Why Monitor for Mercury? Why Monitor for Mercury? An Overview of - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Why Monitor for Mercury? Why Monitor for Mercury? An Overview of Bioaccumulation, An Overview of Bioaccumulation, Concentrations, Fish Advisories Concentrations, Fish Advisories and Criteria in NJ and Criteria in NJ

Gary A. Buchanan, Ph.D. Gary A. Buchanan, Ph.D. NJDEP NJDEP Division of Science, Research & Division of Science, Research & Technology Technology

Mercury - PBT Mercury - PBT

• Persistent

Persistent

• Bioaccumulative

Bioaccumulative

• Toxic

Toxic

• Inorganic Hg

Inorganic Hg ⇒

⇒ Methylmercury

Methylmercury

• Food Chain Biomagnification

Food Chain Biomagnification

Bioaccumulation Bioaccumulation

• Accumulation from food, water

Accumulation from food, water

• Bioaccumulation Factors (

Bioaccumulation Factors (BAFs BAFs): ): – – Total Hg Total Hg (EPA, 1995)

(EPA, 1995)

• TL 3 - 27,900 L/Kg

TL 3 - 27,900 L/Kg

• TL 4 - 140,000

TL 4 - 140,000

L/Kg

L/Kg

– – Methyl Hg Methyl Hg (EPA, 1997)

(EPA, 1997)

• TL 3 - 1.6 x 10

TL 3 - 1.6 x 10 6

6 L/Kg

L/Kg

• TL 4 - 6.8 x 10

TL 4 - 6.8 x 10 6

6 L/Kg

L/Kg

Biomagnification Biomagnification

(Illustrative Example) (Illustrative Example)

Trophic Level Concentration of Mercury Water 1 ng/L = 1 ppt Bacteria and phytoplankton 10 pg/g of water Protozoan/zooplankton 100 pg/g Insect larvae 1 ng/g = 1 ppb Fish fry 10 ng/g Minnows 100 ng/g Medium-sized fish 1 µg/g = 1 ppm Large predators (fish, birds, humans) 10 µg/g

Acute Toxicity Acute Toxicity (EPA)

(EPA)

S Sp pe ec ci ie es s T To

• t

ta al l H Hg g L LC C5

50 0s s (

(µ µg g/ / L L) ) M Me et th hy yl l H Hg g L LC C5

50 0s s (

(µ

µg g/ / L L) ) F Fr re es sh hw wa at te er r O Or rg ga an ni is sm ms s 2 2. .2 2 t to

• 2

2, ,0 00 00 1 1. .2 2 t to

• 3

35 50 R Ra ai in nb bo

• w

w T Tr ro

• u

ut t 1 15 55 5 2 24 4 S Sa al lt tw wa at te er r O Or rg ga an ni is sm ms s

3 3. .5 5 t to

• 1

1, ,7 70 00

5 5 t to

• 2

2, ,4 49 90 S St tr ri ip pe ed d B Ba as ss s 9 90

• K

Ki il ll li if fi is sh h

• 5

5. .3 3 (

(1 10 d d) )

Chronic Toxicity Chronic Toxicity (EPA)

(EPA)

S Sp pe ec ci ie es s T To

• t

ta al l H Hg g E EC C5

50 0s s (

(µ µg g/ / L L) ) M Me et th hy yl l H Hg g E EC C5

50 0s s (

(µ

µg g/ / L L) ) R Ra ai in nb bo

• w

w T Tr ro

• u

ut t

( (6 64 4 d d) )

• 0.

.0 04 4

( (g gr ro

• w

wt th h) )

C Ch hi ir ro

• n

no

• m

mu us s

( (4 48 8 h hr r) )

2 29 9

• C

Co

• p

pe ep po

• d

d

• 0.

.1 1

• 1

1 S Se ea a U Ur rc ch hi in n

( (4 48 8 h hr r) )

7 7. .8 8

Effects based on Body Burden Effects based on Body Burden

( (Jarvinen Jarvinen & & Ankley Ankley, 1999) , 1999)

• Brook Trout: 5 - 7 µg/g

Brook Trout: 5 - 7 µg/g

– – Mortality, Mortality, ⇓

⇓ growth

growth, deformities , deformities

• Walleye:

Walleye: 1.7 - 3.1 µg/g 1.7 - 3.1 µg/g

– – Reduced weight, length and GSI Reduced weight, length and GSI

• Fathead Minnow:

Fathead Minnow:

– – 1.3 µg/g = Reduced wt and length 1.3 µg/g = Reduced wt and length – – 4.5 µg/g = No spawning 4.5 µg/g = No spawning

Wildlife Wildlife

• Top of the Food Chain - greatest

Top of the Food Chain - greatest exposure = Piscivorous avian and exposure = Piscivorous avian and mammalian species mammalian species

• Neurotoxicity

Neurotoxicity

• Teratogen

Teratogen, , mutagen mutagen

• Embryocidal

Embryocidal, , Cytochemical Cytochemical & & Histopathological effects Histopathological effects (

(Eisler Eisler, 1987) , 1987)

Human Effects Human Effects

• Exposure primarily through fish

Exposure primarily through fish consumption consumption

• Unborn and Young Children

Unborn and Young Children

– – Central Nervous System Central Nervous System

• Learning & Developmental Delays

Learning & Developmental Delays

• Older Children and Adults

Older Children and Adults – – Subtle neurological effects Subtle neurological effects – – Neurological damage Neurological damage

Mercury in NJ Waters Mercury in NJ Waters

• Ambient Stream Monitoring Network:

Ambient Stream Monitoring Network:

– – Mostly Mostly NDs NDs in the 1990’s in the 1990’s – – Detection limits were above Aquatic WQC Detection limits were above Aquatic WQC

• Clean Techniques

Clean Techniques

• Method 1631

Method 1631

0.1 1 10 100 1000 10000

Mercury (ng/L)

Current Acute Proposed Acute Current Chronic Proposed Chronic Current Human Health Proposed Human Health Wildlife Value 245.1 DL 245.1 QL 1631 DL 1631 QL

Freshwater WQC and Analytical Limits

Current and Proposed NJ Mercury Surface Water Quality Criteria

Mercury Criterion Fresh Water: Current (µg/L) Fresh Water: Proposed (µg/L) Saltwater: Current (µg/L) Saltwater: Proposed (µg/L) Acute Aquatic Life 2.1 1.4 1.8 1.8 Chronic Aquatic Life 0.012 0.770 0.025 0.940 Human Health 0.144 0.050 0.146 0.051

Mercury Mercury in Surface Water - NJ Lake

in Surface Water - NJ Lake

Date Location Total

• Diss. Hg

(ng/L) Dissolved Methyl Hg (ng/L) Impacted 1.59 0.062 Reference 1.32 0.066 April Brook 56.6 0.104 Impacted 10.3 0.280 Reference 1.3 0.030 August Brook 103 0.307

0.01 0.10 1.00 10.00 100.00 1000.00

Mercury (ng/L)

Mercury (Total) Mercury (Dissol.) Methyl-Hg (Total) Methyl-Hg (Dissol.)

Average Mercury in NJ's Tidal Waters

POTW (ng/L) CSO (ng/L) SWO (ng/L) Passaic River Hackensack River Raritan River

Surface Water Surface Water Wildlife Criterion Wildlife Criterion

• Developed by NJDEP, USFWS, EPA

Developed by NJDEP, USFWS, EPA

• Used Great Lakes Water Quality Initiative

Used Great Lakes Water Quality Initiative

• Concern for Piscivorous Wildlife: Bald

Concern for Piscivorous Wildlife: Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Osprey Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Osprey

• Accounts for PBT characteristics

Accounts for PBT characteristics

• Test Dose = 0.078 mg/kg - day

Test Dose = 0.078 mg/kg - day

Wildlife Criterion Wildlife Criterion

• Total mercury criterion for the

Total mercury criterion for the protection of wildlife = 0.00053 µg/L protection of wildlife = 0.00053 µg/L

• 0.53

0.53 ng ng/L /L

• 530 pg/L

530 pg/L

NJ Fish Consumption NJ Fish Consumption Advisories Advisories

• First NJ Hg Advisories - 1994

First NJ Hg Advisories - 1994

– – Largemouth Bass and Chain Pickerel Largemouth Bass and Chain Pickerel – – Statewide and Pinelands Advisories Statewide and Pinelands Advisories – – 28 Water Body-Specific Advisories 28 Water Body-Specific Advisories

Background ( Background (cont cont.) .)

• Nationwide (EPA, 2004):

Nationwide (EPA, 2004):

– – 45 States have Hg Advisories (2,436) 45 States have Hg Advisories (2,436) – – 39 have PCB Advisories (873) 39 have PCB Advisories (873) – – 21 States have Statewide Hg Advisories for 21 States have Statewide Hg Advisories for freshwaters freshwaters – – 12 with Coastal Hg Advisories 12 with Coastal Hg Advisories

Average Hg Concentrations in Average Hg Concentrations in Freshwater Fish in NJ Freshwater Fish in NJ

• Statewide:

Statewide:

– – 0.36 µg/g (26 Species; range ND - 8.9) 0.36 µg/g (26 Species; range ND - 8.9) – – 0.35 µg/g (14 freshwater species; n> 20) 0.35 µg/g (14 freshwater species; n> 20)

• Pinelands: 0.80 µg/g (5 species)

Pinelands: 0.80 µg/g (5 species)

– – Range 0.05- Range 0.05-8.9

8.9 µg/g

µg/g

• Non-Pinelands: 0.23 µg/g (5 species)

Non-Pinelands: 0.23 µg/g (5 species)

– – Range 0.01- Range 0.01-3.9

3.9 µg/g

µg/g

• Nationwide: All Fish: 0.26 µg/g

Nationwide: All Fish: 0.26 µg/g

Average Mercury in Fish from Pinelands and Non-Pinelands Waters

0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 Largemouth Bass Chain Pickerel Yellow Bullhead Brown Bullhead "Sunfish" M e rc u ry (u g /g ) Pinelands Water Bodies Non-Pinelands Water Bodies National Average

Statewide Average Mercury Concentrations in NJ Fish

0.00 0.10 0.20 0.30 0.40 0.50 0.60 0.70 0.80 0.90

C h a i n p i c k e r e l L a r g e m

• u

t h b a s s Y e l l

• w

P e r c h Y e l l

• w

b u l l h e a d B l u e f i s h S t r i p e d B a s s W h i t e P e r c h S m a l l m

• u

t h b a s s " S u n f i s h " A m e r i c a n e e l C h a n n e l c a t f i s h W h i t e C a t f i s h B l a c k C r a p p i e B r

• w

n b u l l h e a d B l u e g i l l C a r p Species

Hg (ug/g)

Geometric Mean (ppm) Mean (ppm) 95% UCL (ppm)

One Meal Per Week Do Not Eat (High-Risk Ind.)

Statewide Mercury Advisory for Statewide Mercury Advisory for Freshwater Recreational Fish Freshwater Recreational Fish

• General Population

General Population

– – Eat No More Than One Meal Per Week

Eat No More Than One Meal Per Week

• High-risk I ndividual

High-risk I ndividual

– – Eat No More Than One Meal Per Month

Eat No More Than One Meal Per Month

Conclusions: Conclusions: Mercury Monitoring is Needed! Mercury Monitoring is Needed!

• Bioaccumulates

Bioaccumulates

• Food Chain Biomagnification

Food Chain Biomagnification

• Concerns with Impacts on Fish and

Concerns with Impacts on Fish and Wildlife Wildlife

• Concerns with Human Health

Concerns with Human Health

• Fish Advisories

Fish Advisories

• Control Efforts Reducing Hg?

Control Efforts Reducing Hg?

Additional Information Additional Information

• New Jersey Fish Consumption Advisories:

New Jersey Fish Consumption Advisories:

– – www.FishSmartEatSmartNJ.org www.FishSmartEatSmartNJ.org

• NJ Mercury Task Force Report:

NJ Mercury Task Force Report:

– – www.state.nj.us/dep/dsr/mercury_task_force. www.state.nj.us/dep/dsr/mercury_task_force.htm htm

Acknowledgements Acknowledgements

• NJDEP/DSRT

NJDEP/DSRT

– – B. Ruppel, A. Stern, J.

• B. Ruppel, A. Stern, J. Pecchioli

Pecchioli, T. , T. Belton Belton

• Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia -

Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia -

– – R.

• R. Horwitz

Horwitz, J. Ashley, D. , J. Ashley, D. Velinsky Velinsky, P. , P. Overbeck Overbeck and and P.

• P. Kiry

Kiry

• NJDEP Division of Fish & Wildlife

NJDEP Division of Fish & Wildlife

• NJ Toxics in Biota Committee

NJ Toxics in Biota Committee – – NJDEP NJDEP – – NJ Department of Health & Senior Services NJ Department of Health & Senior Services – – NJ Department of Agriculture NJ Department of Agriculture