SETAC 2007 Abstracts
Please contact Kathy Reidda for copies of these presentations.
PLATFORM PRESENTATIONS
Monday, November 12, 2007
Session: Fate and Effects of Metals: Dietary Perspective in the Aquatic Environment
A Modeling Assessment of Bivalve Cu Accumulation and Effects
Paul R. Paquin, Rooni Mathew, R. Dwyer, M. Salazar, S. Salazar, Robert C. Santore
A Modeling Assessment of Bivalve Cu Accumulation and Effects.
P. Paquin, R. Mathew, Hydroqual Inc., Mahwah, NJ; R. Dwyer, International
Copper Association, New York, NY; M. Salazar, S. Salazar, Applied
Biomonitoring, Kirkland, WA; R. Santore, HydroQual Inc., East Syracuse,
NY. A bivalve bioaccumulation model that incorporates physicochemical
and biochemical features that are unique to metals is being developed. The
general framework has been used to simulate uptake of Cu, a highly regulated
essential metal, from food and water. It incorporates allometric relationships
for several important physiological processes including filtration, growth and
dissolved metal uptake rates. The model development effort has made use of
a whole body (WB) kinetic model, a physiologically-based pharmaco-kinetic
(PBPK) model and an intracellular speciation (ICS) model. Collectively, these
models provide a basis for simulating metal accumulation at the site of action
of toxicity (i.e., at the target organ or target enzyme level). A combination
of laboratory and field studies have been used to calibrate the model. The
WB model was applied to a composite dataset consisting of caged bivalve
(M. galloprovincialis) results from several marine settings, including San
Diego Bay. The ICS model, which represents intracellular metal binding and
detoxification processes, and metal accumulation by a metabolically active
fraction, has been calibrated to laboratory test data. The calibrated ICS model
is used to predict Cu levels in a high molecular weight (HMW) cytosolic
fraction, used as a surrogate for the target biotic ligand (i.e., the site of action
of toxicity), under longer-term field conditions. The predicted results are
compared to a laboratory-derived dose-response relationship between Mytilus
survival and Cu in a HMW cytosolic fraction. The analyses that are presented
are used, in combination with the field study results, to provide support for an
effects assessment for Cu in caged bivalves in San Diego Bay.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Session: Urban Contaminants: Sources, Composition, Fate from a Multimedia Perspective - Part 1
Sources and Fate of Hydrophobic Organic Contaminants in the New York/New Jersey Harbor Estuary
Robin Landeck Miller, Kevin Farley, Jim Wands, P.E.
Sources and Fate of Hydrophobic Organic Contaminants in the New York/New Jersey Harbor Estuary.
R. Landeck Miller, K.J. Farley,
J.R. Wands, HydroQual, Inc., Mahwah, NJ. Mechanistic numerical models
have been developed and applied for addressing the causal link between
external sources of contaminants, such as tributary headwaters, sewage
treatment plants, urban runoff, combined sewer overflow, atmospheric
deposition, and landfill leachate, to ambient concentrations of contaminants
in water, sediment, and biota of the NY/NJ Harbor. The contaminant
classes considered include PCBs, dioxin/furans, organochlorine pesticides,
and PAHs. Developing estimates of the contaminant loading sources was
an important aspect of the work. Numerical models developed and applied
include hydrodynamic, sediment transport, organic carbon production,
contaminant fate and transport, and bioaccumulation models. After several
years of development and calibration, these models now diagnose how much
of observed Harbor contamination results from current loadings versus
legacy contamination still remaining in the system. Legacy contamination
is a consequence of the industrial heritage of Newark, New York, and other
large cities. Further, the models have been used to forecast expected future
reduced contamination levels achievable through natural attenuation and a
combination of natural attenuation and various reductions of current loadings
and/or removal and remediation of in-place sediments. The driving force for
the devolopment of the models was the problem of sediment contamination
in the NY/NJ Harbor estuary adversely impacting both the disposal costs and
the disposal options for material dredged from the Harbor. Moving forward
with scientific and policy agendas in the NY/NJ Harbor region, particularly
as they relate to PCBs and dioxin/furans, will likely be guided by the insights
gained from model results (e.g., loading component evaluations). Additional
data collection, remediation of in-place contamination, and reduction of
on-going diffuse sources (e.g., runoff, tributary inputs, etc.), as suggested by
model results, may be involved in future agendas. Current application of the
CARP models is supporting the development of Total Maximum Daily Loads
(TMDLs) for attainment of water quality standards. The CARP modeling
approach and application serves as an excellent case study for other urban
estuaries and ports. Although developed specifically for the NY/NJ Harbor,
the CARP model kinetic formulations are easily transferable to other urban
systems and can be adapted for considering other contaminants.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Session: Mercury Fate and Biogeochemistry - Part 1
Analysis of Spatial Loading Profiles of Mercury and Methylmercury and Their Relationship to Seasonal and
Physical Characteristics of the South River,Virginia, USA
Aaron Redman, Edward J. Garland, Robert C. Santore, N. Grosso, J. Flanders,T. Morrison, R.Turner
Analysis of Spatial Loading Profiles of Mercury and Methylmercury and Their Relationship to Seasonal and
Physical Characteristics of the South River,Virginia, USA.
A. Redman, R. Santore,
HydroQual, Inc., East Syracuse, NY; E. Garland, HydroQual, Inc, Mahwah,
NJ; N. Grosso, DuPont, Wilmington, DE; J. Flanders, T. Morrison, URS,
Fort Washington, PA; R. Turner, RT Geosciences, Squamish, British
Columbia, Canada. Mercury and methylmercury in biota, water, soils and
sediments increase from typical background concentrations to about 100
times greater concentrations along the South River, VA, USA due to historic
releases of mercury from an industrial facility located 24 miles upstream of
the confluence with the South Fork of the Shenandoah River. Incremental
loading calculations were performed on unfiltered fractions of mercury and
methylmercury to identify reaches of the River responsible for additional
inputs to the river under different low- and high-flow regimes for a series of
intensive sampling campaigns during 2006 and early 2007. Areas of variable
methylation/demethylation activity were identified by examining differences
in spatial and temporal loading profiles of total mercury and methylmercury.
Spatial loading profiles were compared to transects of the river to identify
specific features (e.g., islands, side channels, etc.) that explain, in part, the
observed differences in loading profiles in the river under different flow
conditions. There is also a strong seasonal influence on methylmercury where
the concentrations increase by a factor of 4-5 between the cold and warm
months. Peak methylmercury concentrations are observed in spring and early-
Summer months then begin to decline in the mid- to late-Summer months
even though water column temperatures were still elevated until early Fall. This
pattern is not observed for total mercury and these observations are discussed
in light of temperature and other factors that can affect mercury methylation
in the River. In addition to the incremental loading analysis, integrated
loadings of suspended solids, mercury and methylmercury were calculated for
a number of well-characterized storms, to assess potential sources of mercury
and methylmercury to the river. Areas of potential inputs of total mercury and
potential methyl mercury production areas will be discussed.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Session: Fate and Effects of Metals, Regulatory and Risk Assessment Perspective
Tier 1 “Unit World” Model for Metals in Lakes
Kevin Farley, Ph.D., R. Carbonaro, Ph.D., K. Rader, Dominic M. Di Toro, Ph.D.
Tier 1 “Unit World” Model for Metals in Lakes.
K.J. Farley, R.F.
Carbonaro, Civil & Environmental Engr, Manhattan College, Riverdale,
NY; K.J. Rader, D.M. Di Toro, Civil & Environmental Engr, University of
Delaware, Newark, DE; K.J. Farley, R.F. Carbonaro, D.M. Di Toro, HydrQual,
Inc., Mahwah, NJ. A “Unit World” Model for Metals (UWMM) has been
developed to assess the ecological risks posed by metal inputs to aquatic
systems. The Tier 1 version of the UWMM has been applied to an idealized
lake with a vertically well-mixed water column overlying a sediment layer.
Processes specifically considered in the model include dissolved and particulate
phase transport, a simplified description of the biogeochemical cycling of
organic carbon and sulfur, the complexation to organic carbon and inorganic
ligands (as described by WHAM), metal hydroxide, carbonate and sulfide
precipitation, and competitive interactions of metals and major cations to the
biological site of action for water column and sediment-dwelling organisms
(as described by the BLM). A user-friendly version of the UWMM has been
developed using Microsoft Visual Basic and is used to develop a relative
hazard ranking for metals (Al, Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn) and several organic
contaminants. The effects of organic carbon production, sediment AVS, metal
dissolution kinetics, and toxic endpoint are highlighted as part of the ranking
evaluation.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Session: Fate and Effects of Metals: Regulatory and Risk Assessment Perspective
Update and Evaluation of the Freshwater Copper BLM
Robert C. Santore, Adam C. Ryan, Ph.D., Paul R. Paquin
Update and Evaluation of the Freshwater Copper BLM.
R.C. Santore, A.C. Ryan, HydroQual, Inc., East Syracuse, NY; P.R. Paquin,
HydroQual, Inc., Mahwah, NJ. The freshwater biotic ligand model (BLM)
for copper has recently been updated with all relevant available toxicity
data. Since the original BLM was developed, several toxicity experiments
encompassing a wide range of exposure conditions have been conducted to
evaluate BLM performance and applicability. The goal of this analysis was to
evaluate BLM performance with as much relevant toxicity data as possible.
Nearly 900 median effect concentrations (EC50s) for copper were collected
from twenty-three different individual datasets for a variety of freshwater
organisms, including Ceriodaphnia dubia, Daphnia magna, Daphnia pulex,
Hyalella azteca, Oncorhynchus mykiss, and Pimephales promelas. Experiments
conducted with daphnids were especially useful in this work because those
experiments contributed the majority of the data, and they covered the
widest range of experimental conditions. The composition of exposure media
varied widely, with calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium varying
by approximately three orders of magnitude. Dissolved inorganic carbon
concentration, and dissolved organic carbon concentration varied by slightly
less than three orders of magnitude, and pH ranged from 5.5 to 8.7. With
this range in exposure conditions it was possible to investigate bias in model
predictions across the various water chemistry characteristics tested. In general,
application of the BLM to this large dataset shows that the BLM is an effective
tool for predicting the effect of wide ranges of bioavailability factors on copper
toxicity.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Session: Fate and Effects of Metals: Regulatory and Risk Assessment Perspective
Development of a Terrestrial BLM for Copper: Paramterization of Biotic Ligand Model Reactions
Adam C. Ryan, Ph.D., Robert C. Santore, P. Antunes, S. McGrath, H. Allen, M. McLaughlin, E. Smolders, C. Janssen, R. Dwyer, I. Schoeters
Development of a Terrestrial BLM for Copper: Paramterization of Biotic Ligand Model Reactions.
A.C. Ryan, R. Santore, HydroQual, P. Antunes, S. McGrath, H.E. Allen, M. McLaughlin, E.Smolders, C.Janssen,
R. Dwyer, I. Schoeters. Development of a terrestrial BLM for copper: parameterization
of biotic ligand reactions. A.C. Ryan, R. Santore, HydroQual, Inc., East
Syracuse, NY; P. Antunes, Stantec Consulting Ltd., Guelph, Ontario, Canada;
S. McGrath, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Herts, United Kingdom;
H.E. Allen, University of Delaware, Newark, DE; M. McLaughlin, CSIRO
CECR/Univ. Adelaide, Glen Osmond, South Australia, Australia; E.
Smolders, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium; C. Janssen,
Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; R. Dwyer, International Copper
Association, New York, NY; I. Schoeters, European Copper Institute, Brussels,
Belgium. A terrestrial biotic ligand model (tBLM) was developed for wheat
and barley seedlings to describe copper (Cu) accumulation and consequent
toxicity. Data from independent studies were used to estimate parameters of
the biotic ligand (BL), including the strength of Cu binding, BL site density,
and the binding strength of competing cations. Copper accumulation studies
using simple media suggested that two distinct sites are necessary to describe
Cu accumulation in seedling roots. Based on these observations, a two-site
tBLM (with high- and low-affinity sites) was developed. From related work, it
was demonstrated that accumulation of Cu at the low affinity site was a good
predictor of toxicity, and this response was used in the current tBLM. As with
other BLMs, several cations, including Ca2+, Mg2+, H+, and Al3+, were shown
to effectively decrease copper toxicity, so they were included as competing
cations. Competing cations can reduce Cu toxicity, but it is also known that
both H+ and Al3+ can be toxic to plants. Consideration of the accumulation
and potential toxicity of these cations within the Cu exposures will also be
briefly discussed. The calibrated model was applied to a dataset encompassing
19 European soils (18 of which were used for barley toxicity tests). Using soil
solution concentrations for necessary inputs, the model accurately predicted
median effective concentrations (EC50s) expressed as soil solution Cu. This
work is an important step toward the development of a terrestrial tBLM for
Cu. *Due to the author limit of ten, some contributing authors were not
included during the abstract submission process.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Session: Chemical and Biological Analysis of Pharmeceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCP) in River Water, Sediments and Waste Water
Bench-Scale Treatability of Industrial Wastewaters: An Anti-fungal Agent as a Case Study
Joy A. McGrath
Bench-Scale Treatability of Industrial Wastewaters: An Anti-fungal Agent as a Case Study.
J. McGrath, HydroQual, Mahwah, NJ;
E. Kang, Schering-Plough Corp, Union, NJ. During manufacturing of
pharmaceutical products, wastewaters are generated which have varying
characteristics. These wastewaters are treated either on-site or off-site prior
to discharge to a body of water. Treatability studies are generally conducted
on wastewaters generated during the developmental stages of the drug, in
order to have adequate information for the design of wastewater treatment
plant, if necessary, and/or in preparation for the receipt of larger quantity
of wastewaters generated during commercial manufacturing. Treatability
studies are conducted for two main reasons: 1) to estimate the impact of
wastewaters on existing treatment processes, and 2) to evaluate if special
treatment is needed for the wastewater. One case study where treatability
studies were performed was on an anti-fungal agent. Given the characteristics
of the anti-fungal, it has the potential to accumulate with the activated sludge
and possibly impair the performance of the process. Additionally, the sludge
generated at the plant is disposed at the local publicly-owned treatment works
(POTW), where it is combined with the POTW sludges and composted.
Hereto, there is a potential impact on the composting process. Bench-scale
evaluations were conducted to determine the impact of the anti-fungal agent
on the biological treatment process, simulated for conditions at a Schering-
Plough facility, and the municipal compost operations that process the
plant’s sludges. In addition, method development for the anti-fungal agent
in a sludge/soils matrix was done. Based on the observed performance data,
it was concluded that the addition of anti-fungal agent did not impact the
performance of the activated sludge systems, including the nitrification
process. The activated sludge studies indicated that the anti-fungal agent is
biodegradable and absorbed into sludge. Based on direct measurements of
the active agent, a mass balance suggested that approximately 70% removal
was accomplished through the system. Due to negligible vapor pressure, it is
assumed that there are no losses via volatilization. The presence of anti-fungal
agent in a composting environment did not appear to impact the process.
Based on an observed increase in oxygen utilization and reduction in volatile
solids, both the control and anti-fungal-spiked compost systems had an active
biomass that was stabilizing the waste material.
POSTER PRESENTATIONS
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Session: Environmental Chemistry
Quantifying the Concentration of Crude Oil Microdroplets in Oil-Water Preparations
Aaron Redman, Joy A. McGrath, W. Stubblefield, A. Maki, Dominic Di Toro, Ph.D.
Quantifying the Concentration of Crude Oil Microdroplets in Oil-Water Preparations
A. Redman, HydroQual, Inc., East Syracuse, NY;
J. McGrath, HydroQual, Inc, Mahwah, NJ; W. Stubblefield, Parametrix,
Corvallis, OR; A. Maki, ExxonMobil, Alpine, WY; D. Di Toro, University
of Delaware, Newark, DE. Dissolved constituents of crude oil, particularly
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, (PAHs), can contribute substantially
to the toxicity of aquatic organisms. It is observed that measured aqueous
concentrations of high molecular weight PAHs (e.g., chrysenes, benzo(a)
pyrene) as well as long-chain aliphatic hydrocarbons can exceed the solubility
of these sparingly soluble compounds. It is attributed to the presence of a
microdroplet oil phase. It is important to be able to quantify the dissolved
fraction of these compounds in oil-in-water preparations that are commonly
used in toxicity assays, because the interpretation of test results often assumes
that the compounds are dissolved. A method is presented to determine the
microdroplet fraction of crude oil in the oil-in-water preparations using a
comparison of predicted and measured aqueous concentrations. The measured
concentrations are reproduced by including both microdroplets and dissolved
constituents of petroleum hydrocarbons. Microdroplets were found to be
present in all oil-water preparation datasets analyzed. Estimated microdroplet
oil concentrations typically range from 10 to 700 ?g oil / L water. The fraction
of dissolved individual petroleum hydrocarbons ranges from near 1.0 for
highly soluble compounds (e.g., BTEX) to far less than 0.1 for sparingly
soluble compounds (e.g., chrysenes) depending on the microdroplet oil
concentration. The presence of these microdroplets, which are presumably
artifacts of the experimental procedures, complicates the interpretation of
toxicity test, since the microdroplets may exert an additional toxic effect.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Session: Metals in the Environment:Aquatic Biological Perspectives
Further Development of a Marine Biotic Ligand Model for Copper
Adam C. Ryan, Ph.D., Robert C. Santore, Paul R. Paquin, W. Arnold, G. Rosen, I. Rivera-Duarte, D. Chadwick, P.Wang
Further Development of a Marine Biotic Ligand Model for Copper
A.C. Ryan, R.C. Santore, HydroQual, Inc., East Syracuse, NY; P.R.
Paquin, HydroQual, Inc., Mahwah, NJ; W. Arnold, Copper Development
Association, New York, NY; G. Rosen, I. Rivera-Duarte, D. Chadwick, P.
Wang, SSC-San Diego, San Diego, CA. Success of the biotic ligand model
(BLM) in freshwater has fueled efforts to develop or calibrate a similar
model that reasonably characterizes copper bioavailability and toxicity in
marine systems. Since predictions of copper accumulation and toxicity rely
on metal speciation, the performance of the speciation portion of the BLM
was evaluated. This was accomplished by comparing copper speciation
predictions with the results from copper titrations conducted in waters from
different marine and estuarine environments including San Diego Bay, San
Francisco Bay, and the Cape Fear River Estuary. This analysis indicated that
model predictions could be improved by re-characterizing the nature of the
interactions between copper and marine organic matter. The toxicity portion
of the model was calibrated with copper accumulation and toxicity data
for Mytilus galloprovincialis, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, and Dendraster
excentricus. To satisfactorily describe accumulation, a two-site BLM was
required. However, toxicity (characterized by a 48-h chronic-estimator test)
could be predicted with a one-site BLM, because the high affinity, low capacity
biotic ligand is saturated before the median lethal accumulation level is
reached. A model of this type can potentially be used to assess the ecological
risk of copper in coastal and marine environments, and also has potential for
use in the derivation of saltwater copper criteria.
