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Toxic contamination of our air, water, soil, and wildlife continues to be a concern in Washington State. Humans and wildlife face a variety of risks due to toxic chemicals in the environments. For many areas of Washington, information is lacking about the levels of toxic contaminants in freshwater fish and surface water. In 2000 Ecology developed the Washington State Toxics Monitoring Program to address these concerns. The program goals are:
Since a monitoring plan was developed in 2001 the Exploratory Monitoring effort has collected over 230 fish tissue samples from more than 100 sites. Edible fish tissue from samples were analyzed for mercury, chlorinated pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-furans (PCDD and PCDFs), and lipids.
The goals of the exploratory monitoring effort are:
Sampling Locations
Summary of sites, species, and analytes (Microsoft Excel format).
Target analytes and lab methods for fish tissue samples (Microsoft Excel format).
Results
2008 monitoring report 2007 monitoring report
2006 monitoring report 2004-2005 monitoring report
2003 monitoring report
2002 monitoring report
2001 monitoring reportStudy Data
Study data are available through Ecology's Environmental Information Management database. Results for different years can be accessed by entering "WSTMP" as the User Study ID.
Mercury was chosen as the first pollutant to be addressed in the state's Persistent and Bioaccumulative Toxics Reduction Strategy. A Mercury Chemical Action Plan was developed in 2003 by the Departments of Ecology and Health with assistance from an advisory committee representing business, health, environmental, and local government organizations. Two monitoring efforts were developed to better understand mercury's behavior in the environment.
The goal of the fish tissue monitoring effort is to characterize temporal trends in mercury levels. Target fish species for trend monitoring are bass and walleye. See the project plan for more information.
The goal of the sediment monitoring effort is to evaluate mercury deposition across Washington by using age-dated sediment cores. See the project plan and addendum for more information.
Results
Measuring Mercury Trends in Freshwater Fish in Washington State, 2010 Sampling ResultsMeasuring Mercury Trends in Freshwater Fish in Washington State, 2009 Results
Measuring Mercury Trends in Freshwater Fish in Washington State: 2008 Sampling Results
Measuring Mercury Trends in Freshwater Fish in Washington State: 2007 Sampling Results
A Comparison of Two Analytical Methods for Measuring Mercury in Fish Tissue
Measuring Mercury Trends in Freshwater Fish in Washington State: 2006 Sampling Results
A long-term monitoring effort began in 2009 with the goal to determine changes in site-specific contaminant levels over time. This monitoring effort aims to:
This project measures concentrations of lead in suspended particulate matter (SPM) from selected rivers and lakes in Washington. The goal is to establish a baseline for lead concentrations and to evaluate spatial and temporal trends over time. The project plan has more information http://www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/0703104add1.html.
Results
PBT Trend Monitoring: Lead in Suspended Particulate Matter, 2008
The goal of this effort is to characterize temporal trends in organic contaminants in water from major rivers and lakes. Initial compounds of interest are chlorinated pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were added in 2008. The project plan and addendum has more information.
Results
Quality Assurance Project Plan: Trend Monitoring for Organic PBTs in Washington Rivers and Lakes
Trend Monitoring for Chlorinated Pesticides, PCBs, and PBDEs in Washington Rivers and Lakes, 2007
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