Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports 2009 State-wide fish tissue contaminants survey and effects of feeding type, season and gender on fish tissue contamination levels Kenneth L. Stewart West Virginia University Follow this and additional works at: https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd Recommended Citation Stewart, Kenneth L., "State-wide fish tissue contaminants survey and effects of feeding type, season and gender on fish tissue contamination levels" (2009). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 4539. https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/4539 This Thesis is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by the The Research Repository @ WVU with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Thesis in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you must obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Thesis has been accepted for inclusion in WVU Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports collection by an authorized administrator of The Research Repository @ WVU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. State-wide Fish Tissue Contaminants Survey and Effects of Feeding Type, Season and Gender on Fish Tissue Contamination Levels Kenneth L. Stewart Thesis submitted to the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design at West Virginia University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Wildlife and Fisheries Resources Patricia M. Mazik Ph.D., Chairperson Stuart A. Welsh, Ph.D. Janice Smithson, M.S. Division of Forestry and Natural Resources Morgantown, West Virginia 2009 Keywords: contaminants, fish, gender, mercury, organchlorine, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), seasonal variation, tissue ABSTRACT State-wide Fish Tissue Contaminants Survey and Effects of Feeding Type, Season and Gender on Fish Tissue Contamination Levels Kenneth L. Stewart Fish tissue fillets from benthic, predator, and mixed diet species were collected from 24 different watersheds in West Virginia. Composite samples were prepared from three to six fish fillets collected at each site, and concentrations of the chemical contaminants polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and mercury were determined for each composite sample. Differences in contaminant concentrations among three major categories of feeding type (predator, benthic, and mixed diet) were examined. Differences due to species of fish and among watersheds were also examined. Predators had significantly higher mercury concentrations than benthic or mixed diet feeders and benthic feeding fish had significantly higher PCB concentrations than predator fish, with no significant differences of PCBs in mixed diet fish. Species-specific analysis showed that walleye contained the highest concentration of mercury and bluegill contained the highest concentration of PCBs. The Shenandoah watershed had the highest levels of PCBs and mercury and the lower New River watershed had the lowest concentrations of PCBs; channel catfish obtained from a NC hatchery and subsequently released into WV waters contained the lowest concentration of mercury. Channel catfish and carp were sampled during May, July, and November from the Monongahela River, Morgantown, WV, to determine if seasonal differences in concentrations of PCBs occurred within the fillet, liver and gonadal tissues. In addition, gender of each fish was identified and differences in concentrations of PCBs due to gender were examined. Fillets for channel catfish and livers in carp were the only tissue that showed significant differences. For channel catfish fillets, May contained the highest concentrations of PCBs and November had the lowest concentrations of PCBs; neither was different in the July collection. For carp livers, November contained the highest level of PCBs and May the lowest with no differences in the July sample. No gender differences were observed for any tissue or species. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First, I want to thank my committee members Pat Mazik, Stuart Welsh and Janice Smithson. Pat, thanks for putting up with me for so long, and having the patience to see me through. Stuart and Janice, thank you for sitting on my committee and helping me through. Janice for all the help with the data and maps, and Stuart for helping me collect the fish necessary to complete the project. Thanks to the United States Environmental Protection Agency for funding and Jeff Bigler for helping get the project started. Thanks to the interagency committee, West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, USGS Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and West Virginia University for all the help. Thanks to WVDNR for the fish collections. Thanks to Eda Holeskova and Dr. George Marovich for all the stats help. Thanks to my wife Dr. Amanda Stewart, for all her help and reassurance through my research and for all the help you provided working with me to complete this project, and for being my best friend. For my family, my dad, Rev. Bill Stewart (RIP) who was always there for me and pushed me to be the best I could be but at the same time encouraged me by telling me I could accomplish whatever I set my mind to. For my mom, Dortha Stewart, who has been an example of strength, love and constant support to me. To my Sister, who has always stood by me and helped me through all of life’s trials, and who I know, will always be there for me. iv Table of Contents Chapter One I. Introduction…………………………………………………………........……..........2 Mercury……………………………………………….……………….........…........2 Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB’s)…………….....………………..…..….........….5 Feeding Types……………………………….…………………………......….........7 Benthic Feeding Fish …………………….…………………..……..…........….......7 Predator Feeding Fish……………….....……………………………........…….......8 Mixed diet Feeding Fish…………..……...…………………………............…........9 II. Objectives………………………………………………………......….…….…........10 III. Materials and Methods……………………………………………….….….............10 Sample Collection……………………………………………..………...............…11 Mercury Analysis………………………………………………..…............…........12 PCB Extraction………………………………………………………..........….......12 PCB Analysis………………………………………………………….......….........14 Statistical Analysis…………………………………………………….......….........15 IV. Results…………………………………………………………………....…............16 Comparison by Feeding Type and Species…………………………........…............16 Comparison by Watershed…………………………………………….........…........18 V. Discussion……………………………………………………………......................18 Mercury…………...………………………………………………...........................18 Species and Feeding Type………....………………………………..............…..…..18 PCBs………………………………....……………………………......….................21 Mercury and PCBs in Watersheds………………………………......……............…22 VI. Conclusions………………………………………………………………....…..........24 VII. References…………………………………………………………….............…...26 VIII. Figures………………………………………………………………….....….........31 IX. Tables……………………………………………………………………...................38 Chapter Two I. Introduction…………..……………………………………………….........….......44 II. Objective………………………………………………………………........….…...53 III. Materials and Methods………………………………………………….….........….53 Sample Collection……………………………………………….........................….53 Laboratory Analysis…………………………………………............…..........…….54 Statistical Analysis……………………………………………….............................59 IV. Results…………………………………………………………….….…..................59 Seasonal Differences…………………………............………………….….............62 Gender Differences………………………………………............…….…...............63 V. Discussion…………………………………………………………….......…...........65 Differences due to Gender………………………………………….…....................65 Seasonal Differences...........................................................................…..................67 VI. Conclusion………........……………………………………............….…................71 VII. References…………………………………………………………..…...............….72 IX. Figures.......................................................................................................................78 X. Appendices..................................................................................................................89 1 Chapter 1 Mercury and PCB Contamination of Fish Fillets in West Virginia 2 Introduction Contamination of the environment is of growing concern, as many contaminants can have a negative effect on human health. For example, the public may directly consume contaminants found in foods, such as fish. In fish tissue, lipophilic contaminants are of particular concern, as these compounds bio-accumulate in the fat stores of the animal. Likewise, ingestion of the contaminated fish tissue can result in bioaccumulation in humans, which may lead to serious health concerns not only in adults, but also in infants and children. An intra-agency committee comprised of the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP), West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR), West Virginia Bureau for Public Health (WVBPH) and West Virginia University (WVU) developed a sampling plan to evaluate the current status of mercury (Hg) and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination of sport fishes in West Virginia. A preliminary study showed that contaminant