PLATFORM SESSION ABSTRACTS

SESSION I:  CONTAMINATED SEDIMENT ASSESSMENT

SENSITIVITY AND PERFORMANCE OF CHRONIC SEDIMENT TOXICITY TESTS IN DREDGED MATERIAL MANAGEMENT.  Guilherme R. Lotufo (guilherme.lotufo@erdc.usace.army.mil), A. J. Kennedy, J. Farrar, J. A. Steevens, US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, 3909 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg, MS 39180.

A series of studies were conducted to provide insight into the potential advantages and disadvantages of using chronic sediment toxicity tests with relevant benthic macroinvertebrates as part of dredged material evaluations, as described in the Inland and Ocean Testing Manuals (U.S. EPA / U.S. ACE 1991, 1998).  Nine sediments collected from the New York Harbor (NYH) were used to assess test methods in a preliminary evaluation at one test facility and an interlaboratory evaluation at three test facilities.  The two acute test methods (10-day Ampelisca abdita and Americamysis bahia) currently used in evaluations of NYH material were compared to available chronic protocols to gauge relative performance of the toxicity tests.  The available chronic test methods used in this study were the 28-day test using the estuarine amphipod, Leptocheirus plumulosus, and 20-day and 28-day tests using the marine polychaete Neanthes arenaceodentata.  Of the tests compared, the currently used acute (10-day) Ampelisca abdita test and the available chronic (28-day) L. plumulosus test were the most responsive (i.e., sensitive) to the tested NYH sediments.  The A. abdita test was more consistent in performance and exhibited greater statistical power but demonstrated lesser response to the sediments and lower correlation with sediment chemistry.  The sublethal endpoints used in the L. plumulosus test were more responsive to the sediments and more closely related to sediment contamination but had lower
statistical power than lethality endpoints.  An acute (10-day) test using L. plumulosus was also conducted in one laboratory and similar responsiveness was found relative to the acute A. abdita test.  The remaining toxicity tests, including the currently applied acute A. bahia test and the 28-day N. arenaceodentata test were not responsive to the tested sediments in this evaluation and thus did not suggest toxicity in any of the tested sediments. 

(STUDENT) Development of Reverse Samplers for Phase II Whole Sediment TIEs to Identify Nonionic Organic Contaminants.  Monique M. Perron (Perron.Monique@epa.gov) & J.P. Shine, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115; and R.M. Burgess, M.G. Cantwell, K.T. Ho, M.C. Pelletier, S.A. Ryba, & J.R. Serbst, U.S. EPA, Atlantic Ecology Division, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882.

Marine and estuarine sediments act as sinks for a wide range of chemicals, including nonionic organic contaminants.  These contaminants accumulate in sediments and, as a result, the sediments themselves can act as a source of nonionic organic contaminants.  At sufficient levels, these contaminated sediments can cause toxicity to marine organisms and impair the benthic community.  Toxicity Identification Evaluations (TIEs) have been used to characterize and identify chemicals causing toxicity in marine whole sediments.  The TIE is composed of three phases: Phase I characterizes sample toxicity, while Phase II identifies the specific toxicants causing toxicity, and Phase III confirms the findings of the first two phases.  Currently, Phase I methods are well established and have shown nonionic organic contaminants to be the primary cause of marine sediment toxicity.  Phase II TIE methods are currently being developed to identify the specific organic contaminants causing this toxicity.  One method being investigated is the use of reverse polyethylene samplers (RePES).  In this procedure, RePES are used to recreate sediment exposures under controlled conditions that mimic sediment interstitial water.  This presentation will summarize research that has been conducted to investigate the use of the RePES.  Various RePES designs were evaluated to determine which variation was most applicable for use in TIE.  Part of this evaluation was based on required equilibration times and proximity of RePES measured water concentrations of organic compounds to theoretical values.  The RePES design used here was shown to adequately partition organic compounds between the sampler, water and air at values comparable to theory.  Lastly, the RePES design was assessed with an endosulfan-spiked sediment extract in a toxicity test, comparing results to whole sediment exposures using an amphipod, Ampelisca abdita, and a mysid, Americamysis bahia.  For both organisms, mortality results using the RePES simulated results observed using the whole sediment.  In addition, water samples taken at test termination found concentrations to be similar for the RePES, sediment overlying water, and sediment interstitial water. 

ASSESSMENT OF CONTAMINATED SEDIMENT AT PHILADELPHIA NAVAL RESERVE BASIN AS A BASIS FOR EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT MANAGEMENT.  G. Tracey, Sherry Poucher (SHERRY.L.POUCHER@saic.com), B. Allen, M. Stillman, SAIC, Newport RI; and J. Williams, Aquatec Biological Sciences, Inc., Williston, VT.

Studies at the Philadelphia Naval Reserve Basin were conducted in a phased approach to optimize efficient and effective management of both environmental restoration and navigation dredging programs. Beginning in 2001, preliminary investigations applied results from geophysical surveys and a hydrographic survey in the context of known dredge history, leading to a focused investigation of ecological and human health risks.  In 2004 the Baseline Ecological Risk Assessment and Human Health Risk Assessment were completed based on sediment chemistry; water quality; benthic community characterization; fish community; toxicity tests (including Toxicity Identification Evaluations), and fish tissue analyses. Additional characterizations were conducted to refine the risk assessment by including: site-specific measurements of re-suspension; metals partitioning and bioavailability; sediment and tissue chemistry comparison with reference data; fingerprinting to assess PAH sources; and modeled projections of dredging effects on existing low dissolved oxygen risks. Preliminary Remediation Goals for copper and PCBs were delineated by footprint and depth (refined by Ground Penetrating Radar characterization of sediment type).  For the Feasibility Study, analyses of sediment dewatering and treatability characteristics contributed to optimizing alternatives to meet permit requirements. Alternatives included beneficial re-use and containment options, with monitored natural attenuation considered for a subset of remedial sediments. Ultimately, NEPA, EA and CERCLA documents were prepared that simultaneously addressed both navigation maintenance and environmental dredging.

USE OF SEDIMENT TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON AND GRAIN SIZE AS AN INDICATOR OF ORGANIC ENRICHMENT IN COASTAL SYSTEMS.  Marguerite C. Pelletier (Pelletier.Peg@epa.gov), D.E. Campbell, K.T. Ho and R.M. Burgess, US EPA ORD NHEERL-Atlantic Ecology Division, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882. 

The Clean Water Act requires states to assess and categorize all waters to meet their designated uses (e.g., swimmable, fishable). If the designated use is not achieved, water bodies are listed as impaired and must be remediated using the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) process.  To accomplish this, the cause of impairment must be diagnosed.  One recently developed diagnostic tool is the relationship of sediment total organic carbon (TOC) to grain size.  These variables are commonly collected in environmental assessments in both fresh and salt water ecosystems.  The amount of particle surface area available to adsorb a coating of organic carbon changes with grain size.  Thus, a relationship between percent silt/clay and percent TOC for reference areas can be developed.  Positive deviations from this relationship can be used as a diagnostic indicator of organic enrichment, a cause of impairment in coastal waters.  Conversely, negative deviations indicate a sedimentation deficit (generally due to dredging) or excess mineral deposition (dredge spoils).  This study examines the relationship between TOC/grain size to commonly utilized assessment endpoints (water quality, sediment contaminants, etc) using estuarine data collected by US EPA along the Atlantic coast.

EVALUATION OF METAL RELEASE FROM CONTAMINATED FIELD AND FORMULATED REFERENCE SEDIMENTS RESUSPENDED UNDER LABORATORY CONDITIONS.  Mark G. Cantwell (Cantwell.Mark@epa.gov), R.M. Burgess, US Environmental Protection Agency, Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, RI 02882 and J.W. King, Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI 02882.

In aquatic systems where metal-contaminated sediments are present, the potential exists for dissolved metals to be released to the water column when sediment resuspension occurs.  The release and partitioning behavior of sediment-bound, toxic heavy metals is not well understood during resuspension events.  In this study, metal release from sediments during resuspension was evaluated using a series of formulated reference sediments with known physical and chemical properties which were amended with heavy metals (i.e., Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Zn).  Sediments with varying quantities of acid volatile sulfide (AVS), total organic carbon (TOC), and different grain size distributions were resuspended under controlled laboratory conditions to evaluate their respective effect on dissolved metal concentrations.  Overall, AVS had the greatest effect on limiting release of dissolved metals, followed by grain size and TOC.  Predictions of dissolved concentrations of Cd, Ni, Pb and Zn were generated based on the formulated sediment AVS:metal molar ratios.  Model results were evaluated by comparison to measured dissolved metal concentrations in contaminated field sediments resuspended under identical conditions.  Dissolved metal concentrations released from the resuspended field sediments were low overall, in most cases lower than predicted values.  Overall, results indicate that for sulfidic sediments, low levels of the study metals are released to the dissolved phase during short-term resuspension.

SESSION II:  METAL SPECIATION AND BIOAVAILABILITY

APPROACHES AND ANALYTICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR ASSESSMENT OF DEGREE AND TOXICITY OF METALS CONTAMINATION IN MARINE SEDIMENTS.  Warren S. Boothman (boothman.warren@epa.gov) and W. J. Berry, U.S. EPA National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, RI 02882.

A variety of approaches exist for assessing the degree, extent and/or risk of metals contamination in sediments.  Selection of the “correct” method depends on the nature of the question being asked and the approach used to answer it. The aluminum-normalization approach uses a statistically-derived estimation of the background concentrations of metals to estimate the degree of metals contamination in marine sediments, but does not address the risk of toxicity from those metals. Empirically-derived approaches, such as Effects Range Low/Median, Apparent Effects Threshold, and Logistic Regression approaches, are based on correlations between concentrations of contaminants in sediments and biological effects and can help predict the likelihood of toxicity, but do not identify the cause of toxicity. The Equilibrium Partitioning approach, on the other hand, relates the partitioning of contaminants between sediment components and interstitial water and addresses the question of whether metal contaminants in sediments can contribute to toxicity, but can’t address other possible contaminants. Each of these approaches impose requirements on the analytical methods used to measure the metals (e.g., total or partial digestions, selective leaching). Therefore, it is critical to decide what question is being asked (e.g. is a given sediment likely to be toxic?) and the approach to be taken to answer it prior to conducting chemical analysis, so that appropriate analytical methods are used. This talk will give the basis for use of these differing analytical methods and approaches, and examine the steps required to ensure the quality of each. 

SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL TRACE METAL GEOCHEMICAL SIGNATURES IN URBAN POND SEDIMENTS: RECORDERS OF PAST LAND USE IN THE NEPONSET RIVER WATERSHED.  Daniel B. Brabander (dbraband@wellesley.edu), Department of Geosciences, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA 02481 and E. H. Pighetti, Environmental Studies Program, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA 02481.

The Neponset River, one of three main watersheds draining into Boston Harbor, was the second industrialized watershed in New England.  This has resulted in contaminate loading to river and millpond sediments well over a 200 year period. The study site encompasses six urban ponds on the East Branch of the Neponset River, each characterized by unique current and past industrial activities. To assess both long-term heavy metal loading in this watershed and to determine if current sedimentalogical conditions limit water quality or pose ecological risk, both sediment cores and surface sediment samples were collected.  Sediment core samples were taken with a Russian corer and analyzed by X-ray fluorescence.  Depth versus concentration profiles for several key toxic metals illustrate both stratigraphically controlled maximum concentrations and varying trace element correlations.  A timeline of probable industrial effluents contaminating the East Brach was created dating from 1800 to the present.  A preliminary ecological risk assessment was conducted through analysis of surface samples and GIS based mapping.  In all ponds, surface sediment concentrations of lead, copper, zinc and chromium are close to or exceed the effects range median (ERM) values. Planned land use changes affecting the East Branch study site will lower infiltration/run-off ratios, change sediment deposition patterns, and increase the mobilization potential of sediments that contain the industrial legacy of the watershed and may affect downstream ecology.

CHARACTERIZATING THE LABILITY AND BIOAVAILABILITY OF ZINC, LEAD AND CADMIUM IN MINE WASTE.  Laurel A. Schaider (lschaide@hsph.harvard.edu), D.B. Senn, D.J. Brabander, K.D. McCarthy, and J.P. Shine.  Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02215 and Department of Geosciences, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA 02481.

We characterized the lability and bioaccessibility of Zn, Pb and Cd in size-fractionated mine waste at the Tar Creek Superfund Site (Oklahoma) to assess the potential for metal transport, exposure and subsequent bioavailability. Bulk mine waste samples contained elevated Zn (9100±2500 ppm), Pb (650±360 ppm) and Cd (42±10 ppm), while particles with the greatest potential for wind-borne transport and inhalation (<10 μm) contained substantially higher concentrations, up to 220,000 ppm Zn, 16,000 ppm Pb and 530 ppm Cd in particles <1 μm. In addition, we compared metal lability using sequential extractions with bioaccessibility of ingested and inhaled metals using simulated gastric fluid (SGF) and phagolysosomal simulant fluid (PSF). In <37 μm particles, 50–65% of Zn, Pb and Cd were present in the “exchangeable” and “carbonate” sequential extraction fractions. The amount of metal in these two fractions combined was closely correlated with the bioaccessibility of these metals in SGF. The amount of Cd in the “exchangeable” and “carbonate” fractions also was closely correlated with the bioaccessibility of Cd in PSF; however, the solubility of Zn and Pb appeared to be limited in the PSF solution. Overall, our results indicate that while the mined ore at Tar Creek primarily consisted of refractory metal sulfides with low bioavailability, physical and chemical weathering have shifted metals into relatively labile and bioaccessible mineral phases.

TWO NON-LETHAL SAMPLING TECHNIQUES FOR THE PREDICTION OF HG IN LARGEMOUTH BASS (MICROPTERUS SALMOIDES).  Steve Ryba (Ryba.Stephan@epa.gov), Jim Lake, Jonathan Serbst, & Suzanne Ayvazian, U.S. EPA, ORD/NHEERL Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, RI  02882; and Alan Libby, Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife, P.O. Box 218, West Kingston, RI 02892.

Contaminant bioaccumulation studies often employ destructive sampling techniques such as whole fish or muscle fillets for the assessment of mercury (Hg) concentrations. The development of non-lethal techniques to predict Hg concentrations in muscle tissue offers researchers the capability to estimate Hg concentrations in fish without sacrificing individuals. Two non-lethal sampling techniques, scales and caudal fin clips, were evaluated as possible surrogates for the prediction of mercury concentrations in the tissues of 61 largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) from 26 freshwater sites in Rhode Island, USA.  A linear relationship of total Hg concentrations between fin clips and muscle tissue showed an r² of 0.82 as compared to an r² of 0.89 for Hg concentrations between scales and muscle tissue. The fin clip method of estimating Hg in tissues was more variable than the scale method, the Hg concentration in fin clip samples (mean = 0.196 µg/g (dry)) was more than a factor of ten greater than in the scale samples (mean = 0.012 µg/g (dry)). Therefore, the fin clip method may be more appropriate than the scale method where Hg concentrations in largemouth bass tissues are low, or for other fish species which may have low Hg concentrations.

 
SESSION III:  APPLICATION OF THE WEIGHT-OF-EVIDENCE APPROACH TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

WEIGHT OF EVIDENCE APPROACH FOR ASSESSING THE TOXICITY OF CREOSOTE-DERIVED PAH IN SEDIMENTS.  P.D. Anderson, A. Nair, and Amy E. Nelson (amy.nelson@amec.com), AMEC, Westford, MA.; J. Patarcity, Beazer East, Inc. c/o Three Rivers Management, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA.; and K. Cerreto, ENSR International, Westford, MA.

Accepted regulatory practice for sediment investigation at environmental sites is to analyze sediments for site-related chemicals and compare reported concentrations to sediment screening benchmarks. If benchmarks are exceeded, additional investigations are undertaken. These investigations may include standard laboratory toxicity tests using the amphipod Hyalella azteca and the chironomid Chironomus tentans. This paper examines the toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediments at three sites where creosote-derived PAHs were expected to be the primary source of potential toxicity. The data reveal a strong relationship between PAHs and observed toxicity in which toxicity increases with increasing PAH concentration (regardless whether PAHs are expressed on whole sediment, organic carbon adjusted, or corrected sum toxicity unit (TU) basis). The relationship also reveals that all standard screening benchmarks used to evaluate the potential toxicity of PAHs in sediments (e.g., Threshold Effect Level, Probable Effect Level, Threshold Effect Concentration, Median Effect Concentration, Extreme Effect Concentration, a sum-TU of unity) greatly overestimate the toxicity of creosote derived PAH to benthic invertebrates. Statistically significant toxicity was not observed in sediments with total PAH concentrations less than 250 mg/kg or organic carbon-adjusted concentrations less than 10,000 mg/kg. Similarly, corrected sum-TU needed to exceed 250 before toxicity was observed.  Additionally, the in-situ benthic community appears to be less sensitive to the effects of PAHs than do invertebrates used in standard laboratory toxicity tests. The lack of expected toxicity appears to be the result of a combination of existing benchmarks being based upon PAH mixtures that are different and potentially more toxic than PAHs in creosote and creosote-derived PAHs in sediments being less bioavailable than assumed by existing benchmarks.  Through a weight of evidence approach using the results of the toxicity and community assessments summarized in this paper, a potential sediment screening benchmark of 250 mg/kg is justified for creosote-derived PAHs.

THE WEIGHT OF EVIDENCE APPROACH AT SMALL CERCLA SITES.  Kenneth Finkelstein (Ken.Finkelstein@NOAA.gov), NOAA Office of Response and Restoration, c/o EPA Region 1 (HIO), 1 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02114.

The Weight of Evidence (WoE) approach is dependent upon the measurement endpoints of each assessment line.  At large sites, with much riding on the results from the Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA), many assessments and corresponding measures are used; this because of the potentially great financial and ecological costs related to the correct remedial decision.  At more typical waste sites, the number of measurement endpoints are either modest in direct application to the assessment endpoint or the quality of measures is only moderately sufficient to complete a defensible WoE.  This presentation will describe these issues at the site introduced below.

Despite the identification of sediment remedial goals, the 2000 Record of Decision (ROD) for the Atlas Tack Superfund site identified a need for a pre-remedial design investigation of the salt marsh area to better define the area(s) requiring excavation; thereby avoiding any unnecessary impacts to the salt marsh.  Subsequently, six lines of evidence - sediment chemistry, acute sediment toxicity, chronic sediment toxicity, a measure of the benthic macroinvertebrate community, biota tissue, and a general wetlands assessment – were used in a WoE Report.  These measures qualitatively evaluated ecological risk from the suspected contaminated and toxic salt marsh. 

Although the measurements did not provide absolute answers, the WoE approach helped EPA feel more comfortable with the sediment remedy decision outlined in the ROD, specifically helping in showing the need for salt marsh excavation.  The measures also helped in creating an updated sediment remedial goal for the salt marsh sediment.  Over the past two seasons, approximately 1.4 acres of salt marsh sediment was removed with subsequent backfilling and seeding.

EXPERIENCE IN APPLYING THE WEIGHT-OF-EVIDENCE APPROACH TO AQUATIC SITES CONTAMINATED WITH HEAVY METALS.  Meg McArdle (mcardle@exponent.com), C. Menzie, and S. Kane-Driscoll. Exponent, 8 Winchester Place, Suite 303, Winchester, MA 01890.

The weight-of-evidence methodology has been applied to a wide variety of ecological risk problems in Massachusetts and New England.  The weight-of-evidence approach is a decision-making framework in which data from multiple measurements are categorized and weighted so that an overall conclusion regarding risk or harm can be reached.  Among the more challenging applications are the assessment of metals in sediments and the use of the weight-of-evidence results to guide management decisions.  This paper describes the application of the weight-of-evidence approach to three sites: one lead site, a cadmium site, and a vanadium site.  Assessments of risk to benthic invertebrates, fish and wildlife were conducted at each of these sites.  Proposed management decisions ranged from removal actions to monitored natural restoration.  The paper describes the lines of evidence (e.g., sediment chemistry, toxicity testing, biota chemistry, and biota surveys) that were common to all assessments as well as those that were assessment-specific.  The strengths and limitations of the various lines of evidence are described.  The methodology for integrating these lines of evidence is presented and lessons learned are discussed.

WEIGHT OF EVIDENCE FOR ASSESSING ENVIRONMENTAL RISK:  EVIDENCE OF WHAT?  Nancy Bettinger (nancy.bettinger@state.ma.us), MA DEP, Office of Research & Standards, Boston, MA 02108.

To strengthen the practice of ecological risk assessment at waste sites, a framework or methodology for integrating the results of different effects measurements is needed.  Efforts to develop procedures for evaluating “weight of evidence” in waste site risk assessments began over a decade ago.  In the interim, advances in the practice of “weight of evidence” evaluation have been moderate at best, and the methods being applied remain somewhat limited.  One common problem in current practice is the attempt to evaluate the “weight of evidence” before answering the basic question: “evidence of what?”  The resulting confusion in risk characterization discussions can be compounded by conflation of measurement and extrapolation uncertainty.  Several improvements in risk assessment practice are suggested in this presentation:  (1) In the assessment endpoint definition, specify the target level of biological organization; (2) Pose a clear, explicit risk question about each assessment endpoint at the outset, specifying the effect(s) of concern and the nature of the inference to be drawn; and (3) Use the conceptual model to elucidate the chemical and biological connections between various measurement endpoints; and (4) Distinguish between measurement and extrapolation uncertainty, particularly in the final “weight of evidence” analysis.  Following these steps may require more extensive discussion among stakeholders and regulators in the early stages of assessment planning, but they are likely to lead to more cohesive assessments and compelling conclusions in the end.

SUMITHRIN IMMUNOTOXICITY IN THE AMERICAN LOBSTER (HOMARUS AMERICANUS) UPON EXPERIMENTAL EXPOSURE.  Milton Levin (milton.levin@uconn.edu), S. De Guise, University of Connecticut, 61 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT 06269; and B. Brownawell, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY  11794.

A lobster die-off significantly reduced the 1999 fall landings in western Long Island Sound.  The die-off corresponded in time with the application of pesticides for the control of mosquitoes that carried West Nile virus.  In order to determine the possible implications of sumithrin application as a direct or contributing factor in the die-off, studies were conducted to determine the effects of experimental exposure to sumithrin on the health of lobsters.  Lobsters were exposed in 20-gallon tanks for 5 or 28 days, and the direct toxicity and sub-lethal effects on the immune system were determined.  The 96-hour LC50 upon single exposure and 28-day LC50 upon repeated exposure, were greater than 1.0 µg/L, the highest concentration tested.  No modulation of immune function was detected following either the single or repeated exposures.  Water concentrations of sumithrin decreased rapidly over the 5-day single sumithrin exposure, with a half-life of less than 2 hours, with similar decay rates for all concentrations tested.  A modeling exercise suggested the maximum concentrations of pyrethroids (sum of resmethrin and sumithrin) reaching the bottom waters of Long Island Sound was 0.082 µg/L, a concentration within the range of those tested in this study and that did not induce significant increases in mortality or deleterious effects on lobster immune functions.  Overall, it is unlikely that sumithrin significantly contributed to the lobster die-off in Long Island Sound.

SESSION IV:  NRDA:  THE NEXT STEPS

ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE ASSESSMENT AND ISSUES RELATED TO MARINE AREAS IN ITALY.  G. Di Marco and Angelo Maggiore (maggiore@apat.it), APAT – Agency for Environmental Protection and Technical Services - Environmental Damage Assessment Sector, Rome, Italy.

Twenty years after the Italian law on environmental damage has come into force, a technical and economic investigation methodology has been developed, capable of performing a monetary valuation of environmental resources and services. This methodology is useful for a) claiming for monetary damage compensation in tribunal courts; b) in "resource-to-resource" or "service-to-service" equivalence approaches; c) determining the extent of remedial measures; d) to emphasize the patrimonial value of environmental resources and functions and hence guide policy choices between conservation and development. This paper shows the application status of the action of compensation for environmental damage in Italy through the description of the Italian juridical framework and the scheme of the technical and economic investigation for quantifying the compensation.

In particular, specific aspects and problems related to damages to the marine environment, among which effect quantification, cause-effect link demonstration and recovery time estimation, are highlighted, together with the illustration of examples of application.

A COOPERATIVE APPROACH TO TRANSPORT/FATE/EFFECTS MODELING IN THE NRDA CONTEXT.  Jeffery Wakefield, PhD (JWakefield@entrix.com) and Ralph K. Markarian, PhD, Entrix, Inc.; and Andrew N. Davis, PhD, Leboeuf, Lamb, Greene & Macrae LLP.

When conducting cooperative natural resource damage assessments (NRDAs), Trustee and Responsible Party (RP) participants must weigh the costs, benefits and uncertainties associated with various assessment strategies.  One assessment strategy frequently considered is transport/fate/effects modeling (TFEM) which can be used as a substitute for, or compliment to, various assessment strategies. These models typically utilize combination of all or some of field data, literature information and professional judgment as inputs.   This paper with discuss the process of using TFEM methods in the NRDA context in order to provide insights to both RPs and Trustees interested  in these  tools for injury quantification.

In the past, RPs have expressed significant concern that Trustee injury estimates based on TFEM (in whole or part) have diverged significantly from field observations.  RPs have also noted that, without being an active participant in all phases of model construction, modeling, and data interpretation, they found it nearly impossible to assess and understand the root cause of the divergence between their expectations and transport/fate/effects estimates.  

As part of a cooperative NRDA being conducted pursuant to the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA),  participants in the Buzzards Bay B-120 NRDA agreed that TFEM could provide insight into a defined set of questions related to potential  aquatic impacts of the spill.  They identified an approach designed specifically to avoid, or at least understand, the source of potentially divergent results.  The assessment team agreed that SIMAP, the Trustee preferred model, and COSIM the RPs preferred model, would be used in parallel to conduct a phased TFEM exercise.  The phased approach served two purposes: (1) to increase Trustee and RP understanding of algorithms and outputs associated with hydrodynamic transport of surface particles, physical processes related to oil, biological assumptions, and toxicity assumptions; and (2) to evaluate the sensitivity of injury estimates to uncertainties associated with each phase. The approach also gave the RP and the Trustees the ability to independently test the assumptions and inputs of the other party. This phased approach provided a common technical understanding of the strengths, weaknesses and uncertainties of TFEM as it was applied to the spill.  If this approach is followed in the context of future oil spills and cooperative NRDAs, we believe it can also help minimize disagreements and protracted negotiations at the end of an assessment process, which in turn, can provide for a more efficient and cost-effective overall settlement process.

MODELING AS A SCIENTIFIC TOOL IN NRDA FOR OIL AND CHEMICAL SPILLS.  Deborah French-McCay (dfrench@appsci.com), Applied Science Associates, Inc., Narragansett, RI 02882.

In natural resource damage assessments, where impacts of oil and chemical spills are estimated for specific spill events to make damage claims, as well as in ecological risk assessments and cost-benefit analyses of response alternatives, physical fates and biological effects modeling can be useful and effective scientific tools to provide quantitative estimates of injury.  Often field data documenting spill impacts are not available or incomplete, such that damages would be underestimated or impossible to assess.  In order to quantify impacts, comprehensive sampling of each of the species affected is needed in the exposed and unaffected areas.  Because marine organisms are so patchy in their distribution, large numbers of stations and samples within stations are needed to accurately map abundance.  Such extensive sampling of all (or even selected) species affected is often not feasible, given the rapidity at which the evidence disappears (by scavenging of killed organisms and by migration of animals into the impacted area). What is feasible and cost-effective, is to estimate impacts using existing scientific knowledge of the fates and toxicity of oils and chemicals, along with as much site-specific data as available or feasible to collect.  Oil and chemical fates and effects models integrate such knowledge in the form of a quantitative computer model that may be calibrated to and/or verified with field data, such that injuries may be quantified with a combined field-based and modeling approach.

TOOLS FOR ASSESSING OIL SPILL BIRD MORTALITY.  Veronica Varela (veronica_varela@fws.gov), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New England Field Office, 70 Commercial Street, Suite 300, Concord, NH  03301.

Compensation for bird mortality is often a component of natural resource damage claims for oil spills.  Assessing bird mortality is challenging because the number of bird carcasses collected during the spill is typically less than the true number that died from spill-related causes.  Several tools are available to assist in estimating the total spill-related bird mortality.   This presentation provides an introduction to available tools, the data needed in order to implement these tools, and some pros/cons for each tool. 

OVERVIEW OF A COOPERATIVE AND INNOVATIVE NATURAL RESOURCE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT (NRDA), PLYMOUTH, NC.   Kate V. Clark (Kate.Clark@noaa.gov), NOAA Office of Response and Restoration, 28 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882.

Natural Resource Trustees (NOAA, USFWS, and NC Department of Environmental and Natural Resources [DENR]) are working cooperatively with Domtar, Inc. at their Plymouth Paper Mill to assess damages to natural resources due to historic releases of dioxin into the Lower Roanoke River ecosystem. Unique aspects of this NRDA include: 1) The damage assessment and restoration phases have been a cooperative collaboration between the Trustees and the responsible party (RP); 2) A significant injury is related to the fish consumption advisories from dioxin contamination and associated lost use of fisheries resources by the public; 3) The company and Trustees agreed to a phased restoration approach where Phase 1 restoration was implemented prior to full quantification of the injury; 4) The Phase 1 Restoration Plan involved modifications of the plant’s cooling water intake to reduce impacts to fish and invoked a NOAA categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); 5) Every effort is being made to integrate NRDA restoration and remedial activities when practical. These aspects of the case will be discussed as well as the injury assessment and quantification methods employed to date.

SESSION V:  WHAT’S NEW IN BENTHIC EVALUATION: BIOASSESSMENT REVISITED?

THE U.S. EPA TIERED AQUATIC LIFE USE INIATIVE:  PROGRESS TO DATE WITH STATE BIOASSESSMENT PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT & IMPLEMENTATION.  Chris O. Yoder (yoder@rrohio.com) and Michael T. Barbour, Midwest Biodiversity Institute & Center for Applied Bioassessment and Biocriteria, P.O. Box 21561, Columbus, OH 43221-0561.

U.S. EPA has been developing the concepts and structure of tiered aquatic life uses (TALUs) by working with federal agencies, states, academia, and non-government organizations since 2000.  A major product of this effort is a “methods document” that contains detailed information and guidance about the key technical concepts (Biological Condition Gradient), general requirements for program development and implementation, and case studies of the two states that have fully developed TALUs and biological criteria in their WQS and a proven history of using bioassessments to support management programs.  Although targeting state programs, many of the technical elements of the program would be applicable to practictioners working on individual sites as well. A major goal of EPA is for states to eventually adopt TALUs and numeric biocriteria in their WQS.  To measure progress towards this goal, EPA has sponsored a process by which bioassessment programs are evaluated using an approach entitled “Critical Elements of State Bioassessment Programs”.  This involves conducting on-site evaluations where state staff and managers participate in a process with EPA technical experts.  Level 4 is the most rigorous and reflects a technical capacity to address multiple uses of bioassessment data in support of water quality management.  The remaining three levels of bioassessment rigor may be appropriate for some, but not all, of the water quality management program support needs that are in common to most water quality management programs.  Accurately determining impairment and diagnosing categorical and parameter-specific stressors are fundamental tasks that bioassessment programs and individual investigators alike must accomplish, and states must attain these in order to provide full program support.  The evaluation process employs a detailed checklist and sliding scale of rigor for 13 technical elements that may be useful on a site-specific basis as well.  As a result it can serve as a road map for strengthening and refining bioassessment programs to meet more rigorous needs while at the same time informing users about the rigor of the assessments that are produced.  To date 15 states and several tribes have been evaluated at least once - this includes two Region I states.  All six states in EPA Region V have been evaluated each year since 2002 yielding a process for tracking progress and offering on demand technical assistance.  Conducting this process within a regional context has fostered offers additional opportunities for workshops, working groups, and detailed informational exchanges.

GIS TECHNIQUES FOR CALCULATING AREA AND VOLUME OF CONTAMINATED SOILS OR SEDIMENTS.  Erik Martin (emartin@environcorp.com), Allison Piper, Miranda Henning, ENVIRON International, Portland, ME; and Tim Barber, ENVIRON International, Cleveland, OH.

Mapping sample locations and concentrations is a necessary first step in delimiting the extent of contaminated soil or sediment at a site.  As plans for remedial activities progress, however, stakeholders including responsible parties, risk managers, and the public can benefit from spatial models which delineate the area and volume of soils or sediments that exceed action levels.  Such estimations help guide further sampling efforts that can refine and reduce the extent of required remediation.  They also inform decisions regarding the appropriateness and cost of remedial alternatives.  Several techniques are available for modeling concentrations and calculating area and volume, given a set of geolocated samples.  Thiessen polygons, inverse distance weighting, triangulated irregular networks (TINs) and kriging are four such techniques which are discussed in this presentation.  Discussion also includes advantages and disadvantages of each technique and presents case studies of each technique.

IMPROVING THE UTILITY OF BIOASSESSMENT INFORMATION IN SEDIMENT AND WATER QUALITY MONITORING.  Ben Jessup (benjamin.jessup@tetratech.com) & J. Diamond, Tetra Tech, Inc., 15 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05602.

Bioassessment information, and specifically benthic macroinvertebrate assessments, have been widely used by States and federal agencies to determine water quality status and trends in river, lake, wetland, and estuarine systems.  While most bioassessment applications focus on ambient water quality monitoring objectives (e.g., 305(b) reporting),  macroinvertebrate assessments are increasingly used to identify or confirm sediment quality problems, as well as impacts that are not necessarily toxicology-based (e.g., sedimentation and other aquatic habitat stressors).   The sensitivity and accuracy of bioassessment information, however, has been questioned because it is perceived to be less precise and less responsive to environmental stressors than either toxicological or chemical monitoring.  With EPA support, we have developed an approach that is used to characterize and document bioassessment performance and data quality for benthic macroinvertebrate protocols in wadeable streams.  We will summarize the key aspects of this approach, show why it is useful, and demonstrate how it can be extrapolated to other types of systems and bioassessment methods.  Results of this approach can be used to refine sampling and analysis methods and to improve indicators of stressors such as toxics.  If sampling is designed appropriately, and method performance characteristics are known, bioassessments can also be a powerful tool with which to set criteria for otherwise challenging parameters.  This application will be demonstrated using macroinvertebrate bioassessment data to develop clean sediment criteria.  Finally, we will demonstrate recent developments on ways to more reliably use macroinvertebrate data in assessing urban systems.

DEVELOPMENT OF A FISH ASSEMBLAGE ASSESSMENT INDEX FOR NON-WADEABLE LARGE RIVERS IN MAINE AND NEW ENGLAND:  2002-2006.  Chris O. Yoder (yoder@rrohio.com), Midwest Biodiversity Institute & Center for Applied Bioassessment and Biocriteria, P.O. Box 21561, Columbus, OH 43221; Brandon H. Kulik, Kleinschmidt Associates, 75 Main Street, Pittsfield, ME 04967; & David B. Halliwell, Maine DEP, 17 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333.

We have conducted systematic sampling of the fish assemblages of the non-wadeable rivers of Maine since 2002.  The principal purpose of this project is the development of a multimetric index that is framed with the EPA concept of Tiered Aquatic Life Uses (TALU).  Estimates of relative abundance for species that are amenable to efficient capture has been determined on an annual basis at a large number of sites located along extended river reaches.  In 2006 we essentially completed the statewide coverage needed to support index development and testing.  Exploratory analyses revealed strong differences in key assemblage parameters and species relative abundances between major habitat types (riverine, impounded, tidal), along each river (upper to lower reaches), and along a latitudinal gradient.  The mapping of species relative abundance data on a statewide basis served to enhance our understanding of environmental requirements and tolerances based on patterns in spatial distribution.  We then developed more detail about the ecological roles of each species in accordance with previously used and our own unique assemblage guilds.  These types of analyses are prerequisite to the primary goal of developing multimetric indices, which are also contingent on the accurate description of regional reference conditions.  Direct reference analogs are either rare or not entirely representative of the historical potential for these large rivers, thus historical knowledge of the fish assemblage is also needed.  The U.S. EPA Biological Condition Gradient is one tool that proved useful for visualizing reference condition and understanding how river fish assemblages respond to incremental stressors over time and space.  We will detail progress to date in Maine and describe a strategy for completing IBI development and its potential for application to other New England rivers.

SESSION VI:  CONTAMINANTS OF EMERGING AND CONTINUING CONCERN

(STUDENT) A PRELIMINARY STUDY ON THE IMMUNOTOXIC EFFECTS OF NANOMATERIALS UPON IN VITRO EXPOSURE.  Chris R. Perkins (christopher.perkins@uconn.edu), Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering & Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Sciences, and M. Levin and S. De Guise, Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Sciences and Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT.

There is limited research to date related to the toxicity, fate, and exposure of engineered nanomaterials (NMs) on humans and the environment, therefore there is a recognized need to examine systemic effects as well as exposure pathways. However, the data that is available has shown that it is difficult to extrapolate toxic effects of nanomaterials from existing data on similarly composed particles of a much larger size and mass.  Experimental data and the physico-chemical properties of nanomaterials and their resulting translocation to target organs such as blood and lymph nodes, lend credibility to the theory that the immune system will also be a sensitive receptor to nanomaterials.  Preliminary results have demonstrated the potential to use immune function assays routinely used in immunotoxicological testing to assess the toxicity of NMs. Exposure of U-937, a human monocyte cell line, to uncoated silica nanoparticles resulted in a significant 21% increase (1 ppm) and significant 38% decrease (100 ppm) in phagocytosis upon in vitro exposure. A significant decrease in respiratory burst was also observed upon exposure to 1 and 100 ppm uncoated silica. Overall, these preliminary results allowed the demonstration of the ability of some of the proposed immune assays to detect the immunotoxic effects of NM.

(STUDENT) BEHAVIOR OF TRICLOSAN UNDER ESTUARINE CONDITIONS: A MODEL PPCP.  Brittan Wilson (bawilson13@gmail.com), Jun Zhu, Curtis Olsen, Robert Chen, & Allen Gontz, Environment, Earth and Ocean Sciences Department, UMASS, Boston, MA 02125; and Kay Ho & Mark Cantwell, US EPA, NHEERL, Atlantic Ecology Division, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI, 02882.

Pharmaceutical and personal-care products (PPCPs) and their degradation products are introduced into the environment through a variety of routes with waste-water discharge from sewage treatment facilities as the primary source. Their release into surface waters can cause unintended and detrimental affects on resident aquatic organisms as well as reduce the functioning of critical and economically important components of these ecosystems.  This research focuses specifically on Triclosan, a commonly used antimicrobial compound, and its behavior in the Hudson River Estuary as a model for contaminant risk in impacted urban estuaries.  We can show that its retention within the estuary is governed by particle dynamics and that it is degraded within a year of deposition using short-lived radioactive tracers.  We can also show that this compound has a significant detrimental effect on algal communities within time scales significant in estuarine tidal mixing rates.  Continued research into the toxicological effects of this compound in sediments is underway.  These methods will allow for a better understanding of the temporal and spatial scales that should be addressed when assessing the potential risk that this and similar compounds pose to the environment. 

EFFECTS OF POLYBROMINATED DIPHENYL ETHERS ON FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT.  Ben F. Brammell (b.brammell@morehead-st.edu), Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Morehead State University, Morehead. KY 40351; E. M. Harmel-Laws, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati, OH 45229; Adria Elskus, USGS Maine Field Station, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are industrially-produced flame retardants that biomagnify up the food chain.  We hypothesized that PBDEs will provoke biological effects similar to those induced by structurally similar PCBs.  Juvenile channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) were injected with mixture PBDE -71 (0.01, 10 mg/kg) or the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixture Aroclor 1254 (100 mg/kg).  Hepatic CYP1A activity was induced in PCB, but not PBDE, treated catfish; uridinediphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase activity (UDPGT) was unchanged regardless of treatment.  Plasma thyroxine (T4) levels were below detection.  Fundulus heteroclitus embryos from PCB-resistant and responsive populations were exposed to PBDE -71 (10-1000 ug/L) or co-exposed to PCB126 (2 ug/L)+PBDE-71 (1000 ug/L).  Only responsive populations showed effects, with in ovo CYP1A induction by PCB126+PBDE-71, and time to hatch and length at hatch decreased by PDBE-71. Reactive oxygen species production was not induced by any treatment.  These results suggest PBDEs have no effect on Phase I and II enzymes in adult teleosts but can have deleterious effects on fish early life stage development.  These results also suggest that resistance to PCBs may confer resistance to the harmful effects of PBDEs.  Supported by US EPA STAR Grant and KWRRI. 

ATRAZINE: A TALE OF TWO SPECIES.   Lesley Mills (mills.lesley@epa.gov), Ruth Gutjahr-Gobell, Saro Jayaraman, & Gerald Zaroogian, U.S.EPA, Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, RI 02882; and Susan Laws, U.S.EPA, Reproductive Toxicology Division, Durham, NSC 27711.

Atrazine, one of the most commonly used herbicides in the United States, is applied to multiple crops such as corn, sorghum, sugarcane, cotton and landscape vegetation.  The herbicide enters the aquatic environment due to run-off after agricultural application, especially in the spring.  Atrazine has been shownuggested to disrupt normal reproductive processes in rats, fish and frogs.  Current evidence suggests that atrazine may interfere with aromatase, the rate-limiting enzyme complex catalyzing the conversion of androgens (androstenedione and testosterone) to estrogens (estrone and estradiol) during steroidogenesis in a wide range of animals.  The goal of our research was to determine if effects from exposure to atrazine in one species could predict the risks of atrazine exposure in another species.  To accomplish this goal, we examined reproductive endpoints and aromatase activity in the brains and gonads of a rat (a model of human health) and a fish (an ecological model) species.  Laboratory atrazine exposures resulted in significant effects on reproductive endpoints in both species.  Results also indicated that, not only do the two species show differences in their sensitivity to aromatase modulation by atrazine, but atrazine exposure can affect aromatase activity in tissues of the same species differently.  In  these studies, no differences were observed in rat aromatase activity or aromatase mRNA in the brain, gonads or adipose tissue following exposure to atrazine, while in fish, brain aromatase activity was significantly elevated with no effect on gonads.  In addition, differences in the metabolism of atrazine between the two species were elucidated.  Through this research, we have identified a number of differences between species that suggest there are significant uncertainties for atrazine risk assessments across diverse species.  Research is continuing into the specific mechanisms by which atrazine or its metabolites might impact local aromatase activity and reproductive endpoints in the two species.

BIOACCUMULATION OF TOTAL MERCURY IN BLUEFISH (Pomatomus saltatrix) FROM NARRAGANSETT BAY, RHODE ISLAND.  David L. Taylor (dtaylor@rwu.edu), Roger Williams University, Department of Marine Biology, Bristol, RI 02809.

Mercury (Hg) is one of the most widespread and toxic environmental contaminants that adversely affects human health, and exposure occurs principally through the consumption of contaminated fish and shellfish.  As a result, substantial effort has been dedicated to measuring Hg concentrations in edible fishes and the resulting data used to create consumption advisories. To this end, the following investigation analyzed total Hg concentration in the tissue of bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix): a premier recreational finfish in southern New England.  In June-August 2006, bluefish were collected from Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, using otter trawls, beach seines, and rod & reel.  Length (cm) and weight (g) were recorded for each captured bluefish, after which total Hg was measured in whole body samples (juveniles) and excised muscle tissue (adults) using the combustion atomic-absorption spectrometry method.  The total Hg concentration of juvenile and adult bluefish increased significantly with increasing fish size and age.  Moreover, rates of Hg bioaccumulation were greater in bluefish relative to other recreational finfish collected from Narragansett Bay (e.g., striped bass Morone saxatilis, summer flounder Paralichthys dentatus, and tautog Tautoga onitis), which is attributed to the feeding ecology of bluefish and their higher trophic level status in the estuarine system.  Relative to other targeted finfish, however, bluefish may pose a lower risk to human health because limited fishing regulations for this species enable anglers to catch and consume smaller and younger individuals.

DIOXIN EFFECTS ON VERTEBRATES AND INVERTEBRATES.  Dr. Keith R. Cooper (cooper@AESOP.RUTGERS.EDU), Rutgers University, NJ. 

POSTER SESSION ABSTRACTS

(STUDENT) SEWAGE DERIVED ORGANIC COMPOUNDS, TRACE METALS, AND NUTRIENTS AS INDICATORS OF WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT DISCHARGE INTO THE UPPER SUSQUEHANNA RIVER.  Lisa M. Cousineau (lcousin1@binghamton.edu),  H. Natel, S. Mitra, and J. Graney, Binghamton University, Department of Geological Sciences and Environmental Studies, PO Box 6000, Binghamton, NY 13902.

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are a ubiquitous class of chemicals that are of emerging concern in aquatic ecosystems. Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent remains their major source as WWTPs were not designed to handle the excessive number of chemicals presently introduced via industrial and domestic wastewater. The objectives of this study were twofold.  First, we determined if WWTP discharge had a unique chemical fingerprint identifiable by PPCPs, trace metals and nutrients, and secondly we conducted a mass balance analysis of these sewage derived pollutants throughout a river corridor receiving WWTP discharge.

River water samples and WWTP effluent samples were collected regularly from the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers from March to October of 2006.  Samples were filtered into particulate and dissolved phases.  Concentrations of most of the target PPCPs in this study were detected in the dissolved phase of WWTP effluent and in river water, irrespective of river discharge stage. For example, concentrations of caffeine, diphenhydramine HCl, and ibuprofen in river water consistently ranged from 0.0001-0.3961 ug/L, 0.0016-0.1957 ug/L, and 0.0071-36.52 ug/L, respectively.  Similarly, these PPCPs were detected in WWTP effluent at concentrations ranging from 0.0065-118.4 ug/L, 0.0614-24.27 ug/L and 4.443-468.3 ug/L.  Trace metal and nutrient analyses are currently being completed to use in conjunction with PPCP data to identify the WWTP sewage discharge signature.

(STUDENT) TRACE HEAVY METAL ANALYSIS OF A BENTHIC FOOD CHAIN IN NARRAGANSETT BAY, RHODE ISLAND.  Stacey A. Helming¹ (shelming209@hawks.rwu.edu), Loong Fat Ho², David L. Taylor², and Stephen K. O’Shea¹, Roger Williams University, ¹Department of Chemistry, ²Department of Marine Biology, Bristol, RI 02809.

There have been few studies investigating the bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of the trace metals cadmium, lead, and mercury in the estuarine food web of Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. These metals are known to be toxic to humans, and the consumption of sport fish, such as tautog (Tautoga onitis), demonstrates the risk of secondary poisoning in humans by bioaccumulation. Preliminary results suggest that trace heavy metals in the surface sediments (0-2 cm) correlates to the metal concentration consumed by important prey species, such as the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis). Mercury levels measured in the surface sediments from six sites ranged between 0.044 ppm in the Sakonnet River to 2.24 ppm in the Taunton River, with an average of 0.65 ppm + 0.32 across the sites. Lead ranged from 9.09 ppm in the Sakonnet River to 12.56 ppm in the Taunton River, while cadmium ranged from 12.55 ppm to 9.09ppm, respectively. Using atomic absorption spectroscopy and inductively-coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy, further relationships between trace metals in prey and trophic transfer to sport fish will reveal how these concentrations relate to each other, fish size, and species.

(STUDENT) VARIABILITY IN THE TOTAL MERCURY CONCENTRATIONS OF WINTER FLOUNDER (PSEUDOPLEURONECTES AMERICANUS) AND SUMMER FLOUNDER (PARALICHTHYS DENTATUS) FOUND IN NARRAGANSETT BAY, RI.  Eric J. Payne (epayne604@hawks.rwu.edu) and D.L. Taylor, Roger Williams University, Department of Marine Biology, Bristol, RI 02809.

The summer flounder, Paralichthys dentatus, and the winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus are both economically and commercially valuable finfish in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island.  A possible human health risk occurs from consuming these two species if the fish bioaccumulate appreciable levels of mercury (Hg) over time.  Factors impacting Hg concentrations in fish tissue, however, are likely to vary based on species-specific life history characteristics.  For example, winter flounder consume soft-bodied invertebrates, whereas summer flounder prey on higher trophic level species, including macrocrustaceans and forage fish.  In this study, winter and summer flounder were collected from June to August 2006 in collaboration with the Rhode Island Department Environmental Management and the University of Rhode Island/Graduate School of Oceanography otter trawl surveys.  Muscle plugs from collected specimens were excised from specific regions along the dorsal and lateral tissue and subsequently analyzed for total Hg using atomic absorption spectroscopy.  Mean differences in tissue Hg concentrations between species were statistically analyzed relative to place of capture, body size, age, and diet.

(STUDENT) MERCURY BIOACCUMULATION RATES IN STRIPED BASS (Marone saxatilis) AND TAUTOG (Tautoga onitis) IN NARRAGANSETT BAY, RI AND THE POTENTIAL IMPLICATIONS TO HUMAN HEALTH.  Maria N. Piraino (mpiraino346@hawks.rwu.edu) and D. L. Taylor, Roger Williams University, Department of Marine Biology, Bristol, RI 02809.

Mercury bioaccumulates through the aquatic food chain and is found in various concentrations across fish species.  Furthermore, mercury concentration may vary in fish tissue as a function of dietary differences, age, body size, and location.  Consumption of contaminated fish is known to be hazardous to human health.  Thus, the consumption of tautog (Tautoga onitis) and striped bass (Morone saxatilis), two important commercial and recreational fish in the Rhode Island area, may be a potential human health hazard.  Tautog are bottom-dwelling fish who feed primarily on mollusks and crustaceans, whereas striped bass are pelagic and consume fish and macroinvertebrates.  In this study, tautog and striped bass samples were collected from Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, using otter trawls, beach seines, and rod & reel (June-August 2006). After recording length (cm) and weight (g) for each fish, mercury concentrations of whole body juvenile tautog, as well as dorsal lateral muscle tissue plugs of adult tautog and striped bass, were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrometry.  Mercury concentrations increased as the size and age of tautog and striped bass increased; however, the rate of mercury bioaccumulation was greater in striped bass than in tautog.  Nevertheless, the size of legal catch and human consumption differs between species (approximate age of legal catch is equal to 6 and 11 years for striped bass and tautog, respectively) such that tautog may pose greater human health risk.

(STUDENT) CORRELATION ANALYSIS OF YOUNG-OF-THE-YEAR WINTER FLOUNDER, BLUEFISH, AND TAUTOG IN RELATION TO THE EFFECTS OF BIOAVAILABLE MERCURY CONCENTRATIONS IN NARRAGANSETT BAY, RHODE ISLAND.   Joseph T. Szczebak (jszczebak@gmail.com), D.L. Taylor, Roger Williams University, Department of Marine Biology, Bristol RI 02809.

Winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus), bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix), and tautog (Tautoga onitis) are economically valuable finfish in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island.  These three species differ in size, diet, habitat utilization, and breeding patterns but are similar in that all young-of-the-year (YOY) exhibit estuarine residency.  Estuarine systems, such as Narragansett Bay, are prone to anthropogenic contamination, subjecting the YOY to elevated concentrations of toxins, particularly bioavailable mercury (Hg). In this study, bioavailable Hg was measured in surface sediments (0-2cm) from 53 sites throughout Narragansett Bay.  Moreover, YOY winter flounder, bluefish and tautog were collected in collaboration with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management juvenile finfish survey, and Roger Williams University fish traps and rod/reel. Sediment and whole body mercury concentrations were measured using combustion atomic-absorption spectrometry.  Correlation analysis with regards to species, bioavailable Hg (sediment), body size, age, and diet was then conducted to assess any relationships that were present.  Young-of-the-year T. onitis contained a significantly higher average whole body Hg concentration over P. americanus and P. saltatrix, whose concentrations were almost identical. Moreover, levels of mercury increased with both size and age for all three species.  No correlation was observed in relation to bioavailable mercury in the sediments.

(STUDENT) THE EFFECTS OF METHYLMERCURY AND AROCLOR 1242 ON FATHEAD MINNOW REPRODUCTION.  James A. Jukosky (James.A.Jukosky@Dartmouth.edu), J.C. Leiter, Department of Physiology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755 and M.C. Watzin, University of Vermont, Rubenstein Ecosystem Science Laboratory, Burlington, VT 05401.

We examined the effects of dietary exposure to methylmercury and PCBs on reproduction in fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas).  Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and methylmercury (MeHg) are associated with adverse reproductive effects in fish and wildlife and are implicated as endocrine disruptors.  Both contaminants biomagnify in aquatic food webs and are present in some amount in fish tissues in many North American lakes.  Fathead minnows were fed diets containing 0.62, 1.56, 6.55, and 12.88 mg MeHg g^-1 (dry weight) or diets of 0.028, 0.66, 10.97, and 18 mg Aroclor 1242  g^-1 (dry weight).  Fish were fed contaminated diets from 90 days post hatch to reproductive maturity.  When minnows reached reproductive maturity we placed them in breeding pairs and assayed reproduction for 21 days.   At these concentrations, Aroclor 1242 did not have any significant effects on fathead minnow reproduction.  Dietary exposure to MeHg impacted fathead minnow reproduction by decreasing the number of breeding pairs that spawned during a 21 day period.  Upon histological analysis of the gonads, we saw a significant increase in oocytes undergoing atresia in female ovaries at dietary MeHg concentrations of 6.55 and 12.88 mg g^-1 (dry weight).  Our results are in agreement with a growing body of data that shows environmentally relevant concentrations of MeHg can adversely affect reproduction in lab fish.  We observed impaired reproduction in fathead minnows at MeHg body burdens similar to those measured in many predatory wild fish.  It is possible that MeHg contamination in aquatic ecosystems may adversely effect wild fish populations.

(STUDENT) COMPARISON OF POLYETHYLENE AND ORGANISM UPTAKE OF POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCBS) IN A STANDARD LABORATORY BIOACCUMULATION STUDY WITH SUPERFUND SITE SEDIMENTS.  Carey L. Friedman (Friedman.Carey@epa.gov) & R. Lohmann, University of Rhode Island, Graduate School of Oceanography Narragansett, Rhode Island 02882; R.M. Burgess, M.G. Cantwell, S.A. Ryba, K.T. Ho, & S.A. Rego, U.S. EPA, ORD/NHEERL, Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, Rhode Island 02882; N.B. Sturgeon, College of Charleston, Department of Biology, Grice Marine Laboratory Charleston, South Carolina 29412; and M.M. Perron, Harvard School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health Boston, Massachusetts 02115.

Marine sediments accumulate nonionic organic contaminants like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and some pesticides.  Because of the recalcitrant geochemical behavior of these types of contaminants they remain in sediments for many years.  During this time, these toxic contaminants may pose an ecological risk to benthic organisms and organisms feeding on benthic organisms including wildlife and humans.  The most contaminated marine aquatic sites, and those representing the greatest risk, are designated as Superfund sites by the U.S. EPA.  One measure of exposure from Superfund site sediments is bioaccumulation of contaminants by benthic organisms.  Bioaccumulation demonstrates contaminants associated with the sediments are bioavailable and may cause toxicity.  A common method of measuring bioaccumulation is the 28 day whole sediment test using the polychaete Nereis virens.  However, bioaccumulation tests are labor-intensive and expensive.  Consequently, for the last several years, alterative methods of measuring contaminant bioavailability from sediments have been evaluated.  In this study, PCB bioaccumulation by N. virens was compared to accumulation by passive polyethylene (PE) samplers.  PE samplers are simple thin plastic films (< 1 mm thick) deployed in sediments where contaminants diffusively partition and equilibrate with the material.  Exposures were performed with three Superfund site sediments: New Bedford Harbor (MA, USA), Hudson River (NY, USA) and Palos Verdes (CA, USA), and one uncontaminated reference sediment from Long Island Sound (NY, USA).  Following the exposures, polychaete and PE PCB accumulation were found to be significantly correlated (p < 0.05) with r² values for concentration data ranging from 0.47 to 0.86 for the three Superfund site sediments.  These data suggest PE samplers may ultimately be used as an inexpensive and labor saving tool for predicting organism bioaccumulation.

COHORT MATURATION, REPRODUCTION AND SURVIVORSHIP OF LEPTOCHEIRUS PLUMULOSUS UNDER CHRONIC ARSENATE STRESS.  Ioanna Visviki (ioanna.visviki@mountsaintvincent.edu), L. M. Jaquez, College of Mount Saint Vincent, Riverdale, NY 10471; J. Brown, Department of Chemistry, Carleton College, Northfield, MN 55057; P. Boyce, M.L. Judge, J.D. Mahony, C. O’Mara, and T. Loor, Manhattan College, Riverdale, NY 10471.

The chronic effects of arsenate (As V) exposure on the cohort maturation, reproduction and survivorship of the amphipod Leptocheirus plumulosus were analyzed in 28-d experiments. Arsenate (as Na₂AsO₄^.7H₂O) was added to natural sediments (particle sizes <250μm), aiming to achieve a pore water concentration of approximately 500, 1000, or 1500μg/L (water-only LC₅₀ ca. 2400μg/L).  Experimental chambers of 1L (900mL 20 psu seawater and 100mL sediment) were assigned to presence/absence treatments of As(V).  Batch renewal and feeding were performed following EPA Chronic Toxicity Methods.  Chambers were held between 20-25 ^OC and under constant illumination.  Up to 16 replicate chambers per concentration were employed, each stocked with 12 to 20 stage-sorted juvenile amphipods (500-600μm).  Up to four replicate chambers per treatment were destructively sampled each week.  Weekly changes in cohort structure were assessed by size frequency analysis.  Recovery rate in control replicates exceeded 75% of deployed individuals. No effects on amphipod growth, reproduction and survivorship were observed at 500 μg/L. Exposure to 1000μg/L reduced the reproductive rate by 75% but the other endpoints were unaffected. Exposure to 1500μg/L resulted in 100% mortality. These results indicate that the acute-chronic arsenate ratio for Leptocheirus is 1.6.

POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCBS) AND POLYBROMINATED DIPHENYL ETHERS (PBDES) IN CURRENT AND HISTORICAL SAMPLES OF AVIAN EGGS FROM NESTING SITES IN BUZZARDS BAY, MA, USA.  Saro Jayaraman  (jayaraman.saro@epa.gov), M. Cantwell, & D.E. Nacci, U.S.EPA, Office of Research and Development, Narragansett, RI; C. S. Mostello, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife Westborough, MA; and I.C.T. Nisbet, I.C.T. Nisbet and Company, North Falmouth, MA.

We measured concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in eggs from breeding colonies in Buzzards Bay, MA, USA.  Eggs from two piscivorous bird species, common (Sterna hirundo) and roseate (Sterna dougallii) terns, were collected in the spring of 1972, 1994 - 96, 1998 – 99 and 2005.  Prior to analyses, we predicted temporal declines in tern egg PCBs in association with declines since the 1970s in sediment PCBs from a nearby Superfund site, New Bedford, MA.  However, we expected a temporal increase in PDBE concentrations in tern eggs, reflecting local and globally-transported industrial contamination from these compounds primarily used in recent years as flame retardants.  As predicted, PCB concentrations have declined since 1972 in eggs from both tern species.  For example, total PCB concentrations, reported as the sum of eighteen selected PCB congeners, averaged 157,322 ng/g lipid for 1972 samples and 34,602 ng/g lipid for 2005 samples of common tern eggs.  PCB congener patterns in tern eggs have also changed.  The predominant congeners found in tern eggs collected in recent years included PCBs 118, 153 and 138, which contributed to 66-70% of total PCBs; whereas lower chlorinated PCBs predominated the PCB patterns from earlier years (1972).  PBDEs were measured in extracts from these same egg samples using a novel negative ion mass spectrometer method (described elsewhere) and reported for eight selected congeners.  As expected and in contrast to the decline observed for PCBs, total PBDE concentrations increased from detection limit (< 3 ng/g) in1972 samples to an average of 1,086 ng/g lipid for 2005 common tern egg samples.  Results from these analyses were also compared to PCB and PBDE concentrations measured for recently collected (2003) eggs of tree swallows (Tachyineta bicolor), insectivorous birds drawn to nesting boxes located in the Superfund site.  Statistical analyses are underway to evaluate contaminant-specific interspecies variations, assess the influence of the Superfund site on PCB contamination, and characterize the potential for adverse effects from these toxic contaminants in avian eggs.

PBDES, PCBS, AND DIOXIN-LIKE COMPOUNDS IN HARBOR SEALS FROM THE NORTHWEST ATLANTIC: NEW EVIDENCE OF DECA-BDE (BDE-209) EXPOSURE IN A MARINE MAMMAL SPECIES.  S. D. Shaw, D. Brenner, Michelle L. Berger (mberger@meriresearch.org), Marine Environmental Research Institute, Blue Hill, ME; F. Fang, C.-S. Hong, School of Public Health, University at Albany, Albany, NY;  R. Storm, D. Hilker, P. O‘Keefe, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that biomagnify and have been associated with endocrine-disrupting and neurodevelopmental effects in animals. Due to their lipophilicity and widespread use as flame retardants, PBDEs are now ubiquitous global contaminants. Although ~80% of the PBDEs produced globally consist of deca-BDE, BDE-209 has rarely been found in marine mammals. Recent studies have indicated that BDE-209 is rapidly broken down via metabolism in seals, as it is in fish and humans. Our previous study reported that harbor seals (Phoca vitulina concolor) from the northwestern Atlantic are highly contaminated by POPs including the PBDEs (tetra-hexa BDEs). The present study extended the analysis to include deca-BDE (BDE-209) along with PCBs, dioxin-like PCBs and PCDD/Fs in a larger sample size (n=42). The highest blubber POP concentrations were found in the younger seals, followed by the adult males and adult females.  In yearlings and pups, mean ΣPBDE levels (~2900-3600 ng/g, lw) were 16-19 times lower than ΣPCB levels (~56800-60500 ng/g lw). Mean levels of WHO TEQs, dominated by PCB TEQs (97-98%), were also relatively high in pups (191 pg/g lw). ΣPBDE levels in the younger seals exceed the levels associated with thyroid hormone alterations in young gray seals and with lymphoid depletion in stranded harbor porpoises. Levels of ΣPCBs and WHO-TEQs in these seals exceed estimated threshold levels for effects on immune and endocrine function in the species.  BDE-209 was detected in 4 of 8 seals tested with concentrations ranging from 1-8 ng/g, lw.  To our knowledge, this is the first report of BDE-209 concentrations above trace levels in a wild marine mammal species. Given the evidence of rapid clearance of BDE-209 in seal blood, these concentrations are suggestive of selective uptake of deca-BDE through the food chain and debromination of BDE-209 via metabolism.

PERFLUOROOCTANE SULFONATE AND RELATED PERFLUORINATED HYDROCARBONS IN HARBOR SEALS (PHOCA VITULINA CONCOLOR) FROM THE NORTHWESTERN ATLANTIC.  S. D. Shaw, M. L. Berger, Meggan Dwyer (mdwyer@meriresearch.org), D. Brenner, Marine Environmental Research Institute, Blue Hill, ME 04614; and K. Kannan, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY 12201-0509.

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and related perfluorinated organic compounds (PFCs) are ubiquitous global contaminants that are widely distributed in the environment, humans, and wildlife.  Although little is known about long-term effects of exposure, five different pathways have been proposed for PFC-related carcinogenicity and reproductive and developmental toxicity. Studies on the occurrence of PFCs in marine mammals have focused on Europe, the Arctic, and the US Pacific coast. Here we report the presence of PFOS and related perfluorinated sulfonic acids (PFSAs) as well as a suite of perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) in harbor seals (Phoca vitulina concolor) from the northwestern Atlantic.  Four PFSAs and six PFCAs (C₇ - C₁₂) were detected in harbor seal liver. PFOS was the predominant compound, with concentrations ranging from 8.0 to 869 ng/g ww (mean: 162.3 ng/g ww). PFCA concentrations were an order of magnitude lower than PFSAs in seal liver. An interesting observation is the presence of perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA) as the dominant PFCA compound in harbor seals, whereas for most marine mammals, the PFCA profile is dominated by perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA). Gender and age were not significant influences on PFOS concentrations in our samples, suggesting a different accumulation pattern than that observed for lipophilic POPs (e.g., PCBs). For the period 2000 to 2005, we found no evidence of a time trend in PFOS or PFUnDA concentrations, nor did we find significant spatial variations in concentrations. On a global scale, PFOS concentrations in harbor seals from the northwestern Atlantic are similar to those found in harbor seals from industrialized areas of Europe and are an order of magnitude higher than levels reported in harbor seals from the US Pacific coast. To our knowledge, this is the first report of perfluorochemical contaminants in marine mammals from the northwestern Atlantic.

DEVELOPMENT OF AN ANALYTICAL METHOD TO MEASURE POLYBROMINATED DIPHENYL ETHERS IN ARCHIVED EXTRACTS OF AVIAN EGGS.  Mark G. Cantwell (cantwell.mark@epa.gov), S. Jayaraman and D.E. Nacci.  US Environmental Protection Agency, Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, RI 02882.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are part of a group of brominated flame retardants used in a wide range of commercial and domestic applications to reduce product flammability.  Large scale production of PBDEs started in the early 1970s with their presence in the environment first measured in 1979.  Production of PBDEs has increased steadily since then with global annual production in 2001 estimated at 67,000 metric tons.  In order to properly assess the level of risk associated with PBDEs, accurate and sensitive methods are needed to measure these compounds.  In this study we developed and validated an analytical procedure to measure 13 PBDE congeners in extracts of common (Sterna hirundo) and roseate (Sterna dougalli) tern eggs originally processed for polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) analysis.  Negative chemical ionization mass spectrometry (NCI-MS) was determined to have much lower detection limits for PBDEs than standard electron impact ionization (EI).  Results are presented for eight environmentally ubiquitous congeners (BDEs 17, 28, 47, 66, 99, 100, 153, 154).  Provisional PBDE values from a NIST standard reference material (SRM1974b) compared well against our results, indicating excellent extraction recoveries and accurate analytical data.  Reanalysis of selected samples for PCBs showed little change in concentrations over time, indicating that analyte loss during archival was not a factor.  In addition, PBDE levels in the samples compared well with literature values, providing further evidence of the robustness of the methods used.  Overall, results show that previously archived samples can be used to measure other classes of contaminants provided that methodologies and procedures are properly validated.

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SEDIMENT, SURFACE WATER AND BIOLOGICAL TISSUE CONCENTRATIONS IN AN INDUSTRIALIZED NORTHEASTERN TIDAL CHANNEL.  Femke Hartog (Fhartog@brwncald.com)and Carrie McGowan.

A large multi-media study is being performed to assess contamination and risk in a tidal channel of a major northeastern estuary. The area is characterized by heavy industry and multiple sources. The goals of the study are to determine the nature and extent of impacts related to discharges to this particular channel, elucidate physical and chemical conditions that influence contaminant fate and transport, and evaluate ecological risk. The principal contaminant of concern is mercury. The current database includes analytical results for surface water, sediment, marsh sediment, fiddler crab, and mummichog (minnow) in the subject channel and a nearby reference area. Mercury in surface water is almost entirely composed of suspended sediment and varies by tidal cycle phase. Preliminary analysis indicates that there is a strong relationship between mercury in fish and sediment within small areas, but a limited relationship for crabs. Methyl mercury represents a very low proportion of the total mercury present in sediment and biota. Concentration relationships in various media for other contaminants are also being explored. Biota sediment accumulation factors (BSAFs) for various constituents of ecological concern (COPECs) are being estimated.