Tennessee's East Fork Poplar Creek: A biological monitoring and abatement program

Conference · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:5816020

Halbrook, R S ^[1]; Loar, J M; Adams, S M; Black, M C; Boston, H L; Greeley, Jr, M S; Hill, W R; Hinzman, R L; McCarthy, J F; Peterson, M J; Ryon, M G; Schilling, E M; Smith, J G; Southworth, G R; Stewart, A J ^[2]; Gatz, A J ^[3]

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1. Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Inc., TN (United States)
2. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
3. Ohio Wesleyan Univ., Delaware, OH (United States)

On May 1985, a Biological Monitoring Program was developed for East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC) in eastern Tennessee, United States. This stream originates within the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant that produces nuclear weapons components for the Department of Energy. Water and sediment in the stream contain metals, organic chemicals, and radionuclides from releases that have occurred over the past 45 years. The creek also receives urban and some agricultural runoff and effluent from the City of Oak Ridge's Wastewater Treatment Facility (WTF). The biological monitoring program includes four major tasks: (1) ambient toxicity testing: (2) bioaccumulation studies; (3) biological indicator studies; and (4) ecological monitoring of stream communities, including periphyton, benthic macroinvertebrates, and fish. Biological conditions are monitored at six sites on EFPC ranging from kilometer 24.4 near the headwaters to kilometer 6.3 near the month. A site on Brushy Fork, A stream just north of Oak Ridge, is used as reference. Ambient (instream) toxicity was monitored through the use of 7-day static-renewal tests that measured the survival and growth of fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) larvae and the survival and reproduction of a microstrustacean (Ceriodaphnia dubia). Full-strength water from EFPC within the Y-12 Plant boundary was frequently toxic to Ceriodaphnia, but less frequently toxic to the minnow larvae. Chlorine has been identified as an important toxicant in upper EFPC. Water samples from six sites in EFPC downstream from the Y-12 Plant boundary were tested eight times with both species during a 2-year period (October, 1986 through October, 1988). These sites were ranked by the number of times they were best'' or worst'' for each species. Water samples collected for use in the ambient toxicity tests were routinely analyzed for conductivity, pH, alkalinity, hardness, total residual and free chlorine, and temperature.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 5816020
• Report Number(s): CONF-9109335-1; ON: DE92006588
• Resource Relation: Conference: 18. annual aquatic toxicity workshop, Ottawa (Canada), 30 Sep - 3 Oct 1991
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CHLORINE
TOXICITY
LIQUID WASTES
RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS
STREAMS
CONTAMINATION
WATER POLLUTION
Y-12 PLANT
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
FISHES
MONITORING
OAK RIDGE RESERVATION
PH VALUE
POPULATIONS
SAMPLING
TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
CHEMICAL WASTES
ECOSYSTEMS
ELEMENTS
HALOGENS
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NONMETALS
NONRADIOACTIVE WASTES
POLLUTION
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
SURFACE WATERS
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
VERTEBRATES
WASTES
560162* - Radionuclide Effects
Kinetics
& Toxicology- Animals
Plants
Microorganisms
& Cells
560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
540350 - Environment
Aquatic- Site Resource & Use Studies- (1990-)