U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
Joel D. Lusk, Senior Environmental Contaminants BiologistUS Fish &Wildlife Service, NM Ecological Services2105 Osuna Road NE, Albuquerque, NM 87113
[email protected] 505-761-4709www.fws.gov/southwest/es/newmexico/
1
Mercury (Hg) and Selenium (Se)in Colorado Pikeminnow and
in Razorback Sucker from the San Juan River
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
Why are Hg and Se of concern?
Widespread concerns about Hg contamination of fish: Fish consumption advisories in San Juan River Basin (CO, NM, UT, Navajo Nation)
Se & Hg in endangered fish may indicate injury & suggest slowed recovery in the wild
Public concern about coal-fired power plant emissions
2
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
Sources of Mercury to the SJRB
Natural Sources (31%): Volcanoes Forest fires volatize Hg
(re-emission; Hg is a grasshopper pollutant)
N. Amer. Sources (30%) Burning activities
Coal-fired power plants Incinerators, crematoria
Hg devices, home wastes Gold-mining activities
Sources in Asia (~21%)
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
Hg to Increase in San Juan River Basin
4
219,810
199,827
153,201 15,738
12,978
6,830
5,625
4,290
219,810
151,649
245,433
15,738
12,978
1,803
5,625
4,483
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
Global
pool (N
atural Sources)
Global
pool (Sources in
North
America)
Global
pool (Sources in
Asia)
Re-
emission
other sources
San Juan G
enerating Station
Four C
orners Pow
er Plant
Mexico
2001-052020
San Juan River Basin Mercury Deposition Annual Total (in 2001-05) was 712 kg (~1600 lbs) - USEPA 2005San Juan River Basin Mercury Deposition Annual Total in 2020 is expected 957 kg (~35% increase) – based on UNEP 2008
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
Anthropogenic Emissions
Wet Deposition
Dry Deposition
Evasion
Watershed Mercury Processes
Natural Emissions
Percolation
Shallow Ground Water
SettlingResuspensionDiffusion
Runoff and Erosion
Rivers
Weathering
Evasion
Litterfall and Throughfall
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
Predator Fish: Colorado Pikeminnow
Benthos
Prey Fish (example):flannelmouth sucker
Periphyton& Vegetation
Aquatic invertebrates
HgMercury in San Juan River food webs
6Images from: www.glerl.noaa.gov/pubs/photogallery/gallery, and www.fws.gov/coloradoriverrecovery/crcsq
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
1990-96 San Juan River Fish Hg Data
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Boxplot of mercury (ug/g ww) in whole fish from the San Juan River (reported by Simpson and Lusk 1999)
detritivore
insectivore
omnivore
piscivore
detritivore
insectivore
omnivore
piscivore
detritivore insectivore omnivore piscivoreFish Trophic Type
-0.05
0.00
0.05
0.10
0.15
0.20
0.25
0.30
0.35
Mercu
ry, ug
/g we
t weig
ht in
whole
fish
detritivore
insectivore
omnivore
piscivore
HG_WET: F(3,331) = 7.1841, p = 0.0001;KW-H(3,335) = 19.9389, p = 0.0002
n=46
n=86
n=196
n=7
•Few fish Hg data relevant to piscivorous pikeminnow – more data needed. . .
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
2007-10: Osmundson Pikeminnow Study
Determine Hg concentrations in Colorado pikeminnow throughout critical habitat using muscle plugs
Assess health risks to Colorado pikeminnow from Hg exposure
Osmundson and Lusk expanded scope of study in San Juan River basin to include razorback sucker, selenium analyses and mercury analyses of museum pikeminnow.
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
9
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
San Juan River 2009 Hg & Se data for Pikeminnow & Razorback Muscle Tissues
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?We expected ratio of Hg in Pikeminnow–to-sucker to be ~ 4 (as other basins) ?
Ln(Se) and Ln(Hg) in pikeminnow and razorback suckermuscle tissues collected from the San Juan River 2009
pikeminnowrazorback
pikeminnowrazorback
pikeminnow razorback-4
-3
-2
-1
0
1
2
Natur
al log
arithm
of w
et Hg
(red
) and
dry S
e (gre
en) c
once
ntrati
ons (
ug/g)
pikeminnowrazorback
LnHG: F(1,44) = 0.0184, p = 0.8928;KW-H(1,46) = 0.0809, p = 0.7760 LnSe: F(1,43) = 1.0906, p = 0.3022;KW-H(1,45) = 1.0611, p = 0.3030
LnHG Outliers Extremes LnSe Outliers Extremes
(n=29)
(n=17)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
Pikeminnow Length & Weight by Basin
11
Total length (mm) and Weight (g) of Colorado pikeminnow collected in Upper Colorado River Basins in 2008-09[Basin: CRB=Upper Colorado River; GRN=Green River; SJR=San Juan River; WRB=White River; and, YRB=Yampa River]
Tota
l Len
gth
(mm
) and
Weig
ht (g
) of C
olora
do P
ikem
innow
Sam
pled
CRB GRN SJR WRB YRB
Basin
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000 Length_mm: F(4,91) = 45.1605, p = 0.0000;KW-H(4,96) = 60.7845, p = 0.0000 Weight_g: F(4,89) = 25.8306, p = 0.0000;KW-H(4,94) = 61.9863, p = 0.0000
Length_mm Outliers Extremes Weight_g Outliers Extremes
(n=25)
(n=29)
(n=29)
(n=4)
(n=9)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
San Juan River Pikeminnow were Small
12
Histograph of Colorado Pikeminnow Total Length (mm)Blue = Includes San Juan River pikeminnow
Red = Does not include San Juan River pikeminnow
150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 550 600 650 700 750 800 850 900
Total Length (mm)
Numb
er o
f Obs
erva
tions
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
Hg in Upper Colorado Tribs compared
13
BoxPlot of Mercury (ug/g ww) in Colorado Pikeminnow muscle by Watershed and the San Juan River by Size Class[Watershed: SJR 200-San Juan River 200mm; SJR 300-San Juan River 300mm; SJR 400-San Juan River 400mm;
CRB-Upper Colorado River; GRN-Gren River; WRB-White River; YRB-Yampa River]
Mer
cury
in M
uscle
Tiss
ue (u
g/g
wet w
eigh
t)
SJR 200 SJR 300 SJR 400 CRB GRN WRB YRB-0.2
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
Median 25%-75% Non-Outlier Range Outliers Extremes
(n=25)(n=29)
(n=4)
(n=9)
(n=3)
(n=14)
(n=12)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
Hg in Pikeminnow by size
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
Hg in pikeminnow over time
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BoxPlot of Mercury in Colorado Pikeminnow by Decade[Watershed: GRN-Green River; SJR-San Juan River; YRB-Yampa River]
1960 2010GRN SJR YRB GRN SJR YRB
GroupYEARWatershed
-0.2
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
Mer
cury
(ug/
g we
t wei
ght)
in C
olor
ado
Pike
min
now
Mus
cle
Median 25%-75% Non-Outlier Range Outliers Extremes
(n=2)(n=9)
(n=29)
(n=29)
(n=13)(n=8)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
Mercury Emissions over Time
16
USGS Hg in Ice Cores
Nydick 2008 Sediment HG in
Western CO
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
What are Mercury Effects to Fish?
Potent Neurotoxin Affects central nervous system (reacts w/ brain enzymes, then lesions) Affects hypothalamus and pituitary, affects gonadotropin-secreting cells Altered behaviors: Reduced predator avoidance, reproductive timing fail Reduced ability to feed (emaciation/growth effects)
Endocrine disruptor Suppressed reproductive hormones in male and female fish Reduce gonad size and function, reduced gamete production, Altered ovarian morphology, delayed oocyte development Reduced reproductive success Transfer of dietary Hg of the maternal adult during oogenesis and into developing embryo
Fish have inability to grow new brain cells or significantly reduce brain Hg
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•Beckvar (2005)-survival, growth, reproduction, behavior at 0.2ug/g in whole fish
•Yeardley (1998)- Hg>0.1 mg/kg WW likely harmful to piscivorous mammals
•USEPA (2000)- Hg>0.3 mg/kg WW likely harmful to certain people that eat fish
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010 18
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
Potential effects to pikeminnow recovery
19
•Assume a recovered pop of pikeminnow in San Juan River of 700 adult (450 mm+) fish • ~ 350 female pikeminnow, & each averages 77,400 eggs/F = 27 million eggs per year
27,090,000
7,856,100
7,541,856
3,792,600 0
05,000,000
10,000,00015,000,00020,000,00025,000,00030,000,000
Recovered Pop San Juan R.
2010 Fecundity with Hg effects
2010 Fecundity with Se effects
2020 Fecundity with future HG
2020 Fecundity with add'l stressors?
No. of Viable Eggs and Surviving Larvae Under Each Scenario
Pikeminnow
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
Sources of Selenium
Natural Sources: Geology (e.g., shales)
Se Accumulator plants
Anthropogenic Se Irrigation of Se-rich soils Coal mining, leaching Power plant emissions &flyash
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
Selenium (Se) Cycling
Soils of marine origin naturally Se-rich (Cretaceous Period shale, coals)
Se enters surface waters thru erosion, leaching, & runoff of Se-rich soils
Burning of coal with Se air emissions, deposition to land, surface runoff
Contributions of Se in invertebrates, algae, and fish in the San Juan River have increased with expansion of agriculture & energy development
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010 22
BoxPlot of selenium (ug/g dry weight) in plants and invertebrate samples (in green) and whole body fish (in red) collected from the San Juan River (upstream Reach 8 to downstream Reach 1) 1990-1996
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
San Juan River Reach (upstream Reach 8 to downstream Reach 1)
-2
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20Se
leni
um (u
g/g
dry
weig
ht)
Selenium in Plants and Invertebrats Selenium in whole body fish
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
S E L E N I U M
23
Boxplot of selenium (ug/g dry weight) in whole body fish composites collected from the San Juan River and its tributaries (1990-1996)
(4 ug/g is Se level of concern in whole body fish)
carp catfish dace minnow sucker sunfish trout-2
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Sele
nium
(ug/
g dr
y we
ight
)
Median 25%-75% Non-Outlier Range Outliers Extremes
(n=68)
(n=25)
(n=20)(n=60)
(n=323)
(n=4)
(n=93)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
Se in SJR Pikeminnow and over time
24
Boxplot of Selenium in Colorado Pikeminnow muscle tissues over time in the San Juan River
1959 1993 20091.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
Sele
nium
(ug/
g dr
y we
ight
)
Se ppm DW: F(2,31) = 0.2624, p = 0.7709;KW-H(2,34) = 0.9338, p = 0.6269
Median 25%-75% Non-Outlier Range Outliers Extremes
(n=28)
(n=2)
(n=4)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
Se in SJR Razorback
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Boxplot of Selenium in Razorback sucker muscle tissues over time in the San Juan River
1995 20090
2
4
6
8
10
12Se
leni
um (u
g/g
dry
weig
ht)
Se ppm DW: F(1,40) = 3.6995, p = 0.0616;KW-H(1,42) = 8.3955, p = 0.0038
Median 25%-75% Non-Outlier Range Outliers Extremes
(n=25)
(n=17)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
Se in Upper Colorado Tribs compared
26
Boxplot of selenium (ug/g dry weight) in razorback sucker muscle tissues in the San Juan River by river reach (rounded) and over time
50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 1600
2
4
6
8
10
12
Sele
nium
(ug/
g dr
y we
ight
)
Se ppm DW: F(10,14) = 0.3773, p = 0.9367;KW-H(10,25) = 5.5907, p = 0.8484 Se ppm DW: F(6,10) = 2.4756, p = 0.0986;KW-H(6,17) = 9.2706, p = 0.1589
Selenium in RBS in 1995 Outliers Extremes Selenium in RBS in 2009 Outliers Extremes
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
Se in Razorback by size
27
Scatterplot of selenium in razorback sucker muscle tissue by mass (weight in grams)
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000
Weight_g
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2.0
2.2
2.4
2.6Na
tura
l Log
arith
m o
f Sel
eniu
m C
once
ntra
tions
(ug/
g dr
y we
ight
)
Weight_g:LnSe: y = 1.08 + 0.0002*x; r = 0.1999, p = 0.2044;r2 = 0.0399
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
Effects to Fish from Excess Selenium
Se is a teratogen (larvae have defects) Adult fish appear healthy (but pop often declines over time) Dietary Se is most important Deformities of larvae are in response to maternal exposure
Subsequent deposit of excess Se into their eggs Yolk absorption by embryo/larvae during development leads to
oxidation of enzymes and tissues and deformities occur Deformed larvae have reduced survival, reduced growth
Those larvae that remain may also have reduced survival if Se body burden plus Se in their diet exceeds safe dose
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
Effects of Se in diet of larval Razorback Sucker (Hamilton & Beyer studies)
29
•Used dose studies to describe a relationship between larval survival and dietary selenium specifically for 5 to 35 day razorback sucker larvae.
•1990-96 razorback surrogate diet range <0.1-18 μg/g; =4.5 μg/g • If Se increases (120%) proportional to diet 0.3–40 μg/g; =10 µg/g
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
Possible effects of Se (&Hg) on razorback sucker recovery
30
•Recovered pop in San Juan River = ~ 2900 razorback sucker
135,546,000
124,702,320
66,092,230
42,959,949
15,650,141
111,147,720
8,132,760
243,983
243,983
0
20,000,000
40,000,000
60,000,000
80,000,000
100,000,000
120,000,000
140,000,000
Recovered Pop San Juan R.
2005 Hg Fecundity
2005 Se Fecundity
2005 Se Larvae mortality
2005 Remaining Fecundity
2020 Hg Fecundity Loss
2020 Se Fecundity Loss
2020 Se Larval Mortality
2020 Remaining Fecundity
No. of Viable Eggs and Larvae Under Each Scenario
Razorback
2005 2020
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
Ideas on Actions to Answer Questions
Monitor Hg and Se in fish, water, air, and sourcesMonitor biomarkers in endangered or surrogate fish eg. vitellogenin levels, sex hormones, histopathologyReduce Hg/Se globally, nationally, and locallyTMDL for Hg/Se in San Juan River BasinSe/Hg isotope study to validate sourcesConduct lab studies exposing endangered fish (adults and larvae) to mercury and selenium in diets
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
Acknowledgements
USFWS Colorado River Recovery ProgramUSFWS Colorado River Fisheries Project- Utah and Colorado USFWS San Juan River Restoration Implementation Program, Albuquerque, New Mexico USFWS New Mexico Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office Utah Division of Wildlife ResourcesNavajo Nation Department of Fish and WildlifeNavajo Nation Environmental Protection AgencyColorado Division of WildlifeUSFWS New Mexico Ecological Services Field OfficeUSFWS Environmental Contaminants Program USGS Biological Surveys Collection at UNMUNM Museum of Southwestern BiologyBureau of Indian Affairs –SWRO, NRORegion 9 US Environmental Protection Agency
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
Following slides are not used in the presentation, but are for questions
Should Take Action >
Are Se and Hg a Problem --v--
Take Action >YES
Take Action >NO
Are Se and Hg a Problem --v--
YES
Are Se and Hg a Problem --v—
NO
33
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010
Hg and Se in San Juan River water
Selenium in the San Juan River (BIA/KB 1994-2006)
34
BIA Monitoring Location T-Se Avg (Range) WQS: NM=5 TR; NN=2TSJR at Archuleta, NM <1 ug/L does not exceedSJR at Farmington, NM 0.5 (0.02-2.0) ug/L max exceeds NN
SJR at Shiprock, NM 0.6 (0.02-7.0) ug/L max exceeds NN, NM
SJR at Mexican Hat, UT 1.1 (0.08-7.0) ug/L max exceeds NN, NM
Mercury in the San Juan River Data are not adequate for WQStds evaluation: (~>0.2 ug/L)Navajo Nation WQS=0.001ug/L Hg; 0.0001ug/L MeHgNew Mexico WQS = 770ug/L HgBoth NM and NN = 0.3 ug/g wet weight Hg in fish fillets
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Presentation to San Juan RIP, Biology Committee Meeting, Jan 13, 2010 35