Survival Analyses • Average survival in the reference groups was greater than 75%, and average survival in all

treatment groups was greater than 70% (Fig 4). • There were no significant differences in survival between treatment and reference groups at

the termination of the study (p > 0.05). • NP treatment group had the greatest average survival (90%) while the UMF treatment group

had the least average survival (70%).

Water chemistry analyses • Basic water quality parameters (temp., pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, and hardness) were

measured daily. Alkalinity, ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite were measured once a week, at minimum. • Metal, cation/anion, and DOC analyses were performed weekly by inductively coupled plasma

mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), ion chromatography, and infrared detection, respectively, by Columbia Analytical Services, Keslo, WA, USA.

Data analyses • Biological endpoints included mortality and body condition, and were assessed by Kaplan-Meier

survival analysis and Fulton's condition factor (K). • ANOVA and Dunnett’s Tests were used to assess statistical significance between treatment and

reference groups. Biotic Ligand Model The Biotic Ligand Model (BLM), a metal speciation and predictive toxicity model, can be used to predict metal speciation for various metals as well as toxicity to a number of aquatic organisms depending on ambient water quality parameters (BLM, 2007). The most sensitive BLM parameter files that were developed for previous work with white sturgeon (Vardy et al. 2011) were used to make predictions for 4 metals (Cu, Cd, Zn, and Pb) based on water quality values obtained from the different matrices in the present study. Toxic units (TUs) were then calculated by dividing the measured metal concentrations in the matrices by the associated BLM prediction.

Results Metal Analyses • Concentrations of metals fluctuated throughout the experiment within the matrices of the various

exposure sediments. • There was a trend towards greater concentrations of metals in PW versus SWI and OW. Greatest

Cu concentrations were measured in systems containing DE, NP, LD, and LMF sediments while no such trends were observed for the other metals (Fig 3).

Methods Sampling Sites and Sediments Sediments were collected from seven locations along the upper Columbia River (Map 1). In addition, a water only (H2O) and an artificial sediment (CTRL) were included as controls. Two reference sites, Lower Arrow Lake (LALL) and Genelle (GE), located upstream of a metallurgical facility in Trail, B.C., Canada (Map 1B), and five locations between the trans-boundary reach of Canada and the USA, and Kettle falls, USA, representing a sediment exposure gradient for contaminants of potential concern, were sampled (Map 1C). Specifically, sediments were collected at Deadman’s Eddy (DE), Northport (NP), Little Dalles, (LD), Upper Marcus Flats (UMF), and Lower Marcus Flats (LMF). Note: DE was beach sediment that was collected above the water line due to logistical restraints.

[C]

[B]

[A]

White Sturgeon Early Life Stage

Acknowledgments: Funding for this project was provided by an unrestricted grant from Teck American Incorporated to the Univ. Sask. Thanks to the Kootenay Trout Hatchery, the UofS graduate program and team, the UofS ATRF, the US-EPA and the UCR RI/FS technical advisory team for their advise and support during these studies.

David W. Vardy1, Jon A. Doering1, Shawn C. Beitel1, Brett T. Tendler1, Adam Ryan2 , Robert Santore2, John P. Giesy1,3,4,5, Markus Hecker1,6,7

Assessment of chronic toxicity of upper Columbia River sediments to early life stage white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus)

Map 1. [A] Columbia River basin. [B] Reference sediment locations on the Columbia River circled in red [Lower Arrow Lake (LALL), and Genelle (GE)]. [C] Treatment sediment locations on the Columbia River circled in red [Deadman’s Eddy (DE), Northport (NP), Little Dalles, (LD), Upper Marcus Flats (UMF), and Lower Marcus Flats (LMF)]. Map adapted from McLelllan and Howell.

GE

NP LD

UMF

LMF

CTRL

Fig 3. Average measured metal concentrations in control, reference, and treatment exposures in overlying water (OW), sediment water interface water (SWI), and porewater at 1 cm (PW 1 cm) and 2.5 cm (PW 2.5 cm) depth.

DE

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1

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100

H2O CTRL LALL GE DE NP LD UMF LMF

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er (µ

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Cu Concentrations in Matrices

OW

SWI

PW (1 cm)

PW (2.5 cm)

0.001

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H2O CTRL LALL GE DE NP LD UMF LMF

Cadm

ium

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L)

Sediments

Cd Concentrations in Matrices

OW

SWI

PW (1 cm)

PW (2.5 cm)

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H2O CTRL LALL GE DE NP LD UMF LMF

Lead

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L)

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Pb Concentrations in Matrices

OW

SWI

PW (1 cm)

PW (2.5 cm)

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10

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H20 CTRL LALL GE DE NP LD UMF LMF

Zinc

(µg/

L)

Sediments

Zn Concentrations in Matrices

OW

SWI

PW (1 cm)

PW (2.5 cm)

[B]

[C] [A]

Fig 1. [A] Flow-through experimental exposure system, [B] Experimental exposure arrangement, [C] Exposure chamber with sediment and sturgeon. Suction Sampling Devices (Airstones)

Passive Diffusive Sampling Devices (Peepers)

Passive Diffusive Gradient Thin Films (DGTs)

Fig 2. Schematic of exposure chamber with DGTs and peepers for passive sampling (PW 1 cm) and airstones (PW 2.5 cm) for active sampling of porewater at 1 and 2.5 cm depths, respectively.

Fig 4. [A] Survival analyses over the duration of the experiment and [B] overall survival in the control, reference, and treatment exposures at the termination of the experiment. From left to right, the dashed lines separate the control, reference, and treatment groups, respectively.

Sediments

White Sturgeon Survival Analyses

Days of Exposure

Sur

viva

l at T

erm

inat

ion

(%)

White Sturgeon Survival at Termination

Cu

mul

ativ

e Su

rviv

al (%

)

LALL

[A]

[C]

[B]

Experimental Design • WS embryos were obtained from the Kootenay Trout Hatchery, B.C., Canada. • Newly hatched larvae were exposed to sediments and controls for 60d in flow-through

experimental chambers (Fig 1). • Three different waters were sampled weekly for assessment of exposure: overlying

water (OW), sediment-water interface water (SWI), and porewater (PW), by use of syringes, suction devices, and peepers and diffusive gradient thin films (DGTs), respectively (Fig 2).

1Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada. 2HDR | HydroQual, East Syracuse, NY, USA.

3Dept. Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada. 4City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.

5King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 6Cardno ENTRIX Inc., Saskatoon, SK, Canada.

7School of the Environment & Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.

Body Condition Index (K) • There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in K of fish exposed to treatment sediments

versus reference sediments at termination (Fig 5). BLM Toxic Units • TUs were calculated for all matrices (OW, SWI, and PW at 1 and 2.5 cm) for every exposure

chamber (only Cu data shown; Fig 6). • Mean TU values approached or exceeded the threshold of 1.0 TU for only Cu in deep

porewater (Fig 6) for DE and LD sediment exposures. • TUs for Cd, Zn, and Pb were less than TU threshold values of 1.0 (data not shown).

Conclusions • There were no statistically significant effects on any of the measurement endpoints. • Concentrations of metals in sediment exposure matrices were less than the most sensitive

LC values determined in previous studies (Vardy et al. 2011) for Cd, Zn, and Pb, and only approached LC values in PW for Cu in DE and LD sediment exposures. This is consistent with the BLM toxic units comparison for copper (Fig 6.)

• Results of this study indicate that exposure to contaminants through sediments in the upper Columbia River is unlikely to significantly contribute to the poor recruitment of WS.

References BLM, 2007. The Biotic Ligand Model Windows Interface, Version 2.2.3: User’s Guide and Reference Manual, HydroQual, Inc, Mahwah, NJ, USA. Vardy, D.W., Tompsett, A.R., Sigurdson, J.L., Doering, J.A., Zhang, X., Giesy, J.P., Hecker, M., 2011. Effects of sub-chronic exposure of early life stages of white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) to copper, cadmium and zinc. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. (In press )

Fig 5. Mean body condition index of white sturgeon. Fish in treatment sediment exposures were compared to fish exposed to reference sediments. From left to right, the dashed lines separate the control, reference, and treatment groups, respectively. Error bars represent standard deviation.

0.001

0.01

0.1

1

10

H20 CTRL LALL GE DE NP LD UMF LMFGeo

met

ric m

ean

of C

u To

xic

Uni

ts

Sediments

Biotic Ligand Model Toxic Units Comparison for Copper

OW

SWI

PW (1 cm)

PW (2.5 cm)

<

< < << <

<

<

<< <

Fig 6. Toxic unit (TU) analyses for copper based on Biotic Ligand Model predictions. Bars represent average TUs for overlying water (OW), sediment-water interface (SWI), and porewater (PW) for the various sediment exposures. Error bars represent standard deviation. TUs were considered “<“ when more than 80% of measurements were below DL or associated with a contaminated blank.

11.021.041.061.08

1.11.121.14

H20 CTRL LALL GE DE NP LD UMF LMF

Cond

itio

n In

dex

Sediments

Body Condition Index of Sturgeon at Termination

Introduction Sturgeon (Acipenseridae) populations are threatened throughout the world and have been decreasing over the past century in North America, Asia, and Northern Europe. In North America, populations of white sturgeon (WS; Acipenser transmontanus) are declining in the north-western USA and British Columbia, Canada, primarily due to poor annual recruitment. Pollution has been hypothesized as one potential cause for poor recruitment in the Columbia River (CR) between Grand Coulee Dam in the USA, and the Hugh L. Keenleyside Dam in southern British Columbia, Canada. Potential past and/or present sources of pollution include metallurgical facilities, pulp and paper mills, and other industrial and municipal sources. There are concerns that sediments in the CR may be contaminated and are potentially toxic to WS given their epibenthic nature. Specifically, there are concerns about the potential toxicity to WS early life stages, including the early hiding stage where fry are in proximity to sediments, to contaminants such as metals that are associated with sediments. The present study evaluated effects of metals in sediments collected from the CR on early life stage WS. WS were exposed to field-collected sediments from areas considered to be suitable WS habitat, and containing a range of metal concentrations. Reference sediments were collected from sites in Canada, upriver from the study area. Studies were conducted at the Aquatic Toxicology Research Facility, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, under simulated fluvial, flow-through, conditions from hatch to 60 days post hatch (dph). To aid in the risk assessment of WS exposed to sediments of concern, the Biotic Ligand Model (BLM), a metal speciation and predictive toxicity model, was employed to characterize potential toxicity of CR sediments to early life stage WS. Results presented here are preliminary and are the opinion of the authors. The study will be submitted for consideration as part of a baseline ecological risk assessment being conducted at the upper Columbia River in eastern Washington State, USA.