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Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) in Fish Tissue in U.S. Fresh Waters
Citation:
Wathen, J., L. Stahl, Tony Olsen, Tom Kincaid, B. Snyder, AND H. McCarty. Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) in Fish Tissue in U.S. Fresh Waters. National Water Quality Monitoring Council conference, Tampa, FL, May 02 - 06, 2016.
Impact/Purpose:
The National Aquatic Resource Surveys have provided an opportunity to conduct special studies on fish tissue contaminants and to compare the contaminant concentrations that occur in lakes, streams, nearshore waters in the Great Lakes. This study compares polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)in fish tissue for these waters. The results provide information the Office of Water may use in the results to assess the waters and compare the concentrations to current human health standards. This research is part of the SSWR 3.01A research program.
Description:
As of 2015 the U.S. EPA has conducted probabilistic, nationally-representative assessments of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in fish tissue in U.S. lakes (2000-2003), twice in rivers 5th order and greater (2008-2009 and 2013-2014) as part of National Rivers and Streams Assessments (NRSAs), and in nearshore waters in the Great Lakes as part of the National Coastal Condition Assessments (2010 completed, 2015 in progress). Not manufactured in the U.S. since 1979, PCBs are an extremely persistent group of organo-halogen compounds that are toxic and carcinogenic, and readily bioaccumulate in fish, especially predatory species. PCBs are highly pervasive in fish, with the highest mean concentrations in the U.S. occurring in the Great Lakes; intermediate concentrations occurring in U.S. rivers, with those concentrations being significantly elevated in the Eastern Highlands eco-region relative to the rest of the country; and relatively lower concentrations occurring in U.S. lakes. Availability of analytical results from the 2013-2014 NRSA allows us to compare the extent to which observed concentrations of summed data for all 209 PCB congeners in fish tissue exceed relevant human health thresholds in each of three eco-regions of the U.S., which also include the Plains & Lowlands and West & Mountains eco-regions.