The effects of a toxic metals spill on aquatic fauna in streams near Culpeper, Virginia

The event which prompted this study was a spill of two hundred thousand gallons of chromium-arsenic-copper solution from a holding pond into an adjacent, first-order stream on January 31, 1981. The holding pond, owned by Culpeper Wood Preservers Company of Culpeper, Virginia, was used to store wastes generated during the wood-preserving process. The stream is a tributary of Jonus Run whose waters eventually empty into the Rappahannock River. A waste-chemical landfill, located on a different first-order stream, but within the same vicinity and watershed, also threatens the water quality of the area. It is known as Lamphier landfill and industrial solvents, paint thinner's and metals were dumped there. The landfill is located on an unnamed tributary which also drains into Jonas Run. Aquatic insects and detritus were collected at all sampling sites. Crayfish and small fish were collected whenever possible. Various water quality parameters were measured at each site. Also, aquatic insect community structure and function, concentration of metals in aquatic insects and the pathway of metals through the aquatic food web was studied at each site. Generally, the concentrations of metals in waters near the spill and landfill areas were higher in chromium and arsenic then would normally be expected. Also, the concentrations of most metals, especially copper, were higher at downstream contaminated waters (rather than at upstream reference sites). The community structure and functional analysis showed that the sampling sites were influenced by various factors (agricultural runoff, road runoff, silt, heavy metal pollution, possible chemical pollution). Unfortunately, it was difficult to distinguish which effects were caused by heavy metal or chemical contaminants. Consequently, the results of the community structure and function analysis were inconclusive. Metals pollution may have contributed to the concentrations of metals found in aquatic insects collected at only one site. However the analysis of the concentration of metals found in aquatic insects from the remaining sites were inconclusive. The concentrations of metals found in detritus and crayfish suggested that metal contamination from the spill site did occur, however biomagnification did not.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Environmental Sciences and Engineering

Department dc:contributor.department

Environmental Sciences and Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Year dc:date.issued

1983

Author dc:creator

• Barker, Shelley Jaye

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10919/106261

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/106261