Facility, Laboratory, and Experimental Locations

Facility Containment Protocol: General Description of Laboratory and Experimental Facilities

For each facility involved, describe in narrative text:

The following are accepted as authoritative sources with respect to confirmed populations of zebra mussels in North America:

U.S. Geological Survey National Aquatic Nuisance Species Clearinghouse

Florida Caribbean Science Center New York Sea Grant

7920 NW 71st Street Morgan II

Gainesville, FL 32653-3071 State University College

352-378-8181

Brockport, NY 14420

716-395-2638

Laboratory Protocol

Security and Confinement:
• Unescorted access to all zebra mussel work spaces in the facility shall be limited to those personnel authorized and trained by the principal investigator.
• Zebra mussel work spaces shall be kept locked when no authorized personnel are present.
• Arrangements for cleaning and janitorial services shall be consistent with these provisions.
• Zebra mussel work spaces shall be clearly marked as restricted areas containing live aquatic nuisance organisms.
• The names and telephone numbers of at least three persons to contact in the event of an emergency must be posted.
• All sink drains and floor drains in zebra mussel work spaces shall be securely plugged to prevent loss of contaminated water or other material into the drain system. Signs warning against discharge of untreated zebra mussel material shall be posted over all sinks.
• Experimental chambers, holding tanks, containers, systems and related equipment.
• Experimental chambers, holding tanks, containers, or systems that house live zebra mussels in any life stage must have: a.) static or closed-loop recirculating systems. b.) to the extent practical, all aquaria, tanks, and containers holding live zebra mussels shall be kept in trays or liners capable of holding all water if the container were to leak or be broken.
• It is recommended (but not mandatory) that tanks/systems used to hold general stocks of live ADULT zebra mussels be fitted with a chiller to maintain water temperature below 10 ºC to prevent unregulated spawning of mussels.
• Equipment and reusable supplies frequently used for zebra mussel research (nets, siphon tubing, selected glassware or buckets) shall be marked for zebra mussel use only and stored separately from other equipment or supplies.
• Equipment and reusable supplies used infrequently or which must remain available for general laboratory use shall be disinfected before release for non-zebra mussel work according to the Decontamination and Disinfection Procedures.
• All equipment, holding tanks, pumps, filter systems, and experimental chambers used shall be thoroughly disinfected at the end of the project.

  Handling and disposing of zebra mussels:

• If disposable gloves are used during contact with mussels or associated wastewater, after use the gloves shall be disinfected using the Decontamination and Disinfection Procedures and then discarded as trash.
• Dead or unwanted mussels shall be crushed and disinfected according to the Decontamination and Disinfection Procedures and then disposed of as trash unless the institution requires a different procedure under guidelines for disposal of animal carcasses.

  Disposal of wastewater:

• All water that has been in contact with live mussels shall be disinfected in place, or shall first be passed through a 1-mm mesh screen to remove any juveniles or adults and then transferred to a waste tank for disinfection before discharge.
• Wastewater shall be disinfected by an accepted method found in the Decontamination and Disinfection Procedures.

  Disposal of solid material:

• All solid disposable environmental materials, such as sediments and macrophytes, that were in contact either in the field or lab with water containing zebra mussels shall be disinfected using an acceptable method found in the Decontamination and Disinfection Procedures.

  Emergency termination:

• If the integrity of the research facility is threatened (fire, flood, hurricane) and time allows (without threat to personnel safety), experiments shall be terminated and chlorine bleach shall be added to all systems and tanks containing live zebra mussels at a volume: volume ratio of 1:50 (1 part bleach for every 50 parts water).

Slowing the Spread of the Zebra Mussel Contents

Protocol for Responsible Monitoring Procedures