DATA REPORT FOR THE COLLECTION OF SMALL MAMMALS AND AMERICAN WOODCOCK FROM THE FLOODPLAIN OF THE HUDSON RIVER, NEW YORK IN YEAR 2001, ANALYSIS OF FLOODPLAIN EARTHWORMS FROM THE YEAR 2000, AND RE-ANALYSIS OF SELECT FLOODPLAIN SOILS AND SMALL MAMMALS FROM THE YEAR 2000 HUDSON RIVER NATURAL RESOURCE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT HUDSON RIVER NATURAL RESOURCE TRUSTEES STATE OF NEW YORK U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FINAL JANUARY 2010 Available from: U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Hudson River NRDA, Lead Administrative Trustee Damage Assessment Center, N/ORR31 1305 East-West Highway, Rm 10219 Silver Spring, MD 20910-3281 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF Natural resources of the Hudson River have been contaminated through past and ongoing discharges of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The Hudson River Natural Resource Trustees -- New York State, the AMMALS U.S. Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Department of the Interior -- are conducting a natural M N AL Y SIS Y AL N resource damage assessment (NRDA) to assess and restore those natural resources injured by PCBs. HUDSON RIVER , A In 2000, the Trustees conducted a screening-level investigation from Fort Edward to Stillwater, New York, MALL and identified PCB contamination in floodplain soils and in small mammals. The Trustees expanded this S investigation in 2001 to refine the areas and species that may be exposed to floodplain PCBs. AND Sampling in 2001 focused on small mammals and American woodcock (Scolopax minor). A total of 169 small mammal samples from the year 2001, consisting of 61 short-tailed shrews, 94 deer mice and white- OLLECTION C OILS footed mice, and 14 voles, as well as two woodcock liver samples, were analyzed for select PCB congeners, S PCB homologue groups, total PCBs, and percent lipids. The Trustees also determined that it was appropriate to re-analyze select shrew and soil samples from 2000 pursuant to the methods contained in the Trustees Analytical Quality Assurance Plan, and to analyze OODCOCK archived earthworm samples from 2000 that had not been analyzed previously. Thus, in addition to the W small mammal and woodcock liver samples collected in 2001 that were submitted for analysis, the Trustees LOODPLAIN F also submitted to the laboratory for re-analysis 18 soil samples and 12 shrew samples from 2000 and submitted to the laboratory for analysis 10 earthworm composite samples from 2000. The total PCB analytical results from this investigation are as follows: MERICAN ELECT S A • Total PCB concentrations in earthworm samples from 2000 range from 0.03 ppm to 23.9 ppm (wet weight basis (ww)). OF • Total PCB concentrations in soil samples from 2000 range from 0.11 ppm to 937 ppm (dry weight AND basis). • Total PCB concentrations in shrew samples from 2000 range from 0.19 ppm to 36.7 ppm (ww). NALYSIS • Total PCB concentrations in small mammal samples from 2001 range from 0.02 ppm to 30.4 ppm AMMALS -A (ww). E M • Total PCB concentrations in woodcock liver samples from 2001 are 0.12 ppm and 0.13 ppm (ww). R MALL AND , : S EPORT R ARTHWORMS ATA E D IVER R LOODPLAIN F UDSON H HUDSON RIVER DATA REPORT: SMALL MAMMALS AND AMERICAN WOODCOCK COLLECTION, ANALYSIS OF FLOODPLAIN EARTHWORMS, AND RE-ANALYSIS OF SELECT FLOODPLAIN SOILS AND SMALL MAMMALS HUDSON RIVER F H LOODPLAIN UDSON TABLE OF CONTENTS R IVER E ARTHWORMS D ATA 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................... 1 R EPORT 2.0 SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................................ 1 , AND 2.1 2001 SAMPLING ...................................................................................................... 1 : S 2.1.1 COLLECTION OF SMALL MAMMAL SAMPLES IN 2001 ...................... 2 R MALL 2.1.2 COLLECTION OF WOODCOCK SAMPLES IN 2001 .............................. 2 E 2.1.3 STORAGE OF SMALL MAMMAL AND WOODCOCK SAMPLES -A M FROM 2001 ................................................................................................... 2 NALYSIS AMMALS 2.1.4 SHIPPING OF SAMPLES ............................................................................ 2 2.2 SAMPLE ANALYSIS ............................................................................................... 2 2.3 QUALITY ASSURANCE/QUALITY CONTROL ............................................... 3 OF AND 3.0 RESULTS ........................................................................................................................................................... 5 S ELECT 3.1 TOTAL PCB CONCENTRATIONS ...................................................................... 8 A MERICAN 3.2 PCB HOMOLOGUES AND CONGENERS........................................................10 F LOODPLAIN 4.0 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................................. 13 FIGURES ................................................................................................................................................................ 15 W Appendix A: Work Summary for the Collection of Small Mammals and American OODCOCK Woodcock from the Floodplains of the Hudson River, New York. S OILS Appendix B: Data Quality Assessment Report. Hudson River Natural Resource Damage Assessment. Floodplain Study. Woodcock Liver Tissue and C AND Earthworm Tissue. OLLECTION S Appendix C: Data Quality Assessment Report. Hudson River Natural Resource MALL Damage Assessment. Floodplain Study. 2001 Small Mammals Tissue and 2000 Shrews and Soils. M , A Appendix D: Earthworm (2000) and Woodcock Liver (2001) Tissue Data Sheets. AMMALS NALYSIS NALYSIS Appendix E: Small Mammal (2001) Tissue Data Sheets: E1: Short-Tailed Shrew Tissue Data Sheets; E2: Mouse Tissue Data Sheets; and OF E3: Meadow Vole Tissue Data Sheets. Appendix F: Soil and Shrew (2000) Data Sheets: F1: 2000 Soil Data Sheets; and F2: 2000 Short-Tailed Shrew Tissue Data Sheets. HUDSON RIVER DATA REPORT: SMALL MAMMALS AND AMERICAN WOODCOCK COLLECTION, ANALYSIS OF FLOODPLAIN EARTHWORMS, AND RE-ANALYSIS OF SELECT FLOODPLAIN SOILS AND SMALL MAMMALS HUDSON RIVER HUDSON RIVER DATA REPORT: SMALL MAMMALS AND AMERICAN WOODCOCK COLLECTION, ANALYSIS OF FLOODPLAIN EARTHWORMS, AND RE-ANALYSIS OF SELECT FLOODPLAIN SOILS AND SMALL MAMMALS H UDSON F LOODPLAIN R IVER D E ATA ARTHWORMS R EPORT : S , MALL AND R M E AMMALS -A NALYSIS AND OF A S MERICAN ELECT F W LOODPLAIN OODCOCK S C OILS OLLECTION AND S MALL , A NALYSIS M AMMALS OF HUDSON RIVER F H LOODPLAIN 1.01.01.0 INTRODUCTION UDSON Past and continuing discharges of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have contaminated the natural resources of the Hudson River. The Hudson River Natural Resource Trustees (Trustees) -- New R York State, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Department of the Interior -- are IVER conducting a natural resource damage assessment (NRDA) to assess and restore those natural E resources injured by PCBs (Hudson River Natural Resource Trustees 2002a). In 2000, the Trustees ARTHWORMS D conducted a screening-level investigation from Fort Edward to Stillwater, New York, and identified PCB contamination in floodplain soils and in small mammals. Data collected during that investigation ATA indicate that PCB concentrations in floodplain soils in the 20 miles downstream of Fort Edward R ranged from undetected to 360 parts per million (ppm) (SEA Consultants 2002). EPORT The Hudson River floodplain provides habitat for a wide range of wildlife, including amphibians, , reptiles, birds, and mammals. These organisms often are important parts of the diet for predators AND : S such as mink, eagles, falcons, and owls. If floodplain soils contain PCBs, they may provide a PCB R source for floodplain biota. The floodplain may become contaminated when heavy rains and MALL E snowmelt cause the Hudson River to overtop its banks. These flood waters bring with them -A M contaminated sediment that has been churned up from the river's bed. Eventually, the flood waters NALYSIS subside and deposit this material on the floodplain. Typically sediment is deposited in any area where AMMALS current flow is reduced in low-lying floodplain areas, by ponding, or by the presence of vegetation. Since these floodplains provide habitat for a number of species, the Trustees are working to better understand to what extent floodplain PCBs should be assessed in the damage assessment. OF AND S In 2001 the Trustees expanded their floodplain investigation to refine the areas and species that may ELECT be exposed to floodplain PCBs. This Data Report provides the results of that preliminary A investigation of PCB contamination of floodplain biota conducted in the year 2001 and provides the MERICAN results of further analyses of floodplain soils, earthworms, and small mammals collected from the F Hudson River floodplain in the year 2000. The Report documents methods, quality assurance/ LOODPLAIN quality control, and data from an investigation of PCB contamination of floodplain biota conducted pursuant to the NRDA in the year 2001, analysis of earthworm samples collected in 2000, and re­ W analyses of select floodplain soils and small mammals collected from the Hudson River floodplain in OODCOCK the year 2000. Based on the results of this preliminary investigation and other available information, the Trustees will determine whether the floodplain should be considered