Little Spokane River- PCB in Fish Tissue Verification Study Michael - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Little Spokane River- PCB in Fish Tissue Verification Study

Michael Friese Toxics Studies Unit Washington Department of Ecology

Project Objectives

Assess current levels of PCBs in the Little Spokane River. Last sampling conducted in 1997 produced category 5 303(d) listings. Sampling

• Collected fish (as composites) upstream and downstream of the Spokane fish

hatchery and analyze for PCB congeners.

• Collected sediment samples from spatially representative locations and

analyze for PCB congeners.

• Collected water with Continuous Low-Level Aquatic Monitoring (CLAM)

devices at two stream locations during high and low flow and analyze for PCB congeners.

7 Sediment Sites:

• Eloika
• Deer/Milan
• Colbert
• Little Deep
• Deadman
• Hatchery
• Painted Rocks

2 Water Sampling Sites:

• Deer/Milan- upstream

“reference” site

• Painted Rocks- downstream
• f tributaries and major

groundwater influences 3 Fish Collection Sites:

• Deer/Milan- upstream
• Colbert- midstream
• Hatchery- downstream

t-PCB in Little Spokane River Fish Species Concentration (ug/kg) Sample Type Year Collected Number in Composite Data Source Mountain whitefish 145 Fillet 1994 8 Ecology, 1995 Mountain whitefish 235 Fillet 1994 8 Ecology, 1995 Mountain whitefish 285 Fillet 1994 8 Ecology, 1995 Cutthroat trout 188 Fillet 1994 1 Ecology, 1995 Largescale Sucker 440 Whole Fish 1994 5 Ecology, 1995 Mountain whitefish 164 Fillet 1996 8 Johnson, 1997 Mountain whitefish 130 Fillet 1996 8 Johnson, 1997 Mountain whitefish 53 Fillet 1996 8 Johnson, 1997 Largescale Sucker 336 Whole Fish 1996 5 Johnson, 1997 Rainbow Trout 4 Fillet 2014 3 Present Study Rainbow Trout 11 Fillet 2014 3 Present Study Northern Pikeminnow 62 Fillet 2014 3 Present Study Mountain Whitefish 33 Fillet 2014 1 Present Study Rainbow Trout 12 Fillet 2014 1 Present Study FTEC 5.3 Fillet n/a ≥ 3 National Toxics Rule

10 20 30 40 50 60 70

ug/kg

Total PCB in Little Spokane River Fish

302 mm 300 mm

Fish Tissue Equivalent Concentration (FTEC) 5.3 ug/kg

377 mm 319 mm 247 mm

Colbert Rainbow Trout Deer/MilanRainbow Trout Downstream of Hatchery Northern Pikeminnow Downstream of Hatchery Mountain Whitefish Downstream of Hatchery Rainbow Trout

Fish Sampled from 3 Locations: 1) Deer/Milan- upstream site, reference location 2) Colbert- Mid-river 3) Hatchery- downstream site, just below Spokane Fish Hatchery

0.1 1.0 10.0 100.0 1,000.0 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% t-PCB (ug/kg) Percentile

Distribution of Little Spokane River Fish t-PCB Results Within Statewide t-PCB Results

2001-2013 Statewide FFCMP 2014 Little Spokane River

Washington FTEC (5.3 ug/kg)

Water sam ampl ples colle

• llected

d wi with th CLAM CLAM samp ample lers

National Toxics Rule Human Health Criteria (as FTEC) = 170 pg/L

(sample volumes above histogram bars)

25 50 75 100 Painted Rocks Fall Blank Painted Rocks Fall Sample Deer Park/Milan Fall Blank Deer Park/Milan Fall Sample Painted Rocks Spring Blank Painted Rocks Spring Sample Painted Rocks Spring Rep Blank Painted Rocks Spring Rep Sample Deer Park/Milan Spring Blank Deer Park/Milan Spring Sample

picograms/Liter CLAM Water Samples and Blanks (pg/L)

55.2 L 48.8 L 19.4 L 28.0 L 35.7 L

Take home message- PCB concentrations were not high enough to separate from the background noise. PCB levels in Little Spokane River water were too low to reliably quantify.

1 2 3 4 Painted Rocks Hatchery Deadman Crk Little Deep Crk Colbert Deek Pk/Milan Eloika

Total PCB (ug/kg)

Total PCB in Little Spokane River Sediments (ug/Kg) Sediment Cleanup Objective = 110 ug/kg (WAC 173-204)

Conclusions:

• 3 of 4 fish composite samples exceeded Human Health Criteria (as

FTEC) from the National Toxics Rule.

• Despite blank issues and system noise, CLAM collected water samples

indicate low concentrations of PCB in water.

• Sediment results show a pattern of PCB concentrations increasing

downstream, concentrations range from 0.5 to 3.9 ug/kg.

• PCB concentrations in most fish tissue are at or just above

background levels, Northern Pikeminnow are elevated above Washington background levels which were established during an Ecology study that assessed PCB concentrations in waterbodies that exhibited relatively low direct impact from human activities.