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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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used, are persistent and bioaccumulative, are ubiquitously distributed, areincreasingly being released into the envir<strong>on</strong>ment (based <strong>on</strong> data for wildlife andhumans), and may elicit endocrine disruptive effects, risks to sockeye salm<strong>on</strong>were likely underestimated due to the lack <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> data <strong>on</strong> c<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> thesec<strong>on</strong>taminants in the envir<strong>on</strong>ment.• Data <strong>on</strong> the levels <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> horm<strong>on</strong>es, pharmaceuticals, pers<strong>on</strong>al care products,disinfectants, disinfectant by-products and nanoparticles are generally lackingfor the study area. As exposure <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> sockeye salm<strong>on</strong> to these c<strong>on</strong>taminantscould elicit a variety <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> adverse effects, the absence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> data <strong>on</strong> thesec<strong>on</strong>taminants results in substantial uncertainties in the results <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the currentassessment <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> effects <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>taminant exposure <strong>on</strong> <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> sockeyesalm<strong>on</strong>.7.4.5 Availability <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Envir<strong>on</strong>mental Benchmarks• Toxicity data for many <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the aquatic c<strong>on</strong>taminants identified in thisinvestigati<strong>on</strong> (e.g., PBDEs, PBBs, APEOs, pharmaceuticals, pers<strong>on</strong>al careproducts) are lacking or limited in the scientific literature. This generallimitati<strong>on</strong> makes it difficult to estimate hazards posed by such c<strong>on</strong>taminants t<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ish and, hence, increases uncertainty in the current assessment.• Numerical water quality guidelines and/or salm<strong>on</strong>id-specific toxicity thresholdswere not located for many chemicals <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> potential c<strong>on</strong>cern identified in the<strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> Basin. This limitati<strong>on</strong> increased uncertainty in the evaluati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>effects <strong>on</strong> sockeye salm<strong>on</strong> associated with exposure to surface water in thestudy area.• Numerical sediment quality guidelines and/or salm<strong>on</strong>id-specific toxicitythresholds were not located for many chemicals <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> potential c<strong>on</strong>cern identifiedin the <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> Basin. This limitati<strong>on</strong> increased uncertainty in theevaluati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> effects <strong>on</strong> sockeye salm<strong>on</strong> associated with exposure to sedimentsin the study area.• Numerical tissue-residue guidelines and/or salm<strong>on</strong>id-specific toxicity thresholdsfor fish tissues were not located for certain chemicals <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> potential c<strong>on</strong>cern(e.g., PBDEs) identified in the <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> Basin. This limitati<strong>on</strong> increaseduncertainty in the evaluati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> effects <strong>on</strong> sockeye salm<strong>on</strong> associated withaccumulati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> bioaccumulative c<strong>on</strong>taminants in their tissues.129

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