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Selenium Effects on Bluegill in Upper Mud River Watershed

Investigating selenium impact on bluegill in Upper Mud River, WV, exploring fish health and environmental implications. Study includes water quality, sediments, plankton, and benthic macroinvertebrates. Discussing results and implications.

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Selenium Effects on Bluegill in Upper Mud River Watershed

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  1. Influence of Selenium in Upper Mud River Watershed on Bluegill (Lepomismacrochirus) Alison M. Anderson Patricia M. Mazik Paul Ziemkiewicz

  2. Introduction • Selenium • Naturally occurring metalloid • Associated with: • Coal seams • Phosphate deposits • Other mineral formations

  3. Introduction • Increased mobilization due to: • Irrigation • Sewage • Fly ash/coal combustion • Mining

  4. Selenium Cycling • 4 Oxidation states • Selenite (SeO3-2) • Selenate (SeO4-2) • Selenides (Se -2) • Elemental selenium (Se) • Insoluble • Poorly assimilated by aquatic plants

  5. Selenium Cycling • Immobilized • Selenate is oxidized to Selenite • Selenite binds to: • Clay • Organic particles • Forms precipitate with iron • Precipitate settles out • Sediment can be buried • Remobilized by: • Plant root absorption • Consumption by inverts and fish

  6. Effects on Fish Benefits: • Protects DNA, lipids, and proteins If fish are deficient: • Loss coordination • Reduced growth • Reduced immune response

  7. Effects on Fish: Adults • Impairs gas exchange • Swollen lamellae • Constricts blood vessels • Binds to hemoglobin • Unable to carry oxygen • Induce cataracts • Edema • Seleno-proteins

  8. Seleno-proteins • Similar to sulfides • Cells cannot discriminate • Selenium substituted for sulfur • Results in dysfunctional amino acids/proteins • Accumulates in gonads, kidney, and liver

  9. Effects on Fish: Parent to Progeny • Seleno-proteins stored in ovarian tissues • Proteins transferred to eggs • Building blocks for tissue synthesis • Metabolic fuel • External feeding • Critical period • High mortality

  10. Effects on Fish: Parent to Progeny • Faulty proteins used for development • Results in teratogenesis: • Craniofacial deformities • Spinal deformities • Missing fins • Edema • Inability to feed leading to death

  11. Spinal Deformities Kyphosis Lordosis Scoliosis

  12. Objectives • Determine the effects of selenium on the aquatic ecosystem of the Upper Mud River Watershed, WV • Determine the effects of selenium on the survival of bluegill larvae

  13. Study Site: Upper Mud River • Lower Guyandotte River Watershed • Lincoln and Boone Counties, WV • 124 ha reservoir • 4.5-6 m depth • Inhabitants: • Bluegill • Largemouth bass • Crappie • Channel catfish

  14. Study Site: Plum Orchard Lake(Reference Site) • Paint Creek Watershed • Fayette County, WV • 81.75 ha reservoir • 12.2 m depth • Inhabitants: • Bluegill • Largemouth bass • Channel catfish • White crappie

  15. Methods

  16. Water Quality • October 2008-November 2010 • Mud River (main stem and tributaries) • 20 total sites • Mined (13) • Unmined (7) • Reference Site • 2 sites

  17. Water quality

  18. Plum Orchard Lake (Reference Site)

  19. Parameters Measured • YSI: DO, pH, temperature, conductivity • Total and dissolved Fe, total Se, TDS, sulfates, alkalinity, hardness, TSS and TOC Picture credit: Melissa O’Neal

  20. Sediments • July 2009 • Stantec, Inc. • Stream (13) • Reservoir (5) • Transects • Top 5 cm Picture credit: Stantec, Inc., Lexington, KY

  21. Plankton • July, August, September 2010 • Mud River Reservoir (2) • Reference Site (1) • 10-20 min/ tow • Surface and mid depth • 95% ethanol

  22. Benthic Macroinvertebrates • November 2009 and 2010 • Mud River (11) • Reference Site (2) • 2009: 4 kick samples • 2010: 6-8 kick samples • Sorted into functional feeding group (FFG) Photo credit: Melissa O’Neal

  23. Bluegill Tissue • June 2009 and 2010 • Spawning • Mud River Reservoir • Whole Body (n=118) • Gonad (n=31) • Reference Site • Whole Body (n=86) • Gonad (n=10) • Egg selenium calculated Photo credit: John Howell

  24. Bluegill Larval Lab Study • June 2009 and 2010 • 2009: Entire redd collected • 2010: Only shells, rocks, and branches • Individual redds collected • Transported to WVU wet lab

  25. Larval Laboratory Study • Nest split into tanks • A Tanks: 28 day early life stage test for chronic toxicity • B Tanks: 9 day swim-up success • Tanks contained water from original location • 3-days after hatching fed fine fish food and brine shrimp twice daily

  26. Larval Laboratory Study • Multiple full water changes done daily • Ammonia (daily) • Nitrite, alkalinity, hardness (weekly) • Temperature, DO, and pH (subset daily)

  27. Results

  28. WaterQuality

  29. Water Quality

  30. 1.4 1.2 1.0 0.8 Selenium (µg/g DW) 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 Unmined Mined Site Type Stream Sediments a a a a

  31. Mud Reservoir Sediments a a a a a

  32. Plankton a a b

  33. Benthic Macroinvertebrates

  34. 35 30 25 20 Selenium (µg/g DW) 15 10 5 0 Mud Reservoir Reference Site Bluegill Whole Body Levels * a b

  35. 30 25 20 Selenium (µg/g DW) 15 10 5 0 Mud Reservoir Reference Site Bluegill Gonad Levels * a b

  36. Larval Lab Study

  37. Discussion

  38. Water Quality • The mine boundary is a good delineation for site types • Sites in the mine and downstream were of high (> 5 µg/L) or moderate hazard (3-5 µg/L) based on the hazard profile by Lemly (1995) • Levels as low as 2 µg/L can be bioaccumulated in the food chain and cause reproductive failure

  39. Sediments • All sediment samples considered no to low hazard (≤ 2 µg/g DW) • Reservoir transects • All samples also considered low to no hazard at < 2 µg/g DW • Selenium seems to remain in the water column

  40. Plankton • Mud River Reservoir (mined and unmined) sites differed from the reference site • Not sorted to species (zooplankton, etc.)

  41. Benthic Macroinvertebrates • Mined areas greater than dietary threshold for fish (3 µg/g) and birds (7 µg/g) • Did not see a significant difference between the reference site and unmined sites

  42. Bluegill Tissues • No hazard category for whole body/gonad selenium concentrations • Egg selenium (68.76 ± 1.95 µg/g ) • High hazard (>20 µg/g)

  43. Bluegill Tissues Toxic Effect Threshold: Reference Mud Reservoir 5 ug/g is considered the threshold for the health and reproductive success of freshwater fish (Lemly 1995)

  44. Larval Lab Study • Did not observe deformities in larval fish • Low survival possibly due to temperature and ammonia levels

  45. Summary • No observations of deformaties • Mined areas had higher selenium levels in the following categories: • Water selenium concentrations • Benthic macroinvertebrates • Whole body/gonad/egg concentrations

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