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DOE OSTI2020

Distribution of genetic variation underlying adult migration timing in steelhead of the Columbia River basin

Abstract Fish migrations are energetically costly, especially when moving between freshwater and saltwater, but are a viable strategy for Pacific salmon and trout ( Oncorhynchus spp.) due to the advantageous resources available at various life stages. Anadromous steelhead ( O. mykiss ) migrate vast distances and exhibit variation for adult migration phenotypes that have a genetic basis at candidate genes known as greb1L and rock1 . We examined the distribution of genetic variation at 13 candidate markers spanning greb1L , intergenic, and rock1 regions versus 226 neutral markers for 113 populations ( n = 9,471) of steelhead from inland and coastal lineages in the Columbia River. Patterns of population structure with neutral markers reflected genetic similarity by geographic region as demonstrated in previous studies, but candidate markers clustered populations by genetic variation associated with adult migration timing. Mature alleles for late migration had the highest frequency overall in steelhead populations throughout the Columbia River, with only 9 of 113 populations that had a higher frequency of premature alleles for early migration. While a single haplotype block was evident for the coastal lineage, we identified multiple haplotype blocks for the inland lineage. The inland lineage had one haplotype block that corresponded to candidate markers within the greb1L gene and immediately upstream in the intergenic region, and the second block only contained candidate markers from the intergenic region. Haplotype frequencies had similar patterns of geographic distribution as single markers, but there were distinct differences in frequency between the two haplotype blocks for the inland lineage. This may represent multiple recombination events that differed between lineages where phenotypic differences exist between freshwater entry versus arrival timing as indicated by Micheletti et al. (2018a). Redundancy analyses were used to model environmental effects on allelic frequencies of candidate markers, and significant variables were migration distance, temperature, isothermality, and annual precipitation. This study improves our understanding of the spatial distribution of genetic variation underlying adult migration timing in steelhead as well as associated environmental factors and has direct conservation and management implications.

Collins, Erin E.↗

DOE OSTI2021

Progress Towards a Comprehensive Approach for Habitat Restoration in the Columbia Basin: Case Study in the Grande Ronde River

Abstract Despite immense resources directed towards habitat restoration, recovering fish populations remains a daunting and perplexing issue. In 2015, recommendations for a comprehensive approach to habitat restoration in the Columbia River basin were published in Fisheries, which included elements of landscape ecology and resilience, broad public support, governance for collaboration and integration, and capacity for learning and adaptation. Using the Grande Ronde River basin as a case study, we convened a working group consisting of local restoration practitioners, managers, and researchers involved in habitat restoration research, monitoring, and evaluation to assess progress towards meeting these recommendations. We concluded that partnerships and collaborations in governance have been formed and research using a landscape perspective has been integrated into decision making, but efforts would benefit from gaining broader public support, formalizing an adaptive management strategy, and defining objectives and indicators for biological and ecological diversity. Continued progress will require consistent policy and funding support from the broader region. We envision this self-assessment at the 5-year milestone would be helpful to other groups facing similar challenges.

White, Seth M. (ORCID:0000000349186865)↗

DOE OSTI2023

Caspian Tern Management to Increase Survival of Juvenile Salmonids in the Columbia River Basin: Progress and Adaptive Management Considerations

Abstract Predation by Caspian terns Hydroprogne caspia is a factor limiting the recovery of some Endangered Species Act-listed populations of salmonids from the Columbia River basin, especially steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss. This prompted the development and implementation of two separate management plans, one in the Columbia River estuary and the other in the Columbia Plateau region, to reduce the impact of Caspian tern predation on smolt survival. Caspian terns nesting at managed breeding colonies within the basin were relocated to alternative nesting islands created for terns outside the basin. Both plans were successful in significantly reducing smolt losses to Caspian terns nesting at managed sites; however, new developments have led to regression in smolt survival gains associated with tern management. Adaptive management to prevent terns at managed colonies from relocating to nest elsewhere in the basin and to improve nesting opportunities for Caspian terns outside the basin are needed to maximize the survival benefits to Endangered Species Act-listed salmonids from management. Adaptive management is also necessary to ensure the long-term viability of the Pacific Flyway population of Caspian terns, whose breeding population has declined by more than 50% since the two management plans were implemented.

Collis, Ken↗

DOE OSTI2017

Factors affecting the bacterial community composition and heterotrophic production of Columbia River estuarine turbidity maxima

Estuarine turbidity maxima (ETM) function as hotspots of microbial activity and diversity in estuaries, yet, little is known about the temporal and spatial variability in ETM bacterial community composition. To determine which environmental factors affect ETM bacterial populations in the Columbia River estuary, we analyzed ETM bacterial community composition (Sanger sequencing and amplicon pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene) and bulk heterotrophic production (3H-leucine incorporation rates). We collected water 20 times to cover five ETM events and obtained 42 samples characterized by different salinities, turbidities, seasons, coastal regimes (upwelling vs. downwelling), locations, and particle size. Spring and summer populations were distinct. All May samples had similar bacterial community composition despite having different salinities (1–24 PSU), but summer non-ETM bacteria separated into marine, freshwater, and brackish assemblages. Summer ETM bacterial communities varied depending on coastal upwelling or downwelling conditions and on the sampling site location with respect to tidal intrusion during the previous neap tide. In contrast to ETM, whole (>0.2 μm) and free-living (0.2–3 μm) assemblages of non-ETM waters were similar to each other, indicating that particle-attached (>3 μm) non-ETM bacteria do not develop a distinct community. Brackish water type (ETM or non-ETM) is thus a major factor affecting particle-attached bacterial communities. Heterotrophic production was higher in particle-attached than free-living fractions in all brackish waters collected throughout the water column during the rise to decline of turbidity through an ETM event (i.e., ETM-impacted waters). However, free-living communities showed higher productivity prior to or after an ETM event (i.e., non-ETM-impacted waters). This study has thus found that Columbia River ETM bacterial communities vary based on seasons, salinity, sampling location, and particle size, with the existence of three particle types characterized by different bacterial communities in ETM, ETM-impacted, and non-ETM-impacted brackish waters. Taxonomic analysis suggests that ETM key biological function is to remineralize organic matter.

Microbiology↗

DOE OSTI2018

Winter-Rearing Temperature Affects Growth Profiles, Age of Maturation, and Smolt-to-Adult Returns for Yearling Summer Chinook Salmon in the Upper Columbia River Basin

Abstract We assessed the effects of rearing conditions in four hatchery programs from the upper Columbia River basin on the survival and demographics of yearling summer Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha over four release years. Juveniles from each hatchery program were initially reared at Eastbank Hatchery near Wenatchee, Washington, (which uses groundwater for fish rearing) and experienced similar rearing temperatures until their first autumn in culture. Fish that were to be used for two of the programs were subsequently transferred to surface water acclimation sites, where they were reared until release the following spring (surface water winter rearing). Fish to be used for the other two programs were overwintered at the Eastbank Hatchery and then transferred to their acclimation and release sites 1 to 2 months before spring release (groundwater winter rearing). Fish from the two rearing strategies experienced contrasting temperature profiles, which in turn affected winter growth, age at maturation, and smolt-to-adult survival (SAS). Overall, the two release groups that were overwintered in colder surface water experienced reduced winter growth, reduced minijack rate, and smaller size at release, but achieved a two- to threefold higher SAS than did the two release groups overwintered in warmer groundwater at Eastbank Hatchery. In addition, based on migration data compiled from fish tagged with PIT tags, smaller juveniles tended to mature at older age-classes than did larger smolts. We concluded that rearing yearling hatchery summer Chinook Salmon under more natural thermal regimes (surface water) may result in the return of larger, older adults that have a higher survival rate than would fish reared under constant or less natural thermal regimes (ground water). These results highlight the importance of the hatchery-rearing environment in shaping the survival and life history of summer Chinook Salmon juveniles released into the Columbia River basin.

Harstad, Deborah L.↗

DOE OSTI2018

Juvenile Salmonid Assemblages at the Mirror Lake Complex in the Lower Columbia River before and after a Culvert Modification

Abstract This study examined salmonid assemblages upstream of a culvert connecting the Mirror Lake Complex with the lower Columbia River before and after the culvert was modified to improve habitat connectivity and fish passage. Initially the culvert limited water flow between the Columbia River and the Mirror Lake Complex. The outlet and interior of the culvert were reconfigured to create a more “natural” and suitable passageway for salmonids through the removal of riprap and the strategic placement of boulders, cobbles, gravels, baffles, and weirs. Prior to the culvert modification, three sites were sampled monthly between April and August of 2008, 5.0 and 0.5 km upstream of the culvert and immediately downstream of the culvert. After the culvert modification, the same sites were sampled from 2009 to 2012, with two additional sites added in 2010. Sites near the culvert supported Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, Coho Salmon O. kisutch, and Chum Salmon O. keta, while sites further from the culvert supported unmarked Coho Salmon and Rainbow Trout O. mykiss, steelhead (anadromous Rainbow Trout), and Cutthroat Trout O. clarkii. Clear trends in salmonid occurrence were not observed, although densities of Chinook Salmon tended to be higher in years postmodification than before modification. Culvert modifications should focus on alleviating site-specific fish passage conditions to result in substantial changes to habitat connectivity.

Sol, Sean Y.↗

DOE OSTI2021

Performance of Subyearling Fall Chinook Salmon Tagged with 8-, 9-, and 12-mm Passive Integrated Transponder Tags in the Snake River

Abstract Inferences based on tagged individuals from a population are limited in part by the minimum size of fish that can be tagged. Smaller tags allow a greater proportion of a population to be represented by tagging and should reduce potential tag effects on fish performance. We evaluated different performance metrics of juvenile fall Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha tagged with 8-, 9-, and 12-mm PIT tags in the Snake River. We did not find evidence that posttagging mortality of 45–49-mm-FL fish tagged with 8-mm tags was higher than the posttagging mortality of larger fish tagged with 9- and 12-mm tags. The incisions of fish tagged with 8-mm tags using 14-guage needles healed faster than those of fish tagged with larger tags using 12-guage needles. For individuals that received 8-mm tags, growth in length and mass was higher for 45–49-mm fish than for 50–59-mm fish and 60-mm and larger fish. Growth of the larger size-classes (50–59 and ≥60 mm) was also generally higher for those tagged with 8-mm tags compared to those tagged with 9- and 12-mm tags, respectively. There were no strong relationships between tag burden (i.e., tag weight expressed as a percentage of fish weight) at the time of tagging and growth metrics for any tag size or fish size-class. Releases made to compare the detection efficiency of the three tag types in the juvenile fish bypass at Lower Granite Dam, Washington, showed that 99–100% of all fish were detected. Survival of fish from rearing areas to Lower Granite Dam generally increased with fish size and varied by year, but there was no strong evidence of a tag size effect. The 8-mm PIT tag allowed us to represent a larger portion (i.e., 6.2–24.1%) of the subyearling fall Chinook Salmon population in the Snake River without compromising fish performance or detectability at the dam.

Tiffan, Kenneth F.↗

DOE OSTI2022

Abundance and Migration Success of Overshoot Steelhead in the Upper Columbia River

Abstract Summer steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss may enter freshwater almost a year before spawning and potentially make long migrations (>1,000 km) to interior headwater habitats. However, in response to suboptimal freshwater habitat conditions (e.g., warmer water temperatures), adult summer steelhead may exhibit complex behaviors during upstream migration in the Columbia River basin. Steelhead may migrate upstream of their natal tributary (hereafter, referred to as “overshoot”) and spend days to several months before subsequently migrating downstream (hereafter, referred to as “fallback”) to their natal tributary to spawn. An expansion of an existing Bayesian patch occupancy model, derived from observations of adult steelhead that were PIT-tagged to estimate population-specific abundance upstream of the tagging location, incorporated downstream detection locations to estimate the abundance of overshoot fallbacks. Overshoot steelhead abundance at the tagging location was estimated based on the relationship between the number of known overshoot fallbacks (i.e., the number of steelhead that overshot and successfully migrated downstream to their natal tributary) and their model-estimated abundance. During the study period (2010–2017), the annual mean proportion of overshoot steelhead that successfully migrated downstream of the tagging location (Priest Rapids Dam) was 0.59 (SD = 0.14). The number of dams encountered by overshoot steelhead during their downstream migration was negatively correlated with their downstream migration success probability. Improved downstream passage survival for adult steelhead will increase the abundance of affected populations while reducing potential genetic introgression of upstream populations (i.e., strays). This is the first study to estimate the abundance of overshoot and fallback steelhead, providing the data necessary for scientists to estimate potential conservation benefits of improved downstream survival. For example, surface flow passage routes (e.g., sluiceways and temporary spillway weirs) are very effective in guiding and passing adult steelhead downstream of Columbia River hydroelectric projects and data from this assessment show that changes in dam operations throughout the downstream migration period may maximize conservation benefits.

Murdoch, Andrew R. (ORCID:0000000324827689)↗

DOE OSTI2024

Population assignment of migratory Westslope Cutthroat Trout (WCT) in the Clark Fork–Pend Oreille River basin

Abstract Objective The Clark Fork–Pend Oreille River basin of northeastern Washington and the Idaho Panhandle historically supported a robust metapopulation of the Westslope Cutthroat Trout (WCT) Oncorhynchus lewisi, a western native salmonid of high cultural and economic value. The construction of impassible hydroelectric dams and smaller instream barriers has prevented the return of migratory WCT to spawning tributaries, leading to the fragmentation of this metapopulation over the past 100 years. One such impassible barrier is Albeni Falls Dam (AFD) near Newport, Washington, which was completed without fish passage capabilities in 1955. We sought to examine large-scale genetic patterns in the study area and determine the most likely spawning tributary of origin for migratory WCT captured below AFD. Methods We created a genetic baseline representative of populations within the Clark Fork–Pend Oreille River basin from upstream and downstream of the dam using 191 biallelic single-nucleotide polymorphism genetic markers. Our data set included 124 collections, which allowed for an examination of population structure and hatchery influence across the study area and provided a robust tool for population assignment. Population assignment tests were conducted using the program RUBIAS. Result Population assignment tests were successful for all pure WCT of unknown origin despite potential influence from hatchery lineages across the study area. Of 83 migratory WCT captured below AFD, approximately 80% were assigned to tributaries upstream of AFD with a posterior assignment probability of at least 90%. Only one fish was assigned to a tributary downstream of AFD. Conclusion Our results indicate that AFD disrupts the natural metapopulation dynamics of WCT populations in the basin. Passage for WCT at this barrier would reestablish metapopulation connectivity within the basin by allowing migratory individuals to make genetic contributions to populations upstream of the dam.

Wells, Craig D. (ORCID:0000000258513250)↗

DOE OSTI2016

Aquatic Nuisance Species in the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basin—A Risk Assessment in Support of GLMRIS

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is conducting the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS) to determine the aquatic nuisance species (ANS) currently established in either the Mississippi River Basin (MRB) or the Great Lakes Basin (GLB) that pose the greatest risk to the other basin. The GLRMIS study focuses specifically on ANS transfer through the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS), a multi-use waterway connecting the two basins. In support of GLMRIS, we conducted a qualitative risk assessment for 34 ANS in which we determined overall risk level for four time intervals over a 50-year period of analysis based on the probability of ANS establishing in a new basin and the environmental, economic, and sociopolitical consequences of their establishment. Probability of establishment and consequences of establishment were assigned qualitative ratings of high, medium, or low and establishment and consequence ratings were then combined into an overall risk rating. Over the 50-year period of analysis, seven species were characterized as posing a medium risk and two species as posing a high risk to the MRB. Three species were characterized as posing a medium risk to the GLB, but no high-risk species were identified for this basin. Based on the time frame in which these species were considered likely to establish in the new basin, risk increased over time for some ANS. Identifying and prioritizing ANS risk supported the development and evaluation of multiple control alternatives that could reduce the probability of interbasin ANS transfer. However, both species traits and the need to balance multiple uses of the CAWS make it difficult to design cost-efficient and socially acceptable controls to reduce the probability of ANS transfer between the two basins.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2020

Modeling regional precipitation over the Indus River basin of Pakistan using statistical downscaling

Complex processes govern spatiotemporal distribution of precipitation within the high-mountainous headwater regions (commonly known as the upper Indus basin (UIB)), of the Indus River basin of Pakistan. Reliable precipitation simulations particularly over the UIB present a major scientific challenge due to regional complexity and inadequate observational coverage. Here, we present a statistical downscaling approach to model observed precipitation of the entire Indus basin, with a focus on UIB within available data constraints. Taking advantage of recent high altitude (HA) observatories, we perform precipitation regionalization using K-means cluster analysis to demonstrate effectiveness of low-altitude stations to provide useful precipitation inferences over more uncertain and hydrologically important HA of the UIB. We further employ generalized linear models (GLM) with gamma and Tweedie distributions to identify major dynamic and thermodynamic drivers from a reanalysis dataset within a robust cross-validation framework that explain observed spatiotemporal precipitation patterns across the Indus basin. Final statistical models demonstrate higher predictability to resolve precipitation variability over wetter southern Himalayans and different lower Indus regions, by mainly using different dynamic predictors. The modeling framework also shows an adequate performance over more complex and uncertain trans-Himalayans and the northwestern regions of the UIB, particularly during the seasons dominated by the westerly circulations. However, the cryosphere-dominated trans-Himalayan regions, which largely govern the basin hydrology, require relatively complex models that contain dynamic and thermodynamic circulations. Furthermore, we also analyzed relevant atmospheric circulations during precipitation anomalies over the UIB, to evaluate physical consistency of the statistical models, as an additional measure of reliability. Overall, our results suggest that such circulation-based statistical downscaling has the potential to improve our understanding towards distinct features of the regional-scale precipitation across the upper and lower Indus basin. Additionally, such understanding should help to assess the response of this complex, data-scarce, and climate-sensitive river basin amid future climatic changes, to serve communal and scientific interests.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2017

Cross-scale intercomparison of climate change impacts simulated by regional and global hydrological models in eleven large river basins

Ideally, the results from models operating at different scales should agree in trend direction and magnitude of impacts under climate change. However, this implies that the sensitivity of impact models designed for either scale to climate variability and change is comparable. In this study, we compare hydrological changes simulated by 9 global and 9 regional hydrological models (HM) for 11 large river basins in all continents under reference and scenario conditions. The foci are on model validation runs, sensitivity of annual discharge to climate variability in the reference period, and sensitivity of the long-term average monthly seasonal dynamics to climate change. One major result is that the global models, mostly not calibrated against observations, often show a considerable bias in mean monthly discharge, whereas regional models show a much better reproduction of reference conditions. However, the sensitivity of two HM ensembles to climate variability is in general similar. The simulated climate change impacts in terms of long-term average monthly dynamics evaluated for HM ensemble medians and spreads show that the medians are to a certain extent comparable in some cases with distinct differences in others, and the spreads related to global models are mostly notably larger. Summarizing, this implies that global HMs are useful tools when looking at large-scale impacts of climate change and variability, but whenever impacts for a specific river basin or region are of interest, e.g. for complex water management applications, the regional-scale models validated against observed discharge should be used.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2025

Trace elements and their isotopes in streams and rivers

The occurrence and speciation of trace elements in streams and rivers are controlled by interconnected hydrogeological, biogeochemical, and anthropogenic factors that include rock weathering, climate, vegetation, and land use within the watershed. This chapter provides a broad overview of trace element abundance, speciation, and mobility in streams and rivers, including an assessment of how trace elements are partitioned into dissolved, colloidal, and particulate phases. We also discuss how trace elements are mobilized into stream networks and transformed during transport. Select isotopic systems are reviewed to provide examples of how isotopic analyses can be used to understand geochemical and anthropogenic processes.

Herndon, Elizabeth [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000291945493)↗

DOE OSTI2016

Analysis of the presence of perfluoroalkyl substances in water, sediment and biota of the Jucar River (E Spain). Sources, partitioning and relationships with water physical characteristics

The presence, sources and partitioning of 21 perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs: C4–C14, C16, C18 carboxylate, C4, C6–C10 sulfonates and C8 sulfonamide) were assessed in water, sediment, and biota of the Jucar River basin (E Spain). Considering the three matrices, perfluoropentanoate (PFPeA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) were the most frequent compounds, being remarkable the high occurrence of short-chain PFASs (C≤8), which are intended to replace the long-chain ones in several industrial and commercial applications. In general, all samples were contaminated with at least one PFAS, with the exception of three fish samples. Mean concentrations detected in sediments (0.22–11.5 ng g{sup −1}) and biota (0.63–274 µg kg{sup −1}) samples were higher than those measured in water (0.04–83.1 ng L{sup −1}), which might suggest (bio) accumulation. The occurrence of PFAS is related to urban and industrial discharges (Cuenca city in the upper part of basin, and car's factory, and effluents of the sewage treatment plant (STP) of Alzira, in the lower part). Increasing pollution gradients were found. On the other hand, higher contamination levels were observed after regulation dams of the catchment pointing out their importance in the re-distribution of these contaminants. None of the hazard quotients (HQ) calculated indicate potential risk for the different tropic levels considered (algae, Daphnia sp. and fish). PFAS concentrations found in this study can be considered in acceptable levels if compared to existing Regulatory Legislation and, consequently, they do not pose an immediate human health risk. - Highlights: • Distribution of 21 PFASs in water, sediment, biota of Jucar River is established. • PFPeA and PFOS are the predominant but high PFDA levels are related to industry. • PFASs in water and sediment related to the increase in NaCl, conductivity and TDS. • PFAS concentration in sediment/biota suggests (bio)accumulation. • None of the calculated HQs indicate potential risk for the different tropic levels.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2018

Identifying key factors of the seawater intrusion model of Dagu river basin, Jiaozhou Bay

Highlights: • The key factors of seawater intrusion model is identified by mutual entropy analysis. • Precipitation rate and groundwater pumping are the key factors for seawater intrusion. • The hydraulic conductivity of zone 1 has significant influence on seawater intrusion. Seawater intrusion is a complex groundwater - seawater interaction process, and it is influenced by many factors from ground surface to underground, from groundwater to seawater. Generally, for seawater intrusion model, some model parameters and boundary conditions are always specified by model users’ personal experiences or literature's reference value. The defective model would damage the groundwater management for controlling and preventing seawater intrusion when making decisions are based on this model. In order to improve the reliability of seawater intrusion model, the influences of model inputs on output should be identified prior at optimizing model inputs. Dagu river basin, Jiaozhou Bay is one of the most serious areas of seawater intrusion in China, and it is chosen as the study area in this study. The seawater intrusion model of Dagu river basin is built based on a general program SEAWAT4. The key influence factors of model output are analyzed by two sensitivity analysis methods, i.e., stepwise regression and mutual entropy. The results demonstrated that the most important influence factors which have largest sensitivities to groundwater Cl{sup -} concentration are the precipitation rate and groundwater pumping in agriculture area. In addition, the hydraulic conductivity of zone 1 has a non-negligible influence on seawater intrusion process. Stepwise regression analysis is capable of identifying most important influence factor, and it can’t handle complicated nonlinear input-output relationship. Mutual entropy analysis is reliable for identifying the influence factors for complex seawater intrusion model.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2016

Geochemical signatures in fin rays provide a nonlethal method to distinguish the natal rearing streams of endangered juvenile Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in the Wenatchee River, Washington

Rebuilding fish populations that have undergone a major decline is a challenging task that can be made more complicated when estimates of abundance obtained from physical tags are biased or imprecise. Abundance estimates based on natural tags where each fish in the population is marked can help address these problems, but generally requires that the samples be obtained in a nonlethal manner. We evaluated the potential of using geochemical signatures in fin rays as a nonlethal method to determine the natal tributaries of endangered juvenile spring Chinook Salmon in the Wenatchee River, Washington. Archived samples of anal fin clips collected from yearling smolt in 2009, 2010 and 2011 were analyzed for Ba/Ca, Mn/Ba, Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca, Zn/Ca and 87Sr/86Sr by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Water samples collected from these same streams in 2012 were also quantified for geochemical composition. Fin ray and water Ba/Ca, Sr/Ca, and 87Sr/86Sr were highly correlated despite the samples having been collected in different years. Fin ray Ba/Ca, Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca, Zn/Ca and 87Sr/86Sr ratios differed significantly among the natal streams, but also among years within streams. A linear discriminant model that included Ba/Ca, Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca, and 87Sr/86Sr correctly classified 95% of the salmon to their natal stream. Our results suggest that fin ray geochemistry may provide an effective, nonlethal method to identify mixtures of Wenatchee River spring Chinook Salmon for recovery efforts when these involve the capture of juvenile fish to estimate population abundance.

Chinook salmon↗

DOE OSTI2022

Ultra-low-level measurements of airborne fission products from the Fukushima Daiichi reactor accident using high volume collection systems at Savannah River National Laboratory

For this study, ultra-low-level measurements of radionuclides in air have been conducted at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) to determine the atmospheric concentration of fission products released following the Fukushima Daiichi reactor accident on March 11, 2011. Air filter samples were acquired from two high-volume collection systems (a traditional filter-based system and an electrostatic precipitator-based system) to monitor airborne radionuclide concentrations in the period covering from 2 weeks to 3 years after the disaster. The world-wide spread of low-level concentrations of airborne fission products from the Fukushima event provided a unique opportunity to demonstrate SRNL's electrostatic particle collection technology and other improvements in environmental monitoring developed at the Savannah River Site (SRS). Detecting and analyzing the release allowed a comprehensive test of SRS systems for monitoring environmental radioactivity. Gamma-ray-emitting fission products ( 131,132 I, 134,136,137 Cs, and 129,132 Te) and cosmogenic isotopes ( 7 Be and 22 Na) in air were detected and quantified by high-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy at concentrations as low as 0.07 μBq per standard cubic meter (SCM) (50 mBq total 137 Cs), while plutonium content was quantified by thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) at concentrations as low as 6.5 × 10 –21 g/SCM (3.0 fg 239+240 Pu). Isotope concentrations measured at SRNL from gamma-ray spectroscopy were compared to independent measurements from Chapel Hill, NC, located approximately 370 km (230 mi) NE of SRNL. Meteorological modeling was also used to predict radionuclide transport from the location of release to both measurement locations.

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTAN↗

DOE OSTI2019

Rare earth elements of fly ash from Wyoming's Powder River Basin coal

The advancement and increasing interests in green energy production and environmental protection technologies have spurred the demand for rare earth elements. On the other hand, the U.S. has to rely 100% on import of these materials as the industry was crashed because of the environmental issues associated with mining and processing, and more importantly lack competitiveness. As rare earth elements have many applications in defense and national security sectors, some of the elements were listed as strategic materials or critical materials because of the uncertainties in supply and prices. Therefore, it has become imperative in searching for alternative resources for supplying rare earth elements including unconventional resources. With the strong incentive, coal fly ash is identified as one of the candidates among them. In this study, we present rare earth element data for the 42 ash samples (all derived from Powder River Basin coal) that we collected from seven states (UT, WY, IO, WI, ND, CO, and MI) representing 158 million tons of fly ash. Overall, the results indicate scattered distributions of rare earth elements with concentration ranging from 156 to 590 ppm although all the ash samples originated from the same coal basin (Powder River Basin). The rare earth element resource in these ashes is estimated between 74000 and 106000 t. The ash samples were also characterized by elemental analysis, XRD, SEM-EDS and BET surface area. The characterizations of the ashes were discussed as they might have implications in the subsequent rare earth element extraction processes. In summary, fly ash may represent a potential resource for rare earth element production.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗