Aquatic Toxicology Lab
Shooting Range in Fort Collins, CO
Lab Address
317 W. Prospect Road, Fort Collins, Colorado 80526
Contact:
970-472-4332
[email protected]
[email protected]
Staff
Pete Cadmus, Aquatic Toxicology Research Scientist
Steve Brinkman, Contributing Scientist
Aquatic Toxicology Lab
Shooting Range in Fort Collins, CO
Lab Address
317 W. Prospect Road, Fort Collins, Colorado 80526
Contact:
970-472-4332
[email protected]
[email protected]
Staff
Pete Cadmus, Aquatic Toxicology Research Scientist
Steve Brinkman, Contributing Scientist
Video: "Delightful Diluter Descriptions from CPW's Aquatic Toxicology Lab" - CPW
RESEARCH FACILITY
About the Lab
The Aquatic Toxicology Lab conducts experiments that help inform decision makers and managers about pollution and water quality risks. Laboratory facilities located in Fort Collins host diverse equipment for conducting toxicity trials, culturing rare species, analyzing water samples and examining physiological and behavioral responses to toxicants.
Aquatic Research
What We Do
The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Aquatic Toxicology Laboratory provides numerous services that support the protection of Colorado's aquatic resources. Toxicology researchers use field and laboratory experiments to examine the response of fish, aquatic invertebrates, meiofauna and algae to pollutants, not limited to metals, pesticides, herbicides, personal care products, pharmaceuticals and endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife has studied the effects of metals on aquatic organisms for over 35 years. Early investigations focused on the effects of metals on salmonids and non-game species, which led to the development of standards for the protection of aquatic life in Colorado. Trials expanded to include macroinvertebrates. The lab now pushes for improved models of toxicity for interactions of heavy metals and other stressors. Researchers continue to adopt and pioneer new sublethal endpoints affected by heavy metals. CPW has also conducted and collaborated on many field and laboratory based projects including communities of fish, insects and algae in heavy metal research.
Toxicology researchers use field and laboratory experiments to examine the response of fish, aquatic invertebrates, meiofauna and algae when exposed to pollutants, pesticides, herbicides, personal care products, pharmaceuticals and endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
Toxicology researchers help test hypotheses and find solutions surrounding chemical stressors, temperature regimes and water quality issues. The complex life cycles of fish and insects must be timed with food sources, mating opportunities and appropriate seasonal niche envelopes. This can easily be threatened by warm temperatures, unnatural temperature regimes, reduced water quality and flow alterations. Restoration of rivers near historical mining operations or downstream of accidental spills often requires toxicological problem solving.
Biomonitoring and mobile laboratory experiments characterize the health of aquatic ecosystems, prescribe appropriate restoration and document resource recovery of impaired watersheds. The lab's unique mobile analytical capabilities and sampling equipment provide real-time water quality assessments during invasive fish removals.
CPW participates in the Water Quality Control Commission Hearings to assist the Commission in determining water quality standards for Colorado's lakes and streams. Toxicology researchers continually conduct studies to determine if state and national water quality policy is protective of Colorado's fisheries and aquatic ecosystems.
The laboratory has been investing in expanding its abilities to measure and study emerging toxicants in Colorado. This includes pharmaceuticals, pesticides, herbicides, hygienic products and other toxicants.
With increasing urbanization and climate changes, temperature and flows in Colorado, surface water are changing. The lab has expanded its ability to prescribe various temperature regimes with and without the presence of non-temperature stresses.These studies include examining optimal or suitable temperatures for sensitive species and examining thermal tolerance as a sublethal endpoint during toxicant trials.
Great Plains fishes in river basins of eastern Colorado have been declining and many are now listed as threatened or endangered. Several factors have been identified as contributing to declines, including altered flow regimes through diversions and impoundments, predation by non-native fish, channelization and simplification of riverbeds, and general loss of habitat. Reduced water quality from increased urbanization and intense agricultural use likely contribute to population declines; however, the impacts of chemical stressors have not been well studied. CPW toxicology researchers are investigating the impacts of urban and agricultural stressors, not limited to ammonia, nutrients, temperature, turbidity and endocrine disrupting chemicals, on native plains fish species.
To accommodate the diverse habitat needs, researchers design exposure cages and life support systems to simulate environmental conditions when field experiments are not possible. The lab has the ability to replicate the physical and chemical qualities of most locations in Colorado. The laboratory utilizes an onsite hard water well, dechlorinated municipal tap water and reverse osmosis equipment for toxicology tests. By mixing these waters, toxicity tests can be conducted over a wide range of water quality conditions.
Various toxicant diluters, pumps, temperature controllers and aerators are available to cross toxicant concentrations with other environmental stressors in continuous flow through conditions. The lab's scientific fabrication abilities have allowed diluters, treatment cages and infrastructure to be made of glass, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and stainless steel when working with organic toxicants (e.g. pesticides and herbicides) and plastic when working with metals.
Meet the Staff
Pete Cadmus
- Aquatic Toxicology Research Scientist
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife
- 970-472-4332
- [email protected]
Steve Brinkman
- Contributing Scientist
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife
- [email protected]
Aquatic Toxicology Research
Research Library
The Research Library was created in the late 1960s to provide support primarily to the wildlife research sections. The Research Library evolved to serve the broader information management needs of CPW staff. Library collections are focused on wildlife ecology and associated ecological information and CPW public historical records such as Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting agendas and minutes.