Fate and Effects of Chemical Contaminants Program Review http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/05/19/gulf.oil.spill/index. Volume 2: Ecotoxicology September 15 -17, 2020 NCCOS/Stressor Detection and Impacts Division Volumes of the Fate and Effects of Chemical Contaminants Program (F&ECCP) Review Volume 1: Introduction and F&ECCP Overview Volume 2: Ecotoxicology Volume 3 Monitoring and Assessment Volume 4: Key Species and Bioinformatics Fate and Effects of Chemical Contaminants Program Review Volume 2: Ecotoxicology Branch Table of Contents Title Page Introduction - Ecotoxicology in Coastal Ecosystems…………………………………………………………………… 1 Developmental and Reproductive Effects In Grass Shrimp (Palaemon Pugio) Following Acute Larval Exposure to a Thin Oil Sheen and Ultraviolet Light…………………………………………..…….. 51 Comparative Toxicity of Two Chemical Dispersants and Dispersed Oil in Estuarine Organisms…… 67 Ecotoxicity of PFOS and Fluorine-Free Fire Fighting Foams in Estuarine Organisms……………………. 97 Efficacy and Ecotoxicological Effects of Shoreline Cleaners in Salt Marsh Ecosystems……………….. 117 Defining Protocols for Replanting as an Oil Spill Response Tactic in Coastal Marshes………………… 213 Field-Based Mesocosms: In Situ Deployments for Assessing Impacts Of Chemical Spills in Coastal Areas…………………………………………………………………………..…………………….. 239 Analysis of Floating Oil under UV Light at Different Environmental Conditions: A Pilot Study……. 273 Comparison of Chemical Contaminant Measures Using CLAM and POCIS Samplers in Estuarine Mesocosms…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 301 Long Term Monitoring Data For Environmental Assessments: SC Estuarine And Coastal Assessment Program And California Bight - 2018 Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary Regional Assessments………………………………………………………………………………………………… 329 http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/05/19/gulf.oil.spill/index.html 1 Ecotoxicology in Coastal Ecosystems Title: Ecotoxicology in Coastal Ecosystems: An Overview of the Ecotoxicology Program Authors: Marie DeLorenzo1, Pete Key1, Ed Wirth1, Paul Pennington1, Katy Chung2, Emily Pisarski2, James Daugomah1, Blaine West2, Allisan Beck2, Brian Shaddrix2, Lou Ann Reed1, Joe Wade1 Affiliations: 1NOAA, NOS, NCCOS, Charleston, SC; 2CSS Inc. Abstract: The NCCOS Ecotoxicology Branch assesses the fate and effects of chemical contaminants in coastal ecosystems. Located in the NCCOS Charleston Laboratory, this team conducts environmental chemistry and toxicological testing focused on understanding the environmental distribution, fate and effects of chemical contaminants in coastal ecosystems. This multi- disciplinary approach includes standardized acute and chronic aqueous and sediment toxicity assays where chemical effects on survival, growth, reproduction, behavior, and cellular and molecular biomarkers are observed. Thresholds of effect are established and used to compare across chemicals and species. Additional factors influencing toxicity are also considered. Multi- stressor assessments include climate variables such as temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, and ultraviolet light. The interactive effect of contaminants are also assessed as chemical mixtures. A tiered-approach is utilized in assessing chemical toxicity. We begin with very controlled laboratory exposures with a single chemical and species. Once a clear dose-response relationship has been established, additional parameters such as the addition of sediment are added. To evaluate how well laboratory-derived toxicity values predict effects in the natural environment, mesocosm testing is then employed. This ecosystem-level testing incorporates more environmental features such as ambient lighting and temperature, tidal flux, and community interactions such as nutrient cycling, predation, and competition. The Ecotoxicology Program also utilizes field testing, for example deploying caged animals to assess toxicological response to site specific chemical contamination. The Ecotoxicology Program has organic and inorganic chemistry laboratories to address a variety of research questions related to concentration-response, uptake and depuration, chemical fate and transformation, and seasonal and spatial distribution in water, sediment, and organism tissues. By measuring the chemical concentrations using these effects-based tests and determining the distribution and concentration of these chemicals in the environment, we are able to evaluate the potential hazard these chemicals pose in the environment. Introduction Ecotoxicology is a multidisciplinary science (Figure 1) incorporating chemistry, biology, physiology, ecology, statistics and modeling. Aquatic organisms are unique in that 1) they are generally inescapably immersed in the water column throughout their lives, and 2) they often serve as reservoirs for chemical pollutants. The fundamental principle of toxicology is that toxicity is a function of concentration of the chemical and duration of the exposure. Thus, it is 1 2 Ecotoxicology in Coastal Ecosystems necessary to establish thresholds of effect and then characterize the potential for exposure in order to predict chemical impacts in the environment. The Ecotoxicology Branch conducts research to evaluate and predict the effects of chemical contaminants and other environmental stressors on coastal ecosystems. Estuarine ecosystems include salt marshes, barrier islands, maritime forests, tidal creeks, and rivers. Important ecosystem services provided by estuaries include water filtration, habitat, flood and erosion control, nutrient cycling, primary productivity, commercial and recreational fisheries, and tourism. These systems are vulnerable to many anthropogenic stressors, including land development, agriculture, urban and resort runoff, and point and nonpoint source inputs. Estuarine environments can serve as sinks for many chemical contaminants bound to particulate matter as they move through urban and agricultural watersheds into rivers and are deposited in coastal areas where sedimentation rates are high. Headwater streams, such as tidal creeks in the coastal zone, are most susceptible to chemical runoff. These areas also serve as critical habitats supporting nursery grounds for estuarine fish and invertebrate species. Contaminants: classes and sources Chemical classes can be broadly separated into organic and inorganic contaminants. Inorganic chemicals include metals and metalloids, and radionuclides. Organic chemicals include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, and pesticides (insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, etc.). These organic chemicals are generally referred to as POPs (persistent organic pollutants) as they are known to be persistent in the environment, bioaccumulate in organisms, and are toxic (PBT). Many times these PBT chemicals are found in industrial and sewage outfalls and in non-point source or surface run-off. Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) describe a wide range of chemicals that are broadly defined as any synthetic or naturally occurring chemical that is not commonly monitored in the environment but has the potential to enter the environment and cause known or suspected adverse ecological and/or human health effects. In some cases, release of emerging contaminants to the environment has likely occurred for a long time, but may not have been recognized until new detection methods were developed. In other cases, synthesis of new chemicals or changes in use and disposal of existing chemicals can create new sources of emerging contaminants. CECs include contemporary pesticides, pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), surfactants and foams used to control fires (i.e., PFAS), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), microplastics, and nanomaterials. Chemical contaminants can enter the coastal aquatic environment through both point and nonpoint sources. Nonpoint sources include surface runoff from agriculture, golf courses, lawns, and roads and other impervious surfaces, as well as atmospheric deposition. Point sources include municipal wastewater treatment plants, industrial discharges, and hazardous waste disposal sites. Chemicals also enter waterways through groundwater contamination, dredging, and spills. The fate of a chemical is controlled by the physical and chemical properties of the chemical (e.g. molecular structure, water solubility, vapor pressure, etc.), the physical and chemical properties of the environment (e.g. temperature, salinity, pH, depth, flow, total suspended solids, sediment 2 3 Ecotoxicology in Coastal Ecosystems carbon content and particle size), and the sources and rates of input into the environment. Often multiple contaminant classes co-occur in runoff and can be measured in estuarine systems. The fine silt-clays of salt-marsh tidal creek sediments have a high surface area to volume ratio and high organic carbon content, making them particularly prone to adsorption of lipophilic, persistent organic contaminants. Objectives The NCCOS Ecotoxicology Branch has a long history of studying the effects of environmental pollution in estuaries. Our mission is to conduct research that evaluates and predicts the effects of chemical contaminants and other environmental stressors on coastal ecosystems. Our research priorities include: ● Determine bioeffects associated with environmental pollution ● Develop sublethal indicators of contaminant exposure and stress ● Develop sensitive analytical methods for identification and quantification of legacy and emerging environmental