Helping a client contol toxicicty and pH drift
A Hydrosphere Research client was routinely experiencing chronic toxicity to the water flea test species. Their IC25s would range from 60 to 70%. This resulted in test failures and additional testing.
Dr. Smart at the Smart Group noticed that the pH in client’s sample would typically increase over each 24-hour test period. Dr. Smart suspected that this was a contributing factor to their toxicity. In order to control pH drift, Hydrosphere designed a study using sealed glass chambers with the test organisms and small amounts of carbon dioxide. 
The results were dramatic. Since implementing this study design, the pH drift has been corrected and the client has passed every test with IC25s greater than 100%. Below is an example of the effectiveness of this study design.
Without pH drift controlled
With pH drift controlled
Hydrosphere Research is working with the Environmental Protection Agency to Determine the Toxicity of Diluted and Synthetic Bitumen and Other Crude Oils Likely to be Transported in the U.S.
The rising demand, production, and shipping of petroleum oils in the U.S. equates to an increased risk of spills/pipeline leaks. The spills/leaks of oil cause major challenges for safe land and water management because of toxic contaminants present in oil. The toxicity of oils varies with the types of oil, the loading rate or concentration of oil, weathering state of oil, type of oil spill countermeasure products as well as the species and physiological status of fauna and flora. In order to better assess risk to communities and ecosystems, continued research on oil toxicity and characterization is needed.
Thus, Hydrosphere Research will conduct a series of toxicity tests with different aquatic species in freshwater and seawater for the determination of severity of toxicity using Water Accommodating Fraction, (WAF) mixture of oil in source water generated on both fresh and weathered oils. Each fresh and weathered oil type will be characterized to determine their physical and chemical characteristics. Each generated WAF will be measured to determine quantity of oil entrained in the mixture. The main objective is to evaluate toxicity of oil, both fresh and weathered, obtained from Alberta Canada using both freshwater and marine species.
DMR-QA 35 Successfully Completed
Hydrosphere Research recently completed the Discharge Monitoring Report – Quality Assurance (DMR-QA) Study 35 with an acceptable result for all test species and all test endpoints. The DMR-QA 35 is to ensure the integrity of data submitted by the permittee for DMR reporting requirements and evaluate performance of the laboratories to analyze wastewater samples. DMR-QA Study 35 covers major and select minor NPDES permit holders. Participation in the DMR-QA plays a key role in monitoring the quality of data used to assure the integrity of the Clean Water Act’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program. As a lab, we are required to test unknown samples once a year and compare those results to the acceptable analyte ranges for that study. The acceptable range is based on the actual level of analyte in the unknown sample, and on the combined concentration and statistical results from the other participating labs around the country. As one Hydrosphere client put it “Having all acceptable results, makes my life easier. We can submit our data and wrap up the study without having to wait on the lab to perform corrective actions and repeat the DMR–QA studies. Knowing that Hydrosphere Research has all acceptable results just confirms that they are the right lab for our toxicity testing.”
For more information about teh DMR-QA 35, visit EPA’s site.
http://www2.epa.gov/compliance/2015-discharge-monitoring-report-quality-assurance-dmr-qa-study-35