An Ecological Risk Assessment on the
Use of 3-Trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol
(TFM) for the Control of Sea Lamprey in
the Lake Champlain
Chelsea Mandigo, Ryan Patnaude,
Audrey Reid, Elias Rosenblatt and
Emily West
Slide background: http://sensicology.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/lamprey.jpg
Table of Contents
• Introduction to include problem statement and
objectives
• Background of sea lamprey in lake Champlain and
life cycle
• Are sea lamprey native?
• Sea lamprey affect of sport fishery
• TFM and application
• Non target effects of TFM
• Cost-benefit analysis
• Recommendations/questions
Problem Statement
The lampricide 3-Trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol,
(TFM) is a controversial chemical used for
controlling sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus,
in the Lake Champlain watershed.
Objectives
1. To determine the chemical effects of TFM on sea
lamprey and its corresponding aquatic environments
2. To investigate the nativity of sea lamprey, and how a
potential native status would affect public opinion of
the sea lamprey control program
3. To evaluate the effect of sea lamprey on sport-fish
species in Lake Champlain
4. To understand the effects of TFM on non-target
species
5. To analyze the cost-benefit ratio of using TFM in the
Lake Champlain Basin
Background
• Sea lamprey are
parasites preying on
cold water fish species
• Brown trout, Lake trout
and Landlocked Salmon
• Fish will eventually die
from excessive bleeding
or infection
Source: NY DEC
Sea Lamprey Life Cycle
•TFM targets
juvenile sea lamprey
within streams
•Majority of life cycle
is spent as
larvae/transformers
(3-7 years)
•Mature adults
reenter streams to
lay eggs
NY DEC
Are Sea Lamprey Native to Lake
Champlain?
• For years, the general scientific consensus was that sea
lamprey were an invasive species.
• The first confirmed identification was in 1930, long
after canals were constructed in the mid- 19th century.
• Invasion aided by the Champlain canal to the Hudson
River and/or the Chambly canal to the Richelieu River.
• Natural dispersal still possible before canal
construction, through the Richelieu River.
• To determine the status of sea lamprey in Lake
Champlain, genetic studies were conducted
Are Sea Lamprey Native to Lake
Champlain?
• Waldman et al. (2006) analyzed mitochondrial
DNA from individuals from the Atlantic, lakes
Champlain, Ontario, and Superior.
• Champlain population were genetically distinct
from the other sampled populations.
• Atlantic and Champlain populations were most
closely related, but each gene pool had unique
haplotypes, suggesting that enough time had
passed for the Champlain gene pool to drift.
Genetic distances between sea lamprey collections
from neighboring water bodies
Source: Waldman et al. 2006
Are Sea Lamprey Native to Lake
Champlain?
• Bryan et al. (2005) conducted a microsattelite DNA analysis
• Concluded that the differences in genotypes between
Atlantic and Champlain populations were far greater than
what could have developed since the construction of the
canals.
• Bryan et al. (2005), as well as other studies (Marsden et al.
2003 and Waldman et al. 2006), hypothesized that the
sudden population explosion in the mid-20th century was
due anthropomorphic alterations to the lake.
• Bryan et al. (2005) also hypothesized that the first sighting
was so recent due to the population being regulated by
predators prior to removal in the 20th century.
Genetic distances between several sea lamprey populations
in the Great Lakes, Lake Champlain, and the Atlantic.
Source: Bryan et al. 2005
Are Sea Lamprey Native to Lake
Champlain?
• These findings provide substantial genetic evidence that the Lake
Champlain population is native, but do not settle the debate
• Many parties still feel that the abundance of man-made entry
points and the lack of sightings before the population increased in
the lake point to the species as invasive.
• Even if the species is native, many stakeholders find the species a
nuisance as it effects valuable sport fisheries in the lake.
• Though population suppression will probably continue, these
findings may shift stakeholder and managerial opinions on the
extent of the suppression.
• This shift needs to be accounted for in long-term treatment plans
Sea Lamprey Affect on Fish
• Attach host fish , drain bodily fluids, killing the
fish
• Studies in Great Lakes show fish wounded by sea
lamprey have a 40-60% mortality rate
• Preferred hosts: landlocked Atlantic salmon and
lake trout
• Also feed on lake whitefish, walleye, northern
pike, burbot and lake sturgeon
• Problem: Many of these fish species are 1) native
to Lake Champlain 2) highly prized sport fish
Lake Champlain Fishery
• Currently: angling of sport fish
• Most popular species being walleye, yellow
perch, basses, and pikes
• Popular stocked sport fish: Lake trout,
landlocked Atlantic salmon and brown trout
Sea Lamprey Affect on Sport Fish
• Study conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
comparing pre and post experimental control
of sea lamprey
• Examined gill net catch rates and wounding
data from the mid 1980’s (prior treatment) for
the Main Lake portion of Lake Champlain, Lake
Ontario and Cayuga Lake.
Lake Champlain: Main Lake
Source: State of the Lake Report, Lake Champlain Basin Program
2008
Lake Ontario
Source:
http://www.classicbuffalo.com/images/outdoors/LakeOntarioMap.jpg
Cayuga Lake, Finger Lake in NY
Source: http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/57183/travel.html
Study: Pretreatment Results
• 1974-1984: Total incident of attack (including
wounds and scars) for all size trout averaged
85%, wounding rate averaged 50%.
– lake trout 13-16.9 inches: wounding rate of 20%
– lake trout 25-28.9 inches: wounding rate of 50%
Study: Pretreatment Results
• Gill net catch rates indicated
– 6-13 lake trout/1000 feet of net in Lake Champlain
– 60-70 lake trout/1000 feet of net in Lake Ontario
– 45-66 lake trout/ 1000 feet of net in Cayuga Lake
• Stocking rates:
– Lake Champlain: 1.6 yearling lake trout/acre
– Cayuga Lake: 1.7 yearling lake trout/acre
– Lake Ontario: 0.5 yearling lake trout/acre
• low catch rate for Lake Champlain in comparison
to stocking rate of lake trout
Sea Lamprey Affect on Sport Fish
• Results of study indicated that sea lamprey
were negatively effecting the lake trout and
Atlantic salmon populations
• Lead to an 8 year experimental control
program that examined the effectiveness of
lampricide treatments at reducing sea
lamprey populations
– Began in 1990
Experimental Control Program
• As part of the program a pre and post
treatment creel survey was conducted
– found an estimated 76% increase in lake trout
caught in Lake Champlain
Long-term Control Program
• Began in 2002
• Involved: Treating 13 tributaries with TFM and
5 tributary deltas with Bayer 73
• Goal: Reduce the number of wounding rates
by sea lamprey to
• > 25/100 lake trout
• 15/ 100 Atlantic salmon.
Current sea lamprey levels
• 2006: highest sea lamprey wound rate was
observed in 2006 with 100 wounds/100 lake
trout
• 2007: sea lamprey populations in 18 out of 31
streams and 2 out of 4 deltas being controlled
• 2007: 46 wounds/100 lake trout and
• 2008: 31 wounds/ 100 lake
The number of Atlantic salmon and lake trout in Lake
Champlain with wounds (both scar and actual) from sea
lamprey
Source: : Lake Champlain Basin Program; State of the Lake Report 2008
Historical Use of TFM
• 1950’s 6,000 possible chemicals tested at
Hammond Bay Biological Station
• Chose: 3-Trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol and
Bayluscide (5,2’-dicholoro-4’nirosalicylanilide)
• Criteria for selection: maximize lamprey kills
and minimize fish kills
• Regulated by the EPA
Chemical Composition of TFM
• Non-volatile
• Organic matter increases biotic break-down in
sediment
– Most tests show breakdown to
undetectable levels to occur
within hours and at most days
www.fluoridealert.org
Concentration of TFM, vascular plants
and sediment
(Hubert, 2003)
pH and Toxicity
• pH affects toxicity
• As pH decreases (becomes more acidic) half
life increases
• Toxicity is higher at lower pH
LC 50 and pH
(Hubert, 2003)
How Most Organisms deal with TFM
• Most organisms able to reduce TFM into
RTFM (4-amino-3-trifluoromethylphenol)’
– Nontoxic, stable compound– Glucuronidation: metabolic detoxifying process of
the liver
– Major enzyme in breakdown: UDPGT- relatively
inactive in sea lamprey as compared to other
aquatic species
How TFM Works in Sea Lamprey
• Disrupts ATP production- Remember UDPGT
isn’t binding to it and breaking it down
• Causes Mortality by: depleting PCr
(mechanism unknown)
– Forces anaerobic glycolysis to continue ATP
production
• Lamprey are unable to
detoxify the chemical
before brain is sufficiently
depleted of glucose=Death
ATP concentration and PCr depletion
after 12 hrs of exposure
Wilkie et al., 2007
Application: Pre-Treatment
• Determine areas of spawning that will have
high density of larval sea lamprey at time of
treatment
• Notification of residents- regular advisories
prior to application
• Regular water testing (pH, alkalinity etc.)
Application: Treatment
•
•
•
•
•
Solution pumped through perforated hose
12hr exposure
Use with niclosamide- spot treatment
Boosts
Monitor rivers and lakes until TFM is
undetectable
TFM application
Source: www.dec.ny.gov/
Non-target Effects
• Was determined in 1960’s as less
environmentally detrimental than physical
means of removing lamprey
– Even though the chemical mechanisms were not
understood
Non-target Organisms
Lake Sturgeon
http://www.tnaqua.org/Newsroom/Images/sturgeon.jpg
Catfish Family
http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/IMAGES/Missouri/channel_c
atfishWiki2.jpg
Mudpuppies
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGS/Shared/StaticFiles/animals/images/pri
mary/mudpuppy.jpg
How is sensitivity determined
– MLC = Minimum Lethal Concentration
– Compare MLC of TFM on lamprey to other fish
species
– Example:
• Lake Sturgeon has TFM MLC of 1-2 times that of
Lamprey
• Catfish TFM MLC 1.3-1.5 times
Problems for Non-target Species
• TFM is often over-applied to increase
lamprey mortality, thus TFM
concentration reaches MLC for other
non-target species
• Not enough information available
about effects on other non-target
species, especially invertebrates
Case Study: Mudpuppy Die-off in
Lamoille River
• Over-use of TFM in Lamoille River lead to mass
die-off of mudpuppies in Fall 2009
• http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BT&Date=20091009&C
ategory=NEWS02&ArtNo=910090322&Ref=AR&Profile=1003&MaxH=290&Ma
xW=445
• Reported by Times
Argus (Rutland, VT)
on October 9, 2009
Cost-Benefit Analysis
• Analysis indicated a 3.5 – 1 ratio indicating that TFM is
successful
• Sea lamprey control benefits of $29.4 million – cost of
treatment $8.4 million
• Difficult to place monetary values on the environment
• However…
• Adaptation resulting in quicker time to reach
transformer stages (Zerrenner and Marsden)
• Increased treatments resulting in higher economic
funding, may alter analysis
Conclusions
• Continue use of TFM, partnered with
increased environmental monitoring
• More precise application, to reduce fatality of
non-target species
• Further research on TFM chemical
mechanisms, to see if modifications can be
made
• Further research on effects of TFM on nontarget species
Videos
• Lampricide added to Lamoille River
• Same treatment that caused mass mud puppy
die-off
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81wCa2zduBM
• PSA on Lamprey
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-KJZ22wTQ
Sources
Bryan, M. B., Zalinski, D., Filcek, K. B., Libants, S., Li, W., & Scribner, K. T. (2005). Patterns of invasion and colonization
of the sea lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus ) in North America as revealed by microsatellite genotypes. Molecular
Ecology, 14, 3757-3773. Retrieved March 12, 2010, from the Web of Science database.
Waldman, J. R., Grunwald, C., & Wirgin, I. (2006). Evaluation of the Native Status of Sea Lampreys in Lake Champlain
Based on Mitochondrial DNA Sequencing Analysis. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 135, 10761085. Retrieved March 12, 2010, from the Web of Science database
Hubert, T.D. 2003. Environmental Fate and Effects of the Lampricide TFM: a Review. Journal of Great Lakes Research.
29(supplement 1):456-474.
Wilkie, M.P., Holmes, J.A., and Youson, J.H. 2007. The Lampricide3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) interferes with
intermediary metabolism and glucose homeostasis but not with ion balance, in larval sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus).
Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.. 64: 1172-1182
McDonald, G.D., & Kolar, C.S. (2007). Research Guide to the Use of Lampricides for Controlling Sea Lamprey. Journal
of Great Lakes Research, 33(2), 20-34.
Brege, D.C., Davis, D.M., Genovese, J.H., McAuley, T. C., Stephens, B. E., & Westman, R.W. (2003). Factors
responsible for the reduction in quantity of the ampricide, TFM, applied annually in streams tributary to the Great
Lakes from 1979 to 1999. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 29(1), 500-509
Waller, Diane L., Bills, Terry D., Boogaard, Michael A., Johnson, David A., & Doolittle, T.C.J. (2003). Effects of
Lampricide Exposure on the Survival, Growth, and Behavior of the Unionid Mussels Elliptio complanata and
Pyganadon cataracta. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 29(1), 524-551.