Mercury found in local fish

[Spiel]

Mercury found in local fish

 

 

May 29th, 2009

Dan McCaffery / The Sarnia Observer

 

 

Study found pike, suckers at ‘high risk’

 

Toxic chemicals are putting some species of fish at risk in the St. Clair River, a wildlife ecologist says.

 

Kim Wells of Environ International Corp. delivered that message Wednesday to the annual general meeting of the SarniaLambton Environmental Association.

 

Wells was involved in a recent study designed to determine the impact mercury and octachlorostyrene are having on fish, mammals and birds along an 8.3-kilometre stretch of the Canadian side of the international waterway.

 

The study took in an area that began at the north end of Stag Island and proceeded northward to a point not far from Lake Huron.

 

Wells, who is stationed out of Environ’s Ann Arbor, Mich., office, said the probe involved mercury and octachlorostyrene.

 

“They are very persistent, they do not break down rapidly, they build up throughout the food chain and they can be toxic,” she said.

 

The study showed mercury was a problem in some areas. Octachlorostyrene, on the other hand, does not appear to be a concern.

 

Researchers determined neither contaminant was having a negative impact on birds or mammals, but they found worrisome levels of mercury in some fish.

 

In fact, northern pike and redhorse suckers were found to be contaminated at what she described as “high risk” levels.

 

Fish said to be at medium risk included yellow perch, carp, freshwater drum and white sucker.

 

Rock bass were found to be at low risk.

 

The study did not deal with the effects the contaminants may be having on the health of humans who eat fish from the St. Clair.

 

There are fish consumption advisories put out by the provincial government that provide information on that subject, she said.

 

“None of the fish were abnormally fat or skinny,” Wells said. But smallmouth bass and . . . perch had a higher than expected ratio of females.

 

“The overall message is there is risk to some fish species but not all,” she said.

 

The other conclusion, she added, is that, “Wildlife is not likely to be harmed” by the chemicals in question.

[Greencoachdog]

Mmmmmmmmmm! Mercury!!!.. goes well with PCB's and Dioxin!!!... we call it seasoning down here!!!