2022 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Virtual Conference
March 13 - 15, 2022
5/23/2018 | 9:15 AM - 9:30 AM | THE WEIGHT OF EVIDENCE APPROACH TO DECISION-MAKING: EVALUATING BENTHOS IMPAIRMENT IN THE DETROIT RIVER AND ST. LAWRENCE RIVER AREAS OF CONCERN | 420 B
THE WEIGHT OF EVIDENCE APPROACH TO DECISION-MAKING: EVALUATING BENTHOS IMPAIRMENT IN THE DETROIT RIVER AND ST. LAWRENCE RIVER AREAS OF CONCERN
Weight of evidence (WOE) approaches to aquatic ecosystem management, aggregate multiple lines of evidence to inform robust decision-making. The Canada-Ontario decision-making framework for assessment of Great Lakes contaminated sediment (CODMF), is a WOE approach aimed at examining the ecological impacts of legacy contaminants in sediments. Building on data collected over the past decade in relation to the Degradation of Benthos Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI) within the Detroit River and St. Lawrence River (Cornwall) Areas of Concern (AOCs), we employ the CODMF to evaluate the current status of each respective BUI. We evaluated each BUI based on benthic community structure, sediment chemistry and bioaccumulation. In both AOCs, hotspots of legacy sediment contaminants, including metals (mercury, arsenic and chromium), hydrocarbons and PCBs, were observed in excess of provincial effect levels. The WOE failed to connect sediment contamination to benthos community degradation. This provided the framework for recommending for the delisting of the Degradation of Benthos BUI within the Canadian waters of the Detroit River AOC. Conversely, limitations in the spatial availability of data available for the St. Lawrence River AOC, requires further monitoring in order to develop a more complete understanding.
- Beneficial Use Impairment
- Invertebrate
- Ecotoxicology
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Presenters/Authors
Mark MacDougall
(), River Institute, mmacdougall@riverinstitute.ca;
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Kerry McPhedran
(), University of Saskatchewan, kerry.mcphedran@usask.ca;
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Ken Drouillard
(), University of Windsor, kgd@uwindsor.ca;
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