RESIDUAL EFFECTS OF LEAD AND ZINC MINING ON FRESHWATER MUSSELS IN THE SPRING RIVER BASIN presented by: Robert T. Angelo Kansas Department of Health and Environment Bureau of Environmental Field Services Technical Services Section STUDY OBJECTIVES ¾ Examine occurrence and distribution of native freshwater mussels in Spring River Basin. ¾ Evaluate current mussel densities, dominant taxa, and principal age-classes in selected stream reaches. ¾ Ascertain metal contaminant levels in mussel soft tissues and shell materials, focusing primarily on cadmium, lead, and zinc. ¾ Explore relationships between mussel community parameters, shell/soft tissue contaminant levels, and environmental (sediment/water-column) contaminant concentrations. SPRING RIVER BASIN (WITH MAJOR STREAMS, HISTORICAL LEAD AND ZINC MINING AREAS, AND MUSSEL SURVEY LOCATIONS) x xt t KS MO 0 20 40 0 20 40 OK km Spring River, sta. 1 Spring River, sta. 2 Spring River, sta. 4 Spring River, sta. 6 MUSSEL SPECIES OBSERVED IN SPRING RIVER 1. Alasmidonta marginata 18. Potamilus ohiensis 2. Amblema plicata 19. Potamilus purpuratus 3. Cyprogenia aberti 20. Ptychobranchus occidentalis 4. Elliptio dilatata 21. Pyganodon grandis 5. Fusconaia flava 22. Quadrula cylindrica 6. Fusconaia ozarkensis 23. Quadrula metanevra 7. Lampsilis cardium 24. Quadrula pustulosa 8. Lampsilis rafinesqueana 25. Quadrula quadrula 9. Lampsilis siliquoidea 26. Strophitus undulatus 10. Lampsilis teres 27. Tritogonia verrucosa 11. Lasmigona complanata 28. Truncilla donaciformis 12. Lasmigona costata 29. Venustaconcha ellipsiformis 13. Leptodea fragilis 14. Ligumia recta Species listed as endangered, threatened, or in need of 15. Ligumia subrostrata conservation by KDWP 16. Obliquaria reflexa Species represented only by 17. Pleurobema sintoxia weathered shell material MUSSEL SPECIES RICHNESS DOCUMENTED AT NINE SURVEY SITES ALONG SPRING RIVER 25 = Number of mussel taxa represented by live animals or recent shell material = Number of mussel taxa 20 = Number of mussel taxa represented by weathered or relict shell material only 15 10 Number of species Number of species 5 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Upstream stations Downstream stations Cow Creek North Fork Spring River Brush Creek Shoal Creek, sta. 3 MUSSEL SPECIES OBSERVED IN MAJOR TRIBUTARIES OF SPRING RIVER 1. Amblema plicata 15. Potamilus purpuratus 2. Elliptio dilatata 16. Pyganodon grandis 3. Fusconaia flava 17. Quadrula pustulosa 4. Fusconaia ozarkensis 18. Quadrula quadrula 5. Lampsilis cardium 19. Strophitus undulatus 6. Lampsilis rafinesqueana 20. Toxolasma lividis 7. Lampsilis siliquoidea 21. Toxolasma parvus 8. Lampsilis teres 22. Tritogonia verrucosa 9. Lasmigona complanata 23. Venustaconcha ellipsiformis 10. Lasmigona costata 11. Leptodea fragilis Species listed as endangered, threatened, or in need of 12. Ligumia subrostrata conservation by KDWP 13. Pleurobema sintoxia Species not found in Spring 14. Potamilus ohiensis River MUSSEL SPECIES RICHNESS DOCUMENTED AT 13 SITES ON MAJOR TRIBUTARIES OF SPRING RIVER 16 = Mussel taxa represented by live mussels or recent shell material = Mussel taxa represented 12 by weathered or relict shell material only 8 Number of species Number of species 4 0 NF Spring Shawnee Willow Shoal 2 Short Center 1 Center 3 Cow Brush Shoal 1 Shoal 3 Turkey Center 2 Spring River, sta. 3 RELATIVE ABUNDANCE OF MUSSEL TAXA ENCOUNTERED DURING QUANTITATIVE SURVEY OF SPRING RIVER, STATION 3 L. rafinesqueana T. verrucosa Q. pustulosa E. dilatata F. flava L. fragilis P. occidentalis P. sintoxia Q. metanevra S. undulatus Total mussel count = 153 V. ellipsiformis Excavated meter2 quadrats = 98 Unidentified juveniles 0 5 10 15 20 Percentage of total mussel count ABUNDANCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF NATIVE UNIONID MUSSELS IN SPRING RIVER, STATION 3 Upper margin of surveyed stream reach 12 ) ) 2 2 10 8 6 s ters me 200 4 Mussel density Mussel density (live animals per meter (live animals per meter 2 Mean = 1.6 mussels/meter2 0 50 meters Median = 1.0 mussel/meter2 Spring River, sta. 5 MUSSEL TAXA AND NUMBERS ENCOUNTERED DURING QUANTITATIVE SURVEY OF SPRING RIVER, STATION 5 L. fragilis L. cardium L. rafinesqueana L. subrostrata Q. pustulosa Total mussel count = 9 Excavated meter2 quadrats = 50 T. verrucosa 0 1 2 3 Mussel count ABUNDANCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF NATIVE UNIONID MUSSELS IN SPRING RIVER, STATION 5 Upper margin of surveyed stream reach 1 ) ) 2 2 s ters me 100 Mussel density Mussel density (live animals per meter (live animals per meter Mean = 0.2 mussel per meter2 0 18 meters Median = 0.0 mussel per meter2 CADMIUM CONCENTRATIONS IN SOFT TISSUES OF ALL BIVALVES COLLECTED FROM SPRING RIVER 20 18 16 14 Empire Lake Empire Lake 12 Turkey Creek Turkey Creek Center Creek 10 Center Creek Cow Creek 8 Cow Creek (mg/kg, dry wt.) (mg/kg, dry wt.) North Fork Spring River 6 North Fork Spring River 4 Bivalve cadmium concentration Bivalve cadmium concentration 2 0 Station #: 1 2 3 4 5 6 Upstream Downstream LEAD CONCENTRATIONS IN SOFT TISSUES OF ALL BIVALVES COLLECTED FROM SPRING RIVER 20 18 16 14 Empire Lake Empire Lake 12 Turkey Creek Turkey Creek Center Creek 10 Center Creek Cow Creek 8 Cow Creek (mg/kg, dry wt.) (mg/kg, dry wt.) 6 North Fork Spring River North Fork Spring River Bivalve lead concentration Bivalve lead concentration 4 2 0 Station #: 1 2 3 4 5 6 Upstream Downstream ZINC CONCENTRATIONS IN SOFT TISSUES OF ALL BIVALVES COLLECTED FROM SPRING RIVER 8000 7000 6000 Empire Lake 5000 Empire Lake Turkey Creek Turkey Creek Center Creek Center Creek 4000 Cow Creek Cow Creek 3000 (mg/kg, dry wt.) (mg/kg, dry wt.) North Fork Spring River North Fork Spring River Bivalve zinc concentration 2000 Bivalve zinc concentration 1000 0 Station #: 1 2 3 4 5 6 Upstream Downstream & % Pistolgrip mussel, Tritogonia verrucosa CADMIUM CONCENTRATIONS IN SOFT TISSUES OF PISTOLGRIP MUSSEL, TRITOGONIA VERRUCOSA 12 12 n = 1 Kruskal-Wallis (sites with replicate samples): 1010 H = 22.88, p < 0.001 88 n = 4 66 44 (mg/kg, dry wt.) (mg/kg, dry wt.) Cadmium concentration Cadmium concentration 22 n = 15 n = 15 n = 10 00 Cow Creek Sta. 2 Sta. 3 Sta. 4 Sta. 5 Spring River LEAD CONCENTRATIONS IN SOFT TISSUES OF PISTOLGRIP MUSSEL, TRITOGONIA VERRUCOSA 88 Kruskal-Wallis (sites n = 1 with replicate samples): 77 n = 4 H = 19.18, p < 0.001 66 55 44 33 (mg/kg, dry wt.) (mg/kg, dry wt.) Lead concentration Lead concentration 22 n = 15 n = 15 n = 10 11 00 Cow Creek Sta. 2 Sta. 3 Sta. 4 Sta. 5 Spring River ZINC CONCENTRATIONS IN SOFT TISSUES OF PISTOLGRIP MUSSEL, TRITOGONIA VERRUCOSA 80008000 Kruskal-Wallis (sites with replicate samples): n = 4 70007000 H = 19.95, p < 0.001 60006000 50005000 40004000 30003000 n = 1 (mg/kg, dry wt.) (mg/kg, dry wt.) Zinc concentration Zinc concentration 20002000 10001000 n = 15 n = 15 n = 10 00 Cow Creek Sta. 2 Sta. 3 Sta. 4 Sta. 5 Spring River Neosho mucket, Lampsilis rafinesqueana & % CADMIUM CONCENTRATIONS IN SOFT TISSUES OF NEOSHO MUCKET, LAMPSILIS RAFINESQUEANA 10 10 n = 1 88 66 n = 5 44 (mg/kg, dry wt.) (mg/kg, dry wt.) n = 5 Cadmium concentration Cadmium concentration 22 00 Sta. 3 Sta. 4 Sta. 5 Spring River LEAD CONCENTRATIONS IN SOFT TISSUES OF NEOSHO MUCKET, LAMPSILIS RAFINESQUEANA 6 6 n = 1 55 n = 5 44 33 22 (mg/kg, dry wt.) (mg/kg, dry wt.) Lead concentration Lead concentration n = 5 11 00 Sta. 3 Sta. 4 Sta. 5 Spring River ZINC CONCENTRATIONS IN SOFT TISSUES OF NEOSHO MUCKET, LAMPSILIS RAFINESQUEANA 35003500 n = 5 30003000 25002500 n = 1 20002000 15001500 (mg/kg, dry wt.) (mg/kg, dry wt.) 10001000 Zinc concentration Zinc concentration n = 5 500500 00 Sta. 3 Sta. 4 Sta. 5 Spring River Asian clam, Corbicula fluminea COMPARISON OF ZINC CONCENTRATIONS IN SOFT TISSUES OF FRESHWATER MUSSELS VERSUS ASIAN CLAM (LOG MEAN CONCENTRATIONS, NINE SITES) 3.6 log y = 1.44 log x – 1.02 R2 = 0.96 3.2 2.8 2.4 (log mg/kg, dry wt.) (log mg/kg, dry wt.) Mussel zinc concentration Mussel zinc concentration 2.0 2.2 2.4 2.6 2.8 3.0 Clam zinc concentration (log mg/kg, dry wt.) LEAD CONCENTRATIONS IN SOFT TISSUES OF ASIAN CLAM, CORBICULA FLUMINEA (COMPOSITE CLAM SAMPLES) 2525 Kruskal-Wallis: n = 3 H = 7.32, p = 0.026 2020 1515 n = 3 1010 (mg/kg, dry wt.) (mg/kg, dry wt.) Lead concentration Lead concentration 55 n = 3 00 Sta. 1 Sta. 2 Sta. 3 Shoal Creek MUSSEL SPECIES RICHNESS VERSUS SEDIMENT LEAD LEVEL AT SIX SPRING RIVER SAMPLING LOCATIONS 30 120 Species number Sediment Pb conc. (mg/kg, drywt.,<250 (mg/kg, drywt.,<250 Sediment leadconc. Sediment leadconc. 20 80 10 40 : : Number of species Number of species m) m) 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 Station number MUSSEL SPECIES RICHNESS VERSUS SEDIMENT LEAD LEVEL AT TEN PERENNIAL TRIBUTARY LOCATIONS 16 1.8 Species number (grams/kg, drywt.,<250 Sediment Pb conc. (grams/kg, drywt.,<250 Sediment leadconc. 12 Sediment leadconc. 1.2 8 0.6 Number of species Number of species : 4 : m) m) 0 0 NF Spring Shoal 1 Shoal 3 Turkey Center 2 Cow Shoal 2 Short Center 1 Center 3 COMPARISON OF LEAD CONCENTRATIONS IN SOFT TISSUES OF NATIVE MUSSELS VERSUS FLUVIAL SEDIMENT (LOG MEAN CONCENTRATIONS, TEN SITES) 1.2 log y = 1.27 log x – 1.67 R2 = 0.81 0.8 0.4 (log mg/kg, dry wt.) (log mg/kg, dry wt.) 0 Mussel lead concentration Mussel lead concentration -0.4 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0 2.2 Sediment lead concentration (log mg/kg, < 250-:m fraction) COMPARISON OF LEAD CONCENTRATIONS IN SOFT TISSUES OF ASIAN CLAM VERSUS FLUVIAL SEDIMENT (LOG MEAN CONCENTRATIONS, 13 SITES) 1.5 log y = 1.12 log x – 1.19 R2 = 0.80 1.2 0.9 0.6 0.3 (log mg/kg, dry wt.) (log mg/kg, dry wt.) Clam lead concentration Clam lead concentration 0 -0.3 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0 2.2 Sediment lead concentration (log mg/kg, < 250-:m fraction) WATER-COLUMN ZINC CONCENTRATIONS MEASURED DURING LOW FLOW AND HIGH FLOW SYNOPTIC SURVEYS 800 265 cfs, 10,900 cfs, 700 Spring River, Spring River, Quapaw, Okla.