Mortality responses of Quagga

Mussels to KCl Solutions in Different

Source Waters

Christine

Moffitt U.S. Geological

Survey

University of Idaho

19th International Conference on Aquatic Invasive

Species 2016

Renata

Claudi RNT Consulting

Kelly

Stockton-Fiti KASF Consulting

KCL as a Control Tool?

• Disinfection of equipment, boats, or fish hauling trucks

• Prevention of settlement or establishment

• Response to introduction in open or contained waters

• Low risk to non- molluscan species, fish, vegetation, or human exposure

KCl (Potash) to control Z/Q Mussels

• Veliger zebra mussels - KCl (~ 750 mg/L) + chemical • 100% mortality in Great Lakes region

• Short exposure times (2-3 hrs)

• Showed little harm to fish with short term exposure

• Byssal zebra mussels - ~100 mg/L for 30 days • Milbrook Quarry, VA

• Lake Winnipeg and Christmas Lake, MN

• Veliger quagga mussels - >2,000 mg/L • Colorado River at WBNFH by Sykes showed no veliger

mortality

• Colorado River at LMFH by Pucherelli et al. no veliger mortality

Uncertainty in Data and Efficacy

• Few studies addressed quagga mussels

•Water quality criteria not addressed in studies of efficacy

• Temperature and time of year effects?

Objectives

• Test efficacy of KCl as a toxicant on byssal and veliger quagga mussels

•Compare responses in different water sources

• Explore response with water quality criteria such as conductivity and metals

Studies at WBNFH

• May – June, & August – Sept

• Static exposure to KCl • Byssal stage: 100 and 200 mg/L with

renewals every 48 h

• Veligers: 960 mg/L

• Tests with Colorado River water, U of I groundwater & Snake River water

Pathogen free, filtered,

dechlorinated well water

Surface water, filtered 35 µm plankton net

Columbia River Water Sources

Ground water, Moscow, ID

Surface water, Snake River, ID

Studies in Lake Ontario • October – Dec 2015

• Water and mussels from Lake Ontario Waupoos Marina

• Static exposure to KCl • Byssal stage: 100 mg/L with renewal after 48 h

• Veligers: 960 mg/L

Veliger trials – 960 mg/L

• May – June, August – Sept , October • WBNFH Colorado River, Snake River,

UI ground water, and Lake Ontario at Picton

• KCl (analytical grade) @ ~ 20°C

• Exposure times of 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 12, 24 hours

• Fast green dye used to assist assessment of mortality

• Water quality analysis • Salinity, pH, DO, cond, TDS

• Metals profile • Dissolved and total

• With and without KCl

Variations in mortality to KCl within different water sources

Probit Model Predictions

Hours of Exposure

-6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

Pro

ba

bili

ty o

f M

ort

alit

y

0.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1.0

Snake River

U of Idaho

Lake Ontario

• Colorado River little to no mortality over 24 h

• Lethal Time 50%

• UI water = 2.7 h

• ON = 3.7 h

• SR water = 5.8 h

Differences in Water Quality

Source Temp

(°C) pH

Specific

conductivity

(ms/cm)

TDS

(mg/L)

Salinity

(ppt)

U Idaho 22.2 8.1 0.37 0.25 0.18

Snake River 22.8 8.1 0.47 0.31 0.23

Colorado

River 22.2 7.9 - 8.2 1.08 – 1.02 0.67 0.51

Lake Ontario 20.0 8.3 0.33 0.21 0.15

Differences in Water Quality

Source Temp

(°C) pH

Specific

conductivity

(ms/cm)

TDS

(mg/L)

Salinity

(ppt)

U Idaho 22.2 8.1 0.37 0.25 0.18

Snake River 22.8 8.1 0.47 0.31 0.23

Colorado

River 22.2 7.9 - 8.2 1.08 – 1.02 0.67 0.51

Lake Ontario 20.0 8.3 0.33 0.21 0.15

• Na+, Ca++, Mg++ higher in Colorado River water source

• No difference in K+ levels of test waters after KCl addition

Metals Profile of Water Sources

Water and Treatment

CR-C UI-C SR-C ON-C

Co

ncen

trati

on

mg

/L

0

20

40

60

80

100

120Calcium

Potassium

Sodium

Magnesium

Colorado R U of I Snake R Ontario L

Adjusted Conductivity of Snake River and Lake Ontario with NaCl Addition

Source Sp. Cond

(ms/cm)

unadjusted

Adjusted

conductivity

Adjusted

TDS

Adjusted

salinity

Colorado

River

Not adjusted

1.02 – 1.08 1.02 - 1.08 0.67 0.51

Snake River 0.47 1.04 0.68 0.52

Lake Ontario 0.33 0.91 0.59 0.45

Survival of Veligers in Lake Ontario and Snake River Water Compared with Colorado River

Veliger Survival in 960 mg/L KCl

Hours

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Perc

en

t S

urv

ival

0

20

40

60

80

100

Snake River

Colorado River Aug-Sept

Lake Ontario

Survival Comparisons with NaCl addition Equivalent to Colorado River

Survival in

salinity

adjusted water

resembled that

in Colorado

River water

Veliger Survival in 960 mg/L KCl

Hours

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Perc

en

t S

urv

ival

0

20

40

60

80

100

Snake River

Colorado River Aug-Sept

Snake River NaCl added

Lake Ontario

Lake Ontario NaCl added

Byssal Quagga in KCl?

• 200 mg/L: 100%

(8-10 days)

• 100 mg/L: Similar

patterns as

veligers, high

survival in

Colorado River

water, but rapid

mortality in other

surface waters

Comparison of Water Sources

Days

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Pro

du

ct

Lim

it S

urv

iva

l

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

Colorado R. May 100

Colorado R. Aug 100

Colorado R. May 200

Colorado R. Aug 200

Lake Ontario Dec 100

Snake R. Aug 100

Survival in 100 mg/L KCl

Days

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Pro

du

ct

Lim

it S

urv

iva

l

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

Colorado R. May 100

Colorado R August 100

Lake Ontario Dec 100

Snake River Aug 100

Lake Ontario NaCl & 100 KCl

What Happens with Addition of NaCl?

Survival looks

like Colorado

River !

Survival of Controls

Days

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Pro

du

ct

Lim

it S

urv

iva

l

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

Colorado R. May

Colorado R. Aug

Snake R. Aug

Lake Ontario Dec

Survival in Controls – no KCl?

Quagga mussels

from Colorado R

held in Snake R

water showed

significant mortality

over the 30 d

Discussion • Confirmed Sykes and Pucherelli et al. results

• Metal ion analysis and conductivity, TDS, and salinity are important water quality parameters to include in chemical toxicity trials

• Not a large seasonality effect at WBNFH

Conclusions • Na+ content of source waters may be key factor

determining mortality in KCl treatments

• Na+/K+ ion exchange membrane in quagga and zebra mussels functions similar to that of fish and other organisms • Though Na+/K+ exchange in Z/Q mussels is particularly

active (over other mollusks)

• Probability of survival of Colorado River mussels may be reduced if transported into areas of lower conductivity/salinity. Higher risk may be associated with quagga/zebra mussels adapted to low conductivity!

Acknowledgements • Funding Utah Division Wildlife Resources,

USFWS, USGS, PSMFC

• Staff and facilities at WBNFH, manager Mark Olson and Asst Mgr. Tom Frew

• Dave Parrish IDFG, and Bob Kibler USFWS for help with water collection and shipping