Exposure and Effects Workgroup Study Ideas 2010

Five-Year Plan: Risk to Birds Is there clear evidence of pollutant effects on survival, reproduction, or growth of individual birds? Are pollutants in the Bay adversely affecting bird populations? Do spatial patterns in accumulation indicate particular regions of concern?

Five-Year Plan: Risk to Birds Is there clear evidence of pollutant effects on survival, reproduction, or growth of individual birds? –Yes for Hg How do the threshold numbers being developed relate to egg monitoring threshold in TMDL (0.5 mg/kg ww)? –No for emerging chemicals such as PBDEs

Five-Year Plan: Risk to Birds Are pollutants in the Bay adversely affecting bird populations? –Dont know Do spatial patterns in accumulation indicate particular regions of concern? –Maybe. SBSP work/ Calfed suggests high marshes have higher concentrations of Hg in birds. Dont know for other contaminants.

Five-Year Plan: Risk to Birds

Five-Year Plan: Risk to Benthos What are spatial and temporal patterns of impacts of sediment contamination on benthic biota? Which pollutants are responsible for observed impacts on benthic biota? Are the toxicity tests, benthic community assessment approaches, and the overall SQO assessment framework we are using reliable indicators of impacts of benthic biota?

Five-Year Plan: Risk to Benthos What are spatial and temporal patterns of impacts of sediment contamination on benthic biota? –Maybe. SQO identified areas of concern. S&T benthic work will provide more information. Which pollutants are responsible for observed impacts on benthic biota? –Not sure. Further development of TIEs will help.

Five-Year Plan: Risk to Benthos Are the toxicity tests, benthic community assessment approaches, and the overall SQO assessment framework we are using reliable indicators of impacts of benthic biota? –Yes consensus that we are best available methods for sediment toxicity Recommendation to consider switching to fw test organisms in rivers –Benthic assessments to be refined through benthic workshops –Need to coordinate on SQO assessment approaches/techniques

Five-Year Plan: Risk to Benthos

Five-Year Plan: Risk to Fish Are pollutants, individually or in combination, reducing reproductive ability, growth, and health of sensitive fish populations? What are appropriate thresholds of concern for contaminant concentrations for Bay species? What are cost-effective indicators for monitoring effects of contaminants on fish populations?

Five-Year Plan: Risk to Fish Are pollutants, individually or in combination, reducing reproductive ability, growth, and health of sensitive fish populations? –Maybe. POD. Reduced fish runs.

Five-Year Plan: Risk to Fish What are appropriate thresholds of concern for contaminant concentrations for Bay species? –Working on PAHs –Need to develop for other compounds such as ECs What are cost-effective indicators for monitoring effects of contaminants on fish populations? –Working on hormone systems –Need to develop methods for inclusion in S&T

Five-Year Plan: Risk to Fish

Patterns in Foodwebs - Small fish Where is mercury entering the food web? What factors contribute to uptake? Are there trends in MeHg bioaccumulation based on restoration activities? What are the best monitoring tools for characterizing MeHg bioaccumulation? $150K thru 2010

Patterns in Foodwebs - Small fish Where is mercury entering the food web? What factors contribute to uptake? Are there trends in MeHg bioaccumulation based on restoration activities? What are the best monitoring tools for characterizing MeHg bioaccumulation? $150K thru 2010 Too soon to tell

Study ideas for 2010 Avian effects: Development of thresholds –Augmenting USGS Clapper rail study? Avian effects: Development of thresholds –Ratner et al PBDE studies? Benthos: Development LC-50 data; continuation of sediment TIE development; develop sed. toxicity strategy thru workgroup Benthos: Pyrethroids and TIEs?

Study ideas for 2010 Fish effects: Development of thresholds –? Fish effects: Development of indicators for S&T Fish effects: Bioassays (outcome of EC white paper?) Foodweb: Understanding source of Hg –Sediment? Water column?

Patterns in Foodwebs - Egg Monitoring Are cormorant and tern egg monitoring valuable indicators of long-term trends? Which emerging contaminants accumulate to appreciable concentrations in cormorant eggs? Are particular regions of the Bay margin of special concern for Hg accumulation in Forester Terns? $90K every three years (starting in 2009)

Patterns in Foodwebs - Egg Monitoring Are cormorant and tern egg monitoring valuable indicators of long-term trends? –Yes. Incorporated into program as part of redesign Which emerging contaminants accumulate to appreciable concentrations in cormorant eggs? –Elevated levels of PFOS near LC-50 of lab studies for chickens –Which ECs should we look for in the eggs?