state of the niagara river brad hill environment canada burlington, ontario canada
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State of the Niagara River
Brad HillEnvironment CanadaBurlington, Ontario
CANADA
L. Erie
L. Ontario
Niagara Falls
F.E.
N.O.T.L
Background
• Approximately 56 km (35 mi) long
• Elevation drop is approx. 100m (53m over Niagara Falls)
• Empties approx. 2/5ths of the fresh water in North America
• Significant loading source for Lake Ontario
• Currently divert 50% - 75% of flow for power generation
Historical Context• 1950s: IJC reports on pollution problems
• 1973: IJC designates Niagara River as “Problem Area”
• Late 1970s: Love Canal
• 1980 & 1981: Canada/Ontario Review Board Baseline Reports summarize environmental conditions in the Niagara River
• 1981: IJC Special Report on Pollution of the Niagara River
• 1981 – 1983: Niagara River Toxics Committee report
• 1987: Niagara River “Declaration of Intent” - NRTMP
• 1996: “Letter of Support”
Source Reduction• Point Sources• Non-point Sources
Ambient Monitoring• Upstream/Downstream Program• Biomonitoring – caged mussels, Y-o-Y fish
Public Information• Annual Reports• Public Meetings every 3 years
NRTMP Work Plan
Monitoring Programs• 3 main components:
– Upstream/Downstream• Water and suspended sediment
– Biomonitoring• Mussels and fish
– Tributary screening & trackdown• Sediment investigations in tributaries
• Additional components:– Point & Non-point Sources
• Landfills, STPs, HWS
Caged Mussel Biomonitoring• Mussels deployed for 21-day
exposures
• Routine monitoring at 36 stations (total PCB, OC pesticides, chlorinated benzenes)– PCB congeners at 14 stations– Dioxins & furans at 10 stations– PAHs at 8 stations– Dechlorane plus at 4 stations
• New stations for 2009 include:– Bakers Creek– Lyons Creek– Welland River– Scajaquada Creek– Rattle Snake Creek
Young-of-the-Year (YOY) Fish Sampling
• Most recently collected in fall 2009
• Used to analyse local conditions
• Samples submitted for routine parameters (Hg, total PCBs, pesticides)
• Data pending
Site Emerald Shiner
Spottail Shiner
102nd Street, NY 6
Cayuga Creek, NY 6
Fort Erie 6 6
Frenchman’s Creek 6 1
Lewiston, NY 6
Niagara-on-the-Lake 6
Queenston 6
Wheatfield, NY 6
Youngstown, NY 6
Summary of sampling sites and number of YOY fish composite samples collected in Niagara
River during 2009
Tributary Screening • Sediment samples from Niagara tributaries
• Site specific sampling and analysis
• No “hot spots” found that trigger immediate action
• Certain areas may deserve further attention – Guideline exceedences of PCBs, Mercury, Lindane and
Zinc – Low levels and non-detects validate effectiveness of
remediation
• On going monitoring by MOE and assessment by RAP show some tributaries may no longer be sources of contaminants
L. Erie
L. Ontario
F.E.
N.O.T.L
1,3-Dichlorobenzene 1,4-Dichlorobenzene 1,2-Dichlorobenzene1,3,5-Trichlorobenzene 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene1,2,3,4-Tetrachlorobenzene Pentachlorobenzene HexachlorobenzeneHexachlorobutadiene Hexachlorocyclopetadiene HeptachlorAldrin Octachlorosytrene p,p’-DDEp,p’-DDD o,p’-DDT p,p’-DDTDDT Total Photomirex Mirexα-BHC γ-BHC Heptachlor EpoxideTotal Chlordane α-Endosulfan -EndosulfanDieldrin Endrin Endrin AldehydeMethoxychlor TCPCB 2-Methyl Naphthalene1-Methyl Naphthalene Naphthalene AcenaphthyleneFluorene Phenanthrene AnthraceneBeta-Chloronaphthalene Atrazine MetolachlorFluoranthene Pyrene Benz(a)anthraceneChrysene/Triphenylene Benzo(b+k)fluoranthene Benzo(a)pyreneIndeno(1,2,3-c,d)pyrene Dibenzo(a,h)anthracene Benzo(g,h,i)peryleneAluminum Antimony ArsenicBarium Boron BerylliumCadmium Cobalt ChromiumCopper Gallium LanthanumIron Lithium ManganeseMolybdenum Nickel LeadRubidium Selenium SilverStrontium Tellurium UraniumVanadium Zinc Mercury
Hexachlorobenzene
p,p’-DDEp,p’-DDT
DDT Total Mirex
Total ChlordaneDieldrin
TCPCB
Benz(a)anthraceneChrysene/Triphenylene Benzo(b+k)fluoranthene Benzo(a)pyreneIndeno(1,2,3-c,d)pyrene
Benzo(g,h,i)peryleneAluminum
Iron
Mercury
Hexachlorobenzene
Mirex
Chrysene/Triphenylene Benzo(a)pyrene
Iron
60% 77%
110% 85%
75% 73%
Long-term Summary: NOTL ConcentrationsNo Longer Exceed Criteria
(in 04/05)
[1,2-dichlorobenzene]
[1,3-dichlorobenzene]
[1,4-dichlorobenzene]
[1,2,3-trichlorobenzene]
[1,2,4-trichlorobenzene]
[1,3,5-trichlorobenzene]
[1,2,3,4-tetrachlorobenzene]
[Pentachlorobenzene]
[a-BHC], [g-BHC]
[a-chlordane]
[g-chlordane]
{1-MethylNaphthalene}
{2-MethylNaphthalene}
[Acenaphthalene]
[Anthracene]
[p,p-DDD]*, [o,p-DDT ]*
{Atrazine}
[Arsenic], [Mercury]
[Octachlorostyrene]
[Fluorene]
[Heptachor Epoxide]
[Alpha Endosulfan]
[Beta Endosulfan]
[Antimony], [Cadmium], [Chromium], [Lithium]
[Manganese], [Nickel]
[Zinc]
{Aldrin}
{Endrin}
{Endrin Aldehyde}
{Heptachlor}
{Methoxychlor}
{Photomirex}
Betachloronaphthalene
[Benz(a)anthracene]
[Dibenzo(ah)anthracene]
[Hexachlorocyclopentadiene]
[Hexachlorobutadiene]
[Lead], [Barium], [Beryllium]
[Copper], [Selenium]*
[Silver], {Strontium}
[Vanadium], [Cobalt]
[Metolachlor]
[Molybdenum]
[Fluoranthene]
[Pyrene]
[Indeno(123cd)pyrene]
[Napthalene]
[Phenanthrene]
Exceed Criteria at NOTL
(in 04/05)
[Mirex], [Iron]
[Hexachlorobenzene]
[Chrysene/Triphenylene] [Benzo(a)pyrene]
Exceed Criteria at NOTL & FE
(in 04/05)
[p,p-DDT]*, [p,p-DDE ]*
{Dieldrin}, [PCBs (86-98)**]
[Aluminum]
[Benzo(b/k)Fluoranthene] [Benzo(ghi)perylene]
[ ] - NR source
[ ]* - Upstream source
{ } - Suspected Basin Source
** - Method change
Downward Trend
(86/87-04/05)
No Trend
(86/87-04/05)
Upward Trend
(86/87-04/05)
Monitoring Summary
• Significant decreases in concentrations for most compounds between 1986 and 2005
• Some compounds still exceed strictest agency criteria
• Local sources continue to contribute contaminants to the Niagara River
• Upstream and/or basin-wide sources may be more significant for certain chemicals