Table Of Contents
REMEDIAL ACTION PLAN
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Laboratory Sediment Bioassay Report
on Upper St. Clair River Sediments
in the Vicinity of Industrial Point Sources
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1994 & 1995
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ISBN 0-7778-6039-2
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LABORATORY SEDIMENT BIOASSAY REPORT
t ON UPPER ST. CLAIR RIVER SEDIMENTS IN THE VICINITY
OF INDUSTRIAL POINT SOURCES 1994 & 1995
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FEBRUARY 1997
Cette publication technique
nest disponible qu'en anglais.
1 Copyright: Queen's Printer for Ontario, 1997
This publication may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes
with appropriate attribution.
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LABORATORY SEDIMENT BIOASSAY REPORT
f ON UPPER ST. CLAIR RIVER SEDIMENTS IN THE VICINITY
OF INDUSTRIAL POINT SOURCES 1994 & 1995
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Prepared by:
D. Bedard and S. Petro
Ontario Ministry of Environment and Energy
Standards Development Branch
125 Resources Road
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Etobicoke, Ontario
Prepared for:
t P. Kauss
Environmental Monitoring and Reporting Branch
f FEBRUARY 1997
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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The authors wish to thank Mark Whelley, Christy Hoeptig and Cindy Pammer for their valuable
technical assistance in conducting the laboratory sediment bioassays. The authors gratefully
acknowledge the staff of the OMOEE Laboratory Services Branch for providing chemical
analysis of the sediment and biota samples.
Special thanks to the following OMOEE staff for their helpful review comments, Peter Kauss
and Rein Jaagumagi, Environmental Monitoring and Reporting Branch, and Keith Somers,
Science and Technology Branch.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Sediments in the upper St. Clair River were sampled in spring 1994, fall 1994 and spring
1995, as part of an assessment in characterizing the potential ecological impacts of
contaminated sediments for this Area of Concern. A total of 39 sites were collected along 13
transects in the vicinity of ESSO (Imperial Oil), the Cole Drain, Polysar Rubber Corporation and
Dow Chemical Canada Inc., near Sarnia, Ontario. Sediments in this area are known to contain
numerous organic compounds, particularly chlorinated hydrocarbons, as well as mercury.
An objective of this study was to assess the spatial and temporal pattern of sediment toxicity
and chemical bioaccumulation using static, laboratory sediment toxicity tests. Three
independent toxicity tests were performed on whole-sediment samples. Mortality, growth and
avoidance behaviour of the burrowing mayfly, Hexagenia limbata, was measured in 21-day
exposures. Chironomid (Chironomus tentans) growth and mortality was determined in 10-day
tests. Mortality and chemical uptake by the fathead minnow, Pimephales promelas, was
examined by a standard 21-day test.
Overall, the toxicity test results illustrated a high variability in organism toxicity on a spatial
scale while temporal trends remained fairly constant. Among the test sediments, four sites
were found to be lethal to all three test species and the sediments were collected downstream
of industrial discharge points. One site was collected downstream of the ESSO intake (Stn
44-30), two stations situated downstream of the Cole Drain (Stns 136-10 and 136-30) and
a single site downstream of Dow list street sewer (Stn 95-37). Another six stations were
found to be either highly toxic (> 70% mortality) or moderately toxic (> 40% and < 70%
mortality) to both benthic invertebrates. The stations were 44-45, 73-30, 45-35, 46-25, 74-
30 and 48-37. There was excellent agreement between Hexagenia and Chironomus mortality
endpoints in identifying differences in sediment quality among sites. Substrate physical and
nutrient characteristics were not considered to have a direct negative effect on either midge
or mayfly biological endpoints. Minnow lethality was not significantly correlated with either
mayfly or midge survival. A higher sensitivity of fish to elevated un-ionized ammonia
concentrations during the test, may have played a role at some locations.
Petroleum-based substances are inferred as the principle toxicants in sediments from ESSO,
the Cole Drain and Polysar. Total petroleum hydrocarbon sediment concentrations above
1500 uglg (dry weight), were most frequently associated with higher organism toxicity.
Significant correlations were measured between midge and mayfly lethality against the sum
of hexachlorobenzene, hexachlorobutadiene, octachlorostyrene and pentachlorobenzene bulk
sediment concentrations for the Dow sediments. The derived 10-day LC50 sediment
concentration for the midge, Chironomus, was 147,ug/g (dry weighty and 162 pglg for the
mayfly, Hexagenia. These values are similar to those predicted using a critical body residue
e concentration of 1.0 to 1.6 mMlkg (wet weight), in conjunction with equilibrium partitioning-
based sediment concentrations, for nonpolar narcotic substances. The toxicological action of
these combined chemicals appear to be additive. The more lipophilic compounds measured
in the sediment were also found to accumulate in the fathead minnow to the greatest extent.
Chemical data indicate that the toxicological effect of highly volatile substances including
hexachloroethane, chlorotoluene and trichlorobenzene could not be adequately assessed due
to losses incurred during sediment manipulation prior to testing.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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...........................................
Acknowledgements .........................................
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Executive Sum.m.a.ry. .......................................... ii
List Of Tables ............................................. iv
List of Figures .......................................... v
List of Appendices v
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SECTION INTRODUCTION
1 1
SECTION 2 MATERIALS AND METHODS
.........................
2.1 Sample Collection an.d. S.i.te. .D.e.sc.r.ip.ti.o.n .......................... 2
2.2 Analytical Methods 5
2.3 Laboratory Biologica.l T.e.s.ti.n.g .M..et.h.o.ds. ......................... 6
2.4 Statistical Methods 10
SECTION 3 RESULTS
.............................
3.1 Water Quality Test Paramet.e.rs. ............................. 10
3.2 Sediment Characterization ....................... 15
Physical and Nutrient Properties ................... 16
Trace Metal Sediment Concentrations ............... 19
Organic Chemical Sediment Concentrations 19
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t 3.3 Mayfly (Hexagenia limbata) 21-day Lethality and Growth Results 29
3.4 Chironomid (Chironomus tentans) 10-day Lethality and Growth Results 34
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3.5 Fathead Minnow (Pimephales prom.el.a.s). .2.1.-d.a.y .L.e.th.a.li.ty. .R.e.su.lt.s. ..... 36
3.6 Quality Assurance Toxicity Tests ............... 37
3.7 Chemical Bioaccumulation in Pimephales promelas 38
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SECTION 4 DISCUSSION
41
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SECTION 5 CONCLUSIONS 64
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SECTION 6 REFERENCES 66
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LIST OF TABLES
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Table 1 1994 and 1995 St. Clair River sampling locations and descriptions 3
Table 2 Mean water quality characteristics in spring 1994 sediment bioassays .. 11
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1 Table 2A Mean water quality characteristics in fall 1994 sediment bioassays 13
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Table 2B Mean water quality characteristics in 1995 sediment bioassays 14
Table 3 Sediment physical and nutrien.t .c.h.a.ra.c.te.r.is.ti.cs. .in. .c.on.t.ro.l.(s.) .a.n.d. S.t.. .C.la.i.r .R iver
1994 field sediment samples 17
Table 3A Sediment physical and nutrient characte.r.is.t.ic.s. in. .S.t.. C.l.ai.r .R.iv.e.r .1.9.9.5. la.b.o.r.at ory
bioassay and field sediment samples 18
Table 4 Bulk concentrations .o.f .tr.a.ce. .m.e.t.a.ls. i.n .S.t.. .C.la.ir. R.i.v.er. .1.99.4. .fie.l.d. .......
sediment samples 20
Table 4A Bulk concentrations of trace .m.e.ta.l.s .in. .S.t. .C.l.ai.r .R.iv.e.r .1.9.9.5. l.ab.o.r.a.to.r.y .b.io.a.s say
and field sediment samples 21
Table 5 Bulk sediment concentrations for chlorinated organics and pesticides in
.....
reference control and St. Clair River 1994 field sediment samples 22
Table 6 Bulk concentrations of total PCBs, total PAHs, total TEQs, total petroleum
hydrocarbons, solvent extracta.b.le.s. .a.n.d .c.h.lo.r.in.a.te.d. .o.rg.a.n.ic.s. i.n .S.t.. .C.la.ir. .R iver
1994 field sediment samples 24
Table 6A Bulk concentrations of total PCBs and chlorinated orga.n.ic.s. .in. .S.t.. .C.la.ir. .R iver
1995 laboratory bioassay and field sediment samples 27
Table 7 Summary of biological results on mayfly, midge and minnow .se.d.i.m.e.n.t ...
bioassays for control(s) and St. Clair River 1994 sediments 30
Table 7A Summary of biological results on mayfly and midge quality assu.ra.n.c.e. s.e.d.im. ent
bioassays for control and fall 1994 St. Clair River sediments 31
Table 7B Summary of biological results on mayfly, midge and minno.w. .s.ed.i.m.e.n.t ...
bioassays for control and St. Clair River 1995 sediments 32
Table 8 Select organic concentrations in fathead minn.o.w.s. .e.xp.o.s.e.d. t.o. c.o.n.tr.o.l .a.n.d St.
Clair River 1994 sediments in the laboratory 39
Table 9 Spatial variability in se.di.m.e.n.t .to.x.i.c.ity. .a.n.d .s.e.d.im.e.n.t. q.u.a.li.ty. .fo.r. S.t.. .C.la.i.r .R iver
spring 1994 samples 42
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Table 10 Spearman rank correlation coefficients indicating significant positive (direct)
correlations among toxicity data for spring 1994 St. Clair River
sediments .............................................44
Table 11 Spearman rank correlation analysis summary indicating significant negative
(inverse) or positive (direct) correlation between biological endpoints and
sediment .p.hy.s.ic.a.l .a.n.d. .c.h.em..ic.a.l .p.a.r.am..e.te.r.s .f.o.r .s.pr.i.ng. .1.9.9.4. .S.t.. .C.la.ir. 4Riv8er 1
samples
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1 1994 1 .1.9.9.5. .S.ta.t.io.n. l.oc.a.t.io.n.s. f.o.r .s.e.d.im..en.t. s.a.m.p.l.in.g. .in. .th.e. .u.pp.e.r. S..t. .C.l4air
River
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Figure 2 Organism mortality for St. Clair River 1994 sediments 33
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Figure 3 Mayfly and midge growth for St. Clair River 1994 sediments 35
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Figure 4 Organism mortality for St. Clair River sediment: spring and fall 1994 45
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Figure 5 Organism mortality for St. Clair River sediment: 1994 and 1995 46
Figure 6 Regression analysis of midge 10-d percent mortality on bulls sediment
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hexachlorobutadiene concentration for transects 95, 48, 49 and 96 51
Figure 7 Regression analysis of midge 10-d percent mortality on bulk sediment
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hexachlorobenzene concentration for transects 95, 48, 49 and 96 52
Figure 8 Regression analysis of midge 10-d percent mortality on sum of bulk sediment
HCBD, HCB, QCB and OCS concentrations for transects 95, 48, 49
and 96 .............................................. 54
.
Figure 9 Regression analysis of mayfly 21-d percent mortality on sum of bulk sediment
HCBD, HCB, QCB and OCS concentrations for transects 95, 48, 49
and 96 ..............................................55
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Figure 10 Chlorinated organic chemical dis.tr.ib.u.ti.o.n. fo.r. b.u.lk. .se.d.im..e.nt., .e.lu.tr.i.at.e. a.n.d .fa.t.h ead
minnow for Station 95 (1990) 62
LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix Al Analytical detection limits for n.u.t.ri.e.n.ts., .in.o.r.g.an.i.c .a.n.d .o.rg.a.n.ic. .c.on.t.a.m.in.a.n.t s in
sediment and biota samples 75
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