z-logo
Premium
Spatial differences in trace element bioaccumulation in turtles exposed to a partially remediated coal fly ash spill
Author(s) -
Van Dyke James U.,
Jachowski Catherine M. Bodinof,
Steen David A.,
Jackson Brian P.,
Hopkins William A.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1002/etc.3524
Subject(s) - bioaccumulation , environmental science , trace element , environmental chemistry , fly ash , mercury (programming language) , environmental remediation , arsenic , contamination , ecology , chemistry , biology , organic chemistry , computer science , programming language
Large‐scale releases of environmental contaminants from industrial facilities can cause considerable damage to surrounding ecosystems and require remediation. The expense and/or undesirable environmental side effects of physical removal may constrain remediation efforts. In 2008, approximately 4.1 million m 3 of fly ash were released into the Emory River at a coal‐burning power plant in Kingston, Tennessee, USA. Approximately 390 000 m 3 of fly ash were not removed (hereafter “residual ash”), to avoid disturbing underlying legacy contamination from unrelated historical industrial activity. In 2011 and 2012, the authors measured trace element concentrations in an assemblage of freshwater turtles in 2 rivers impacted by the spill and in a third river that was unaffected. Concentrations of arsenic, copper, iron, mercury, manganese, selenium, and zinc were higher in turtles from rivers affected by the spill but low relative to concentrations known to be toxic to other vertebrates. Concentrations of some trace elements decreased with distance from the original spill site but were not strongly affected by nearby volumes of residual ash. Among‐species differences in trace element bioaccumulation and/or the relatively low spatial resolution of available data on residual ash volumes may have obscured this effect. The results suggest that the spill influenced turtle bioaccumulation of trace elements but that distance from the spill site may be a more important factor than residual ash in influencing postremediation bioaccumulation. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:201–211. © 2016 SETAC

This content is not available in your region!

Continue researching here.

Having issues? You can contact us here