Judy Crane - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Judy Crane
Environmental Management, 2003
Contaminated sediments are receiving increasing recognition around the world, leading to the deve... more Contaminated sediments are receiving increasing recognition around the world, leading to the development of various sediment quality indicators for assessment, management, remediation, and restoration efforts. Sediment chemistry represents an important indicator of ecosystem health, with the concentrations of contaminants of potential concern (COPCs) providing measurable characteristics for this indicator. The St. Louis River Area of Concern (AOC), located in the western arm of Lake Superior, provides a case study for how numerical sediment quality targets (SQTs) for the protec-
The State of Minnesota has more than 11,000 lakes greater than 10 acres in size, ranging from hea... more The State of Minnesota has more than 11,000 lakes greater than 10 acres in size, ranging from heavily used urban lakes to those in the pristine Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) in northeastern Minnesota. Besides a limited number of contaminated sites, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has little information about the statewide distribution of PAHs in natural lake sediments. A statewide sediment study was initiated in 2007, in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to gain statistically valid ambient sediment quality data for a number of contaminants from 54 lakes. Surficial sediment samples were collected from the main depositional area of each randomly selected lake and 4 reference lakes. The MPCA partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to analyze samples for 44 parent and alkylated PAHs. Total PAH44 ranged from 0.065 to 13.2 mg/kg dry wt., with a mean of 1.7 mg/kg (SD = 2.3 mg/kg). Concentrations were low for most site...
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s (MPCA) Emerging Issues Team recently developed an emergi... more The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s (MPCA) Emerging Issues Team recently developed an emerging issues inventory to identify those issues most important to Minnesota. In a broad sense, this approach considered how widespread the contaminant or issue is, the current national or state regulatory stance on the issue, a characterization of the risk associated with the contaminant or issue, and the pertinence of the topic to Minnesota’s environment. A list of the highest priority emerging issues was produced. As a next step, the team examined the gaps in scientific understanding of each priority issue and the opportunities for the MPCA to either conduct applied research with collaborators to fill data gaps, prepare technical guidance, hold informational seminars, and/or provide management with recommendations for pollution prevention. The team recommended a few emerging issues for focus during state fiscal year 2008.
Environmental monitoring and assessment, 2002
A fluorometric screening method was used to estimate total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (t-PAH... more A fluorometric screening method was used to estimate total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (t-PAH) concentrations in sediments collected from the St. Louis River Area of Concern (AOC) in northeastern Minnesota. Sediments were collected as part of a Regional Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (R-EMAP) study to assess sediment quality in the AOC. The screening method was calibrated using a PAH surrogate standard consisting of eight PAHs commonly found in the St. Louis River system, at their approximate proportions. Estimated PAH concentrations were compared to GC/MS measured 'true' PAH concentrations to evaluate the overall predictive power of the screening method. Regression analysis of log transformed estimated versus true PAH concentration yielded an r2 of 0.72 (n = 86). In addition, the rates of false positive and false negative predictions associated with the screening method were determined relative to different sediment effects concentrations (SECs) for tot...
Environmental Science & Technology, 2012
Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 2002
Numerical sediment quality targets (SQTs) for the protection of sediment-dwelling organisms have ... more Numerical sediment quality targets (SQTs) for the protection of sediment-dwelling organisms have been established for the St. Louis River Area of Concern (AOC), 1 of 42 current AOCs in the Great Lakes basin. The two types of SQTs were established primarily from consensus-based sediment quality guidelines. Level I SQTs are intended to identify contaminant concentrations below which harmful effects on sediment-dwelling organisms are unlikely to be observed. Level II SQTs are intended to identify contaminant concentrations above which harmful effects on sediment-dwelling organisms are likely to be observed. The predictive ability of the numerical SQTs was evaluated using the matching sediment chemistry and toxicity data set for the St. Louis River AOC. This evaluation involved determination of the incidence of toxicity to amphipods (Hyalella azteca) and midges (Chironomus tentans) within five ranges of Level II SQT quotients (i.e., mean probable effect concentration quotients [PEC-Qs]). The incidence of toxicity was determined based on the results of 10-day toxicity tests with amphipods (endpoints: survival and growth) and 10-day toxicity tests with midges (
Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management, 2005
A probability-based, sediment quality assessment was conducted during 1995 in the lower St. Louis... more A probability-based, sediment quality assessment was conducted during 1995 in the lower St. Louis River Area of Concern, located in western Lake Superior. A regional application of the intensified sampling grid developed for the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program was used to randomly select 90 sites for measuring the following sediment quality indicators: sediment chemistry, physical parameters, sediment toxicity, and benthic macroinvertebrate community structure. Screening methods were used to assess sediment chemistry and sediment toxicity at all sites, whereas more conventional metrics were used at a subset of sites. In addition, sediment quality data were collected from 20 a priori training sites, 10 in low impact areas and 10 in high impact areas. Mean probable effect concentration quotients were calculated for sediment chemistry variables at each site. As the range of mean probable effect concentration quotients values increased, the incidence of sediment toxicity increased. Benthic data from the training sites were used to establish standard criteria for developing two benthic integrity indices based on multimetric analysis and discriminant function analysis. Based on the training site results, the discriminant function analysis categorized the macroinvertebrate community at all random sites as 45 percent low impact and 55 percent high impact. A multimetric approach categorized 55 percent of the random sites as low impact and 36 percent as high impact. Due to the overlap of 95 percent confidence intervals, the multimetric approach also placed 9 percent of the random sites into an indeterminate category. The incidence of high impact sites appears to be primarily due to physical habitat characteristics. This finding was supported by the sediment quality triad assessment of 52 random sites that indicated alteration of the benthic community at 71 percent of sites was probably not due to chemical contamination.
The primary objectives of this study were to: (1) evaluate the ability of consensus-based SQGs (s... more The primary objectives of this study were to: (1) evaluate the ability of consensus-based SQGs (sediment quality guidelines) to predict toxicity in a freshwater database for field-collected sediments in the Great Lakes basin; (2) evaluate the ability of SQGs to predict sediment toxicity on a regional geographic basis elsewhere in North America; and (3) compare approaches for evaluating the
Environmental Management, 2003
Contaminated sediments are receiving increasing recognition around the world, leading to the deve... more Contaminated sediments are receiving increasing recognition around the world, leading to the development of various sediment quality indicators for assessment, management, remediation, and restoration efforts. Sediment chemistry represents an important indicator of ecosystem health, with the concentrations of contaminants of potential concern (COPCs) providing measurable characteristics for this indicator. The St. Louis River Area of Concern (AOC), located in the western arm of Lake Superior, provides a case study for how numerical sediment quality targets (SQTs) for the protec-
The State of Minnesota has more than 11,000 lakes greater than 10 acres in size, ranging from hea... more The State of Minnesota has more than 11,000 lakes greater than 10 acres in size, ranging from heavily used urban lakes to those in the pristine Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) in northeastern Minnesota. Besides a limited number of contaminated sites, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has little information about the statewide distribution of PAHs in natural lake sediments. A statewide sediment study was initiated in 2007, in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to gain statistically valid ambient sediment quality data for a number of contaminants from 54 lakes. Surficial sediment samples were collected from the main depositional area of each randomly selected lake and 4 reference lakes. The MPCA partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to analyze samples for 44 parent and alkylated PAHs. Total PAH44 ranged from 0.065 to 13.2 mg/kg dry wt., with a mean of 1.7 mg/kg (SD = 2.3 mg/kg). Concentrations were low for most site...
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s (MPCA) Emerging Issues Team recently developed an emergi... more The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s (MPCA) Emerging Issues Team recently developed an emerging issues inventory to identify those issues most important to Minnesota. In a broad sense, this approach considered how widespread the contaminant or issue is, the current national or state regulatory stance on the issue, a characterization of the risk associated with the contaminant or issue, and the pertinence of the topic to Minnesota’s environment. A list of the highest priority emerging issues was produced. As a next step, the team examined the gaps in scientific understanding of each priority issue and the opportunities for the MPCA to either conduct applied research with collaborators to fill data gaps, prepare technical guidance, hold informational seminars, and/or provide management with recommendations for pollution prevention. The team recommended a few emerging issues for focus during state fiscal year 2008.
Environmental monitoring and assessment, 2002
A fluorometric screening method was used to estimate total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (t-PAH... more A fluorometric screening method was used to estimate total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (t-PAH) concentrations in sediments collected from the St. Louis River Area of Concern (AOC) in northeastern Minnesota. Sediments were collected as part of a Regional Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (R-EMAP) study to assess sediment quality in the AOC. The screening method was calibrated using a PAH surrogate standard consisting of eight PAHs commonly found in the St. Louis River system, at their approximate proportions. Estimated PAH concentrations were compared to GC/MS measured 'true' PAH concentrations to evaluate the overall predictive power of the screening method. Regression analysis of log transformed estimated versus true PAH concentration yielded an r2 of 0.72 (n = 86). In addition, the rates of false positive and false negative predictions associated with the screening method were determined relative to different sediment effects concentrations (SECs) for tot...
Environmental Science & Technology, 2012
Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 2002
Numerical sediment quality targets (SQTs) for the protection of sediment-dwelling organisms have ... more Numerical sediment quality targets (SQTs) for the protection of sediment-dwelling organisms have been established for the St. Louis River Area of Concern (AOC), 1 of 42 current AOCs in the Great Lakes basin. The two types of SQTs were established primarily from consensus-based sediment quality guidelines. Level I SQTs are intended to identify contaminant concentrations below which harmful effects on sediment-dwelling organisms are unlikely to be observed. Level II SQTs are intended to identify contaminant concentrations above which harmful effects on sediment-dwelling organisms are likely to be observed. The predictive ability of the numerical SQTs was evaluated using the matching sediment chemistry and toxicity data set for the St. Louis River AOC. This evaluation involved determination of the incidence of toxicity to amphipods (Hyalella azteca) and midges (Chironomus tentans) within five ranges of Level II SQT quotients (i.e., mean probable effect concentration quotients [PEC-Qs]). The incidence of toxicity was determined based on the results of 10-day toxicity tests with amphipods (endpoints: survival and growth) and 10-day toxicity tests with midges (
Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management, 2005
A probability-based, sediment quality assessment was conducted during 1995 in the lower St. Louis... more A probability-based, sediment quality assessment was conducted during 1995 in the lower St. Louis River Area of Concern, located in western Lake Superior. A regional application of the intensified sampling grid developed for the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program was used to randomly select 90 sites for measuring the following sediment quality indicators: sediment chemistry, physical parameters, sediment toxicity, and benthic macroinvertebrate community structure. Screening methods were used to assess sediment chemistry and sediment toxicity at all sites, whereas more conventional metrics were used at a subset of sites. In addition, sediment quality data were collected from 20 a priori training sites, 10 in low impact areas and 10 in high impact areas. Mean probable effect concentration quotients were calculated for sediment chemistry variables at each site. As the range of mean probable effect concentration quotients values increased, the incidence of sediment toxicity increased. Benthic data from the training sites were used to establish standard criteria for developing two benthic integrity indices based on multimetric analysis and discriminant function analysis. Based on the training site results, the discriminant function analysis categorized the macroinvertebrate community at all random sites as 45 percent low impact and 55 percent high impact. A multimetric approach categorized 55 percent of the random sites as low impact and 36 percent as high impact. Due to the overlap of 95 percent confidence intervals, the multimetric approach also placed 9 percent of the random sites into an indeterminate category. The incidence of high impact sites appears to be primarily due to physical habitat characteristics. This finding was supported by the sediment quality triad assessment of 52 random sites that indicated alteration of the benthic community at 71 percent of sites was probably not due to chemical contamination.
The primary objectives of this study were to: (1) evaluate the ability of consensus-based SQGs (s... more The primary objectives of this study were to: (1) evaluate the ability of consensus-based SQGs (sediment quality guidelines) to predict toxicity in a freshwater database for field-collected sediments in the Great Lakes basin; (2) evaluate the ability of SQGs to predict sediment toxicity on a regional geographic basis elsewhere in North America; and (3) compare approaches for evaluating the