Coal ash basin effects (particulates, metals, acidic pH) upon aquatic biota: an eight-year evaluation. [Gambusia affinis; Plathemis lydia; Libellula spp]

Journal Article · Wed Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984 · Water Resour. Bull.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5751079

Cerry, D S; Guthrie, R K; Davis, E M; Harvey, R S

Coal ash effluent effects including particulates, acidic pH excursions, elemental concentrations and bioconcentration in selected organisms have been studied as changes in water quality and densities of benthic macroinvertebrate and mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) populations in a swanmp drainage system over an eight-year period. Initial density of the aquatic biota was altered severely by heavy ash siltation, followed by acidic pH excursions, and perhaps overall by elemental concentrations and bioaccumulation. Heavy ash siltation, followed by acidic pH excursions after the addition of fly ash to the original settling basin system, had the most profound effect on biota. Dipterans (chironomids) and some odonates (Plathemis lydia and Libellula spp.) were resistant to heavy ash siltation, while mosquitofish, which showed no discernible responses to ash siltation, were absent at acidic pH along with the few previously surviving invertebrate populations. Elemental concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, selenium, and zinc did not appear to limit aquatic flora and fauna on a short-term, acute basis. Long-chronic elemental exposures may have been instrumental in retarding the recovery of all forms of aquatic life in the receiving system. Elemental concentrations (except for arsenic and selenium) in the receiving system were generally one to two orders of magnitude higher than the Water Quality Criteria set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (1980) for protection of aquatic life for the minimum and 24-hour mean values. By 1978, when the new settling basin systems were operating effectively, invertebrate populations were largely recovered, and mosquito-fish populations recovered within one year afterward.

• Research Organization: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Univ., Blacksburg
• OSTI ID: 5751079
• Journal Information: Water Resour. Bull.; (United States), Journal Name: Water Resour. Bull.; (United States) Vol. 20:4; ISSN WARBA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010900 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
560304* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Invertebrates-- (-1987)
560305 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Vertebrates-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AEROSOL WASTES
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ARSENIC
ASHES
BENTHOS
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
BIOLOGICAL RECOVERY
CADMIUM
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMIUM
CHRONIC EXPOSURE
COAL
COMBUSTION
CONTAMINATION
CONTROL
COPPER
DATA
DATA COMPILATION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
FISHES
FLY ASH
FOSSIL FUELS
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
FUELS
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
INFORMATION
INVERTEBRATES
LIQUID WASTES
MATERIALS
METALS
NUMERICAL DATA
OXIDATION
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
PH VALUE
POLLUTION
POLLUTION CONTROL
POWER PLANTS
RECOVERY
RESIDUES
SELENIUM
SEMIMETALS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TOLERANCE
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
VERTEBRATES
WASTES
WATER POLICY
WATER POLLUTION
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL
ZINC