Chemical Contaminants in fish
Richard A. Snyder
&
Natalie Karouna-Renier
Center for Environmental
Diagnostics and Bioremediation
rsnyder@uwf.edu
http://uwf.edu/cedb/
Acknowledgments
US NAVY, Pre-reefing study of ex-Oriskany site, William Patterson and Richard Snyder
http://www.uwf.edu/rsnyder/reports/Oriskrpt.pdf
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Project Director, K. Ranga Rao
http://uwf.edu/cedb/PERCH_CDC_Final_Report_2007.pdf
US EPA cooperative agreement X-97455002 Project Director, K. Ranga Rao.
he contents of this report are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not represent
the views of the US EPA.Σ
While the authors take responsibility for the contents, we cannot take full credit for the work.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC)
special activity license for the collections,
Holt Hatchery personnel (Gray Bass, John Knight et al.)
We are grateful for the advice, cooperation, and assistance of local commercial and
recreational fishermen.
The work could not have been accomplished without a small army of students and staff at the
UWF, including Suzanne Gibson, Matthew Wagner, Jeffrey Allison, and Alexander Ren.

National Fish Consumption Advisories 2002





32.9% of the nation’s lake acreage
15.3% of the total river miles
100% of the Great Lakes and their connecting water
bodies
71% of coastal waters including 100% of the Gulf Coast
39 chemicals responsible for advisories

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
http://www.doh.state.fl.us/floridafishadvice/fish_consumption_guide.htm
“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 5:171-180.
DeBusk, Poyer & Herzfeld
2002
Compiled EPA sediment data
from 1993 (top)
and 1996 (bottom)
Persistent Organic Pollutants
1
9
1
9
O
2
8
3
7
2
8
3
7
O
O
4
6
4
6
polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins
75 congeners
3’
polychlorinated dibenzofurans
135 congeners
2’
2
3
4’
4
5’
6’
6
5
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 (2,4,5T), 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/size
Trophic Status
1.2
Toxin in Body Tissue
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
300
350
400
450
500
Length (mm)
550
600
650
Screening Values

U.S. EPA Screening Values (SV)
• threshold concentration of the chemical in food that is of potential public
health concern

70 kg weight (~156 lbs), 70 year lifetime, risk level 10-5

Risk based on different consumption rates (uncooked weight)



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)
Subsistence fishers (142.4 g.day-1 = 35.2 oz .week-1)
Compound
Mercury (Hg)
Total PCBs
TEQDFP
Recreational Fishers
0.40 ppm
20 ppb
0.256 ppt
Subsistence Fishers
0.049 ppm
2.45 ppb
0.14 ppt
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
TEFs also for dioxin-like PCBs
Updated in 2005
Non-detects: 0, 1/2DL, DL
Blue Crab and Oysters as indicators
Squares = crab sampling stations
Triangles = oyster sampling stations
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
Bayou Grande
Bayou Chico
Bayfront Auditorium
Bayou Texar
P'cola Bay Bridge N
P'cola Bay Bridge Mid
P'cola Bay Bridge S
Gaberonne
Esc. I-10 Bridge Mid
Escambia Bay #7
Escambia Bay #1
Escambia Bay #5
Escambia bay # 8
Garcon Point Bridge N
Garcon Point Bridge Mid
Garcon Point Bridge S
East Bay #13
East Bay #2
East Bay #3
East Bay #5
East Bay #8
East Bay #9
Bob Sykes Bridge Mid
TEQDFP pg/g
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
WHO TEQs in Oysters
6.0
TEQ (ppt)
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0
Urban Bayous
Recreational SV
Bridges
ND=DL/2
Oyster Beds
ND=0
0
Perdido-11 Mil e Creek
Perdido B ay U pper
Perdido B ay Lill ian B ridge
Perdido B ay
Bayou Grande Upper
Bayou Grande
Bayou Chico upper
Bayou Chico Bridge
Bayou Chico mouth
Bayou Texar Upper
Bayou Texar Mid
Bayou Texar Mouth
Escambi a Bay NW
Mackey Cove
Escambi a Channel
Escambi a Bay NE
Gaberonne
Devils Poi nt
Mulat Bayou
Indi an Bayou
Trout Bayou
Escambi a Bay SE
Garcon Point
Redfish Point
East River
Yel low River
Bl ackwater Bay
Hoffman Bayou
TEQ ng/Kg
Blue Crab TEQs
by location
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
WHO TEQs in Crab Muscle
1.00
0.90
0.80
TEQ (ppt)
0.70
0.60
0.50
0.40
0.30
0.20
0.10
0.00
Recreational SV
ND=DL/2
ND=0
Blue Crab TEQs
muscle and hepatopancreas
y = 6.688 + 25.734x R= 0.71785
Hepatopancreas TEQ
DFP
ng/kg
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
Muscle tissue TEQ
DFP
0.8
ng/kg
1
Upper Escambia
Lower Escambia
NE Escambia Bay
Upper Perdido
Lower Perdido
11-Mile Creek
Lower Yellow River
Lower Blackwater
Upper Blackwater
Upper Yellow River
Shoal River
SW Escambia Bay
Bayou Texar
East Bay
Hoffmann Bayou
Bayou Chico
Bayou Grande
Recreational SV
Sum of PCBs g/Kg
60
50
Bass
Mullet
40
30
20
10
0
A
Lower Escambia River and Upper Bay
y = -149.38 + 78.298log(x) R= 0.8094
Upper Escambia River
90
80
Total PCBs g/Kg
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900
Mean Fish weight (g) in composite
Fish Skin contribution to POP and Hg exposure
Sample
n
Mean L
(mm)
Mullet Fillet
only
4
314
Mullet Fillet
w/Skin
Mean W
(g)
Mean
Age
305.81 2.00
ΣPCBs
ug/kg
TEQDF TEQp
Hg
ng/Kg ng/Kg mg/kg
24.10
0.710
0.930 0.010
54.70
0.310
1.758 0.011
Red Drum
Sciaenops ocelatus
1.2
1.2
1
1
Total Hg mg/Kg
Total Hg mg/Kg
Spotted Sea Trout
Cynoscion nebulosus
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
300
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
350
400
450
500
Length (mm)
550
600
650
0
300
400
500
600
700
Length (mm)
800
900
Spotted Sea Trout
Cynoscion nebulosus
Red Drum
Sciaenops ocelatus
70
25
60
20
Total CB (g/Kg)
Total CB (g/Kg)
50
15
10
40
30
20
5
10
0
200
0
400
600
800
1000 1200 1400 1600
W eight (g)
0
1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000
W eight (g)
DATE
9/14/07
9/14/07
9/14/07
9/14/07
9/14/07
9/14/07
9/14/07
9/14/07
9/14/07
9/14/07
9/14/07
9/14/07
9/14/07
9/14/07
9/14/07
9/14/07
9/14/07
9/14/07
9/14/07
9/14/07
9/14/07
ZONE
Esc. I-10 Bridge
Esc. I-10 Bridge
Esc. I-10 Bridge
Esc. I-10 Bridge
Esc. I-10 Bridge
Esc. I-10 Bridge
Esc. I-10 Bridge
Esc. I-10 Bridge
Esc. I-10 Bridge
Esc. I-10 Bridge
Esc. I-10 Bridge
Esc. I-10 Bridge
Esc. I-10 Bridge
Esc. I-10 Bridge
Esc. I-10 Bridge
Esc. I-10 Bridge
Esc. I-10 Bridge
Esc. I-10 Bridge
Esc. I-10 Bridge
Esc. I-10 Bridge
Esc. I-10 Bridge
SPECIES
Archosargus probatocephalus
Archosargus probatocephalus
Archosargus probatocephalus
Archosargus probatocephalus
Archosargus probatocephalus
Archosargus probatocephalus
Archosargus probatocephalus
Archosargus probatocephalus
Cynoscion arenarius
Cynoscion arenarius
Cynoscion arenarius
Cynoscion arenarius
Cynoscion nebulosus
Cynoscion nebulosus
Micropogonias undulatus
Micropogonias undulatus
Micropogonias undulatus
Mugil cephalus
Mugil cephalus
Mugil cephalus
Mugil cephalus
Common Name LENGTH mm WEIGHT g
Sheepshead
245
280
Sheepshead
255
340
Sheepshead
310
610
Sheepshead
312
550
Sheepshead
345
700
Sheepshead
420
1350
Sheepshead
440
1580
Sheepshead
455
1770
White Trout
296
238
White Trout
335
330
White Trout
350
440
White Trout
360
460
Spotted Sea Trout
354
350
Spotted Sea Trout
455
820
Croaker
202
100
Croaker
223
130
Croaker
265
245
Mullet
408
750
Mullet
424
750
Mullet
450
930
Mullet
470
1010
Total PCBs
ug/kg
41
54
173
88
84
74
192
165
336
192
71
105
27
26
303
174
274
678
1010
284
1580
Sheepshead
Archosargus probatocephalus
Archosargus probatocephalus
Archosargus probatocephalus
200
0.4
0.35
Total Mercury mg/Kg
Total PCBs g/Kg
150
100
50
0.3
0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
200
250
300
350
400
450
Mean Length (mm)
500
550
0
200
250
300
350
400
450
Mean Length (mm)
500
550
mono
di
tri
tetra
penta
hexa
hepta
octa
nona
mono
di
tri
tetra
penta
hexa
hepta
octa
nona
Mugil cephalus
Mugil cephalus
Mugil cephalus
Mugil cephalus
Micropogenias undulatus
Micropogenias undulatus
Micropogenias undulatus
Cynoscion nebulosus
Cynoscion nebulosus
Cynoscion arenarius
Cynoscion arenarius
Cynoscion arenarius
Cynoscion arenarius
Archosargus probatocephalus
Archosargus probatocephalus
Archosargus probatocephalus
Archosargus probatocephalus
Archosargus probatocephalus
Archosargus probatocephalus
Archosargus probatocephalus
Archosargus probatocephalus
1260
1254
1248
1242
Mugil cephalus
Mugil cephalus
Mugil cephalus
Mugil cephalus
Micropterus salmoides
Micropterus salmoides
Micropterus salmoides
Ictalurus punctatus
Micropterus salmoides
Micropterus salmoides
Micropterus salmoides
Sciaenops ocellatus
Mugil cephalus
Mugil cephalus
Mugil cephalus
Mugil cephalus
Mugil cephalus
Mullet Fillet only
Mullet Fillet w/Skin
Cynoscion arenarius
Cynoscion arenarius
Sciaenops ocellatus
Cynoscion nebulosus
Mugil cephalus
Mugil cephalus
Mugil cephalus
Paralichthys sp.
Cynoscion nebulosus
Mugil cephalus
Mugil cephalus
Mugil cephalus
1260
1254
1248
1242
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
Proportion of Total PCB
1
Before Ivan and I-10 Construction
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
Proportion of Total PCB
After Ivan and I-10 Construction
1
1
Scomb er om or us ca valla
Scomb er om or us ma cula tus
2.5
To tal Mercu ry m g/Kg
To tal Mercu ry m g/Kg
0.8
2
1.5
1
0.4
0.2
0.5
0
600
0.6
800
1000
1200
1400
Me an Leng th (m m )
1600
0
500
520
540
560
580
600
Me an Leng th (m m )
620
640
350
50
Scomb er om or us ca valla
Scomb er om or us ma cula tus
300
250
To tal PCBs g/Kg
To tal PCBs g/Kg
40
200
150
100
30
20
10
50
0
600
800
1000
1200
1400
Me an Leng th (m m )
1600
0
500
520
540
560
580
600
Me an Leng th (m m )
620
640
25
Total PCBs g/kg
Total PCBs g/kg
25
20
15
10
5
0
300
400
500
600
Length (mm)
700
800
20
15
10
5
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
Length (mm)
700
800
Sample ID
mono
di
tri
tetra
penta
hexa
hepta
octa
RoundSc ad-1
Li zardfi sh-2
Li zardfi sh-1
Amberjac k-1
Amberjac k-2
KingMack -1
Redfis h-1
VerSnapper-3
VerSnapper-4
VerSnapper-1
VerSnapper-2
RedPorgy-1
RedPorgy-3
RedPorgy-2
Sc amp-3
Sc amp-1
Sc amp-2
Gag-4
Gag-1
Gag-2
Gag-3
Atl Croaker-1
GraySnapper-1
GraySnapper-2
RedSnapper-11
RedSnapper-12
RedSnapper-17
RedSnapper-16
RedSnapper-1
RedSnapper-5
RedSnapper-2
RedSnapper-10
RedSnapper-3
RedSnapper-15
RedSnapper-9
RedSnapper-7
RedSnapper-6
RedSnapper-4
RedSnapper-14
RedSnapper-13
RedSnapper-8
Squid-1
Squid-2
Spot-1
Pinfis h-1
Tomtate-2
Tomtate-1
RedGrouper-2
RedGrouper-1
RedGrouper-3
SandDoll ar-1
Sandperch-1
SandSeatrout-1
Bank SeaBass -2
Bank SeaBass -1
WhBPorgy-1
GrayTrig-5
GrayTrig-2
GrayTrig-3
GrayTrig-4
GrayTrig-1
Sc all op-1
1260
1254
Aroc hlors 1248
1242
1232
nona
total deca
mono
di
tri
tetra
penta
hexa
hepta
octa
nona
Mugil cephalus
Mugil cephalus
Mugil cephalus
Mugil cephalus
Micropterus salmoides
Micropterus salmoides
Micropterus salmoides
Ictalurus punctatus
Micropterus salmoides
Micropterus salmoides
Micropterus salmoides
Sciaenops ocellatus
Mugil cephalus
Mugil cephalus
Mugil cephalus
Mugil cephalus
Mugil cephalus
Mullet Fillet only
Mullet Fillet w/Skin
Cynoscion arenarius
Cynoscion arenarius
Sciaenops ocellatus
Cynoscion nebulosus
Mugil cephalus
Mugil cephalus
Mugil cephalus
Paralichthys sp.
Cynoscion nebulosus
Mugil cephalus
Mugil cephalus
Mugil cephalus
1260
1254
1248
1242
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
Proportion of Total PCB
Estuarine
Offshore
1
The PERCH Fish Atlas
Combined Studies
EPA
CDC
Navy
46 species
http://uwf.edu/cedb
Fish Atlas
http://uwf.edu/cedb
Fish Atlas
http://uwf.edu/cedb
Fish Atlas
http://uwf.edu/cedb
Should you eat the fish?
YES!