The influence of the Chesapeake Bay Blueprint on toxic loads (pollutants

other than N, P & S) Joe Wood, Ph.D., Chesapeake Bay Foundation

BMPs for Nitrogen, Phosphorous and

Sediment

BMPs for Toxics

Largest non-profit working to “Save the Bay”

Offices in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania

205,000 members (78,000 in Virginia)

Focus on education, advocacy, restoration, and litigation

Chesapeake Bay Foundation

What is Chesapeake Bay

Foundation?

Talk Outline

• The Chesapeake Bay Blueprint

• Overview of Toxics influencing Chesapeake Bay Other than N, P & S.

• What Blueprint implementation looks like and ancillary benefits for toxics?

• Brief discussion of algal toxins

Talk Outline

Nutrient and Sediment Pollution

Non-Point Sources

(Agriculture, Lawn care,

stormwater, other)

Point Sources

Industry, Waste Water

Treatment Plants

(WWTPs)

Enhanced Algal Production

Low

Dissolved

Oxygen from

Algal

Decomposition

Declines in

Submerged

Aquatic

Vegetation

Increased

Toxic

Algae

The Chesapeake Bay Blueprint: TMDLs and WIPs

• The TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) A pollution diet for Nitrogen, Phosphorous & Sediment to be met by 2025

• WIPs: (Watershed Implementation Plans) We will fix these problems by…

TMDL, WIPs & Milestones

What is the Blueprint?

Pollution Sectors of the TMDL

Major Sectors (75%) 1.Agriculture 2.Stormwater 3.Wastewater Others: (25%) Forest, Air deposition,

TMDL Progress

Source: Ches. Bay Prog.

TMDL Progress

Source: Ches. Bay Prog.

Non-Point Sources

(Agriculture, Lawn care,

stormwater, other)

Point Sources

Industry, Waste Water

Treatment Plants

(WWTPs)

Enhanced Algal Production

Low

Dissolved

Oxygen from

Algal

Decomposition

Declines in

Submerged

Aquatic

Vegetation

Increased

Toxic

Algae

Nutrient and Sediment Pollution

The problem of Toxics

Non-Point Sources

(Agriculture, Lawn care,

stormwater, other)

Point Sources

Industry, Waste Water

Treatment Plants

(WWTPs)

Other Toxics Table 1: Priority Contaminants to Investigate Based on Environmental

Risk1 # Toxic Category Individual Contaminants 1 PCBs Total PCBs 2 Dioxins Dioxin (furans) 3 PAH's Total PAH, (benzo(a)pyrene, napthalene) 5 4 Petroleum HC TPH, oil and grease (benzene, toluene, xylene) 5 5a Legacy Pesticides 2 DDT/DDE, chlordane, heptachlor, dieldrin, diazinon3,

chloropyrifos3 (mirex, aldrin) 5b Current Pesticides

2 atrazine, simazine, metachlor, prometon, carbaryl (malathion, 2,4-D)

6 Pharmaceuticals Caffeine, acetaminophen, carbamazepine, tetracycline 7 HPCPs pthalates, triclosan, triclocarban (N,N-diethyltouamide,

surfactants) 8 Flame Retardants PBDE 9 Biogenic Hormones Estradiol, estrone, testosterone (coprostanol, cholesterol) 10 Metals Zn, Cu, Cd, Pb, Hg, (Al, Cr, Mn, Fe 4) (Chloride 6) Codes: PCB's = Polychlorinated Biphenyls, PAH= Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, HPCP= Household and Personal Care Products, PBDE = Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether Notes: 1 As defined by the extent and prevalence of the contaminant in the Bay watershed, as well as actual impairments or fish advisories, as defined in CBP (2012). 2 Based on national assessment of prevalence in streams and groundwater (Gilliom et al, 2006) 3 While not banned like other legacy BMPs, its use has been seriously restricted since 2001. 4 While there are impairments for the metals in the watershed, they are associated with discharges from abandoned mines, and are not subject to treatment by conventional BMPs. 5 There are a dozen or more addition forms of hydrocarbons that could be listed, but these have greatest potency

6 While chloride is not a metal, it has been classified as a toxin by Environment Canada.

Pollutant Agriculture Stormwater Wastewater

PCBs X

Dioxins X

PAH's X X

Petroleum HC X

Pesticides X X

Pharmaceuticals X

Household PCPs X

Flame Retardants ? ? ?

Biogenic Hormones X X X

Metals X X

Micro-pollutants vs. Macro-pollutants

Macro vs. Micro

1.Macro-pollutants are things that are

necessary for life but at elevated levels

(parts per thousand) can become harmful:

Calories/sugar, B Vitamins Nitrogen,

Phosphorous, Sediment,

2.Micro-Pollutants are agents which are

harmful at very small doses (parts per

million, billion, trillion): Kepone, Motor Oil,

DDT, Pesticides,

What are the other primary Pollutants of concern?

Table 1: Priority Contaminants to Investigate Based on Environmental Risk1

# Toxic Category Individual Contaminants 1 PCBs Total PCBs 2 Dioxins Dioxin (furans) 3 PAH's Total PAH, (benzo(a)pyrene, napthalene) 5 4 Petroleum HC TPH, oil and grease (benzene, toluene, xylene) 5 5a Legacy Pesticides 2 DDT/DDE, chlordane, heptachlor, dieldrin, diazinon3,

chloropyrifos3 (mirex, aldrin) 5b Current Pesticides

2 atrazine, simazine, metachlor, prometon, carbaryl (malathion, 2,4-D)

6 Pharmaceuticals Caffeine, acetaminophen, carbamazepine, tetracycline 7 HPCPs pthalates, triclosan, triclocarban (N,N-diethyltouamide,

surfactants) 8 Flame Retardants PBDE 9 Biogenic Hormones Estradiol, estrone, testosterone (coprostanol, cholesterol) 10 Metals Zn, Cu, Cd, Pb, Hg, (Al, Cr, Mn, Fe 4) (Chloride 6) Codes: PCB's = Polychlorinated Biphenyls, PAH= Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, HPCP= Household and Personal Care Products, PBDE = Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether Notes: 1 As defined by the extent and prevalence of the contaminant in the Bay watershed, as well as actual impairments or fish advisories, as defined in CBP (2012). 2 Based on national assessment of prevalence in streams and groundwater (Gilliom et al, 2006) 3 While not banned like other legacy BMPs, its use has been seriously restricted since 2001. 4 While there are impairments for the metals in the watershed, they are associated with discharges from abandoned mines, and are not subject to treatment by conventional BMPs. 5 There are a dozen or more addition forms of hydrocarbons that could be listed, but these have greatest potency

6 While chloride is not a metal, it has been classified as a toxin by Environment Canada.

Micro-pollutants of

Chesapeake Bay

Chesapeake Bay Program: “In 2012, close to 74 percent of the tidal water segments of the Chesapeake Bay were either fully or partially impaired due to toxic contaminants, up from 66 percent in 2006.”

Polychlorinated BiPhenyls (PCBs) • Background:

• Developed in the 1940s, manufacture of transformers, capacitors, and other heat transfer devices through the late 1970's (1979 ban)

• Common Sources: • Wild Fish Consumption

• Exposure to old equipment

• Health Effects: reduces reproductive health, neurology, thyroids, carcinogenic

What are PCBs?

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) • Background: Created when

products like coal, oil, gas, garbage and even food are partially burned

• Common Sources: coal tar sealant, exhaust, fires, tobacco, charred food, Industrial sources such as creosote

• Health Effects: Food, air and contact exposure cause tumors in kidneys and liver

What are PAHs?

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)

• Coal-Tar Sealants have been found to contain high levels of PAHs,

• Congressional Bills in 2012, 2013 to ban the products failed

• Minnesota & Washington have bans

PAHs: Coal-Tar Sealant

Virginia company:

Habitat and Sediment Restoration Reduces

Fish Cancer

1Elizabeth River Project, 475 Water Street,

Portsmouth, VA 23704 USA

2Dept. of Environmental & Aquatic Animal

Health, Virginia Institute of Marine Science,

College of William and Mary, Rt. 1208,

Gloucester Point, VA 23062 USA

Josef Rieger1 Wolfgang Vogelbein1 &

Michael Unger1,

Cancer in the Mummichog Healthy Mummichog Liver

Pre-Cancerous Mummichog

Liver

Cancerous Mummichog Liver

Prior to remediation sediments ranged

from 100 ppm to 3,000 ppm

Authors: Josef Rieger (ERP),

Wolfgang Vogelbein (VIMS) &

Michael Unger (VIMS;

Sand Cap With Oyster Reef

Authors: Josef Rieger (ERP),

Wolfgang Vogelbein (VIMS) &

Michael Unger (VIMS;

PAH decline & Increase in Fin Fish Diversity

•Four species found prior to restoration

•26 species now recorded

PAHs decline

from a range of

100-3000 to 5 ppm

Authors: Josef Rieger (ERP),

Wolfgang Vogelbein (VIMS) &

Michael Unger (VIMS;

Pesticides & Herbicides • Legacy Sources:

• DDT, DDE, Chlorodane, heptachlor, dieldrin, diazinon, chloropyrifos

• Sources: fish tissues and sediments. Food web Bio-accumulation

• Health effects: Causes many different types of cancer, and neurological impairments

• Current sources: • Very diverse class with diverse health risks • Sources: also very diverse • toxic but increased capacity to biodegrade

relative to legacy sources

Legacy and current

Pesticides

Biogenic hormones • Background: influence signaling

physiology in animals

• Sources: Birth control, animal wastes, livestock in streams, wastewater

• Health effects: • Fish with multiple sex organs/tissues

• Tumor production

• Other endocrine system disruptive problems

Biogenic Hormones

What does TMDL Implementation look like in these sectors? What are the Ancillary benefits for toxics?

• Wastewater

• Agriculture

• Stormwater

Restoration by sector

BMPs for Nitrogen, Phosphorous and

Sediment

BMPs for Toxics

Point sources (Wastewater) • NPS Restoration Practice: Upgraded

facilities with increased capacities and longer solid retention time (SRT)

• Ancillary Benefit: Longer retention times help remove more hormones, pharmaceuticals, and other biodegradable compounds

3/1/2015 annoucement Hopewell, Partners Join on Innovative Project to Improve James River Water Quality ~ $76 million system includes Water Quality Improvement Fund grant

Wastewater

Non-point Sources: Agriculture & Stormwater • Dispersed locations

• Diverse number of practices: • Stream Fencing to exclude

cattle • Riparian Buffers, Grass

Buffers, Forested Buffers • No-till Crops • Constructed Wetlands • Floating Wetlands • Nutrient Management

Agriculture

NPS Practice: Cattle Fencing • Ancillary Benefits:

• reduces manure loads which are an important source of biogenic hormones associated with intersex fish

• reduces E. Coli & Fecal Coliform

Agriculture: Stream

Fencing

NPS Practice: Forested Riparian Buffers

• Ancillary Benefit: Danish survey of 40+ streams found that minimum buffer strip size was the most important factor for predicting pesticide contamination N

um

be

r o

f Pe

stic

ide

s D

etec

ted

in

Surf

ace

Wat

ers

Minimum Buffer Width (m)

Forested Buffers

NPS Practice: Grass Buffers

• Ancillary Benefit:

Feb 18, 2015: University of Iowa engineers find switchgrass removes PCBs from soils,

Grass Buffers

NPS Practice: Street Sweeping • Ancillary Benefit:

California Study finds Street Sweeping practices remove significant loads of PCBs

Stormwater: street

sweeping

Stormwater: Constructed

Wetlands

NPS Practice: Constructed Wetlands Ancillary Benefit: All studied systems (constructed wetlands), achieved a mean two-year removal efficiency of 59% for PAHs.

NPS Practice: Floating Wetlands

• Ancillary Benefit: floating additions can reduce heavy metal concentrations by up to 50%

Ecological Engineering, Borne et al. 2013

Stormwater: Floating

Wetlands

Ancillary Benefit: Golf Course Wetlands significantly reduce Chemical oxygen Demand and several pesticides (Indiana) Kohler et al. 2004, Kao et al. 2002

Stormwater: constructed

wetlands

NPS Practice: Golf Course Wetlands

Wastewater

(20%, 16%, 1%)

Efficient N & P removal

Reduced Hormones & Pharmaceuticals

Agriculture

(44%, 58%, 59%)

Efficient N, P and S Reductions Reduced Hormone

loads

Reduced Pesticide Runoff

Reduced E. coli & Fecal Coliform

Stormwater

(17%, 16%, 25%)

Moderately priced reduction of N, P, S

Reductions in PAHs

Reductions in Heavy Metals Reductions in PCBs

The cost of restoration

Proportion of total load to Chesapeake Bay

(N, P , S)

Wastewater

(20%, 16%, 1%)

Efficient N & P removal

Reduced Hormones & Pharmaceuticals

Agriculture

(44%, 58%, 59%)

Efficient N, P and S Reductions Reduced Hormone

loads

Reduced Pesticide Runoff

Reduced E. coli & Fecal Coliform

Stormwater

(17%, 16%, 25%)

Moderately priced reduction of N, P, S

Reductions in PAHs

Reductions in Heavy Metals Reductions in PCBs

The cost of restoration

Proportion of total load to Chesapeake Bay

(N, P , S)

Harmful Algal Blooms and Microcystin in the

Tidal Fresh James River,

The Tidal Fresh

James River

Data: Average of monthly values from 2005-

2010 (CBP)

Study Site

What is Microcystin? • Hepatotoxin (liver)

produced by several cyanobacteria (photosynthetic bacteria)

• Potential grazer deterrent

• Increased Probability of Detection in Eutrophic Systems (Poste et al. 2011, Heisler et al.)

Poste et al 2011

Protective Standards:

World Health Organization (WHO) Drinking water 1 µg L-1.

Virginia recreational Waterbody Closure: 6 µg L-1

WHO Consumption standard .04 µg MC kg human-1

Microcystin

Impacts of Microcystin on Biota Increased

Apoptic Cell

death, Tumors

and Liver

Cancer in Trout

(Fischer et al

2011)

Mortality, Liver

Hemorrhaging

and tumor

formation in Sea

Otters, (Miller et

al 2010)

Mortality and

Hematological

Lesions in

Flamingos

(Miller et al

2010)

Lake Erie

2014: Toledo

Water Supply

severely

impacted

Microcystin assimilated by fish and crabs and

persists at lower concentrations

Microcystin influences on Clams

With Clams

Without Clams

Algal Toxins to Riparian Food Webs

L. Bulluck, N. Moy and P. Bukaveckas. VCU.

Microcystin is

found in aquatic

insects including

mayflies.

When insects

emerge and are

consumed, the

toxin is transferred

to birds and

spiders.

Microcystin Impairments occur more

frequently at Higher Chlorophyll Levels

Current Summer Standard

(23 µg L-1)

Questions?