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Biological Analysis
The Region 9 Laboratory provides a diverse range of biological laboratory services to support program offices of EPA, states, and tribes in Region 9. The types of assistance available include toxicity testing and microbiological testing. The team also provides analytical support, technical assistance, and training in these three areas. Also find related links to sources of EPA test methods, sediment toxicity, and more.
Aquatic and Sediment Toxicity Testing
Toxicity tests, or bioassays, measure the adverse or toxic effects of
samples on a particular organism. Aquatic toxicity tests are laboratory
experiments used to assess biological impacts in the environment by exposing
aquatic organisms directly to waters or sediments of concern. The Region
9 Laboratory's biology staff conducts a variety of aquatic toxicity tests for programs including:
- Effluent tests under the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits
- Testing dredged sediment under the Open Ocean Disposal Program
- Biological monitoring of surface waters
- Ecological risk assessments at Superfund sites
Region 9 Laboratory's biology staff can conduct acute and short-term chronic toxicity tests with samples such as ambient waters, industrial and municipal effluents, sediment pore waters, sediments, and oil platform drilling muds.
Freshwater Toxicity Tests - Chronic & Acute
- Fish - Fathead Minnow (Pimephales promelas) survival and growth
- Invertebrate - Freshwater cladocera (Ceriodaphnia dubia) survival and reproduction
- Freshwater cladocera (Daphnia magna) survival, growth, and reproduction
- Freshwater cladocera (Daphnia pulex) survival
- Algae - Green microalgae (Selenastrum carpicornutum) growth
- Amphipod - Hyallela azteca survival in sediments
Estuarine and Marine Toxicity Tests - Chronic & Acute
- Echinoderm - Purple sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) fertilization and development
- Crustacean - Mysid shrimp (Mysidopsis bahia) survival and growth
- Mysid shrimp (Holmesimysis costata) survival and growth
- Macroalgae - Giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) germination and germ-tube length
- Molluscs - Red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) larval development
- Mussel (Mytilus sp.) larval development
- Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) larval development
- Bacteria - MicrotoxR Marine Luminescent Photobacteria (Photobacterium phosphoreum) light output
- Amphipod - Eohaustorius estuarius survival and reburial in sediments
Toxicity Identification Evaluations
A Toxicity Identification Evaluation (TIE) is a process of characterizing, identifying, and confirming causative toxicants in a complex effluent waste through a process of chemical/physical manipulations of samples followed by toxicity tests. The Region 9 Laboratory performs acute and chronic Phase I (Toxicity Characterization Procedures) TIEs for freshwater or marine samples.
Microbiological Testing
The Region 9 Lab conducts microbiological tests on drinking water, ambient
water, wastewater effluent, and groundwater samples to verify the presence
or absence of and quantify bacteria indicating fecal contamination.
Microbiological Analyses
Coliforms and E. coli by Colilert, Membrane Filtration, and Multiple Tube Fermentation
- E. coli
- Enterococci
- Heterotrophic Plate Count
Other Biological Analyses
- Chlorophyll
- Biochemical Oxygen Demand
Technical Assistance
The Region 9 Laboratory's biology staff are an ongoing resource for technical
assistance in biological methods and field sampling techniques, reviews
of regional and state projects, and water resources assessment and monitoring
programs.
Current and Recent Biology Projects
Tropical Sea Urchin, interlaboratory study
The laboratory is coordinating a study to quantify the interlaboratory
variability of the collector urchin, Tripneustes gratilla (hawa'e) fertilization
toxicity test. Participants will include research, wastewater treatment
plant, and contractor laboratories in Hawaii, Saipan, and Guam.
Microbiological analyses of stream and stormwater samples for citizen
monitoring groups throughout Region 9
Red Abalone toxicity tests on samples from offshore oil platforms
- The Region 9 Laboratory annually conducts 2 red abalone development
toxicity tests on produced water samples from each of the 13 active oil
platforms in southern California. These third party results are provided
to the California Coastal Commission, U.S. EPA, and the Minerals Management
Service to evaluate whether specific produced water constituents exceed
state and federal water quality criteria, which will be compared to NPDES
general permit limits for southern California oil platforms.
National Study of Chemical Residues in Lake Fish Tissue
The lab is currently serving as the Regional Coordinator for
the Office of Water’s National Study of Chemical Residues in Lake
Fish Tissue. This four year study will define national background levels
for 265 chemicals in fish, establishing a baseline to track progress of
pollution control activities, and identify areas where contaminant levels
are high enough to warrant further investigation.
Links to Related Information
Sources of EPA test methods:
- Links to Sources
of EPA Test Methods on the Internet (from EPA Region 1)
- Sources of EPA test methods
Sediment Toxicity
- Freshwater Sediment Toxicity Test Methods
- Dredged Material Sediment Toxicity Test Methods
- Marine Sediment Toxicity Test Methods
Whole Effluent Toxicity
Microbiological Methods
Biological Field Methods
- Methods
for Sampling and Analyzing Contaminants in Fish and Shellfish Tissue
- Freshwater Rapid Bioassessment Methods