Foodweb modeling for PCBs in the Twelvemile Creek arm of Lake Hartwell, GA/SC

Abstract

The U.S. EPA is conducting a series of studies on the Sangamo-Weston Superfund Site near Clemson, SC, to examine the pollution of the Twelvemile Creek arm of Lake Hartwell by PCBs that were released from the site until the early 1990s. Monitoring data have shown that while PCB concentration in sediments declined since 1995, PCB concentrations in fish have not. The EPA aquatic ecosystem model AQUATOX has been applied to examine this system. This model provides an understanding of food web dynamics, characterization of bioaccumulation, and identification of most sensitive ecosystem components. The model may eventually be used in prediction of future PCB concentrations in fish under different scenarios for management.