A ten year summary of concurrent ambient water column and sediment toxicity tests in the Chesapeake Bay watershed: 1990-1999

The goal of this study was to identify the relative toxicity ofambient areas in the Chesapeake Bay watershed by using a suiteof concurrent water column and sediment toxicity tests at seventy-five ambient stations in 20 Chesapeake Bay rivers from1990 through 1999. Spatial and temporal variability was examinedat selected locations throughout the 10 yr study. Inorganicand organic contaminants were evaluated in ambient water andsediment concurrently with water column and sediment tests toassess possible causes of toxicity although absolute causalitycan not be established. Multivariate statistical analysis wasused to develop a multiple endpoint toxicity index (TOX-INDEX) at each station for both water column and sediment toxicity data. Water column tests from the 10 yr testing period showed that49% of the time, some degree of toxicity was reported. The mosttoxic sites based on water column results were located inurbanized areas such as the Anacostia River, Elizabeth River andthe Middle River. Water quality criteria for copper, lead,mercury, nickel and zinc were exceeded at one or more of thesesites. Water column toxicity was also reported in localizedareas of the South and Chester Rivers. Both spatial and temporalvariability was reported from the suite of water column toxicitytests. Some degree of sediment toxicity was reported from 62% of the tests conducted during the ten year period. The ElizabethRiver and Baltimore Harbor stations were reported as the most toxic areas based on sediment results.Sediment toxicity guidelines were exceeded for one or more of thefollowing metals at these two locations: arsenic, cadmium,chromium, copper, lead, nickel and zinc. At the Elizabeth Riverstations nine of sixteen semi-volatile organics and two of sevenpesticides measured exceeded the ER-M values in 1990. Ambientsediment toxicity tests in the Elizabeth River in 1996 showedreduced toxicity. Various semi-volatile organics exceeded the ER-M values at a number of Baltimore Harbor sites; pyrene anddibenzo(a,h)anthracene were particularly high at one of thestations (Northwest Harbor). Localized sediment toxicity was alsoreported in the Chester, James, Magothy, Rappahannock, andPotomac Rivers but the link with contaminants was not determined.Both spatial and temporal variability was less for sedimenttoxicity data when compared with water column toxicity data. Acomparison of water column and sediment toxicity data for thevarious stations over the 10 yr study showed that approximatelyhalf the time agreement occurred (either both suite of testsshowed toxicity or neither suite of tests showed toxicity).     

Biomonitoring heavy metals in estuaries: a field comparison of two brown algae species inhabiting upper estuarine reaches

Biomonitoring dissolved heavy metals within estuaries,particularly at their upper reaches, frequently has to relyon several biomonitors; rarely a single species thrives allalong the salinity gradient. To properly do so, it must beestablished whether those biomonitors actually accumulateheavy metals alike. In this study, two brown seaweeds fromthe upper section of three NW Spain estuaries – the widely-known Fucus vesiculosus and the estuarine Fucusceranoides – were compared as metal biomonitors. Bothspecies were collected at five locations where they eithercoexist or live close to each other and their heavy metalcontent (Cu, Cr, Mn, Zn, Fe, Al) was measured. Analyseswere appropriately replicated for each species x locationcombination to allow a statistically reliable detection ofdifferences in bioaccumulation, with particular emphasis onthe magnitude of interspecific differences. The lack of significant differences for Cu, Mn, and Zncontents in F. ceranoides and F. vesiculosussupports the feasibility of their joint use to monitorthese metals along the estuaries. Conversely, F.ceranoides concentrated significantly higher levels of Cr,Fe, and Al than F. vesiculosus and hence combiningdata for both fucoids to monitor these elements seemsimpractical. The correlation of species differencestogether with a similar Al:Fe ratio in both weed tissue andsediment suggest that Cr, Fe, and Al tissue-burdens mightbe considerably biased by sediment retained on the surfaceof the weed. Parallel analyses of Al and/or Fe in seaweedsand sediments could serve to keep track of thisinterference and may help to combine data from both fucoidsfor monitoring elements like Cr.     

The Variability of Estimates of Variance, and Its Effect on Power Analysis in Monitoring Design

Power analysis can be a valuable aid in the design of monitoringprograms. It requires an estimate of variance, which may come from a pilot study or an existing study in a similar habitat. For marine benthic infauna, natural variation in abundances canbe considerable, raising the question of reliability of varianceestimates. We used two existing monitoring programs to generatemultiple estimates of variance. These estimates were found to differ from nominated best estimates by 50% or more in 43% of cases, in turn leading to under or over-estimation of samplesize in the design of a notional monitoring program. The twostudies, from the same general area, using the same samplingmethods and spanning a similar time scale, gave estimatesvarying by more than an order of magnitude for 25% of taxa.We suggest that pilot studies for ecological monitoring programsof marine infauna should include at least two sampling times.     

省级环境监测站在建设项目竣工验收监测中的地位和作用

建设项目竣工验收监测是环境监测工作的一项重要工作,也是"一控双达标"工作的重要一环.从锻炼队伍、保护队伍、巩固队伍、稳定队伍和纯洁队伍等方面综合分析,省级监测站在此项工作中应承担相应的责任,才能更好地发挥技术中心、信息中心、网络中心和培训中心的作用.     

低浓度石油类监测与评价的问题探讨

分析表明,当地表水中石油类浓度很低时,受多方面因素影响,其监测结果的准确性和评价结论的可靠性会下降,应选用合适的监测方法,同时要注意引入污染问题。     

气相和颗粒物中邻苯二甲酸酯的采样与检测技术

对邻苯二甲酸酯的性质及其在环境空气中的存在状态、样品采集技术与分析方法进行了综述,侧重介绍了样品的采集、净化、采样效率和采样与分析全过程的质量控制。     

Monitoring of Seasonal Vegetables for Pesticide Residues

Market samples (60) of six seasonal vegetables were monitoredduring 1996–1997 to determine the magnitude of pesticidalcontamination. The estimation of insecticide residuesrepresenting four major chemical groups i.e. organochlorine,organophosphorous, synthetic pyrethroid and carbamate, was doneby adopting a multiresidue analytical technique employingGC-ECD and GC-NPD systems with capillary columns. The testedsamples showed 100% contamination with low but measurableamounts of residues. Among the four chemical groups, theorganophosphates were dominant followed by organochlorines,synthetic pyrethroids and carbamates. About 23% of the samplesshowed contamination with organophosphorous compounds abovetheir respective MRL values. More extensive studies coveringdifferent regions of Haryana state are suggested to get a clearidea of the magnitude of vegetable contamination with pesticideresidues.     

A framework for assessment and monitoring of arthropods in a lowland tropical forest

By applying principles of adaptive management, and by using the valuable information that arthropods provide from assessment and monitoring programs, managers can identify and reduce possible impacts on biodiversity in development projects. In 1996, the Smithsonian Institution's Monitoring and Assessment of Biodiversity program worked together with Shell Prospecting and Development Peru to establish an adaptive management program to protect biodiversity in a natural gas exploration project in a Peruvian rainforest. In this paper, we outlined the conceptual steps involved in establishing an assessment and monitoring program for arthropods, including setting objectives, evaluating the results and making decisions. We also present the results of the assessment using some of groups of arthropods, and summarize the steps taken to identify appropriate groups for monitoring.     

Preliminary air pollution monitoring in San Miguel, Buenos Aires

Passive diffusion samplers were employed in San Miguel(Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area) for a preliminary airpollution monitoring. The highest loads were observedin downtown, compared with an urban background site.Total suspended particulate matter (TSPM) varied from0.257 to 0.033 mg cm^-2 month^-1; dust was examinedfor particle nature and size distribution. A similartrend was observed for nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) andTSPM spatial distribution, suggesting that traffic isthe major pollution source. Sulphur dioxide (SO₂)values were low and rather homogeneous. Levels for theinvestigated pollutants are below EPA's guide linevalues. Geographic (flat area, near to Rio de LaPlata) and climatologic factors (rainfalls andvariable wind directions) contribute to disperse pollutants.     

Application of intrawell testing of RCRA groundwater monitoring data when no upgradient well exists

A statistical quality control approachto detect changes in groundwater quality from aregulated waste unit is described. The approachapplies the combined Shewhart-CUSUM control chartmethodology for intrawell comparison of analyteconcentrations over time and does not require anupgradient well. A case study from the U.S.Department of Energy's Hanford Site is used forillustration purposes. This method is broadlyapplicable in groundwater monitoring programs wherethere is no clearly defined upgradient location, thegroundwater flow rate is exceptionally slow, or wherea high degree of spatial variability exists inparameter concentrations. This study also indicatesthat the use of the Data Quality Objectives (DQO)process can assist in designing an efficient andcost-effective groundwater monitoring plan to achievethe optimum goal of both low false positive and lowfalse negative rates (high power).