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Potential Effects of Contaminants on Fraser River Sockeye Salmon

Potential Effects of Contaminants on Fraser River Sockeye Salmon

Potential Effects of Contaminants on Fraser River Sockeye Salmon

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iver watersheds), and low for stocks with the shortest migrati<strong>on</strong> distances (i.e., thosereturning to the Pitt <strong>River</strong> and Cultus Lake watersheds). Exposure <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> sockeye salm<strong>on</strong>to urban stormwater run<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>f, and associated endocrine disrupting compounds, wouldgenerally have the same pattern as exposure to municipal wastewater treatment planteffluents.Exposure to Pulp and Paper Mill Effluents - There are a total <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> ten pulp and papermills in the <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> Basin, with two located near Prince George, two located nearQuesnel, <strong>on</strong>e located near Kamloops, and five located near Vancouver. Exposure <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>sockeye salm<strong>on</strong> to the endocrine disrupting compounds associated with dischargesfrom operating pulp and paper mills occurs when key life history stages are present inareas that receive discharges from pulp and paper mills. Therefore, there is a need toestimate exposure to pulp and paper mill effluent during spawning and incubati<strong>on</strong>,rearing, smolt outmigrati<strong>on</strong>, and/or adult upstream migrati<strong>on</strong>.As n<strong>on</strong>e <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the operating pulp and paper mills in the <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> Basin discharge tostreams that are used for spawning, exposure <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> sockeye salm<strong>on</strong> eggs and alevins topulp and paper mill effluent is likely to be negligible during the incubati<strong>on</strong> period forall c<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong> units.N<strong>on</strong>e <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the operating pulp and paper mills in the <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> Basin discharge effluentdirectly into nursery lakes used for early rearing by sockeye salm<strong>on</strong>. Accordingly, it isassumed that exposure <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> sockeye salm<strong>on</strong> to diluted or undiluted pulp and paper milleffluent is negligible during early rearing for virtually all stocks in the study area. Theexcepti<strong>on</strong> could be the Harris<strong>on</strong> <strong>River</strong> stocks that rear in backwater areas and sloughswithin the Lower <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> for a period <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> time before migrating to Georgia Strait.These stocks could be exposed to diluted pulp and paper mill effluent if they rear forsome period <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> time in areas that receive effluent discharges from the pulp and papermills located in the Lower <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> Area <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Interest.All ten pulp and paper mills in the <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> Basin are located al<strong>on</strong>g the migrati<strong>on</strong>corridors for sockeye salm<strong>on</strong> (Figure 3.1). The magnitude and durati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> exposureto endocrine disrupting compounds associated with pulp and paper mill effluents is afuncti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the processes used at each mill, treatment efficiency (i.e., removalefficiency for endocrine disrupting compounds), the volume <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> effluent discharged toreceiving waters, the diluti<strong>on</strong> capacity <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the receiving water systems, distancetravelled during downstream or upstream migrati<strong>on</strong>, and sockeye salm<strong>on</strong> residencetime in areas with significant effluent discharges. As endocrine disrupting compound97

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