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EVALUATING AVOIDANCE AND OTHER BEHAVIORS IN DEVELOPMENT OF A SEDIMENT AVOIDANCE TEST FOR ASSESSING REMEDIATION OF CONTAMINATED SEDIMENTS.
Citation:
Yeardley, R., W. Thoeny, Jim Lazorchak, T. Luxton, AND M. Mills. EVALUATING AVOIDANCE AND OTHER BEHAVIORS IN DEVELOPMENT OF A SEDIMENT AVOIDANCE TEST FOR ASSESSING REMEDIATION OF CONTAMINATED SEDIMENTS. SETAC North America 39th Annual Meeting, Sacramento, California, November 04 - 08, 2018.
Impact/Purpose:
A test which could give ecotoxicological data in 24-48 hours, with inexpensive materials and equipment, would represent a large savings in resources. The information from this test can be used to guide cleanup of contaminated sites and revitalization of communities, and the low-tech technology and associated guidance can be transferred to regions, states, tribes, and other countries.
Description:
Since its development in 1996, versions of an earthworm avoidance test have seen wide and successful use in assessing contaminated soils, from both toxicological and ecological endpoints. Avoidance of contaminated sediments by aquatic macroinvertebrates has a similar potential to assess degree of contamination and success of methods for remediation of contaminated sediments (such as sediment amendments) at a range of sites (Superfund, Great Lakes AOCs, Mining sites). We assessed the use of the freshwater aquatic macroinvertebrates (Chironomus dilutus larvae, Hyallela azteca, and Lumbriculus variegatus) used in standard EPA methods for sediment toxicity and bioaccumulation (EPA Methods 100.1, 100.2, and 100.3) for use in sediment avoidance testing.