The biological effectiveness of bioretention: Preventing toxicity to aquatic animals exposed to highway runoff
Presentation Abstract
Stormwater runoff contains a complex mixture of contaminants that can affect the resiliency of aquatic ecosystems. In the Pacific Northwest, urban stormwater runoff impacts both the development and adult survival of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) approaches such as soil bioretention can greatly improve the quality of runoff from urban surfaces, however very little research has been conducted to assess whether these improvements are sufficient to prevent toxic harm to animals in receiving waters. We used a variety of animal models to determine the baseline toxicity of highway runoff to aquatic animals and to test the biological effectiveness of one treatment type. Highway runoff was collected during 6 storms between October 2011 and September 2012. Some events were acutely lethal to aquatic invertebrates (Ceriodaphnia dubia) and developing fish (Danio rerio). Sublethal effects included reproductive impairment in C. dubia and cardiovascular toxicity in D. rerio. Runoff from the final storm event was treated with soil bioretention (with and without plants). Untreated runoff was acutely lethal to juvenile O. kisutch, C. dubia, and Baetis spp (wild mayflies) and caused cardiovascular toxicity in D. rerio. Treatment prevented acute lethal and sublethal effects in all four species.
Session Title
Session S-09B: Bioretention for Improving Water Quality
Conference Track
Stormwater
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2014 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
2-5-2014 10:30 AM
End Date
2-5-2014 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--Toxicology--Salish Sea Region (B.C. and Wash.); Bioswales--Salish Sea Region (B.C. and Wash.); Animals--Effect of water pollution on--Salish Sea Region (B.C. and Wash.)
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
The biological effectiveness of bioretention: Preventing toxicity to aquatic animals exposed to highway runoff
Room 608-609
Stormwater runoff contains a complex mixture of contaminants that can affect the resiliency of aquatic ecosystems. In the Pacific Northwest, urban stormwater runoff impacts both the development and adult survival of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) approaches such as soil bioretention can greatly improve the quality of runoff from urban surfaces, however very little research has been conducted to assess whether these improvements are sufficient to prevent toxic harm to animals in receiving waters. We used a variety of animal models to determine the baseline toxicity of highway runoff to aquatic animals and to test the biological effectiveness of one treatment type. Highway runoff was collected during 6 storms between October 2011 and September 2012. Some events were acutely lethal to aquatic invertebrates (Ceriodaphnia dubia) and developing fish (Danio rerio). Sublethal effects included reproductive impairment in C. dubia and cardiovascular toxicity in D. rerio. Runoff from the final storm event was treated with soil bioretention (with and without plants). Untreated runoff was acutely lethal to juvenile O. kisutch, C. dubia, and Baetis spp (wild mayflies) and caused cardiovascular toxicity in D. rerio. Treatment prevented acute lethal and sublethal effects in all four species.
