Organic Contaminants in the Shenandoah River – A possible link to declining fish health?

David Alvarez

US Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, MO

U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological Survey

USGS’s Role in the Shenandoah River Valley

USGS has been approached in recent years by other Federal, State, and non-profit organizations to conduct studies to help understand the causes for increased incidences of fish kills and intersex in a variety of fish species.

The Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC) has played a major role in determining the types of chemical contaminants that are present in the surrounding watershed which may be linked to declining fish health.

USGS’s Role in the Shenandoah River Valley

Since 2005, CERC has conducted several contaminant studies related to fish health issues in Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia partnering with:

•Friends of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River

•Virginia Department of Environmental Quality

•Virginia Poultry Foundation

•US Fish and Wildlife Service

•US Geological Survey

2005/2006 FWS study (6 sites)

Spring/Summer 2007 NF Shenandoah River (2 sites)

Spring 2007 VADEQ (10 sites)

Spring 2007 USGS (6 sites)

Spring 2008 VADEQ (8 sites)

Monitoring Sites Using Passive Samplers

Passive samplers – What are they and how do they work?

•Non-mechanical devices made of plastics and fatty substances that are put into the water for periods of weeks to months

•They accumulate chemicals from the water in a manner similar to how a fish picks up chemicals

•They are left in the water for weeks to months

• Sample 10s-100s more water than standard methods

• Catch episodic events (surface runoff, spills, etc.)

Passive samplers – What are they and how do they work?

•Two types of samplers were used:

•Semipermeable Membrane Device (SPMD)

• Fat soluble chemicals

•Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Sampler (POCIS)

• Water soluble chemicals

SPMD

POCIS

Chemical Classes Typically Targeted in Each Study

Water Soluble

Fat Soluble

Pesticides

Petroleum Chemicals

Plasticizers

Flame Retardants

Industrial Chemicals

Hormones

Pharmaceuticals

Personal Care Products

Soaps, Fragrances

Lotions/Creams

Items used everyday

2005/2006

FWS study

2007

NF Shen R.

2007

VADEQ study

2007

USGS study

2008

VADEQ study

Pesticides

Petroleum Chemicals

Fragrances

Flame Retardants

Plasticizers

*

------

* Did not look for pharmaceuticals

Pesticides

Petroleum Chemicals

------

------

------

Pharmaceuticals

Hormones

Pesticides

Petroleum Chemicals

Fragrances

------

Plasticizers

Pharmaceuticals

Hormones

Pesticides

Petroleum Chemicals

Fragrances

------

*

Pharmaceuticals

Hormones

* Data Analysis

Not Complete

Pesticides

Petroleum Chemicals

*

Flame Retardants

*

*

*

* Data Analysis

Not Complete

Chemical Classes Found During Each Study

Fish Health Determinations in VA, WV, and MD

Fish health measurements have been made largely on smallmouth bass; however, largemouth bass and suckers have also been looked at.

• General Health

• External Lesions

• Hormone Levels

• Vitellogenin

• Gonad Histology

• Sperm Quality

Virginia

West Virginia

Pennsylvania

Maryland

Bedford

Augusta

Bath

Somerset

Randolph

Fayette

Hardy

Greenbrier

Garrett

Grant

Preston

Pocahontas

Franklin

Greene

Albemarle

Fulton

RockinghamPendleton

Nelson

Lewis

Webster

Westmoreland

Tucker

Washington

Page

Hampshire

Amherst

Nicholas

Rockbridge

Allegheny

Botetourt

Allegany

Harrison

Upshur

Buckingham

Highland

Alleghany

FrederickMarion

Braxton

Mineral

Barbour

Monroe

Shenandoah

Bedford

Madison

Berkeley

Craig

Monongalia

Fluvanna

Morgan

Washington

Warren

Taylor

Summers

Clarke

Appomattox

Fauquier

Culpeper

Jefferson

GreeneOrange

Louisa

Wetzel

Fayette

Cambria

Rappahannock

Huntingdon

Prince EdwardCampbell

Cumberland

Blair

Gilmer

Lynchburg

Beaver

Staunton

CumberlandIndiana

Harrisonburg

Waynesboro

Marshall

Winchester

Charlottesville

Buena VistaCovington

Clay

LexingtonClifton Forge

Goochland

Charlotte

SR4SR3

SR2

SB8

SB5

SB4

SB3

SB2

SB1

WV6

WV5

WV4WV20

WV21

Proportion of fish

sampled with intersex

0-25%

25-50%

50-75%

75-100%

Intersex in Smallmouth Bass

30 0 3015 Kilometers

Data courtesy of Dr. Vicki Blazer, USGS Leetown Science Center, WV

Intersex = organism exhibits characteristics of both sexes(female egg cells in male gonads)

Out of basin sites• low intersex• no fish kills

South Branch sites• moderate intersex• moderate fish kill rates

Shenandoah River sites• high intersex• high fish kill rates

Intersex in Smallmouth Bass collected in 2003-2005

Conclusions

A wide range of chemicals has been identified, many of which can be linked to agriculture and wastewater/sewage effluents.

Pesticides/Herbicides were commonly found throughout the studies.

Atrazine was the most commonly found chemical and generally was present at the highest concentrations (up to 2.1 ppb).

Pharmaceuticals, fragrances, flame retardants, and caffeine (all wastewater markers) were commonly found, but at low concentrations.

Conclusions

Declining fish health and fish kills were evident at many of the study areas indicating a possible link to the contaminants which were present.

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products are an emerging, but not new, group of chemicals.

These emerging contaminants can enter the environment through many pathways including: treated effluents, direct disposal, leaking septic tanks and runoff.

Very little data exists on the fate and transport of these chemicals in the environment.

AcknowledgementsCERC Environmental Chemistry Branch

Walter Cranor, Stephanie Perkins, Vickie Schroeder, Randal Clark

Virginia Department of Environmental QualityDon Kain, Robert Brent, Ted Turner, William VanWort

Friends of the North Fork of the Shenandoah RiverJohn Holmes, Bud Griswold

US Fish and Wildlife ServiceChris Guy, Fred Pinkney, Susan Lingenfelser

US EPA Region IIILou Reynolds, John Forren, Patricia Mazik

Virginia Poultry FoundationHobey Bauhan

US Geological SurveyVicki Blazer, Luke Iwanowicz, Ed Furlong, Steve Werner, Steve Zaugg, Mike Meyer, James Gray, Bill Foreman, Dana Kolpin, Doug Chambers

For more information

David Alvarez, USGS, 573-441-2970, dalvarez@usgs.gov

Investigation of organic chemicals potentially responsible for mortality and intersex in fish of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River, Virginia, during spring of 2007: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2008-1093

http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2008/1093/

Reconnaissance of persistent and emerging contaminants in the Shenandoah and James River Basins, Virginia, during Spring of 2007: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2008-1231

http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2008/1231

Work by Douglas Chambers, USGS, West Virginia Science Center

A reconnaissance for emerging contaminants in the South Branch Potomac River, Cacapon River, and Williams River Basins, West Virginia, April-October 2004: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2006-1393

http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2006/1393