- Measure the levels of total mercury (Hg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in the surface waters of wetlands across the Grand Calumet region of northwestern Indiana
- Measure the concentrations of total and MeHg in wetland sediments – the main repositories for legacy Hg contamination in these wetlands
- Measure the concentrations of total and MeHg in porewaters of wetland sediments – the main route for MeHg transport from the sediments to the overlying waters – in the region
- Assess the MeHg levels in fish from wetlands with permanent open water
Results
A Survey of Sportfish for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) – An Emerging Contaminant in the Great Lakes
- Determine the concentrations and speciation of PFAS in important Lake Michigan sportfish
- Evaluate dietary routes for PFAS exposure from prey to predator fish using δ15N and δ13C stable isotopes along with PFAS speciation
- Assess the relationship between total fluorine and PFAS concentrations to determine the full extent of the PFAS problem
- Compare observed PFAS concentrations in fish from Illinois-Indiana waters to other areas such as inland Michigan waterways where PFAS are known to be a problem
A three stage outreach transferability program of decision making tool to prevent, manage, and control Asian carp populations in Lake Michigan tributaries based on the evaluation of transport of eggs of local Asian carp populations
- Develop an outreach plan for technology transfer targeting three stakeholder groups: technical and scientific community, decision makers, and K-12 students and general public
- Train and instruct the technical and scientific community on how to use and
interpret FluEgg as a decision making tool, but also to educate decision makers and the general public on the importance of preventing, controlling and managing Asian carp at early life stages
A web-based tool for prioritizing pollution mitigation efforts in Lake Michigan tributaries: Harnessing three decades of water quality and biomonitoring data
The objectives of this project are to assist in characterizing and managing pollution-related hazards to tributaries and adjacent communities along the southern half of Lake Michigan. We will accomplish this by 1) deriving a database of risk quotients (RQs; ratio of the environmental concentration of a chemical to a toxicity measurement) specific to this region by combining 30 years of contaminant monitoring data with standardized toxicity information, 2) using the RQs to estimate the effects of pollutants on regional fish and invertebrate populations, 3) highlighting local pollution-related environmental justice concerns by adding income and poverty data to the RQ database, and 4) creating an online tool for managers andstakeholders to search and visualize data from the RQ database and guide decision making.
A web-based tool to measure environmental quality standards for phosphorus in water at Lake Erie
- Enhance the NAPRA online web-based decision support tool and update the soil database using SSURGO soils data suitable for field and county level evaluation
- Assess the level of phosphorus reaching water with existing cropping management systems and assess the change in phosphorus level due to increases in biofeedstock production and intensive livestock production
Adaptive management framework approach to watershed implementation of nutrient reduction strategies
- Summarize model capabilities, model inputs, and simulation methods of different hydrologic and water quality models including
- Explore uncalibrated, calibrated, and validated outputs of these models and uncalibrated ensemble modeling in estimating average annual water quantity and quality for a 41.5 km2 agricultural watershed in Northeastern Indiana
- Provide suggestions on the selection and use of these models based
on the results in this study