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Review of Regulatory Policies for Copper and Silver Water Quality Criteria

Brancho, Jennie
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ksuhonors1493904025463972

Abstract Details

2017, BS, Kent State University, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Biological Sciences.
Freshwater resources are used around the globe for drinking, recreation, bathing, and production of food. Despite the known value of freshwater for these activities, freshwater resources are being degraded faster than ever before in terms of habitat destruction, impaired water quality, and loss of biodiversity. Anthropogenic inputs of persistent chemical contaminants can lead to ecosystem-wide impairments through direct and indirect toxic effects. To mitigate these effects, water management policies need to be science-based and continually updated with the most current scientific information to reflect changes in types and amounts of pollutants and new knowledge about toxicity. For this analysis, we compared two metals: a well-studied pollutant (copper [Cu]) and an emerging contaminant of concern (silver [Ag]). We assessed water quality criteria for these two metals from the United States, Australia and New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, and the European Union to determine the intent of these criteria and implementation strategies. Additionally, we conducted standard chronic toxicology tests for silver and copper on the freshwater pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis to assess the level of effectiveness offered by each regulation in protecting ecological integrity. L. stagnalis were individually exposed to metal-contaminated freshwater (0–32 µg/L for both Cu and Ag) for a 28-day static renewal test and mortality and growth rates were measured. Results show copper to be more lethal than silver, but sublethal effects of toxicity were observed at lower concentrations of silver. However, because Ag is a poorly studied contaminant, water quality criteria for Ag are typically older, more variable, or absent and thus may not offer protection in some jurisdictions.
David Costello, PhD (Advisor)
Ferenc de Szalay, PhD (Committee Member)
David Singer, PhD (Committee Member)
Alison Smith, PhD (Committee Member)
57 p.
Biology; Ecology; Environmental Law; Environmental Management; Environmental Science; Environmental Studies; Toxicology; Water Resource Management
Lymnaea stagnalis; ecotoxicity; water quality criteria; copper; silver; toxicity; United States; Canada; European Union; South Africa; Australia and New Zealand; EU; ANZECC; US; CCME; freshwater; pulmonate snail; regulation

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Brancho, J. (2017). Review of Regulatory Policies for Copper and Silver Water Quality Criteria [Undergraduate thesis, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ksuhonors1493904025463972

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Brancho, Jennie. Review of Regulatory Policies for Copper and Silver Water Quality Criteria. 2017. Kent State University, Undergraduate thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ksuhonors1493904025463972.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Brancho, Jennie. "Review of Regulatory Policies for Copper and Silver Water Quality Criteria." Undergraduate thesis, Kent State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ksuhonors1493904025463972

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ksuhonors1493904025463972
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© 2017, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Kent State University Honors College and OhioLINK.