REPORTS OF THE TIBOR T. POLGAR FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM, 2019 David J. Yozzo, Sarah H. Fernald and Helena Andreyko Editors A Joint Program of The Hudson River Foundation and The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation March 2021 ii ABSTRACT Eight studies completed within the Hudson River Estuary under the auspices of the Tibor T. Polgar Fellowship Program during 2019 have been included in the current volume. Major objectives of these studies included: (1) investigating the use of gadolinium as a method of wastewater detection, (2) examining changes in groundwater hydrology in Piermont Marsh during the past twenty years, (3) understanding the developmental histories and sediment characteristics of Hudson River tidal marshes, (4) investigating the presence of the freshwater jellyfish, Craspedacusta sowerbii, in upper New York lake communities, (5) determining the effect of Trapa natans beds on cyanobacterial community composition, (6) analyzing the interaction of Trapa natans beds with pharmaceuticals and pesticides in the Hudson River, and (7) characterizing and evaluating the temporal and geospatial distribution of microplastics in the Raritan Bay area, and (8) elucidating the role of salinity on fecal bacteria transport in Hudson River sediments. iii iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ............................................................................................................... iii Preface ................................................................................................................. vii Fellowship Reports Use of Gadolinium to Track Sewage Effluent Through the Poughkeepsie, New York Water System Matthew Badia, Neil Fitzgerald, and Christopher Bowser .................................. I-1 Is Sea Level Rise Altering Wetland Hydrology in Hudson River Valley Tidal Marshes? Sofi Courtney, Elizabeth Watson, and Franco Montalto ..................................... II-1 Tidal Marsh Development and Sediment Dynamics at Vanderburgh Cove, Rhinebeck, NY Waverly L. Lau and Brian Yellen ........................................................................ III-1 Presence and Trophic Level of Freshwater Jellyfish (Craspedacusta sowerbii), A Cryptic Invader in the Hudson River Basin, NY Jacob Moore and Donald J. Stewart .................................................................... IV-1 The Potential for Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in the Hudson River Estuary: Dominant Abiotic Drivers of Cyanobacterial Abundance and Toxicity with the Compounding Influence of the Invasive Water Chestnut Ellie Petraccione, Zion Klos, and Raymond Kepner ........................................... V-1 Pharmaceutical Transport and Transformation in Trapa natans Beds Cami Plum, Stephen Hamilton, Rebekah Henry, David McCarthy, Emma Rosi, and Michael Grace ............................................................................................... VI-1 Spectroscopic Characterization and Quantification of Microplastics in the Hudson River Karli Sipps and Georgia Arbuckle-Keil ............................................................... VII-1 Studying the Effect of Salinity and Tide on Fecal Bacteria Transport within Hudson River Estuary Sediments Dong Zhang and Valentina Prigiobbe .................................................................. VIII-1 v vi PREFACE The Hudson River estuary stretches from its tidal limit at the Federal Dam at Troy, New York, to its merger with the New York Bight, south of New York City. Within that reach, the estuary displays a broad transition from tidal freshwater to marine conditions that are reflected in its physical composition and the biota its supports. As such, it presents a major opportunity and challenge to researchers to describe the makeup and workings of a complex and dynamic ecosystem. The Tibor T. Polgar Fellowship Program provides funds for students to study selected aspects of the physical, chemical, biological, and public policy realms of the estuary. The Polgar Fellowship Program was established in 1985 in memory of Dr. Tibor T. Polgar, former Chairman of the Hudson River Foundation Science Panel. The 2019 program was jointly conducted by the Hudson River Foundation for Science and Environmental Research and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and underwritten by the Hudson River Foundation. The fellowship program provides stipends and research funds for research projects within the Hudson drainage basin and is open to graduate and undergraduate students. vii Prior to 1988, Polgar studies were conducted only within the four sites that comprise the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve, a part of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System. The four Hudson River sites, Piermont Marsh, Iona Island, Tivoli Bays, and Stockport Flats exceed 4,000 acres and include a wide variety of habitats spaced over 100 miles of the Hudson estuary. Since 1988, the Polgar Program has supported research carried out at any location within the Hudson estuary. The work reported in this volume represents eight research projects conducted by Polgar Fellows during 2019. These studies meet the goals of the Tibor T. Polgar Fellowship Program to generate new information on the nature of the Hudson estuary and to train students in estuarine science. David J. Yozzo Glenford Environmental Science Sarah H. Fernald New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve Helena Andreyko Hudson River Foundation for Science and Environmental Research viii USE OF GADOLINIUM TO TRACK SEWAGE EFFLUENT THROUGH THE POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK WATER SYSTEM A Final Report of the Tibor T. Polgar Fellowship Program Matthew Badia Marist College Environmental Science and Chemistry Student Researcher [email protected] School of Science, Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics Marist College Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 Project Advisors: Dr. Neil Fitzgerald School of Science, Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics Marist College Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 [email protected] Christopher Bowser New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Hudson River National Estuary Research Reserve [email protected] Badia, M., N. Fitzgerald, and C. Bowser. 2021. Use of Gadolinium to Track Sewage Effluent Through the Poughkeepsie, New York Water System. Section I: 1-26 pp. In D.J. Yozzo, S.H. Fernald, and H. Andreyko (eds.), Final Reports of the Tibor T. Polgar Fellowship Program, 2019. Hudson River Foundation. I-1 Abstract There has been an increase in chemical contaminants in waterways around the world, many of which are released from sewage treatment plants which are incapable of removing most chemical contaminants and are released into the environment where they can accumulate. Current methods of wastewater detection include bacterial analysis, nutrient analysis, chloride analysis, and direct detection; however, each have their own flaws. An alternative method involves the use of gadolinium, an element used in MRI procedures. This study investigated the use of gadolinium as a method of wastewater detection compared to enterococci and chloride analysis. Samples were taken from four locations located along Hudson River near Poughkeepsie, NY: a sewage treatment plant, a water quality monitoring station, and the intake and effluent from a water treatment plant, from June to July 2019. Enterococci were analyzed using the IDEXX Enterolert system. Chloride content was determined using the Mohr titration method. Gadolinium was analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. Enterococci analysis demonstrated high values in wastewater and low levels in the water treatment plant effluent. The bacteria levels in open water were inconsistent between location and sample day. Chloride concentrations decreased from the sewer treatment plant to the water treatment plant intake, and increased after water treatment, likely due to the decomposition of sodium hypochlorite. Gadolinium analysis showed a content averaging approximately 500 ng/L in the sewage treatment plant effluent, followed by a drastic decrease in open water and water treatment plant intake, averaging 15 and 29 ng/L respectively, and a final decrease during the water treatment process to an average of 5 ng/L. Gadolinium appears to be as effective as chloride analysis for detecting wastewater. With a single anthropogenic source and low analysis cost, gadolinium has the potential to replace other methods for tracing wastewater in waterways. I-2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ................................................................................................................ I-2 Table of Contents ................................................................................................. I-3 List of Figures and Tables.................................................................................... I-4 Introduction .......................................................................................................... I-5 Methods................................................................................................................ I-9 Results .................................................................................................................. I-15 Discussion ............................................................................................................ I-20 Conclusion ........................................................................................................... I-23 Acknowledgements