c/EPA
MED in Review
www.epa.gov
EPA/600/N-08/001
Spring 2008
Research Events
United States Environmental
Protection Agency
• Office of Research and
Development
• National Health and
Environmental Effects
Research Laboratory
• Mid-Continent Ecology
Division, Duluth,
Minnesota
In this Issue:
Research Events
Featured Research
Current Events
New Publications
MED Seminars
Awards
People
MED in Review Editor
Mary Ann Starus
(218)529-5075
starus.maryann@epa.gov
MED in Review Design
FAIR II Contract
WO68-W-01-032
MED/GROSSE ILE SCIENTIST FINALIZES ROLE ON SCIENCE ADVISORY PANEL FOR NCER
GRANT
GLEAMS
Great Lafc.es Enuironmeriij &
!• L collar Sciences Center
Russell Kreis, Chief of the MED Large Lakes &
Rivers Forecasting Research Branch in Grosse
He, MI has completed responsibilities on the
Science Advisory Panel for a National Center for
Environmental Research (NCER) grant, which
was a collaborative venture between Western
Michigan University and Altarum (Michigan Technological Institute). Russ served on the
Panel for five years and also served as interim chair through the grant's final phases. Dr. Dale
Manty (NCER-Washington, DC) served as project officer. The grant was entitled "Great
Lakes Environmental and Molecular Sciences Center (GLEAMS)" and was a congressional
earmark. The mission was to carry out novel research to better assess environmental health,
and to transfer research results to the public in a manner that facilitates environmental
decision-making. The Center's approach focused on state-of-the-art environmental chemistry,
application of genomics-based molecular technologies, layered GIS environmental databases,
and a dynamic decision support system. Beyond the final Panel review, overviews of the
program and demonstration of the decision support system were provided at the State of the
Upper Peninsula Meeting and State of Lake Michigan Conference, both in the State of
Michigan in September and October 2007, respectively.
Contact: Russell G. Kreis Jr. (734) 692-7615
MED RESEARCHERS DEMONSTRATE SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS AT SETAC MEETING,
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN; NOVEMBER 11-15
At the fall meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and
Chemistry, more than 100 potential users viewed and/or operated three
applications developed at MED: the ECOTOX Knowledge System
(www.epa.gov/ecotox), Version 1.0 of the PCB Residue database, and
the beta-version of the Biota-Sediment Accumulation Factor Data set.
ECOTOX is the largest collection of summarized toxic effects data for
ecologically relevant species available on the Web, including more
than 546,000 individual data records, and is updated on a quarterly
basis. The PCB Residue database provides critical residue values for fish, mammals, and
birds for PCBs and dioxin-like compounds. The application is a PC-based application that
can be downloaded from the website: http://www.epa.gov/med/Prods Pubs/pcbres.htm. The
critical residue values are expressed based upon total PCBs and also expressed using the sum
of the dioxin-like PCBs after adjustment using toxicity equivalence factors. The BSAF data
set was assembled primarily from Superfund site investigations. It is intended as a tool for
remedial project managers and risk assessors who can: 1) upload data from their own site
investigations for comparison to the larger data set to determine if their results are reasonable,
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MED RESEARCHERS DEMONSTRATE SOFTWARE - CONTINUED
2) use the data set as a source of BSAFs when site-specific knowledge is lacking during screening assessments, and 3) understand
relative bioaccumulation potentials of various chemicals. The application includes plotting templates allowing site data to be
compared to query results of the PCB Residue database. The PC-based application is available for download from the website:
http://www.epa.gov/med/Prods Pubs^saf.htm.
Visitors to the booth included staff from other EPA Offices and Regions; other federal agencies; state, local, and international
government agencies; universities; and the private sector. Users were encouraged to bring their thumb drives for distribution of
Version 1.0 of the PCB Residue database, along with quick user guides developed for each application. Users had very positive
comments regarding the various applications and were appreciative that EPA was sharing these knowledge systems, databases, and
tools. Contact: Christine Russom (218) 529-5218
MINI-SYMPOSIUM
On February 27th MED hosted a mini-symposium titled
"Environmental Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals and Their
Effects on Fish: An Overview of Lab and Field Studies by the
US Environmental Protection Agency and Environment
Canada." Presentations were given by Drs. Mark McMaster,
Joanne Parrott, and Mark Hewitt from Environment Canada's
National Water Research Institute in Burlington, ON; and by
four MED scientists, Drs. Dan Villeneuve, Gary Ankley, Dalma
Martinovia^ and Rodney Johnson. The talks by the
Environment Canada scientists centered around their research
on the effects of pulp mill effluents on fish reproduction. Dr.
McMaster presented an overview of field based research at
Areas of Concern across the Great Lakes, Dr. Parrott presented
the results of laboratory studies on the effects of effluents on
fish reproduction, and Dr. Hewitt's presentation covered
analytical chemistry approaches to identifying the endocrine
active components in pulp mill effluents. The EPA scientists
presented research ranging from the cellular to the population
level. Dr. Villeneuve presented a systems biology approach to
understand the mechanisms by which chemicals affect fish
reproduction. Dr. Ankley showed how plasma vitellogenin, a
biomarker of exposure to estrogenic chemicals, along with
other reproductive measures can be utilized to develop models
that predict the effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on
fish populations. Dr. Martinovies discussed the potential for
chemicals used in concentrated animal feeding operations to
have adverse effects in the aquatic environment. The morning
session ended with a talk by Dr. Johnson who presented results
from work with medaka showing multi-generation effects
resulting from exposure to an endocrine disrupting chemical.
The symposium and meetings afterward gave the EC and EPA
scientists a chance to learn about the research in progress at the
respective laboratories and to begin to discuss the potential for
future collaborative research.
An estimated 60 people attended the morning event, with
representation from local municipal offices, MN state agencies,
universities, and other local organizations and individuals. The
symposium was also webcast with the help of EPA Region 5 to
over a dozen participants from MED-Grosse He, EPA Region
5, WI Department of Natural Resources, WI State Lab of
Hygiene, University of Minnesota in St Paul, and Lakehead
University in Thunder Bay, ON.
Contact: Michael Hornung (218) 529-5236
SENTINELS OF COASTAL CHANGE: MED HELPS LEAD EFFORT TO SUMMARIZE NEW GENERATION OF GREAT LAKES INDICATORS
Water quality sampling in a Great Lakes
coastal wetland.
A special edition of the Journal of Great Lakes Research summarizes a new generation of
indicators for coastal change in the Great Lakes. These environmental indicators are
benchmarks for the current conditions of the lakes' coastal region and provide measurable
endpoints to assess the success of future management, conservation, protection, and
I restoration of this important freshwater resource. Information on indicators is legislatively
_, mandated by the governments of the US and Canada because of public demand to know the
1 status of Great Lakes ecosystems. The new indicators are especially timely because of
increasing recognition of human pressures in the coastal zone that affect ecosystem quality
and the related services people expect from coastal ecosystems. The need to track coastal
conditions recently has become a special emphasis of the International Joint Commission
and is a major discussion area as revisions to the US-Canada Great Lakes Water Quality
Agreement (GLWQA) are being considered.
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SENTINELS OF COASTAL CHANGE - CONTINUED
The Division has collaborated with the STAR-funded Great Lakes
Environmental Indicators Project through an EPA Cooperative Agreement
with the Natural Resources Research Institute at the University of Minnesota
Duluth (UMD). The JGLR special issue, guest-edited by Gerry Niemi (UMD)
and Jack Kelly (Chief of MED's Ecosystem Assessment Research Branch and
Adjunct Professor/UMD), contains 22 papers on the development of coastal
indicators that make a link between landscape disturbance metrics and the
condition of coastal receiving waters and biota. MED scientists are lead
authors on papers that examine water quality in coastal wetlands through
stressor-response patterns (Anett Trebitz et al., MED/ECAR) and demonstrate
that 15N isotopes in aquatic biota of different coastal habitats reflect
disturbance levels in the adjacent watersheds (Greg Peterson et al.,
MED/ECAR). Nine MED scientists are contributing co-authors to the special
issue. The introductory paper provides an overview and synthesis:
"Environmental Indicators for the Coastal Region of the North American
Great Lakes: Introduction and Prospectus," Gerald J. Niemi, John R. Kelly,
and Nicholas P. Danz (Volume 33, Special Issue 3, pp. 1-12) of the Journal of Great Lakes Research, published by the International
Association for Great Lakes Research, 2007. The JGLR special issue is now available.
Kelly, Niemi, and Jan Ciborowski (University of Windsor, Canada) have been asked by Gary Gulezian, Director of the EPA Great
Lakes National Program Office, to further develop the framework established by this set of papers. The effort will assist with
implementation of a new generation of nearshore monitoring, establish new ground for the US-Canada SOLEC indicator and reporting
process, and provide important context for the ongoing GLWQA discussions.
The National Coastal Assessment (NCA), now part of EPA Office of Water's National Surveys, will include the Great Lakes for the
first time in 2010 and will be supported by NHEERL/MED/ECAR. The NCA represents an opportunity for application of the new
landscape-linked indicators and for associated development of additional ecosystem service indicators. ECAR scientists will lead
efforts to explore how these indicators can be implemented along US marine coasts.
Contact: Jack Kelly (218) 529-5119, kelly.johnr@epa.gov
This coastal wetland on Lake Superior has little watershed
disturbance, good water quality, and low N-15 in organism
tissues.
MED SCIENTIST ON ECOSYSTEM WORK GROUP FOR IJC UPPER GREAT LAKES STUDY
The International Joint Commission has initiated the Upper Great Lakes Study to examine the outflows of the Upp~~
Great Lakes and determine whether outflow regulation protocols should be altered in the future to benefit various
interests, including recreational boating and tourism; commercial navigation; hydropower; water for municipal,
industrial, and domestic uses; and ecosystems. Analyses will be conducted through two teams: the Lake Huron
Outflow / St Clair River Team and the Lake Superior Regulation Team. Dr. Janet Keough of MED was invited
to participate in the Ecosystem Work Group for the Lake Superior Team. This Work Group is comprised of
technical experts from the US and Canada, who will oversee analyses to examine the linkage between Lake
Superior outflow regulation and ecosystem functions and services in the Upper Lakes. The URL for the Upper
Great Lakes Study is www.iugls.org Contact: Janet Keough (218) 529-5025, keough.ianet(g)epa.gov
Featured Research
FIFRASAP REVIEW OF ENDOCRINE DISRUPTER SCREENING PROGRAM TIER I TESTING BATTERY
Several MED scientists, along with numerous collaborators, have made major contributions to the Endocrine Disrupter Screening
Program (EDSP) which is being developed and implemented by the Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances (OPPTS).
MED's contributions to the EDSP have focused on development and validation of relatively short-term methods to screen chemicals
for endocrine disrupting potential, as well as longer, more definitive methods using both fish and amphibian models. Short-term fish
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ENDOCRINE DISRUPTER SCREENING - CONTINUED
reproduction and amphibian metamorphosis assays were
developed at MED as means to screen chemicals for their ability
to disrupt normal function of the sex steroid pathway and the
thyroid pathway. These assays were recently reviewed, as part of
the EDSP Tier I screening battery, by the FIFRA Scientific
Advisory Panel on March 25-27, 2008 in Arlington, VA. This
review focused on the Tier 1 battery as a whole and did not
address individual assays, per se. MED scientists Gary Ankley
and Joe Tietge attended the review and provided technical
assistance to the Office of Science Coordination and Policy, the
OPPTS office responsible for the development of the EDSP.
The EDSP program resulted from the passage of the Food
Quality Protection Act (FQPA) in 1996, along with amendments
to the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Federal Food, Drug, and
Cosmetic Act. The FQPA required EPA "to develop a screening
program, using appropriate validated test systems and other
scientifically relevant information, to determine -whether certain
substances may have an effect in humans that is similar to an
effect produced by a naturally occurring estrogen, or other such
endocrine effect as the Administrator may designate. "
In response to this mandate, the Agency established a
multi-stakeholder federal advisory committee in 1996, the
Endocrine Disrupter Screening and Testing Advisory Committee
(EDSTAC), to provide advice on designing a screening and
testing program for endocrine disrupting chemicals. In 1998,
EDSTAC published its final report, which included three
important recommendations which shaped the Agency's efforts to
develop the EDSP. First, they recommended that the Agency
consider additional modes of action beyond estrogenic activity by
including test systems that detect effects in the androgen and
thyroid pathways. Second, they expanded the taxonomic breadth
of the program by recommending that tests be developed for a
number of organisms, including wildlife (i.e., amphibian, fish,
reptiles, birds, and invertebrates). Third, they proposed a
two-tiered screening and testing approach, whereby Tier 1
screening would consist of a suite of complementary and less
complex assays designed to effectively and efficiently determine
if test substances perturb normal estrogen, androgen, and thyroid
hormone regulation and function. If results from Tier 1 screening
assays indicate that a substance does exhibit endocrine disrupting
potential, then more complex and definitive dose-response testing
would likely be done in a second tier of testing that would
include more complex experimental designs.
EDSTAC's concept of a Tier 1 battery of tests originally
included five in vitro test systems, primarily designed to
evaluate receptor binding and transcriptional activation, and
five in vivo test systems to evaluate whole organism responses
in rats, fish, and amphibians. Although this concept was
broadly supported by knowledge of the endocrinological
systems of vertebrates, none of the tests was sufficiently
developed to be considered "validated." In response to this,
the Agency embarked on an ambitious program to develop,
optimize, standardize, and validate the recommended assays,
as well as other assays that emerged after the EDSTAC
report. The modified Tier 1 battery proposed by the Agency
now includes five in vitro assays which cover estrogen
receptor (ER) binding, ER transcriptional activation,
androgen receptor binding, steroidogenesis, and aromatase
activity. The in vivo assays include four rat assays
(uterotrophic, Hershberger, pubertal male, and pubertal
female), a short-term fish reproduction assay, and an
amphibian metamorphosis assay. The Agency is preparing to
implement the EDSP Tier 1 battery in August 2008 and has
published an initial list of 73 chemicals for Tier 1 testing.
More information on the FIFRA SAP review of the EDSP
Tier I battery is available at:
www.epa.gov/scipoly/sap/meetings/2008/032508 mtg.htm
Contact: Joe Tietge (218) 529-5176.
Endocrine System Overview
The endocrine system, also referred to as the hormone
system, is found in all mammals, birds, and fish. It is
made up of:
Glands located throughout the body.
Hormones (i.e., chemical messengers) that are
made by the glands and released into the
bloodstream or the fluid surrounding cells.
Receptors in various organs and tissues that
recognize and respond to the hormones.
For additional endocrine system information see:
http://vwvw.epa.qov/endo/pubs/edspoverview/primer.htm
MED PUBLICATIONS INVESTIGATE HUMAN IIMPACTS ON GREAT LAKES COASTAL SYSTEMS
Investigations into the manner in which coastal ecosystems respond to anthropogenic stressors are a key
element of MED's ecological research portfolio. Collaboration with the EPA Star Grant funded GLEI
"Great Lakes Environmental Indicators" consortium has enabled Division researchers to quantify the links
among land use practices in watersheds (as characterized from broad-scale datasets via GIS techniques)
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MED PUBLICATIONS - CONTINUED
and the structure, function, and condition of Great Lakes coastal ecosystems. Two papers appearing in a special issue of the Journal of
Great Lakes Research exemplify this work. (See article on pp. 2-3 in "Research Events" section of this newsletter.) The Trebitz et al.
paper establishes that a broad suite of water quality parameters (e.g., nutrient concentrations, water clarity, chlorophyll, trace elements)
in coastal wetlands are strongly related to the intensity of agricultural practices in the adjacent watersheds. The large range in water
quality among wetlands across the Great Lakes suggests that water quality standards should probably be enacted on a sub-basin spatial
scale. The Peterson et al. paper shows that aquatic organisms from various coastal systems are enriched with the N-15 isotope of
nitrogen in direct proportion to the intensity of anthropogenic activities in the watershed. The N-15 to landscape linkage was strongest
in coastal wetlands and embayments, but became weaker further out into the lake. Together, these papers confirm strong human
influences on Great Lakes coastal ecosystems as well as influences by geographic and hydrologic gradients. The papers provide
indicators for tracking anthropogenic impacts and highlight implications for establishing criteria and monitoring and assessment
protocols. Contact: Anett Trebitz (218) 529-5209.
Peterson, G.S., M.E. Sierszen, P.M. Yurista, and J.R. Kelly. 2007. Stable nitrogen isotopes of plankton and benthos reflect a
landscape-level influence on Great Lakes coastal ecosystems. J. Great Lakes Res. 33(SI3):27-41.
Trebitz, A.S., J.C. Brazner, A.M. Cotter, M.L. Knuth, J.A. Morrice, G.S. Peterson, M.E. Sierszen, J.A. Thompson, and J.R. Kelly.
2007. Water quality in Great Lakes coastal wetlands: Basin-wide patterns and responses to an anthropogenic disturbance gradient.
J. Great Lakes Res. 33(SI3):67-85.
Current Events
JOINT SETAC/SOT REGIONAL CHAPTER MEETING AT MID-CONTINENT ECOLOGY DIVISION - MARCH 31 TO APRIL 2
^^^*\^
(?•'lAC \l Midwest Chapter
- M v ) Society of Environmental
Toxicology and Chemistry
SOTI
Northland Chapter
Society of Toxicology
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A joint scientific meeting of two regional chapters was held in MED's Conference Center in Duluth, MN. Both the Midwest Chapter
of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry and the Northland Chapter of the Society of Toxicology hosted the meeting
with the theme: Action and Reaction: Challenges in Linking Exposure to Effect. The program included oral presentations, posters, a
short course, laboratory tours, and social activities. A special plenary session on Environmental Fate and Effects ofPerfluorinated
Chemicals included four invited speakers: John Butenhoff, 3M Company; Scott Mabury, University of Toronto; Chris Lau,
EPA/ORD; and Geary Olsen, 3M Company. These presentations highlighted the effects, the fate and transport in the environment,
mammalian models of mechanisms, and human health assessments of perfluorochemicals. MED researchers presented a short course
titled Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs): Progress on Tier I and Tier II Testing Protocols for Small Fish and Amphibians, that
provided a background on issues related to EDCs and overviews of the various protocols developed for Tier I and Tier II testing of
small fish and amphibians. The meeting had two concurrent sessions and a poster session that addressed the breadth of each society
including environmental toxicology, chemistry, and risk assessment. This was a successful meeting, and impressive in terms of
attendance - 170! Also, there were record-setting proceeds from the silent auction to fund student travel.
Contact: Teresa Norberg-King (218) 529-5163.
New Publications since 10/15/07
Ankley, G.T., A.L. Miracle, E.J. Perkins, and G.P. Daston
(Eds.). 2007. Genomics in regulatory ecotoxicology:
Applications and challenges. SETAC Pettston Workshop,
Pellston, MI, September 18-22, 2005, Taylor & Francis,
Boca Raton, FL.
Ankley, G.T., B. Brooks, D. Huggett, and J. Sumpter. 2007.
Repeating history: Pharmaceuticals in the environment.
Environmental Science & Technology 41:8211-8217.
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NEW PUBLICATIONS SINCE 10/15/07- CONTINUED
Ankley, G.T., A.L. Miracle, and E.J. Perkins. 2007. Chapter 1.
Toxicogenomics in ecological risk assessments: Regulatory
context, technical background, and workshop overview.
SETAC Pellston Workshop, Pellston, MI, September 18-
22, 2005, G.T. Ankley, A.L. Miracle, E.J. Perkins, G.P.
Daston (Eds.),Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton, FL, pp. 1-12
Bennett, R.S. and M.A. Etterson. 2007. Incorporating results of
avian toxicity tests into a model of annual reproductive
success. Integrated Environmental Assessment and
Management 3:498-507.
Bourgeau-Chavez, L., R. Lopez, A. Trebitz, T. Hollenhorst,
G. Host, B. Huberty, R. Gauthier, and J. Hummer. Chapter
8. Landscape-based indicators. Great Lakes Coastal
Wetlands Monitoring Plan, T.M. Burton, J.C. Brazner,
J.J.H. Ciborowski, G.P. Grabas, J. Hummer, J. Schneider,
and D.G. Uzarski, Eds., Great Lakes Coastal Wetland
Consortium Report to U.S. EPA's Great Lakes National
Program Office, pp.143-171.
Brazner, J.C., N.P. Danz, A.S. Trebitz, G.J. Niemi, R.R. Regal,
T. Hollenhorst, G.E. Host, E.D. Reavie, T.N. Brown,
J.M. Hanowski, C.A. Johnston, L.B. Johnson, R.W. Howe,
and J.J. Ciborowski. 2007. Responsiveness of Great Lakes
wetland indicators to human disturbances at multiple spatial
scales: A multi-assemblage assessment. Journal of Great
Lakes Research 33(SI3):42-66.
Burgess, R.M., W.J. Berry, D.R. Mount, G.T. Ankley,
D.S. Ireland, D.M. DiToro, D.J. Hansen, J.A. McGrath,
L.D. DeRosa, H.E. Bell, F.J. Keating, M.C. Reiley, and
C.S. Zarba. 2008. Procedures for the derivation of
equilibrium partitioning sediment benchmarks (ESBs) for
the protection of benthic organisms: Compendium of Tier 2
values for nonionic organics, EPA Report, EPA/600/R-
02/016.
Burkhard, L.P. and M.T. Lukasewycz. Toxicity equivalency
values for polychlorinated biphenyl mixtures.
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 27:529-534.
Daston, G.P., A.L. Miracle, E.J. Perkins, and G.T. Ankley.
2007. Chapter 7. Toxicogenomics in ecological risk
assessments: A prospectus. SETAC Pellston Workshop,
Pellston, MI, September 18-22, 2005, G.T. Ankley, A.L.
Miracle, E.J. Perkins, G.P. Daston (Eds.), Taylor & Francis,
Boca Raton, FL, pp. 151-156.
Degitz, S.J., R.A. Hoke, S.P. Bradbury, R. Brennan, L. Ferguson,
R. Klaper, L. Orban, D. Spurgeon, and S. Tilton. 2007.
Chapter 4. Application of genomics to regulatory ecological
risk assessments for pesticides. SETAC Pellston Workshop,
Pellston, MI, September 18-22, 2005, G.T. Ankley,
A.L. Miracle, E.J. Perkins, G.P. Daston (Eds.), Taylor &
Francis, Boca Raton, FL, pp. 63-85.
Ekman, D., Q. Teng, K. Jensen, D. Martinovic, D. Villeneuve,
G. Ankley, and T. Collette. 2007. NMR analysis of male
fathead minnow urinary metabolites: A potential approach
for studying impacts of chemical exposures. Aquatic
Toxicology 85:104-112.
Erickson, R.J., J.W. Nichols, P.M. Cook, and G.T. Ankley.
2008. Chapter 2. Bioavailability of chemical contaminants
in aquatic systems. The Toxicology of Fishes, R.T.
DiGiulio and D.E. Hinton, Eds., Taylor & Francis, Boca
Raton, FL, pp. 9-54.
Fort, D.J, S.D. Degitz, J.E. Tietge, and L.W. Touart. 2007. The
Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Thyroid (HPT) axis in frogs and its
role in frog development and reproduction. Critical Reviews
in Toxicology 37:117-161.
Hoffman, J.C., D.A. Bronk, and J.E. Olney. 2008. Does
terrestrial carbon subsidize production of estuarine fish
larvae? In: Aquatic ecosystem production in waters linking
forests, rivers and coasts, Y. Yamashita, Ed., Fisheries
Science Series, Koseisha-koseikaku, Tokyo, Japan, Vol.
157, pp. 35-45.
Hoffman, J.C., K.E. Limburg, D.A. Bronk, and J.E. Olney.
2008. Overwintering habitats of migratory juvenile
American shad in Chesapeake Bay. Environmental
Biology of Fishes 81:329-345.
Hoffman, J.C., D.A. Bronk, and J.E. Olney. 2007. Contribution
of allochthonous carbon to American shad production in the
Mattaponi River, Virginia, using stable isotopes. Estuaries
and Coasts 30:1034-1048.
Hornung, M.W., P.M. Cook, P.N. Fitzsimmons, D.W. Kuehl,
and J.W. Nichols. 2007. Tissue distribution and metabolism
of benzo[a]pyrene in embryonic and larval medaka (Oryzias
latipes). Toxicological Sciences 100:393-405.
Hotchkiss, A.K., J. Furr, E.A. Makynen, G.T. Ankley, and
L.E. Gray, Jr. 2007. In utero exposure to the environmental
androgen trenbolone masculinizes female Sprague-Dawley
rats. Toxicology Letters 174:31-41.
Kavlock, R.J., G.T. Ankley, J. Blancato, M.S. Breen,
R.B. Conolly, D. Dix, K. Houck, E. Hubal, R. Judson,
J. Rabinowitz, A.M. Richard, R.W. Setzer, I. Shah,
D.L. Villeneuve, andE. Weber. 2008. Computational
toxicology — A state of the science mini review.
Toxicological Sciences 103:14-27.
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NEW PUBLICATIONS SINCE 10/15/07- CONTINUED
Kleinow, K.M., J.W. Nichols, W. L. Hayton, J.M. McKim, and
M.G. Barren. 2008. Chapter 3, Toxicokinetics in fishes. In:
The Toxicology of Fishes, R.T. DiGiulio and D.E. Hinton
(Eds.), Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton, FL, pp. 55-152.
Martinovic, D., L.S. Blake, E.J. Durhan, K.J. Greene,
M.D. Kahl, K.M. Jensen, E.A. Makynen, D.L. Villeneuve,
and G.T. Ankley. 2008. Reproductive toxicity of
vinclozolin in the fathead minnow: Confirming an anti-
androgenic mode of action. Environmental Toxicology
and Chemistry 27:478-488.
Martinovic, D., J.S. Denny, P.K. Schmieder, G.T. Ankley , and
P.W. Sorensen. 2008. Temporal variation in the
estrogenicity of a sewage treatment plant effluent and its
biological significance. Environmental Science &
Technology 42:3421-3427.
Mattson, V.R., J.R. Hockett, T.L. Highland, G.T. Ankley, and
D.R. Mount. 2008. Effects of low dissolved oxygen on
organisms used in freshwater sediment toxicity tests.
Chemosphere 70:1840-1844.
Morrice, J.A., N. Danz, R.R. Regal, J.R. Kelly, E.D. Reavie,
T. Hollenhorst, R.P. Axler, A.S. Trebitz, A.M. Cotter, and
G.S. Peterson. 2008. Human influences on water quality in
Great Lakes coastal wetlands. Environmental Management
41:347-357.
Mount, D.R. and T.R. Henry. 2008. Chapter 18. Ecological Risk
Assessment. In: The Toxicology of Fishes, R.T. DiGiulio
and D.E. Hinton (Eds.), Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton, FL,
pp. 757-775.
Nichols, J.W., S. Erhardt, S.D. Dyer, M.O. James, M.M. Moore,
K.P. Plotzke, H. Segner, I.R. Schultz, L. Vasiluk, and
A. Weisbrod. 2007. Workshop Report: Use of in vitro
absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME)
data in bioaccumulation assessments for fish. Human and
Ecological Risk Assessment 13:1164-1191
Niemi, G.J., J.R. Kelly, and N.P. Danz. 2007. Environmental
indicators for the coastal region of the North American
Great Lakes: Introduction and prospectus. Journal of Great
Lakes Research 33(SI3):1-12.
Parkerton, T., J. Arnot, A. Weisbrod, C. Russom, R. Hoke,
K. Woodburn, T. Traas, M. Bonnell, L. Burkhard, and
M. Lampi. 2008. Guidance for evaluating in-vivo fish
bioaccumulation data. Integrated Environmental
Assessment and Management 4:139-155.
Pauer, J.J., K. Taunt, W. Melendez, R.G. Kreis, and A. Anstead.
2007. Resurrection of the Lake Michigan eutrophication
model, MICH 1. Journal of Great Lakes Research 33:554-
565.
Peterson, G.S., M.E. Sierszen, P.M. Yurista, and J.R. Kelly.
2007. Stable nitrogen isotopes of plankton and benthos
reflect a landscape-level influence on Great Lakes coastal
ecosystems. Journal of Great Lakes Research 33(SI3):27-
41.
Spehar, R.S., S.M. Cormier, and D.L. Taylor. 2007. Candidate
Causes: Sediments. In: Causal Analysis, Diagnosis Decision
Information System; USEPA Website. Guidance document
/CADDIS module. http://cfpub.epa.gov/caddis/candidate.cfm.
4938
Tillitt, D.E., P.M. Cook, J.P. Giesy, W. Heideman, and
R.E. Peterson. 2008. Reproductive impairment of Great
Lakes lake trout by dioxin-like chemicals. In: The
Toxicology of Fishes, R.T. DiGiulio and D.E. Hinton
(Eds.), Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton, FL, pp. 819-875.
Trebitz, A.S., J.C. Brazner, A.M. Cotter, M.L. Knuth,
J.A. Morrice, G.S. Peterson, M.E. Sierszen, J.A. Thompson,
and J.R. Kelly. 2007. Water quality in Great Lakes coastal
wetlands: Basin-wide patterns and responses to an
anthropogenic disturbance gradient. Journal of Great
Lakes Research 33(SI3):67-85.
Trebitz, A.S. and D.L. Taylor. 2007. Exotic and invasive aquatic
plants in Great Lakes coastal wetlands: Distribution and
relation to watershed land use and plant richness and cover.
Journal of Great Lakes Research 33:705-721.
Wang, R.-L., A.D. Biales, D.C. Bencic, D.L. Lattier,
M. Kostich, D.L. Villeneuve, G.T. Ankley, J.M. Lazorchak,
and G.P. Toth. 2008. DNA microarray application in
ecotoxicology: Experimental design, microarray scanning,
and factors impacting transcriptional profiles in a small fish
species. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
27:652-663.
Wang, R.-L., A.D. Biales, D.C. Bencic, D.L. Lattier,
M. Kostich, D.L. Villeneuve, G.T. Ankley, J.M. Lazorchak,
and G.P. Toth. 2008. DNA microarray-based
ecotoxicological biomarker discovery in a small fish model
species. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
27:664-675.
Watkins, J.M., R. Dermott, S.J. Lozano, E.L. Mills,
L.G. Rudstam, and J.V. Scharold. 2007. Evidence for
remote effects of dreissenid mussels on the amphipod
Diporeia'. Analysis of Lake Ontario benthic surveys, 1972-
2003. Journal of Great Lakes Research 33:642-657.
MED in Review
Mid-Continent Ecology Division • Duluth, MN
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MED Seminars
POSTER SESSION
The MED Seminar Committee typically organizes and advertises our weekly technical seminars by internal and external experts. The
Committee held its second annual Poster Session on December 12, 2007. Twenty-three posters displaying research conducted by
MED scientists were presented in our Gitchee Gumee Conference Center. These posters had been presented previously at professional
meetings during the 2007 calendar year. The session provided a great opportunity for the MED staff and outside attendees to get a
glimpse of the breadth of research at MED. The 3rd Annual MED Poster Session is tentatively scheduled for December 3, 2008.
RECENT SEMINARS
Jan. 16
Murray Lantner, EPA Region 2,
Water Compliance Branch
• Clean Water Act NPDES enforcement overview: Authorities,
current priorities, and some personal case studies
Jan. 23
Jamie Juenemann, Associate Director, Silver Creek Institute,
Two Harbors, MN
• Energy from sustainable sources
Jan. 30
Dr. Robin Sternberg, EPA/MED, NRC Associate
• The roles of androgen, estrogen, and retinoid signaling in
reproductive recrudescence of the eastern mud snail (Ilyanassa
obsoleta): Implications for the mechanism of tributyltin-induced
imposex
Feb. 6
Dr. David Miller, EPA/MED
• Quantitative evaluation of a multi-trophic level ecosystem
model for population dynamics of the invasive species
Bythotrephes longimanus in Lake Michigan
Feb. 27
Mini-symposium: Environmental endocrine disrupting
chemicals in fish: Identifying sources, toxic modes of action,
and adverse effects
March 5
Jesse Schomberg, MN Sea Grant, Duluth
• Smart growth and low-impact development related to water
quality and climate change
March 12
Jane Mosel and Mike Bares, MPCA, Duluth
• St. Louis River/Interlake/Duluth Tar (SLRIDT) Superfund Site:
Site, remedy, and status overview
March 19
Cree Bradley, Silver Creek Institute
• Sustainable agriculture in the Lake Superior region
March 26
Dr. Stephanie Guildford, University of Minnesota Duluth,
Biology/Large Lakes Observatory
• Nuisance and harmful algal blooms in the Lower Great Lakes
April 9
Michael Fulton, NOAA Rollings Marine Laboratory,
Charleston, SC
• The use of Grass Shrimp (Palaemonetes sp.) in ecotoxicology
research
April 21
Dr. Amy Ando, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• Freshwater ecosystem services: Humans as agents of change
and receivers of benefits
April 24
Dr. Dan Campbell, EPA, National Health and Environmental
Effects Research Lab, Atlantic Ecology Division
• Evaluating the contributions of the environment to society
April 30
Susan Darley-Hill and A.J. Matthews, Western Lake Superior
Sanitary District, Duluth
• Recycling food waste and household hazardous waste
MED in Review
Mid-Continent Ecology Division • Duluth, MN
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Awards
MED2007STAA
Scientific and Technological Achievement Awards are sponsored by EPA's Office of Research and Development to recognize
publications demonstrating scientific excellence in support of the Agency's mission. Publications are reviewed and selected annually
by EPA's Science Advisory Board, a panel of experts from outside the Agency. The following sets of papers won awards for 2007.
LEVEL II
Burkhard, L.P., P.M. Cook, and M.T. Lukasewycz. 2004. Biota-sediment accumulation factors for polychlorinated biphenyls,
dibenzo-p-dioxins, and dibenzofurans in southern Lake Michigan lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush). Environmental Science
& Technology 38:5297-5305.
Burkhard, L.P., P.M. Cook, and M.T. Lukasewycz. 2005. Comparison of biota-sediment accumulation factors across
ecosystems. Environmental Science & Technology 39:5716-5721.
Burkhard, L.P., P.M. Cook, and M.T. Lukasewycz. 2006. A hybrid empirical-mechanistic modeling approach for
extrapolating BSAFs and BAFs across species, time, and/or ecosystems. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
25:1946-1952.
Erickson, R.J., J.M. McKim, G.J. Lien, A.D. Hoffman, and S.L. Batterman. 2006. Uptake and elimination of ionizable
organic chemicals at fish gills: I. Model formulation, parameterization, and behavior. Environmental Toxicology and
Chemistry 25:1512-1521.
Erickson, R.J., J. McKim, G.J. Lien, A.D. Hoffman, and S.L. Batterman. 2006. Uptake and elimination of ionizable organic
chemicals at fish gills: II. Observed and predicted effects of pH, alkalinity, and chemical properties. Environmental
Toxicology and Chemistry 25:1522-1532.
LEVEL III
Ankley, G.T., K.M. Jensen, E.J. Durhan, E.A. Makynen, B.C. Butterworth, M.D. Kahl, D.L. Villeneuve, A.L Linnum,
L.E. Gray, M.C. Cardon, and V.S. Wilson. 2005. Effects of two fungicides with multiple modes of action on reproductive
endocrine function in the fathead minnow (Pimephalespromelas). Toxicological Sciences 86:300-308.
Hornung, M.W., K.M. Jensen, J.J. Korte, M.D. Kahl, E.J. Durhan, J.S. Denny, T.R. Henry, and G.T. Ankley. 2004.
Mechanistic basis for estrogenic effects in fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) following exposure to the androgen
17a-methyltestosterone: Conversion of 17a-methyltestosterone to 17a-methylestradiol. Aquatic Toxicology 66:15-23.
Ankley, G.T. and D.L. Villeneuve. 2006. The fathead minnow in aquatic toxicology: Past, present, and future. Aquatic
Toxicology 78:91-102
Continued on next page...
MED in Review
Mid-Continent Ecology Division • Duluth, MN
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NEW PUBLICATIONS SINCE 10/15/07- CONTINUED
HONORABLE MENTION
Hill, B.H., C.M. Elonen, T.M. Jicha, A.M. Cotter, A.S. Trebitz, and N. Danz. 2006. Sediment microbial enzyme activity as an
indicator of nutrient limitation in Great Lakes coastal wetlands. Freshwater Biology 51:1670-1683.
Durban, E.J., C.S. Lambright, E.A. Makynen, J. Lazorchak, P.C. Hartig, V.S. Wilson, L.E. Gray, and G.T. Ankley. 2006.
Identification of metabolites of trenbolone acetate in androgenic runoff from a beef feedlot. Environmental Health
Persp ectives 114:65-68.
Jensen, K.M., E.A. Makynen, M.D. Kahl, and G.T. Ankley. 2006. Effects of the feedlot contaminant 17a-trenbolone on
reproductive endocrinology of the fathead minnow. Environmental Science & Technology 40:3112-3117.
Scharold, J.V., S.J. Lozano, and T.D. Corry. 2004. Status of the amphipod Diporeia spp. in Lake Superior, 1994-2000.
Journal of Great Lakes Research 30 (Suppl.l):360-368.
Heinis, L.J., T.L. Highland, and D.R. Mount. 2004. Method for testing the aquatic toxicity of sediment extracts for use in
identifying organic toxicants in sediments. Environmental Science & Technology 38:6256-6262.
Sierszen, M.E., J.A. Morrice, M.F. Moffett, and C.W. West. 2004. Benthic versus planktonic foundations of three Lake
Superior coastal wetland food webs. Journal of Great Lakes Research 30:31-43.
Sierszen, M.E., G.S. Peterson, A.S. Trebitz, J.C. Brazner, and C.W. West. 2006. Hydrology and nutrient effects on food-web
structure in ten Lake Superior coastal wetlands. Wetlands 26:951-964.
Etterson, M.A. and R.S. Bennett. 2005. Including transition probabilities in nest-survival estimation: a Mayfield Markov
Chain. Ecology 86:1414-1421.
Etterson, M.A. and R.S. Bennett. 2006. The effects of uncertainty about age at transition on bias in the Mayfield family of
estimators. Ecological Modelling 199:253-260.
Yurista, P.M., J.R. Kelly, and S.E. Miller. 2005. Evaluation of optically acquired zooplankton size-spectrum data as a
potential tool for assessment of condition in the Great Lakes. Environmental Management 35:34-44.
Yurista, P.M., J.R. Kelly, and S.E. Miller. 2006. Comparisons of zooplankton community size structure in the Great Lakes.
Journal of Geophysical Research, Oceans Special Issue 111:1-12.
2007 EPA NATIONAL HONOR AWARD
Paul G. Keough Award for Administrative Excellence: Rodney H. Booth, MED Facilities Manager
- for excellence in facilities management
MED in Review
Mid-Continent Ecology Division • Duluth, MN 10
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People
JASON FIERST MOVES ON
Jason Fierst, General Supply Specialist, left MED in
December for a new life at Camphill Village, a planned
community on a 470-acre biodynamic farm near Sauk Centre,
MN. The Village is part of the international Camphill
movement for social renewal through community living. In
its 100 centers, people share life and work with children and
adults with disabilities. Jason and his family are houseparents
to special-needs residents, and participate in and support such
activities as farming, weaving, baking, printmaking,
woodworking, and pottery-making. For more information on Jason Fierst
Camphill please visit:
http://www.camphillvillage-minnesota.org/index.html.
REGION 2 SCIENTIST VISITS MED
PAT SMITH RETIRES
Pat Smith, Senior
Environmental Employee,
who worked in Program
Operations/Technical
Information for 10 years,
retired in January. We miss
her strong work ethic,
attention to detail, awesome
recipes (like Italian Olive
Salad), wonderful candy jar,
and the daily newspaper she
supplied for the lunchroom.
Pat Smith
Region 2 scientist, Murray Lantner, P.E.,
spent two weeks at MED in January 2008
as part of the Regional Research
Partnership (RRP) Program. RRP is
designed to provide short-term training
opportunities for regional technical staff
to work directly with scientists in the
Murray Lantner ORD laboratories and centers.
This RRP exchange focused on technology transfer to Region 2 of
information pertaining to aquatic toxicology, endocrine disrupting
compounds (EDCs), and whole effluent toxicity, as well as an array
of information pertaining to current research topics, laboratory
methods, sample analysis and equipment, and ecological assessment.
To achieve these objectives, we set up an intensive schedule of
hands-on laboratory work and one-on-one visits with both technical
and senior staff. Mr. Lantner worked in or toured laboratories and
spoke with scientists who conduct research on endocrine disrupters,
such as perchlorate, ethinylestradiol (EE2), and trenbolone; and
toxins, such as arsenic. He contributed to various studies by
providing competent hands-on help in the lab. Mr. Lantner was able
to run a whole effluent toxicity chronic test using the invertebrate,
Ceriodaphnia dubia. (This test is a permit requirement in many
NPDES Permits that he enforces.) Besides learning about the test
methodology, he gained understanding of how the test results are
obtained and how they relate to regulatory goals of the region. In
addition, this visit expanded Mr. Lantner's knowledge of several
different MED science activities, including: the status of the
amphibian thyroid assay; how standards for water quality criteria are
established; the conduct of multigenerational tests for EDCs using
amphibians and fish; the methods used for sediment toxicity testing;
the analytical methods used for metals, organics, steroid hormones,
and gonadal histology offish and amphibians; and the status of
EPA's Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP).
Region 2's Regional Science Needs Survey places a priority on
information related to emerging chemicals, including regulations,
monitoring strategies, methods for analysis, human health, and
environmental effects. This RRP focused on these regional needs by
transferring the current research information on EDCs and impacts of
emerging chemicals on aquatic fauna. In addition, increased
knowledge of aquatic toxicity will lead to better
environmental protection through more comprehensive
permits and enforcement actions, which require additional
monitoring and permit requirements related to emerging
chemicals. Building such knowledge at the regional level in
the enforcement branch will help staff to identify threats,
understand new permit requirements, and find solutions to
problems associated with emerging chemicals.
There were several highlights of this exchange, including
these excerpts from Mr. Lantner's RRP report.
"First it (the RRP) allowed me to see a side of the EPA that is
planning and conducting advanced research -with global
partners. The quality and caliber of the people that I met at
MED -were outstanding.
The best parts -were being able to set up and run a toxicity
test on C. dubia -which involved feeding, counting, and
evaluating the organisms. This toxicity test is -widely used in
the NPDES program and an important tool for screening
toxic effluent and the synergistic effects of mixtures
containing several different pollutants.
Another highlight -was giving a 45 minute seminar that -was
attended by approximately 40 MED personnel. The seminar
topic -was Clean Water Act history and some personal
enforcement action case studies over my 15 years at EPA. It
•was exciting to share some real -world examples of
enforcement actions -with them, especially because the permit
limits that -we are enforcing are based upon toxicology
research -which took place years ago at MED. It also allowed
me to show a side of EPA that they don't normally encounter
and a good opportunity to interact -with MED staff.
The RRP is truly a beneficial program for all involved,
because it brings so much knowledge back from the EPA labs
to the regions and fosters partnerships and collaboration in
the future."
Contact: Joe Tietge (218) 529-5176.
MED in Review
Mid-Continent Ecology Division • Duluth, MN
11
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