National Irrigation Water Quality Program data-synthesis data base

Abstract

Under the National Irrigation Water Quality Program (NIWQP) of the U.S. Department of the Interior, researchers investigated contamination caused by irrigation drainage in 26 areas in the Western United States from 1986 to 1993. From 1992 to 1995, a comprehensive relational data base was built to organize data collected during the 26-area investigations. The data base provided the basis for analysis and synthesis of these data to identify common features of contaminated areas and hence dominant biologic, geologic, climatic, chemical, and physiographic factors that have resulted in contamination of water and biota in irrigated areas in the Western United States. Included in the data base are geologic, hydrologic, climatological, chemical, and cultural data that describe the 26 study areas in 14 Western States. The data base contains information on 1,264 sites from which water and bottom sediment were collected. It also contains chemical data from 6,903 analyses of surface water, 914 analyses of ground water, 707 analyses of inorganic constituents in bottom sediments, 223 analyses of organochlorine pesticides in bottom sediments, 8,217 analyses of inorganic constituents in biota, and 1,088 analyses for organic constituents in biota. The data base is available to the public and can be obtained at the NIWQP homepage <http://www.usbr.gov/niwqp> as dBase III tables for personal-computer systems or as American Standard Code for Information Exchange structured query language (SQL) command and data files for SQL data bases.

Developmental effects of bioaccumulated selenium in eggs and larvae of two salmonid species

“…Selenium concentrations in tissues are reported on a wet‐weight basis. Selenium concentrations in eggs expressed on a wet‐weight basis can be converted to approximate dry‐weight concentrations based on previous reports that rainbow trout eggs contain 61% moisture [14]. Where this calculation is used in the discussion, concentrations are reported as calculated wet weight.…”

Inorganic Elements in Eggs of Two Cavity-Nesting Passerine Species at and around Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico

“…These studies determined that little or no measurable amount of these metals were transferred to or accumulated in eggs. Additionally, Schwarzbach et al [50] summarized data from Seiler and Skorupa [51] that reported on silver concentrations in more than 1000 wild bird eggs. Schwarzbach et al [50] suggested that silver can, but rarely will, accumulate in avian eggs.…”

Selenium effects: A weight‐of‐evidence approach

“…DeForest et al (1999) assumed that whole‐body tissue had a moisture content of 75%, while ovaries were assumed to have a moisture content of 85%. Holm (2002) assumed that rainbow trout eggs contain 61% moisture based on 3 rainbow trout egg samples with moisture contents ranging from 59.4% to 62.5% (Seiler and Skorupa 2001); Barrett et al (2001) found that average rainbow trout egg moisture contents ranged from 55.6% to 67.0%. Differing assumptions regarding moisture content of fish tissues, such as those previously, introduce unnecessary uncertainty and controversy.…”