Poster Details
TRACE ELEMENT ACCUMULATION FROM COAL COMBUSTION WASTE CONTAMINATION DIFFERS AMONG AQUATIC INVERTIVORES IN A COASTAL PLAIN STREAM
Coal combustion waste contamination exposes aquatic organisms to a broad array of metals and metalloids. Consequently, accumulation patterns of multiple elements can be compared among species. We evaluated accumulation of 13 elements in over 750 biota samples collected from a coastal plain stream contaminated by coal combustion waste on the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site. Analyses included 27 species of invertivorous fishes distributed across 11 families. Additionally, 5 genera of predaceous aquatic insects belonging to 4 orders were included. Invertivorous fish and predaceous insects represent a critical and diverse component of coastal plain stream food webs. Despite often overlapping in trophic level, differences in morphology may indicate differential habitat use and feeding habits that interact with physiology to cause disparity in contaminant accumulation. Habitat use stratifies vertically in the water column and also laterally as driven by water velocity and substrate type. Habitat use and mobility of prey can influence contaminants ingested. Multiple taxonomic levels were compared. Among fishes, feeding strategy, and habitat use appeared to influence trace element accumulation. Accumulation differed both among and within families. Overall, patterns of trace element accumulation often tended to be species specific.
Christina Fulghum (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Savannah River Ecology Laboratory-University of Georgia, cfulghum@uga.edu;
Brooke Lindell (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Savannah River Ecology Laboratory-University of Georgia, elindell@uga.edu;
Angela Lindell (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Savannah River Ecology Laboratory-University of Georgia, lindell@srel.uga.edu;
Paul Stankus (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Savannah River Ecology Laboratory-University of Georgia, stankus@srel.uga.edu;
J McArthur (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Savannah River Ecology Laboratory-University of Georgia, mcarthur@srel.uga.edu;
Dean Fletcher (Primary Presenter/Author), Savannah River Ecology Laboratory-University of Georgia, fletcher@srel.uga.edu;