Evaluation of Toxicity to the Amphipod, Hyalella azteca, and the Midge, Chironomus dilutus: and Bioaccumulation by the Oligochaete, lumbriculus Variegatus, with Exposure to PCB-Contaminated Sediments from Anniston, Alabama. Volumes Comprises Chapters 1,2,

摘要

The purpose of this report is to provide a compilation of information on the toxicity and bioaccumulation of chemicals of potential concern (COPCs) including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in sediments collected from the Anniston, Alabama PCB Site (Anniston PCB Site) located in north-central Alabama. Long-term reproduction toxicity tests were done with the amphipod, Hyalella azteca, and the midge, Chironomus dilutus, and bioaccumulation tests were done with the oligochaete, Lumbriculus variegatus, exposed to sediments collected from the Anniston PCB Site. Results of these laboratory toxicity and bioaccumulation tests subsequently will be used by personnel with ARCADIS U.S., Inc. (ARCADIS) as part of a weight-of-evidence assessment to evaluate risks and sediment remediation goals for contaminants to sediment-dwelling organisms inhabiting the Anniston PCB Site. Given that PCBs in sediment are a primary COPC at the Anniston PCB Site, the decision was made to perform longer exposures, focusing on measuring potential reproductive effects of PCBs in sediment on H. azteca or C. dilutus and bioaccumulation of PCBs by L. variegatus. Only a limited number of laboratories had the demonstrated capacity to perform long-term reproduction sediment toxicity tests with H. azteca or C. dilutus with the large number of samples required for the project. Hence, ARCADIS contracted with the U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center in Columbia, Missouri and with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, Mississippi to perform the sediment toxicity tests and the sediment bioaccumulation tests with sediments collected from the Anniston PCB Site. The goal of this study was to characterize relations between sediment chemistry and sediment toxicity and relations between sediment chemistry and sediment bioaccumulation in samples of sediments collected from the Anniston PCB Site in Alabama. A total of 32 samples were evaluated from six test sites and one reference site to provide a wide range in concentrations of COPCs in samples of whole sediment. The goal of this study was not to determine the extent of sediment contamination or sediment toxicity across the Anniston PCB Site. Hence, the test sites or samples collected from within a test site were not selected to represent the spatial extent of sediment contamination across the Anniston PCB Site. Additional studies may be required to determine the spatial extent of sediment contamination and sediment toxicity or sediment bioaccumulation at the Anniston PCB Site.