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Contaminant Concentrations in Sediments, Aquatic Invertebrates, and Fish in Proximity to Rail Tracks Used for Coal Transport in the Pacific Northwest (USA): A Baseline Assessment

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Abstract

Railway transport of coal poses an environmental risk, because coal dust contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), mercury, and other trace metals. In the Pacific Northwest of the United States, proposed infrastructure projects could result in an increase in coal transport by train through the Columbia River corridor. Baseline information is needed on current distributions, levels, and spatial patterns of coal dust-derived contaminants in habitats and organisms adjacent to existing coal transport lines. To that end, we collected aquatic surface sediments, aquatic insects, and juvenile fish in 2014 and 2015 from Horsethief Lake State Park and Steigerwald National Wildlife Refuge, both located in Washington state close to the rail line and within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Two subsites in each area were selected: one close to the rail line and one far from the rail line. Detected PAH concentrations were relatively low compared with those measured at more urbanized areas. Some contaminants were measured at higher concentrations at the subsites close to the rail line, but it was not possible to link the contaminants to a definitive source. Trace metal concentrations were only slightly higher than background concentrations, but a few of the more sensitive benchmarks were exceeded, including those for arsenic, lead, and selenium in fish tissue and fluoranthene, cadmium, copper, manganese, nickel, zinc, iron, and arsenic in sediments. At Horsethief Lake, Chinook salmon and yellow perch showed lower total mercury body burdens than other species, but PAH body burdens did not differ significantly among species. Differences in the species caught among subsites and the low number of invertebrate samples rendered food web comparisons difficult, but these data show that the PAHs and trace metals, including mercury, are accumulating in these wetland sites and in some resident organisms.

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Acknowledgements

Funding for this study was provided by US Geological Survey Northwest Region. This manuscript was greatly improved by thoughtful input from several peer reviewers. Findings and conclusions herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of all of the sponsoring organizations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oregon Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 2130 SW 5th Ave., Portland, OR, 97201, USA

    Whitney B. Hapke, Cassandra D. Smith & Elena B. Nilsen

  2. Washington Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 934 Broadway, Suite 300, Tacoma, WA, 98402, USA

    Robert W. Black

  3. Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center (FRESC), U.S. Geological Survey, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

    Collin A. Eagles-Smith

  4. Environmental and Fisheries Sciences Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2725 Montlake Boulevard East, Seattle, WA, 98112, USA

    Lyndal Johnson, Gina M. Ylitalo & Daryle Boyd

  5. Washington Fish and Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 510 Desmond Dr. SE, Suite 102, Lacey, WA, 98503, USA

    Jay W. Davis

  6. Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 3162 Bozeman Ave, Helena, MT, 59601, USA

    Sara L. Caldwell Eldridge

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  1. Whitney B. Hapke
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  2. Robert W. Black
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  3. Collin A. Eagles-Smith
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  4. Cassandra D. Smith
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  5. Lyndal Johnson
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  6. Gina M. Ylitalo
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  7. Daryle Boyd
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  8. Jay W. Davis
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  9. Sara L. Caldwell Eldridge
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  10. Elena B. Nilsen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elena B. Nilsen.

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Hapke, W.B., Black, R.W., Eagles-Smith, C.A. et al. Contaminant Concentrations in Sediments, Aquatic Invertebrates, and Fish in Proximity to Rail Tracks Used for Coal Transport in the Pacific Northwest (USA): A Baseline Assessment. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 77, 549–574 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-019-00667-0

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