OTONABEE RIVER - RICE LAKE SEDIMENT AND BIOMONITORING STUDY 1996

OCTOBER 1999

Ministry of the Environment

Otonabee River — Rice Lake Sediment and Biomonitoring Study 1996

Prepared for: Peterborough District Office Ministry of the Environment

Prepared by: R. Jaagumagi, A. Hayton, G. Hitchin Environmental Monitoring and Reporting Branch

D. Bedard Standards Development Branch Ministry of the Environment

October 1999

Cette publication technique n'est disponible qu'en anglais.

Copyright: Queen's Printer for Ontario, 1999 This publication may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes with appropriate attribution.

ISBN 0-7778-9130-1

PIBS 3881E

Acknowledgments

The authors are indebted to Allan Oberholzer, Steve Petro and Karen MacPherson for their assistance with the field aspects of this study. The assistance of Steve Petro in preparation of the figures is also gratefully acknowledged.

The authors would also like to thank staff of Peterborough District Office and Eastern Region. in particular Chandru Ramchandani and Susan Dreier, for their valuable comments and suggestions.

Special thanks are due to staff of the Laboratory Services Branch, in particular, staff of the Trace Organics Laboratory for their assistance.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary v

1.0 Introduction 1 1.1 Sediment Assessment 1 1.2 Mussel Biomonitoring 2 1.3 Sport Fish Contaminant Monitoring 2 1.4 Young-of-the-Year Fish Monitoring 2

2.0 Methods 3 2.1 Sediment Sampling 3 2.2 Laboratory Sediment Bioassays 4 2.3 Mussel Biomonitoring 7 2.4 Sport Fish Contaminant Monitoring 8 2.5 Young-of-the-Year Fish Monitoring 8

3.0 Results 8 3.1 Sediment Sampling 8 3.2 Laboratory Sediment Bioassays 10 3.3 Mussel Biomonitoring 14 3.4 Sport Fish Contaminant Monitoring 14 3.5 Young-of-the-Year Fish Monitoring 15

4.0 Discussion 15 4.1 Sediment Contaminant Analysis 15 4.2 Laboratory Sediment Bioassays 18 4.3 Mussel Biomonitoring - 20 4.4 Sport Fish Contaminant Monitoring 21 4.5 Young-of-the-Year Fish Monitoring 23

5.0 Conclusions 24

6.0 Recommendations 26

7.0 References 27 List of Figures

Figure 1 Location of Sediment Sampling Sites. Little Lake, 1996.

Figure 2 Location of Sediment Sampling Sites. Otonabee River, 1996.

Figure 3 PCBs in Little Lake Sediments.

Figure 4 Distribution of PCBs in Otonabee River.

Figure 5 Distribution of Sediment PCBs in Otonabee River, 1996.

Figure 6 Sediment PCB Concentrations on Organic Carbon Basis.

Figure 7 Distribution of PCBs in Rice Lake Sediment Cores. 1992.

Figure 8 PCBs in Bioassay Sediments and Tissues.

Figure 9 Distribution of PCBs in Rice Lake Surficial Sediments. 1987-1992.

Figure 10 Station Locations for 1996 In-situ Mussel Biomonitoring.

Figure 11 Historical Levels of PCBs in Mussel Tissue Exposed in the Otonabee River near Peterborough (1985-1996).

Figure 12 Rice Lake-Otonabee River. 1984-1996. PCBs in 65cm Carp.

Figure 13 Rice Lake at mouth of Otonabee River 1984-1996. PCBs in Sport Fish.

Figure 14 Total PCB Residues in Young-of-the-Year Perch from the Otonabee River, Rice Lake and Seymour Lake from 1977 to 1996.

Figure 15 Total PCB Residues in Young-of-the-Year Yellow Perch in the Otonabee River at Rink Street and Beavermead in Little Lake.

Figure 16 Total PCB Residues in Yellow Perch in Rice Lake at Spook Island.

-ii- List of Tables

Table 1 Sediment Sampling Locations in Little Lake and Otonabee River, 1996.

Table 2 PCB and Organochlorine Pesticide Concentrations in Sediment. Little Lake and Otonabee River 1996.

Table 3 PAH Concentrations in Sediment Samples. Little Lake and Otonabee River 1996.

Table 4 Mean Water Quality Characteristics in Otonabee River 1996. Sediment Bioassays.

Table 5 S