Contaminants of legacy and emerging concern in largescale suckers (Catostomus macrocheilus) and the foodweb in the lower Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, USA.
We investigated occurrence, transport pathways, and effects of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants and other endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in aquatic media and the foodweb in the lower Columbia River. In 2009 and 2010, foodweb sampling at three sites along a gradient of contaminant exposure near Skamania (Washington), Columbia City (Oregon) and Longview (Washington) included water (via passive samplers), bed sediment, invertebrate biomass residing in sediment, a resident fish species (largescale suckers [Catostomus macrocheilus]), and eggs from osprey (Pandion haliaetus). This paper primarily reports fish tissue concentrations. In 2009, composites of fish brain, fillet, liver, stomach, and gonad tissues revealed that overall contaminant concentrations were highest in livers, followed by brain, stomach, gonad, and fillet. Concentrations of halogenated compounds in tissue samples from all three sites ranged from <1 to 400nanograms per gram of wet tissue. Several chemical classes, including PBDEs, organochlorine pesticides, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), were detected at all sites and in nearly all fish tissues sampled. In 2010, only fish livers were sampled and inter-site concentration differences were not as pronounced as in 2009. Chemical concentrations in sediments, fish tissues, and osprey eggs increased moving downstream from Skamania to the urbanized sites near Columbia City and Longview. Numerous organochlorine (OC) pesticides, both banned and currently used, and PBDEs, were present at each site in multiple media and concentrations exceeded environmental quality benchmarks in some cases. Frequently detected OC compounds included hexachlorobenzene, pentachloroanisole, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its degradates, chlorpyrifos, and oxyfluorofen. Biomagnification of BDE47, 100, 153, and 154 occurred in largescale suckers and osprey eggs. Results support the hypothesis that contaminants in the environment lead to bioaccumulation and potential negative effects in multiple levels of the foodweb.
U.S. Geological Survey, Oregon Water Science Center, 2130 S.W. 5th Avenue, Portland, OR 97201, USA. Electronic address: enilsen@usgs.gov.
Elena
E
Nilsen
U.S. Geological Survey, National Water Quality Laboratory, West 6th Ave. & Kipling Street, Lakewood, CO 80225, USA.
Steven
S
Zaugg
U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, 4200 New Haven Road, Columbia, MO 65201, USA.
David
D
Alvarez
U.S. Geological Survey, Oregon Water Science Center, 2130 S.W. 5th Avenue, Portland, OR 97201, USA.
Jennifer
J
Morace
U.S. Geological Survey, Oregon Water Science Center, 2130 S.W. 5th Avenue, Portland, OR 97201, USA.
Ian
I
Waite
U.S. Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research Center, 5501-A Cook-Underwood Road, Cook, WA 98605, USA.
Timothy
T
Counihan
U.S. Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research Center, 5501-A Cook-Underwood Road, Cook, WA 98605, USA.
Jill
J
Hardiman
Department of Biological Sciences and Texas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-3131, USA.
Leticia
L
Torres
U.S. Geological Survey and Texas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-2120, USA; Departments of Natural Resources Management and of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-2120, USA.
Reynaldo
R
Patiño
U.S. Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research Center, 5501-A Cook-Underwood Road, Cook, WA 98605, USA.
Matthew
M
Mesa
U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, 777 NW 9th St., Suite 400, Corvallis, OR 97330, USA.
Robert
R
Grove
D000818:Animals; D003531:Cypriniformes / Q000378:metabolism*; D003634:DDT / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D046093:Falconiformes / Q000378:metabolism; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D020387:Food Chain; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D009922:Oregon; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D014861:Washington; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
D005411:Flame Retardants; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D010575:Pesticides; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C016027:oxyfluorofen; D003634:DDT; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls
Aquatic health; Biomagnification; Contaminants of emerging concern; Foodweb; PBDEs; Tissue residue