Routine Monitoring Program
for Toxics in Fish:
Estuarine and Marine Waters
(2004)
Thomas Belton
Research Scientist
NJ Department of Environmental Protection
Division of Science, Research & Technology
Acknowledgements
• Governor James E. McGreevey
• Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell
• Toxics in Biota Committee: NJDEP,
NJDHSS, NJ Dept. of Agriculture
• Co-Project Managers: Bruce Ruppel and
Gary Buchanan, DSRT
General Study Design
• Statewide Routine Toxics Monitoring Program
– Rotating 5 Year Cycle for Five NJ Regions
– Regions overlap with other routine DEP biomonitoring
(e.g., Fish IBI, Macroinvertebrates)
– Contaminants - PCBs, Dioxins and Mercury
– Sites and species selected from those lakes, rivers,
reservoirs and coastal waterways under current fish
advisories based on prior DEP studies
Year 2 Marine/Estuarine Region
Year 3 Raritan Region
Year 4 Atlantic Coastal Region
Year 3
Year 5 Upper & Lower Delaware
Year 5
Year 2
Year 4
Chronology of Prior NJDEP Sampling
• 1975-1980: Comprehensive state survey of PCBs & Metals
in fish/shellfish
• 1981-1982: Northeast Region (PCBs & Chlordane)
• 1983: Dioxin in fish and crabs from the tidal Passaic River
• 1985: "A Study of Toxic Hazards to Urban Recreational
Fishermen and Crabbers”
• 1985-86: Dioxin in Blue Crab and Lobster from Northeast
Region
• 1986-1987: PCBs, Chlordane & DDTs of ten species
statewide
Chronology (cont.)
• 1988-1991: PCBs, Chlordane & DDTs of ten species
statewide
• 1991-92: Dioxin in Blue Crab from the Raritan/Newark
Bay Systems
• 1992-93: Mercury in fish from 55 lakes
• 1994-95: Mercury in fish from 15 lakes
• 1995-97: Newark Bay Consumption Surveys
• 1996-97: Mercury 21 species from 30 sites
• 1998-1999: Survey from Raritan Bay to Delaware River
(PCBs, pesticides and Hg); 14 species.
PCBs (ppb)
Average PCB Concentrations in
Striped Bass
Atlantic Ocean - North
Atlantic Ocean - South
Raritan-Passaic
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
1980
1985
1990
Year
1995
2000
2003 PCB Advisory Updates
• Based on risk-based numbers
• More restrictive advisories
• Lifetime cancer risk
– 1 in 10,000
– 1 in 100,000
• American eel, bluefish and striped bass
• 10 other species
ADVISORY/PROHIBITION
General Population 1,2
Range of Recommended Meal Frequency
LOCATION
SPECIES
Lifetime Cancer Risk of
1 in 10,000
Lifetime Cancer Risk
of 1 in 100,000
DO NOT EAT MORE DO NOT EAT MORE
THAN
THAN
High-Risk
Individual 2,3
Recommended Meal
Frequency
DO NOT EAT
MORE THAN
NEW JERSEY STATEWIDE – All Water Bodies (for areas without specific advisories)
American
lobsters4
American eel
Bluefish
(over 6 lbs/24
inches)
Bluefish
(less than 6
lbs/24 inches)
Striped bass*
Do not eat green glands (hepatopancreas)
Four meals per year
One meal per year
Do not eat
Four meals per year
Do not eat
Do not eat
Once a month
One meal per year
Do not eat
Once a month
One meal per year
Do not eat
Monitoring Program Objectives
• Update fish consumption advisories for
target recreational species
• Support Natural Resource Damage Claims.
• Assist Hazardous Site Characterization
• Assist Natural Resources Management
• Water Quality Assessments (303d, 305b)
• Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)
Estuarine and Marine Study
Design (2004)
• Two Tasks
– Task I - Coastwide NJ Monitoring
– Task II - Monitoring of Newark Bay and
Raritan Bay Estuarine-Marine Complexes
• Gather more current data to assess
consumption advisories
• Fish – Edible Fillets (muscle)
• Crab/Lobster - muscle & hepatopancreas
Task I - Coastwide Monitoring
• Target Species (under advisory)
–
–
–
–
–
–
Striped Bass
Bluefish
White Perch
White Catfish
American Eel
Blue Crab
• Contaminants - PBTs
– PCBs
– Pesticides
– Mercury
Task I - Coastwide Monitoring
• Sampling Locations
–
–
–
–
–
–
Atlantic Ocean - 4 areas
Delaware Bay/River - 4 areas
Raritan River
Raritan Bay
Barnegat Bay*
Coastal Tributaries (Navesink, Shrewsbury, Shark and
Mullica Rivers)
Task II - Monitoring of Newark Bay and
Raritan Bay Complexes
• Contaminants
– Dioxins/furans
– Pesticides/PCBs
– Mercury
• Stations from Passaic River to NY Bight
Apex (dioxin advisories)
Task II
• Target Species
–
–
–
–
–
–
Blue Crab
Lobster
Striped Bass
White Perch
Fish Species
Cormorant (blood/eggs for eco assessment)
Figure 1. Routine Fish Monitoring Program & Advisory Schedule
Draft Work Plan
Feb 2004
Stakeholder Meetings
April 2004
Final Work Plan
May 2004
DEP Data Analysis &
Prep. of Draft Advisory
Start May 2005
Contractor's Draft Report
July 2005
- TIBC Review of Advisory
- Sr. Management Review
- Review by Commissioners
(DEP, DHSS, Dept of Ag)
Field Sampling
July - Oct, 2004
Sample Prep
Aug - Nov 2004
Lab Analysis
Sept 2004 - April 2005
Draft Raw Data
May 2005
Stakeholder Meetings
DEP Data Analysis &
Prep. of Draft Advisory
Start May 2005
Contractor's Draft Report
Draft Fish Advisories
Sep 2005
Stakeholder Meetings
Oct 2005
Contractor's Final Report
&
Advisories Issued
Nov 2005
Ongoing Outreach
& Education
Information
• NJ Fish Advisories:
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/dsr/njmainfish.htm
• Federal Advice:
– http://www.epa.gov/ost/fish/
– http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/seafood1.html
– Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish
• Thomas.Belton@dep.state.nj.us