Geology topics

Robert W. Gale

Publications and source records attributed to Robert W. Gale.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2022

Exposure to 17α-ethinylestradiol results in differential susceptibility of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) to bacterial infection

Disease outbreaks, skin lesions, mortality events, and reproductive abnormalities have been observed in wild populations of centrarchids. The presence of estrogenic endocrine disrupting compounds (EEDCs) has been implicated as a potential causal factor for these effects. The effects of prior EEDC exposure on immune response were examined in juvenile largemouth bass ( Micropterus salmoides ) exposed to a potent synthetic estrogen (17α-ethinylestradiol, EE2) at a low (EE2 Low , 0.87 ng/L) or high (EE2 High , 9.08 ng/L) dose for 4 weeks, followed by transfer to clean water and injection with an LD 40 dose of the Gram-negative bacteria Edwardsiella piscicida . Unexpectedly, this prior exposure to EE2 High significantly increased survivorship at 10 d post-infection compared to solvent control or EE2 Low -exposed, infected fish. Both prior exposure and infection with E. piscicida led to significantly reduced hepatic glycogen levels, indicating a stress response resulting in depletion of energy stores. Additionally, pathway analysis for liver and spleen indicated differentially expressed genes associated with immunometabolic processes in the mock-injected EE2 High treatment that could underlie the observed protective effect and metabolic shift in EE2 High -infected fish. Our results demonstrate that exposure to a model EEDC alters metabolism and immune function in a fish species that is ecologically and economically important in North America.

Environmental Science and Technology↗

USGS2020

Factors affecting sampling strategies for design of an effects‐directed analysis for endocrine‐active chemicals

Effects‐directed analysis (EDA) is an important tool for identifying unknown bioactive components in a complex mixture. Such an analysis of endocrine‐active chemicals (EACs) from water sources has promising regulatory implications but also unique logistical challenges. We propose a conceptual EDA (framework) based on a critical review of EDA literature and concentrations of common EACs in waste and surface waters. Required water volumes for identification of EACs under this EDA framework were estimated based on bioassay performance (in vitro and in vivo bioassays), limits of quantification by mass spectrometry (MS), and EAC water concentrations. Sample volumes for EDA across the EACs showed high variation in the bioassay detectors, with genistein, bisphenol A, and androstenedione requiring very high sample volumes and ethinylestradiol and 17β‐trenbolone requiring low sample volumes. Sample volume based on the MS detector was far less variable across the EACs. The EDA framework equation was rearranged to calculate detector “thresholds,” and these thresholds were compared with the literature EAC water concentrations to evaluate the feasibility of the EDA framework. In the majority of instances, feasibility of the EDA was limited by the bioassay, not MS detection. Mixed model analysis showed that the volumes required for a successful EDA were affected by the potentially responsible EAC, detection methods, and the water source type, with detection method having the greatest effect on the EDA of estrogens and androgens. The EDA framework, equation, and model we present provide a valuable tool for designing a successful EDA.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗

USGS2020

Acute toxicity and clotting times of anticoagulant rodenticides to red-toothed (Odonus niger) and black (Melichthys niger) triggerfish, fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas), and largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)

Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) areused in rateradication eﬀorts on island wildlife refuges. ARbait pellets can get into coralreefareasduring broadcasting and leadto exposure ofnon-target organisms, such as marine ﬁshes. The objective of this study was to determine the sensitivity of representative saltwater ﬁshes, Red-toothed triggerﬁsh (Odonus niger) and Black triggerﬁsh (Melichthys niger), and common freshwater ﬁshes, fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas), and largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) to ﬁrst generation ARs, diphacinone (DPN) and chlorophacinone (CPN), as well as a second-generation AR, brodifacoum (BROD). Acute toxicity of ARs was evaluated by single dose, intraperitoneal injections. The median lethal dose (LD50) ranges were 137−175μg DPN/g, 155−182μg CPN/g, and 36−48μg BROD/g for Red-toothed triggerﬁsh and 90−122μg DPN/g, 125−164μg CPN/g, and 50−75μg BROD/g for black triggerﬁsh. Laboratory surrogate test ﬁsh species fathead minnow and largemouth bass were of similar sensitivity toward AR-induced toxicity compared to triggerﬁsh based on LD50 values. Sublethal eﬀects on elevated clotting time occurred in dose-dependent fashion in all ﬁsh tested. Fish appear to have low sensitivity to AR chemicals as compared to other taxa, in particular mammals and birds, based on across-taxa comparisons of species sensitivity distributions of whole body, single dose acute lethality (LD50 values). The sensitivity of ﬁsh to waterborne exposures of ARs has yet to be fully evaluated and indeed may prove more hazardous to ﬁsh.

Aquatic Toxicology↗

USGS2016

Sensitivity of lake sturgeon ( Acipenser fulvescens ) early life stages to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- P -dioxin and 3,3′,4,4′,5-pentachlorobiphenyl

The aquatic food web of the Great Lakes has been contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) since the mid-20th century. Threats of PCB exposures to long-lived species of fish, such as lake sturgeon ( Acipenser fulvescens ), have been uncertain because of a lack of information on the relative sensitivity of the species. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the sensitivity of early–life stage lake sturgeon to 3,3′,4,4′,5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB-126) or 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (TCDD) exposure. Mortality, growth, morphological and tissue pathologies, swimming performance, and activity levels were used as assessment endpoints. Pericardial and yolk sac edema, tubular heart, yolk sac hemorrhaging, and small size were the most commonly observed pathologies in both TCDD and PCB-126 exposures, beginning as early as 4 d postfertilization, with many of these pathologies occurring in a dose-dependent manner. Median lethal doses for PCB-126 and TCDD in lake sturgeon were 5.4 ng/g egg (95% confidence interval, 3.9–7.4 ng/g egg) and 0.61 ng/g egg (0.47–0.82 ng/g egg), respectively. The resulting relative potency factor for PCB-126 (0.11) was greater than the World Health Organization estimate for fish (toxic equivalency factor = 0.005), suggesting that current risk assessments may underestimate PCB toxicity toward lake sturgeon. Swimming activity and endurance were reduced in lake sturgeon survivors from the median lethal doses at 60 d postfertilization. Threshold and median toxicity values indicate that lake sturgeon, like other Acipenser species, are more sensitive to PCB and TCDD than the other genus of sturgeon, Scaphirhynchus , found in North America. Indeed, lake sturgeon populations in the Great Lakes and elsewhere are susceptible to PCB/TCDD-induced developmental toxicity in embryos and reductions in swimming performance.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗

USGS2015

Bioaccumulation of stentorin, the probable causative agent for discolored (“purple”) eggs and ovaries in blue catfish ( Ictalurus furcatus ) from Eufaula Lake, Oklahoma, USA

Observations of reddish to “purple” discolored eggs in the ovaries of adult female blue catfish ( Ictalurus furcatus ) from the northern arm of Eufaula Lake, a eutrophic multiuse impoundment in east-central Oklahoma, were first reported in 2006. Blue catfish eggs are normally cream to light yellow. Reports peaked in 2007–2008 and declined through 2009–2010; purple eggs have not been reported between 2010 and 2014. In the laboratory, all tissues and fluids of affected fish were strongly orange-red fluorescent under UV illumination, with the fluorescence most apparent in the lipid-rich ovaries and eggs. The causative agent was isolated chromatographically and confirmed by mass spectrometry as stentorin (1,3,4,6,8,10,11,13-octahydroxy-2,5-diisopropyl-phenanthro[1,10,9,8,o,p,q,r,a]perylene-7,14-dione), the fluorescent, lipophilic pigment associated with the photoreceptor protein of the ciliated protozoan Stentor coeruleus (Heterotrichea; Stentoridae). Larval medaka ( Orizias latipes ) readily consumed S. coeruleus in the laboratory and were observed to fluoresce in the same manner as the affected blue catfish. Potential deleterious effects of stentorin bioaccumulation remain to be determined, as do the geographic extent and the identities of other fluorescent compounds isolated from catfish eggs and ovaries.

Environmental Science & Technology↗

USGS2013

Comparison of aliphatic hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, polybrominated diphenylethers, and organochlorine pesticides in Pacific sanddab (Citharichthys sordidus) from offshore oil platforms and natural reefs along the California coast

Recently, the relative exposure of Pacific sanddab ( Citharichthys sordidus ) to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at oil-production platforms was reported, indicating negligible exposure to PAHs and no discernible differences between exposures at platforms and nearby natural areas sites. In this report, the potential for chronic PAH exposure in fish is reported, by measurement of recalcitrant, higher molecular weight PAHs in tissues of fish previously investigated for PAH metabolites in bile. A total of 34 PAHs (20 PAHs, 11 alkylated PAHs, and 3 polycyclic aromatic thiophenes) were targeted. In addition, legacy contaminants—polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs),—and current contaminants, polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs) linked to endocrine disruption, were measured by gas chromatography with electron-capture or mass spectrometric detection, to form a more complete picture of the contaminant-related status of fishes at oil production platforms in the Southern California Bight. No hydrocarbon profiles or unresolved complex hydrocarbon background were found in fish from platforms and from natural areas, and concentrations of aliphatics were low less than 100 nanograms per gram (ng/g) per component]. Total-PAH concentrations in fish ranged from 15 to 37 ng/g at natural areas and from 8.7 to 22 ng/g at platforms. Profiles of PAHs were similar at all natural and platform sites, consisting mainly of naphthalene and methylnaphthalenes, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, and pyrene. Total-PCB concentrations (excluding non-ortho-chloro-substituted congeners) in fish were low, ranging from 7 to 22 ng/g at natural areas and from 10 to 35 ng/g at platforms. About 50 percent of the total-PCBs at all sites consisted of 11 congeners: 153 > 138/163/164 > 110 > 118 > 15 > 99 > 187 > 149 > 180. Most OCPs, except dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT)-related compounds, were not detectable or were at concentrations of less than 1 ng/g in fish. p,p′ -dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane ( p,p′ -DDE) ranged from 5.6 to 33 ng/g at natural areas and from 17 to 76 ng/g at platforms, and comprised greater than 90 percent of the total-DDT concentrations at all sites. The only detectable PBDE congeners were PBDE-47 and PBDE-100, the total concentrations of which ranged from 0.4 to 1.8 ng/g at natural areas and from 0.5 to 3.0 ng/g at platforms. Total-PAH, -PCB, and -DDT concentrations were compared with other Southern California Bight studies involving shoreline mussel, ( Mytilus Species, Kimbrough and others, 2008) and near shore sampling (Pacific sanddab, Schiff and Allen, 2000). At corresponding sites, only total-PCB concentrations agreed well with results from this study; total-DDT concentrations were generally much lower than concentrations documented in previous studies for samples collected nearer to shore by sewage treatment outfalls or 14 years earlier or closer in time to when DDT production was halted (1970). Natural areas and platforms in the Bight do not appear to be affected by harbor or urban pollution. Platforms were no more polluted than the nearby natural areas, with these locations exhibiting only low concentrations of PAHs, PCBs, DDTs, and other contaminants.

California↗

USGS2012

Immunological and reproductive health assessment in herring gulls and black-crowned night herons in the Hudson–Raritan Estuary

Previous studies have shown inexplicable declines in breeding waterbirds within western New York/New Jersey Harbor between 1996 and 2002 and elevated polychlorinated dibenzo- p -dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in double-crested cormorant ( Phalacrocorax auritus ) eggs. The present study assessed associations between immune function, prefledgling survival, and selected organochlorine compounds and metals in herring gulls ( Larus argentatus ) and black-crowned night herons ( Nycticorax nycticorax ) in lower New York Harbor during 2003. In pipping gull embryos, lymphoid cells were counted in the thymus and bursa of Fabricius (sites of T and B lymphocyte maturation, respectively). The phytohemagglutinin (PHA) skin response assessed T cell function in gull and heron chicks. Lymphocyte proliferation was measured in vitro in adult and prefledgling gulls. Reference data came from the Great Lakes and Bay of Fundy. Survival of prefledgling gulls was poor, with only 0.68 and 0.5 chicks per nest surviving to three and four weeks after hatch, respectively. Developing lymphoid cells were reduced 51% in the thymus and 42% in the bursa of gull embryos from New York Harbor. In vitro lymphocyte assays demonstrated reduced spontaneous proliferation, reduced T cell mitogen-induced proliferation, and increased B cell mitogen-induced proliferation in gull chicks from New York Harbor. The PHA skin response was suppressed 70 to 80% in gull and heron chicks. Strong negative correlations ( r = –0.95 to –0.98) between the PHA response and dioxins and PCBs in gull livers was strong evidence suggesting that these chemicals contribute significantly to immunosuppression in New York Harbor waterbirds.

New Jersey, New York↗

USGS2012

Persistence and changes in bioavailability of dieldrin, DDE and heptachlor epoxide in earthworms over 45 years

The finding of dieldrin (88 ng/g), DDE (52 ng/g), and heptachlor epoxide (19 ng/g) in earthworms from experimental plots after a single moderate application (9 kg/ha) 45 years earlier attests to the remarkable persistence of these compounds in soil and their continued uptake by soil organisms. Half-lives (with 95 % confidence intervals) in earthworms, estimated from exponential decay equations, were as follows: dieldrin 4.9 (4.3-5.7) years, DDE 5.3 (4.7-6.1) years, and heptachlor epoxide 4.3 (3.8-4.9) years. These half-lives were not significantly different from those estimated after 20 years. Concentration factors (dry weight earthworm tissue/dry weight soil) were initially high and decreased mainly during the first 11 years after application. By the end of the study, average concentration factors were 1.5 (dieldrin), 4.0 (DDE), and 1.8 (heptachlor epoxide), respectively.

Ambio↗

USGS2012

Comparison of concentrations and profiles of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites in bile of fishes from offshore oil platforms and natural reefs along the California coast

To determine the environmental consequences of decommissioning offshore oil platforms on local and regional fish populations, contaminant loads in reproducing adults were investigated at seven platform sites and adjacent, natural sites. Specimens of three species (Pacific sanddab, Citharichthys sordidus ; kelp rockfish, Sebastes atrovirens ; and kelp bass, Paralabrax clathratus ) residing at platforms and representing the regional background within the Santa Barbara Channel and within the San Pedro Basin were collected. Some of the most important contaminant classes related to oil operations are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) because of their potential toxicity and carcinogenicity. However, acute exposure cannot be related directly to PAH tissue concentrations because of rapid metabolism of the parent chemicals in fish; therefore, PAH metabolites in bile were measured, targeting free hydroxylated PAHs (OH-PAHs) liberated by enzymatic hydrolysis of the bound PAH glucuronides and sulfates. An ion-pairing method was developed for confirmatory analysis that targeted PAH glucuronides and sulfates. Concentrations of hydroxylated PAHs in all samples (76 fish from platforms and 64 fish from natural sites) were low, ranging from less than the limits of detection (5 to 120 nanograms per milliliter bile; 0.03 to 42 nanograms per milligram protein) to a maximum of 320 nanograms per milliliter bile (32 nanograms per milligram protein). A previously proposed dosimeter of PAH exposure in fish, 1-hydroxypyrene, was not detected at any platform site. Low concentrations of 1-hydroxypyrene were detected in 3 of 12 kelp rockfish collected from a natural reef site off Santa Barbara. The most prevalent OH-PAH, 2-hydroxyfluorene, was detected at low concentrations in seven fish of various species; of these, four were from two of the seven platform sites. The greatest concentrations of 2-hydroxyfluorene were found in three fish of various species from Platform Holly and were only about threefold above low, yet quantifiable, concentrations found in three fish from Horseshoe Reef, East Anacapa Island, and Coche Point natural sites; the mean concentrations among all sampling sites were not measurably different.

California↗

USGS2009

Determination of polychlorinated biphenyls, selected persistent organochlorine pesticides, and polybrominated flame retardants in fillets of fishes from the 2007 Missouri Department of Conservation Monitoring Program

This report presents the results of a study to determine polychlorinated biphenyl, organochlorine pesticide, and polybrominated diphenylether flame retardant concentrations in selected fishes from lakes and streams across Missouri. Fillets were collected from each fish sample and after homogenization, compositing, and preparation, analyte concentrations were determined with dual column capillary gas chromatography-electron-capture detection. Total concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls in samples ranged from background levels of about 50 to 300 nanograms per gram. In samples with elevated contaminant concentrations, chlordanes, DDT-related chemicals, and dieldrin constituted the primary classes of pesticides present, and ranged from 5 to 75 nanograms per gram. Total concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in samples ranged from background levels of 5 to 86 nanograms per gram. Channel catfish from the upper and lower Blue River and lake sturgeon from the Mississippi River at Saverton exhibited different polybrominated diphenyl ethers ratios. Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls, chlordanes, DDT-related compounds, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers all were greatest in samples of channel catfish from the upper and lower Blue River, and in samples of lake sturgeon from the Mississippi River at Saverton.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2009

Results of laboratory testing for diphacinone in seawater, fish, invertebrates, and soil following aerial application of rodenticide on Lehua Island, Kauai County, Hawaii, January 2009

In January 2009, rodenticide bait (Ramik Green pellets) containing the active ingredient diphacinone was aerially applied to Lehua Island. Reported herein are the results of laboratory analyses to determine diphacinone concentrations in samples of seawater, fillet of fish, soft tissue of limpets (opihi), whole-body crabs, and soil collected from Lehua Island, Kauai County, Hawaii, after aerial application of the rodenticide bait. Diphacinone was specifically chosen because of its low toxicity to nontarget organisms. Its use on Lehua Island is the second time it has ever been used for an aerial application to eradicate rodents. Testing of the Lehua Island samples for diphacinone utilized high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection. No detectable concentrations of diphacinone were found in any of the samples from Lehua Island. The limits of detection for diphacinone were 0.4 nanograms per milliliter (parts per billion) seawater, 15 nanograms per gram (dry weight) soil, 20 nanograms per gram (parts per billion) fish fillet, 13 nanograms per gram whole crab, and 34 nanograms per gram soft tissue limpet.

Hawaii↗

USGS2008

Determination of polychlorinated biphenyls, selected persistent organochlorine pesticides, and polybrominated flame retardants in fillets of fishes from the 2006 Missouri Department of Conservation Monitoring Programs

This report presents the results of a study to determine polychlorinated biphenyl, organochlorine pesticide, and polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardant concentrations in selected fishes from lakes and streams across Missouri. Fillets were collected from each fish sample, and after homogenization, compositing, and preparation, analyte concentrations were determined with dual column capillary gas chromatography-electron-capture detection. Total concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls in samples ranged from background levels of about 20 to 1,200 nanograms per gram. Chlordanes and DDT-related chemicals constituted the primary classes of pesticides present at elevated concentrations in most samples, and ranged from 5 to 340 nanograms per gram. Total concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in samples ranged from background levels of about 5 to about 410 nanograms per gram. Concentrations of total technical chlordane ranged from less than 5 to 260 nanograms per gram. Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls, chlordanes, DDT-related compounds, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers were all greatest in samples of blue catfish from Cape Girardeau and Weldon Spring.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2008

Determination of diphacinone in sea water, vertebrates, invertebrates, and bait pellet formulations following aerial broadcast on Mokapu Island, Molokai, Hawai'i

This report presents the results of a study to determine diphacinone concentrations in samples of sea water and in fillet samples of fish and in limpets from the ocean adjacent to Mokapu Island and from reference samples from Molokai, Hawai'i; concentrations of the active ingredient (diphacinone) were also determined in samples of the Ramik Green bait pellets used for the broadcast study. After preparation, diphacinone concentrations were determined with high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection. No detectable concentrations of diphacinone were found in the fish, limpets, or sea-water samples from Mokapu Island or from the reference sites. The limit of detection for diphacinone in sea water was 18 nanograms per milliliter (parts per billion); the limit of detection in fish fillets was 10 nanograms per gram (parts per billion); and the limit of detection in limpets was 17 nanograms per gram. The average concentration of diphacinone in the Ramik Green bait pellets was 45 micrograms per gram (parts per million), which represents 90 percent of the nominal concentration stated for the product by the manufacturer.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2007

Feasibility of a simple laboratory approach for determining temperature influence on SPMD–air partition coefficients of selected compounds

Semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) are a widely used passive sampling methodology for both waterborne and airborne hydrophobic organic contaminants. The exchange kinetics and partition coefficients of an analyte in a SPMD are mediated by its physicochemical properties and certain environmental conditions. Controlled laboratory experiments are used for determining the SPMD–air ( K sa 's) partition coefficients and the exchange kinetics of organic vapors. This study focused on determining a simple approach for measuring equilibrium K sa 's for naphthalene (Naph), o -chlorophenol ( o -CPh) and p -dichlorobenzene ( p -DCB) over a wide range of temperatures. SPMDs were exposed to test chemical vapors in small, gas-tight chambers at four different temperatures (−16, −4, 22 and 40 °C). The exposure times ranged from 6 h to 28 d depending on test temperature. K sa 's or non-equilibrium concentrations in SPMDs were determined for all compounds, temperatures and exposure periods with the exception of Naph, which could not be quantified in SPMDs until 4 weeks at the −16 °C temperature. To perform this study the assumption of constant and saturated atmospheric concentrations in test chambers was made. It could influence the results, which suggest that flow through experimental system and performance reference compounds should be used for SPMD calibration.

Atmospheric Environment↗

USGS2007

Estimation of Freely-Dissolved Concentrations of Polychlorinated Biphenyls, 2,3,7,8-Substituted Congeners and Homologs of Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and Dibenzofurans in Water for Development of Total Maximum Daily Loadings for the Bluestone River Watershed, Virginia and West Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, working closely with the State of West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is undertaking a polychlorinated biphenyl source assessment study for the Bluestone River watershed. The study area extends from the Bluefield area of Virginia and West Virginia, targets the Bluestone River and tributaries suspected of contributing to polychlorinated biphenyl, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran contamination, and includes sites near confluences of Big Branch, Brush Fork, and Beaver Pond Creek. The objectives of this study were to gather information about the concentrations, patterns, and distribution of these contaminants at specific study sites to expand current knowledge about polychlorinated biphenyl impacts and to identify potential new sources of contamination. Semipermeable membrane devices were used to integratively accumulate the dissolved fraction of the contaminants at each site. Performance reference compounds were added prior to deployment and used to determine site-specific sampling rates, enabling estimations of time-weighted average water concentrations during the deployed period. Minimum estimated concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyl congeners in water were about 1 picogram per liter per congener, and total concentrations at study sites ranged from 130 to 18,000 picograms per liter. The lowest concentration was 130 picograms per liter, about threefold greater than total hypothetical concentrations from background levels in field blanks. Polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations in water fell into three groups of sites: low (130-350 picogram per liter); medium (640-3,500 picogram per liter; and high (11,000-18,000 picogram per liter). Concentrations at the high sites, Beacon Cave and Beaverpond Branch at the Resurgence, were about four- to sixfold higher than concentrations estimated for the medium group of sites. Minimum estimated concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran congeners in water were about 0.2 to 1 femtograms per liter. Estimated total concentrations of 2,3,7,8-substituted congeners in water at study sites ranged from less than 1 to 22,000 femtograms per liter and less than 1 to 2,300 femtograms per liter for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran congeners, respectively. Total concentrations of 2,3,7,8-substituted congeners in water were comprised largely of octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran, with less than 10 percent of the total contributed by concentrations of other congeners, mainly 2,3,7,8-heptachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran. Of special interest for this study was 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin with a regulatory surface water-quality criterion of 1,200 femtograms per liter. Estimated concentrations in water ranged from 0.5 to 41 femtograms per liter. Concentrations in water were less than 5 femtograms per liter at all study sites, except the Bluefield Westside Sewage Treatment Plan, with an estimated concentration of 41 femtograms per liter. Estimated total concentrations of homologs of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in water at the study sites ranged from 3,200 to 36,000 femtograms per liter and 210-4,800 femtograms per liter, respectively. Again, homologs of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in water were comprised largely of octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2007

Survey of chemical contaminants in the Hanalei River, Kaua'i, Hawai'i, 2001

The Hanalei River on the island of Kaua'i in Hawai'i was designated an American Heritage River in 1998, providing special attention to natural resource protection, economic revitalization, and historic and cultural preservation. Agricultural, urban, and tourism-related activities are potential sources of contamination within the Hanalei River watershed. The objective of this study was to measure certain persistent organic chemicals and elements in the Hanalei River. During a relatively low-flow period in December of 2001, samples of native Akupa sleeper fish ( Eleotris sandwicensis ), freshwater Asian clam ( Corbicula fluminea ), giant mud crab ( Scylla serrata ), surface water, and stream bed sediment were collected from a lower estuarine reach of the river near its mouth at Hanalei Bay and from an upper reach at the Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge. Samples were analyzed for residues of urban and agricultural chemicals including organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and elements (including mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, and selenium). Organic contaminants were extracted from the samples with solvent, enriched, and then analyzed by gas chromatographic analysis with electron capture or mass spectrometric detection. Samples were acid-digested for semi-quantitative analysis for elements by inductively-coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and for quantitative analysis by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Concentrations of organochlorine pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and polychlorinated biphenyls in biota, surface water, and bed sediment sampled from the Hanalei River ranged from nondetectable to very low levels. Polychlorinated biphenyls were below detection in all samples. Dieldrin, the only compound detected in the water samples, was present at very low concentrations of 1-2 nanograms per liter. Akupa sleeper fish and giant mud crabs from the lower reach ranged from 1 to 5 nanograms per gram (wet weight) dieldrin and from less than 0.3 to 2.1 nanograms per gram total chlordane. Concentrations of individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the lower reach bed sediments ranged from less than 1 to 190 nanograms per gram (dry weight). Relative concentrations (patterns) of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in one portion of a sediment sample indicated combustion sources. Concentrations of elements in the surface water, biota, and sediment samples were below toxicity thresholds of ecological concern. In summary, concentrations of the organic contaminants and elements targeted by this study of the Hanalei River in 2001 were below U.S. Environmental Protection Agency probable adverse effects levels for aquatic organisms.

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS2007

Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends (BEST) Program: Environmental contaminants, health indicators, and reproductive biomarkers in fish from the Mobile, Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint, Savannah, and Pee Dee River Basins

Largemouth bass ( Micropterus salmoides ) and common carp ( Cyprinus carpio ) were collected from 13 sites in 4 river basins in the southeastern United States to document spatial trends in accumulative contaminants, health indicators, and reproductive biomarkers. Organochlorine residues, 2,3,7,8- tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin-like activity (TCDD-EQ), and elemental contaminants were measured in composite samples of whole fish, grouped by species and gender, from each site. Fish were field-examined for external and internal anomalies, selected organs were weighed to compute somatic indices, and tissue and fluid samples were preserved for fish health and reproductive biomarker analyses. Mercury concentrations in bass samples from all sites exceeded toxicity thresholds for mammals [>0.1 micrograms per gram wet weight (ug/g ww)], fish (>0.2 ug/g ww), and birds (>0.3 ug/g ww) and were greatest (>0.5 ug/g ww) in samples from the Alabama River at Eureka Landing, Alabama; the Mobile River at Bucks, Alabama; the Apalachicola River at Blountstown, Florida; the Savannah River at Sylvania, Georgia; and the Pee Dee River at Bucksport, South Carolina. Selenium concentrations were relatively high (>0.75 ug/g ww) in fish from the Tombigbee River at Lavaca, Alabama; the Mobile River at Bucks; and the Chattahoochee River at Omaha, Georgia compared to those from other sites. Concentrations of 2,2-bis (p-chlorophenyl)- 1,1-dichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE) were high in fish from the Chattahoochee River at Omaha and the Mobile River near Bucks, which was near a 2,2-bis (p-chlorophenyl)-1,1- dichloroethylene (DDT) formulating facility that historically discharged into the lower Mobile River. Toxaphene concentrations in fish from the Flint River near Albany, Georgia (60-100 nanograms per gram (ng/g) ww) may pose a risk to fish. Concentrations of other formerly used (total chlordanes, dieldrin, endrin, aldrin, mirex, and hexachlorobenzene) and currently used (pentachlorobenzene, pentachloroanisole, dacthal, endosulfan, y-HCH, and methoxychlor) organochlorine residues generally were low or did not exceed toxicity thresholds. Total polychlorinated biphenyls concentrations in samples from the Coosa River at Childersburg, Alabama; the Apalachicola River at Omaha; the Apalachicola River at Blountstown; and the Pee Dee River at Bucksport were >480 ng/g ww and may be a risk to piscivorous wildlife. Dioxin-like activity as measured by TCDD-EQ was greatest [>10 picograms per gram (pg/g)] in male fish from the Coosa River at Childersburg and the Mobile River at Bucks. Hepatic ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activity generally was greatest in carp from the Mobile River Basin [means >10 picomols per minute per milligram of protein (pmol/min/mg)] and in bass from the Tombigbee River at Lavaca and Pee Dee River at Pee Dee, South Carolina (means >65 pmol/min/mg). Altered biomarkers were noted in fish from all basins. The field necropsy and histopathological examination determined that fish from the Mobile River Basin generally were in poorer health than those from the other basins. In bass, health assessment index scores were correlated with mercury and p,p'-DDE concentrations. High health assessment index scores in Mobile River Basin fish were widespread and caused primarily by parasitic infestations, which were most severe in fish from the Tombigbee River at Lavaca and the Alabama River at Eureka Landing. Tumors were present in few fish (n = 5; 0.01%). Ovarian tumors of the same origin (smooth muscle) were present in two older carp from the Chattahoochee River near Omaha, Georgia and may be contaminant related. Reproductive biomarkers including gonadosomatic index, vitellogenin concentrations, and steroid hormone concentrations were anomalous in fish from various sites but were not consistently related to any particular chemical contaminant. Intersex gonads were identified in 47 male bass (42%) representing 12 sites and may indicate exposure to endocrine disrupting comp

Mobile, Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint, Savannah↗

USGS2002

Turtle sex determination assay: Mass balance and responses to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin and 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl

Polyhalogenated hydrocarbons have been implicated in the anomalous sexual differentiation of mammals and reptiles. Here, a temperature-sensitive turtle sex determination assay using the red-eared slider ( Trachemys scripta elegans ) was used to determine the estrogenic or antiestrogenic activity of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (TCDD) and 3,3′,4,4′,5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB-126). Neither TCDD nor PCB-126 showed a statistically significant difference in the resulting sex ratios (Fisher's exact test, p < 0.45). As a consequence of the dosing technique (eggshell spotting), the shell retained 90 and 96% of the dose for PCB-126 and TCDD, respectively, similar to retention of estradiol-17β. However, the dosing allowed transfer of sufficient chemical to achieve tissue concentrations that were greater than most concentrations reported for environmentally incurred residues. Similar relative mass distributions of PCB-126 and TCDD were observed in albumin (14–20%), yolk (55–70%), and embryo (16–25%). Relative concentration distributions in the embryo approached those in the yolk, 37 to 40% and 40 to 52%, respectively, while relative concentrations in the albumin remained at 11 to 20%. Lipid-normalized TCDD and PCB-126 concentrations were 30- to 40-fold greater in the embryo than in the yolk. It is hypothesized that nonpassive partitioning processes may have occurred in the embryo.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗