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2005 Progress Report: An Improved Method for Establishing Water Quality Criteria for Mining Impacted Streams
EPA Grant Number: R829515C013Subproject: this is subproject number 013 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant R829515
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: HSRC - Rocky Mountain Regional Hazardous Substance Research Center for Remediation of Mine Waste Sites
Center Director: Shackelford, Charles D.
Title: An Improved Method for Establishing Water Quality Criteria for Mining Impacted Streams
Investigators: Ranville, James , Cohen, Ron , Ross, Phillipe , Wildeman, Thomas
Institution: Colorado School of Mines
EPA Project Officer: Lasat, Mitch
Project Period: October 1, 2003 through September 30, 2006
Project Period Covered by this Report: October 1, 2004 through September 30, 2005
RFA: Hazardous Substance Research Centers - HSRC (2001)
Research Category: Hazardous Waste/Remediation
Description:
Objective:The overall objective of this research project is to improve the ability to evaluate the environmental impact of mining wastes on aquatic ecosystems. This approach is based on furthering our understanding of the factors affecting metal bioavailability. The practical outcomes of this research are: (1) an improved means of setting water quality criteria for mining impacted streams; and (2) a rapid screening tool that can be applied in the field to evaluate the potential environmental impact of mine wastes.
The specific objectives of the research project are to: (1) evaluate the existing Biotic Ligand Model (BLM) for mining impacted waters; (2) improve the BLM by examining the influence on metal toxicity of the unique nature of mining impacted waters with respect to the hardness cations; (3) develop further the BLM to include mixed metals (Cu and Zn); and (4) develop a microbial bioassay to rapidly screen mine wastes to assess their toxicity potential.
Progress Summary:The BLM, used for toxicity predictions, has been uploaded onto computers, and tested for functionality. Preliminary uses of the BLM have included: determining experimental conditions for the toxicity experiments to be performed with Ceriodaphnia dubia; evaluation of a multi-investigator Clear Creek toxicity study performed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in August 2003; and an evaluation of the relationship between geology and aquatic toxicity that is part of a Colorado School of Mines-USGS collaboration on geoenvironmental models. Extensive sampling of Clear Creek waters and mines wastes located within the watershed has been performed. These samples have been used for BLM modeling and evaluation of a microbial enzyme bioassay; the samples will be used for future experiments with metal mixtures. Toxicity experiments with single metals (Cu, Zn, Ni, and Cd) have been performed using Ceriodaphnia dubia. These experiments have produced LC50 values for each metal under site conditions. These values will be used to establish the conditions for a series of experiments to be performed with binary metal mixtures. Two commercially available microbial enzyme bioassays have been applied to a series of Clear Creek water samples and deionized water leachates of mine wastes. The results have been compared to standard toxicity tests. These enzyme bioassays are being examined for use as a possible field screening method for assessing mining wastes.
Future Activities:The second year of research will be devoted to toxicity measurements of metal mixtures, further development of the microbial enzyme bioassays, and refinement of the BLM for mining influenced waters.
Supplemental Keywords:biotec ligand model, acid mine discharge, acid mine drainage, acid mine runoff, aquatic ecosystem, bioavailability, contaminant transport, contaminated aquifers, contaminated groundwater, extraction of metals, geochemistry, metal contamination, hydrogeology, mining,
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Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Industry Sectors, POLLUTANTS/TOXICS, ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, INDUSTRY, Water, INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, TREATMENT/CONTROL, Scientific Discipline, Waste, RFA, Remediation, Ecosystem/Assessment/Indicators, Risk Assessment, Ground Water, Restoration, Waste Treatment, Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration, Industrial Processes, Ecological Risk Assessment, Chemicals, Ecological Indicators, Hazardous Waste, Environmental Engineering, Ecosystem Protection, Groundwater remediation, Hazardous, Mining - NAIC 21, Ecology and Ecosystems, bioavailability, heavy metal contamination, heavy metals, treatment, water quality, aquatic ecosystem, ecological impact, environmental rehabilitation, geochemistry, extraction of metals, contaminated waste sites, mining, mining wastes, acid mine runoff, acid mine drainage, metal release, monitoring, streams, ecological recovery, stakeholder groups, contaminated aquifers, groundwater pollution, remediation technologies, contaminant transport, water quality criteria, acid mine discharge, leaching of toxic metals, metal wastes, aquatic ecosystems, metals, community involvement, contaminated groundwater, hydrogeology, rivers, stream ecosystem, restoration strategies, Biotic Ligand Model
Relevant Websites:
http://www.engr.colostate.edu/hsrc/ 
Progress and Final Reports:
2004 Progress Report
Original Abstract
Main Center Abstract and Reports:
R829515 HSRC - Rocky Mountain Regional Hazardous Substance Research Center for Remediation of Mine Waste Sites