title: Teratogenic effects and monetary cost of selenium poisoning of fish in Lake Sutton, North Carolina.
abstract: Selenium pollution from coal ash wastewater was investigated in Lake Sutton, NC. This lake has been continuously used as a cooling pond for a coal-fired power plant since 1972. Historic and recent levels of contamination in fish tissues (14-105µg Se/g dry weight in liver, 24-127 in eggs, 4-23 in muscle, 7-38 in whole-body) exceeded toxic thresholds and teratogenic effects were observed in fish collected in 2013. A high proportion (28.9 percent) of juvenile Lepomis spp. exhibited spinal and craniofacial malformations that were consistent with selenium poisoning. Teratogenic Deformity Index values indicated population-level impacts on the fishery. The partially monetized cost of resultant fishery losses was calculated at over $US 8.6 million annually, and over $US 217 million for the entire period of damage, which dates back to 1987 when chemical and biological monitoring began.
authors.affiliation: 215 Sapona Road, Lexington, NC 27295, USA. Electronic address: dlemly@wfu.edu.
authors.forename: A Dennis
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Lemly
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019465:Craniofacial Abnormalities / Q000139:chemically induced; D005399:Fishes / Q000002:abnormalities*; D060106:Lakes; D008297:Male; D009657:North Carolina; D011041:Poisoning / Q000191:economics* / Q000473:pathology*; D012643:Selenium / Q000506:poisoning*; D013131:Spine / Q000002:abnormalities; D013723:Teratogens; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000506:poisoning*
chemical_list: D013723:Teratogens; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D012643:Selenium
keywords: Coal ash; Damage cost; Damage value; Fish deformities; Selenium; Terata