US EPA

2202963 

Technical Report 

Evaluation of Biomonitoring Systems for Assessment of Contaminated Waters and Sediments at U.S. Army Installations - Fort Detrick Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent Biomonitoring Study 

Burton, DT; Turley, SD 

1993 

NTIS/02986092_2 

GRA and I 

GRA and I 

Quarterly biomonitoring tests were performed for one year on composite effluent samples taken-from the Ft. Detrick (Frederick, MD) wastewater treatment plant. The cladoceran (Ceriodaphnia dubia) and fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) acute 48-h LC50 tests were used to evaluate the toxicity of the effluent for two quarters. The cladoceran 7-d survival and reproduction test and the fathead minnow 7-d survival and growth tests were used for two quarters. The effluent was not toxic to the cladoceran or fathead minnow when tested in both acute and chronic bioassays. One priority pollutant analysis was conducted on a composite effluent sample. The analysis showed that four (Cu, Pb, Ni, and Zn) of 12 heavy metal priority pollutants were present in the effluent. The concentrations of the four heavy metals, with the exception of lead for chronic exposure, were below the U.S. EPA numerical water quality criteria for acute and chronic toxicity of the metals to freshwater organisms. The freshwater chronic criteria value for lead is 3.2 ug/L; 6 ug/L were found in the effluent sample. Two volatile organics (bromodichloromethane and dibromochloromethane) were also detected. Both halomethanes were well below the U.S. EPA numerical water quality criteria for acute toxicity to freshwater organisms; no Biomonitoring, Bioassays, Priority pollutants, Acute toxicity, Chronic toxicity, Cladoceran, Ceriodaphnia dubia, Fathead minnow, Pimephales promelas, Wastewater treatment plant, WWTP. criterion is available for chronic exposure to halomethanes. No semi-volatile organics, pesticides/PCBs or herbicides were detected.