Richard A. Snyder & Natalie Karouna-Renier Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bioremediation Chemical Contaminants in fish

 National Fish Consumption Advisories % of the nation’s lake acreage 32.9% of the nation’s lake acreage 15.3% of the total river miles 15.3% of the total river miles 100% of the Great Lakes and their connecting water bodies 100% of the Great Lakes and their connecting water bodies 71% of coastal waters including 100% of the Gulf Coast 71% of coastal waters including 100% of the Gulf Coast  39 chemicals responsible for advisories mercury, PCBs, chlordane, dioxins, and DDT = 96% mercury, PCBs, chlordane, dioxins, and DDT = 96%

Study Goal To assess the body burdens of toxic materials in shellfish and fish in the Pensacola Region as a vector for human exposure to regional contaminants.

 State-wide: limited consumption of freshwater fish based on Hg  2006 Escambia River, Perdido River, Blackwater River, Woodbine Springs Lake, and Yellow River  No consumption statewide of king mackerel (>39”) and shark (>43”) for Hg  Several “no consumption” advisories on all fish due to Hg  Shadow bass in Blackwater river  largemouth bass, bowfin, gar, redear sunfish in Woodbine Springs lake  No Consumption for Organics  Fenholloway River - any fish due to dioxins  Wagner Creek –Checkered Puffer or Striped Mojarra due to dioxins  Lake Apopka - brown bullhead catfish due to pesticides

“Since there is no acceptable data that show PCB contamination in Florida Waters, the Bureau of Environmental Epidemiology has not established criteria and has not determined the human health risk for these non-dioxin like PCBs. If accepted data becomes available that show PCBs contamination of fish in Florida waters, the department will establish a criteria to address potential health risks.” State of Florida Dept of Health, May 2002 HSE 34 R

1970. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination & Toxicology 5:

DeBusk, Poyer & Herzfeld 2002 Compiled EPA sediment data from 1993 (top) and 1996 (bottom)

Persistent Organic Pollutants O O O ’ 3’ 4’ ’5’ 6 polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins 75 congeners polychlorinated dibenzofurans 135 congeners polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) 209 congeners

Potential Sources of Dioxins/Furans   Combustion Sources waste incineration, fuel combustion, cement kilns, forest fires, building fires, open burning of wastes.   Metals Smelting, Refining and Processing   Chemical Manufacturing: by-products from the manufacture of chlorine bleached wood pulp, chlorinated organics:PCP, PCBs, phenoxy herbicides (2,4,5-T), TCE, DCE, vinyl chloride, etc

PCBs   PCBs were manufactured in the U.S. in large quantities from 1929 until 1977   Insulating fluids in electrical transformers   Plasticizers, lubricants, fluids in vacuum pumps and compressors, hydraulic fluids   1960s spill of Arochlor 1254 in Escambia River   Sediment contamination in urbanized bayous

Bioaccumulation Age/sizeTrophic Status

Screening Values  U.S. EPA Screening Values (SV) threshold concentration of the chemical in food that is of potential public health concernthreshold concentration of the chemical in food that is of potential public health concern  70 kg weight (~156 lbs), 70 year lifetime, risk level  Risk based on different consumption rates (uncooked weight) Recreational fishers (17.5 g. day -1 = 4.3 oz. week -1 ) Recreational fishers (17.5 g. day -1 = 4.3 oz. week -1 ) Mean fish and shellfish consumption in Florida (46 g. day -1 = 11.4 oz. week -1 ) Mean fish and shellfish consumption in Florida (46 g. day -1 = 11.4 oz. week -1 ) Subsistence fishers (142.4 g. day -1 = 35.2 oz. week -1 ) Subsistence fishers (142.4 g. day -1 = 35.2 oz. week -1 )

Dioxin/Furan and PCB TEQs  TEQ= Toxic Equivalent Concentration  1998 World Health Organization Toxic Equivalency Factors (TEFs) weighing factors that compare the toxicity of a congener to 2,3,7,8-TCDD weighing factors that compare the toxicity of a congener to 2,3,7,8-TCDD TEFs also for dioxin-like PCBs TEFs also for dioxin-like PCBs Updated in 2005 Updated in 2005  Non-detects: 0, 1/2DL, DL

Squares = crab sampling stations Triangles = oyster sampling stations Blue Crab and Oysters as indicators

WHO TEQs in Oysters

Oyster TEQs by location Green Line = US EPA Recreational fisher SV Purple Line = FDA US market survey average Red line = Southern Mississippi market average

WHO TEQs in Oysters Urban BayousBridgesOyster Beds TEQ (ppt) ND=DL/2 ND=0 Recreational SV

Blue Crab TEQs by location

WHO TEQs in Crab Muscle ND=DL/2 ND= Perdido Bay Urban Bayous W. Escambia Bay E. Escambia Bay East/Blackwater Bays TEQ (ppt) Recreational SV

Blue Crab TEQs muscle and hepatopancreas

Fish Skin contribution to POP and Hg exposure Sample nMean L (mm) Mean W (g) Mean Age ΣPCBs ug/kg TEQ DF ng/Kg TEQp ng/Kg Hg mg/kg Mullet Fillet only Mullet Fillet w/Skin

Total Hg m g/Kg Length (mm) Length (mm) Total Hg m g/Kg Spotted Sea Trout Cynoscion nebulosus Red Drum Sciaenops ocelatus

Spotted Sea Trout Cynoscion nebulosus Red Drum Sciaenops ocelatus

Sheepshead Archosargus probatocephalus

Before Ivan and I-10 ConstructionAfter Ivan and I-10 Construction

Length (mm) Total PCBs  g/kg Length (mm) Total PCBs  g/kg

Offshore Estuarine

The PERCH Fish Atlas Combined Studies EPA CDC Navy 46 species

Fish Atlas

Fish Atlas

Fish Atlas

Should you eat the fish? YES!