Mercury in the Puget Sound food web: factors influencing body burdens in multiple species.

Mercury is a contaminant of concern in aquatic organisms world-wide. These biota are exposed to mercury from both natural emissions and human-caused sources. The Washington Department of Ecology has implemented a Chemical Action Plan (CAP) campaign to virtually eliminate the human-caused sources of mercury in Washington. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program (PSEMP) - Toxics in Biota team has assessed the geographic extent and magnitude of mercury and other chemical contaminants in 18 fish and macroinvertebrates species across Puget Sound since 1989. In this report we compare total mercury concentrations in over 2000 samples from multiple fish and macroinvertebrate species to evaluate where in the food web mercury may be elevated, and which life history characteristics are associated with elevated body burdens. Characteristics we tested included age, trophic level, tissue lipid content, gender and proximity to known mercury sources (i.e., urbanized locations or elevated sediment mercury concentration). The highest mercury concentrations (greater than 0.50 mg/kg, wet wt.) occurred in sixgill sharks (Hexanchus griseus) an apex predator, and long-lived rockfishes (Sebastes spp.), especially in urban locations. Mean mercury concentrations were less than 0.17 mg/kg, wet wt. for all other species, but also varied with age and proximity to contaminant source. For example, most of the variability in muscle mercury concentrations of English sole (Parophrys vetulus) was explained by age and sediment mercury concentration. We also compared the concentration of mono-methyl mercury to total mercury for a subset of 220 samples, representing a range of species and tissues. Overall the majority of mercury (\u3e90%) was methylated, though there were notable exceptions. These data provide a solid basis for understanding the factors influencing mercury accumulation in the Puget Sound food web and serve as baseline data to evaluate the effectiveness of the Washington’s mercury CAP

Monitoring stormwater contaminants in the Puget Sound nearshore: an active biomonitoring tool using transplanted mussels (Mytilus trossulus)

Stormwater delivers a diverse range of contaminants to receiving waters including Puget Sound. Monitoring stormwater pollutants and their effects on biota is critical to informing best management practices aimed at recovering Puget Sound health. In the winter of 2012/13, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Toxics-focused Biological Observation System (TBiOS) team conducted a pilot study using transplanted mussels to characterize the extent and magnitude of contamination in nearshore biota of Puget Sound. Mussels are now a key TBiOS indicator organism for tracking contaminants in the nearshore, and the Stormwater Action Monitoring (SAM) program has adopted mussels for nearshore stormwater monitoring as well. SAM now serves as the primary funder of nearshore mussel monitoring in Puget Sound and the first two SAM mussel monitoring surveys were conducted during the winters of 2015/16 and 2017/18, with future surveys planned on a biennial basis. These mussel surveys utilized native bay mussels (Mytilus trossulus) from a local aquaculture source that were transplanted into anti-predator cages to locations along the Puget Sound shoreline. Monitoring sites covered a broad range of upland land-use types, from rural to highly urban, and concentrations of organic contaminants and metals were measured in the mussels after a two to three-month winter deployment period. Data from the first two years of mussel surveys (2012/13, 2015/16) indicates polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were the most abundant organic contaminants of those tested in the nearshore. Concentrations of both contaminants were significantly higher in the most urbanized areas and were positively correlated with impervious surface in upland watersheds adjacent to the nearshore. Patterns of PAHs (i.e. PAH fingerprints) in mussels from different locations demonstrate how mussels might be useful as indicators of sources for this particular class of stormwater contaminants in Puget Sound

Organics Verification Study for Sinclair and Dyes Inlets, Washington

Sinclair and Dyes Inlets near Bremerton, Washington, are on the State of Washington 1998 303(d) list of impaired waters because of fecal coliform contamination in marine water, metals in sediment and fish tissue, and organics in sediment and fish tissue. Because significant cleanup and source control activities have been conducted in the inlets since the data supporting the 1998 303(d) listings were collected, two verification studies were performed to address the 303(d) segments that were listed for metal and organic contaminants in marine sediment. The Metals Verification Study (MVS) was conducted in 2003; the final report, Metals Verification Study for Sinclair and Dyes Inlets, Washington, was published in March 2004 (Kohn et al. 2004). This report describes the Organics Verification Study that was conducted in 2005. The study approach was similar to the MVS in that many surface sediment samples were screened for the major classes of organic contaminants, and then the screening results and other available data were used to select a subset of samples for quantitative chemical analysis. Because the MVS was designed to obtain representative data on concentrations of contaminants in surface sediment throughout Sinclair Inlet, Dyes Inlet, Port Orchard Passage, and Rich Passage, aliquots of the 160 MVS sediment samples were used in the analysis for the Organics Verification Study. However, unlike metals screening methods, organics screening methods are not specific to individual organic compounds, and are not available for some target organics. Therefore, only the quantitative analytical results were used in the organics verification evaluation. The results of the Organics Verification Study showed that sediment quality outside of Sinclair Inlet is unlikely to be impaired because of organic contaminants. Similar to the results for metals, in Sinclair Inlet, the distribution of residual organic contaminants is generally limited to nearshore areas already within the actively managed Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility Superfund Site, where further source-control actions and monitoring are under way

Assessing the threat of toxic contaminants to early marine survival of Chinook salmon in the Salish Sea

Human development of the Salish Sea has resulted in loss and modification of salmonid habitats, including reduced habitat quality due to contaminant inputs, particularly in the lower reaches of rivers and estuaries of the central Puget Sound. Chemical contaminants released into the Salish Sea from anthropogenic sources can reduce the health and productivity of salmon. Juvenile salmon are exposed to contaminants in freshwater, estuarine, and marine habitats but they are particularly vulnernable as they transition from fresh to saltwater because this life history stage is especially sensitive to stressors that may reduce their early marine survival. Reduced growth and disease resistance have been demonstrated for juvenile Chinook salmon exposed to environmentally relevant contaminant levels; however, synoptic, Puget Sound-wide surveys to assess the extent and magnitude of contaminant exposure are lacking. In this study we measured exposure of juvenile Chinook salmon to chemicals of concern that enter Puget Sound via stormwater, wastewater treatment facilities, atmospheric deposition to marine waters, and groundwater. During the spring and summer of 2013, outmigrating fish were sampled from the river mouthes and two adjacent marine shorelines at each of five Puget Sound river-estuary systems: Skagit, Snohomish, Green/Duwamish, Puyallup/Hylebos, and Nisqually. We (1) report the extent and magnitude of exposure, (2) compare exposure in outmigrants across five major river-estuary systems, and (3) evaluate potential effects on marine survival. Results will be used to establish a time series of contaminant conditions in juvenile Chinook salmon to measure the effectiveness of current toxics reductions strategies and actions, inform future pollution reduction efforts, and enhanced recovery of Chinook salmon

Effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) embryos exposed to creosote-treated pilings related to a piling removal project in Quilcene Bay, Washington

Fish embryos spawned in Puget Sound nearshore marine habitats face a risk of exposure to a wide variety of toxic chemical pollutants during their incubation. Of particular concern are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), chemicals originating from oil spills, combusted fossil fuels, and creosote-treated pilings (CTPs). Removal of CTPs and prohibiting their use in marine waters are two recovery practices aimed at reducing PAHs and other creosote-related chemicals in marine waters. We used manually spawned and field-deployed Pacific herring embryos as a sensitive indicator of PAH exposure from CTPs, to test the efficacy of a CTP removal project in Quilcene Bay Washington. Embryos were deployed near CTPs in a 100-year-old derelict CTP field (1) before the CTPs were removed, (2) just after the removal process, to evaluate whether PAHs were released during removal, and (3) one year later, to evaluate whether PAHs lingered after CTP removal. Embryos incubated in the undisturbed CTP field prior to CTP removal exhibited PAH body burdens approximately five times higher than at reference areas, though total PAHs in the CTP-field embryos were below health effects thresholds. The CTP removal project was not fully completed during this study; CTP debris remained in the piling field and many CTPs were cut at the seafloor, resulting in freshly exposed CTP surfaces after the removal project ended. PAH concentrations in embryos sampled during and after CTP removal were 25x to 83x higher than reference embryos, and many exceeded health effects thresholds. PAH concentrations in embryos after CTP removal correlated with distance from former CTP locations. In addition, expression of cyp1a, a gene involved in PAH-detoxification, was correlated with PAH body burden. These results link embryo health with toxic contaminants associated with CTPs and illustrate the importance of fastidious adherence to appropriate CTP removal protocols to avoid contaminant risks to biota

Mussel Watch Pilot Expansion: an active biomonitoring effort to assess contaminants in the nearshore ecosystems of the Salish Sea

Toxic substances enter Puget Sound from a variety of pathways. Although chemical contaminants in Puget Sound sediments and some biota are monitored on a regular basis, the condition of contaminants in nearshore biota has long been recognized as a monitoring gap. In 2012-13 the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, with the help of partners and citizen science volunteers, conducted the first synoptic, Sound-wide assessment of toxic contaminants in nearshore biota. In this study we transplanted native mussels (Mytilus trossulus) from an aquaculture source to 108 shoreline locations along the Salish Sea. Monitoring sites were selected to represent a range of upland land-use types, with percent impervious surfaces (IS%) in adjacent upland watershed units used as a proxy for urban development. The mussels were left on-site for two months and were retrieved in January, 2013. Mussel mortality increased with IS% in adjacent watersheds. There was a significant positive relationship between the concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in mussels and IS%, with order of magnitude increases in areas of high urbanization (e.g. Elliott Bay, Commencement Bay). In addition, high levels of PAHs were noted near ferry terminals (e.g. Eagle Harbor, Edmonds, and Anacortes). Other persistent organic contaminants (PCBs, PBDEs, DDTs) also showed significant positive relationships to areas of high IS%. Overall, metal concentrations in mussels were relatively low and did not vary greatly from baseline (starting) values. Four out of six metals tested were weakly correlated with IS%; copper, lead and zinc were elevated in areas with relatively high IS%, but mercury showed the opposite trend. These findings suggest toxic contaminants are entering the nearshore food web of the Salish Sea, especially along shorelines adjacent to highly urbanized areas. We recommend that Washington State develop a long-term, regional, nearshore contaminant monitoring program that uses caged mussels as a sentinel species and engages citizen science volunteers to help with monitoring

A broad-scale assessment of toxic contaminants in Dungeness crabs (Metacarcinus magister) and spot prawns (Pandalus platyceros) from Puget Sound, Washington

Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister) and spot prawn (Pandalus platyceros) are two common, abundant, and ecologically important benthic crustaceans that support valuable recreational, subsistence, and commercial fisheries in Puget Sound. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the geographic extent and magnitude of toxic contaminants in these two species throughout eight Puget Sound basins and three urbanized embayments as sub-locations; Elliott Bay (Seattle), Sinclair Inlet (Bremerton), and Commencement Bay (Tacoma). Data generated from this study were also provided to the Washington Department of Health for their human health risk assessment of these species. Two hundred forty Dungeness crabs were collected at 54 stations, generating 56 crab muscle and 19 crab hepatopancreas composites while 777 spot prawns were collected at 42 stations, generating 43 spot prawn muscle and 16 spot prawn head-tissue composites. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and organochlorine pesticides as well as six metals (mercury, arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead and zinc) were analyzed in the crab and prawn tissues. Generally, the highest concentrations of POPs were observed in urban areas while most metals were found at varying levels in Dungeness crab and spot prawn muscle throughout Puget Sound. Total PCBs in muscle tissue from both species ranged from the limit of quantitation (roughly 0.85 ng/g ww) to 12 ng/g ww in non urban locations and from 14 to 180 ng/g ww in the three urban areas. PBDEs (sum of 11 congeners) and PAHs (sum of 37 analytes) in muscle tissue were low overall with all concentrations less than 6 ng/g ww. With the exception of a few metals, contaminant concentrations in the hepatopancreas of Dungeness crab and head tissue of spot prawn were as much as 36 times higher than the concentrations reported in corresponding muscle samples, suggesting POPs were being concentrated in the primary detoxifying organ in these species. This first time broad-scale Puget Sound wide assessment of these two crustaceans provides vital information into how contaminants are geographically distributed throughout the area and how they accumulate in these two important species of the Puget Sound food web

Active Biomonitoring: Using Transplanted Mussels to Assess Contaminants in the Salish Sea’s Nearshore Habitats

Toxic chemicals enter the Salish Sea from a variety of pathways. Although chemical contaminants in Puget Sound sediments and some organisms are monitored on a regular basis, the geographic distribution and magnitude of contaminants in biota living in nearshore habitats are not well known. In the winter of 2012/13 the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), with the help of other state, county and city agencies, tribes, non-governmental organizations, and citizen science volunteers, conducted the first synoptic, Puget Sound-wide assessment of toxic contaminants in nearshore biota. This presentation will provide an overview of the active biomonitoring technique (i.e. transplanted mussels) used by WDFW in this study, and highlight the value and necessity of using citizen volunteers for such an expansive survey. We will present our field and laboratory methodology and summarize results for a major class of contaminants found in the mussels; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). We will discuss lessons learned from our pilot study, describe current and future mussel and sediment monitoring in the nearshore of the Puget Sound, and showcase the collaborative nature of mussel monitoring in Washington State

Temporal trends of three major classes of toxic contaminants in two indicator fish species from Puget Sound, Washington

In this presentation we update time trends for three classes of persistent environmental contaminants in Puget Sound, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenylether flame retardants (PBDEs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), in two indicator fish species, English sole (Parophrys vetulus) and Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii). English sole are a common and abundant flatfish that reflect sediment contaminant conditions; results for this species are summarized for ten index sites, ranging from highly urban habitats such as Elliott Bay and the Duwamish River, to less contaminated habitats in Hood Canal and northern Puget Sound, and monitored from 1998 through 2013. Pacific herring are a small-bodied, open-water (pelagic) planktivore that reflect contaminant conditions in the pelagic food web. Herring results are summarized for four distinct herring stocks in Southern (Squaxin), Central (Port Orchard/Madison), and Northern (Semiahmoo and Cherry Point) Puget Sound. Highlights of this monitoring include: a significant decline in flame retardants in all four stocks of herring, ranging from 3.5% to 8.2% annual decline, while PCB concentrations remained static in Southern and Central Puget Sound stocks and declined weakly in the two stocks from Northern Puget Sound (approximately 2% per year), increasing PCBs and PBDEs in English sole from several urbanized locations including Tacoma’s Thea Foss Waterway, Seattle’s Duwamish River, and Everett’s Port Gardner, and a decreasing trend of PAH exposure in English sole from Thea Foss Waterway, and correlation between cleanup efforts and decreasing contaminants in English sole at some locations. Results presented here are being incorporated into Puget Sound’s “Toxics in Fish” Vital Sign and are being used to evaluate the effectiveness of restoration efforts and to track the recovery of Puget Sound. This presentation is linked to a poster at this conference exhibiting the full results of this long-term monitoring

Contaminants reveal spatial segregation of sub-adult Chinook salmon in Puget Sound

Adult salmon accumulate most of their body burdens of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) while feeding in marine habitats, where they also acquire most of their final body mass. Although the majority of Chinook salmon originating from Puget Sound migrate to the Pacific Ocean to feed and grow, approximately a third reside in the Salish Sea for much of their marine rearing phase, where they may be exposed to POPs that are elevated in Puget Sound’s pelagic food web. Resident Chinook salmon, commonly referred to as blackmouth, are targeted by recreational anglers, potentially putting them at increased risk of contaminant exposure. The main objective of this study was to determine whether contaminant concentrations in resident Chinook varied among marine basins. Contaminant levels were measured in resident Chinook salmon collected throughout Puget Sound in the fall and winter of 2016, outside the typical migration timing for ocean-returning adults, to characterize POPs in salmon that reside in various marine basins. POPs concentrations and patterns in Chinook salmon differed by marine basins; fish collected from the Whidbey Basin, Central Basin, and Hood Canal, had higher levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) than those collected from the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the San Juan Islands, whereas all fish had uniformly low levels of DDTs. Although we observed basin-wide differences in contaminants levels, PCBs in virtually all fish from all basins exceeded the Washington Department of Health\u27s (DOH) PCB screening value for human health. PBDE and DDT concentrations in Chinook salmon were much lower than PCBs, and in all basins they fell well below the DOH screening values for human health. Results from this study augment data collected in the mid 2000\u27s and will be used to provide basin-specific fish consumption advice to reduce the health risk to human consumers