Publication Summary

During this initial year of the Washington State Toxics Monitoring Program, 14 sites were sampled for fish tissue and 4 sites were sampled for water

Several contaminants in all fish tissue samples exceeded one or more criteria for the protection of human health. Target analytes for tissue samples included mercury, chlorinated pesticides, PCBs, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (PCDD/Fs), and lipids. Recommendations include evaluating risks to human health from consumption of contaminated fish and determining how these sites are to be categorized for Washington′s 303(d) listing assessment.

The Washington State Toxics Monitoring Program began in 2001 with an exploratory monitoring component. The goal of this component is to investigate the occurrence and concentrations of toxic contaminants in edible fish tissue and surface waters from freshwater environments in Washington.

A total of 147 fish of five species were collected from 14 sites (13 lakes and one river) in 2001, and muscle tissue was analyzed for a range of toxic contaminants. One composite sample and 107 individual fish were analyzed for mercury. Analytes for six composite tissue samples included chlorinated pesticides, PCBs, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-furans (PCDD/Fs), and lipids. Water samples from four lakes were analyzed for 35 chlorinated pesticides; no pesticides were detected in any of these samples. Several contaminants in all tissue samples analyzed exceeded some criteria for the protection of human health.