Analyses of organic and inorganic contaminants in Salton Sea fish.
Chemical contamination of fish from the Salton Sea, a quasi-marine lake in Southern California, could adversely impact millions of birds using the Pacific Flyway and thousands of humans using the lake for recreation. Bairdiella icistia (bairdiella), Cynoscion xanthulus (orangemouth corvina), and Oreochromis spp. (tilapia) were sampled from two river mouths and two nearshore areas of the Salton Sea. Muscle tissues were analyzed for a complete suite of 14 trace metals and 53 pesticides. Fish muscle tissues had concentrations of selenium ranging between 1.89 and 2.73 microg/g wet weight. 4,4'-DDE accounted for 94% of the total DDT metabolites. Total DDTs ranged between 17.1 and 239.0 and total PCBs between 2.5 and 18.6 ng/g wet weight. PCB congeners 132, 138, 153, 168, and 180 comprised over 50% of the total PCBs. Given the potential implementation of a commercial fishing at the Salton Sea in the future, the presence of persistent organic pollutants and selenium warrants further research into the effects of these mixtures on fish populations, and on wildlife and humans consuming fish.
Riedel
Ralf
R
Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Ocean Springs 39564-7000, USA. ralf.riedel@usm.edu
Schlenk
Daniel
D
Frank
Donnell
D
Costa-Pierce
Barry
B
D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds; D002140:California; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005506:Food Contamination; D007306:Insecticides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D010473:Perciformes; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D011634:Public Health; D011998:Recreation; D012643:Selenium / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D017210:Tilapia; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D007306:Insecticides; D014873:Water Pollutants; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls; D012643:Selenium