Defining the risks of contaminant exposure to pelagic species in a shipping channel.

Abstract

Hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) pose risk to aquatic organisms at high concentrations and have been implicated in the declining health of the endangered fish species, Delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus). Legacy and current-use pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were quantified in a surrogate fish species (Wakasagi; Hypomesus nipponensis), sediments, zooplankton, and suspended solids throughout the Sacramento Deep Water Ship Channel (SDWSC). Forty-four of 63 analytes were detected across the tested media, with legacy pesticides (LPs), PAHs, and PCBs being the most prevalent contaminants measured in Wakasagi. Pyrethroids, a class of current-use insecticides, were rarely detected in Wakasagi tissue. Pattern analysis via cosine similarity showed that contaminant concentrations associated with suspended solids best reflected the concentrations measured within the Wakasagi, suggesting that suspended solids may represent a relevant exposure pathway. While only DDE and DDD concentrations exceeded the threshold effect concentration for sediment (TEC), contaminants associated with suspended solids exceeded most sediment quality guidelines. In addition, PAH concentrations in suspended solids exceeded multiple lesion thresholds for a variety of other fish species. These results suggest potential ecological concern from suspended solid-associated contaminant exposure. Future studies need to be performed to assess the relationship between HOCs associated with suspended solids and their potential harm to pelagic organisms for the purpose of contaminant mitigation in the SDWSC.