Selenium› Naturally occurring metalloid› Associated with:

Coal seams Phosphate deposits Other mineral formations

Increased mobilization due to:› Irrigation› Sewage› Fly ash/coal

combustion› Mining

4 Oxidation states› Selenite (SeO3 -2)

› Selenate (SeO4 -2)

› Selenides (Se -2)› Elemental selenium (Se)

Insoluble Poorly assimilated by aquatic plants

Immobilized› Selenate is oxidized to Selenite› Selenite binds to:

Clay Organic particles Forms precipitate with iron

› Precipitate settles out› Sediment can be buried

Remobilized by:› Plant root absorption› Consumption by inverts and fish

Benefits:› Protects DNA, lipids, and

proteins

If fish are deficient:› Loss coordination› Reduced growth› Reduced immune response

Impairs gas exchange› Swollen lamellae

Constricts blood vessels› Binds to hemoglobin

Unable to carry oxygen Induce cataracts Edema Seleno-proteins

Similar to sulfides Cells cannot discriminate Selenium substituted for

sulfur Results in dysfunctional

amino acids/proteins Accumulates in gonads,

kidney, and liver

Seleno-proteins stored in ovarian tissues

Proteins transferred to eggs› Building blocks for tissue

synthesis› Metabolic fuel

External feeding› Critical period› High mortality

Faulty proteins used for development

Results in teratogenesis:› Craniofacial deformities› Spinal deformities› Missing fins› Edema

Inability to feed leading to death

Kyphosis

Lordosis

Scoliosis

1) Determine the effects of selenium on the aquatic ecosystem of the Upper Mud River Watershed, WV

2) Determine the effects of selenium on the survival of bluegill larvae

Lower Guyandotte River Watershed

Lincoln and Boone Counties, WV 124 ha reservoir 4.5-6 m depth Inhabitants:

› Bluegill› Largemouth bass› Crappie› Channel catfish

Paint Creek Watershed Fayette County, WV 81.75 ha reservoir 12.2 m depth Inhabitants:

› Bluegill› Largemouth bass› Channel catfish› White crappie

October 2008-November 2010

Mud River (main stem and tributaries)› 20 total sites› Mined (13)› Unmined (7)

Reference Site› 2 sites

Water quality

Plum Orchard Lake(Reference Site)

YSI: DO, pH, temperature, conductivity

Total and dissolved Fe, total Se, TDS, sulfates, alkalinity, hardness, TSS and TOC

Picture credit: Melissa O’Neal

July 2009 Stantec, Inc. Stream (13) Reservoir (5)

› Transects› Top 5 cm

Picture credit: Stantec, Inc., Lexington, KY

July, August, September 2010

Mud River Reservoir (2)

Reference Site (1) 10-20 min/ tow Surface and mid

depth 95% ethanol

November 2009 and 2010

Mud River (11) Reference Site (2) 2009: 4 kick samples 2010: 6-8 kick

samples Sorted into

functional feeding group (FFG)

Photo credit: Melissa O’Neal

June 2009 and 2010 Spawning Mud River Reservoir

› Whole Body (n=118)› Gonad (n=31)

Reference Site› Whole Body (n=86)› Gonad (n=10)

Egg selenium calculated

Photo credit: John Howell

June 2009 and 2010

2009: Entire redd collected

2010: Only shells, rocks, and branches

Individual redds collected

Transported to WVU wet lab

Nest split into tanks› A Tanks: 28 day early life stage

test for chronic toxicity› B Tanks: 9 day swim-up success

Tanks contained water from original location

3-days after hatching fed fine fish food and brine shrimp twice daily

Multiple full water changes done daily

Ammonia (daily)

Nitrite, alkalinity, hardness (weekly)

Temperature, DO, and pH (subset daily)

Variable Mined Unmined Reference

Temperature (oC) 14.19 ± 0.42a 13.60 ± 0.57a 17.83 ± 1.45b

Conductivity (µs/cm)

1059.93 ± 33.91a 152.23 ± 7.16b 38.38 ± 0.66c

pH 7.77 ± 0.02a 7.26 ± 0.05b 7.05 ± 0.09b

DO (mg/L) 8.91 ± 0.32a 8.23 ± 0.20a 9.63 ± 1.88a

Hardness (mg/L

CaCO3)640.81 ± 31.91a 60.14 ± 5.49b 13.35 ± 0.302c

Alkalinity (mg/L

CaCO3)159.45 ± 5.54a 37.09 ± 2.05b 16.87 ± 1.37c

Variable Mined Unmined Reference

TDS (mg/L) 1416.57 ± 217.61a 139.16 ± 16.52b 16.87 ± 1.37c

Sulfate (mg/L) 462.24 ± 17.11a 39.87 ± 8.64b 12.14 ± 0.64c

Dissolved Iron (mg/L)

0.068 ± 0.007a 0.131 ± 0.009b 0.208 ± 0.023c

Total Iron (mg/L)

0.606 ± 0.189a 0.566 ± 0.093ab 0.336 ± 0.037b

Total Selenium (µg/L)

6.52 ± 0.289a 0.262 ± 0.015b 0.194 ± 0.021b

TOC (mg/L) 3.46 ± 0.36a 3.22 ± 0.308a 3.15 ± 0.079a

a

a

Site Type

Unmined Mined

Sel

eniu

m (

µg

/g D

W)

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

a

a

Reservoir Transect

MudR16 MudR17 MudR18 MudR19 MudR14

Sel

eniu

m (

µg

/g D

W)

0

1

2

3

4

a

a

a aa

Site Type

Mined Unmined Reference

Sel

eniu

m (

µg

/g D

W)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

a

a

b

Site Filterer Gatherer Scraper Shredder Composite

Unmined 2.69 ± 0.4a 3.90 ± 1.0a 3.7 ± 0.52a 1.9 ± 0.72a 3.4 ± 0.42a

Mined 11.7 ± 1.4b 12.44 ± 1.8b 8.1 ± 0.93b 11.5 ± 2.45b 11.1 ± 0.87b

Reference N/A 2.67 ± 0.04a N/A 0.88 ± 0.12a 2.1 ± 0.50a

*

Mud Reservoir Reference

05

1015

2025

3035

Site

Sel

eniu

m (

µg

/g D

W)

a

b

*

Mud Reservoir Reference

05

1015

2025

30

Site

Sel

eniu

m (

µg

/g D

W)

a

b

Variable ReferenceMud River Reservoir

Temperature (oC) 21.41 ± 0.12* 22.69 ± 0.12

Dissolved O2 (mg/L) 7.87 ± 0.09 7.99 ± 0.05

pH 7.73 ± 0.03* 8.36 ± 0.008

Ammonia (mg/L)0.766 ± 0.059* 0.308 ± 0.041

Nitrite (mg/L) 0.01 ± 0.001* 0.017 ± 0.002

Hardness (mg/L CaCO3) 20 ± 0.0* 250 ± 0.0

Alkalinity (mg/L CaCO3) 16.35 ± 1.13* 80 ± 0.0

The mine boundary is a good delineation for site types› Sites in the mine and

downstream were of high (> 5 µg/L) or moderate hazard (3-5 µg/L) based on the hazard profile by Lemly (1995)

Levels as low as 2 µg/L can be bioaccumulated in the food chain and cause reproductive failure

All sediment samples considered no to low hazard (≤ 2 µg/g DW)

Reservoir transects› All samples also considered low to

no hazard at < 2 µg/g DW› Selenium seems to remain in the

water column

Mud River Reservoir (mined and unmined) sites differed from the reference siteNot sorted to species

(zooplankton, etc.)

Mined areas greater than dietary threshold for fish

(3 µg/g) and birds (7 µg/g) Did not see a significant

difference between the reference site and unmined sites

No hazard category for whole body/gonad selenium concentrations

Egg selenium (68.76 ± 1.95 µg/g ) High hazard (>20 µg/g)

20 40 60 80 100

01

02

03

04

0

Weight (g)

Se

len

ium

(µ

g/g

DW

)

Toxic Effect Threshold

ReferenceMud Reservoir

Toxic EffectThreshold:

5 ug/g is considered the threshold for the health and reproductivesuccess of freshwater fish(Lemly 1995)

Did not observe deformities in larval fish

Low survival possibly due to temperature and ammonia levels

No observations of deformaties

Mined areas had higher selenium levels in the following categories:› Water selenium concentrations› Benthic macroinvertebrates› Whole body/gonad/egg

concentrations