PCB, Organochlorine Pesticide and Mercury Changes in Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) from Five Finger Lakes, New York State Lawrence C. Skinner1 Ronald J. Sloan1, 5 Samuel J. Jackling2 Anthony Gudlewski3 Ralph Karcher4 1 New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources 625 Broadway Albany, New York 12233-4756 2 Formerly (now retired): New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Solid and Hazardous Materials 625 Broadway Albany, New York 12233 3 New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Hale Creek Field Station 182 Steele Avenue Extension Gloversville, New York 12078 4 Formerly (now retired): New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Air Sterling Laboratory Facility Rensselaer, New York 12144 5 Now retired. May 2010 ABSTRACT Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides and mercury have been measured episodically in lake trout of know age taken from four Finger Lakes (Canadice, Canandaigua, Keuka, Seneca) over an approximate 25 year period and from Cayuga Lake for nearly 40 years. Concentrations of PCBs, total p,p=-DDT, p,p=-DDE, total chlordane, trans- nonachlor and mercury increase with age of the lake trout until about age 7 to 8, after which the rate of accumulation with age slows. For all five lakes, concentrations of PCBs, DDT and metabolites, chlordane compounds and hexachlorobenzene have declined over the period of measurement by 70 percent or more. The patterns of declines are not consistent among lakes and chemical compounds. Keuka Lake has shown increases of several chemical residues in the last few years. Mirex, a compound not used in the Finger Lakes basin, had residues that were initially absent, then low concentrations near the detection limit of 2 ng/g were frequently found in the mid 1990's, but again became non-detectable after 2000. Mercury concentrations in fish aged 3 through 6 are generally less than 500 ng/g, and older fish contain mercury frequently in excess of 500 ng/g. Within Seneca Lake, mercury concentrations have remained relatively stable over the period of measurement. Since 1970, mercury in Cayuga Lake lake trout has declined an average of 42 percent, but the decline occurred between 1970 and 1988 and concentrations have been stable since 1988. Mercury in Canadice, Canandaigua and Keuka Lakes was stable from 1988 through the mid 1990s, but since then specific age group mercury concentrations have increased at least 40 percent in each lake, and up to 128 percent in age 5 lake trout from Canandaigua Lake. However, in Canandaigua Lake, mercury subsequently declined in 2009. The specific causal factors for the mercury increases are unknown. The historical record for chemical residues in lake trout from other Finger Lakes is also presented. Notably, DDT levels in Hemlock Lake fish appear to have declined by at least 95 percent in the 38 year record, and residues of all organic compounds have declined in lake trout from Owasco, Otsego and Skaneateles Lakes. ii Table of Contents Page Abstract ii List of Tables iv List of Figures vii Introduction 1 The lakes 1 Chemical compounds of primary concern 1 Health advisories 3 Methods 5 Results 7 Lipids 7 PCBs 7 DDT and metabolites 9 Chlordane and trans-nonachlor 10 Mercury 12 Mirex 12 Dieldrin 13 Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) 13 Lipid, PCB, organochlorine pesticide and mercury data for fish over 8 years old 13 Discussion 14 Comparisons with historical data 14 Sample portions 14 Analytical methods 15 Temporal changes 16 Hemlock Lake 18 Other Finger Lakes 18 Remedial efforts 18 A possible role of zebra mussels? 20 Conclusions 23 PCB and organochlorine pesticides 23 Mercury 24 Health advisories 24 Acknowledgments 26 References Cited 27 iii List of Tables Table Page 1 Recommended maximum concentrations of certain chemical 38 residues in fish for the protection of human health. 2 Recommended maximum concentrations of certain chemical 39 residues in fish for the protection of fish-consuming wildlife. 3 Health advisories for human consumers of fish for fish taken 40 from the Finger Lakes, New York 4 Changes in the incidence of some organochlorine residues in 42 lake trout taken from five Finger Lakes between 1983 and 2008. 5 Incidence of some organochlorine pesticide analytes determined 45 in recent collections of Finger Lakes lake trout. 6 Lipid concentrations (percent wet weight in standard fillets) in 46 aged lake trout taken from five Finger Lakes, New York. 7 Kruskal-Wallis comparisons (or Mann-Whitney test comparisons) 49 of total PCB concentrations by age for lake trout taken from five Finger Lakes, New York. 8 Temporal comparisons of total PCB concentrations (ng/g wet weight 52 in standard fillets) for aged lake trout taken from five Finger Lakes, New York. 9 Concentration distributions of p,p=-DDT analytes in Finger Lakes 55 lake trout. 10 Total p,p=-DDT concentrations (ng/g wet weight in standard fillets) 56 for aged lake trout taken from five Finger Lakes, New York. 11 Kruskal-Wallis comparisons (or Mann-Whitney test comparisons) 59 of p,p=-DDE concentrations by age for lake trout taken from five Finger Lakes, New York. 12 Temporal comparisons of p,p=-DDE concentrations (ng/g wet weight 62 in standard fillets) for aged lake trout taken from five Finger Lakes, New York. iv 13 Distribution of chlordane analytes in Finger Lakes lake trout. 66 14 Detection (percent of samples by year) of chlordane analytes in 68 lake trout taken from the Finger Lakes, New York. 15 Total chlordane concentrations (ng/g wet weight in standard fillets) 70 in aged lake trout taken from five Finger Lakes, New York. 16 Temporal comparisons of trans-nonachlor concentrations (ng/g 72 wet weight in standard fillets) for aged lake trout taken from five Finger Lakes, New York. 17 Kruskal-Wallis comparisons (or Mann-Whitney test comparisons) 74 of trans-nonachlor concentrations by age for lake trout taken from five Finger Lakes, New York. 18 Kruskal-Wallis comparisons (or Mann-Whitney test comparisons) 76 of mercury concentrations by age for lake trout taken from five Finger Lakes, New York. 19 Temporal comparisons of mercury concentrations (ng/g wet weight 78 in standard fillets) for aged lake trout taken from five Finger Lakes, New York. 20 Changes over time in the frequency of detection of mirex in lake 81 trout taken from five Finger Lakes, New York. 21 Changes over time in the frequency of non-detection of dieldrin in 82 lake trout (ages 3 through 6 years old) taken from five Finger Lakes, New York. 22 Dieldrin concentrations (ng/g wet weight in standard fillets) in 83 aged lake trout taken from five Finger Lakes, New York. 23 Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) concentrations (ng/g wet weight in 86 standard fillets) in aged lake trout taken from five Finger Lakes, New York. 24 Chemical residues concentrations in other aged lake trout taken 90 from five Finger Lakes, New York during 1983 through 2008. 25 PCB and mercury concentrations in Cayuga Lake lake trout in 95 1970. v 26 Total p,p=-DDT and p,p=-DDE concentrations in Cayuga Lake lake 96 trout taken in 1968 through 1970. 27 Chemical residue concentrations in lake trout from four other Finger Lakes in New York. 98 28 Chemical residue concentrations in lake trout from five Finger 101 Lakes, New York, prior to 1983. vi List of Figures Figure Page 1 The Finger Lakes of New York. 104 2 Temporal changes in polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations on 105 wet weight and lipid bases in aged lake trout from Canadice Lake. 3 Temporal changes in polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations on 106 wet weight and lipid bases in aged lake trout from Canandaigua Lake. 4 Temporal changes in polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations on 107 wet weight and lipid bases in aged lake trout from Cayuga Lake. 5 Temporal changes in polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations on 108 wet weight and lipid bases in aged lake trout from Keuka Lake. 6 Temporal changes in polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations on 109 wet weight and lipid bases in aged lake trout from Seneca Lake. 7 Temporal changes in total p,p=-DDT and total chlordane 110 concentrations in aged lake trout taken from Canadice Lake. 8 Temporal changes in total p,p=-DDT and total chlordane 111 concentrations in aged lake trout taken from Canandaigua Lake. 9 Temporal changes in total p,p=-DDT and total chlordane 112 concentrations in aged lake trout taken from Cayuga Lake. 10 Temporal changes in total p,p=-DDT and total chlordane 113 concentrations in aged lake trout taken from Keuka Lake. 11 Temporal changes in total p,p=-DDT and total chlordane 114 concentrations in aged lake trout taken from Seneca Lake. 12 Temporal changes in p,p=-DDE concentrations on wet weight and 115 lipid bases in aged lake trout from Canadice Lake. 13 Temporal changes in p,p=-DDE concentrations on wet weight and 116 lipid bases in aged lake trout from Canandaigua Lake. 14 Temporal changes in p,p=-DDE concentrations on wet weight and 117 lipid bases in aged lake trout from Cayuga Lake. vii 15 Temporal changes in p,p=-DDE concentrations on wet weight and 118 lipid bases in aged lake trout from Keuka Lake. 16 Temporal changes in p,p=-DDE concentrations on wet weight and 119 lipid bases in aged lake trout from Seneca Lake. 17 Temporal changes in trans-nonachlor concentrations on wet weight 120 and lipid bases in lake trout taken from Canadice Lake. 18 Temporal changes in trans-nonachlor concentrations on wet weight 121 and lipid bases in lake trout taken from Canandaigua Lake. 19 Temporal changes in trans-nonachlor concentrations on wet weight 122 and lipid bases in lake trout taken from Cayuga Lake.