, February, and April 1998 and sampled for integrated assessments in August and December 1998. The first chronic toxicity test with Hyalella azteca has been completed and another is in progress. In-situ macroinvertebrate community structure from a January collection has been evaluated and analysis of August and December collections continues.Macroinvertebrate communities in Peak Creek continue to be moderately impaired at the stations downstream from the on stream reference site. Preliminary analyses of the August data show decreased richness, increased Modified Hilsenhoff Biotic Index, and greatly increased % Hydropsychidae at Stations 2-6 in Peak Creek. Moderate chemical contamination is apparent with Cu, Pb, and Zn levels in the sediments above Probable Effect Levels at these stations. The August chronic toxicity test with Hyalella azteca had inadequate survival to d-28 in reference sediments (23.98-70.28%), probably due to predation by indigenous organisms in the intact cores used for testing. Therefore, no firm conclusions can be drawn from the test. Survival after removal from sediments was excellent for all groups (93.72%). There were no significant differences between survivors from different sediments in growth or reproduction. But, low initial survival reduced the power of these comparisons. End lengths and number of young per female in survivors from all groups were above those previously reported for reference sediments (i.e. length>3.2 mm/individual and reproduction>2 young/female). Toxicity test methods have been modified to eliminate predators from subsequent tests and subsequent trials have shown survivals to d-28 of 98% in reference sediments.
Future Activities:
Two more full scale, integrated assessments are planned in April and August 1999. When the data set is completed, the degree of correspondence between toxicity test results and field impact will be characterized using tabular decision matrices, correlation analyses, errors from predicting field impact based on multivariate concentration-response models derived from laboratory tests, and goodness-of-fit tests.Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 1 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
ecological effects, integrated bioassessment, heavy metals, sediment, water., RFA, Scientific Discipline, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Geographic Area, Waste, Water, Toxics, National Recommended Water Quality, Ecological Indicators, Ecological Risk Assessment, State, Ecosystem/Assessment/Indicators, Contaminated Sediments, exploratory research environmental biology, Environmental Microbiology, Ecological Effects - Environmental Exposure & Risk, Biochemistry, Ecology and Ecosystems, bioavailability, correlation analysis , integrated assessment, stream ecosystems, ecological effects, sediment quality survey, chronic toxicity test, contaminated sediment, lead, amphipods, water quality, macrobenthic community endpoints, sediment bioassay, validation of approaches, ecological exposure, ecology assessment models, ecotoxicology, Zinc, validation, amphipod hyalella azteca, heavy metal contaminationProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe 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.