Role of a Comprehensive Toxicity Assessment and Monitoring Program in the Management and Ecological Recovery of a Wastewater Receiving Stream |
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Authors: | Jr" target="_blank">Mark S GreeleyJr Lynn A Kszos Gail W Morris John G Smith Arthur J Stewart |
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Institution: | (1) Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA;(2) Neutron Sciences Directorate, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA;(3) Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA |
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Abstract: | National Pollution Discharge Elimination Permit (NPDES)-driven effluent toxicity tests using Ceriodaphnia dubia and fathead minnows were conducted for more than 20 years to assess and monitor the effects of wastewaters at the United
States (U.S.) Department of Energy Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12 Complex) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Toxicity testing
was also conducted on water samples from East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC), the wastewater receiving stream, as part of a comprehensive
biological monitoring and assessment program. In this paper, we evaluate the roles of this long-term toxicity assessment and
monitoring program in the management and ecological recovery of EFPC. Effluent toxicity testing, associated toxicant evaluation
studies, and ambient toxicity monitoring were instrumental in identifying toxicant sources at the Y-12 Complex, guiding modifications
to wastewater treatment procedures, and assessing the success of various pollution-abatement actions. The elimination of untreated
wastewater discharges, the dechlorination of remaining wastewater streams, and the implementation of flow management at the
stream headwaters were the primary actions associated with significant reductions in the toxicity of stream water in the upper
reaches of EFPC from the late 1980s through mid 1990s. Through time, as regulatory requirements changed and water quality
improved, emphasis shifted from comprehensive toxicity assessments to more focused toxicity monitoring efforts. Ambient toxicity
testing with C. dubia and fathead minnows was supplemented with less-standardized but more sensitive alternative laboratory toxicity tests and
in situ bioassays. The Y-12 Complex biological monitoring experience demonstrates the value of toxicity studies to the management
of a wastewater receiving stream. |
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