%0 Journal Article %J Environ Sci Technol %D 2008 %T Atmospherically deposited PBDEs, pesticides, PCBs, and PAHs in western U.S. National Park fish: concentrations and consumption guidelines. %A Ackerman, Luke K %A Schwindt, Adam R %A Staci M Simonich %A Koch, Dan C %A Blett, Tamara F %A Schreck, Carl B %A Kent, Michael L %A Landers, Dixon H %K Animals %K Atmosphere %K Ethers %K Fishes %K Guidelines as Topic %K Pesticides %K Polybrominated Biphenyls %K Polychlorinated Biphenyls %K Polycyclic Compounds %K United States %X

Concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were measured in 136 fish from 14 remote lakes in 8 western U.S. National Parks/Preserves between 2003 and 2005 and compared to human and wildlife contaminant health thresholds. A sensitive (median detection limit--18 pg/g wet weight), efficient (61% recovery at 8 ng/g), reproducible (4.1% relative standard deviation (RSD)), and accurate (7% deviation from standard reference material (SRM)) analytical method was developed and validated for these analyses. Concentrations of PCBs, hexachlorobenzene, hexachlorocyclohexanes, DDTs, and chlordanes in western U.S. fish were comparable to or lower than mountain fish recently collected from Europe, Canada, and Asia. Dieldrin and PBDE concentrations were higher than recent measurements in mountain fish and Pacific Ocean salmon. Concentrations of most contaminants in western U.S. fish were 1-6 orders of magnitude below calculated recreational fishing contaminant health thresholds. However, lake average contaminant concentrations in fish exceeded subsistence fishing cancer thresholds in 8 of 14 lakes and wildlife contaminant health thresholds for piscivorous birds in 1 of 14 lakes. These results indicate that atmospherically deposited organic contaminants can accumulate in high elevation fish, reaching concentrations relevant to human and wildlife health.

%B Environ Sci Technol %V 42 %P 2334-41 %8 2008 Apr 01 %G eng %N 7 %R 10.1021/es702348j %0 Journal Article %J Environ Sci Technol %D 2005 %T Environmental stresses and skeletal deformities in fish from the Willamette River, Oregon. %A Villeneuve, Daniel L %A Curtis, Lawrence R %A Jeffrey J Jenkins %A Warner, Kara E %A Tilton, Fred %A Kent, Michael L %A Watral, Virginia G %A Cunningham, Michael E %A Markle, Douglas F %A D Sethajintanin %A Krissanakriangkrai, Oraphin %A Johnson, Eugene R %A Grove, Robert %A Kim A Anderson %K Animals %K Benzofurans %K Bone and Bones %K Dioxins %K Female %K Fishes %K History, Ancient %K Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated %K Metals, Heavy %K Oocytes %K Oregon %K Organophosphorus Compounds %K Ovary %K Pesticides %K Polychlorinated Biphenyls %K Polycyclic Hydrocarbons, Aromatic %K Rivers %K Trematoda %K Trematode Infections %K Water Pollutants, Chemical %X

The Willamette River, one of 14 American Heritage Rivers, flows through the most densely populated and agriculturally productive region of Oregon. Previous biological monitoring of the Willamette River detected elevated frequencies of skeletal deformities in fish from certain areas of the lower (Newberg pool [NP], rivermile [RM] 26 - 55) and middle (Wheatland Ferry [WF], RM 72 - 74) river, relative to those in the upper river (Corvallis [CV], RM 125-138). The objective of this study was to determine the likely cause of these skeletal deformities. In 2002 and 2003, deformity loads in Willamette River fishes were 2-3 times greater at the NP and WF locations than at the CV location. There were some differences in water quality parameters between the NP and CV sites, but they did not readily explain the difference in deformity loads. Concentrations of bioavailable metals were below detection limits (0.6 - 1 microg/ L). Concentrations of bioavailable polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and chlorinated pesticides were generally below 0.25 ng/L. Concentrations of bioavailable polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were generally less than 5 ng/L. Concentrations of most persistent organic pollutants were below detection limits in ovary/oocyte tissue samples and sediments, and those that were detected were not significantly different among sites. Bioassay of Willamette River water extracts provided no evidence that unidentified compounds or the complex mixture of compounds present in the extracts could induce skeletal deformities in cyprinid fish. However, metacercariae of a digenean trematode were directly associated with a large percentage of deformities detected in two Willamette River fishes, and similar deformities were reproduced in laboratoryfathead minnows exposed to cercariae extracted from Willamette River snails. Thus, the weight of evidence suggests that parasitic infection, not chemical contaminants, was the primary cause of skeletal deformities observed in Willamette River fish.

%B Environ Sci Technol %V 39 %P 3495-506 %8 05/2005 %G eng %N 10 %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15954223?dopt=Abstract