South River Aquatic Environment
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South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
Expert Panel Question • What critical gaps remain in our understanding of the South River aquatic environment that specifically impact remedial options selection and implementation?
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South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
Presentations • Quantification of Conceptual Model for Methylmercury Supply to Smallmouth Bass (Reed Harris) • Phase II 2010 Ecological Study (Greg Murphy) • Trophic Analysis and Modeling - Aquatic Component (Mike Newman)
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South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
Quantification of Conceptual Model for Methylmercury Supply to Smallmouth Bass Reed Harris
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South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
Phase II 2010 Ecological Study Greg Murphy
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South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
Overview: Ecological Study Phase I: Year 1
Geomorphology
Phase I: Year 2 SRST Studies
Phase II SRST Studies Support Remedial Options Program
Source Area Characterization
SRST Studies
Hydrology/ Hydraulics Integration: Geospatial Analysis
Physical Loading Characterization
Data Integration and Statistical Evaluations
Address Gaps in Physical and Biological Assessments
Storm Event Sampling Food Web Development
Baseline Physical and Biological Assessments
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SRST Studies
South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
Assess Environmental Impacts
SRST Studies
Phase II 2010 Study Objectives 1. Support Remedial Options Program 2. Monitor surface water and tissue 3. Evaluate the movement and disposition of mercury in the aquatic environment 4. Assess potential impacts to benthic macroinvertebrate communities
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South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
Phase II 2010 Study Locations
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South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
Movement of Mercury in the Aquatic Environment 2010 Studies •
Fish population / community, tissue, and stomach content analyses
•
Mercury uptake (in situ) by aquatic invertebrates
•
Basal resource utilization by aquatic consumers (URS / VIMS)
•
Bioaccumulation modeling
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South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
Fish Population / Community Assessments •
Spring and summer 2010
•
Locations RRM 0.1, 3.5, 11.8, 23.5, SR-01, and MR-01
•
3-pass depletion by electrofishers
•
Identified, counted, and weighed all fish; measured subset
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South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
Total of 40 Fish Species Collected in South River 35
Number of Fish Species Richness (No. ofSpecies Fish Species)
Spring Summer
30 Notes:
25
Includes total number of species captured during all three passes. Data from spring and summer 2010.
20
Preliminary Results 15
10
5
0 SR-01 REF
RRM 0.1
RRM 3.5
RRM 11.8
Location Location
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South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
RRM 23.5
MR-01 REF
Fish Community Increased in Diversity Since 1970 Number of Fish Species Species Richness (No. of Fish Species)
35
1970 2006
30
2010
25
Notes: Data from summer 1970, summer 2006, and summer 2010.
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Preliminary Results
15
10
5 0
0 SR-01 REF
RRM 0.1-1
RRM 3-6
RRM 8-12
Location Location
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South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
RRM 14-15
Invertivorous Fishes Important in Fish Community Percent Composition Fish Community Composition
100%
Piscivore Invertivore Omnivore
80%
Herbivore Notes:
60%
Data from spring 2010.
Preliminary Results 40%
20%
0% SR-01
RRM 0.1
RRM 3.5
RRM 11.8 RRM 23.5
Location Location
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South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
MR-01
Population Estimates for All Fish Species Combined (Spring) Population Size (fish/ha) (fish/ha) Population Population Estimate Estimate (fish/ha) (fish/ha) Population Size
8000
Notes: Population estimates with adjusted 95% confidence intervals calculated using MicroFish 3.0. Data normalized based on acreage of sampling locations.
7000 6000
All fish species combined.
5000
Data from spring 2010.
Preliminary Results
4000 3000 2000 1000 0 SR-01 REF
RRM 0.1
RRM 3.5
RRM 11.8
Location
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South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
RRM 23.5
MR-01 REF
Population Estimates for Selected Fish Species (Spring) Population Estimate (fish/ha) Population Size (fish/ha)
250
SMB LMB
200
RBS Notes: Population estimates with adjusted 95% confidence intervals calculated using MicroFish 3.0. Data normalized based on acreage of sampling locations. Data from spring 2010. SMB = Smallmouth bass LMB = Largemouth bass RBS = Redbreast sunfish
150
100
50
Preliminary Results
0 SR-01 REF
RRM 0.1
RRM 3.5
RRM 11.8
Location
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South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
RRM 23.5
MR-01 REF
Fish Tissue Analyses •
Spring and summer 2010
•
Locations RRM 0.1, 3.5, 11.8, 23.5
•
Dorsal muscle plug from multiple size classes of bass and sunfish
•
Whole-body forage fish
•
Bass tagged for unique ID during future re-sampling (25 recaps)
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South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
Bass and Sunfish
Forage Fish
6000
1500
5000 4000 3000 2000
SPECIES LMB RBS SMB
1000 0
RRM 0.1
RRM 3.5
RRM 11.8 RRM 23.5
THg wet (Drywt., Wt.,whole-body) ug/kg) THg (ng/g
THg (ng/g wet wt.,Wt., muscle tissue plug) THg (Dry ug/kg)
Fish Tissue Results (Spring)
1000
500 SPECIES COS LGND 0
LOCATION
RRM 3.5
RRM 11.8 RRM 23.51
LOCATION
Notes: SMB = Smallmouth bass, LMB = Largemouth bass, RBS = Redbreast sunfish, COS = Common shiner, LGND = Longnose dace Data from spring 2010.
Preliminary Results 17
RRM 0.1
South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
Fish Stomach Content Analyses •
Spring, summer, and fall 2010
•
Locations RRM 0.1, 3.5, 11.8, 23.5
•
Pulsed gastric lavage on multiple size classes of bass and sunfish; anterior intestine of forage fish
•
ID to lowest taxonomic level; calculate % diet composition by wet weight
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South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
Fish Stomach Content Results (Spring) Largemouth Bass Largemouth Bass
Smallmouth Bass Smallmouth Bass 100%
Percent Wt. PercentDiet Dietby by Wet Weight
Percent Wt. PercentDiet Dietby by Wet Weight
100% 80% 60% 40% 20%
Vegetation Mollusca Miscelllaneous Insecta (Terrestrial) Insecta (Aquatic) Fish Detritus Crustacea Annelida
80% 60% 40% 20%
Notes:
0%
0% < 175 mm
175 - 250 mm
> 250 mm
Data from spring 2010.
< 175 mm
Size Class
Redbreast Red BreastSunfish Sunfish
Preliminary Results
Forage Fish Forage Fish 100%
Percent Wt. PercentDiet Dietby by Wet Weight
Percent Diet by Wet Wt. Percent Diet by Weight
> 250 mm
Size Class
100% 80% 60% 40% 20%
80% 60% 40% 20% 0%
0% < 100 mm
100 - 150 mm
LND
> 150 mm
CMS Species
Size Class
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175 - 250 mm
South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
Mercury Uptake by Aquatic Invertebrates •
Spring and summer 2010 at RRM 3.5, 11.8, and 23.5
•
Transplanted reference mayfly larvae and crayfish
•
Aqueous and dietary treatments
•
7-day uptake period
•
Collected day-0 and day-7 periphyton, seston, surface water, detritus/sediment, and resident biota; analyzed for THg and MeHg
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South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
Crayfish Had Greater Mercury Uptake by Diet (Spring) THg Uptake
MeHg Uptake 80
80
p < 0.001
MeHg (PPB, wet. wt)
THg (PPB, wet. wt)
p = 0.001
60
40
20
60
40
20
0
0
Aqueous Diet TREAT Notes: Data from spring 2010.
Preliminary Results
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South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
Aqueous Diet TREAT
Crayfish cont’d 80
80 p = 0.058
40
20
40
20
0
Aqueous Diet RRM 3.5
80
80
60
40
20
0
Aqueous Diet RRM 3.5
Preliminary Results 22
40
20
60
40
20
0
Aqueous Diet RRM 23.5
80 p = 0.037
MeHg (PPB, wet. wt)
MeHg (PPB, wet. wt)
p = 0.045
60
0
Aqueous Diet RRM 11.8
p = 0.021
MeHg (PPB, wet. wt)
0
60
p = 0.006
THg (PPB, wet. wt)
THg (PPB, wet. wt)
THg (PPB, wet. wt)
p = 0.036
60
80
Aqueous Diet RRM 11.8
South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
60
40
20
0
Aqueous Diet RRM 23.5
Mayfly Had Greater MeHg Uptake by Water (Spring) THg Uptake
MeHg Uptake
300
300
200
100
0
p = 0.012
MeHg (PPB, wet. wt)
THg (PPB, wet. wt)
p = 0.009
Aqueous Diet TREAT
200
100
0
Notes: Data from spring 2010.
Preliminary Results 23
South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
Aqueous Diet TREAT
Mayfly cont’d 250
250 p = 0.317
p = 0.034
100 50
150 100 50 0
Aqueous Diet RRM 3.5
250
0
Aqueous Diet RRM 11.8
100 50
200 150 100
Preliminary Results
p = 0.035
0
200 150 100 50
50
Aqueous Diet RRM 3.5
Aqueous Diet RRM 23.5
250
MeHg (PPB, wet. wt)
150
100
p = 0.136
MeHg (PPB, wet. wt)
MeHg (PPB, wet. wt)
200
150
50
250 p = 0.888
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200 THg (PPB, wet. wt)
150
0
p = 0.667
200 THg (PPB, wet. wt)
THg (PPB, wet. wt)
200
0
250
0 Aqueous Diet RRM 11.8
South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
Aqueous Diet RRM 23.5
Bioaccumulation Modeling • Integrate aquatic communities, fish food habits, and MeHg in physical media • Simulate MeHg bioaccumulation dynamics in resident fish communities • Assess modeled results as they relate to remedial options program Fish Bioenergetics • Growth • Diet • Metabolic Rate • Reproduction
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Dietary
Unassimilated
MeHg
MeHg
Sediment
Aqueous
Excreted
MeHg
MeHg
MeHg
South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
Assessing Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities 2010 Studies 1. Sediment Quality Triad 2. Field-based (in situ) microcosm study
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South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
Sediment Quality Triad Includes Three Lines of Evidence 1. Sediment chemistry •
Benthic Community
Metals, pesticides, herbicides, PAHs, and PCBs
2. Sediment toxicity •
Hyalella azteca and Chironomus dilutus
SQT
3. Benthic macroinvertebrate community structure
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Sediment Toxicity
South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
Sediment Chemistry
Sediment Toxicity Assessed with Representative Sediments Sediment Sediment THg THg
Sediment Sediment MeHg 800
200 150 100 50 0
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MeHg (PPB) Sediment MeHg (ppb, dry wt.)
THg Sediment THg(PPM) (ppm, dry wt.)
250
700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0
Historical Triad Phase I 2010 SQT SAMPLE Sampling Period
South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
Historical TriadSQT Phase I 2010 SAMPLE Sampling Period
Survival and Growth of H. azteca Survival
Growth Growth 0.20
120
P e rc e n t S u rv iv a l (% )
G ro w th (m e a n d ry w t. a s m g /o rg a n is m
*
100
80
60
40
20
0.16
0.12
0.08
0.04
0.00
0 0
20
40
60
80
100
120
0
40
60 Sediment MeHg (ppb, dry wt.)
Sediment MeHg (ppb, dry wt.)
USEPA Method 100.1 *Statistically different from one or more reference locations
Preliminary Results 29
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South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
80
100
120
Survival and Growth of C. dilutus Survival Survival
Growth Growth 3.5
*
100
P e rc e n t S u rv iv a l (% ).
G ro w th (m e a n a s h -fre e d ry w t. a s m g /o rg a n is m )
120
80
60
40
20
0
3.0 2.5
*
2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 0.0
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
0
Sediment MeHg (ppb, dry wt.)
40
60 Sediment MeHg (ppb, dry wt.)
USEPA Method 100.1 *Statistically different from one or more reference locations
Preliminary Results
30
20
South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
80
100
120
Benthic Community Composition 100%
Predators Scrapers Shredders Gatherers Filterers
Percent Composition
80%
Notes: Data from spring 2010.
60%
Preliminary Results
40%
20%
0% SR-01 REF
RRM 0.1
RRM 3.5
RRM 11.8
Location
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South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
RRM 23.5
MR-01 REF
Species Richness (No. of of Taxa Unique Species Number
Benthic Community Increased in Taxa Richness Since 1970 50
1970 2006 40
2010 Preliminary Results
30
20
10
0 SR-01 REF
RRM 0.1-1
RRM 3-6
RRM 8-12
Location Location
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South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
RRM 14-15
Field-based (In Situ) Microcosm Study •
Summer 2010
•
Deployed 4 chambers with colonized substrate trays
•
7-day exposure period
•
500-organism sub-count and ID; Head capsule widths of Baetis and Cheumatopsyche
•
Taxonomic results anticipated in December 2010
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South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
Next Steps • Field sampling (surface water, fish stomach contents, forage fish tissue, and isotopes) in October / November • Data evaluations • Bioaccumulation modeling • NRDC consultation in December
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South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010
Trophic Analysis and Modeling Aquatic Component
Mike Newman
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South River Aquatic Environment 2010 Expert Panel Meeting October 5, 2010