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Description of Work U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is identifying the types and locations of emerging and legacy toxic contaminants in the water and sediments at 59 major tributaries to the Great Lakes (including many Area of Concern sites). This information is needed to help prioritize watersheds for restoration, develop strategies to reduce contaminants, and measure the success of those efforts in meeting restoration goals. The USGS contaminant and virus tributary monitoring network follows the National Monitoring Network for Coastal Waters design. The monitoring effort includes collecting emerging contaminant samples at 17 sites, a subset of the 30 nutrient monitoring sites; and for human viruses and other waterborne...
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Description of Work Benthos (benthic invertebrate) and plankton (phytoplankton/zooplankton) communities in Wisconsin's four Lake Michigan Areas of Concern (AOCs; Menominee River, Lower Green Bay and Fox River, Sheboygan River, and Milwaukee Estuary) and six non-AOCs will be quantified. The inclusion of non-AOC sites will allow comparison of AOC sites to relatively-unimpacted or less-impacted control sites with natural physical and chemical characteristics that are as close as possible to that of the AOCs. The community data within and between the AOCs and non-AOCs will be analyzed. This project is a cooperative agreement between the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) and the US Geological Survey (USGS)....
ABSTRACT: The “policy environment” is defined herein as the institutional setting in which planning is conducted and policy decisions are made with regard to meeting two of the Nation's high priority goals: water quality protection and energy independence. The simultaneous pursuit of these goals has resulted in numerous conflicts among the energy industry, environmentalists, and government. An analysis of selected energy development-water quality conflicts shows that these conflicts can be described in terms of one or more of the following policy environment characteristics: resource scarcity, sense of urgency, lack of experience, administrative complexity, uncertainty about future policies and regulations, technological...
Description of Work At two of Wisconsin's Areas of Concern (AOCs) on Lake Michigan, the Sheboygan River AOC and Milwaukee Estuary AOC, the USGS will assess whether sediment toxicity from PCBs, PAHs, selected metals, ammonia, or dissolved oxygen is present at acutely toxic or chronically toxic concentrations using sediment toxicity tests conducted with amphipods and midges. Study planning and literature search have been completed. Sediment was collected in October 2016 from sites in the two AOCs and sites in two non-AOC comparison sites. Assesments will be done at two additional sites: Kewaunee River and Oak Creek. Laboratory toxicity tests and chemical analyses are in progress, including sediment toxicity testing...
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Description of Work Jeorse Park Beach is located in East Chicago, Indiana, within the Grand Calumet River Area of Concern (AOC), which has been identified as having all 14 beneficial use designations impaired, including beach closings. Jeorse Park Beach has been identified as one of the most highly contaminated beaches in the nation, with annual beach closings due to bacterial contamination as high as 76% in 2010. Further, beach closings have steadily increased each year since beach monitoring was initiated in 2005 in response to the Beaches Environmental and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act. Beach closings represent an environmental, social, and economic burden, the alleviation of which require various remediation strategies...
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Description of Work USEPA Region 5 previously funded a study in 2011 evaluating the toxicity of nitrogen compounds to a select number of pond-dwelling amphibians. The objective of this new study will be to determine the toxicity of nitrogen compounds to stream-dwelling amphibians. Nitrogen contamination in aquatic systems results from the decomposition of organic matter, as well as through agricultural inputs, sewage effluents and industrial activities. Nitrogen in its various forms is of ecological concern because of its ubiquitous distribution and toxicity to aquatic life. Nitrogen compounds pose a hazard to aquatic larval stages of amphibians, affecting survival and development, and inducing deformities and behavioral...
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Description of Work In 2014-15 the U.S. Geological Survey and State University of New York at Fredonia characterized the quantity and morphology of floating microplastics in 29 Great Lakes tributaries in 6 states under different hydrologic conditions, wastewater effluent contributions, land uses, and seasons. Tributaries were sampled four times each, during high-flow and low-flow conditions. Samples were collected from the upper 20-30cm of the stream using a 0.33mm mesh neuston net. Microplastic particles were sorted by size, counted, and categorized as fibers/lines, pellets/beads, foams, films, and fragments. References 1. R. C. Thompson et al., Lost at Sea: Where Is All the Plastic? Science. 304, 838 (2004)....
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Description of Work The study will be implemented in two phases due to logistical constraints and the need to incorporate methods developed (and findings) from a comparable investigation underway in another AOC. The first phase will consist of site selection, methods refinement, work-plan development, subcontract assembly, site reconnaissance, and sediment collection which will be done mainly during FY2013. The second phase will consist of macroinvertebrate identification, sediment toxicity testing, data analysis and interpretation, and report preparation and review mainly during FY2014. In brief, we will generate bed sediment toxicity and benthic community data needed to test two related hypotheses that address...
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Description of Work The sensitivity of listed species of fish or amphibians was evaluated in acute and chronic toxicity tests conducted with a range of inorganic or organic chemicals with different toxic modes of action. Results of these studies indicate that the acute or chronic sensitivity of rainbow trout, but not fathead minnow, frequently provided protective acute or chronic toxicity thresholds for most of the listed species evaluated. However, only a limited number of species of sculpins or darters were included in this evaluation, and not all species tested occurred in the Great Lakes watershed. The objective of the proposed study will be to: (1) provide additional chronic toxicity data for sculpins or darters...
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Description of Work Currently, a standard test method does not exist for evaluating the effects of sediment-associated toxicants on freshwater mussels. A standard guide for conducting water-only laboratory toxicity tests with freshwater mussels was approved in 2006 (ASTM 2008a) and provides a tested and validated, consensus-based methodology for conducting acute or chronic water toxicity tests with the early life stages (glochidia and juveniles) of freshwater mussels. Several recent peer-reviewed scientific publications have presented data on various toxicants (Bringolf et al. 2007a,b,c; Wang et al. 2007a,b,c) generated with this method and demonstrate consistency and reliability in inter-laboratory (round robin)...
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Description of Work USGS scientists will develop support to State partners for the removal of Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) such as fish consumption advisories, fish tumor presence, Eutrophication and unwanted algae, drinking water problems, beach health, and concentrations of PCBs in lake trout and walleyes. Areas of Concern (AOC) principles and guidelines were developed as an initial reference point from which appropriate restoration criteria could be developed. Stage 2 Remedial Action Plans (RAPs) were developed for each of these AOCs to address impairments to any one of 14 beneficial uses associated with these areas. Specific remediation actions are completed in order to restore the beneficial use. When...
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Description of Work Determine the relative sensitivity of two species of amphibians (i.e. Wood Frogs Rana sylvatica, Cricket Frogs Acris crepitans blanchardi, American Toad Bufo americana) to exposure to acute and chronic levels of nitrate, nitrite and ammonia. This data will be used to evaluate the current ammonia criteria and for possible inclusion in the development of criteria for nitrite and nitrate.
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Description of Work This work will investigate linkages between sediment PCB concentrations and subsequent exposure in riparian organisms living on land next to the river and harbor. This is an extension of prior work at the site that has been used by the Manistique River and Harbor Remediation Team (comprised of managers and scientists from USEPA GLNPO, USEPA ORD, NOAA, USACOE, USGS and the state of Michigan) to guide plans for delisting activities. Riparian spiders are important mediators of contaminant flux from aquatic systems to nearby terrestrial habitats. Aquatic insects accumulate contaminants in their larval form, and transport these contaminants to terrestrial ecosystems in their adult bodies. Spiders...
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Description of Work U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) will identify through this project significant sources and impacts of historical and newly emerging toxics to the Great Lakes ecosystem through broad surveillance as well as laboratory and field research of tree swallows and other bird species. USGS scientists will determine the amount of exposure to and the effects of historical and emerging contaminants in Great Lakes food chains. The data will inform regulators and provide guidance on removal of Beneficial Use Impairments at Area of Concern sites around the Great Lakes. Work supported under this project is quantifying exposure to, and effects of, both historical and emerging contaminants on Great Lakes food chains...
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Tree swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, were sampled across the Great Lakes basin in 2010-2015 to provide a system-wide assessment of current exposure to organic contaminants. These results provide information identified as critical by land managers and regulators to assess the ‘Bird or Animal Deformity or Reproductive Problems’ Beneficial Use Impairment. Eggs were collected from 69 sites across all five Great Lakes, including 27 Areas of Concern (AOCs), some with multiple sites, and ten sites not listed as an AOC. Concentrations of organic contaminants in eggs were quantified and compared to background and reproductive effect thresholds. Approximately one-third of the AOCs had geometric mean concentrations of total...
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Description of Work The first major goal of this project is to characterize and evaluate the extent to which contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) threaten fish and other wildlife in the Great Lakes. This includes identifying and characterizing CECs in the Great Lakes Basin, identifying risk-based screening concentrations for priority CECs, evaluating population-relevant effects of complex mixtures on biota, and identifying the Great Lakes waterways at greatest risk. The second major goal of this project is to pilot and develop a short-term and an ongoing long-term state-of-the-art bioeffects surveillance program for the Great Lakes basin. This includes developing strategies which will account for variable conditions...
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Description of Work The work completed for this template will provide the following information: 1) Generate acute and chronic toxicity data for freshwater mussels and snails to enhance the protection of listed/endangered species in the GL basin; 2) Refine methods and conduct acute and chronic toxicity tests on amphibians; 3) Develop and test methods for conducting chronic toxicity tests for mayflies.
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Description of Work The sensitivity of various species of freshwater mussels (Unioidea) to range of inorganic and organic chemicals has been evaluated in acute toxicity tests and the sensitivity of freshwater mussels to a range of inorganic chemicals has been evaluated in chronic toxicity tests. However, the chronic toxicity of organic chemicals has only been evaluated with a limited number of mussel species or for a limited number of organic chemicals. The objective of this study will be to evaluate methods for conducting 90-d water only exposures with juvenile mussels and conducted chronic 28-d toxicity tests with at least organic chemicals of concern and two commonly tested species of mussels (Lampsilis siliquoidea,...
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Description of Work U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists are improving the health of the Great Lakes sport and commercial fisheries by documenting sources and the determining the processes that control mercury entering food webs, and helping to evaluate the implications for public health. Our scientists will provide decision-makers with a scientific understanding of mercury-source profiles, the relative importance of the various sources, and the expected environmental responses to Great Lakes wasters and fisheries to altered mercury loading and restoration actions. This information is intended to inform and maximize the benefit of the Great Lakes restoration program. The USGS will develop mercury and methylmercury...
map background search result map search result map Benthic Communities and Sediment and Water Toxicity in the Rochester Embayment AOC Mercury Cycling and Bioaccumulation in the Great Lakes AOC Decision Support Determine Baseline and Sources of Toxic Contaminant Loadings Birds as Indicators of Contaminant Exposure in the Great Lakes Development and Demonstration of a Sediment Toxicity Test Method with Freshwater Mussels for Assessing Sediment Contaminants in the Great Lakes Basin and within North America Toxicity Testing of Sculpins and Darters Toxicity of Organic Chemicals in Mussels Toxicity in Stream-Dwelling Amphibians Determination of the Sensitivity of Two Species of Amphibians to Toxicity From Nitrate, Nitrite and Ammonia Toxicity Testing for Stream Dwelling Amphibians, Mussels, and Mayflies Jeorse Park Beach Contamination Benthos & Plankton in Wisconsin's Lake Michigan AOCs Sites and Basin Shapefiles for GLRI Toxic Contaminant Loading Project Riparian Indicators of Contaminant Exposure and Potential PCB Sources at Manistique River and Harbor AOC Microplastics in Great Lakes Tributaries Birds as indicators of contaminants in the Great Lakes - Egg Contaminants Data Benthic Communities and Sediment and Water Toxicity in the Rochester Embayment AOC Jeorse Park Beach Contamination Riparian Indicators of Contaminant Exposure and Potential PCB Sources at Manistique River and Harbor AOC Benthos & Plankton in Wisconsin's Lake Michigan AOCs Microplastics in Great Lakes Tributaries Toxicity Testing for Stream Dwelling Amphibians, Mussels, and Mayflies Mercury Cycling and Bioaccumulation in the Great Lakes AOC Decision Support Birds as Indicators of Contaminant Exposure in the Great Lakes Determination of the Sensitivity of Two Species of Amphibians to Toxicity From Nitrate, Nitrite and Ammonia Development and Demonstration of a Sediment Toxicity Test Method with Freshwater Mussels for Assessing Sediment Contaminants in the Great Lakes Basin and within North America Toxicity Testing of Sculpins and Darters Toxicity of Organic Chemicals in Mussels Toxicity in Stream-Dwelling Amphibians Sites and Basin Shapefiles for GLRI Toxic Contaminant Loading Project Determine Baseline and Sources of Toxic Contaminant Loadings Birds as indicators of contaminants in the Great Lakes - Egg Contaminants Data