Mercury in Fish from New York State Lakes and Reservoirs Howard Simonin, Jeff Loukmas and Larry Skinner Bureau of Habitat NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation DEC Monitoring Efforts • Began monitoring Hg in fish before 1970 • Statewide Toxic Substances Monitoring Program (1976 – 1993) • Specific projects - higher Hg in acidic waters • Continuing targeted monitoring across NYS Recent monitoring •1969 – 2000: ~150 inland lakes sampled/4300 fish samples •2001 – 2005: 148 lakes sampled/ 3391 fish • 2003 – 2005: 4 watersheds in Catskills sampled for fish and macroinvertebrates Monitoring Objectives • Research – what causes high Hg levels in the fish? • Documentation of trends over time – up, down or no change. • Information – (1) to inform the public of health or environmental concerns and (2) to provide data for policy decisions. Statewide Strategic Monitoring of Mercury in Fish • • • 4-year project: 2003-2006 131 lakes surveyed 4 target species – YP, LMB, SMB, WEYE • Primarily new lakes, temporal and spatial trends, test model • Summarize historical database Factors Affecting Bioaccumulation Water Quality Variables -Methylation depends on presence of sulfur reducing bacteria, anaerobic conditions, acidic conditions, dissolved organic carbon Hydrologic Variables - Reservoir, percent wetlands, watershed size Biological Variables - Fish species and age - Length of food chain affects fish Hg conc - Productivity of lake affects fish Hg conc 2001-2005 study lakes (N=148) Mean mercury concentrations for the 10 most sampled fish species since 2001 Walleye (295) Northern Pike (42) Smallmouth Bass (691) Chain Pickerel (85) Largemouth Bass (646) White Perch (117) Brown Trout (69) Yellow Perch (1223) Common Carp (88) Black Crappie (53) 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 Total Mercury (ppm) 1 1.2 1.4 Standard size determinations 1.6 1.4 Chodikee Lake Largemouth Bass Mercury (ppm) 1.2 1 0.70 0.8 0.6 0.4 Hg conc. = -1.6213+ (0.00604 x Length) 0.2 0 300 320 340 360 380 400 Length (mm) 420 440 460 480 500 9 inch yellow perch (N = 116) Mercury Concentration <500 ng/g 500 – 1000 ng/g >1000 ng/g 14 inch smallmouth bass (N = 77) Mercury Concentration <500 ng/g 500 – 1000 ng/g >1000 ng/g Standard Size Smallmouth Bass Hg Conc. vs. pH Have mercury levels changed? • Selected 20 lakes with data from 10 – 20 years ago • Mostly YP from Adirondack Lakes • Repeated the historical sampling effort to determine trends Trend analysis – Cranberry Lake Smallmouth Bass Slopes Elevations - P-values 0.2484 0.0014 ANCOVA: P = 0.02 Change in Mercury Concentration Lake • • • • • Lake Adirondack Cranberry Lake Ferris Lake Big Moose Kings Flow Size/Species 9 inch YP 15 in. SMB 9 in.YP 9 in.YP 9 in. YP Change + 0.08 ppm - 0.48 ppm - 0.67 ppm - 0.20 ppm - 0.22 ppm Health Advisories • 2001: 24 lakes with mercury advisories • 2005: 73 advisories + regional advice All inland lakes tested 1970 – 2004 73 Lakes with Hg Health Advisories: In 2005 DOH issued region-based advisory for Parks Regional Advice for Women and Children Adirondack and Catskill Waters Lower Mercury Levels - Eat no more than one meal per week: Brook, brown and rainbow trout Bullhead Bluegill/sunfish Rock bass Crappie Yellow perch less than 10 inches Higher Mercury Levels - EAT NONE: Northern pike Pickerel Walleye Largemouth and smallmouth bass Yellow perch longer than 10 inches Yellow Perch 9 inch YP Out of Parks: 0.18 ppm Inside Parks: 0.54 ppm Smallmouth Bass 15 inch SMB Out of Parks: 0.51 ppm Inside Parks: 1.05 ppm Acid Neutralizing Capacity <500 ueq/L >500 ueq/L Dissolved Organic Carbon <4 mg/L >4 mg/L Methyl Mercury <0.038 ng/L >0.038 ng/L Additional research • Trends over time • Landscape effects • Water chemistry • Model testing • Effects on wildlife – loons, mink, otter, songbirds • Catskill stream biota – bioaccumulation Adirondack Loons • Project Coordinator: Nina Schoch, ACLP • 2003 - 2006 • Assess exposure and risks of mercury • 40 – 50 lakes • Analyze water, sediment, crayfish, loon tissues and 4 size classes of prey fish species – YP Acknowledgments • • • • • • • • Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation Project Technicians: Dustin Edwards, Erik Latremore, Tom Pope, Christopher Swamp, Neal Liddle DEC Regional Fisheries staffs Division of Water – Scott Quinn, Jay Bloomfield, Ken Markussen, Bruce Mussett Hale Creek Field Station staff: Tony Gudlewski, Brian Buanno, John Finn NYSERDA USEPA NYCDEP – Tom Baudanza, Kim Nezelek