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Elena B. Nilsen

Publications and source records attributed to Elena B. Nilsen.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2022

Assessment of persistent chemicals of concern in white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) in the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River, southeastern Washington, 2009

White sturgeon ( Acipenser transmontanus ) are long-lived, late-maturing, benthic-feeding fish that are ideal candidates for assessing the bioaccumulation of persistent chemicals. In this study, composite tissue samples of brain, liver, gonad, and fillet were collected from white sturgeon in 2009 from five sites in the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River near Hanford, Washington. The composite tissue samples at each site were analyzed for the concentrations of individual chemicals as well as the total concentrations of four chemical classes: (1) organochlorine (OC) pesticides, (2) industrial or personal care products, (3) polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners, and (4) polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners. The results showed that chemicals from all four classes were present in the fish, and that OC pesticides and degradation products (such as oxychlordane, fipronil sulfide, and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) degradates, PBDE congeners, and PCB congeners) often were present in all tissues and at all sites. Gonad tissues generally had the highest total concentration of each chemical class, followed by brains, livers, and fillets. The concentrations of several chemicals or chemical classes exceeded many of the human health benchmarks for two different populations (general/recreational consumers and subsistence/Tribal consumers), and this was especially true for the total concentrations of DDT degradation products and PCB congeners. These results suggest that continued monitoring of resident fish in the Hanford Reach, as well as assessments of the health impacts on consumers of those fish, are warranted.

Washington↗
USGS2018

Prioritization framework for ranking riverine ecosystem stressors using example sites from the Tualatin River Basin, Oregon

As human populations increase, so does their influence over the environment. Altered terrain, degraded water quality, and threatened or endangered species are all-too-common consequences of a growing anthropogenic influence on the landscape. To help manage these effects, researchers have developed new ways to characterize current environmental conditions and help resource managers seek solutions to bring affected areas back to their best attainable health. Before an ecosystem can be improved, however, its current level of ecological stress must be determined. Characterizing environmental conditions at many sites across a landscape helps managers understand the range of current conditions and prioritize where they might focus restoration and protection efforts. This report details the development of a prioritization framework to score riverine ecosystem stressors in a watershed based on example sites from the Tualatin River Basin in northwestern Oregon. The framework incorporated the most influential site-specific stressors throughout the basin built on a long history of data collection. These stressors were characterized with 13 metrics that were organized into 4 groups: hydrologic, water quality, physical habitat, and biological. Each stressor metric used readily accessible data and was translated to a score between 0 and 10. The higher the score, the healthier the site. This initial application of the framework used field observations and measurements to rank site conditions at two Tualatin River sites and four Tualatin River tributary sites. Given the versatility of this framework, it easily could be expanded to include more sites or new metrics, if necessary. Because stressors varied by season, all metrics for the tributary sites were scored separately during the wet season (November through April) and dry season (May through October). Water-quality data were available over a prolonged period; therefore, water-quality metrics were assessed by season and by decade (1990–99 compared to 2000–12) to evaluate long-term stressor trends. Results for the Tualatin River Basin prioritization framework indicated that the urban tributaries demonstrated the greatest stress throughout the year, especially during the dry summer months. Spatially, the upper Tualatin River was healthier than the lower reaches of the river. Water-quality has improved in the last 10 years, mostly due to improvements in the dry period contaminant scores, but challenges remain with high water temperatures and low dissolved-oxygen conditions. The biggest challenge with this type of research derived from inconsistencies within the available data. Both spatial and temporal data gaps must be addressed to improve the prioritization. Incorporating both discrete and continuous datasets into the prioritization framework remains a challenge because the datasets have slightly different information and criteria and are not always comparable. Regardless, this report provides guidelines for developing a prioritization framework that ranks the ecological health of sites in a watershed and provides guidance on management actions for improving conditions by targeting factors that greatly affect the health of river ecosystems.

Oregon↗
USGS2016

Year-round monitoring of contaminants in Neal and Rogers Creeks, Hood River Basin, Oregon, 2011-12, and assessment of risks to salmonids

Pesticide presence in streams is a potential threat to Endangered Species Act listed salmonids in the Hood River basin, Oregon, a primarily forested and agricultural basin. Two types of passive samplers, polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) and semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs), were simultaneously deployed at four sites in the basin during Mar. 2011&ndash;Mar. 2012 to measure the presence of pesticides, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The year-round use of passive samplers is a novel approach and offers several new insights. Currently used pesticides and legacy contaminants, including many chlorinated pesticides and PBDEs, were present throughout the year in the basin&rsquo;s streams. PCBs were not detected. Time-weighted average water concentrations for the 2-month deployment periods were estimated from concentrations of chemicals measured in the passive samplers. Currently used pesticide concentrations peaked during spring and were detected beyond their seasons of expected use. Summed concentrations of legacy contaminants in Neal Creek were highest during July&ndash;Sept., the period with the lowest streamflows. Endosulfan was the only pesticide detected in passive samplers at concentrations exceeding Oregon or U.S. Environmental Protection Agency water-quality thresholds. A Sensitive Pesticide Toxicity Index (SPTI) was used to estimate the relative acute potential toxicity among sample mixtures. The acute potential toxicity of the detected mixtures was likely greater for invertebrates than for fish and for all samples in Neal Creek compared to Rogers Creek, but the indices appear to be low overall (<0.1). Endosulfans and pyrethroid insecticides were the largest contributors to the SPTIs for both sites. SPTIs of some discrete (grab) samples from the basin that were used for comparison exceeded 0.1 when some insecticides (azinphos methyl, chlorpyrifos, malathion) were detected at concentrations near or exceeding acute water-quality thresholds. Early life stages and adults of several sensitive fish species, including salmonids, are present in surface waters of the basin throughout the year, including during periods of peak estimated potential toxicity. Based on these data, direct toxicity to salmonids from in-stream pesticide exposure is unlikely, but indirect impacts (reduced fitness due to cumulative exposures or negative impacts to invertebrate prey populations) are unknown.

Oregon↗
USGS2016

Spatial and temporal variability of contaminants within estuarine sediments and native Olympia oysters: A contrast between a developed and an undeveloped estuary

Chemical contaminants can be introduced into estuarine and marine ecosystems from a variety of sources including wastewater, agriculture and forestry practices, point and non-point discharges, runoff from industrial, municipal, and urban lands, accidental spills, and atmospheric deposition. The diversity of potential sources contributes to the likelihood of contaminated marine waters and sediments and increases the probability of uptake by marine organisms. Despite widespread recognition of direct and indirect pathways for contaminant deposition and organismal exposure in coastal systems, spatial and temporal variability in contaminant composition, deposition, and uptake patterns are still poorly known. We investigated these patterns for a suite of persistent legacy contaminants including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and chemicals of emerging concern including pharmaceuticals within two Oregon coastal estuaries (Coos and Netarts Bays). In the more urbanized Coos Bay, native Olympia oyster ( Ostrea lurida ) tissue had approximately twice the number of PCB congeners at over seven times the total concentration, yet fewer PBDEs at one-tenth the concentration as compared to the more rural Netarts Bay. Different pharmaceutical suites were detected during each sampling season. Variability in contaminant types and concentrations across seasons and between species and media (organisms versus sediment) indicates the limitation of using indicator species and/or sampling annually to determine contaminant loads at a site or for specific species. The results indicate the prevalence of legacy contaminants and CECs in relatively undeveloped coastal environments highlighting the need to improve policy and management actions to reduce contaminant releases into estuarine and marine waters and to deal with legacy compounds that remain long after prohibition of use. Our results point to the need for better understanding of the ecological and human health risks of exposure to the diverse cocktail of pollutants and harmful compounds that will continue to leach from estuarine sediments over time.

Oregon↗
USGS2015

Reconnaissance of contaminants in larval Pacific lamprey ( Entosphenus tridentatus ) tissues and habitats in the Columbia River Basin, Oregon and Washington, USA

Pacific lampreys ( Entosphenus tridentatus ) have resided in the Columbia River Basin for millennia and have great ecological and cultural importance. The role of habitat contamination in the recent decline of the species has rarely been studied and was the main objective of this effort. A wide range of contaminants (115 analytes) was measured in sediments and tissues at 27 sites across a large geographic area of diverse land use. This is the largest dataset of contaminants in habitats and tissues of Pacific lamprey in North America and the first study to compare contaminant bioburden during the larval life stage and the anadromous, adult portion of the life cycle. Bioaccumulation of pesticides, flame retardants, and mercury was observed at many sites. Based on available data, contaminants are accumulating in larval Pacific lamprey at levels that are likely detrimental to organism health and may be contributing to the decline of the species.

Oregon, Washington↗
USGS2014

Sedimentary organic biomarkers suggest detrimental effects of PAHs on estuarine microbial biomass during the 20th century in San Francisco Bay, CA, USA

Hydrocarbon contaminants are ubiquitous in urban aquatic ecosystems, and the ability of some microbial strains to degrade certain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is well established. However, detrimental effects of petroleum hydrocarbon contamination on nondegrader microbial populations and photosynthetic organisms have not often been considered. In the current study, fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) biomarkers in the sediment record were used to assess historical impacts of petroleum contamination on microbial and/or algal biomass in South San Francisco Bay, CA, USA. Profiles of saturated, branched, and monounsaturated fatty acids had similar concentrations and patterns downcore. Total PAHs in a sediment core were on average greater than 20× higher above ∼200 cm than below, which corresponds roughly to the year 1900. Isomer ratios were consistent with a predominant petroleum combustion source for PAHs. Several individual PAHs exceeded sediment quality screening values. Negative correlations between petroleum contaminants and microbial and algal biomarkers – along with high trans/cis ratios of unsaturated FA, and principle component analysis of the PAH and fatty acid records – suggest a negative impacts of petroleum contamination, appearing early in the 20th century, on microbial and/or algal ecology at the site.

California↗
USGS2014

Contaminants of legacy and emerging concern in largescale suckers (Catostomus macrocheilus) and the foodweb in the lower Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, USA

We investigated occurrence, transport pathways, and effects of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants and other endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in aquatic media and the foodweb in the lower Columbia River. In 2009 and 2010, foodweb sampling at three sites along a gradient of contaminant exposure near Skamania (Washington), Columbia City (Oregon) and Longview (Washington) included water (via passive samplers), bed sediment, invertebrate biomass residing in sediment, a resident fish species (largescale suckers [ Catostomus macrocheilus ]), and eggs from osprey ( Pandion haliaetus ). This paper primarily reports fish tissue concentrations. In 2009, composites of fish brain, fillet, liver, stomach, and gonad tissues revealed that overall contaminant concentrations were highest in livers, followed by brain, stomach, gonad, and fillet. Concentrations of halogenated compounds in tissue samples from all three sites ranged from < 1 to 400 nanograms per gram of wet tissue. Several chemical classes, including PBDEs, organochlorine pesticides, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), were detected at all sites and in nearly all fish tissues sampled. In 2010, only fish livers were sampled and inter-site concentration differences were not as pronounced as in 2009. Chemical concentrations in sediments, fish tissues, and osprey eggs increased moving downstream from Skamania to the urbanized sites near Columbia City and Longview. Numerous organochlorine (OC) pesticides, both banned and currently used, and PBDEs, were present at each site in multiple media and concentrations exceeded environmental quality benchmarks in some cases. Frequently detected OC compounds included hexachlorobenzene, pentachloroanisole, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its degradates, chlorpyrifos, and oxyfluorofen. Biomagnification of BDE47, 100, 153, and 154 occurred in largescale suckers and osprey eggs. Results support the hypothesis that contaminants in the environment lead to bioaccumulation and potential negative effects in multiple levels of the foodweb.

Oregon, Washington↗
USGS2014

Health status of Largescale Sucker ( Catostomus macrocheilus ) collected along an organic contaminant gradient in the lower Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, USA

The health of Largescale Sucker ( Catostomus macrocheilus ) in the lower Columbia River (USA) was evaluated using morphometric and histopathological approaches, and its association with organic contaminants accumulated in liver was evaluated in males. Fish were sampled from three sites along a contaminant gradient In 2009, body length and mass, condition factor, gonadosomatic index, and hematocrit were measured in males and females; liver and gonad tissue were collected from males for histological analyses; and organ composites were analyzed for contaminant content in males. In 2010, additional data were collected for males and females, including external fish condition assessment, histopathologies of spleen, kidney and gill and, for males, liver contaminant content. Multivariate analysis of variance indicated that biological traits in males, but not females, differed among sites in 2009 and 2010. Discriminant function analysis indicated that site-related differences among male populations were relatively small in 2009, but in 2010, when more variables were analyzed, males differed among sites in regards to kidney, spleen, and liver histopathologies and gill parasites. Kidney tubular hyperplasia, liver and spleen macrophage aggregations, and gill parasites were generally more severe in the downstream sites compared to the reference location. The contaminant content of male livers was also generally higher downstream, and the legacy pesticide hexachlorobenzene and flame retardants BDE-47 and BDE-154 were the primary drivers for site discrimination. However, bivariate correlations between biological variables and liver contaminants retained in the discriminant models failed to reveal associations between the two variable sets. In conclusion, whereas certain non-reproductive biological traits and liver contaminant contents of male Largescale Sucker differed according to an upstream-downstream gradient in the lower Columbia River, results from this study did not reveal the specific environmental factors responsible for the differences in health status among fish populations.

Science of the Total Environment↗
USGS2014

Spatial and temporal trends in occurrence of emerging and legacy contaminants in the Lower Columbia River 2008-2010

The Lower Columbia River in Oregon and Washington, USA, is an important resource for aquatic and terrestrial organisms, agriculture, and commerce. An 86-mile stretch of the river was sampled over a 3 year period in order to determine the spatial and temporal trends in the occurrence and concentration of water-borne organic contaminants. Sampling occurred at 10 sites along this stretch and at 1 site on the Willamette River using the semipermeable membrane device (SPMD) and the polar organic chemical integrative sampler (POCIS) passive samplers. Contaminant profiles followed the predicted trends of lower numbers of detections and associated concentrations in the rural areas to higher numbers and concentrations at the more urbanized sites. Industrial chemicals, plasticizers, and PAHs were present at the highest concentrations. Differences in concentrations between sampling periods were related to the amount of rainfall during the sampling period. In general, water concentrations of wastewater-related contaminants decreased and concentrations of legacy contaminants slightly increased with increasing rainfall amounts.

Oregon;Washington↗
USGS2014

Assessing reproductive and endocrine parameters in male largescale suckers ( Catostomus macrocheilus ) along a contaminant gradient in the lower Columbia River, USA

Persistent organochlorine pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p′-DDE), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are stable, bioaccumulative, and widely found in the environment, wildlife, and the human population. To explore the hypothesis that reproduction in male fish is associated with environmental exposures in the lower Columbia River (LCR), reproductive and endocrine parameters were studied in male resident, non-anadromous largescale sucker (Catostomus macrocheilus) (LSS) in the same habitats as anadromous salmonids having conservation status. Testes, thyroid tissue and plasma collected in 2010 from Longview (LV), Columbia City (CC), and Skamania (SK; reference) were studied. Sperm morphologies and thyrocyte heights were measured by light microscopy, sperm motilities by computer-assisted sperm motion analysis, sperm adenosine triphosphate (ATP) with luciferase, and plasma vitellogenin (VTG), thyroxine (T4), and triiodothyronine (T3) by immunoassay. Sperm apoptosis, viability, mitochondrial membrane potential, nuclear DNA fragmentation, and reproductive stage were measured by flow cytometry. Sperm quality parameters (except counts) and VTG were significantly different among sites, with correlations between VTG and 7 sperm parameters. Thyrocyte heights, T4, T3, gonadosomatic index and Fulton's condition factor differed among sites, but not significantly. Sperm quality was significantly lower and VTG higher where liver contaminants and water estrogen equivalents were highest (LV site). Total PCBs (specifically PCB-138, -146, -151, -170, -174, -177, -180, -183, -187, -194, and -206) and total PBDEs (specifically BDE-47, -100, -153, and -154) were negatively correlated with sperm motility. PCB-206 and BDE-154 were positively correlated with DNA fragmentation, and pentachloroanisole and VTG were positively correlated with sperm apoptosis and negatively correlated with ATP. BDE-99 was positively correlated with sperm counts and motility; T4 was negatively correlated with counts and positively correlated with motility, thus indicating possible androgenic mechanisms and thyroid endocrine disruption. Male LSS proved to be an informative model for studying reproductive and endocrine biomarkers in the LCR.

Oregon;Washington↗
USGS2014

A survey of benthic sediment contaminants in reaches of the Columbia River Estuary based on channel sedimentation characteristics

While previous studies have documented contaminants in fish, sediments, water, and wildlife, few specifics are known about the spatial distribution of contaminants in the Columbia River Estuary (CRE). Our study goal was to characterize sediment contaminant detections and concentrations in reaches of the CRE that were concurrently being sampled to assess contaminants in water, invertebrates, fish, and osprey (Pandion haliaetus) eggs. Our objectives were to develop a survey design based on sedimentation characteristics and then assess whether sediment grain size, total organic carbon (TOC), and contaminant concentrations and detections varied between areas with different sedimentation characteristics. We used a sediment transport model to predict sedimentation characteristics of three 16 km river reaches in the CRE. We then compartmentalized the modeled change in bed mass after a two week simulation to define sampling strata with depositional, stable, or erosional conditions. We collected and analyzed bottom sediments to assess whether substrate composition, organic matter composition, and contaminant concentrations and detections varied among strata within and between the reaches. We observed differences in grain size fractions between strata within and between reaches. We found that the fine sediment fraction was positively correlated with TOC. Contaminant concentrations were statistically different between depositional vs. erosional strata for the industrial compounds, personal care products and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons class (Indus–PCP–PAH). We also observed significant differences between strata in the number of detections of Indus–PCP–PAH (depositional vs. erosional; stable vs. erosional) and for the flame retardants, polychlorinated biphenyls, and pesticides class (depositional vs. erosional, depositional vs. stable). When we estimated mean contaminant concentrations by reach, we observed higher contaminant concentrations in the furthest downstream reach with a decreasing trend in the two upstream reaches. Contaminant survey designs that account for sedimentation characteristics could increase the probability that sampling is allocated to areas likely to be contaminated.

Columbia River Estuary↗
USGS2011

Water-quality monitoring for a pilot piling removal field evaluation, Coal Creek Slough, Washington, 2008-09

Significant Findings Water and sediment quality monitoring was conducted before and after the removal of a piling field located in Coal Creek Slough near Longview, Washington. Passive chemical samplers and continuous water-quality monitoring instruments were deployed at the piling removal site, Coal Creek Slough Site 1 (CCS1), and at a comparison site, Coal Creek Slough Site 2 (CCS2), before (2008) and after (2009) piling removal. Surface and subsurface (core) sediment samples were collected before and after piling removal and were analyzed for grain size, organic carbon content, and chemicals of concern. Significant findings from this study include: * Phenanthrene was the only compound detected in wood piling samples analyzed for a large suite of semivolatile organic compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Metals potentially associated with wood treatment were detected in the wood piling samples at low concentrations. * Organic carbon was slightly lower in core samples from CCS1 in pre-removal (2008) and post-removal (2009) samples than in surface samples from both sites in both years. * Grain-size class distributions were relatively uniform between sites and years. * Thirty-four out of 110 chemicals of concern were detected in sediments. Eight of those detected were anthropogenic waste indicator (AWI) compounds, 18 were PAHs, 4 were sterols, and 4 were metals potentially associated with wood treatment. * Nearly all reported concentrations of chemicals of concern in sediments are qualified as estimates, primarily due to interferences in extracts resulting from complex sample matrices. Indole, perylene, and fluoranthene are reported without qualification for some of the samples, and the metals are reported without qualification for all samples. * The highest frequency of detection of chemicals of concern was seen in the pre-removal surface samples at both sites. * AWI compounds were detected less frequently and at lower concentrations during the post-removal sampling compared to the pre-removal sampling. * Several PAHs were detected at relatively high concentrations in core samples, likely indicating historical sources. * Most commonly detected PAHs in sediments were 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene, fluoranthene, perylene, and pyrene. * Most commonly detected AWIs in sediments were 3-methyl-1h-indole (skatol), acetophenone, indole, phenol, and paracresol. * Sedimentary concentrations of perylene exceeded available sediment quality guidelines. Perylene is widespread in the environment and has large potential natural sources in addition to its anthropogenic sources. * Concentrations of metals did not exceed sediment quality guidelines. * Multiple organochlorine pesticides, both banned and currently used, were detected at each site using passive samplers. * Commonly detected pesticides included hexachlorobenzene, pentachloroanisole (a degradation product of pentachlorophenol), diazinon, cis-chlordane, endosulfan, DDD, and endosulfan sulfate. * PBDE concentrations detected in passive sampler extracts were less than the method detection limit at all sites with the exception of PBDE-99, detected at a concentration less than the reporting limit. * The fragrance galaxolide was detected at a concentration greater than the method detection limit. * Common PAHs, such as phenanthrene, fluoranthene, and pyrene, were detected in every passive sampler. * Dissolved oxygen concentration was slightly higher at site CCS1 compared to site CCS2 in both years. * Overall, there was no systematic increase in chemicals of concern at the restoration site during post-removal monitoring compared to conditions during pre-removal monitoring. Any immediate, short-duration effects of piling removal on water quality could not be determined because monitoring was not conducted during the removal.

Open-File Report↗