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Stephen A. Terracciano

Publications and source records attributed to Stephen A. Terracciano.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2007

Nitrogen loading in Jamaica Bay, Long Island, New York: Predevelopment to 2005

Nitrogen loading to Jamaica Bay, a highly urbanized estuary on the southern shore of western Long Island, New York, has increased from an estimated rate of 35.6 kilograms per day (kg/d) under predevelopment conditions (pre-1900), chiefly as nitrate plus nitrite from ground-water inflow, to an estimated 15,800 kilograms per day as total nitrogen in 2005. The principal point sources are wastewater-treatment plants, combined sewer overflow/stormwater discharge during heavy precipitation, and subway dewatering, which account for 92 percent of the current (2005) nitrogen load. The principal nonpoint sources are landfill leachate, ground-water flow, and atmospheric deposition, which account for 8 percent of the current nitrogen load. The largest single source of nitrogen to Jamaica Bay is wastewater-treatment plants, which account for 89 percent of the nitrogen load. The current and historic contributions of nitrogen from seawater are unknown, although at present, the ocean likely serves as a sink for nitrogen from Jamaica Bay. Currently, concentrations of nitrogen in surface water are high throughout Jamaica Bay, but some areas with relatively little mixing have concentrations that are five times higher than areas that are well mixed.

New York↗
USGS2005

Acute toxicity of resmethrin, malathion and methoprene to larval and juvenile American lobsters ( Homarus amemcanus ) and analysis of pesticide levels in surface waters after Scourge™, Anvil™ and Altsoid™ application

Acute toxicity and immune response, combined with temperature stress effects, were evaluated in larval and juvenile American lobsters ( Homarus americanus ) exposed to malathion, resmethrin and methoprene. These pesticides were used to control West Nile virus in New York in 1999, the same year the American lobster population collapsed in western Long Island Sound (LIS). Whereas the suite of pesticides used for mosquito control changed in subsequent years, a field study was also conducted to determine pesticide concentrations in surface waters on Long Island and in LIS after operational applications. The commercial formulations used in 2002 and 2003—Scourge, Anvil and Altosid—contain the active ingredients resmethrin, sumithrin and methoprene, respectively. Concentrations of the synergist piperonyl butoxide (PBO) were also measured as a proxy for pesticide exposure. Acute mortality in Stage I-II larval lobsters demonstrated that they are extremely sensitive to continuous resmethrin exposure. Resmethrin LC50s for larval lobsters determined under flow-through conditions varied from 0.26–0.95 μg L −1 in 48- and 96-h experiments at 16°C, respectively. Increased temperature (24°C) did not significantly alter resmethrin toxicity. Malathion and methoprene were less toxic than resmethrin. The 48-h LC50 for malathion was 3.7 μg L −1 and methoprene showed no toxicity at the highest (10 μg L −1 ) concentration tested. Phenoloxidase activity was used as a measure of immune response for juvenile lobsters exposed to sublethal pesticide concentrations. In continuous exposures to sublethal doses of resmethrin (0.03 μg L −1 ) or malathion (1 μg L −1 ) for 7 d at 16 or 22°C, temperature had a significant effect on phenoloxidase activity ( P ≤ 0.006) whereas pesticide exposure did not ( P = 0.880). The analytical methods developed using high performance liquid chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectroscopy (LC-TOF-MS) provided high sensitivity with mass detection limits of 0.1–0.3 ng L −1 . Pesticide levels were often detected in the ng L −1 range in Long Island surface waters and western LIS (except in open waters), but rarely at concentrations found to be toxic in flow-through laboratory exposures, even immediately after spray events.

Journal of Shellfish Research↗
USGS2005

Concentrations of Insecticides in Selected Surface Water Bodies in Suffolk County, New York, Before and After Mosquito Spraying, 2002-04

Concentrations of insecticides sprayed from truck or helicopter onto selected surface-water bodies in Suffolk County, N.Y., during the summers of 2002-04 decreased to below detection limits within 4 days after application. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Suffolk County Department of Health Services (SCDHS), sampled surface waters from selected wetlands for insecticides that were sprayed seasonally from a truck or helicopter as part of the county’s West Nile Virus vector-control program. A total of 72 samples were collected from 27 sites and analyzed for 6 compunds—malathion, methoprene, methoprene acid, piperonyl butoxide (PBO), resmethrin, and sumithrin—that are typically used to help control mosquitoes. PBO was the most frequently detected analyte (33.3%), followed by resmethrin (11.1%), methoprene (9.7%), and methoprene acid (2.4%). Sumithrin and malathion were not applied and were not detected in any of the samples. Maximum recorded concentration of compounds in surface water were: PBO (59,800 ng/L), methoprene (9,030 ng/L), methoprene acid (1,710 ng/L), and resmethrin (293 ng/L). PBO and resmethrin were detected more often in samples when the compounds were applied by a helicopter rather than a truck. This report describes the 27 sampled locations, the sampling methods, and presents the initial results of the study. Detail is provided about concentrations of the applied compounds with respect to time as well as comparisons between the two application processes (truck versus helicopter). All data collected are presented in a table.

New York↗