Metadata for thomp_chem.csv & thomp_benthos.csv
Raissa Mendonca
Department of Biological Sciences
Kent State University
rmarques@kent.edu
These datasets summarize the sediment geochemistry, water chemistry, and benthic macroinvertebrate community data collected in August 2014 in tributaries exposed to nickel mine effluent from the Birchtree and Thompson mines in Thompson, MB, Canada, to measure nickel bioavailability to the indigenous benthic macroinvertebrate community. Sediment geochemistry was assessed by collecting intact sediment cores in reference and effluent-exposed tributaries, and water chemistry was measured in situ and in surface water samples of the same tributaries. The data collection was performed in 4 sites in reference tributaries and 10 sites in effluent-exposed tributaries for each mine location (n total = 28 sites). Community data was collected via petite ponar grabs in 10 reference and 10 mine effluent-exposed tributaries (n total = 40). Organisms were sorted and identified to lowest possible taxonomic level (family). Data reported as raw abundances.
Data collection was performed from 6 August 2014 to 8 August 2014.
Field data collection was conducted in Birchtree (55° 41’ N, 97° 57’ W) and Thompson (55° 49’ N, 97° 41’ W) nickel mines in Thompson, MB, Canada. Laboratory analyses and intvertebrate sorting and identification were performed in Cunningham Hall at Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA.
Sediment samples were collected as intact sediment cores with plastic tubes and caps in 2 reference (n = 4 sites per tributary) and 2 effluent-exposed tributaries (n = 10 sites per tributary). The core samples were processed and subdivided into surface (0-2 cm) and deep (2-4 cm) samples, placed in whirl-pak bags and frozen (n = 56 samples per mine location, n total = 112). Sediment samples were analyzed for total metals (acid digestion at reflux temperatures), oxidized metals (ascorbate and dithionite selective extractions), acid-volatile sulfide and simultaneously extracted metals (AVS and SEM extraction), carbon and nitrogen content (elemental analyzer), and dry weight to wet weight ratio.\
Paired water chemistry was assessed in situ (conductivity, pH) with hand-held YSI sondes at the same sites where sediment samples were obtained. Additionally, filtered and unfiltered surface water samples were taken in 60 ml nalgene bottles to assess the concentration of major anions and dissolved nickel via ion chromatography and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), respectively.
Benthic macroinvertebrate samples were collected with ponar grabs and sieved through a 500 micron mesh bucket in 10 sites at each reference and effluent-exposed tributaries of Birchtree and Thompson mines. Sieved samples were placed in 8oz. plastic jars filled with 90% ethanol. Organisms were sorted with the aid of a dissecting scope and identified to lowest possible taxonomic level (family). All identified pelagic taxa were excluded from analysis. Abundance data were assessed in terms of taxa relative abundances and used in concentration-response relationships and redundancy analysis (RDA).
thomp_chem.csv
| Name | Definition | Units |
|---|---|---|
| AVS | Acid-volatile sulfide (AVS) concentration per gram of dry weight | umol/g dw |
| SEMFe | Iron concentration per gram of dry weight from ICP-OES analysis of simultaneously extracted metals | ug/g dw |
| SEMMn | Manganese concentration per gram of dry weight from ICP-OES analysis of simultaneously extracted metals | ug/g dw |
| SEMNi | Nickel concentration per gram of dry weight from ICP-OES analysis of simultaneously extracted metals | ug/g dw |
| TotalFe | Iron concentration per gram of dry weight from ICP-OES analysis of total sediment digestion | ug/g dw |
| TotalMn | Manganese concentration per gram of dry weight from ICP-OES analysis of total sediment digestion | ug/g dw |
| TotalNi | Nickel concentration per gram of dry weight from ICP-OES analysis of total sediment digestion | ug/g dw |
| ASCFe | Iron concentration per gram of wet weight from ICP-OES analysis of ascorbate iron extraction | ug/g dw |
| ASCMn | Manganese concentration per gram of wet weight from ICP-OES analysis of ascorbate manganese extraction | ug/g dw |
| ASCNi | Nickel concentration per gram of wet weight from ICP-OES analysis of ascorbate nickel extraction | ug/g dw |
| DITFe | Iron concentration per gram of wet weight from ICP-OES analysis of dithionite iron extraction | ug/g dw |
| DITMn | Manganese concentration per gram of wet weight from ICP-OES analysis of dithionite manganese extraction | ug/g dw |
| DITNi | Nickel concentration per gram of wet weight from ICP-OES analysis of dithionite nickel extraction | ug/g dw |
| N | Average (n=2) of percent nitrogen in sediment from elemental analyzer | % |
| C | Average (n=2) of percent carbon in sediment from elemental analyzer | % |
| CrysFe | Crystalline Fe oxides in sediment as the difference between Dithionite and Ascorbate extractions | ug/g dw |
| CrysNi | Nickel associated with crystalline Fe oxides in sediment as the difference between Dithionite and Ascorbate extractions | ug/g dw |
| PSEMFe | Proportion of sulfide-bound Fe to total Fe in sediment | |
| PSEMMn | Proportion of sulfide-bound Mn to total Mn in sediment | |
| PSEMNi | Proportion of sulfide-bound Ni to total Ni in sediment | |
| PAmFe | Proportion of amorphous Fe oxides to total Fe in sediment | |
| PAmNi | Proportion of nickel associated with amorphous Fe oxides to total Ni in sediment | |
| PCrysFe | Proportion of crystalline Fe oxides to total Fe in sediment | |
| PCrysNi | Proportion of nickel associated with crystalline Fe oxides to total Ni in sediment | |
| POxidMn | Proportion of total oxidized Mn (Dithionite extracted Mn) to total Mn in sediment | |
| SEMAVSfOC | Simultaneously extracted Ni (SEMNi) in excess of AVS corrected for organic carbon | umol/g OC |
| SEMHFOfOC | Simultaneously extracted Ni (SEMNi) in excess of amorphous-Fe-bound Ni corrected for organic carbon | umol/g OC |
| dw.ww | Dry weight to wet weight ratio | |
| Fl | Fluoride concentration from ion chromatography of unfiltered surface water | ppm |
| Cl | Chloride concentration from ion chromatography of unfiltered surface water | ppm |
| Br | Bromide concentration from ion chromatography of unfiltered surface water | ppm |
| SO4 | Sulfate concentration from ion chromatography of unfiltered surface water | ppm |
| Ni | Surface water nickel concentration | ug/L |
| Cond | In situ conductivity of water column | uS/cm |
| pH | pH of surface water samples | |
| Hardness | Water hardness analyzed through EDTA titration method | mg CaCO3/L |
thomp_benthos.csv
| Name | Definition |
|---|---|
| TAL | Talitridae (Amphipoda) |
| GAM | Gammaridae (Amphipoda) |
| EPH | Ephemeridae (Ephemeroptera) |
| HEP | Heptageniidae (Ephemeroptera) |
| BAE | Baetidae (Ephemeroptera) |
| CAE | Caenidae (Ephemeroptera) |
| PSY | Psychomiidae (Trichoptera) |
| BRA | Brachycentridae (Trichoptera) |
| LEP | Leptoceridae (Trichoptera) |
| POL | Polycentropodidae (Trichoptera) |
| HYD | Hydroptilidae (Trichoptera) |
| LIM | Limnephilidae (Trichoptera) |
| PHR | Phryganeidae (Trichoptera) |
| PHI | Philopotamidae (Trichoptera) |
| COR | Corixidae (Hemiptera) |
| ELM | Elmidae (Coleoptera) |
| HAL | Haliplidae (Coleoptera) |
| GYR | Gyrinidae (Coleoptera) |
| DYT | Dytiscidae (Coleoptera) |
| CAR | Carabidae (Coleoptera) |
| CHI | Chironomidae (Diptera) |
| CER | Ceratopogonidae (Diptera) |
| CUL | Culicidae (Diptera) |
| THA | Thaumaleidae (Diptera) |
| MUS | Musicidae (Diptera) |
| TAB | Tabanidae (Diptera) |
| PLA | Planorbidae (Gastropoda) |
| VAL | Valvatidae (Gastropoda) |
| LYM | Lymnaeidae (Gastropoda) |
| UNI | Unionidae (Bivalvia) |
| SPH | Sphaeriidae (Bivalvia) |
| COE | Coenagrionidae (Odonata) |
| GOM | Gomphidae (Odonata) |
| CAM | Cambaridae (Decapoda) |
| SIA | Sialidae (Megaloptera) |
| CP | Copepoda |
| HI | Hirudinea |
| NE | Nematoda |
| Name | Definition |
|---|---|
| NA | Below detection limit |
| ND | Not determined |
| Sample.ID | B = Birchtree, T = Thompson, R = Reference, E = Effluent-exposed, Site # |
| Location | Birchtree or Thompson mine locations |
| Effluent | Reference or effluent-exposed tributaries |
| Site | n = 4 for reference tributaries, n = 10 for effluent-exposed tributaries |
| Depth | Surface (0-2 cm) or deep (2-4 cm) sediment samples |
ICP-OES (water chemistry and sediment geochemistry)
Ion chromatography (water chemistry)
Plastic tubes and caps (sediment cores)
Hotblock (sediment digestion)