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Potential Effects of Contaminants on Fraser River Sockeye Salmon

Potential Effects of Contaminants on Fraser River Sockeye Salmon

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pathways and the intensity and extent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>tact with stressors for each receptor or group<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> receptors at risk. There are a number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> potential sources <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> uncertainty in theexposure assessment, including measurement errors, extrapolati<strong>on</strong> errors, and data gaps.In this assessment, exposure <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> sockeye salm<strong>on</strong> to chemicals <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> potential c<strong>on</strong>cern wasevaluated using the results <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> chemical analyses <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> envir<strong>on</strong>mental media (i.e., surfacewater, sediment, and fish tissues). Analytical errors and descriptive errors representpotential sources <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> uncertainty for surface-water, sediment, and fish-tissue chemistrydata. Three approaches were used to address c<strong>on</strong>cerns relative to these sources <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>uncertainty. First, analytical errors were evaluated using informati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> the accuracy,precisi<strong>on</strong>, and detecti<strong>on</strong> limits that were generated to support each <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the studiesrepresented in the project database (i.e., based <strong>on</strong> any metadata that were provided withthe analytical results). The results <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> this analysis indicated that most <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the data used inthis assessment were likely to be reliable. Sec<strong>on</strong>d, all data entry, data translati<strong>on</strong>, and datamanipulati<strong>on</strong>s were audited to assure their accuracy. Data auditing involved a check <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>approximately 10% <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the data against the primary data sources. In additi<strong>on</strong>, statisticalanalyses <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> resultant data were c<strong>on</strong>ducted to evaluate data distributi<strong>on</strong>s, generatesummary statistics, and evaluate variability in the observati<strong>on</strong>s. As such, measurementerrors in the surface-water, sediment, and fish-tissue chemistry data are c<strong>on</strong>sidered to be<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> minor importance and are generally unlikely to substantially influence the results <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> theassessment (with mercury in water being a notable excepti<strong>on</strong>).Extrapolati<strong>on</strong> errors have the potential to influence the results <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the assessment. Thesetypes <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> errors were minimized by using most <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the data for evaluating exposure <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ecological receptors to chemicals <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> potential c<strong>on</strong>cern in their original form. However,applicati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the total metals data in this way likely resulted in overestimati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> theeffects <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> metals <strong>on</strong> sockeye salm<strong>on</strong>, as particulate metal complexes are not highly bioavailable.In additi<strong>on</strong>, no exposure data were available for many chemicals <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> potentialc<strong>on</strong>cern. For these substances (i.e., in-use pesticides), exposure was estimated based <strong>on</strong>product use patterns or trends in exposure intensity over time. In additi<strong>on</strong>, availablesurface-water data were extrapolated spatially (i.e., to adjacent or hydrologicallyc<strong>on</strong>nectedwaterbodies) to estimate exposure to sockeye salm<strong>on</strong> where data were notavailable. As a result, risks to ecological receptors may have been underestimated oroverestimated for the chemicals <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> potential c<strong>on</strong>cern and areas <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> interest for which suchextrapolati<strong>on</strong>s were made.Data gaps also represent a source <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> uncertainty in the assessments <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> exposure foraquatic receptors. There were numerous data gaps that have the potential to influence the124

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