Presentation Abstract
Stormwater runoff can result in episodic increases of copper concentrations in receiving waters of the Salish Sea basin. Based on several laboratory studies demonstrating that short-term exposures to low copper concentrations can cause olfactory and behavioral effects in Pacific salmon and trout, there is concern that these short-term increases in copper concentrations during storm events could be adversely impacting salmon and trout populations. For example, copper-induced olfactory impairment could potentially reduce the ability of juvenile salmon to avoid predators. Although behavior and olfactory impairment are more sensitive endpoints than the acute lethality endpoint commonly used for evaluating short-term exposures to chemicals, the data available to-date indicate that ambient water quality criteria (AWQC) for copper in freshwater are protective against both behavioral effects and olfactory impairment in fish, particularly when the AWQC were derived using the freshwater biotic ligand model (BLM). The BLM is a bioavailability-based model that predicts copper toxicity as a function of several water chemistry parameters, including, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), pH, alkalinity, calcium, and several other ions in freshwater. Less data on the olfactory and behavioral effects of copper on saltwater species are available relative to that available in fresh water. No experimental evidence available to-date indicates that copper concentrations in marine waters at or below the current EPA marine AWQC for copper (CMC = 4.8 µg/L, CCC = 3.1 µg/L) adversely affects the behavior of any marine fish species tested. The pending draft BLM-based saltwater AWQC for copper also appear to be protective against both behavioral effects and olfactory impairment (key water chemistry parameters in the saltwater BLM are DOC, pH, and salinity). An evaluation of copper concentrations in some representative receiving waters in the Salish Sea basin during storm events, and comparisons to BLM-based copper criteria and behavioral and olfactory effects thresholds for copper, will be presented.
Session Title
Session S-05B: Water Quality II
Conference Track
Toxics
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2014 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
1-5-2014 10:30 AM
End Date
1-5-2014 12:00 PM
Location
Room 608-609
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Runoff--Environmental aspects--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Copper--Environmental aspects--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Pacific salmon--Effect of metals on--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Trout--Effect of metals on--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Pacific salmon--Behavior--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Trout--Behavior--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Olfactory nerve--Effect of metals on
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Protectiveness of Aquatic Life Criteria for Copper Against Olfactory and Behavioral Effects in Freshwater and Saltwater Fish
Room 608-609
Stormwater runoff can result in episodic increases of copper concentrations in receiving waters of the Salish Sea basin. Based on several laboratory studies demonstrating that short-term exposures to low copper concentrations can cause olfactory and behavioral effects in Pacific salmon and trout, there is concern that these short-term increases in copper concentrations during storm events could be adversely impacting salmon and trout populations. For example, copper-induced olfactory impairment could potentially reduce the ability of juvenile salmon to avoid predators. Although behavior and olfactory impairment are more sensitive endpoints than the acute lethality endpoint commonly used for evaluating short-term exposures to chemicals, the data available to-date indicate that ambient water quality criteria (AWQC) for copper in freshwater are protective against both behavioral effects and olfactory impairment in fish, particularly when the AWQC were derived using the freshwater biotic ligand model (BLM). The BLM is a bioavailability-based model that predicts copper toxicity as a function of several water chemistry parameters, including, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), pH, alkalinity, calcium, and several other ions in freshwater. Less data on the olfactory and behavioral effects of copper on saltwater species are available relative to that available in fresh water. No experimental evidence available to-date indicates that copper concentrations in marine waters at or below the current EPA marine AWQC for copper (CMC = 4.8 µg/L, CCC = 3.1 µg/L) adversely affects the behavior of any marine fish species tested. The pending draft BLM-based saltwater AWQC for copper also appear to be protective against both behavioral effects and olfactory impairment (key water chemistry parameters in the saltwater BLM are DOC, pH, and salinity). An evaluation of copper concentrations in some representative receiving waters in the Salish Sea basin during storm events, and comparisons to BLM-based copper criteria and behavioral and olfactory effects thresholds for copper, will be presented.
