Ohio River

The modem approach to wastewater treatment, protection of the oxygen resources of the receiving waters, requires that all aspects of the problem be addressed, ie, the systems approach. The Ohio River Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) is an excellent example of basin-wide management dealing with situations that involve several poUtical entities. This approach has been adopted in several other regions. 

A variety of models have been developed to study acid deposition. Sulfuric acid is formed relatively slowly in the atmosphere, so its concentrations are beUeved to be more uniform than o2one, especially in and around cities. Also, the impacts are viewed as more regional in nature. This allows an even coarser hori2ontal resolution, on the order of 80 to 100 km, to be used in acid deposition models. Atmospheric models of acid deposition have been used to determine where reductions in sulfur dioxide emissions would be most effective. Many of the ecosystems that are most sensitive to damage from acid deposition are located in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. Early acid deposition models helped to estabUsh that sulfuric acid and its precursors are transported over long distances, eg, from the Ohio River Valley to New England (86—88). Models have also been used to show that sulfuric acid deposition is nearly linear in response to changing levels of emissions of sulfur dioxide (89). 

Altliough ail accurate assessment could not be tnade itnmediately, tlie Ashland spill look a heavy toll on tlie wildlife of the Ohio River Valley. More tluiii 5000 waterfowl were killed when their feathers became contaminated witli oil. Birds tliat e. perience oil conlaminalion lose tlieir natural insulation and buoyancy and cither drown or freeze to death. In addition, a massive fish kill was e. pectcd in the spring when the ri cr entered a new cycle. 

An analysis of the EPA STORET Data Base (1980-1982) found that trichloroethylene had been positively detected in 28% of 9,295 surface water reporting stations nationwide (Staples et al. 1985). An analysis of 1,350 samples taken from 1978 to 1979 and 4,972 samples from 1980 to 1981 from the Ohio River system found a similar percentage of positive detections most positive samples had trichloroethylene levels of... 

Ohio River Valley Sanitation Commission. 1980. Assessment of water quality eonditions. Ohio River Mainstream 1978-9. Cincinnati, OH Ohio River Valley Water Sanit Comm 34 T-53. 

On the Ohio River and others the number of locks is being decreased and the size of them is being increased. This will reduce costs by allowing faster service and larger tows. The tie-in with ocean ships mentioned above will make plant sites along the major rivers even more attractive. 

Power will be purchased from a nearby company. (One of the major reasons for locating here was the presence of low-cost, plentiful power.) A gas-fired plant for 125 psig steam will be built. This must be able to supply enough power to operate agitators and cooling-water pumps associated with the reactors when there is a power failure. Gas will be purchased from a local company. Drinking water will be purchased from the community of Martins Ferry, Ohio. Process and cooling water will be obtained from the Ohio River. Both will require treatment before they can be used in the plant. 

Martins Ferry, Ohio, on the Ohio River Operating Hours Per Year 8,300... 

United States 1982 upper Mississippi River Basin vs. Ohio River Basin 3 vs. 4430 7... 

United States 1982 Great Basin of southern Nevada vs. Ohio River basin Max. <5 vs. Max. >600 7... 

Paddlefish, Polyodon spathula Ohio River, Kentucky 1988-89 total PCBs males vs. females ... 

Gundersen, D.T. and W.D. Pearson. 1992. Partitioning of PCBs in the muscle and reproductive tissues of paddlefish, Polyodon spathula, at the falls of the Ohio River. Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 49 455-462. 

Streeter, H.W. and Phelps, E.B. (1925) A Study of the Pollution and Natural Purification of the Ohio River, Public Health Bulletin 146, US Public Health Service, Washington D.C. 

Gersch, H. K., Robertson, J. D., Henderson, A. G., Pollack, D., and Munson, C. A. (1998). PIXE analysis of prehistoric and protohistoric Caborn-Welbom phase copper artifacts from the lower Ohio River Valley. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry 234 85-90. 

Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission. 1982. Assessment of the Water Quality Conditions Ohio River Mainstream 1980-81. Ohio River Valley Water Sanit. Comm., Cincinnati, OH. 

Current reviews of surface water monitoring data in the peer reviewed literature are lacking. The highest concentrations observed in surface waters of the United States sampled before 1984 were 394 and 120 ppb. These concentrations were observed in rivers in highly industrialized cities (Ewing et al. 1977 Pellizzari et al. 1979). Typical concentrations for most sites that are not heavily industrialized appear to range from trace levels to 22 ppb (Ohio River Valley Sanitation Commission 1980, 1982). Data from EPA s STORET database indicate that chloroform was detected in 64% of 11,928 surface water sample data points at a median concentration of 0.30 ppb (Staples et al. 1985). 

Mississippi sediment), 4.98 (Ohio River sediment) (Karickhoff and Morris, 1985)... 

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