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<br />ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 30, 134-142 (1995)
<br />
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<br />Hazard Assessment of Inorganics to Three Endangered Fish in the
<br />Green River, Utah
<br />
<br />STEVEN J . HAMILTON
<br />
<br />National Biological Survey, National Fisheries Contaminant Research Center, Field Research Station, RR 1, Box 295, Yankton,
<br />South Dakota 57078-9214
<br />
<br />Received January 24, 1994
<br />
<br />Acute toxicity tests were conducted with three life stages of
<br />Colorado squawfish (Ptychocheilus Lucius), razorback sucker
<br />(Xyrauchen texanus), and bonytail (Gila elegans) in a reconsti-
<br />tuted water quality simulating the middle part of the Green River
<br />of Utah. Tests were conducted with boron; lithium, selenate, sel-
<br />enite, uranium, vanadium, and zinc. The overaU rank order of
<br />toxicity to all species and life stages combined from most to least
<br />toxic was vanadium = zinc > selenite > lithium = uranium >
<br />selenate> boron. There was no difference between the three spe-
<br />cies in their sensitivity to the seven inorganics based on a rank-
<br />order evaluation at the species level. Colorado squawfish were 2-5
<br />times more sensitive to selenate and selenite at the swimup life
<br />stage than older stages, whereas razorback suckers displayed
<br />equal sensitivity among life stages. Bonytail exhibited equal sen-
<br />sitivity to selenite, but were five times more sensitive to selenate at
<br />the swimup life stage than the older stages. Comparison of 96-hr
<br />LCso values with a limited number of environmental water con-
<br />centrations in Ashley Creek, Utah, which receives irrigation
<br />drainwater, revealed moderate hazard ratios for boron, selenate,
<br />selenite, and zinc, low hazard ratios for uranium and vanadium,
<br />but unknown ratios for lithium. These inorganic contaminants in
<br />drainwaters may adversely affect endangered fish in the Green
<br />River. 0 1995 Academic Press, Inc. v
<br />
<br />INTRODUCTION
<br />
<br />After the discovery of contaminated irrigation return
<br />waters in the San Joaquin Valley of central California in
<br />1982 (Ohlendorf et aL., 1986; Saiki, 1986), the Department
<br />of the Interior (DOl) initiated a program to.identify other
<br />irrigation drainages in the western United States with
<br />similar water quality problems. These investigations fo-
<br />cused on DOl irrigation projects, where the receiving
<br />water was a national wildlife refuge or had the potential
<br />to impact migratory birds or endangered species. The
<br />Green River, located in northeastern Utah, was identified
<br />as one area needing further study.
<br />The Green River provides sensitive habitats for the
<br />Colorado squawfish (Ptychocheilus Lucius), razorback
<br />sucker (Xyrauchen texanus), and bony tail (Gila elegans).
<br />These species are listed as endangered under the provi-
<br />sions of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (USFWS,
<br />
<br />0147-6513/95 $6.00
<br />Copyright'" 1995 by Academic Press. Inc.
<br />All rights of reproduction in any fonn reserved.
<br />
<br />1974, 1980, 1991). For Colorado squawfish and razorback
<br />suckers, spawning areas are limited (Tyus, 1990; Tyus
<br />and Karp, 1990), and the critical life stages are those from
<br />fertilized eggs through the first year (Miller et al., 1982).
<br />The Green River near Jensen, Utah, is a known spawning
<br />location for razorback suckers with staging occurring in
<br />Ashley Creek and Stewart Lake outlet (Tyus and Karp,
<br />1990). Young-of-year Colorado squawftsh~~:razorback
<br />suckers use shallow alongshore embaY!ne.n~Qutsery
<br />habitats (Tyus, 1987; Tyus and Haines, 1991l};and these
<br />habitats occur at and below the mouth of Ashley Creek
<br />and the Stewart Lake outlet where irrigation return flows
<br />are concentrated. Little information is available about the
<br />distribution, abundance, or habitat use by bony tail (Tyus
<br />and Karp, 1989).
<br />The DOl irrigation drainwater investigation of the mid-
<br />dle Green River basin (Stephens et al., 1988; Peltz and
<br />Waddell, 1991) reported that selenium concentrations in
<br />waters supplying Stewart Lake, the mouth of Ashley
<br />Creek, and one pond at Ouray National Wildlife Refuge
<br />were four to six times greater than the 20,..J.I.~{ef"acute
<br />limit (l-hr average not to be exceeded once every 3 years)
<br />established for the protection of aquatic organisms; the
<br />chronic limit (4-day average not to be exceeded every 3
<br />years) is 5 ~g/liter (USEPA, 1987). They also reported
<br />that boron, selenium, and zinc concentrations in water,
<br />bottom sediment, and biological tissues were sufficiently
<br />large to be harmful to fish and wildlife.
<br />The purpose of this study was to determine the acute
<br />toxicity of boron, lithium, selenate, selenite, uranium,
<br />vanadium, and zinc to early life stages of Colorado
<br />squawfish, razorback sucker, and bony tail in a water
<br />quality simulating the middle Green River. The acute tox-
<br />icity values were then compared with environmental con-
<br />centrations of these inorganics found in various waters in
<br />the middle Green River to assess their potential hazard to
<br />endangered fish.
<br />
<br />MATERIALS AND METHODS
<br />
<br />Eyed-eggs of Colorado squawflsh, razorback sucker,
<br />and bony tail were obtained from Dexter National Fish
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