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Tennessee Valley Authority — Technical Presentation (November 2010)
22 slides from Tennessee Valley Authority's technical presentation, Nov 8, 2010
Slide 1: Evaluation of Risks to Fish Reproduction from the Kingston Steam Plant Coal Ash Spill
Evaluation of Risks to Fish Reproduction from the Kingston Steam Plant Coal Ash Spill SETAC North America 31st Annual Meeting Portland, Oregon November 8, 2010 Mark S. Greeley and S. Marshall Adams Environmental Sciences Division Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Slide 2: Contaminants in Fly Ash can Cause Reproductive Failure of Fish Populations
Contaminants in Fly Ash can Cause Reproductive Failure of Fish Populations • Prolonged exposure to elevated selenium, a metal enriched in fly ash, has been shown to be capable 8.0 of causing reproductive failure in Selenium in Fish Ovaries - 2009 effected fish populations 6.0 • Primary concern from
Slide 3: Outline: Evaluating Risks to Fish Reproduction from the Kingston Spill
Outline: Evaluating Risks to Fish Reproduction from the Kingston Spill • Field Evaluations of the Reproductive Condition of Fish in the Emory and Clinch Rivers following the Fly Ash Spill – Spring 2009 – Spring 2010 • Short-term Laboratory Tests of the Effects of Direct Exposure to Fly Ash on Fish E
Slide 4: Field Studies of Fish Reproductive Condition: Study Design
Field Studies of Fish Reproductive Condition: Study Design • Conducted along with spring monitoring of fish health and bioaccumulation in 2009 and 2010 at five primary study sites (see following slide for locations) • Female fish were sampled at the beginning of their respective breeding seasons • M
Slide 5: Study Sites for Field Evaluations of Fish Reproductive Condition
Study Sites for Field Evaluations of Fish Reproductive Condition 5 Managed by UT-Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy
Slide 6: Site Comparisons of Bluegill Sunfish Reproductive Condition - Spring 2009: Ovary Size
Site Comparisons of Bluegill Sunfish Reproductive Condition - Spring 2009: Ovary Size 16 GSI 14 c Gonado-Somatic Index 12 Bluegill Sunfish Photo by Richard T. Bryant 10 a a Low GSI = small ovary 8 a 6 b 4 2 0 High GSI = large ovary ERM 8.0 ERM 3.0 ERM 0.9 CRM 8.0 CRM 1.5 Examples above of sunfish wi
Slide 7: Site Comparisons of Bluegill Sunfish Reproductive Condition - Spring 2009: Oocyte Viability
Site Comparisons of Bluegill Sunfish Reproductive Condition - Spring 2009: Oocyte Viability 2.5 Atresia a 2.0 Atretic oocytes/g fish a 1.5 a 1.0 a 0.5 a Picture of oocytes from a sunfish ovary illustrating the appearance of normal vitellogenic oocytes, an atretic oocyte, and a parasitic cyst present
Slide 8: Site Comparisons of Bluegill Sunfish Reproductive Condition - Spring 2009: Fecundity
Site Comparisons of Bluegill Sunfish Reproductive Condition - Spring 2009: Fecundity 160 c 100 Vitellogenic c Batch 140 Oocytes Fecundity Vitellogenic oocytes/ g fish 80 120 Oocytes/g fish 100 b,c b 60 80 a,b a,b,c a,b 60 40 a,b a a 40 20 20 0 0 ERM 8.0 ERM 3.0 ERM 0.9 CRM 8.0 CRM 1.5 ERM 8.0 ERM 3.
Slide 9: Site Comparisons of Largemouth Bass Reproductive Condition - Spring 2009: Oocyte Viability
Site Comparisons of Largemouth Bass Reproductive Condition - Spring 2009: Oocyte Viability 7 b Atresia 6 Atretic oocytes/g fish 5 a,b 4 a 3 a,b a,b Largemouth Bass Photo by Richard T. Bryant 2 1 0 ERM 8.0 ERM 3.0 ERM 0.9 CRM 8.0 CRM 1.5 Sites Note: Letters above bars indicate statistical differences
Slide 10: Site Comparisons of Largemouth Bass Reproductive Condition - Spring 2009: Fecundity
Site Comparisons of Largemouth Bass Reproductive Condition - Spring 2009: Fecundity 80 20 a a Vitellogenic Batch Oocytes a Fecundity Vitellogenic oocytes/g fish a a 60 15 a,b Oocytes/g fish a,b a,b 40 10 20 b 5 a 0 0 ERM 8.0 ERM 3.0 ERM 0.9 CRM 8.0 CRM 1.5 ERM 8.0 ERM 3.0 ERM 0.9 CRM 8.0 CRM 1.5 Sit
Slide 11: Field Studies of Reproductive Condition: Summary
Field Studies of Reproductive Condition: Summary • Primary difference in the reproductive status of female bluegill at the spill site as compared to other study sites at the beginning of the 2009 breeding season was a slight delay in ovarian development as evidenced by smaller ovaries and fewer and
Slide 12: Short-term Laboratory Tests of the Effects of Fly Ash on Fish Early Development
Short-term Laboratory Tests of the Effects of Fly Ash on Fish Early Development • Tested effects of direct contact exposure to fly ash on fish early development in experimental exposures • Tests were modified fathead minnow 7-day embryo-larval toxicity tests • Samples included 4 sediment samples dre
Slide 13: Results of 7-d Fathead Minnow Embryo-Larval Tests
Results of 7-d Fathead Minnow Embryo-Larval Tests 120 Control Reference % Survival minus Terrata 100 Fly Ash Embryos 80 * on ash 60 40 20 No differences were 0 observed between controls A B C D Sample and fly ash-exposed Note: Test based on EPA method 1001.0, modified for fly ash testing; embryos te
Slide 14: Long-term Experimental Exposures of Fish to Fly Ash in the Laboratory
Long-term Experimental Exposures of Fish to Fly Ash in the Laboratory • Evaluate the feasibility of conducting long-term laboratory exposures of fish to fly ash with reproduction as a target end-point (can fish survive and reproduce on fly ash?) • Evaluate the chronic toxicity of direct exposures of
Slide 15: Weekly Egg Production per Treatment in Long-Term Fathead Minnow Exposures
Weekly Egg Production per Treatment in Long- Term Fathead Minnow Exposures (Preliminary Results of Ongoing Study) 1800 Control 1600 Reference Sediment Fly Ash Mean Egg Production 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Week 15 Managed by UT-Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy
Slide 16: Egg Production per Aquaria per 3-Day Collection Period
Egg Production per Aquaria per 2 to 3-Day Collection Period (Preliminary Results of Ongoing Study) 700 Control Reference Sediment Fly Ash 600 Mean Egg Production 500 400 300 200 100 0 2 4 12 15 18 1 5 8 13 19 3 7 11 14 17 Aquarium 16 Managed by UT-Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy
Slide 17: Percent Non-Viable Eggs
Percent Non-Viable Eggs (Preliminary Results of Ongoing Study) 50 Control Reference Sediment Fly Ash 40 % Non-Viable Eggs 30 20 10 0 2 4 12 15 18 1 5 8 13 19 3 7 11 14 17 Aquarium 17 Managed by UT-Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy
Slide 18: Mean Egg Production per Treatment
Mean Egg Production per Treatment (Preliminary results of ongoing study) 600 Control Reference Sediment Fly Ash Mean Egg Production 500 400 300 200 261.1 258.2 476.5 100 0 Treatment % Terrata = 14% 16% 14% 18 Managed by UT-Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy
Slide 19: Preliminary Conclusions from Short and Long-Term Fly Ash Exposure Studies
Preliminary Conclusions from Short and Long- Term Fly Ash Exposure Studies • Direct contact exposures to fly ash to date have had no apparent adverse effects on fathead minnow embryo-larval development • Also no effects so far on adult fish survival during direct laboratory exposures to fly ash • La
Slide 20: Field Evaluation of Incidences of Developmental Abnormalities in Larval Fish
Field Evaluation of Incidences of Developmental Abnormalities in Larval Fish • Incidences of developmental abnormalities are also being assessed in larval fish sampled from the Emory and Clinch Rivers • Adds a field-based food-chain component to current laboratory studies • Sampling conducted by TVA
Slide 21: Potential Future Research Directions
Potential Future Research Directions • The primary reproductive risk to fish from the selenium in fly ash lies in maternal transfer through the eggs to the developing young • Following assessments of the direct toxicity of fly ash to adult fish and embryos, focus is now shifting to potential food-ch
Slide 22: Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements • This research was sponsored by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and performed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). ORNL is managed by UT- Battelle, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy under contract DE-AC05- 00OR22725 • TVA supplied invaluable assistance with fish sampl
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