21 research outputs found
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Influence of Methylmercury from Tributary Streams on Mercury Levels in Savannah River Asiatic Clams
Average methylmercury levels in five Savannah River tributary streams sampled 11 times over two years were nearly twice as high as in the Savannah River. Total mercury levels in the tributaries did not differ significantly from the river. All of the tributaries drained extensive wetlands that would be expected to support comparatively high rates of methylation. Mercury concentrations in Asiatic clams (Corbicula fluminea) collected from the discharge plumes of Savannah River tributaries were significantly higher than in Asiatic clams collected from the Savannah River upstream from the tributary mouths . These results indicate that streams draining wetlands into coastal plain rivers can create localized areas of elevated methylmercury with resulting increases in the mercury levels of river biota
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The influence of Savannah River discharge and changing SRS cooling water requirements on the potential entrainment of ichthyoplankton at the SRS Savannah River intakes
Entrainment (i.e., withdrawal of fish larvae and eggs in cooling water) at the SRS Savannah River intakes is greatest when periods of high river water usage coincide with low river dischargeduring the spawning season. American shad and striped bass are the two species of greatest concern because of their recreational and/or commercial importance and because they produce drifting eggs and larvae vulnerable to entrainment. In the mid-reaches of the Savannah River, American shad and striped bass spawn primarily during April and May. An analysis of Savannah River discharge during April and May 1973--1989 indicated the potential for entrainment of 4--18% of the American shad and striped bass larvae and eggs that drifted past the SRS. This analysis assumed the concurrent operation of L-, K-, and P-Reactors. Additional scenarios investigated were: (1) shutting down L- and P-Reactors, and operating K-Reactor with a recycle cooling tower; and (2) shutting down L- and P-Reactors, eliminating minimum flows to Steel Creek, and operating K-Reactor with a recycle cooling tower. The former scenario reduced potential entrainment to 0.7--3.3%, and the latter scenario reduced potential entrainment to 0.20.8%. Thus, the currently favored scenario of operating K-Reactor with a cooling tower and not operating L- and P-Reactors represents a significant lessening of the impact of SRS operations
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Influences on Mercury Bioaccumulation Factors for the Savannah River
Mercury TMDLs (Total Maximum Daily Loads) are a regulatory instrument designed to reduce the amount of mercury entering a water body and ultimately to control the bioaccumulation of mercury in fish. TMDLs are based on a BAF (bioaccumulation factor), which is the ratio of methyl mercury in fish to dissolved methyl mercury in water. Analysis of fish tissue and aqueous methyl mercury samples collected at a number of locations and over several seasons in a 118 km reach of the Savannah River demonstrated that species specific BAFs varied by factors of three to eight. Factors contributing to BAF variability were location, habitat and season related differences in fish muscle tissue mercury levels and seasonal differences in dissolved methyl mercury levels. Overall (all locations, habitats, and seasons) average BAFs were 3.7 x 106 for largemouth bass, 1.4 x 106 for sunfishes, and 2.5 x 106 for white catfish. Inaccurate and imprecise BAFs can result in unnecessary economic impact or insufficient protection of human health. Determination of representative and precise BAFs for mercury in fish from large rivers necessitates collecting large and approximately equal numbers of fish and aqueous methyl mercury samples over a seasonal cycle from the entire area and all habitats to be represented by the TMDL
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Par Pond Fish, Water, and Sediment Chemistry
The objectives of this report are to describe the Par Pond fish community and the impact of the drawdown and refill on the community, describe contaminant levels in Par Pond fish, sediments, and water and indicate how contaminant concentrations and distributions were affected by the drawdown and refill, and predict possible effects of future water level fluctuations in Par Pond
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Environmental assessment of par pond sluice gate test. Revision 0
FERC mandates that spillway gates be opened to full height once every 5 years to ensure safe operation in emergency. The Savannah River Site is proposing to conduct a test in which the sluice gate near the base of the Par Pond Dam is opened high enough to produce a nominal flow of 200,000 gpm and then reclosed. This report discusses 3 environmental impact concerns: high flows will resuspend sediments containing Cesium-137 and carry them downstream to the Savannah River; water chemistry will be adversely affected resulting in deleterious effects on the biota; high flow velocities and scouring of the stream bed will disturb biota
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Potential Ecological Effects of Contaminants in the Exposed Par Pond Sediments
Sediment and small mammal samples were collected from the exposed sediments of Par Pond in early 1995, shortly before the reservoir was refilled after a 4-year drawdown. Sampling was confined to elevations between 58 and 61 meters (190 and 200 feet) above mean sea level, which includes the sediments likely to be exposed if the Par Pond water level is permitted to fluctuate naturally. Both soil and small mammal samples were analyzed for a number of radionuclides and metals. Some of the soil samples were also analyzed for organic contaminants. The objective of the study was to determine if contaminant levels in the Par Pond sediments were high enough to cause deleterious ecological effects
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Effects of outcropping groundwater from the F- and H-Area seepage basins on the distribution of fish in Four Mile Creek
Four Mile Creek was electrofished during June 26--July 2, 1990 to assess the impacts of outcropping ground water form the F- and H-Area Seepage Basins on fish abundance and distribution. Number of fish species and total catch were comparable at sample stations upstream from and downstream from the outcropping zone in Four Mile Creek. Species number and composition downstream from the outcropping zone in Four Mile Creek were similar to species number and composition in unimpacted portions of Pen Branch, Steel Creek, and Meyers Branch. These findings indicate that seepage basin outcropping was not adversely affecting the Four Mile Creek fish community. 5 refs., 3 figs., 4 tabs
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Statistical methods for detecting ichthyoplankton density patterns that influence entrainment mortality
Samples of drifting American shad eggs were collected at two transects in the Savannah River near industrial water intakes. At each transect the river was divided into four sectors that were sampled at two hour intervals over a 24 hour period. The actual risk of entrainment was approximately 35-50% lower that if the shad eggs were uniformly distributed, and the risk of entrainment was lower at one intake than the other