Accumulation of mercury and PCBs in quillback rockfish (Sebastes maliger) from Puget Sound, Washington, USA

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:398203

West, J E; O`Neill, S M ^[1]

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1. Washington State Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, Olympia, WA (United States)

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is conducting a long-term study designed to identify and monitor levels of contaminants in Puget Sound fish resources as one component of the ongoing Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program (PSAMP). Here the authors summarize results from three years of monitoring contaminants in quillback rockfish (Sebastes maliger) and present models for bioaccumulation of persistent pollutants. This species was selected for monitoring because they are long-lived and nonmigratory, occupy a relatively high position in the demersal food web, and are important to Washington fisheries. Muscle tissue from quillback rockfish was sampled from 1991 through 1993 at three PSAMP stations in the Puget Sound (San Juan Islands [SJI], North-Central Puget Sound [NCPS] and Central Puget Sound [CPS]). Two persistent pollutants--mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBS)--were present consistently in quillback rockfish. Maximum concentrations of mercury in composite-samples were 0.51, 0.41 and 0.47 mg/kg for SJI, NCPS and CPS, respectively. One composite exceeded the World Health Organization action limit for mercury in fish tissue (0.5 mg/kg). The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) screening level for mercury in fish is 0.6 mg/kg. Seven composite-samples contained a single group of PCBs (aroclor 1260) which exceeded the EPA screening level for total aroclors (10 {micro}g/kg). Stepwise linear regression was used to model the effects of fish age, size, percent lipids, and collection site on accumulation of mercury and aroclor 1260 in quillback rockfish. Of these variables, age and length (as growth rate) of rockfish were the primary determinants of mercury concentration in quillback rockfish; age of rockfish and collection site were the primary determinants of PCB concentrations.

• OSTI ID: 398203
• Report Number(s): CONF-9511137--; ISBN 1-880611-03-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS
BIOLOGICAL STRESS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
FISHES
MERCURY
MONITORING
POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS
PUGET SOUND
WATER POLLUTION