Environmental impact of an aviation kerosene spill on stream water quality in cambria county, Pennsylvania

Abstract

A comprehensive survey of a small Cambria County, Pennsylvania, watershed contaminated by a British Petroleum aviation kerosene leak was conducted from 9 November 1982 until 20 December 1983. The biological data showed evidence of a rapid recolonization process by benthic macroinvertebrates that began at the last two downstream stations shortly after the spill. The recovery at stations located immediately below the spill was delayed because few organisms for repopulation were present in the clean, upstream section and because a drought eliminated most of the biota in the immediate headwaters during 1983. Measurements of species diversity of benthic invertebrates showed that most of the stations in the contaminated sections recovered between June and October 1983. Short-term in situ toxicity bioassays conducted with brook trout in April 1983 showed that the stream was again suitable for restocking with trout. In addition, a fish electroshocking program in May and October 1983 clearly demonstrated that the contaminated sections of the stream had recovered and again supported a diverse fish population, including trout and young-of-the-year minnows and sunfish. The results of chemical analyses and biochemical oxygen demand measurements indicated that the water quality in the contaminated section recovered between 30 November and 14 December 1982. The major factors that accelerated the recolonization process in the contaminated watershed were (a) immediate and effective cleanup activities; (b) a plentiful source of unpolluted dilution water; (c) the drift of benthic organisms available for recolonization; and (d) the immigration of fish from the unpolluted sections of the watershed.