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| Title | Analysis of Fish Tissue from Long Lake (Spokane River) for PCBs and Selected Metals | |||
| Month-Year Published | November 2002 | |||
| Online Availability |
670 kilobytes, requires version 4.0 or later of Adobe Acrobat Reader Software get Acrobat Reader
(0203049.zip, 1144 kilobytes)
Data supplement contains all data generated by the study.
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| Short Description |
Over 200 largemouth bass, largescale suckers, mountain whitefish, smallmouth bass, and yellow perch were collected from two reaches of Long Lake, Spokane County. Fish were grouped into 28 species-specific composite fillet samples. Samples were analyzed for polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) Aroclors, PCB congeners, percent lipids, zinc, cadmium, lead, and mercury. Concentrations in largescale sucker fillets were found to be between 13 and 27 times the PCB fish tissue threshold derived from the National Toxics Rule. Raw data were provided to the Washington State Department of Health for their evaluation of the potential health risks from fish consumption. (See "Download Data Supplement" for the appendix.) (Also see abstract below) | |||
| Publication Number | 02-03-049 | |||
| Author(s) | Jack, R. and M. Roose | |||
| Print Availability | ||||
| Number of pages | 37 pp. | |||
| Keywords | chemical, chemical concentrations, county, environmental, Environmental Protection Agency, fish, health, lake, lead, metals, PCBs, river, rule, samples, Spokane River, study, tissue, toxic, toxics, zinc | |||
| Subject Waterbodies |
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| Related Publications | Title | Relationship | ||
| Quality Assurance Project Plan: Analysis of Fish from Long Lake, Washington, for PCBs and Selected Metals | similar topic | |||
| Abstract | Long Description |
Lead and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been found in fish from the upper Spokane River at concentrations that pose potential risks for human consumption. To evaluate aquatic conditions, over 200 fish from five species were collected from two reaches of Long Lake, Spokane County. The Washington State Department of Ecology and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) collected fish on June 18 and 19, 2001. The species were largemouth bass, largescale suckers, mountain whitefish, smallmouth bass, and yellow perch. These fish were grouped into 28 species-specific composite samples, ranging in size from 4 to 11 fish. Composite, skin-on fillet samples were analyzed for PCB Aroclors, PCB congeners, percent lipids, zinc, cadmium, lead, and, in some instances, mercury. A few whole fish also were analyzed. All fish were aged by WDFW personnel. Age, weight, length, and chemical composition of the fish are reported in this study. Chemical concentrations in edible fillets were compared to National Toxics Rule (NTR) thresholds. When a numeric standard was unavailable, concentrations were compared to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency risk screening numbers. Zinc, cadmium, and mercury concentrations were substantially below regulatory or screening criteria. For PCB Aroclors, fish tissues varied between 7 and 77 times the NTR criteria. Percent lipids predicted about 74 to 82 percent of total apparent Aroclor concentrations. Fish age and length for the composites analyzed was a poor predictor of chemical concentrations. Compared to historic data in the Spokane River system, PCB levels in mountain whitefish fillets declined sharply. Samples from whole and fillet largescale suckers are slightly lower than concentrations from 1993 and 1999. These data have been provided to the Washington State Department of Health for further evaluation of human health impacts. |
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