USGS Science⌕ Search
Home/Archive/USGS

USGS · 1000777

Trace elements in lake sediment, macrozoobenthos, and fish near a coal ash disposal basin

Charles O. Hatcher·Roann E. Ogawa·Thomas P. Poe·John R. P. French
View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Samples of lake sediment, macrozoobenthos, and fish were collected during 1983 and 1984 near a coal ash disposal basin situated on the western shoreline of Lake Erie. Neutron activation analysis was used to determine if potentially toxic trace elements were present in higher concentrations at stations near the basin than at reference stations a few kilometers away. Of the 29 trace elements examined, arsenic and cobalt were significantly ( p <0.05) more concentrated in sediment nearest the coal ash basin except in spring, when little or no difference was detected. Arsenic and bromine were significantly higher in oligochaetes, and selenium was significantly higher in both oligochaetes and chironomids taken from proximal stations than in those taken from reference stations. Selenium, bromine, cobalt, nickel, and chromium were higher in young-of-the-year brown bullheads taken nearer the disposal basin in fall 1983. Selenium was higher in adult spottail shiners taken at the proximal station in spring 1984, and bromine was higher in yearling white bass from the proximal station in fall 1983 and 1984. None of the trace elements was higher in adult yellow perch or adult brown bullheads at any time. Fewer spottail shiners and yearling white bass were caught close to the disposal basin than far away, which may indicate avoidance by these fish of increased concentrations of trace elements contained within the ash effluent.

Explore related subjects

Journal of Freshwater EcologyArticle

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Charles O. Hatcher, Roann E. Ogawa, Thomas P. Poe, John R. P. French. 1992. Trace elements in lake sediment, macrozoobenthos, and fish near a coal ash disposal basin. https://doi.org/10.1080/02705060.1992.9664694

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related USGS reports

USGS2026

Rain interacts with directional wind to cause nest failures within breeding colonies of Western and Clark's Grebes

Western Grebe ( Aechmophorus occidentalis ) and Clark's Grebe ( Aechmophorus clarkii ) populations have declined across their range, and they are species of high conservation concern. Cascade Reservoir in central Idaho supports one of the largest breeding colonies of Aechmophorus grebes in North America (and the largest in Idaho), but few offspring are produced from the colony in most years. Low fecundity and little natal recruitment may be the proximate cause of Aechmophorus grebe population declines, but the ultimate cause of low recruitment is not known. One hypothesis for the low fecundity at Cascade Reservoir (and at other grebe colonies in the region) is that waves on freshwater breeding lakes inundate nests and cause pairs to abandon their nests. We tested that hypothesis by examining whether nest survival was negatively associated with changes in daily water level, daily peak wind speed and daily peak wind direction (i.e. winds that push water into the breeding colony). We also included daily mean temperature and daily total precipitation to evaluate a more general hypothesis that weather events caused nest failures. We used aerial imagery obtained from repeated drone flights to create encounter histories for 3888 Aechmophorus grebe nests to then estimate daily nest survival and evaluate whether daily water level, daily peak wind speed and daily peak wind direction (as predicted by the wind-driven wave hypothesis) were important causes of nest failure relative to other factors that commonly affect daily nest survival in birds. Nesting success was alarmingly low and we found some support for the wave inundation hypothesis; the results suggest that nesting attempts are more likely to fail on days with precipitation combined with winds blowing into the colony. Our results are the first to show that wind and precipitation affect the nest fate of Aechmophorus grebes.

Idaho↗
USGS2026

Variation in diet and lipid content of age-0 sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus sp.) in the lower Missouri River basin

Shovelnose sturgeon ( Scaphirhynchus platorynchus ) and related endangered pallid sturgeon ( S. albus ) are species of interest in the highly modified Missouri River. Scaphirhynchus sturgeon require long distances of riverine habitat for the development of drifting free embryos along with suitable foraging habitat during the subsequent transition to exogenous feeding. Working with specimens collected by the US Army Corps of Engineers and Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, we examined diet composition of age-0 (<12 cm) sturgeon at four reaches in the lower Missouri River to examine the potential role of prey acquisition at this vulnerable life stage. In general, Ephemeroptera were more represented at reaches further upstream in the lower Missouri River, whereas Diptera larvae were the dominant prey item in reaches downstream. Body condition, as measured by total lipid content and length‒weight regressions, exhibited spatial differences in 2016 but not in 2017. Even with differences in prey frequencies and numbers consumed, percent consumption regardless of prey type remained consistent among reaches within years, but was overall higher in 2016 when river discharge was greater. Although temporal and spatial differences were observed in condition, comparisons using previous data from 2014 and 2015 suggest that these condition results were not driven by the longitudinal variability in prey composition as the reaches below Kansas city yielded relatively high and low lipid values despite the limited consumption of ephemeropteran prey relative to upstream reaches. Although it is unknown if any of the observed differences affected survival, our results, coupled with previous work, suggest that age-0 sturgeon can opportunistically forage in the lower Missouri River.

Missouri River↗
USGS2025

Relationships between larval fish drift, time of day and discharge in an Ozark stream

We examined the relationship between larval fish numbers and discharge during a high flow event in Bear Creek, Arkansas, a small Ozark stream. Additionally, we examined the relationship between fish numbers and time of day, and the spatial distribution of families and size classes. A total of 3,083 fish from five families were collected. Leuciscidae was the dominant family collected, followed by Percidae, and Catostomidae. Larval fish in Bear Creek were not susceptible to increased discharge from the flood event, as all three families exhibited strong significant negative relationships to discharge at night when discharge began to decline. Larval fish in Bear Creek drifted significantly more at night than during the day, with the exception of large percids, which exhibited no diel pattern. Leuciscidae and small Percidae showed a spatial pattern of distribution across the stream at night, with higher drift densities in near shore nets. The results from our study indicate that fish drift in Bear Creek was an active process, with most larval fish drifting in response to decreased light intensity. We suggest future studies consider the effects of flood intensity on larval fish drift relative to diel periodicity.

Arkansas↗