HR: 09:45h
AN: NB21F-06    [Abstracts]
TI: Using Passive Sampling Devices to Assess Chemistry and Toxicity in Streams from six U.S Metropolitan Areas
AU: * Steven, G L
EM: goodbred@usgs.gov
AF: U.S. Geological Survey, California State University, 3020 State University Dr., East, Suite 3005, Sacramento, CA 95819 United States
AU: Cuffney, T
EM: tcuffney@usgs.gov
AF: U.S. Geological Survey, 3916 Sunset Ridge Rd, Raleigh, NC 27607 United States
AU: Tate, C
EM: cmtate@usgs.gov
AF: U.S. Geological Survey, Box 25046, MS 415 Dever Federal Center, Lakewood, CO 80225 United States
AB: The U.S. population is growing by almost 3 million people a year with concomitant increase in urban development. Increased urbanization causes changes to watersheds which may affect aquatic biota by altering the physical and chemical environment. We deployed semi-membrane-permeable-devices (SPMDs) for 30 days to passively sample hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) from 180 streams in six major metropolitan areas in the U.S.: Atlanta, Georgia, Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, Denver, Colorado, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Portland, Oregon, and Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina. SPMD extracts were tested with two assays: (1)Fluoroscan which estimates PAH concentration (pyrene index) by exposing samples to UV light and (2)P450RGS which measures induction of CYP1A a liver enzyme involved in detoxification of organic contaminants. There was a strong positive relation between urban intensity and both the pyrene index and CYP1A in streams from all six metropolitan areas indicating higher HOC concentrations and greater potential toxicity at higher urbanization levels. Invertebrate community responses as measured by EPT taxa richness and benthic index of biotic integrity were also significantly and negatively correlated with both the pyrene index and CYP1A. Our results suggest that toxicity may be a factor in degradation of invertebrate communities in urban environments.
DE: 0345 Pollution--urban and regional (0305)
SC: North American Benthological Society [NB]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly