Assessment of Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds in Fish from a High Elevation Lake in Yosemite National Park
Project ID: P13AC01175
Federal Agency: National Park Service
Partner Institution: Oregon State University
Fiscal Year: 2013
Initial Funding: $21,000
Total Funding: $21,000
Project Type: Research
Project Disciplines: Biological
National Park: Yosemite National Park
Principal Investigator: Simonich, Staci
Agreement Technical Representative: Meyer, Joe
Abstract: Yosemite National Park (YOSE) was one of many parks, including Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (SEKI), sampled as part of the Western Airborne Contaminants Assessment Project (WACAP). Two SEKI lakes (Emerald and Pear), similar in elevation and exposure to westerly winds to many YOSE lakes, were sampled for a suite of semi-volatile organic compounds (SOC); some of the highest SOC levels found within the eight study parks were measured in fish from these lakes. Lake average dieldrin and individual fish p,p’-DDE concentrations in both lakes exceeded contaminant health thresholds for subsistence fishers; the dieldrin concentration in one fish exceeded the threshold for recreational fishers. In addition, at least one fish from each lake exceeded the thresholds for mercury and DDT for piscivores, at levels similar to those found in YOSE (Hetch Hetchy Reservoir). The objective of this project is to analyze fish samples from one high elevation YOSE lake and to compare levels of SOCs found in the SEKI Kings and Kern watersheds to levels farther north in YOSE, and to assess the threat that environmental contaminants pose to human consumption of fish. Project results will inform the public and NPS staff about levels of contamination for SOCs in high elevation lakes in the Sierra Nevada, which complement the detailed research on mercury in YOSE lakes. This knowledge is important for the health of sport fishers and others who consume fish in these parks, providing information regarding possible contaminant health threshold exceedances established for wildlife and/or humans.
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