bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Uncertainties Associated with Assessing the Risk of an Endocrine Active Substance in the Canadian Environment
Authors: Servos Mark , Bennie Don , Burnison Kent , Cureton Philippa , Davidson Nicol , Rawn Thea 
Published: May 2018

Abstract
A number of biological responses and multigenerational effects, mediated through the disruption of endocrine systems, have been observed in biota exposed to relatively low concentrations of environmental contaminants. These types of responses need to be considered within a weight of evidence approach in our risk assessment and risk management frameworks. However, including endocrine responses in an environmental risk assessment introduces a number of uncertainties that must be considered. A risk assessment of nonylphenol and nonylphenol polyethoxylates (NP/NPE) is used as a case study to demonstrate the sources and magnitude of some of the uncertainties associated with using endocrine disruption as an assessment endpoint. Even with this relatively well studied group of substances, there are substantial knowledge gaps which contribute to the overall uncertainties, limiting the interpretation within the risk assessment. The uncertainty of extrapolating from in vitro or biochemical responses to higher levels of organization or across species is not well understood. The endocrine system is very complex and chemicals can interact or interfere with the normal function of endocrine systems in a number of ways (e.g., receptors, hormones) which may or may not result in an adverse responses in the whole organism. Using endocrine responses can lead to different conclusions than traditional endpoints due to a variety of factors, such as differences in relative potencies of chemicals for specific endpoints (e.g., receptor binding versus chronic toxicity). The uncertainties can also be considerably larger and the desirability of using endocrine endpoints should be carefully evaluated. Endocrine disruption is a mode of action and not a functional endpoint and this needs to be considered carefully in the problem formulation stage and the interpretation of the weight of evidence.
Contaminated Sediment Remediation in the Laurentian Great Lakes: an Overview
Authors: Zarull Michael A. , Hartig John H. , Krantzberg Gail 
Published: May 2018

Abstract
Sediment contaminated with metals, persistent organic pollutants, nutrients and oxygen consuming substances can be found in many areas throughout the Great Lakes. However, the highest levels of sediment-associated contaminants and some of the worst manifestations of their resultant problems are found in the urban-industrial harbours, embayments and river mouths. Management options may include source control and natural recovery, removal and containment in a confined disposal facility or upland containment cell, removal and treatment, and in situ capping or treatment. Over the past 13 years (as of January 2000), over $580 million (U.S. and Canadian dollars combined) has been spent on 38 remediation projects in 19 separate areas. Not only have substantial resources been spent on sediment remediation, but the rate of expenditure has increased in recent years. In addition, substantially greater resources have been spent on pollution prevention and control of contaminants at their source as a prerequisite to sediment remediation. While most of the remediation has taken place as a result of regulatory actions, some has been the result of cooperative partnerships, demonstration projects and unilateral voluntary actions. In the future, cooperative agreements may be expected to play a greater role in resolving contaminated sediment problems.
A Review of the Microtox® Toxicity Test System for Assessing the Toxicity of Sediments and Soils
Authors: Doherty Francis G. 
Published: May 2018

Abstract
Use of Microtox for screening sediment or soil samples from contaminated systems either alone or in combination with a battery of other tests is supported by an ever-increasing number of comparative studies demonstrating its utility, sensitivity, rapidity and affordability. Organic solvent extracts and direct solidphase material provide an assessment of the potential toxicity exerted by both dissolved and bound contaminants. In contrast, tests utilizing pore water or elutriates may be limited to assessing the contribution of dissolved contaminants only. Each approach is limited in the scope of its applications. The apparent toxicity of elutriates can be a function of extraction solvent and overall procedure. The apparent toxicity of solid-phase samples is influenced by sample color and composition — more specifically, the ratio of clay to silt. However, in general, the results obtained through in laboratory testing with the Microtox test system are often consistent with the results of both sediment invertebrate in laboratory toxicity tests and macroinvertebrate field surveys. There is also evidence that toxicity assessments obtained with the Microtox test system are related to analytically derived concentrations of certain classes of contaminants.
Farm Well Water Quality in Alberta
Authors: Fitzgerald Darcy , Chanasyk David S. , Neilson R. David , Kiely Dave , Audette Robert 
Published: May 2018

Abstract
On-farm groundwater supplies in Alberta were evaluated for chemical (routine chemistry, trace metals), herbicides and microbiological (total and fecal coliforms) parameters to determine the suitability of domestic drinking water usage based on the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality (GCDWQ). The sampling program was conducted between May and October of 1995 and 1996. Thirty-two percent of the 816 farm water wells surveyed (depth range 2 to 284 m) exceeded the GCDWQ for maximum acceptable concentration (MAC) or interim maximum acceptable concentration (IMAC) of at least one parameter. In addition, the water from 92% of the sites exceeded the GCDWQ for at least one of the aesthetic objectives (AO). The chemicals were ranked from most to least frequently exceeding the GCDWQ MAC, in the following order: F &gt;&gt; NO3 −N + NO2−N &gt; As &gt; Se &gt; Pb &gt; B &gt; U &gt; Cr (13, 6, 3, 3, 2, 0.9, 0.4 and 0.2% of all samples, respectively). The parameters ranked from most to least frequently, exceeding the AO, in the following order: TDS &gt; Na &gt; Fe &gt; Mn &gt; pH &gt; SO4 &gt; Cl &gt; Al &gt; Zn &gt; Cu (85, 64, 36, 34, 23, 19, 6, 2, 1 and 0.1 % of the samples, respectively). The majority of the higher concentrations of most inorganic parameters are due to natural geological conditions defined by source aquifer mineralogy. The effects of primary agriculture are likely limited to the 3% herbicide detections and to some nitrate and microbiological contaminations observed; this water should not be used for human consumption without some form of site-specific treatment. Some rural residents may be “mistreating” their water, and a general lack of water testing among rural residents was noted.
On the PNN Modeling of Estrogen Receptor Binding Data for Carboxylic Acid Esters and Organochlorine Compounds†
Authors: Kaiser Klaus L.E. , Niculescu Stefan P. 
Published: May 2018

Abstract
We describe the relationship between the estrogen receptor binding and the molecular structure of chemicals using the probabilistic neural network methodology with structural fragment descriptors as input variables and a data set of 1118 compounds. Exploratory models identified two subsets of chemicals for which the predictions were well correlated with the measured values, namely chlorine-containing compounds and carboxylic esters, and for which individual models were developed. Both compound classes are in the classification system for chemicals on the Canadian Domestic Substances List (DSL) and the data cover five orders of magnitude in activity in each of these classes. The results show excellent performance of both models and are highly encouraging in the search for other models for this and other receptor binding data as well as other classes of DSL substances. They also confirm the flexibility, usefulness and applicability of the probabilistic neural networks as modeling methodology to a wide variety of modeling challenges in the environmental and health fields.
Cold Water Effects on Enhanced Coagulation of High DOC, Low Turbidity Water
Authors: Braul Larry , Viraraghavan T. , Corkal Darrell 
Published: May 2018

Abstract
Prairie farm reservoirs are usually low in turbidity and contain high concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Some are treated with aluminum sulfate in late fall when the water drops below 3°C, often with poor turbidity reduction results. Jar tests using aluminum sulfate were conducted to study the effect of water temperature on enhanced coagulation of a typical high DOC prairie water. Jar tests showed that temperature affects turbidity, particle counts and total residual aluminum but does not affect DOC, UV254 absorbance and colour reduction. Turbidity of the treated water increased consistently as the temperature decreased. Particle counts in the 1 to 10 μm range were reduced by two logs at 20°C but only by one log at 1.5°C indicating inferior oocyst removal at low temperatures. Bentonite addition at 1.5°C did not affect the treated water particle counts but because the bentonite increased the raw water particle count, the reduction of the particles could be increased by one log. Coagulant demand for the water tested without pH adjustment is one to two mg Al per mg of DOC at all temperatures tested. The optimum pH for all temperatures was about 6.0 for DOC removal and about 6.5 for turbidity removal based on a dosage increment of 0.5 pH units. UV254 absorbance is well suited to predict optimum aluminum sulfate dosage for DOC removal.
Recalcitrant Organics Emerging from Biological Treatment of Kraft Mill Effluents
Authors: Konduru Ramakrishna R. , Liss Steven N. , Allen D. Grant 
Published: May 2018

Abstract
Recalcitrant organic matter (ROM) in combined kraft mill effluents is that organic matter remaining in the effluents after primary and secondary treatment. Recalcitrant organic matter comprises of both high molecular weight (HMW) and low molecular weight (LMW) components and is of interest, since environmental regulators are considering placing limits on final effluent COD and colour. Biologically treated pulp mill effluent was fractionated by ultrafiltration to study the contributions of the high and low molecular weight recalcitrant organics towards final effluent COD and AOX. Batch biodegradation tests were carried out on lab-generated biotreated effluent from lab scale sequencing batch reactors operating at 35, 45, 55 and 60°C, to investigate if the residual recalcitrant fraction could be further degraded. Biodegradation tests involved the optimization of the microbiological medium by the addition of either an alternate carbon source (glucose) or a carbon-nitrogen substrate (yeast extract). Treatment temperatures and nutrient levels were varied and the effect of each of these four factors on the biodegradability of the recalcitrant fractions was studied. The recalcitrant portion was found to be resistant to further biodegradation, even under optimized microbiological conditions. The HMW fraction of the ROM obtained from final biotreated effluent from a bleached kraft pulp mill (HMW ROMMill) was studied for its ability to bind other organic model pollutants in an aqueous environment. Pentachlorophenol (PCP) was tested for its binding onto the HMW ROMMill, using toxicity as a surrogate parameter for binding, in the Microtox™ test. Equilibrium dialysis studies were carried out to investigate the ability of HMW ROMMill to bind 14C-Benzopyrene (BaP) and 3H-dehydroabietic acid (DHA). Microtox™ studies failed to indicate the binding of PCP onto HMW ROMMill. BaP and DHA however did bind onto HMW ROMMill. BaP binding onto HMW ROMMill was higher than DHA binding, possibly due to its hydrophobicity. Also, increasing the dissolved organic carbon concentration of HMW ROMMill led to a decrease in the partition coefficient values for both BaP and DHA.
A Laboratory-Scale Investigation into the Use of Powdered Iron for In situ Removal of Phosphorus from Treated Sewage Effluent with Constructed Wetlands
Authors: McLaughlin Roger L. , Brindle Ian D. 
Published: May 2018

Abstract
Incorporation of powdered iron into the root bed of experimental constructed wetlands removes phosphorus from treated sewage to levels that easily meet government guidelines for discharge into natural water bodies. Various combinations of powdered iron and sand were used to determine the best arrangement that removes the largest amount of phosphorus. Macrophytes fulfill a beneficial function by delivering oxygen to the root zone and by improving drainage in the wetland. In these wetlands, cattails (Typha latifolia L.) also take up phosphorus during growth and store significant quantities of it in their leaves.
Overview of Freshwater Fish Studies from the Pulp and Paper Environmental Effects Monitoring Program
Authors: Munkittrick Kelly R. , McGeachy S. Anne , McMaster Mark E. , Courtenay Simon C. 
Published: May 2018

Abstract
The second cycle of the pulp and paper environmental effects monitoring (EEM) program reported its results on April 1, 2000, and preliminary analysis of the fish survey results have been conducted. The EEM program is a cyclical evaluation of the receiving water impacts associated with the discharge of effluent, consisting of evaluations of fish populations, benthic invertebrate communities, effluent toxicity and other components. This paper represents a summary of the preliminary evaluations of 114 EEM surveys for the fish survey results, as reported by the consulting companies to the mills. Less than 10% of the cases failed to find a statistical difference in the key measurements of gonad size, liver size and condition factor. When effects were seen in a sex of one species, 67% of the time, a similar effect was seen in the opposite sex and when a difference was seen in one sex of one species, 54% of the time, the same difference was seen in the same direction in a second species sampled at that site. This reflects that differences were often consistent between sexes and consistent between species. Results, problems encountered, and lessons learned will be compared for cycle 1 and 2 data, and general response patterns and national trends in reported data will be presented. A summary of research needs is presented, as are recommendations for cycle 3 pulp and paper. New developments in the program reflect some of the adaptations developed for metal mining EEM, including a) setting alpha and beta equal, and its consequences for study design and interpretation, b) discussion of the role of effect size in power analysis and study design, and c) non-lethal sampling protocols for EEM.
Quantifying Impacts of Pulp Mill Effluent on Fish in Canadian Marine and Estuarine Environments: Problems and Progress
Authors: Courtenay Simon C. , Munkittrick Kelly R. , Dupuis Hélène M.C. , Parker Roy , Boyd Janice 
Published: May 2018

Abstract
Amendments to the federal Pulp and Paper Effluent Regulations in effect since 1992, require mills in Canada discharging effluent to an aquatic receiving environment to conduct an Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) Program to determine whether existing regulations adequately protect fish, fish habitat and use of fisheries resources. As one component of the EEM, mills measure indices of growth, survival and reproduction in wild-caught fish exposed to effluent and compare them with fish not exposed to effluent. A review of the first round of Fish Surveys (Cycle 1: 1993-1996) indicated that they contributed useful data in the freshwater receiving environments for which they had been designed, but performed poorly in the more complex marine and estuarine environments. The most prevalent and serious problems were that insufficient fish were caught and the degree of exposure to effluent could not be quantified. Recommendations to address these problems in Cycle 2 (1997-2000) included selection of small-bodied, presumably more sedentary, fish and studies on the alternative approaches: caged bivalves and onshore bioassays (mesocosms). Difficulties encountered in Cycle 1 studies which could not be resolved became reasons to exclude the Fish Survey from 12 of 28 marine EEM studies in Cycle 2. Six marine mills completed the standard Fish Survey with finfish. Three of these used small-bodied fish successfully, though further information will be required on their range of movement and technical guidance on appropriate sampling. Six studies examined wild bivalves or snails in place of one or both finfish sentinels. None of the invertebrate studies provided all of the information required by the Fish Survey, with only two studies providing age information required to assess growth, only one study reporting gender, and none of the studies reporting measures of reproduction. Six mills conducted or participated in developing alternative approaches for fish surveys: two caged bivalve studies, three mesocosm studies using fish, and one onshore bioassay using bivalves. While providing no direct measurements of effects on reproduction these tools evaluated potential impacts of effluent on survival and growth and supplied information helpful for subsequent investigations of the causes of effects observed in wild fish.
Data Interpretation Issues for Canada's Environmental Effects Monitoring Program
Authors: Lowell Richard B. , Hedley Kathleen , Porter Edward 
Published: May 2018

Abstract
As part of Canada's National Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) Program, regulated pulp and paper mills are (and metal mines will be) required to submit an interpretive report describing monitoring results. General guidance has been prepared on how to interpret these EEM data—specifically: 1) which effect endpoints to use, 2) the statistical (or other) approach to use for each endpoint to determine the presence or absence of an effect associated with exposure, and 3) the role of power analysis, α, β, and effect size in determining effects. A statistically significant difference (relative to reference conditions) in any of the effect endpoints is to be considered an exposure-associated effect for the purposes of warranting possible follow-up action. Such an effect does not, however, necessarily indicate ecological, social, or economic significance sufficient to require corrective action. Power analyses should be conducted both at the beginning of a study to determine required sampling effort and at the end of a study to determine whether the power that was actually achieved was sufficient to detect the effect size of interest. A key recommendation is to set α = β as a starting point for data interpretation. The initial recommendations of the general guidance are expected to evolve as environmental effects become better understood.
Implications of Sampling Frequency for Detecting Temporal Patterns during Environmental Effects Monitoring
Authors: Lowell Richard B. , Culp Joseph M. 
Published: May 2018

Abstract
To estimate the effects of sampling frequency on detecting temporal patterns during environmental effects monitoring, we used multivariate analyses and data subsampling to investigate long-term (spanning 20 years) patterns in benthic invertebrate community structure downriver of a large pulp mill in southern British Columbia. Patterns in invertebrate abundance sampled yearly were related to long-term patterns in several physicochemical variables measured in the river using multidimensional scaling ordination. The only available physicochemical variables that were significantly correlated with invertebrate community structure over the 20-year period were the mill outputs of total phosphorus and suspended solids, and these were associated with increased abundances of five families of mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies. To evaluate the implications of sampling on a more coarse (than yearly) time scale, the full data set spanning 20 years was subsampled to produce a series of smaller data sets, each simulating a sampling frequency of once every three years. Ordination of the subsample data sets showed that an average of 71% of the important taxa and 50% of the important physicochemical variables highlighted in the full analysis were missed in the subset analyses. These results underscore the importance of ensuring adequate temporal replication of sampling effort when a major goal is to directly measure or test for temporal patterns of stressor impacts.
Follow-up Studies Addressing Questions Identified During Cycle 1 of the Adult Fish Survey of the Pulp and Paper EEM Program
Authors: McMaster Mark E. , Frank Melinda , Munkittrick Kelly , Riffon Renée , Wood Craig 
Published: May 2018

Abstract
The Canadian federal government instituted an environment effects monitoring (EEM) program for the pulp and paper industry to ensure the long-term integrity of fish populations below the discharge of mill effluents. The program is cyclical in nature (every three to four years) and one of the components of the program is an adult fish survey which monitors wild fish health in the receiving environments. Cycle 1 reports were submitted in April of 1996, and the report for the James Maclaren Inc. mill at Thurso, Quebec, suggested some responses were evident in fish downstream of the mill discharge. However, the receiving environment was subject to inputs from other potential sources or confounding factors such as farm runoff, storm sewers, municipal discharges and and upstream paper mills. A review of other Cycle 1 studies also identified a number of problems encountered during the adult fish surveys. At this time, Maclaren researchers and Environment Canada set up a collaborative research project as part of their Cycle 2 studies at the Thurso site. Objectives of the study included a comparison of Cycle 2 results to their Cycle 1 studies, an assessment of the potential for the use of forage fish in the EEM program as well as an evaluation of reference site variability in the required EEM fish parameters. Collections in 1997 confirmed an increased male yellow perch liver size downstream of the discharge, but could not confirm reproductive alterations in exposed fish. It was possible to obtain all of the required EEM fish parameters from a small forage fish species such as the johnny darter, which may reduce the influence of fish mobility and other confounding factors on fish responses at some sites. Reference site variability was not a contributing factor in evaluating fish responses to effluent sources at this site.
Artificial Streams for Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM): Development and Application in Canada over the Past Decade
Authors: Dubé Monique G. , Culp Joseph M. , Cash Kevin J. , Glozier Nancy E. , MacLatchy Deborah L. , Podemski Cheryl L. , Lowell Richard B. 
Published: May 2018

Abstract
Development of artificial stream systems has been an on-going research effort in Canada over the past decade. At the National Water Research Institute (NWRI) of Environment Canada, artificial stream systems have been developed to assess the effects of point source effluents on aquatic biota. Initial applications (1990–1994) focused on assessing the effects of pulp mill effluents on benthic invertebrate and algae communities in large western Canadian rivers. Artificial streams were then used to assess the effects of pulp mill effluents on fish in marine and estuarine environments in eastern Canada (1997–1999). Most recently (2000–2001) artificial stream systems have been developed as tools to evaluate the effects of mining effluents on fish and benthic invertebrates. In addition, multi-trophic level (algae + benthic invertebrate + fish) applications have been developed for cumulative effects bioassessment. Based upon this culmination of research and development, artificial stream systems have been incorporated into the federally legislated Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) program as an alternative to field surveys for assessment of pulp and paper and mining pollution. The Canadian experience in development of artificial stream systems should serve as a model to demonstrate how research tools can be incorporated into federally legislated monitoring programs.