Probabilistic risk assessment of mine-derived copper in the Ok Tedi/Fly River, Papua New Guinea.

The Ok Tedi mine discharges waste rock and tailings into the Ok Tedi River in Papua New Guinea. This has resulted in elevated copper concentrations throughout the Ok Tedi/Fly River system, which can potentially impact aquatic biota. Ten years of measured copper and toxicity monitoring data were used to assess the risk of chronic effects from the mine-derived copper. Cumulative probability plots of dissolved and labile copper were compared to a species sensitivity distribution (SSD) of published copper toxicity data for four regions of the river. The Cu-SSD was used to estimate the risk of chronic effects to aquatic organisms in the Ok Tedi/Fly River at a range of potential copper exposure scenarios. The risk to species at the median labile copper concentration for each region showed a gradient effect with distance downstream from the mine and only the most sensitive (0.2-11%) species were at risk. There were copper exceedances of the region-specific guideline values (GV) and default guideline value (DGV) 88% and 74% of the time, respectively, in the Ok Tedi region (closest to the mine) and this is considered a high risk of chronic effects. Measured copper concentrations in the middle Fly River, lower Fly River (farthest downstream of the mine) and the river at Kiunga (reference site) exceeded the region-specific GVs and DGVs less frequently to rarely and present a lower risk of chronic effects from copper. The risk was supported using toxicity tests with the local microalgal species Chlorella sp. Comparison of recent (2010-2020) and historical (1996-2004) copper monitoring data from the Ok Tedi/Fly River indicates a decrease in the labile copper concentrations (30-76%) at key sites from impacted regions and a subsequent decrease in risk. This coincides with improved mining practices aimed at reducing the copper load into the Ok Tedi/Fly River.

Metal forms and dynamics in urban stormwater runoff: New insights from diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT) measurements.

Stormwater runoff typically contains significant quantities of metal contaminants that enter urban waterways over short durations and represent a potential risk to water quality. The origin of metals within the catchment and processes that occur over the storm can control the partitioning of metals between a range of different forms. Understanding the fraction of metals present in a form that is potentially bioavailable to aquatic organisms is useful for environmental risk assessment. To help provide this information, the forms and dynamics of metal contaminants in an urban system were assessed across a storm. Temporal patterns in the concentration of metals in dissolved and particulate (total suspended solids; TSS) forms were assessed from water samples, and diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGTs) were deployed to measure the DGT-labile time-integrated metal concentration. Results indicate that the concentrations of dissolved and TSS-associated metals increased during the storm, with the metals Al, Cd, Co, Cu, Pb and Zn representing the greatest concern relative to water quality guideline values (GVs). The portion of labile metal as measured by DGT devices indicated that during the storm a substantial fraction (∼98%) of metals were complexed and pose a lower risk of acute toxicity to aquatic organisms. Comparison of DGT results to GVs indicate that current GVs are likely quite conservative when assessing stormwater pollution risks with regards to metal contaminants. This study provides valuable insight into the forms and dynamics of metals in an urban system receiving stormwater inputs and assists with the development of improved approaches for the assessment of short-term, intermittent discharge events.

Passive secondary biological treatment systems reduce estrogens in dairy shed effluent.

Steroid estrogens are found at high concentrations in untreated dairy shed effluents. Reduction of estrogenic activity and steroid estrogen concentrations was assessed in two systems used to treat dairy shed effluents: the two-pond system and the advanced pond system. Both include anaerobic and aerobic treatment stages. Samples of effluent were collected from the systems and analyzed for free estrogens, conjugated estrogens and total estrogenic activity using E-Screen assay. Both systems showed increases of up to 8000% in aqueous free estrogens and estrogenic activity after anaerobic treatment, followed by decreases after aerobic treatment (36-83%). The complete systems decreased total steroid estrogen concentrations by 50-100% and estrogen activity by 62-100%, with little difference between systems. Removal rates were lower in winter for both systems. Final effluents from the advanced pond system contained total estrogens at <15-1400 ng/L and estrogenic activity at 3.2-43 ng/L. Final effluent from the two-pond system contained total estrogens at <15-300 ng/L and estrogenic activity at 3.3-25 ng/L. At times the final effluent EEQs exceeded guideline values for protection of freshwater fish and suggest further treatment may be required.

Steroid estrogens, conjugated estrogens and estrogenic activity in farm dairy shed effluents.

Agricultural wastes are a source of steroid estrogens and, if present, conjugated estrogens may add to the estrogen load released to soil and aquatic environments. Dairy shed effluent samples were collected from 18 farms for analysis of steroid estrogens by GC-MS, conjugated estrogens by LC-MS-MS, and estrogenic activity by E-screen in vitro bioassay. 17alpha-estradiol was found at highest concentrations (median 730 ng l(-1)), followed by estrone (100 ng l(-1)) and 17beta-estradiol (24 ng l(-1)). Conjugated estrogens (estrone-3-sulfate, 17alpha-estradiol-3-sulfate and 17beta-estradiol-3,17-disulfate) were measured in most samples (12-320 ng l(-1)). Median estrogenic activity was 46 ng l(-1) 17beta-estradiol equivalents. Conjugated estrogens contributed up to 22% of the total estrogen load from dairy farming, demonstrating their significance. Steroid estrogens dominated overall estrogenic activity measured in the samples. Significantly, 17alpha-estradiol contributed 25% of overall activity, despite potency 2% that of 17beta-estradiol, highlighting the importance in environmental risk assessments of this previously neglected compound.