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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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Each <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> these steps in the c<strong>on</strong>taminant <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>cern evaluati<strong>on</strong> process are described in thefollowing secti<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> this chapter. The results <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> this evaluati<strong>on</strong> are also presented anddiscussed.5.1 Refinement <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the List <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>C<strong>on</strong>taminants</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> C<strong>on</strong>cernThe preliminary evaluati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the aquatic c<strong>on</strong>taminants (i.e., chemicals <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> potentialc<strong>on</strong>cern) was designed to identify all <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the substances that could, potentially, pose threatsto sockeye salm<strong>on</strong> or other aquatic organisms utilizing habitats within the <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong>Basin (i.e., c<strong>on</strong>taminants <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>cern). While the results <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the preliminary evaluati<strong>on</strong>provide a systematic basis for identifying substances that pose negligible threats tosockeye salm<strong>on</strong>, the c<strong>on</strong>servative nature <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the assessment means that the resultant list <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>c<strong>on</strong>taminants <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>cern can include substances that are unlikely to have caused orsubstantially c<strong>on</strong>tributed to declines <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> sockeye salm<strong>on</strong> in the study area. For example, theselected toxicity screening values represent c<strong>on</strong>servative estimates <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> toxicity thresholdsfor ecological receptors, typically equivalent to no observed adverse effect levels. Inadditi<strong>on</strong>, the exposure point c<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong>s were established based <strong>on</strong> the maximummeasured c<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> each chemical <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> potential c<strong>on</strong>cern in each habitat type for eacharea <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> interest. Furthermore, it was assumed that 100% <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the measured c<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong>s<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the chemicals <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> potential c<strong>on</strong>cern were biologically available, which is unlikely for totalmetals in surface water that carry substantial suspended sediment loads.To ensure that additi<strong>on</strong>al analyses were focussed <strong>on</strong> the substances that represent potentialrisk drivers for sockeye salm<strong>on</strong>, a c<strong>on</strong>taminant <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>cern refinement process was used toidentify the substances that would be included in the detailed evaluati<strong>on</strong>. Refinement <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>the list <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>taminants <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>cern involved reviewing the maximum hazard quotientscalculated in the preliminary assessment and eliminating any substance with a maximumhazard quotient <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> < 2.0. This approach to c<strong>on</strong>taminant <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>cern refinement was usedbecause the toxicity screening values used in the preliminary assessment represent noeffectc<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong>s for the most sensitive life stage <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the most sensitive aquatic speciesfor indefinite exposure periods. Based <strong>on</strong> a review <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the toxicological data for manysubstances, MacD<strong>on</strong>ald (1993) c<strong>on</strong>cluded that the ratio <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> no-effect levels to lowest-effectlevels was typically <strong>on</strong> the order <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 2.0. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that c<strong>on</strong>taminants<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>cern with hazard quotients <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> < 2.0 would pose potential risks to sockeye salm<strong>on</strong>(i.e., maximum c<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong>s would be below the lowest observed adverse effectc<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong> for a sensitive life stage <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a sensitive aquatic species.57

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