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 ⇒ Methylmercury � Inorganic Hg 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 � L/Kg TL 4 - 140,000 � TL 4 - 140,000 L/Kg � – Methyl Hg Methyl Hg (EPA, 1997) – (EPA, 1997) 6 L/Kg TL 3 - 1.6 x 10 6 � TL 3 - 1.6 x 10 L/Kg � TL 4 - 6.8 x 10 6 6 L/Kg � TL 4 - 6.8 x 10 L/Kg �
Biomagnification Biomagnification (Illustrative Example) (Illustrative Example) Trophic Level Concentration of Mercury Water 1 ng/L = 1 ppt Bacteria and 10 pg/g of water phytoplankton 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, 10 µg/g birds, humans)
Acute Toxicity (EPA) Acute Toxicity (EPA) To ot ta al l H Hg g Me et th hy yl l H Hg g T M Sp pe ec ci ie es s LC C 5 (µ µg g/ / L L) ) LC C 5 µg g/ / L L) ) S L s ( L ( µ s ( 50 0s 50 0s Fr re es sh hw wa at te er r F 2. .2 2 t to o 2 2, ,0 00 00 0 1. .2 2 t to o 3 35 50 0 2 1 Or rg ga an ni is sm ms s O Ra ai in nb bo ow w R 15 55 5 24 4 1 2 Tr ro ou ut t T Sa al lt tw wa at te er r S 5 t to o 2 2, ,4 49 90 0 3. .5 5 t to o 1 1, ,7 70 00 0 5 3 Or rg ga an ni is sm ms s O St tr ri ip pe ed d B Ba as ss s S 90 0 - 9 - Ki il ll li if fi is sh h K - 5. .3 3 ( - 5 (1 10 0 d d) )
Chronic Toxicity (EPA) Chronic Toxicity (EPA) To ot ta al l H Hg g Me et th hy yl l H Hg g T M Sp pe ec ci ie es s EC C 5 (µ µg g/ / L L) ) EC C 5 µg g/ / L L) ) S E s ( E ( µ s ( 50 0s 50 0s Ra ai in nb bo ow w T Tr ro ou ut t R 0. .0 04 4 0 - - (6 64 4 d d) ) ( (g gr ro ow wt th h) ) ( Ch hi ir ro on no om mu us s C 29 9 - 2 - (4 48 8 h hr r) ) ( Co op pe ep po od d C - 0. .1 1 - - 1 1 - 0 Se ea a U Ur rc ch hi in n S 7. .8 8 - 7 - (4 48 8 h hr r) ) (
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 � ⇓ growth Mortality, ⇓ – Mortality, 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 �
10000 Freshwater WQC and Analytical Limits 1000 Mercury (ng/L) 100 10 1 0.1 Current Proposed Current Proposed Current Proposed Wildlife 245.1 DL 245.1 QL 1631 DL 1631 QL Acute Acute Chronic Chronic Human Human Value Health Health
Current and Proposed NJ Mercury Surface Water Quality Criteria Fresh Fresh Water: Water: Saltwater: Saltwater: Mercury Current Proposed Current Proposed Criterion (µg/L) (µg/L) (µg/L) (µg/L) Acute Aquatic 2.1 1.4 1.8 1.8 Life Chronic Aquatic 0.012 0.770 0.025 0.940 Life Human 0.144 0.146 0.050 0.051 Health
Mercury in Surface Water - NJ Lake Mercury in Surface Water - NJ Lake Total Dissolved Date Location Diss. Hg Methyl Hg (ng/L) (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
Average Mercury in NJ's Tidal Waters 1000.00 POTW (ng/L) CSO (ng/L) SWO (ng/L) 100.00 Passaic River Hackensack River Mercury (ng/L) Raritan River 10.00 1.00 0.10 0.01 Mercury (Total) Mercury Methyl-Hg Methyl-Hg (Dissol.) (Total) (Dissol.)
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 (cont cont.) .) Background ( � 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) � 8.9 µg/g – Range 0.05- Range 0.05- 8.9 µg/g – � Non-Pinelands: 0.23 µg/g (5 species) Non-Pinelands: 0.23 µg/g (5 species) � 3.9 µg/g – Range 0.01- Range 0.01- 3.9 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 2.0 M e rc u ry (u g /g ) 1.5 1.0 0.5 0.0 Largemouth Chain Pickerel Yellow Brown "Sunfish" Bass Bullhead Bullhead Pinelands Water Bodies Non-Pinelands Water Bodies National Average
Statewide Average Mercury Concentrations in NJ Fish 0.90 Geometric Mean (ppm) 0.80 Mean (ppm) 0.70 95% UCL (ppm) Do Not Eat (High-Risk Ind.) 0.60 Hg (ug/g) 0.50 0.40 One Meal Per Week 0.30 0.20 0.10 0.00 l p h " h d h l h s l h d l s s e e h e i s r c a g s c s s s a s i a r s r i e e r i i p e e a f a a e i f C e e f e f h t t p u b b n h k B n a P a u P l a l c l l u a c C l B h l h u d r u i w B S c p e C t b t l e b u t u i e e o r " i n p o w o e t l h n k n l i i i m m h c m e r W n a o w t W a h Y a l S e l A l o l l h C e a B r g C Y m B r a S L Species
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