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Science Related to Chemical Releases

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By Columbia Environmental Research Center February 25, 2019

Chemical or hazardous substance spills can occur during production, transportation, storage, and disposal activities. They kill fish and wildlife, destroy habitat, and contaminate critical resources. These environmental injuries can linger for decades and be difficult to assess. The impact of these type spills is complex and depends upon where they occur, the amount spilled and the chemical properties of the substance. Factors such as toxicity, transport properties and environmental persistence need to be assessed and considered. USGS has capabilities and expertise that can aid with site characterization, injury determination, and restoration. 

To learn more about how USGS science supports the NRDAR program contact Jo Ellen Hinck, the USGS NRDAR Coordinator.

Return to USGS Science for DOI Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) Program

Browse USGS publications related to NRDA chemical release cases.

 

Examples of assessment and restoration activities are listed below.

 

Assessment Activities

 

                            Principal Investigators - Donald Tillitt, David Alvarez, and Jeff Steevens

Mussel kill Deep Fork River, OK
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Mussel kill downstream of the effluent discharge in the Deep Fork River in Oklahoma.
  • Preliminary Survey of Contaminants in Bird Eggs for a PCB site

                            Principal Investigators - Donald Tillitt and Kathy Echols

  • Mercury Isotope Analysis at Chemical Manufacturing Facilities
golden riffleshell mussels
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Golden riffleshell mussels released in the Clinch River.

                 Principal Investigators - Sarah Janssen and David Krabbenhoft

  • Sediment Toxicity and Aquatic Invertebrate Bioaccumulation Study

           Principal Investigators - Jeff Steevens and David Walters

  • Chronic Toxicity of Contaminants in Sediment to the Amphipod (Hyalella azteca) and Fatmucket Mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea)

           Principal Investigator - Jeff Steevens

  • Avian egg injection for injury assessment at a dioxin/PCB contaminated river site

    Principal Investigators – Natalie Karouna and Thea Edwards

  • Aquatic and avian injury quantification at a phosphate mining complex

    Principal Investigators – Aida Farag and Chris Mebane

 

Restoration Activities

 

  • Using Environmental DNA Analysis to Evaluate Freshwater Mussel Restoration in a River System

                           Principal Investigator - Cathy Richter

  • NRDAR Monitoring of sediment toxicity from the Grand Calumet River, Indiana, with the amphipod, Hyalella azteca, the midge, Chironomus dilutes, and the mussel, Lampsilis siliquoidea.

                          Principal Investigator - Jeff Steevens

  • Vegetation Surveys to Support Restoration at Jordan River Restoration Site

                         Principal Investigator - Matthew Struckhoff

 

 

NRDAR Cases
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

 

 

Explore the NRDAR Case Map and Document Library to learn more about individual cases.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Return to USGS Science for DOI Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) Program

Below are USGS publications for chemical releases associated with specific NRDAR cases.

Methylmercury effects on birds: A review, meta-analysis, and development of toxicity reference values for injury assessment based on tissue residues and diet

Birds are used as bioindicators of environmental mercury (Hg) contamination, and toxicity reference values are needed for injury assessments. We conducted a comprehensive review, summarized data from 168 studies, performed a series of Bayesian hierarchical meta-analyses, and developed new toxicity reference values for the effects of methylmercury (MeHg) on birds using a benchmark dose analysis fra
Authors
Josh T. Ackerman, Sarah H. Peterson, Mark P. Herzog, Julie L. Yee
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)

Responses of native freshwater mussels to remediation to remove polychlorinated biphenyl-contaminated sediments in the upper Hudson River

The Hudson River, New York, was contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from two manufacturing plants over a period of approximately 30 years, and PCBs are still present in sediment and biota today. The river provides habitat for a variety of plants and animals, including native freshwater mussels. A remediation programme, consisting of dredging followed by the placement of backfilled s
Authors
Teresa J. Newton, Denise A. Mayer, James T. Rogala, Sean S. Madden, Brian R. Gray
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center

Metabarcoding assays for the detection of freshwater mussels (Unionida) with environmental DNA

Freshwater mussels of the order Unionida are a widely distributed taxon that are important in maintaining freshwater ecosystems and are also highly imperiled throughout the world. Monitoring of mussel populations with environmental DNA (eDNA) is an attractive alternative to traditional methods because it is noninvasive and requires less labor and taxonomic knowledge from field personnel. We develo
Authors
Katy E. Klymus, Catherine A. Richter, Nathan Thompson, Jo Ellen Hinck, Jess W. Jones
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Columbia Environmental Research Center

The influence of legacy contamination on the transport and bioaccumulation of mercury within the Mobile River Basin

Past industrial use and subsequent release of mercury (Hg) into the environment have resulted in severe cases of legacy contamination that still influence contemporary Hg levels in biota. While the bioaccumulation of legacy Hg is commonly assessed via concentration measurements within fish tissue, this practice becomes difficult in regions of high productivity and methylmercury (MeHg) production,
Authors
Sarah E. Janssen, Michael T. Tate, David P. Krabbenhoft, John F. DeWild, Jacob M. Ogorek, Christopher L. Babiarz, Anthony Sowers, Peter L. Tuttle
By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Mercury Research Laboratory

Insights into mercury source identification and bioaccumulation using stable isotope approaches in the Hannibal Pool of the Ohio River

Mercury contamination in river systems due to historic and current Hg releases is a persistent concern for both wildlife and human health. In larger rivers, like the Ohio River, USA, it is difficult to directly link Hg discharges to bioaccumulation due to the existence of multiple industrial Hg sources as well as the varied dietary and migratory habits of biota. To better understand how industrial
Authors
Sarah E. Janssen, Kathleen A. Patnode, Bruce R Pluta, David P. Krabbenhoft
By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Mercury Research Laboratory

Influence of remediation on sediment toxicity within the Grand Calumet River, Indiana, USA

The Grand Calumet River (GCR), located in northern Indiana, is contaminated due to a wide range of historical industrial activities. This study was conducted to determine the influence of sediment remediation within the GCR on concentrations of chemical contaminants and toxicity to sediment-dwelling organisms. Between 2005 and 2016, sediments with high concentrations of metals and toxic organic co
Authors
Jeffery Steevens, John M. Besser, Rebecca A. Dorman, Daniel W. Sparks
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Columbia Environmental Research Center

Polychlorinated biphenyl tissue‐concentration thresholds for survival, growth, and reproduction in fish

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have left a legacy of environmental contamination. Even though they were banned from production and active use in the 1970s, they persist in the environment and still have the potential to impact aquatic life. Our objective was to identify data from controlled laboratory studies of PCB‐related adverse effects in fish and to conduct a meta‐analysis on mortality, gro
Authors
Jason P. Berninger, Donald E. Tillitt
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Columbia Environmental Research Center

Evaluation of the toxicity of sediments from the Anniston PCB Site to the mussel Lampsilis siliquoidea

The Anniston Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Site is located in the vicinity of the municipality of Anniston in Calhoun County, in the north-eastern portion of Alabama. Although there are a variety of land-use activities within the Choccolocco Creek watershed, environmental concerns in the area have focused mainly on releases of PCBs to aquatic and riparian habitats. PCBs were manufactured by Monsa
Authors
Allison Schein, Jesse A. Sinclair, Donald D. MacDonald, Christopher G. Ingersoll, Nile E. Kemble, James L. Kunz
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Columbia Environmental Research Center

Evaluation of toxicity to the amphipod, Hyalella azteca, and to the midge, Chironomus dilutus; and bioaccumulation by the oligochaete, Lumbriculus variegatus, with exposure to PCB-contaminated sediments from Anniston, Alabama

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) requested that as part of the remedial investigation for the Anniston, Alabama Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Site (Anniston PCB Site), that Pharmacia Corporation and Solutia Inc. (P/S) perform long-term reproduction toxicity tests with the amphipod, Hyalella azteca, and the midge, Chironomus dilutus, and bioaccumulation tests with the oligochaete,
Authors
Christopher G. Ingersoll, Jeffery A. Steevens, Donald D. MacDonald, William G. Brumbaugh, Matthew R. Coady, J. Daniel Farrar, Guilherme R. Lotufo, Nile E. Kemble, James L. Kunz, Jacob K. Stanley, Jesse A. Sinclair
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Columbia Environmental Research Center

Toxicity of sediment cores collected from the Ashtabula River in northeastern Ohio, USA, to the amphipod Hyalella azteca

This study was conducted to support a Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration project associated with the Ashtabula River in Ohio. The objective of the study was to evaluate the chemistry and toxicity of 50 sediment samples obtained from five cores collected from the Ashtabula River (10 samples/core, with each 10-cm-diameter core collected to a total depth of about 150 cm). Effects of c
Authors
C.G. Ingersoll, N.E. Kemble, J.L. Kunz, W. G. Brumbaugh, D.D. MacDonald, D. Smorong
By
Columbia Environmental Research Center

Fish health study Ashtabula River natural resource damage assessment

INTRODUCTION The Ashtabula River is located in northeast Ohio, flowing into Lake Erie at Ashtabula, Ohio. Tributaries include Fields Brook, Hubbard Run, Strong Brook, and Ashtabula Creek. The bottom sediments, bank soils and biota of Fields Brook have been severely contaminated by unregulated discharges of hazardous substances. Hazardous substances have migrated downstream from Fields Brook to
Authors
V. S. Blazer, L. R. Iwanowicz, P. C. Baumann
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Methylmercury Effects on Birds: Percent Injury Tool

Welcome to The Bird Mercury Tool website. Please follow the guidance below to download the tool and user guide. The Bird Mercury Tool: Estimating Methylmercury Injury to Birds can be used by practitioners to help interpret injury to birds caused by methylmercury concentrations in bird tissues or diet. The dataset, statistical models, and assumptions used within this tool have been published separa
By
Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)

Chemical or hazardous substance spills can occur during production, transportation, storage, and disposal activities. They kill fish and wildlife, destroy habitat, and contaminate critical resources. These environmental injuries can linger for decades and be difficult to assess. The impact of these type spills is complex and depends upon where they occur, the amount spilled and the chemical properties of the substance. Factors such as toxicity, transport properties and environmental persistence need to be assessed and considered. USGS has capabilities and expertise that can aid with site characterization, injury determination, and restoration. 

To learn more about how USGS science supports the NRDAR program contact Jo Ellen Hinck, the USGS NRDAR Coordinator.

Return to USGS Science for DOI Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) Program

Browse USGS publications related to NRDA chemical release cases.

 

Examples of assessment and restoration activities are listed below.

 

Assessment Activities

 

                            Principal Investigators - Donald Tillitt, David Alvarez, and Jeff Steevens

Mussel kill Deep Fork River, OK
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Mussel kill downstream of the effluent discharge in the Deep Fork River in Oklahoma.
  • Preliminary Survey of Contaminants in Bird Eggs for a PCB site

                            Principal Investigators - Donald Tillitt and Kathy Echols

  • Mercury Isotope Analysis at Chemical Manufacturing Facilities
golden riffleshell mussels
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Golden riffleshell mussels released in the Clinch River.

                 Principal Investigators - Sarah Janssen and David Krabbenhoft

  • Sediment Toxicity and Aquatic Invertebrate Bioaccumulation Study

           Principal Investigators - Jeff Steevens and David Walters

  • Chronic Toxicity of Contaminants in Sediment to the Amphipod (Hyalella azteca) and Fatmucket Mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea)

           Principal Investigator - Jeff Steevens

  • Avian egg injection for injury assessment at a dioxin/PCB contaminated river site

    Principal Investigators – Natalie Karouna and Thea Edwards

  • Aquatic and avian injury quantification at a phosphate mining complex

    Principal Investigators – Aida Farag and Chris Mebane

 

Restoration Activities

 

  • Using Environmental DNA Analysis to Evaluate Freshwater Mussel Restoration in a River System

                           Principal Investigator - Cathy Richter

  • NRDAR Monitoring of sediment toxicity from the Grand Calumet River, Indiana, with the amphipod, Hyalella azteca, the midge, Chironomus dilutes, and the mussel, Lampsilis siliquoidea.

                          Principal Investigator - Jeff Steevens

  • Vegetation Surveys to Support Restoration at Jordan River Restoration Site

                         Principal Investigator - Matthew Struckhoff

 

 

NRDAR Cases
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

 

 

Explore the NRDAR Case Map and Document Library to learn more about individual cases.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Return to USGS Science for DOI Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) Program

Below are USGS publications for chemical releases associated with specific NRDAR cases.

Methylmercury effects on birds: A review, meta-analysis, and development of toxicity reference values for injury assessment based on tissue residues and diet

Birds are used as bioindicators of environmental mercury (Hg) contamination, and toxicity reference values are needed for injury assessments. We conducted a comprehensive review, summarized data from 168 studies, performed a series of Bayesian hierarchical meta-analyses, and developed new toxicity reference values for the effects of methylmercury (MeHg) on birds using a benchmark dose analysis fra
Authors
Josh T. Ackerman, Sarah H. Peterson, Mark P. Herzog, Julie L. Yee
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)

Responses of native freshwater mussels to remediation to remove polychlorinated biphenyl-contaminated sediments in the upper Hudson River

The Hudson River, New York, was contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from two manufacturing plants over a period of approximately 30 years, and PCBs are still present in sediment and biota today. The river provides habitat for a variety of plants and animals, including native freshwater mussels. A remediation programme, consisting of dredging followed by the placement of backfilled s
Authors
Teresa J. Newton, Denise A. Mayer, James T. Rogala, Sean S. Madden, Brian R. Gray
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center

Metabarcoding assays for the detection of freshwater mussels (Unionida) with environmental DNA

Freshwater mussels of the order Unionida are a widely distributed taxon that are important in maintaining freshwater ecosystems and are also highly imperiled throughout the world. Monitoring of mussel populations with environmental DNA (eDNA) is an attractive alternative to traditional methods because it is noninvasive and requires less labor and taxonomic knowledge from field personnel. We develo
Authors
Katy E. Klymus, Catherine A. Richter, Nathan Thompson, Jo Ellen Hinck, Jess W. Jones
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Columbia Environmental Research Center

The influence of legacy contamination on the transport and bioaccumulation of mercury within the Mobile River Basin

Past industrial use and subsequent release of mercury (Hg) into the environment have resulted in severe cases of legacy contamination that still influence contemporary Hg levels in biota. While the bioaccumulation of legacy Hg is commonly assessed via concentration measurements within fish tissue, this practice becomes difficult in regions of high productivity and methylmercury (MeHg) production,
Authors
Sarah E. Janssen, Michael T. Tate, David P. Krabbenhoft, John F. DeWild, Jacob M. Ogorek, Christopher L. Babiarz, Anthony Sowers, Peter L. Tuttle
By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Mercury Research Laboratory

Insights into mercury source identification and bioaccumulation using stable isotope approaches in the Hannibal Pool of the Ohio River

Mercury contamination in river systems due to historic and current Hg releases is a persistent concern for both wildlife and human health. In larger rivers, like the Ohio River, USA, it is difficult to directly link Hg discharges to bioaccumulation due to the existence of multiple industrial Hg sources as well as the varied dietary and migratory habits of biota. To better understand how industrial
Authors
Sarah E. Janssen, Kathleen A. Patnode, Bruce R Pluta, David P. Krabbenhoft
By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Mercury Research Laboratory

Influence of remediation on sediment toxicity within the Grand Calumet River, Indiana, USA

The Grand Calumet River (GCR), located in northern Indiana, is contaminated due to a wide range of historical industrial activities. This study was conducted to determine the influence of sediment remediation within the GCR on concentrations of chemical contaminants and toxicity to sediment-dwelling organisms. Between 2005 and 2016, sediments with high concentrations of metals and toxic organic co
Authors
Jeffery Steevens, John M. Besser, Rebecca A. Dorman, Daniel W. Sparks
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Columbia Environmental Research Center

Polychlorinated biphenyl tissue‐concentration thresholds for survival, growth, and reproduction in fish

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have left a legacy of environmental contamination. Even though they were banned from production and active use in the 1970s, they persist in the environment and still have the potential to impact aquatic life. Our objective was to identify data from controlled laboratory studies of PCB‐related adverse effects in fish and to conduct a meta‐analysis on mortality, gro
Authors
Jason P. Berninger, Donald E. Tillitt
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Columbia Environmental Research Center

Evaluation of the toxicity of sediments from the Anniston PCB Site to the mussel Lampsilis siliquoidea

The Anniston Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Site is located in the vicinity of the municipality of Anniston in Calhoun County, in the north-eastern portion of Alabama. Although there are a variety of land-use activities within the Choccolocco Creek watershed, environmental concerns in the area have focused mainly on releases of PCBs to aquatic and riparian habitats. PCBs were manufactured by Monsa
Authors
Allison Schein, Jesse A. Sinclair, Donald D. MacDonald, Christopher G. Ingersoll, Nile E. Kemble, James L. Kunz
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Columbia Environmental Research Center

Evaluation of toxicity to the amphipod, Hyalella azteca, and to the midge, Chironomus dilutus; and bioaccumulation by the oligochaete, Lumbriculus variegatus, with exposure to PCB-contaminated sediments from Anniston, Alabama

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) requested that as part of the remedial investigation for the Anniston, Alabama Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Site (Anniston PCB Site), that Pharmacia Corporation and Solutia Inc. (P/S) perform long-term reproduction toxicity tests with the amphipod, Hyalella azteca, and the midge, Chironomus dilutus, and bioaccumulation tests with the oligochaete,
Authors
Christopher G. Ingersoll, Jeffery A. Steevens, Donald D. MacDonald, William G. Brumbaugh, Matthew R. Coady, J. Daniel Farrar, Guilherme R. Lotufo, Nile E. Kemble, James L. Kunz, Jacob K. Stanley, Jesse A. Sinclair
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Columbia Environmental Research Center

Toxicity of sediment cores collected from the Ashtabula River in northeastern Ohio, USA, to the amphipod Hyalella azteca

This study was conducted to support a Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration project associated with the Ashtabula River in Ohio. The objective of the study was to evaluate the chemistry and toxicity of 50 sediment samples obtained from five cores collected from the Ashtabula River (10 samples/core, with each 10-cm-diameter core collected to a total depth of about 150 cm). Effects of c
Authors
C.G. Ingersoll, N.E. Kemble, J.L. Kunz, W. G. Brumbaugh, D.D. MacDonald, D. Smorong
By
Columbia Environmental Research Center

Fish health study Ashtabula River natural resource damage assessment

INTRODUCTION The Ashtabula River is located in northeast Ohio, flowing into Lake Erie at Ashtabula, Ohio. Tributaries include Fields Brook, Hubbard Run, Strong Brook, and Ashtabula Creek. The bottom sediments, bank soils and biota of Fields Brook have been severely contaminated by unregulated discharges of hazardous substances. Hazardous substances have migrated downstream from Fields Brook to
Authors
V. S. Blazer, L. R. Iwanowicz, P. C. Baumann
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Methylmercury Effects on Birds: Percent Injury Tool

Welcome to The Bird Mercury Tool website. Please follow the guidance below to download the tool and user guide. The Bird Mercury Tool: Estimating Methylmercury Injury to Birds can be used by practitioners to help interpret injury to birds caused by methylmercury concentrations in bird tissues or diet. The dataset, statistical models, and assumptions used within this tool have been published separa
By
Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)
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