Ning Wang, PhD
Dr. Ning Wang is a Research Fish Biologist with the Columbia Environmental Research Center.
He obtained his bachelor degree in Fisheries from Huazhong Agricultural University in Wuhan, China, and obtained his doctorate degree in Natural Sciences from University of Konstanz in Konstanz, Germany. He conducted his post-doctoral research on fish feeding and bioenergetics at University of Missouri in Columbia, MO. Since 1998, he has led and conducted many research projects at the CERC, including development of standard methods for conducting early life-stage toxicity tests with freshwater mussels, assessment of the sensitivity of threatened and endangered fish and aquatic invertebrates to contaminants, evaluation of toxicity of surface waters and sediments contaminated by coal mining and natural oil and gas extraction to aquatic organisms, and evaluation of the toxicity of major ion salts and metals to fish and aquatic invertebrates in water exposures.
Professional Experience
Research Fish Biologist, USGS, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri (July 1998 – present)
Post Doctoral Fellow, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri (October 1994 – June 1998)
Research Scientist, Limnological Institute, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany (March 1994 – October 1994)
Research Scientist, Limnological Institute, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany (March 1994 – October 1994)
Instructor, Department of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China (February 1982 – September 1988)
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. in Natural Sciences, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany 1994
B.S. in Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China, 1982
Science and Products
An assessment of Deep Fork River Effluent Toxicity to the Unionid Mussel Fatmucket (Lampsilis siliquoidea)
Chemical and Biological Data from a Study on Evaluation of Chronic Effects of Potassium Chloride and Nickel on Survival, Growth, and Reproduction of a Unionid Mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea)
Data on the acute and chronic toxicity of sodium chloride and sodium sulfate to freshwater organisms in a low hardness water representing Louisiana water conditions
Survival and growth of the freshwater mussel Lampsilis siliquoidea during a 28-day chronic zinc exposure and subsequent grow-out period
Survival, growth, and chemical data from a study on influences of water hardness on chronic toxicity of potassium chloride to a Unionid mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea)
Chemical and biological data from a study on sensitivity of a unionid mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea) to a permitted effluent and elevated potassium
Chemical and biological data from a study on method development for a short term 7 day sodium chloride and mock effluent toxicity tests with unionid mussels
Chemical and biological data from acute and chronic nickel and zinc exposure bioassays to two sensitive freshwater benthic invertebrates
Chemical and biological data from acute and chronic exposure to sodium nitrate and sodium sulfate for several freshwater organisms in water-only bioassays
Physical, Chemical, and Bioassay Data from the Study on Effects of Elevated Major Ions in Surface Water Contaminated by a Produced Water from Oil Production
Evaluating chronic toxicity of sodium chloride or potassium chloride to a unionid mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea) in water exposures using standard and refined toxicity test methods
Chronic toxicity of 4-Nonylphenol to two unionid mussels in water-only exposures-metadata
Acute sensitivity of the vernal pool fairy shrimp, Branchinecta lynchi (Anostraca; Branchinectidae), and surrogate species to ten chemicals-Data
Survival and growth of juvenile mussels in an outdoor pond after 28-day laboratory exposure to aqueous zinc
Influences of water hardness on chronic toxicity of potassium chloride to a unionid mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea)
Method development for a short-term 7-day toxicity test with unionid mussels
The sensitivity of a unionid mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea) to a permitted effluent and elevated potassium in the effluent
Direct and delayed mortality of Ceriodaphnia dubia and rainbow trout following time-varying acute exposures to zinc
Evaluation of acute and chronic toxicity of nickel and zinc to 2 sensitive freshwater benthic invertebrates using refined testing methods
Acute and chronic toxicity of sodium nitrate and sodium sulfate to several freshwater organisms in water-only exposures
Pulsed flow-through auto-feeding beaker systems for the laboratory culture of juvenile freshwater mussels
Biological effects of elevated major ions in surface water contaminated by a produced water from oil production
Evaluation of chronic toxicity of sodium chloride or potassium chloride to a unionid mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea) in water exposures using standard and refined toxicity testing methods
Chronic toxicity of 4-nonylphenol to two unionid mussels in water-only exposures
Potential toxicity of dissolved metal mixtures (Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn) to early life stage white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) in the Upper Columbia River, Washington, United States
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
- Science
An assessment of Deep Fork River Effluent Toxicity to the Unionid Mussel Fatmucket (Lampsilis siliquoidea)
Nearly 70% of the 300 mussel species in North America are endangered, threatened, of special concern, or extinct. Environmental contaminants have been identified as a contributing factor to the decline of mussel populations. - Data
Chemical and Biological Data from a Study on Evaluation of Chronic Effects of Potassium Chloride and Nickel on Survival, Growth, and Reproduction of a Unionid Mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea)
We conducted multiple toxicity tests to (1) evaluate the survival and growth of juvenile mussels (Fatmucket, Lampsilis siliquoidea) in a standard 4-week and a longer-term 12-week exposures following a method refined from the standard method using two common reference toxicants (potassium chloride [KCl] and nickel [Ni]); (2) evaluate reproductive endpoints from reproductive KCl and Ni toxicity testData on the acute and chronic toxicity of sodium chloride and sodium sulfate to freshwater organisms in a low hardness water representing Louisiana water conditions
We determined acute and chronic toxicity of sodium chloride (NaCl) and sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) to up to 7 freshwater species of different taxa in a hardness water of 40 mg/L as CaCO3 and evaluated the effect of 4 hardness waters (15, 30, 60, and 120 mg/L as CaCO3) on acute toxicity of NaCl and Na2SO4 to 3 sensitive species tested in the acute exposures. This data release reports results from acuteSurvival and growth of the freshwater mussel Lampsilis siliquoidea during a 28-day chronic zinc exposure and subsequent grow-out period
This dataset contains the results of a laboratory chronic bioassay with 6-week-old juvenile mussels (Fatmucket, Lampsilis siliquoidea) in a 28-day zinc exposure (120 and 240 micrograms zinc per liter) with endpoints of survival and growth (biomass and length) following standard ASTM methods. Surviving mussels were transferred from the control and treatment groups into a culture pond and their survSurvival, growth, and chemical data from a study on influences of water hardness on chronic toxicity of potassium chloride to a Unionid mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea)
The objective of this study was to evaluate the chronic toxicity of potassium (tested as KCl) to a commonly tested unionid mussel (fatmucket, Lampsilis siliquoidea) at five water hardness levels (25, 50, 100, 200, 300 mg/L as CaCO3) representing most surface waters in the United States. Chronic 28-d potassium chloride toxicity tests were conducted with 3-week-old juvenile fatmucket using six concChemical and biological data from a study on sensitivity of a unionid mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea) to a permitted effluent and elevated potassium
The data release includes data from four studies: (1) toxicity of a permitted effluent, which entered the Deep Fork River (DFR), Oklahoma, USA, to a unionid mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea) and to 2 standard test species (cladoceran Ceriodaphnia dubia; and fathead minnow Pimephales promelas) in short-term 7-d effluent tests; (2) relative sensitivities of the 3 species to potassium (K), an elevated mChemical and biological data from a study on method development for a short term 7 day sodium chloride and mock effluent toxicity tests with unionid mussels
The data consists of the responses (survival, growth, and/or reproduction) of test organisms were determined in six concentrations of toxicants in 7-day toxicity tests or in four different feeding rates in 7-day feeding experiments. Specifically we evaluated the sensitivity of 2 mussel species (Villosa constricta and Lampsilis siliquoidea) and P. promelas and C. dubia using effluents in 7-d exposuChemical and biological data from acute and chronic nickel and zinc exposure bioassays to two sensitive freshwater benthic invertebrates
The responses (survival, growth, and/or reproduction) of test organisms in six concentrations of toxicants in acute and chronic tests. Chemical and water quality parameters were measured for quality assurance and quality control purposes.Chemical and biological data from acute and chronic exposure to sodium nitrate and sodium sulfate for several freshwater organisms in water-only bioassays
The responses (survival, growth, and/or reproduction) of test organisms in six concentrations of toxicants in several test waters with different water quality characteristics. In addition to the individual biological data, chemical, and water quality measurements from each toxicity test are also reported. Test organisms include unionid mussels (Lampsilis siliquoidea, Villosa iris), a midge (ChiPhysical, Chemical, and Bioassay Data from the Study on Effects of Elevated Major Ions in Surface Water Contaminated by a Produced Water from Oil Production
This dataset characterizes sensitivity of fathead minnow and a unionid mussel to elevated major ions in produced water from oil and gas extraction process.Evaluating chronic toxicity of sodium chloride or potassium chloride to a unionid mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea) in water exposures using standard and refined toxicity test methods
Individual measurements of toxicity and water quality data used to calculate means reported in the associated publication. The objectives of the present study were to (1) refine test conditions for improving mussel survival and growth in a long-term feeding study, (2) evaluate chronic toxicity of NaCl and KCl to fatmucket under traditional test conditions outlined in ASTM (ASTM 2017) and the refinChronic toxicity of 4-Nonylphenol to two unionid mussels in water-only exposures-metadata
Chronic (28-d) toxicity of 4-nonylphenol (4-NP) to two commonly tested species of mussels: fatmucket (Lampsilis siliquoidea) and rainbow mussel (Villosa iris).Acute sensitivity of the vernal pool fairy shrimp, Branchinecta lynchi (Anostraca; Branchinectidae), and surrogate species to ten chemicals-Data
The vernal pool fairy shrimp, Branchinecta lynchi, (Branchiopoda; Anostraca) and other fairy shrimp species have been listed as threatened or endangered under the United States Endangered Species Act (ESA). There is little information about the sensitivity of Branchinecta spp. to toxic effects of contaminants, making it difficult to determine whether they are adequately protected by water quality - Publications
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Survival and growth of juvenile mussels in an outdoor pond after 28-day laboratory exposure to aqueous zinc
The extent to which effects seen in chronic toxicity studies in the laboratory affect mussel fitness later in life is poorly known. We examined juvenile Fatmucket (Lampsilis siliquoidea) survival and growth for 56 d following exposure to Zn in a laboratory bioassay. We conducted a 28-d chronic toxicity bioassay with 6-wk-old juvenile mussels exposed to a control and two Zn treatments (120 and 240AuthorsJeffery A. Steevens, James L. Kunz, Ning Wang, Christopher M. Barnhart, Serena CiparisInfluences of water hardness on chronic toxicity of potassium chloride to a unionid mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea)
Elevated concentrations of potassium (K) often occur in effluents from wastewater treatment plants, oil and gas production operations, mineral extraction processes, and from other anthropogenic sources. Previous studies have demonstrated that freshwater mussels are highly sensitive to K in acute and chronic exposures, and acute toxicity of K decreases with increasing water hardness. However, littlAuthorsNing Wang, Rebecca A. Dorman, James L. Kunz, Danielle M. Cleveland, Jeffery Steevens, Suzanne Dunn, David MartinezMethod development for a short-term 7-day toxicity test with unionid mussels
The US Environmental Protection Agency's short-term freshwater effluent test methods include a fish (Pimephales promelas), a cladoceran (Ceriodaphnia dubia), and a green alga (Raphidocelis subcapitata). There is a recognized need for additional taxa to accompany the three standard species for effluent testing. An appropriate additional taxon is unionid mussels because mussels are widely distributeAuthorsNing Wang, James L. Kunz, Douglas K. Hardesty, Jeffery Steevens, Teresa J. Norberg-King, Edward J. Hammer, Candice R. Bauer, Tom Augspurger, Suzanne Dunn, David Martinez, M. Christopher Barnhart, Jordan Murray, Marcus Bowersox, John F. Roberts, Robert B. Bringolf, Robert Ratajczak, Serena Ciparis, W. Gregory Cope, Sean B. Buczek, Daniel Farrar, Lauren May, Mailee Garton, Patricia L. Gillis, James Bennett, Joseph Salerno, Brian Hester, Richard Lockwood, Christopher Tarr, Dennis McIntyre, Jonathan WardellThe sensitivity of a unionid mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea) to a permitted effluent and elevated potassium in the effluent
Freshwater mussels are one of the most imperiled groups of animals in the world and are among the most sensitive species to a variety of chemicals. However, little is known about the sensitivity of freshwater mussels to wastewater effluents. The objectives of the present study were to (1) assess the toxicity of a permitted effluent, which entered the Deep Fork River, Oklahoma (USA), to a unionid mAuthorsJames L. Kunz, Ning Wang, David Martinez, Suzanne Dunn, Danielle M. Cleveland, Jeffery SteevensDirect and delayed mortality of Ceriodaphnia dubia and rainbow trout following time-varying acute exposures to zinc
The potential for delayed mortality following short-term episodic pollution events was evaluated by exposing cladocerans (Ceriodaphnia dubia) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to zinc (Zn) in various 1- to 48-h and 1- to 96-h exposures, respectively, followed by transferring the exposed organisms to clean water for up to 47 h for C. dubia and up to 95 h for trout for additional observation.AuthorsChristopher A. Mebane, Chris D. Ivey, Ning Wang, Jeffery Steevens, Danielle M. Cleveland, Michael C Elias, James R Justice, Kathryn Gallagher, Robert N. BrentEvaluation of acute and chronic toxicity of nickel and zinc to 2 sensitive freshwater benthic invertebrates using refined testing methods
The US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) is reviewing the protectiveness of the national ambient water quality criteria (WQC) for nickel (Ni) and zinc (Zn) and compiling toxicity databases to update the WQC. An amphipod (Hyalella azteca) and a unionid mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea) have shown high sensitivity to Ni and Zn in previous studies. However, there remained uncertainties regarding tAuthorsNing Wang, James L. Kunz, Danielle M. Cleveland, Jeffery Steevens, Edward J. Hammer, Eric Van Genderen, Adam C. Ryan, Christian E. SchlekatAcute and chronic toxicity of sodium nitrate and sodium sulfate to several freshwater organisms in water-only exposures
Elevated nitrate (NO3) and sulfate (SO4) in surface water are of global concern, and studies are needed to generate toxicity data to develop environmental guideline values for NO3 and SO4. The present study was designed to fill existing gaps in toxicity databases by determining the acute and/or chronic toxicity of NO3 (tested as NaNO3) to a unionid mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea), a midge (ChironomAuthorsNing Wang, Rebecca A. Dorman, Chris D. Ivey, David J. Soucek, Amy Dickinson, Bethany K. Kunz, Jeffery Steevens, Edward J. Hammer, Candice R. BauerPulsed flow-through auto-feeding beaker systems for the laboratory culture of juvenile freshwater mussels
Newly metamorphosed freshwater mussels are small and delicate, so that captive laboratory culture presents challenges for handling; for maintenance of suitable microhabitat, water quality, and food; and for avoidance of competitors and predators. To address these challenges, a new pulsed flow-through auto-feeding beaker system was developed for culturing juvenile mussels. In this system, groups ofAuthorsJames L. Kunz, Eric Brunson, M. Christopher Barnhart, Elizabeth A. Glidewell, Ning Wang, Christopher G. IngersollBiological effects of elevated major ions in surface water contaminated by a produced water from oil production
Produced water (PW) from oil and gas extraction processes has been shown to contain elevated concentrations of major ions. The objective of this study was to determine the potential effects of elevated major ions in PW-contaminated surface water on a fish (fathead minnow, Pimephales promelas) and a unionid mussel (fatmucket, Lampsilis siliquoidea) in short-term (7-day) exposures. The test organismAuthorsNing Wang, James L. Kunz, Danielle M. Cleveland, Jeffery Steevens, Isabelle M. CozzarelliEvaluation of chronic toxicity of sodium chloride or potassium chloride to a unionid mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea) in water exposures using standard and refined toxicity testing methods
Freshwater mussels are generally underrepresented in toxicity databases used to derive water quality criteria, especially for long‐term exposures. Multiple tests were conducted to determine the chronic toxicity of sodium chloride (NaCl) or potassium chloride (KCl) to a unionid mussel (fatmucket, Lampsilis siliquoidea). Initially, a 4‐wk NaCl test and a 4‐wk KCl test were conducted starting with 2‐AuthorsNing Wang, James L. Kunz, Rebecca A. Dorman, Christopher G. Ingersoll, Jeffery Steevens, Edward J. Hammer, Candice R. BauerChronic toxicity of 4-nonylphenol to two unionid mussels in water-only exposures
Limited studies indicate that mussels are generally insensitive to organic chemicals; however, these studies were conducted in acute or short-term exposures, and little is known about the chronic sensitivity of mussels to organic chemicals. We evaluated the chronic (28 days) toxicity of 4-nonylphenol (4-NP) to two commonly tested species of mussels: fatmucket (Lampsilis siliquoidea) and rainbow muAuthorsChris D. Ivey, Ning Wang, David Alvarez, Edward J. Hammer, Candice R. BauerPotential toxicity of dissolved metal mixtures (Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn) to early life stage white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) in the Upper Columbia River, Washington, United States
The Upper Columbia River (UCR) received historical releases of smelter waste resulting in elevated metal concentrations in downstream sediments. Newly hatched white sturgeon hide within the rocky substrate at the sediment–water interface in the UCR for a few weeks before swim-up. Hiding behavior could expose them to metal contaminants, and metal toxicity could contribute to population declines inAuthorsLaurie S. Balistrieri, Christopher A. Mebane, Stephen E. Cox, Holly J. Puglis, Robin Calfee, Ning WangNon-USGS Publications**
Liang, Z., Yi, B., Yu, Z., and Wang, N., 2003, Spawning areas and early development of long spiky-head carp (Luciobrama macrocephalus) in the Yangtze River and Pearl River, China: Hydrobiologia, v. 490, no. 1, p. 169-179.Hayward, R.S., and Wang, N., 2001, Failure to induce over-compensation of growth in maturing yellow perch: Journal of Fish Biology, v. 59, no. 1, p. 126-140.Rabeni, C.F., and Wang, N., 2001, Bioassessment of streams using macroinvertebrates: Are the chironomidae necessary?: Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, v. 71, no. 2, p. 177-185.Wang, N., Hayward, R.S., and Noltie, D.B., 2000, Effects of social interaction on growth of juvenile hybrid sunfish held at two densities: North American Journal of Aquaculture, v. 62, no. 3, p. 161-167.Hayward, R.S., Wang, N., and Noltie, D.B., 2000, Group holding impedes compensatory growth of hybrid sunfish: Aquaculture, v. 183, no. 3, p. 299-305.Rabeni, C.F., Wang, N., and Sarver, R.J., 1999, Evaluating adequacy of the representative stream reach used in invertebrate monitoring programs: Journal of the North American Benthological Society, v. 18, no. 2, p. 284-291.Wang, N., and Appenzeller, A., 1998, Abundance, depth distribution, diet composition and growth of perch (Perca fluviatilis) and burbot (Lota lota) larvae and juveniles in the pelagic zone of Lake Constance: Ecology of Freshwater Fish, v. 7, no. 4, p. 176-183.Whitledge, G.W., Hayward, R.S., Noltie, D.B., and Wang, N., 1998, Testing bioenergetics models under feeding regimes that elicit compensatory growth: Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, v. 127, no. 5, p. 740-746.Wang, N., Hayward, R.S., and Noltie, D.B., 1998, Variation in food consumption, growth, and growth efficiency among juvenile hybrid sunfish held individually: Aquaculture, v. 167, no. 1, p. 43-52.Wang, N., Hayward, R.S., and Noltie, D.B., 1998, Effect of feeding frequency on food consumption, growth, size variation, and feeding pattern of age-0 hybrid sunfish: Aquaculture, v. 165, no. 3, p. 261-267.Hayward, R.S., Noltie, D.B., and Wang, N., 1997, Use of compensatory growth to double hybrid sunfish growth rates: Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, v. 126, no. 2, p. 316-322.Wang N, 1994. On the Ecology of Age-0 Perch (Perca Fluviatilis L.) in Lake Constance. Hartung-Gorre, Konstanz, Germany, 99 p.Wang, N., and Eckmann, R., 1994, Effects of temperature and food density on egg development, larval survival and growth of perch (Perca fluviatilis L.): Aquaculture, v. 122, no. 4, p. 323-333.Wang, N., and Eckmann, R., 1994, Distribution of perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) during their first year of life in Lake Constance: Hydrobiologia, v. 277, no. 3, p. 135-143.Wang, N., 1994, Food and feeding of young perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) in Lake Constance: SIL Proceedings, 1922-2010, v. 25, no. 4, p. 2148-2152.Wang, N., and Eckmann, R., 1992, Effects of photoperiod, feeding regime and water temperature on the formation of daily growth increments in otoliths of larval pike (Esox lucius L.): Journal of Applied Ichthyology, v. 8, no. 1‐4, p. 246-250.Wang, N., 1991, The study on the biology of bream, Parabramis pekinensis, in Lake Qingling: Acta Hydrobiologica Sinica, v. 15, p. 127-135 (in Chinese).Wang, N., Zhou, H. and Yi, B., 1988, The fish fauna and fisheries exploitation of Hubei Province: Freshwater Fisheries: vol. 6, p. 27-32 (in Chinese).Yu, Z., Deng, Z., Xu, Y., Linag, Z., Cai, M., Chao, Y., Wang, N., Zeng, X., 1988, The present situation of the spawning grounds of the four Chinese domestic fishes in the Yangtze River after construction of the Gezhouba Hydroelectric Station, in: Yi, B., Yu, Z., and Liang, Z., eds., Gezhouba Water Control Project and Four Famous Fishes in The Yangtze River: Wuhan, Hubei Science and Technology Press, p. 47-68 (in Chinese).Zhou J, Wang N, Zhang S, Yi B, Nie X, 1987. A study on the hydrobiology and fish yield in Lake Qingling with the respect to fisheries management: Oceanologia et Limnologia Sinica, vol. 18, p. 442-449 (in Chinese).**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.