1. Home
  2. Items
  3. Pilot sampling for heavy metals in fish flesh from Killarney...
PDF

Pilot sampling for heavy metals in fish flesh from Killarney Lake, Coeur d'Alene River System, Idaho. Technical bulletin 90-6 Item Info

Mining and smelting activities on the South Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River in northern Idaho since 1885 have contributed massive amounts of metals-rich tailings to the river. Recent environmental studies have generally demonstrated an improved condition in the Coeur d'Alene River, lateral lakes, and downstream Lake Coeur d' Alene since the early monitoring. We sampled largemouth bass (Hicropterus salmoides), northern pike (Esox lucius), black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus), brown bullhead (Ictalurus nebulosus), and yellow perch (Perea flavescens) from Killarney Lake, a lateral lake on the Coeur d' Alene River in northern Idaho and analyzed edible flesh for concentrations of zinc, lead, mercury, cadmium, copper, and arsenic. Mean concentrations (n=lO) of zinc were highest in yellow perch (4.79 mg/kg -wet weight) and lowest in brown bullheads (2.95 mg/kg), considerably lower than the 45 mg/kg action level from the literature. Mean concentrations (n=10) of copper ranged from 0.265 mg/kg in black crappie to 0.31 mg/kg in yellow perch, northern pike and largemouth bass, also well below the recommended action level of 20 mg/kg. Mean concentrations (nlO) of lead ranged from 0.014 mgjkg in largemouth bass to 0.183 mg/kg in brown bullheads, compared to the 3.50 mg/kg action level. Mean concentrations (n10) of cadmium ranged from 0.018 to 0.04 mg/kg, highest in brown bullheads and lowest in northern pike. Action levels listed in the literature for cadmium were 0.07 mg/kg. Mean mercury concentrations ranged from 0.034 mg/kg in brown bullheads to 0.093 mg/kg in yellow perch, also less than the 1 mg/kg action level. Concentrations of arsenic were generally below detection limits (<0.04 mg/kg) for all species but varied considerably between two laboratories which conducted analysis on replicate tissue samples. Comparisons of all species of fishes with the metals tested resulted in significant increases in body content as a function of size in largemouth bass for copper and mercury in yellow perch and zinc in black crappie. Comparisons of fish flesh content with allowable human intakes resulted in estimation of a maximum allowable consumption of 3.1 kg/week of fish from Killarney lake. Tolerance limits calculated for the various flesh concentrations of metals indicated that we were 99% confident that 99% of the populations were at or below action levels for the species sampled for zinc, copper, and lead. Tolerance limits for cadmium in yellow perch and brown bullheads exceeded the recommended action limits, while those in northern pike and black crappie were at the action level. Based on our sample results from 10 fish, additional sampling is needed to adequately describe the distribution of lead in brown bullheads (N 50) and yellow perch (N 26) from Killarney lake. Differences in detection limits of heavy metals, differences in concentrations from the same fillet from two laboratories, and between-site variation all suggest a cautious approach to the interpretation of heavy metal analysis data from surface waters.

View on Timeline View on Map Download PDF
Title:
Pilot sampling for heavy metals in fish flesh from Killarney Lake, Coeur d'Alene River System, Idaho. Technical bulletin 90-6
Authors:
Bennett, David H.; Falter, C. Michael; Sawle, Wayne D.
Date Created (ISO Standard):
1990-09
Description:
Mining and smelting activities on the South Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River in northern Idaho since 1885 have contributed massive amounts of metals-rich tailings to the river. Recent environmental studies have generally demonstrated an improved condition in the Coeur d'Alene River, lateral lakes, and downstream Lake Coeur d' Alene since the early monitoring. We sampled largemouth bass (Hicropterus salmoides), northern pike (Esox lucius), black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus), brown bullhead (Ictalurus nebulosus), and yellow perch (Perea flavescens) from Killarney Lake, a lateral lake on the Coeur d' Alene River in northern Idaho and analyzed edible flesh for concentrations of zinc, lead, mercury, cadmium, copper, and arsenic. Mean concentrations (n=lO) of zinc were highest in yellow perch (4.79 mg/kg -wet weight) and lowest in brown bullheads (2.95 mg/kg), considerably lower than the 45 mg/kg action level from the literature. Mean concentrations (n=10) of copper ranged from 0.265 mg/kg in black crappie to 0.31 mg/kg in yellow perch, northern pike and largemouth bass, also well below the recommended action level of 20 mg/kg. Mean concentrations (nlO) of lead ranged from 0.014 mgjkg in largemouth bass to 0.183 mg/kg in brown bullheads, compared to the 3.50 mg/kg action level. Mean concentrations (n10) of cadmium ranged from 0.018 to 0.04 mg/kg, highest in brown bullheads and lowest in northern pike. Action levels listed in the literature for cadmium were 0.07 mg/kg. Mean mercury concentrations ranged from 0.034 mg/kg in brown bullheads to 0.093 mg/kg in yellow perch, also less than the 1 mg/kg action level. Concentrations of arsenic were generally below detection limits (<0.04 mg/kg) for all species but varied considerably between two laboratories which conducted analysis on replicate tissue samples. Comparisons of all species of fishes with the metals tested resulted in significant increases in body content as a function of size in largemouth bass for copper and mercury in yellow perch and zinc in black crappie. Comparisons of fish flesh content with allowable human intakes resulted in estimation of a maximum allowable consumption of 3.1 kg/week of fish from Killarney lake. Tolerance limits calculated for the various flesh concentrations of metals indicated that we were 99% confident that 99% of the populations were at or below action levels for the species sampled for zinc, copper, and lead. Tolerance limits for cadmium in yellow perch and brown bullheads exceeded the recommended action limits, while those in northern pike and black crappie were at the action level. Based on our sample results from 10 fish, additional sampling is needed to adequately describe the distribution of lead in brown bullheads (N 50) and yellow perch (N 26) from Killarney lake. Differences in detection limits of heavy metals, differences in concentrations from the same fillet from two laboratories, and between-site variation all suggest a cautious approach to the interpretation of heavy metal analysis data from surface waters.
Subjects:
heavy metals fish contamination
Location:
Coeur d'Alene Basin; Killarney Lake
Latitude:
47.52
Longitude:
-116.56
Collection:
Coeur d'Alene Basin
Rights:
Rights to the digital resource are held by the University of Idaho. http://www.uidaho.edu/
Publisher:
Bureau of Land Management; University of Idaho
Contributing Institution:
University of Idaho
Type:
Text
Format:
application/pdf
Cataloger:
wbv
Date Digitized:
2012

Contact us about this record

Source
Preferred Citation:
"Pilot sampling for heavy metals in fish flesh from Killarney Lake, Coeur d'Alene River System, Idaho. Technical bulletin 90-6", Idaho Waters Digital Library, University of Idaho Library Digital Collections, https://www.lib.uidaho.edu/digital/iwdl/items/iwdl-cda_bennett_1990.html
Rights
Rights:
Rights to the digital resource are held by the University of Idaho. http://www.uidaho.edu/
« Previous Back to Browse Next »