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Changing agricultural practices: potential consequences to aquatic organisms.
Peter J Lasier1, Matthew L Urich2, Sayed M Hassan3
1United States Geological Survey, Athens, GA, USA. plasier@usgs.gov.
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
|November 17, 2016
Summary
Agricultural runoff, including herbicides and animal waste, is linked to declining fish and mussel populations in the Upper Conasauga River. Elevated nutrients, hormones, and herbicide byproducts like AMPA may be contributing factors.
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Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Ecotoxicology
- Freshwater Ecology
Background:
- Agricultural intensification, characterized by increased herbicide use and animal waste application, threatens freshwater biodiversity.
- Significant declines in fish and mussel populations have been observed in the Upper Conasauga River watershed over the past two decades.
- These declines coincide with prevalent agricultural practices in the region.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential impact of agricultural practices on freshwater species populations in the Upper Conasauga River.
- To assess water and sediment quality for key agricultural contaminants, including glyphosate, metals, nutrients, and hormones.
- To correlate water and sediment chemistry with observed declines in aquatic biota.
Main Methods:
- Surface water and sediment samples were collected across the Upper Conasauga River basin.
- Samples were analyzed for glyphosate, aminomethyl phosphonic acid (AMPA), metals, nutrients (nitrate, phosphorus), and steroid hormones.
- Chronic toxicity tests were conducted using Ceriodaphnia dubia and Hyalella azteca.
- Water and sediment contaminant concentrations were compared to established impairment and toxicity levels.
Main Results:
- Few water or sediment samples exhibited toxicity, and metal concentrations were generally below impairment levels.
- Glyphosate was undetected, but its degradation product, AMPA, was prevalent in 77% of water samples and most sediment samples.
- Widespread nutrient enrichment (nitrate and phosphorus) exceeded eutrophication thresholds.
- Sediment hormone concentrations frequently surpassed levels known to cause endocrine disruption in fish, suggesting impacts from animal waste application.
Conclusions:
- Agricultural practices contribute to the degradation of freshwater ecosystems in the Upper Conasauga River.
- Elevated nutrient levels, potential herbicide surfactants (inferred from AMPA), and sediment-bound hormones are implicated in the observed declines of fish and mussel populations.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate the complex interactions between agricultural contaminants and aquatic ecosystem health.