Gonadal intersex in smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu from northern Indiana with correlations to molecular biomarkers and anthropogenic chemicals.

Over the past decade, studies have shown that exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can cause gonadal intersex in fish. Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) males appear to be highly susceptible to developing testicular oocytes (TO), the most prevalent form of gonadal intersex, as observed in various areas across the U.S. In this study, prevalence and severity of TO was quantified for smallmouth bass sampled from the St. Joseph River in northern Indiana, intersex biomarkers were developed, and association between TO prevalence and organic contaminants were explored. At some sites, TO prevalence reached maximum levels before decreasing significantly after the spawning season. We examined the relationship between TO presence and expression of gonadal and liver genes involved in sex differentiation and reproductive functions (esr1, esr2, foxl2, fshr, star, lhr and vtg). We found that vitellogenin (vtg) transcript levels were significantly higher in the liver of males with TO, but only when sampled during the spawning season. Further, we identified a positive correlation between plasma VTG levels and vtg transcript levels, suggesting its use as a non-destructive biomarker of TO in this species. Finally, we evaluated 43 contaminants in surface water at representative sites using passive sampling to look for contaminants with possible links to the observed TO prevalence. No quantifiable levels of estrogens or other commonly agreed upon EDCs such as the bisphenols were observed in our contaminant assessment; however, we did find high levels of herbicides as well as consistent quantifiable levels of PFOS, PFOA, and triclosan in the watershed where high TO prevalence was exhibited. Our findings suggest that the observed TO prevalence may be the result of exposures to mixtures of nonsteroidal EDCs.

Calibration and application of an automated seepage meter for monitoring water flow across the sediment-water interface.

The advective flow of sediment pore water is an important parameter for understanding natural geochemical processes within lake, river, wetland, and marine sediments and also for properly designing permeable remedial sediment caps placed over contaminated sediments. Automated heat pulse seepage meters can be used to measure the vertical component of sediment pore water flow (i.e., vertical Darcy velocity); however, little information on meter calibration as a function of ambient water temperature exists in the literature. As a result, a method with associated equations for calibrating a heat pulse seepage meter as a function of ambient water temperature is fully described in this paper. Results of meter calibration over the temperature range 7.5 to 21.2 °C indicate that errors in accuracy are significant if proper temperature-dependence calibration is not performed. The proposed calibration method allows for temperature corrections to be made automatically in the field at any ambient water temperature. The significance of these corrections is discussed.

Comparison of export dynamics of nutrients and animal-borne estrogens from a tile-drained Midwestern agroecosystem.

Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are known to be a source of nutrients and hormones found in surface water bodies around the world. While the fate and transport of nutrients have been studied for decades, much less research has been conducted on the fate and transport of hormones. To facilitate a comparison of nutrient and hormone export dynamics from farm fields, nitrate + nitrite (N), dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP), 17α- and 17ß-estradiol (E2), estrone (E1), and estriol (E3) were monitored in a tile drain and receiving ditch for one year on a working farm in north central Indiana. Repeated animal waste applications led to high frequency detection of hormones (>50% in tile drain; >90% in the ditch) and nutrients (>70% for DRP; 100% for N). Hydrologic variability was found to be a dominant factor controlling export of N, DRP, and E1 to the drain and ditch. Of the estrogens, the temporal trend in E1 export was most similar to that of DRP. Differences in temporal export between P and the other estrogens likely were due to differences in the biogeochemical processes that affect their fate and transport within the agroecosystem. During short periods when the flowrate exceeded the 80(th) percentile for the year, over 70% of the total mass export of DRP and E1 occurred for the year in both the tile drain and ditch, demonstrating the importance of high-flow events. Therefore, best management practices must be effective during large flow events to substantially reduce transport to downstream locations.

PAH concentration gradients and fluxes through sand cap test cells installed in situ over river sediments containing coal tar.

Short-term performance of permeable sand cap test cells, installed over sediment containing liquid coal tar was monitored on the Grand Calumet River (Hammond, Indiana, USA). The sand cap test cells included two sand-only cells, two test cells containing a sand/peat mixed layer, two test cells containing a sand/organoclay mixed layer, and two sediment control cells. In each test cell, six monocyclic and twelve polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (MAHs and PAHs) were monitored over an 18 month period, and interfacial water flow was monitored periodically. Seepage velocities ranged from 3.8 cm per day into the sediments to 3.2 cm per day out of the sediments, with discharge out of the sediments being observed more often. A ferric iron test indicated that stratified oxic-anaerobic layers were formed in the caps. Within the sand caps, concentrations of MAHs and PAHs fluctuated with time, and this fluctuation was more significant near the bottom. Near the top, most of the MAHs and PAHs were attenuated above 95% in the first year of the study, but their attenuation rates decreased in the second year due to recontamination of the surface of the caps by the surrounding sediments. Functional genes involved in PAH degradation were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in upper and lower sections of the caps for each of the three treatments. Bacterial communities were characterized by PCR amplification of 16s rRNA genes and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The results indicate that the rate and direction of sediment porewater flow is an important factor for properly designing any remedial sand cap, and that biodegradation of many of the MAH and PAH compounds was likely a major removal mechanism leading to attenuation through the test cells.

Measuring the flux at the interface of coal-tar impacted sediment and river water near a former MGP site.

Determining water movement through contaminated sediment is critical for characterizing transport of chemicals from the sediment to the overlying water. Field studies to characterize the water flow across the sediment-water interface within a river adjacent to a former manufactured gas plant site were conducted. For this purpose, a new design of an interfacial flow meter was developed and tested. The in situ components of the system consisted of: a cylinder with an interfacial area of 2342 cm2; a dome attached to the cylinder; and a flow tube that allows water to flow from inside the dome to the river at the rate equal to the specific discharge across the sediment-water boundary. A 'heat-pulse' method was used to measure flow by heating the center of the flow tube for a brief time period and measuring the temperature profile within the tube over time. The system was calibrated to measure volumetric flux in the range 1.5-4.0 cm d(-1), however using a flow-addition method, the measurement of lower velocities also was accomplished, and calibration at higher fluxes is possible. From the groundwater flow at the interface of the coal-tar impacted sediment and information on the sediment pore water concentrations of several PAHs (poly-cyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), the mass flux of these PAHs to the river were estimated. Information on PAH mass flux at the sediment-water interface is useful for site assessment, including the evaluation of remediation alternatives and longer term site characterization.