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Baltimore Harbor – Toxic Impairments, and TMDL Endpoint(s)

Baltimore Harbor – Toxic Impairments, and TMDL Endpoint(s). Baltimore Harbor SAG September 10 th 2002. Today’s Presentation. Introduction : Toxic impairment in Sediment & Water Quality Contaminated Sediment Evaluation Tools Baltimore Harbor Data Toxic TMDLs Endpoints

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Baltimore Harbor – Toxic Impairments, and TMDL Endpoint(s)

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  1. Baltimore Harbor – Toxic Impairments, and TMDL Endpoint(s) Baltimore Harbor SAG September 10th 2002

  2. Today’s Presentation • Introduction: Toxic impairment in Sediment & Water Quality • Contaminated Sediment Evaluation Tools • Baltimore Harbor Data • Toxic TMDLs Endpoints • Conclusions/Discussion

  3. Statutes Protecting Sediment Quality • CWA (101) “restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation's waters” • “provides for the protection and propagation of fish, shellfish, and wildlife, and provides for recreation in and on the water” • COMAR 26.08.02.02 Designated Uses • Baltimore Harbor: Use I: Water Contact Recreation, and Protection of Aquatic Life. This use designation includes waters which are suitable for: • (1)(d) The growth and propagation of fish (other than trout), other aquatic life, and wildlife • COMAR 26.08.02.03-1 Toxic Substances Numerical WQ Criteria • (2)(b) The wholesomeness of fish for human consumption • (2)(c) Fresh, estuarine, and salt water aquatic life from acute toxicity impacts • (2)(d) Fresh, estuarine, and salt water aquatic life from chronic toxicity impacts

  4. Toxic Impairment in Sediment & Water Quality • Functions of Aquatic Sediment: • Habitat for bottom dwelling organisms • Substrate for aquatic plants • Hunting grounds for predators, scavengers • Sink for nutrients, contaminants

  5. Contaminated Sediment Evaluation Tools • Sediment Quality Standards for Metals: • Criteria (WA, FL, CA) – Promulgated and Enforceable • Chemistry-based • Sediment Quality Guidelines (e.g. Effects Range Median - ERM) for Metals • Guidelines (Not Enforceable) • Chemistry-based • Sediment Quality Triad • Weight of Evidence Guidelines • Chemistry, Toxicity Testing, Benthic Community Data • Requires Interpretation

  6. Toxicity Testing • Standard Methodology • Uses Amphipod (Leptocheirus plumulosus) • Acute Test – 10 Day – Mortality • Chronic Test – 28 Day – Growth/Reproduction

  7. Regulations and Approaches • No Federal Criteria: • EPA Guidance Approach: EQ Partitioning • Other Guidelines – Empirical Approach • Effects Range Median/Low (ERM/ERL - NOAA Status & Trends) • Probable/Threshold Effects Level (PEL/TEL - Ontario Ministry of the Environment) • Apparent Effects Threshold (AET - Puget Sound – WA) • Consensus Based Standards (Probable/Median/Threshold Effects Concentration) – GEOMEAN of 3 or more Guidelines • Sediment Management Standards • Washington State – Stds similar to ERMs & PELs

  8. Baltimore Harbor Data

  9. Data Types • Bulk Sediment Chemistry (82 Stations) • Metals • Organics (PCBs, Pesticides, PAHs) • Bulk Sediment Toxicity Tests (Amphipod) –(15-20 Stations) • 10 Day Acute Tests • 28 Day Chronic Tests • Benthic Community Analyses (15-20 Stations) • Fish Tissue Monitoring Data (8 Stations) • Organics – PCBs • Heavy Metals – Cr, Pb, Zn

  10. Total PCBs Impairment (ER-M = 180 ppb) • Mean = 262 ppb • Range = 8 – 2150 ppb • Total 27/73 > ERM • (36.9 %) • 10 Sites = > 2 ERM • 4 Sites = > 3 ERM (Yellow) • 3 Sites = > 4 ERM (Brown) • 2 Sites = > 5X ERM (Red) • 1 Site = > 10X (Black)

  11. Chromium Impairments(ER-M = 370 ppm) • Mean = 357 ppm • Range = 8 – 1830 ppm • Total 18/73 > ERM • (24.7%) • 8 Sites = > 2 ERM • 2 Sites = > 3 ERM (Yellow) • 2 Sites = > 4 ERM (Brown)

  12. Lead Impairments (ER-M = 218 ppm) • Mean = 150 ppm • Range = 1 – 1000 ppm • Total 15/73 > ERM • (20.5%) • 1 Site = > 4 ERM (Blue)

  13. Zinc Impairments (ER-M = 410 ppm) • Mean = 640 ppm • Range = 40 – 2600 ppm • Total 50/73 > ERM • (68.5%) • 3 Site = > 2 ERM (Brown) • 2 Site = > 3 ERM (Red) • 3 Site = > 4 ERM (Blue) • 3 Site = > 5 ERM (Green) • 1 Site = > 6 ERM (Black)

  14. Middle Harbor • Impairing Substance(s): Zinc • Mean [Zn] = 421 ppm  181; (N = 16); Range = 40-715 ppm • ERM = 410 ppm • 11/16 (69 %) of stations exceed ERM • Toxicity: 1/6 (16.7%) demonstrated acute toxicity • Station had Cd @ ~ 2x ERM and Cu > ERM

  15. Bear Creek • Impairments: Cr, Zn, PCBs • Cr • Mean [Cr] = 975 ppm  441; (N = 12); Range = 51.9 – 1831 ppm • ERM = 370 ppm • 11/12 (92 %) > ERM; 7/12 (58 %) > 3X ERM • Zn • Mean [Zn] = 1749 ppm  601; (N = 12); Range = 69.8 – 2574 ppm • ERM = 410 ppm • 11/12 (92 %) > ERM; 10/12 (58 %) > 4X ERM • PCBs • Mean [PCBs] = 309 ppb  299; (N = 11); Range = 8.2 – 1163 ppb • ERM = 180 ppb • 9/11 (82 %) > ERM; 1/11 (9 %) > 6X ERM

  16. Bear Creek Cont’d • Toxicity: 4/5 (80%) of stations tested demonstrated acute toxic effects in 10 d L. plumulosus assays • 2/4 tests demonstrating toxicity also had Cd levels > ERM • 1/4 tests demonstrating toxicity also had Pb levels > ERM • 2/4 tests demonstrating toxicity also had Chlordane levels > ERM • 3/4 tests demonstrating toxicity also had T PCB levels > ERM

  17. Curtis Creek/Bay • Impairments: Zn, PCBs • Zn • Mean [Zn] = 645 ppm  133; (N = 13); Range = 455 – 911 ppm • ERM = 410 ppm • 13/13 (100 %) > ERM; 1/13 (7.8 %) > 2X ERM • PCBs • Mean [PCBs] = 449 ppb  276; (N = 13); Range = 104 – 1088 ppb • ERM = 180 ppb • 11/13 (85 %) > ERM; 3/13 (23 %) > 3X ERM

  18. Curtis Creek/Bay Cont’d • Toxicity: 5/7 (80%) of stations tested demonstrated acute toxic effects in 10 d L. plumulosus assays • 4/5 tests demonstrating toxicity also had Chlordane levels > ERM • 4/5 tests demonstrating toxicity also had Cu levels > ERM • 4/5 tests demonstrating toxicity also had Pb levels > ERM • 5/5 tests demonstrating toxicity also had T PCB levels > ERM • 4/5 tests demonstrating toxicity also had Hg levels > ERM

  19. Northwest Branch • Impairments: Cr, Pb, Zn, PCBs • Cr • Mean [Cr] = 572 ppm  332; (N = 7); Range = 247 – 1119 ppm • ERM = 370 ppm • 5/7 (71 %) > ERM; 2/7 (29 %) > 3X ERM • Pb • Mean [Pb] = 366 ppm  297; (N = 7); Range = 154 – 1014 ppm • ERM = 218 ppm • 5/7 (71 %) > ERM; 1/7 (14 %) > 4X ERM

  20. Northwest Branch Cont’d • Zn • Mean [Zn] = 610 ppm  243; (N = 7); Range = 330 – 994 ppm • ERM = 410 ppm • 5/7 (71 %) > ERM; 1/7 (14 %) > 2X ERM • PCBs • Mean [PCBs] = 744 ppb  685; (N = 7); Range = 172 – 2148 ppb • ERM = 180 ppb • 6/7 (86 %) > ERM; 3/7 (43 %) > 4X ERM; • 2/7 (29 %) > 5 ERM; 1/7 (14%) > 11X ERM

  21. Northwest Branch Cont’d • Toxicity: 2./2 (100%) of tests demonstrated acute toxicity in L. plumulosus 10 d tests • 1/2 tests demonstrating toxicity also had PCB levels > 11X ERM • 2/2 tests demonstrating toxicity also had Cr levels > ERM • 2/2 tests demonstrating toxicity also had Cu levels > ERM • 2/2 tests demonstrating toxicity also had Pb levels > ERM • 2/2 tests demonstrating toxicity also had Zn levels > ERM • 1/2 tests demonstrating toxicity also had Hg levels > ERM

  22. What Does the Data Tell Us? • Certain heavy metals in sediment may cause toxicity to benthic organisms in some Harbor locations • Certain organic compounds (including PCBs) may cause toxicity to benthic organisms in some Harbor locations • PCBs in sediment accumulate in benthos – levels increase through trophic transfer, resulting in fish consumption advisories. PCBs may also contribute to toxicity at high levels

  23. TMDL Endpoints • Metals • Zinc • Lead • Chromium • PCBs

  24. Metals Endpoint • For Protection of Aquatic (Benthic ) Life • Proposed Threshold “ER40” = ERM + 10% MOS • ERM = Effects Range Median • NOAA Status & Trends Program • Marine & Estuarine Sediments • ERM = Effects are “Probable” (the concentration at which adverse effects occur in 50% of studies) • Does not account for mitigation of toxic effects due to: • Sulfide • Organic carbon • These compounds sequester contaminants, decreasing bioavailability making the contaminated sediments present less toxic

  25. Metals Endpoint cont’d • Contaminant reductions to the “ER40” level should result in occasional impacts to aquatic life based on observations of sediment metals chemistry and toxicity in Harbor samples • Reductions to the “ER40” threshold should be protective against impacts where mitigating conditions (presence of sulfide or organic carbon) are lower or do not exist. • While the ERM may be protective against toxic impacts from metals, an implicit margin of safety is required in the TMDL; • A 10% MOS was determined by best scientific judgement, and incorporated to provide a safety margin against the impact of metals on aquatic life.

  26. PCB Endpoint • Human Health Based • “Fishable/Swimmable” • Fishable = Wholesomeness for Human Consumption • Clean Water Act • COMAR • Departmental Interpretation = 4 meals/month

  27. PCB Endpoint Cont’d • HHSQT = Human Health Sediment Quality Threshold • Use Field Collected Fish Tissue Data • Use Field Collected Sediment Data • Calculate Biota Sediment Accumulation Factor (BSAF) • Combined with Risk Assessment Exposure Parameters • Calculate Acceptable Sediment Threshold • Acceptable = Sediment PCB Concentration that is expected to result in tissue concentrations that are lower than the upper level of the 4 meal/month advisory recommendation (77 ppb).

  28. HHSQT Calculation • HHSQT = R * BW * LT * 1000 CSF * ED * IR * BSAF * FL • R = Risk Level = 1 in a 100,000 (10 –5) • BW = 70 kg (General Population) • LT = Lifetime = 70 years • CSF = Cancer Slope Factor (PCBs = 2) • ED = Exposure Duration = 30 years • IR = Ingestion Rate = 29.8 g/d (4 meals/month) • BSAF = Biota Sediment Accumulation Factor • FL = Fish Lipid (%)

  29. What Is A BSAF? • Biota Sediment Accumulation Factor • Relationship between PCBs in sediment and PCBs in biota (worms, clams, fish) • Constraints • Both Organism and its food are exposed • Sediment is representative of average surface sediment of organism’s habitat • Ratio Lipid Normalized PCBs in Fish Organic Carbon Normalized PCBs in Sediment

  30. HHSQT Data Requirements • Sediment • PCB concentration • Organic Carbon % • Fish Tissue • Species: white perch, bullhead, catfish • Fillet PCB Concentration • Lipid %

  31. Process Summary • Data Assessment: Assess “Pathways of Concern”  • Impairments Based on Human Health (Cancer Risk) and/or Aquatic Life (Benthic Toxicity)  • Development of TMDL “Endpoints”  • MODEL  • Loads  • Allocation (TMDL)

  32. Questions ? ?

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