DEP Selenium StudyBackground and Progress

Patrick CampbellApril 18, 2006

Selenium – History

•Current Water Quality Standards:• 5 µg/l chronic (coldwater and warmwater)• 20 µg/l acute (coldwater and warmwater)• 10 µg/l (drinking water)

• Discovered in the MTM EIS work• Violations of standards have been observed, streams 303(d) listed, TMDLs developed, appeal, effluent limits, core analysis, material handling, etc.

Environmental Impact Study of Mountaintop Mining and Valley Fill

Operations in West Virginia

EIS data included over 900 water chemistry samples.

Selenium values exceeded WV’s WQ criteria and resulted in listing of 9 streams on our 2002 303(d)list of impaired streams:

•4 from the Coal River Watershed•4 from the Guyandotte & one from the Gauley

DEP − Selenium TMDLs

EPA Approved1. Mud River

2. Stanley Fork

3. Sugartree Branch

Pending Approval1. Seng Creek2. Left Fork/White Oak Ck3. White Oak Creek4. Trace Branch5. Beech Creek6. Left Fork/Beech Ck7. Beaver Pond Branch8. James Creek9. Casey Creek

Other DEP Selenium Data

• 1997 Random Sites - no selenium detected• Random sites 2002-2005, 471 samples; 465 no

detects– Some type of mining (valley fills, old surface, ponds,

prep plants, etc.) was observed at or near the sites where Se detected

• Coal River TMDL study: 1948 WQ samples collected/laboratory analysis for Se, 1840 no detects

• Fish - Edible fish tissue 54 samples – LMB Mt. Storm

2767.008.5890.0088New West HollowUpper Kanawha27-Apr-05

1573.008.222.90.0306Perry BranchUpper Guyandotte03-May-05

1323.008.15580.007White Oak HollowTug Fork08-Jun-05

1650.007.68230.009Buckles BranchGauley29-Jun-05

608.008.12340.012Spruce ForkCoal04-May-05

916.008.32690.009Mudlick BranchCoal10-May-05

Sp Cond (umhos/cm)pHSulfate (mg/L)Total Se (mg/L)Stream NameWatershedDate

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

MudlickBranch

Spruce Fork BucklesBranch

White OakHollow

Perry Branch New WestHollow

0

0.005

0.01

0.015

0.02

0.025

0.03

0.035Sulfate (mg/L)Sp Cond (umhos/cm)Total Se (mg/L)2002-2005

Random Sampling

WQ Results

(Se detected)

Selenium – EPA

•Noticed for comment revised recommended federal criteria 12/2004

•Proposed 7.9 ppm body burden # (whole fish – dry weight)

•Extensive comment received•Body burden believed to be more reflective

of actual environmental impact•But how do you make that a permit limit?

Selenium – DEP Study

•Insight into bioaccumulation rates•Notice of Study issued on 11/10/05•Collecting fish from areas where elevated in-stream concentrations observed/believed to be present•Target species whole body bluegill/green sunfish; creek chub/stoneroller as backup

Selenium – DEP Study

•Looking at 12 sites and 2 controls•Lakes and Streams •Mining and Flyash Disposal Areas

•Fish Collections - 2 times•146 ground & analyzed thus far

•12 months WQ sampling

Selenium – DEP Study

•Looking at 12 sites and 2 controls•Lakes and Streams •Mining and Flyash Disposal Areas

•Fish Collections - 2 times•12 months WQ sampling

Study Locations

• Mud River• Hughes Fk/ 20-mile• Ash Fk/ 20-mile (ref)• Kiah Ck/12-pole• Seng Ck/Coal• White Oak/Coal• Sycamore Ck/Coal (ref)• Beech Ck/Little Coal • Pond Fk/Little Coal

Streams Lakes• Mt. Storm Lake• East Lynn Lake• Upper Mud Reservoir

Flyash•Connor Run•Daugherty Run

#Y#Y

#Y#Y

#Y

#Y #Y

#Y

#Y#Y

#Y

#Y#Y

#Y

ASH FORK

POND FORK

MUD RIVER

SENG CREEKKIAH CREEK

CONNOR RUN

BEECH CREEK

HUGHES FORK

DAUGHERTY RUN

SYCAMORE CREEK

MOUNT STORM LAKE

UPPER MUD RIVER RESERVOIR

WHITE OAK CREEK

EAST LYNN LAKE

Fish Tissue Fish Tissue Sampling Sampling LocationsLocations

Preliminary Data

• 14 Sites reporting in…4 mo. wq & 1 set fish– Water Column <1 µg/l – 42 µg/l – Fish Body Burden < 1 mg/kg – 60 mg/kg (dry

weight)

• Using both extremes - WV selenium values would fall in the range of 0.5 to 121 µg/l.

Determining Se Bioaccumulation Factors

BAF = Tissue Concentration / Water Column Concentration

= Tissue (mg/kg) dry weight / Column (mg/L)

= Tissue (mg/kg) X 1/Column (mg/L)

= L/kg

Ex. BAF = 5.10 (mg/kg) / 0.007 (mg/L)

= 728.57 (L/kg)

= or 728.57 L. or column Se to create 1.0 kg or tissue Se

X X

Extreme BAF Cases

• White Oak Creek

Avg. Water 15.3 ppb

– Bluegill <1 ppm– 121 µg/l necessary to

protect 7.9 body burden

– BAF = 65.4 (liters/kg)

• Mud River Reservoir

Avg. Water 3.9 ppb

– Bluegill = 60 ppm– 0.5 µg/l necessary to

protect 7.9 body burden

– BAF = 15,000 (liters/kg)

Avg. Water Column Se Values

0.05.0

10.015.020.025.030.035.040.0

Beech C

reek

Pond Fork

White O

ak C

reek

Seng C

reek

Sycam

ore Cre

ek

Upper Mud R

iver R

eserv

oirHughes

ForkAsh Fork

Daugherty

Run

East L

ynn Lak

eKiah

Cre

ekConnor R

unMud R

iver

Mount Sto

rm Lak

eTo

tal S

e (p

pb)

Avg. Column & Tissue Se Values11

.0

1.8

15.3

34.0

1.0 3.

9 5.6

1.0

1.0

1.0 2.0

15.8

6.8

1.6

10.7

3.8 5.

7 8.6

1.0

33.9

10.1

1.7

1.4 3.

0

2.0

24.4

7.8

4.4

0.05.0

10.015.020.025.030.035.040.0

Beech C

reek

Pond Fork

White O

ak C

reek

Seng C

reek

Sycam

ore Cre

ek

Upper Mud R

iver R

eserv

oirHughes

ForkAsh Fork

Daugherty

Run

East L

ynn Lak

eKiah

Cre

ekConnor R

unMud R

iver

Mount Sto

rm Lak

eTo

tal S

e

Avg. Column Se (ppb)Avg. Fish Tissue (ppm)

Preliminary ObservationsBluegill Tissue

•Streams: <1 – 4.2 ppm / avg. = 2.6 ppm•Avg. BAF = 1202 (L/kg)•Column # protective of 7.9 ppm = 27.7 µg/L

•Lakes: <1 – 60 ppm / avg. = 13.1 ppm•Avg. BAF = 4997 (L/kg)•Column # protective of 7.9 ppm = 2.6 µg/L

•Combined: <1 – 60 ppm/ avg. = 10.6 ppm•Avg. BAF = 4086 (L/kg)•Column # protective of 7.9 ppm = 8.5 µg/L

Preliminary ObservationsGreen Sunfish Tissue

•Streams: <1 – 29 ppm / avg. = 10.2 ppm•Avg. BAF = 1421 (L/kg)•Column # protective of 7.9 ppm = 12.5 µg/L

•Lakes: 22 – 47 ppm / avg. = 30.4 ppm•Avg. BAF = 7794 (L/kg)•Column # protective of 7.9 ppm = 1.1 µg/L

•Combined: <1 – 47 ppm/ avg. = 13.3 ppm•Avg. BAF = 2387 (L/kg)•Column # protective of 7.9 ppm = 10.8 µg/L

Preliminary ObservationsCreek Chub Tissue

•Streams: <1 – 30ppm / avg. = 6.8 ppm•Avg. BAF = 857 (L/kg)•Column # protective of 7.9 ppm = 21.2 µg/L

•Lakes: Not Collected/Expected

Se Bioaccumulation Among Lake Resident Bluegill

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

Mud R

iver R

es. B

G 1

Mud R

iver R

es. B

G 2

Mud R

iver R

es. B

G 3

Mud R

iver R

es. B

G 4

Mud R

iver R

es. B

G 5

East L

ynn L

ake B

G 1

East L

ynn L

ake B

G 2

East L

ynn L

ake B

G 3

East L

ynn L

ake B

G 4

East L

ynn L

ake B

G 5

Mt. Stor

m Lake

BG 1

Mt. Stor

m Lake

BG 2

Mt. Stor

m Lake

BG 3

Mt. Stor

m Lake

BG 4

Mt. Stor

m Lake

BG 5

Mt. Stor

m Lake

BG 6

Mt. Stor

m Lake

BG 7

Mt. Stor

m Lake

BG 8

Mt. Stor

m Lake

BG 9

Tota

l Se

0.0

2000.0

4000.0

6000.0

8000.0

10000.0

12000.0

14000.0

16000.0

18000.0

BAF

Tissue Se (mg/kg) dry wtColumn Exposure (mg/L)Average BAF (L/kg)

Selenium – Closing

• Last word of federal recommended criteria– Late 2008 for criteria and implementation guidance– 7.9 may not be 7.9

• 2nd rd fish collection just completed• Added column sampling to lakes• Contemplating 3rd round late summer• Add antagonistic trace metals to tissue analysis • Other agencies may take closer look at organ

concentrations

Final thoughts…

• Current criteria in full effect• Still learning…

Questions?