RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN TOXIC METAL CONCENTRATIONS FROM ZEBRA MUSSEL WASTES AND PROXIMITY TO SELECTED LAKE ERIE SHIPWRECKS Andrew Ailen Brooks A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research through the Department of Geography in Partial Fdfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts at the University of Windsor Windsor, Ontario, Canada 1997 National Library BiMiathèque nationale du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services seMces bibliographiques 395 WeSiStreet 395, rue Weliigton OttawaON K1A ON4 OttawaûN KIAW Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, disûi-bute or sell reproduire, prêter, distri'buer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous papa or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/nlm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains owndpof the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantid extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. This thesis is an examination of toxic metal concentrations around three shipwfecks in the Westem Basin of Lake Erie. These wrecks are densely populated with zebra mussels (Dreissem polymoqha). It was anticipaîed that the zebra mussels were a mechanism by which the toxic met& in the surrounding water were deposited on and around the shipwrecks. UtiliPng scuba divers, thirty-six samples (twelve hmeach site) were gathered and chemically analysed. The results indicate that one of the shipwrecks under study, the Conemaugh,was statistically different fiom the other wrecks. This could be atfributed to dissimilar environmental conditions at this site. Statistical andysis of the remaining data set revealed that the toxic metals under study were in fact concentrated on the shipwrecks, and decreased in concentration with increased distance hmthe wrecks. In several instances, available govemment standards for contaminiited soUsedirnent were exceeded by the observecl toxic metal concentrations. As a result of the observecl toxic metal concentrations, and the relevant literature, it could be concluded that the zebra mussels were the mechanism by which the toxic rnetals reached their obsewed elevated concentrations. iii Many people deserve thanks for their contributions to this thesis. My advisor, Dr. Pete LaValIe is most responsible for my success as a university student, culmùiating with this project Without his expert tutelage, and innumerable hours of assistance and advice, 1 like1y would never have entered graduate school, or completed this thesis. Dr. Chais Lakhan, my second reader, aleoften filling my head with dreams of Guyana, South Amerka, has kept me focussed on the goal at hand, and helped me to achieve it. Dr. Don Wailen, my exterd reviewer, deserves credit for his ongoing advice. Several people were Myresponsible for helping me get the field and laboratory work completed. Mr. Grant Meseck, and Mr. Mike Drexier deserve thanks for assisting me in sampfe collection Mr. Derek Nardini deserves recognition for help on shore, as well as in the geopphy department for his help with computer problems, and general advice dong the way. Mr. John Karry of Save Ontario Shipwrecks (Windsor Chapter), and Mr. Peter Engelbert of the Ontario Miaistry of Heritage and Culturr, deserve thanks for allowing me to gather some of my samples while accompanying them on meydives for ErieQuest. 1 am grateful to the stafïat Point Pelee National Park for permitting myselfand those assisting me access to the tip with vehicles and gear, so that 1 couid gather samples hmthe Conemmgh. Mr. J-C. Barrette of the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research was instrumental in actually performing the chernical anaiysis on my samples, and in adjushg the fee structure so that my iimited research fun& would dowfor the cornpletion of the needed tests. Jennifer Elcomb, of South Shore Scuba, supplied me with undenvater photographs for my thesis. Last, but not least, my family deserves a great deal of credit for allowing me to complete this project. As anyone who knows me can attesf 1 prefer to work at odd hours. It has been a great advantage to be permitted to corne and go at my leisure and to work when motivated to do so. This was, I am sure, of considerable inconvenience to all concemed. There were times when they forgot what I looked like because 1 wasn't amund, just as there were times when 1 was hard at work in my room at ali hours of the night, bothering those who tried to sleep. To my girfiend, Jenuifer McLean, 1 know how hard this has been on you, and us. Hopefully now we cari get on with our Lives. TABLE OF CONTENTS page... ABSWCT............................................................................................. ... ............................ UI A-OWEDGEMENTS .................... ................................ ...........................iv TABLE OF CONTENTS..................... ...... .................... .................v . LIST OF MAPS ............................................................................................................................. ~11 L][ST OF FIGURES .......... ........... ................*..................................................*.............................vu .. LIST OF GRAPHS.................... ... ................................................................................................. w.. LIST OF TABLES ............ .... ..... .. ....................................................................................... wu... 2. REGION UNDER STUDY ....................................................................................................... 3 a Sm& Are&............................... ....................................................................................... 3 22 ............................................................................................................6 3. LITERATURE REVLEW .................... ............... ........................................................................7 Introduction of Zebra h&& ..................................*..............................*.*.7 Bipptocess@ bv ZebMussels .................. .... ........................ .... ..................... 7 3J and Their T- ........................................................ .. .......................9 24 Jlevelopment of ~~~~......................................................................................... 9 4. A priori MODEL................................................................................................................... 11 6. OBSERVATIONS........ ,..,............ ....................................................................................... 22 6.1 General Fi- ....................................*.*..*................................................................. 22 6.1 .1 Pilot Study, Spemlar and Tioga........................ ......... A 6.1.2 Conemcrugh.............................................. ..................................................... 22 6.1 .3 Northern hdia~......................................... ,... ......................................... ...... 23 6.1.4. MI Wilcox............... ... .............................................................................. 23 6.2 S-cal ........................................................................................................ 24 7. CONCLUSION......................................................................................................................... 48 7.1 Discm................................... .................................................................................. 48 ns of FmSw .......................................................................... 49 7.3-Final Cm...... ., ...........+................................................................................ 50 8. APPENDICES ...................... ..................................................................................................... 52 ......................................................... 33 ...................................**.....*.*..*...........~..*...*.. 54 t Smde Raw Da ta................................................................. 55 8.3.1 Tioga and Spedm........... .... ..................................................................... .55 8.3.2 Conempugh.......................... ....................................................................... 56 8.3.3 Northern Indiana............ .. ...................**..*.........*.*.*...**...*...*....**...*......*..57 8.3.4 ML WiZcox..................................................................................................... 58 ..................... 8.4 _GLTER Protocol .............. ........ .. ..................... 59 8.5 photo-h of Zebra Mlysels on the Northem IrlQiang................. ...... ...................... 60 8.6 Photo- . of. Fisso~~Axial Piasma Spectophotomem...... ... .................61 8.7 Schemc Diperêms of ICP-OES ........... ..... ............................................................... 62 LIST OF MAPS page MAP 1: THE STUDY AREA ................. ...................................................................