The Ecotoxicological Recovery of Ely Creek and Tributaries (Lee County, Va) After Remediation of Acid Mine Drainage

The Ely Creek watershed (Lee County, VA) was determined in 1995 to be the most negatively affected by acid mine drainage (AMD) within the Virginia coalfield. This determination led the US Army Corps of Engineers to design and build passive wetland remediation systems at two major AMD seeps affecting Ely Creek. This study was undertaken to determine if ecological recovery had occurred in Ely Creek. The results indicate that remediation had a positive effect on all monitoring sites downstream of the remediated AMD seeps. At the site most impacted by AMD, mean pH was 2.93 prior to remediation and improved to 7.14 in 2004. Benthic macroinvertebrate surveys revealed that one AMD influenced site had increased taxa richness from zero taxa in 1997 to 24 in 2004. While in situ testing of Asian clams resulted in zero survival at five of seven AMD influenced sites prior to remediation, some clams survived at all sites after. Clam survival was found to be significantly less than upstream references at only two sites, both downstream of un-mitigated AMD seeps in 2004. An ecotoxicological rating (ETR) system that combined ten biotic and abiotic parameters was developed as an indicator of the ecological status for each study site. A comparison of ETRs from before and after remediation demonstrated that all sites downstream of the remediation had experienced some level of recovery. Although the remediation has improved the ecological health of Ely Creek, un-mitigated AMD discharges are still negatively impacting the watershed.     

The Ecotoxicological Recovery of Ely Creek and Tributaries (Lee County, VA) after Remediation of Acid Mine Drainage

The Ely Creek watershed (Lee County, VA) was determined in 1995 to be the most negatively affected by acid mine drainage (AMD) within the Virginia coalfield. This determination led the US Army Corps of Engineers to design and build passive wetland remediation systems at two major AMD seeps affecting Ely Creek. This study was undertaken to determine if ecological recovery had occurred in Ely Creek. The results indicate that remediation had a positive effect on all monitoring sites downstream of the remediated AMD seeps. At the site most impacted by AMD, mean pH was 2.93 prior to remediation and improved to 7.14 in 2004. Benthic macroinvertebrate surveys revealed that one AMD influenced site had increased taxa richness from zero taxa in 1997 to 24 in 2004. While in situ testing of Asian clams resulted in zero survival at five of seven AMD influenced sites prior to remediation, some clams survived at all sites after. Clam survival was found to be significantly less than upstream references at only two sites, both downstream of un-mitigated AMD seeps in 2004. An ecotoxicological rating (ETR) system that combined ten biotic and abiotic parameters was developed as an indicator of the ecological status for each study site. A comparison of ETRs from before and after remediation demonstrated that all sites downstream of the remediation had experienced some level of recovery. Although the remediation has improved the ecological health of Ely Creek, un-mitigated AMD discharges are still negatively impacting the watershed.     

Effect of Cage Design on Growth of Transplanted Asian Clams: Implications for Assessing Bivalve Responses in Streams

This study was designed to determine whether survivorship and growth of Asian clams (Corbicula fluminea [Müller]) differed significantly between two types of field enclosures. Enclosures were either flexible mesh bags or rigid cages (hereto after referred as bioboxes) designed to homogenize substrate among study sites and accommodate Asian clam feeding mechanisms. For 96d, cages remained at 12 Clinch River (CR), Hurricane Fork (HF), and Dump's Creek (DC) sites upstream and downstream of a coal-fired power plant discharge, coal mining effluent, and coal combustion-related disposal facilities in Carbo, Virginia. Although survivorship was not significantly different between cage types, mean growth of clams in bioboxes was significantly greater overall (p = 0.0157). Despite the difference in growth between the two cage types, both confirmed significant reductions of survivorship and growth directly below the power plant discharge. Additionally, coefficient of variance values for biobox growth data were reduced at most study sites (averages of 16% for bioboxes versus 19% for mesh bags). Our results have implications toward strengthening weight-of-evidence approaches used to link impairment of transplanted bivalves to environmental contaminants. More importantly, these results suggest that ecotoxicological impairment of bivalves transplanted downstream of the coal-fired power plant discharge functioned independently of site-specific substrate provisions.     

Seed Clam Growth: An Alternative Sediment Bioassay Developed During EMAP in the Carolinian Province

A new sediment bioassay was developed in conjunction with EMAP studies conducted in the Carolinian Province using juvenile seed clams, Mercenaria mercenaria. This is a sublethal assay, based on growth (total dry weight) after a 7 day incubation period. Seed clam chronic growth assays were significantly more sensitive than amphipod acute toxicity assays. Optimization components include use of hatchery-reared juvenile clams in a rapid growth phase, and size-sieving to ensure a similar size range. Juvenile clam growth was not affected by sediment type, i.e., clams grew well in muddy and sandy sediments. Clams were slightly more sensitive to ammonia than amphipods (NOEC porewater total ammonia 14 - 16 mg/L for clams). Ammonia concentrations above these levels were more common in reference sites, so most of the false positives could be explained by ammonia toxicity. This assay possesses a number of other positive attributes that are desirable for a bioassay, including the requirement for a relatively small sample size (500 ml of sediments), balanced sensitivity, low incremental costs, and high information gained. The seed clam assay is believed to be a valuable tool for EMAP as well as other monitoring efforts for estimating potential chronic toxicity.     

Effects of Acid Rock Drainage on Stocked Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss): An In-Situ, Caged Fish Experiment

In-situ caged rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) studies reveal significant fish toxicity and fish stress in a river impacted by headwater acid rock drainage (ARD). Stocked trout survival and aqueous water chemistry were monitored for 10 days at 3 study sites in the Snake River watershed, Colorado, U.S.A. Trout mortality was positively correlated with concentrations of metals calculated to be approaching or exceeding conservative toxicity thresholds (Zn, Mn, Cu, Cd). Significant metal accumulation on the gills of fish stocked at ARD impacted study sites support an association between elevated metals and fish mortality. Observations of feeding behavior and significant differences in fish relative weights between study site and feeding treatment indicate feeding and metals-related fish stress. Together, these results demonstrate the utility of in-situ exposure studies for stream stakeholders in quantifying the relative role of aqueous contaminant exposures in limiting stocked fish survival.     

Urban impact on ecological integrity of nearby rivers in developing countries: the Borkena River in highland Ethiopia

Accelerated pollution and eutrophication of rivers and streams because of human activity are a concern throughout the world and severe in Africa where Ethiopia is case in point. The objective of this study was to assess the urban impact on the ecological integrity of the Borkena River at the eastern escarpment of the central Ethiopian highlands. The water quality status and macroinvertebrate distribution and diversity of the river were assessed during the dry and wet seasons. Diversity indices revealed that a severe decline in the ecological integrity of the Borkena River downstream of Dessie and within Kombolcha towns in terms of macroinvertebrate abundance and composition. Clustering and ordination analysis clearly separated reference sites from urban impacted sites. At the urban-impacted sites, dissolved oxygen was also depleted to 0.5 mg/l and BOD5 values were reached to a level of above 1,000 mg/l, with extremely low biological diversity of pollution-sensitive taxa. These patterns are the result of a combination of rampant dumping of untreated wastes exacerbated by geologic, topographic, climatic and land use factors.     

Assessment of wadeable stream resources in the driftless area ecoregion in Western Wisconsin using a probabilistic sampling design

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), with support from the U.S. EPA, conducted an assessment of wadeable streams in the Driftless Area ecoregion in western Wisconsin using a probabilistic sampling design. This ecoregion encompasses 20% of Wisconsin’s land area and contains 8,800 miles of perennial streams. Randomly-selected stream sites (n = 60) equally distributed among stream orders 1–4 were sampled. Watershed land use, riparian and in-stream habitat, water chemistry, macroinvertebrate, and fish assemblage data were collected at each true random site and an associated “modified-random” site on each stream that was accessed via a road crossing nearest to the true random site. Targeted least-disturbed reference sites (n = 22) were also sampled to develop reference conditions for various physical, chemical, and biological measures. Cumulative distribution function plots of various measures collected at the true random sites evaluated with reference condition thresholds, indicate that high proportions of the random sites (and by inference the entire Driftless Area wadeable stream population) show some level of degradation. Study results show no statistically significant differences between the true random and modified-random sample sites for any of the nine physical habitat, 11 water chemistry, seven macroinvertebrate, or eight fish metrics analyzed. In Wisconsin’s Driftless Area, 79% of wadeable stream lengths were accessible via road crossings. While further evaluation of the statistical rigor of using a modified-random sampling design is warranted, sampling randomly-selected stream sites accessed via the nearest road crossing may provide a more economical way to apply probabilistic sampling in stream monitoring programs.     

Development and validation of a macroinvertebrate index of biotic integrity (IBI) for assessing urban impacts to Northern California freshwater wetlands

Despite California policies requiring assessment of ambient wetland condition and compensatory wetland mitigations, no intensive monitoring tools have been developed to evaluate freshwater wetlands within the state. Therefore, we developed standardized, wadeable field methods to sample macroinvertebrate communities and evaluated 40 wetlands across Northern California to develop a macroinvertebrate index of biotic integrity (IBI). A priori reference sites were selected with minimal urban impacts, representing a best-attainable condition. We screened 56 macroinvertebrate metrics for inclusion in the IBI based on responsiveness to percent urbanization. Eight final metrics were selected for inclusion in the IBI: percent three dominant taxa; scraper richness; percent Ephemeroptera, Odonata, and Trichoptera (EOT); EOT richness; percent Tanypodinae/Chironomidae; Oligochaeta richness; percent Coleoptera; and predator richness. The IBI (potential range 0–100) demonstrated significant discriminatory power between the reference (mean = 69) and impacted wetlands (mean = 28). It also declined with increasing percent urbanization (R ² = 0.53, p < 0.005) among wetlands in an independent validation dataset (n = 14). The IBI was robust in showing no significant bias with environmental gradients. This IBI is a functional tool to determine the ecological condition at urban (stormwater and flood control ponds), as well as rural freshwater wetlands (stockponds, seasonal wetlands, and natural ponds). Biological differences between perennial and non-perennial wetlands suggest that developing separate indicators for these wetland types may improve applicability, although the existing data set was not sufficient for exploring this option.     

基于环境DNA宏条形码的太湖流域底栖动物监测与生态健康评价

大型底栖动物是生态环境监测和评估的主要目标生物类群之一。环境DNA宏条形码技术的发展为提高底栖动物多样性监测的通量、精准性、标准化程度提供了新的机遇,但该方法在我国尚未有流域尺度的应用先例,其结果的可靠性和对生态环境健康状况的指示性有待检验。率先将环境DNA宏条形码技术用于太湖流域65个点位的底栖动物监测和流域生态健康评价,并与同步进行的形态学监测结果进行了比较。结果表明:①环境DNA方法能检出更多的底栖动物类群,在科、属、种水平上检出的分类单元数分别是形态学监测结果的106%、132%、155%;②基于环境DNA技术的检测方法能够很好地识别形态学监测结果中的优势物种,检出的科级、属级分类阶元能够覆盖形态学监测结果中90%以上的生物量和个体数,同时包含60%以上的物种数;③两种方法对同一物种的检出频次显著相关(R²>0.7,P<0.0001),总体检出一致率达72.3%;④在底栖动物完整性指数(B-IBI)方面,环境DNA方法与形态学方法的计算结果显著相关(R²=0.235,P<0.0001),94%的点位的B-IBI等级划分误差在1级以内,且两种方法的计算结果在底栖动物完整性的流域空间格局描绘上高度重合。综上所述,环境DNA宏条形码技术在太湖流域底栖动物群落监测和评价中的整体应用结果表明,环境DNA监测方法结果可靠,将其进一步规模化应用有望显著提高我国水生态系统生物监测结果的准确性和生态健康评价的技术水平。     

Benthic Macroinvertebrate Responses to Increasing Levels of Cattle Grazing in Blue Ridge Mountain Streams, Virginia, USA

The relationship between benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages and cattle density was assessed from fall 2002 through spring 2004 in five small streams that represented a gradient of cattle grazing intensity. All study stream reaches were in pasture with no woody riparian vegetation, but varied in the intensity of cattle grazing (0 cattle ha⁻¹ at site 1 to 2.85 cattle ha⁻¹ at site 5). Regression analysis indicated highly significant and strong macroinvertebrate metric responses to cattle density during most sampling periods. The majority of metrics responded negatively to increased grazing, while a few (total taxa richness, number of sensitive taxa, and % collector filterers) increased along the gradient before declining at the most heavily grazed sites. Total number of sensitive taxa and % Coleoptera had the strongest relationship with cattle density throughout the study period. During some sampling periods, nearly 80% of the variation in these metrics was explained by cattle density. The elmid beetle, Oulimnius, had a particularly strong negative response to the grazing gradient. Study site groupings based on taxa composition, using detrended correspondence analysis (DCA), indicated that benthic samples collected from the reference site and light rotational grazing site were more similar in macroinvertebrate taxa composition than samples collected from the intermediate grazing and heavy grazing sites. Our findings demonstrate that biological integrity, as measured by benthic macroinvertebrate metrics and assemblage composition, is highly related to cattle density in small streams in the Blue Ridge mountains, Virginia, USA. This suggests that the degree of agricultural intensity should be given consideration in stream assessments, as well as land use planning and regulatory decisions.     

Trace Element Contamination in Benthic Macroinvertebrates from a Small Stream Near a Uranium Mill Tailings Site

Direct measurement of the accumulation of non-radioactive traceelements in aquatic biota near uranium mining or processing sites has been relatively rare, with greater focus on the radiological activity in the adjacent soils and groundwater. To evaluate the potential ecological concern associated with trace elements at a former uranium mill site in southeasternUtah, benthic macroinvertebrates were collected and analyzed for 17 trace elements from multiple locations within a small on-site stream, Montezuma Creek, and a nearby reference stream. Key questions of this study relate to the spatial and temporalextent of contamination in aquatic biota, the potential ecological risks associated with that contamination, and the usefulness of benthic macroinvertebrates as a monitoring tool at this site. Composite samples of similar macroinvertebrate taxa and functional feeding groups were collected from each site over atwo year period that was representative of normal and dry-yearconditions. In both years, mean concentrations of arsenic,molybdenum, selenium, and vanadium were significantly higher (afactor of 2–4 times; P < 0.05) in macroinvertebrates collectedfrom one or both of the two Montezuma Creek sites immediatelydownstream of the mill tailing site in comparison toconcentrations from reference locations. Mean uraniumconcentrations in invertebrates immediately downstream of themill site were more than 10 times higher than at reference sites.The site-to-site pattern of contamination in Montezuma Creekinvertebrates was similar in 1995 and 1996, with mill-relatedtrace elements showing a downstream decreasing trend. However,nine of seventeen contaminant concentrations were higher in thesecond year of the study, possibly due to a higher influx of deepgroundwater during the drier second year of the study. Apreliminary assessment of ecological risks, based on the benthicmacroinvertebrate bioaccumulation data, suggests that aquatic andterrestrial population risks are low. Benthic macroinvertebratesappeared to be sensitive integrators of trace element inputs tothe aquatic environment from a former uranium mill tailing site,and provided useful spatial and temporal patterns ofcontamination not easily obtained using conventional surfacewater or groundwater measures.     

Coal-Mine Hollow Fill and Settling Pond Influences on Headwater Streams in Southern West Virginia, USA

The influences of coal-mine hollow fills and associated settling ponds in three headwater streams were assessed in southern West Virginia, USA. Fill drainage waters had elevated conductivities and metal concentrations, compared to a regional reference. Benthic macroinvertebrate richness was not affected consistently by the hollow fill drainages, relative to a regional reference, although a more tolerant community, lacking in Ephemeroptera taxa at most locations, was evident. Collector-filterer populations were elevated at monitoring stations directly below the settling ponds, indicating that the ponds’ presence influenced macroinvertebrate community structure by means of organic enrichment. Corbicula fluminea growth was enhanced in monitoring locations directly below the settling ponds, also an apparent result of organic enrichment. Results of acute water column toxicity testing with Ceriodaphnia dubia, sediment chronic toxicity testing with Daphnia magna, and in-situ ecotoxicological assessments with C. fluminea demonstrated no mortality or toxic influence at most of the sites tested below the ponds. The settling ponds appear to serve as sinks in collecting some, but not all, trace metals.     

Oxidative DNA damage levels and catalase activity in the clam Ruditapes decussatus as pollution biomarkers of Tunisian marine environment

Levels of the oxidative DNA damage 7, 8-dihydro-8-oxo-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) and catalase (CAT) activity were measured in the digestive gland and gills of clams Ruditapes decussatus, related to the presence of pollutants along Tunisian marine environment. Increased levels of CAT were observed in tissues of clams from all the sites studied, compared to control values, and elevated 8-oxodG levels were observed at specific sites. Results obtained in this work indicate that the measurement of 8-oxodG levels and CAT activity in tissues of R. decussatus is promising in pollution monitoring studies of the Tunisian marine environment.     

Seasonal variation of oxidative stress biomarkers in clams Ruditapes decussatus sampled from Tunisian coastal areas

Seven (7) sites from to the Tunisian coastal area were monitored through four seasons using several oxidative stress biomarkers including lipid peroxidation. Catalase (CAT) specific activity was determined in clam Ruditapes decussatus digestive gland. Lipid peroxidation was assessed in the same tissues using malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration, neutral lipid (NL) and lipofuscin accumulation. Results show that catalase specific activity varies between sites and fluctuates in time. The highest CAT activities were recorded in sites from Bizerta Lagoon and sites neighbouring Sfax city. Malondialdehyde accumulation in digestive gland cells seems to be very pronounced in animals sampled in summer and autumn. Digestive gland sections of clams sampled from reported heavy metal polluted sites exhibited higher volume density of residual bodies. Our results showed that the neutral lipids and lipofuscin content in clam's digestive gland are more sensitive to general stress as compared to other biomarkers, and could be used successfully in clams as early warning tools in field biomonitoring programs.     

Development of an Expert System for the Remediation of Petroleum-Contaminated Sites

Groundwater and soil contamination caused by light nonaqueous phase liquids (LNAPLs) spills and leakage in petroleum industry is currently one of the major environmental concerns in North America. Numerous site remediation technologies, generally classified as ex situ and in situ remediation techniques, have been developed and implemented to clean up the contaminated sites in the last two decades. One of the problems associated with ex situ remediation is the cost of operation. In recent years, in situ techniques have acquired popularity. However, the selection process of the desired techniques needs a large amount of knowledge. Insufficient expertise in the process may result in unnecessary inflation of expenses. In this study, petroleum waste management experts and Artificial Intelligence (AI) researchers worked together to develop an expert system (ES) for the management of petroleum contaminated sites. Various AI techniques were used to construct a useful tool for site remediation decision-making. This paper presents the knowledge engineering processes of knowledge acquisition, conceptual design, and system implementation in the project. The expert system was applied to a real-world case study and the results show that the expert system can generate desired remediation alternatives to assist decision-makers. The application case study constitutes partial validation of the prototype expert system.     

THE EFFECTS OF URBAN AREAS ON BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATES IN TWO COLORADO PLAINS RIVERS

Water demands in arid and semi-arid areas, coupled with increased human populations and concomitant changes in land use, can greatly alter aquatic ecosystems. A good example of this type of system occurs along the eastern slope of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, U.S.A. Long-term macroinvertebrate metric data from the Big Thompson and Cache la Poudre Rivers, Colorado, were collected at one site above, and three sites in and downstream from urban areas. These data were compared both with regional reference and single reference sites in the respective rivers. Using the surrogate variables of potential urban impact (population and housing units), and the environmental gradient represented primarily by chemical factors, it was determined that there was an effect of urban land use that was reflected in the macroinvertebrate assemblages in both rivers. The most robust results were usually seen when regional reference data were used. However, even using only the upstream reference site in either river indicated some negative impacts from the urban areas. The long-term data, particularly in the Cache la Poudre River, showed that water quality has not been getting worse and there is some evidence of a slight improvement in downstream reaches, even with increased urban development.     

Towards a Regional Index of Biological Integrity: the Example of Forested Riparian Ecosystems

Our premise is that measures of ecological indicators and habitat conditions will vary between reference standard sites and reference sites that are impacted, and that these measures can be applied consistently across a regional gradient in the form of a Regional Index of Biological Integrity (RIBI). Six principles are proposed to guide development of any RIBI: 1) biological communities with high integrity are the desired endpoints; 2) indicators can have a biological, physical, or chemical basis; 3) indicators should be tied to specific stressors that can be realistically managed; 4) linkages across geographic scales and ecosystems should be provided; 5) reference standards should be used to define target conditions; and 6) assessment protocols should be efficiently and rapidly applied. To illustrate how a RIBI might be developed, we show how four integrative bioindicators can be combined to develop a RIBI for forest riparian ecosystems in the Mid-Atlantic states: 1) macroinvertebrate communities, 2) amphibian communities, 3) avian communities, and 4) avain productivity, primarily for the Louisiana waterthrush (Seirius motacilla). By providing a reliable expression of environmental stress or change, a RIBI can help managers reach scientifically defensible decisions.     

中国北方河流底栖动物群落季节性演替对水生态环境质量评价的影响

大型底栖动物是评价水生态质量最常用的生物类群,鉴于水生昆虫的生活史特点,在一年当中群落结构会发生季节性变化,如何利用底栖动物数据准确评价水生态质量状况,反映客观实际,值得探讨。将黑龙江省2012—2015年水生生物试点监测47个采样点的108组底栖动物数据进行比较,对群落结构的相似性、物种的更替率和BMWP指数评价结果进行分析,探讨群落的演替及BMWP指数的变化规律。结果表明不同时间采集的样品底栖动物群落之间存在较大差异,评价的结果也存在差异,越是水环境质量好的区域,这种差异越明显。利用底栖动物评价水生态状况,宜选择长时间段的多个采集数据,经统计整理后,利用复合样方(年均值)的特征,评价一段时间内(如以年为单位)的水生态质量状况,使评价结果更具准确性。     

Biomonitoring in the Boulder River Watershed, Montana, USA: Metal Concentrations in Biofilm and Macroinvertebrates, and Relations with Macroinvertebrate Assemblage

Portions of the Boulder River watershed contain elevated concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc in water, sediment, and biota. We measured concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn in biofilm and macroinvertebrates, and assessed macroinvertebrate assemblage and aquatic habitat with the objective of monitoring planned remediation efforts. Concentrations of metals were generally higher in downstream sites compared with upstream or reference sites, and two sites contained metal concentrations in macroinvertebrates greater than values reported to reduce health and survival of resident trout. Macroinvertebrate assemblage was correlated with metal concentrations in biofilm and macroinvertebrates. However, macroinvertebrate metrics were significantly correlated with a greater number of biofilm metals (8) than metals in invertebrates (4). Lead concentrations in biofilm appeared to have the most significant impact on macroinvertebrate assemblage. Metal concentrations in macroinvertebrates were directly proportional to concentrations in biofilm, indicating biofilm as a potential surrogate for monitoring metal impacts in aquatic systems.     

The Asiatic clam,Corbicula spp., as a biological monitor in freshwater environments

Asiatic clams, Corbicula spp., are filter-feeding freshwater bivalves that are widely distributed, abundant, and fast growing with a lifespan of 1–3 yrs. A review of the existing literature demonstrates that Asiatic clams can concentrate organic pollutants from both water and sediment and heavy metals from water. In conjunction with these traits, they exhibit a high tolerance for the effects resulting from exposure to toxic substances. While an organism must possess these traits to serve as an effective biological monitor, they have also permitted the Asiatic clam to rapidly colonize natural and industrial environments resulting in purported ecological disturbances and severe economic repurcussions, respectively. Its invasive biofouling attributes therefore restrict the use of Asiatic clams for biomonitoring purposes from Corbicula-free drainage systems.