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Decreasing aqueous mercury concentrations to achieve safe levels in fish: examining the water-fish relationship in two point-source contaminated streams

Journal Article · · Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry / SETAC
OSTI ID:1057495
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. ORNL
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East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC) and White Oak Creek (WOC) are two mercury-contaminated streams located on the Department of Energy s Oak Ridge Reservation in east Tennessee. East Fork Poplar Creek is the larger and more contaminated of the two, with average aqueous mercury (Hg) concentrations exceeding those in reference streams by several hundred-fold. Remedial actions over the past 20 years have decreased aqueous Hg concentrations in EFPC by 85 %. Fish fillet concentrations, however, have not responded to this decrease in aqueous Hg and remain above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency s ambient water quality criterion (AWQC) of 0.3 mg/kg. The lack of correlation between aqueous and fish tissue Hg concentrations in this creek has led to questions regarding the usefulness of target aqueous Hg concentrations and strategies for future remediation efforts. White Oak Creek has a similar contamination history but aqueous Hg concentrations in WOC are an order of magnitude lower than in EFPC. Despite the lower aqueous Hg concentrations, fish fillet concentrations in WOC have also been above the AWQC, making the most recent aqueous Hg target of 200 ng/L in EFPC seem unlikely to result in an effective decrease in fillet Hg concentrations. Recent monitoring efforts in WOC, however, suggest an aqueous total Hg threshold above which Hg bioaccumulation in fish may not respond. This new information could be useful in guiding remedial actions in EFPC and in other point-source contaminated streams.
Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
Sponsoring Organization:
ORNL work for others; ORNL other overhead
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1057495
Journal Information:
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry / SETAC, Journal Name: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry / SETAC Vol. 443
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

bioaccumulation
fish
mercury
remediation