Macroinvertebrate Study of the Shenango River Westinghouse Superfund Site, Sharon, PA

Abstract

The previous spills and releases of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) into the Shenango River caused the Westinghouse Site to become a superfund. With the superfund concluded, our goal was to compare the dredged areas of the Westinghouse Superfund site in the Shenango River to the channel areas which were not remediated. Replicate ponar grab samples were taken in remediated areas, in the non-remediated areas and at an upstream reference site on three days between summer, fall 2007 and spring 2008 seasons. Thirty-five total taxa were collected and were dominated by the chironomid genera. Also identified were a chironomid chironomus mentum deformity incidence, tolerance index value. A multivariate analysis of variance was done on date and site type for abundance, richness and tolerance index. Site type was not significant, meaning there was no statistical significance between reference, non-remediated and remediated sites. Date was found significant as expected by the phenology of macroinvertebrates emergence. The depression of abundance and richness values, chironomid deformity incidence and tolerance index suggest mild stress on the site sampled. This stress could be from one or more sources such as urbanization or the upstream landfill. This study can prove to be a valuable baseline for future studies at the Westinghouse Site or the Shenango River.