Fish body burden: An index of atmospheric deposition of contaminants in the Great Lakes Basin
Conference
·
OSTI ID:40181
- Eco Logic International, Inc., Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
Since the mid-1970`s, contaminant monitoring in the flesh of fish from Siskiwit Lake, a remote lake on Isle Royale (Lake Superior), has served as an index of atmospheric transport to the upper Great Lakes basin. Using contemporary analytic methodologies, analysis of historic archived samples from this lake when compared with 1993 collections indicate dramatic changes in contaminant burdens for many compounds of concern. For example, dieldrin, the alpha isomer of BHC, and DDT/DDD/DDE all increased between 1974--76 and 1980, but had decreased markedly by 1993. Chlordane (analyzed as technical, alpha, and gamma chlordane), and total PCBs demonstrated a steady decline from the mid 1 970`s to the present. The pattern for these compounds remains similar in both the contaminant burden data, and when the values are adjusted for fish lipid content. Congener specific analysis for toxic coplanar PCBs indicate that ten non or mono-ortho PCBs predominate in fish, six of which were observed in a remarkably consistent pattern and percentage composition, i.e., PCB 118 > 105 > 156 > 189 > 77. Polychlorinated dioxin (PCDD) and debenzofuran (PCDF) TEQ values also declined by half between 1980 and 1993. However, fish from a comparative atmospherically driven system, Crystal Lake, had PCDD and PCDF TEQs an order of magnitude below those of Isle Royale fish. These differences, along with the pattern of chlorination observed, suggest the possibility of relatively more local influences than the long range atmospheric transport which was originally implicated.
- OSTI ID:
- 40181
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9410273--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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