Dynamics and control of the Asiatic clam in the New River, Virginia. Research report
The Asiatic clam, Corbicula fluminea, has invaded the New River at the rate of 9 miles a year from the Kanawha River, which enters downstream from the Glen Lyn coal-powered generating plant in Virginia. During the period of investigation, October 1976-September 1978, clams were more numerous in the vicinity of the thermal discharge of the plant than they were in unheated waters, and their population fell sharply during the winter months, when the water temperature dropped to approximately 2C. The temperature (35C) of the heated discharge water in late summer did not adversely affect the clam. High mortality occurred at temperatures greater or equal to 36C in laboratory thermal tolerance studies. The clam proved to be highly resistant to the conventional biocidal practice of intermittent chlorination and to exposure to heavy metals in both static and artificial stream bioassays. Copper was more toxic than either zinc or a combination of zinc and copper. Potassium was not an effective biocidal agent at low concentrations (less than 100 mg/l). Measurements of 42 elements in water, sediment, clam shell, and visceral tissue revealed that Corbicula was an efficient accumulator of many elements.
- Research Organization:
- Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ., Blacksburg (USA). Virginia Water Resources Research Center
- OSTI ID:
- 5125748
- Report Number(s):
- PB-80-129703
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ALKALI METALS
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BIOASSAY
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CENTRAL REGION
CHLORINE
COOLANTS
COPPER
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
HALOGENS
INVERTEBRATES
METALS
MOLLUSCS
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
POLLUTION
POTASSIUM
POWER PLANTS
PRODUCTIVITY
THERMAL EFFLUENTS
THERMAL POLLUTION
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
TOXICITY
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
USA
VIRGINIA
ZINC