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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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TSS, nutrients, and pesticides. In additi<strong>on</strong> to causing water quality impairments, many <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>the c<strong>on</strong>taminants associated with such run<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>f are persistent and tend to accumulate inbottom sediments. Hence, depositi<strong>on</strong>al areas <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> small streams can accumulate metals,PAHs, and other substances to levels that are toxic to benthic invertebrates and/or benthicfish species (MacD<strong>on</strong>ald et al. 2000a). Importantly, recent research has dem<strong>on</strong>strated thatthe presence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> pyrethroid pesticides in sediments can explain much <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the toxicity tobenthic invertebrates that is observed in wadeable streams in the vicinity <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> metropolitanareas (Holmes et al. 2008; Kemble et al. 2010). Therefore, the principal c<strong>on</strong>taminantsthat are associated with municipal stormwater run<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>f include:• C<strong>on</strong>venti<strong>on</strong>al variables (TSS);• Major i<strong>on</strong>s (chlorides);• Metals (arsenic, cadmium, copper, chromium, lead, mercury, nickel, zinc);• M<strong>on</strong>oaromatic hydrocarb<strong>on</strong>s (i.e., BTEX);• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarb<strong>on</strong>s;• Petroleum hydrocarb<strong>on</strong>s (e.g., oil and grease, diesel-range organics, alkanes);• Polychlorinated biphenyls;• Organochlorine pesticides (i.e., chlordane, DDTs, dieldrin, endosulfan, lindane,n<strong>on</strong>achlor); and,• In-use pesticides (e.g., bifenthrin).The informati<strong>on</strong> needed to estimate loadings <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> all <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> these substances to aquaticecosystems in the <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> Basin is not readily available. However, Gray andTuominen (1999) reported estimated loadings <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> selected c<strong>on</strong>taminants from urban run<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fto four areas within the basin, including the upper <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong>, middle <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong>, lower<strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong>, and the Thomps<strong>on</strong> <strong>River</strong> during the early 1990's (Table 3.23; from Gray andTuominen 1999). In additi<strong>on</strong>, total loadings <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> these c<strong>on</strong>taminants to the basin wereestimated. These results c<strong>on</strong>firm that substantial quantities <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> suspended solids, nutrients,metals, phenols, and total hydrocarb<strong>on</strong>s have been released to the <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> and theThomps<strong>on</strong> <strong>River</strong> from n<strong>on</strong>-point municipal sources. It is likely that current loadings <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>these substances to aquatic ecosystems within the study area are substantially higher thanthose reported over a decade ago by Gray and Tuominen (1999).39

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