Elemental accumulation studied in biological species

Journal Article · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1986 · Geotherm. Hot Line; (United States)

OSTI ID:6812558

At The Geysers, relatively little environmental baseline data were collected during the early years of development. In early 1983, the CEC awarded Sonoma County a geothermal grant to analyze the biological accumulation of trace elements in The Geysers Geothermal region. Prior studies in The Geysers region have established data for 27 different chemical elements, and suggest that chemicals are accumulating near power plants. This study examined selected species of rodents, fish, and lichen. Elevated amounts of chemical elements were found in their tissues. It is not clear if this accumulation is the result of geothermal development or due to naturally high backgrounds of these elements in the region. However, today these element loads serve as reference points for both developers and regulators. The CEC awarded a second grant in July 1985. The study funded by this grant will provide a more complete analysis of elemental loads by examining species such as western fence lizards and deer. Results and conclusions from these two studies can be used by regulatory agencies planning for future geothermal development in The Geysers region.

• OSTI ID: 6812558
• Journal Information: Geotherm. Hot Line; (United States), Vol. 16:1-2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
GEOTHERMAL POWER PLANTS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
CALIFORNIA
DEER
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
FISHES
GEYSERS GEOTHERMAL FIELD
LICHENS
LIZARDS
PLANNING
RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
RODENTS
TRACE AMOUNTS
UPTAKE
ALGAE
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
FEDERAL REGION IX
FUNGI
GEOTHERMAL FIELDS
MAMMALS
NORTH AMERICA
PLANTS
POWER PLANTS
REPTILES
RUMINANTS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
USA
VERTEBRATES
150600* - Geothermal Energy- Environmental Aspects
560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
510200 - Environment
Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)