Toxicity Workgroup

The RMP Toxicity Workgroup (TWG) has been meeting since the late 1990’s to review and provide guidance to the RMP on aquatic and sediment toxicity studies in the San Francisco Estuary and adjacent tributaries. In recent years the Toxicity Workgroup is focusing on addressing the causes of the observed persistent moderate toxicity in regions the Estuary as documented by the RMP Status and Trends Program.

Environmental Pollution article on Mercury in San Francisco Bay Forage Fish

The peer reviewed journal, Environmental Pollution, just accepted for publication a new article summarizing a Bay wide survey on mercury concentrations in forage fish.  The article indicates differences in mercury according to species habitat, and a spatial gradient, with elevated concentrations near the Guadalupe River outfall.

Sediment Quality Objectives special session at Southern CA SETAC

Ben Greenfield, Chris Beegan, Steve Bay, and other scientists and managers will provide updates on the latest developments in Phase II of the Sediment Quality Objectives program, at the SoCal SETAC meeting in San Diego.

Storm Water runoff sampling at Mallard Island

SFEI staff mobilized for a wild week of storm water sampling. Storm water runoff was sampled at Mallard Island, the Guadalupe River and Zone 4 line A in Hayward. The rainfall pushed many areas above 100% of normal for this time of year. Although, after three years of drought we still need more rain and snow fall to make up for previous shortages.

Presentation on Mercury in Cores from San Francisco Bays and Wetlands

Don Yee presented at the RMP Hg Meeting on the results of the Mercury coring study. Cores collected at 11 subtidal sites, distributed throughout the Bay, were studied to determine ages and pollutant chemical concentrations of various layers. The research showed that mixing is on-going in bay sediments, so there are likely no large deposits of pollutants waiting beneath the surface, however depositional wetland cores show continual loading of pollutants throughout the years.

Request for Collaborative Work

The RMP encourages collaboration with other programs and research projects. In general, SFEI staff and contractors will collaborate to the extent that such collaboration does not adversely affect or delay RMP activities, or require additional expenditure of time or funds not previously approved by the RMP Steering Committee. RMP Participants will have priority for requests for collaboration.

Contaminant Loading and Fate

Knowledge about contaminant loading into the Estuary may be used to target and evaluate the effectiveness of management actions and to understand response times of contaminant concentrations in the Estuary. Total maximum daily loads (TMDL) development and implementation will benefit from information produced from focused empirical field measurement and modeling studies in the Estuary. Most of the current projects related to pollutant transport are now under the Watershed Program umbrella.

Exposure and Effects

Contaminants, especially persistent bioaccumulative toxic chemicals (PBTs), are a continued public and ecological health risk in the region. Most waterways in the Bay-Delta region are listed as impaired by mercury and other harmful chemicals and concerns over human exposure and health effects have resulted in consumption advisories for some locally caught fish. Bioassessments are a common approach for studying contaminant exposure and effects in aquatic ecosystems.

Monitoring Program Design

A number of projects emerged in 2006 and 07 that can be characterized as monitoring program design and implementation. At the statewide level, the Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program (SWAMP) has begun to implement external review recommendations, and SFEI has been asked to take the lead on bioaccumulation monitoring and coordinating the Bioaccumulation Oversight Group (BOG). Regionally, SFEI provides technical support for developing the Delta RMP and the San Joaquin Basin Monitoring Strategy.

Presentation on the Study of contaminants in sport fish from lakes and reservoirs

Aroon Melwani gave a presentation at the RMP Hg Meeting on a two year statewide monitoring project to study contaminants in sports fish from lakes and reservoirs being led by Dr. Jay Davis, SFEI. This project was the first under the State Water Board's new SWAMP bioaccumulation monitoring program. Aroon also gave an update on the next SWAMP bioaccumulation project that began recently to monitor contaminants in sport fish from California's coastal waters, including bay and estuaries.

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