Assessment of sediments in lakes at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal using the sediment quality triad

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:203586

Pearson, M S; Clements, W H ^[1]

---

1. Colorado State Univ., Ft. Collins, CO (United States). Dept. of Fisheries and Wildlife Biology

The authors used the sediment quality triad to assess toxicity of sediments from three lakes located at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal (Superfund site), Denver, CO. The primary contaminants of concern are aldrin, endrin, dieldrin, DDT, DDE, As, and Hg. Preliminary results indicated lower macroinvertebrate density at stations in Lower Derby Lake compared to stations in Ladora and Mary Lakes. Mean diversity, as measured by the Shannon-Weaver Index, at Lower Derby was < 1.0, while Lakes Mary and Ladora were 2.0 and 2.2 respectively. Invertebrate communities were dominated by Chironomidae (Diptera) in all three lakes (> 80%). Chironomus tentans laboratory toxicity tests showed that mortality was highly variable among lakes and stations, and ranged from 0 to 93%. Lake sediment had the greatest toxic effects, as chironomids exposed to six of 10 stations exhibited > 70% mortality. In Lower Derby Lake four of 12 stations had > 50% mortality while no site at Lake Mary showed > 40% mortality. Results of acute toxicity tests with pore water generally agreed with the trends of the sediment toxicity tests. Results of toxicity tests and benthic sampling may have been influenced by differences in sediment characteristics among stations.

• OSTI ID: 203586
• Report Number(s): CONF-9511137--; ISBN 1-880611-03-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
ARSENIC
BIOASSAY
BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS
COLORADO
DIPTERA
FLIES
INSECTICIDES
LAKES
MERCURY
MILITARY FACILITIES
SEDIMENTS
SENSITIVITY
TOXICITY
US SUPERFUND
WATER POLLUTION