Toxic Contaminants Working Group Part of the Piscataqua Region - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Toxic Contaminants Working Group Part of the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP) Technical Advisory Committee Process May 2019

PREP’s Objectives

https://scholars.unh.edu/prep/22/

PREP’s Objectives

PREP’s Objectives…and Action Plans

A Brief History of Time and Toxics

https://www.stateofourestuaries.org/2018-reports/

Monitoring Plan Indicators

Indicator and Question Status (TOX1) Shellfish Tissue Concentrations Relative to FDA Standards. Are shellfish, lobsters, finfish, and other seafood species from NH coastal waters fit for human consumption? Discontinued in 2009 (TOX3)Trends in Shellfish Tissue Contaminant Concentrations. Have the concentrations of toxic contaminants in estuarine biota changed over time? Funding stopped in 2015…hoping to begin again this year. (TOX5) Sediment Contaminant Concentrations Relative to NOAA

• Guidelines. Do NH tidal sediments contain heavy metals, PCBs, PAHs,

chlorinated pesticides, and other toxic contaminants that are harmful to humans, animals, plant, and other aquatic life? Discontinued in 2009 (TOX6) Trends in Sediment Contaminant Concentrations. Have the concentrations of toxic contaminants in sediment significantly changed

• ver time?

Discontinued in 2009 (TOX7) Benthic Community Impacts Due to Sediment Contamination. Is there evidence of toxic effects of contaminants in estuarine biota? Discontinued in 2009 (TOX8) Finfish and Lobster Edible Tissue Concentrations Relative to Risk Based Standards. Are shellfish, lobsters, finfish, and other seafood species from NH coastal waters fit for human consumption? Discontinued between 2008 and 2012

None of these indicators really get at “loading,” which was one

• f the primary objectives

TOX1: Shellfish Tissue Concentrations Relative to FDA Standards

TOX3: Trends in Shellfish Tissue Contaminant Concentrations

TOX3: Trends in Shellfish Tissue Contaminant Concentrations (cont’d)

TOX5: Sediment Contaminant Concentrations Relative to NOAA Guidelines “The chemicals that have concentrations greater than PECs or five times TECs are: chromium, copper, mercury, lead, PAHs, PCBs, DDT (and its metabolites), lindane, and dieldrin. Of these compounds, PAHs are the most common contaminant.”

TOX5: Sediment Contaminant Concentrations Relative to NOAA Guidelines

TOX6: Trends in Sediment Contaminant Concentrations May be limited to PCBs, DDTs and PAHs.

TOX7: Benthic Community Impacts Due to Sediment Contamination “Sediment impairments will be determined using a combination of sediment chemistry, sediment toxicity and benthic community

• data. Sediment chemistry data will be

evaluated using screening values from the DES Sediment Policy Sediment toxicity will be assessed using the test organism Ampelisca abdita. Benthic community data will be evaluated using a benthic index for Gulf of Maine sediments developed by the Atlantic Ecology Division of EPA”

TOX8: Finfish/Lobster Edible Tissue Conc. Relative to Risk Based Standards

What’s Happening Now?

• What is currently going on relevant to the topic?
• What are near-future opportunities that should be discussed?
• How should we discuss pricing different options for moving forward

with GulfWatch at various levels: (e.g., previous, previous+expanded to CEC’s...which CECs, etc.)

Proposed Changes to PREP CCMP Action Plan WR-21

• What about loading?

Activities under WR-21

• Research monitoring

techniques

• ID risk-based standards
• Develop indicators for WWTFs

and river monitoring

• Track concentrations

Next Steps?