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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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emoval efficiency <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the various pulp and paper mills and residence time <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>outmigrating smolts and upstream migrating adults in various secti<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the <strong>Fraser</strong><strong>River</strong> mainstem is unknown for most stocks, it is assumed that the magnitude anddurati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> exposure to endocrine disrupting compounds in pulp and paper milleffluents are high for up-river stocks with the l<strong>on</strong>gest migrati<strong>on</strong> distances (i.e., thosereturning to the Quesnel, Bowr<strong>on</strong>, and Nechako river watersheds), moderate forstocks with intermediate migrati<strong>on</strong> distances (i.e., those returning to the Chilko,Set<strong>on</strong>-Portage, and Thomps<strong>on</strong> river watersheds), and low for stocks with the shortestmigrati<strong>on</strong> distances (i.e., those returning to the Pitt <strong>River</strong> and Cultus Lakewatersheds).It is important to note that the pulp and paper mills in the <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> Basin are nowunder federal regulati<strong>on</strong>s (i.e., Pulp and Paper Mill Effluent Regulati<strong>on</strong>s). Theseregulati<strong>on</strong>s prohibit releases <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> PCDDs/PCDFs in pulp and paper mill effluents (as <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>July 1, 1992). In additi<strong>on</strong>, these regulati<strong>on</strong>s prohibit releases <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> acutely toxic effluentfrom pulp and paper mills. To address the requirements specified under theseregulati<strong>on</strong>s, many, if not all, <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the pulp and paper mills refined their producti<strong>on</strong>methods (i.e., switching from chlorine to chlorine dioxide bleaching) and upgradedtheir effluent treatment systems (i.e., to sec<strong>on</strong>dary treatment; Grant and Ross 2002).These changes in the operati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the mills have resulted in substantial improvementsin effluent quality, including (McGreer and Belzer 1999):• The number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> days that toxic effluent is discharged was reduced by 99%;• The results <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 96-h toxicity tests with rainbow trout showed, <strong>on</strong> average,100% survival in 100% effluent;• The c<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> TSS and BOD decreased by 34% and 88%, respectively.The levels <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> these variables in the effluents <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> all pulp and paper mills are nowwithin the allowable limits; and,• Releases <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> PCDDs and PCDFs have declined by over 99%.In spite <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> these improvements, discharges <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> treated effluent from pulp and papermills in the <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> Basin still represent potential hazards to sockeye salm<strong>on</strong>.While implementati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> sec<strong>on</strong>dary treatment has substantially reduced thec<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> many <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the endocrine disrupting compounds that have beenmeasured in pulp and paper mill effluents (i.e., heavy metals, chlorinated organiccompounds, and APEOs; Janz et al. 2001), it is uncertain if the c<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> themetabolites <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> such chemicals (many <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> which also have endocrine disrupti<strong>on</strong>98

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