West Bearskin Lake is an oligotrophic glacial lake near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) in Minnesota, United States. West Bearskin Lake is a source of control sediment for US federal sediment toxicity studies. West Bearskin Lake is also home to Camp Menogyn, a YMCA camp only accessible by boat.
Sediments and Scientific SignificanceEdit
Due to the cleanliness of this pristine lake and physical attributes of the sediment, West Bearskin Lake sediment is ideal for sediment toxicity testing. West Bearskin Lake sediment is used as a control sediment in the federal government's toxicity tests and was used to develop the US EPA's toxicity testing methods.
US EPA. 2000. Methods for Measuring the Toxicity and Bioaccumulation of Sediment-associated Contaminants with Freshwater Invertebrates Second Edition.
Kemble, N.E., C.G. Ingersoll, and J.L. Kunz. 2001. Evaluation of Toxicity of Sediment Samples Collected from Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Texas. United States Geological Survey. http://www.cerc.usgs.gov/pubs/sedtox/santaanareport.pdf
Bechtel Jacobs Company LLC. 1998. Biota Sediment Accumulation Factors for Invertebrates: Review and Recommendations for the Oak Ridge Reservation U.S. Department of Energy. http://rais.ornl.gov/homepage/bjcor-112a1.pdf
Mierzykowski, S.E., C.G. Ingersoll, and K.C. Carr. 1997 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service New England Field Office Special Project Report: FY97-MEFO-1-EC Toxicity Tests and Sediment Chemistry at Site 9 (Neptune Drive Disposal Site). http://www.fws.gov/northeast/mainecontaminants/EC_Reports.htm
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 1996. Bioavailability of Sediment-Associated Toxic Organic Contaminants, http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/res/Task_rpts/1996/aqland06-3.html
Peer Review Journal Articles That Utilized West Bearskin Lake SedimentEdit
Below is a partial list of studies that utilized West Bearskin Lake sediment.
Youa, J.; Brennanb, A.; Lydy, M.J. (2009). "Bioavailability and biotransformation of sediment-associated pyrethroid insecticides in Lumbriculus variegatus.". Chemosphere. 75: 1477–1482. doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2009.02.022.
Brennan, A.A.; You, J.; Lydy, M. J. (2009). "Comparison of cleanup methods for fipronil and its degradation products in sediment extracts". Talanta. 78: 1408–1413. doi:10.1016/j.talanta.2009.02.034.
Heinis, L.J.; Highland, T.L.; Mount, D.R. (2004). "Method for Testing the Aquatic Toxicity of Sediment Extracts for Use in Identifying Organic Toxicants in Sediments". Environ. Sci. Technol. 38: 6256–6262. doi:10.1021/es049661c.
Dawson, TD; Lott, KG; Leonard, EN; Mount, DR (April 2003). "Time course of metal loss in Lumbriculus variegatus following sediment exposure". Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 22 (4): 886–9. doi:10.1897/1551-5028(2003)022<0886:tcomli>2.0.co;2. PMID 12685725.
Call, D.J.; Polkinghorne, C.N.; Markeet, T.P.; Brooke, L.T.; Geiger, D.L.; Goruch, J.W; Robillard, K.A. (1999). "Silver toxicity to Chironomus tentans in two freshwater sediments". Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 18: 30–39. doi:10.1897/1551-5028(1999)018<0030:sttcti>2.3.co;2.
Ingersoll, C.G.; Brunson, E.L.; Dwyer, F.J.; Kemble, N.E. (1998). "Use of sublethal endpoints in sediment toxicity tests with the amphipod Hyalella azteca". Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 17: 1508–1523. doi:10.1897/1551-5028(1998)017<1508:uoseis>2.3.co;2.
West, C.W.; Ankley, G. T. (1998). "A Laboratory Assay to Assess Avoidance of Contaminated Sediments by the Freshwater Oligochaete Lumbriculus variegatus". Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. 35: 20–24. doi:10.1007/s002449900343.
Kosian, PA; Hoke, RA; Ankley, GT; Vandermeiden, FM (1995). "Determination of dieldrin binding to dissolved organic material in sediment pore water using a reverse-phase separation technique". Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 14: 445–450. doi:10.1002/etc.5620140314.
Ankley, GT; Benoit, DA; Balogh, JC; Reynolds, TB; Day, KE; Hoke, RA (1994). "Evaluation of potential confounding factors in sediment toxicity tests with three freshwater benthic invertebrates". Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 13: 627–635. doi:10.1002/etc.5620130412.
Ankley, Gerald T.; Benoit, Duane A.; Hoke, Robert A.; Leonard, Edward N.; West, Corlis W.; Phipps, Gary L.; Mattson, Vincent R.; Anderson, Lee A. (1993). "Development and evaluation of test methods for benthic invertebrates and sediments: Effects of flow rate and feeding on water quality and exposure conditions". Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. 25: 12–19. doi:10.1007/BF00230705.
Ankley, G. T.; Cook, P. M.; Carlson, A. R.; Call, D. J.; Swenson, J. A.; Corcoran, H. F. (1992). "Bioaccumulation of PCBs from sediments by oligochaetes and fishes". Can J Fish Aquatic Sci. 49: 2080–2085. doi:10.1139/f92-231.
Call, D.J; Polkinghorne, C.N.; Markee, T.P.; Brooke, L.T.; Geiger, D.L.; Gorsuch, J.W.; Robillard, K. A. "Toxicity of Silver in Water and Sediment to the Freshwater Amphipod Hyalella azteca". Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 25: 1802–1808. doi:10.1897/05-319r.1.
