11.07.2015 Views

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

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

• The majority <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the available data <strong>on</strong> the levels <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> metals in surface water weregenerated using methods that measure extractable or total metalc<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong>s. However, the toxicity screening values and toxicity referencevalues selected for use in this investigati<strong>on</strong> are based <strong>on</strong> the results <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> toxicitytests in which dissolved metal c<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong>s were measured. As extractableand total metals data may overestimate the biologically-available fracti<strong>on</strong> undercertain circumstances (i.e., high TSS load), evaluati<strong>on</strong>s based <strong>on</strong> suchmeasurements likely overestimate risks to sockeye salm<strong>on</strong>. Therefore,limitati<strong>on</strong>s <strong>on</strong> the available data for dissolved metals represents an importantdata gap.• No data were located <strong>on</strong> the levels <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> in-use herbicides, insecticides,fungicides, or other pesticides in water, sediment, or fish tissues for anylocati<strong>on</strong> within the <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> Basin. Therefore, exposure <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> sockeye salm<strong>on</strong>to these c<strong>on</strong>taminants can be <strong>on</strong>ly inferred from pesticide sales data.• No surface-water chemistry or sediment chemistry data were located for many<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the c<strong>on</strong>taminants that are typically associated with pulp and paper millwastewaters (e.g., resin acids, fatty acids, PAHs, plant sterols, degradati<strong>on</strong>products <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> parent compounds). For phenols and chlorophenols, surface-waterchemistry data were located for <strong>on</strong>ly a limited number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> locati<strong>on</strong>s and for <strong>on</strong>lya limited number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> sampling dates. Similarly, <strong>on</strong>ly limited data were locatedto evaluate the c<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> PCDD/PCDFs in sediments. In thisassessment, it was assumed that sockeye salm<strong>on</strong> exposure to c<strong>on</strong>taminantsarising from pulp and paper mills has decreased over the past 15 to 20 years.However, this assumpti<strong>on</strong> may not be true for certain classes <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>taminantssuch as plant sterols, or the degradati<strong>on</strong> products <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> parent compounds that actas endocrine disruptors.• No surface-water chemistry or sediment chemistry data were available for any<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the c<strong>on</strong>taminants that are typically associated with wood preservati<strong>on</strong>facilities, with the excepti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> PCP. This represents a significant data gapbecause the most recent data available indicate that creosote, CCA, and DDACare the top three pesticides used in British Columbia, based <strong>on</strong> sales data.Absence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> data <strong>on</strong> the levels <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> these c<strong>on</strong>taminants in the envir<strong>on</strong>ment couldresult in significant underestimates <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> risks to sockeye salm<strong>on</strong> exposed to thesesubstances.• No data were located <strong>on</strong> the c<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> surfactants (such as APEOs) orfire retardants (such as PBDEs, PBBs, or PFOS/PFOA) in surface water. Fewdata were located <strong>on</strong> the c<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> these substances in sediments(PBDEs <strong>on</strong>ly) and fish tissues. As these classes <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>taminants are widely128

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!