Contaminants reveal spatial segregation of sub-adult Chinook salmon in Puget Sound
Presentation Abstract
Adult salmon accumulate most of their body burdens of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) while feeding in marine habitats, where they also acquire most of their final body mass. Although the majority of Chinook salmon originating from Puget Sound migrate to the Pacific Ocean to feed and grow, approximately a third reside in the Salish Sea for much of their marine rearing phase, where they may be exposed to POPs that are elevated in Puget Sound’s pelagic food web. Resident Chinook salmon, commonly referred to as blackmouth, are targeted by recreational anglers, potentially putting them at increased risk of contaminant exposure. The main objective of this study was to determine whether contaminant concentrations in resident Chinook varied among marine basins. Contaminant levels were measured in resident Chinook salmon collected throughout Puget Sound in the fall and winter of 2016, outside the typical migration timing for ocean-returning adults, to characterize POPs in salmon that reside in various marine basins. POPs concentrations and patterns in Chinook salmon differed by marine basins; fish collected from the Whidbey Basin, Central Basin, and Hood Canal, had higher levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) than those collected from the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the San Juan Islands, whereas all fish had uniformly low levels of DDTs. Although we observed basin-wide differences in contaminants levels, PCBs in virtually all fish from all basins exceeded the Washington Department of Health's (DOH) PCB screening value for human health. PBDE and DDT concentrations in Chinook salmon were much lower than PCBs, and in all basins they fell well below the DOH screening values for human health. Results from this study augment data collected in the mid 2000's and will be used to provide basin-specific fish consumption advice to reduce the health risk to human consumers.
Session Title
Posters: Fate, Transport, & Toxicity of Chemicals
Conference Track
SSE18: Posters
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2018 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE18-57
Start Date
5-4-2018 11:30 AM
End Date
5-4-2018 1:30 PM
Type of Presentation
Poster
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Chinook salmon--Feeding and feeds--Washington (State)--Puget Sound; Marine habitats--Washington (State)--Puget Sound; Persistant pollutants--Washington (State)--Puget Sound; Polychlorinated biphenyls--Toxicology--Washington (State)--Puget Sound
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Puget Sound (Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Contaminants reveal spatial segregation of sub-adult Chinook salmon in Puget Sound
Adult salmon accumulate most of their body burdens of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) while feeding in marine habitats, where they also acquire most of their final body mass. Although the majority of Chinook salmon originating from Puget Sound migrate to the Pacific Ocean to feed and grow, approximately a third reside in the Salish Sea for much of their marine rearing phase, where they may be exposed to POPs that are elevated in Puget Sound’s pelagic food web. Resident Chinook salmon, commonly referred to as blackmouth, are targeted by recreational anglers, potentially putting them at increased risk of contaminant exposure. The main objective of this study was to determine whether contaminant concentrations in resident Chinook varied among marine basins. Contaminant levels were measured in resident Chinook salmon collected throughout Puget Sound in the fall and winter of 2016, outside the typical migration timing for ocean-returning adults, to characterize POPs in salmon that reside in various marine basins. POPs concentrations and patterns in Chinook salmon differed by marine basins; fish collected from the Whidbey Basin, Central Basin, and Hood Canal, had higher levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) than those collected from the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the San Juan Islands, whereas all fish had uniformly low levels of DDTs. Although we observed basin-wide differences in contaminants levels, PCBs in virtually all fish from all basins exceeded the Washington Department of Health's (DOH) PCB screening value for human health. PBDE and DDT concentrations in Chinook salmon were much lower than PCBs, and in all basins they fell well below the DOH screening values for human health. Results from this study augment data collected in the mid 2000's and will be used to provide basin-specific fish consumption advice to reduce the health risk to human consumers.
