FISH TISSUE RESULTS IN THE CANAGAGIGUE

Oh my God it's absolutely shocking! Not! There are levels of PCBs, Dioxins & Furans, Mercury and DDT & Metabolytes in excess of various health criteria in the tissues of fish in the "Gig". By the way that's in the tissues least likely to bioaccumulate these persistent organic pollutants (POPs). In other words in skinless, boneless fillets taken from the back of the fish. The areas most likely to accumulate POPs are internal organs such as the liver as well as fatty areas of the fish. No testing done there thank you!

The criteria mentioned include the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment ie. CCME criteria. There are many, many more POPs tested for and numerical values given and yet most if not all of them are allegedly below detection limits or essentially assigned no weight or value. I don't find that strange with extremely low concentrations but find it bizarre with common detection levels such as 5 to 50 parts per billion (ppb). Toxaphene is repeatedly reported at 50 parts per billion (ppb.) and then after it it states "no measurable response (zero) ". Mirex, aldrin, endrin, heptachlor, lindane, chlordane, photomirex, nonachlor and more all have numerical values assigned but are then claimed to be not there. Speaking of extremely low concentrations the MOE labs and others all measure Dioxins & Furans, in parts per quadrillion and parts per trillion which are respectively one million times smaller and one thousand times smaller than parts per billion. Therefore why are determined values in the parts per billion assigned to many pesticides (POPs) and yet claimed not to be there? Something stinks very badly.

The criteria and measurements for Dioxins are expressed as TEQ or Toxic Equivalency Quotient. As PCBs act in a similar way as Dioxins on life forms they too are expressed as TEQs. Hence all PCBs and Dioxins/Furans are expressed relevant to the most toxic Dioxin which is 2,3,7,8 Tetrachlordibenzodioxin or 2,3,7,8 TCDD. Therefore the various fish species tested have a TEQ measured in ng/kg or pg/g which is parts per trillion (ppt) which adds up all the various Dioxins, Furans and PCBs together. This gives the concentration of them in the fish's lean, back area. Hence they are understated to start with.

The CCME lowest criteria is .71 ppt for Dioxin/Furans and .79 ppt for PCBs.

The Total DDT CCME criteria for consumers of aquatic biota is 14 ug/kg or 14 parts per billion (ppb) of DDT in tissues (fish etc.). Total DDT includes adding in the DDT breakdown products namely DDD and DDE.

The CCME criteria for Mercury is 33 ug/kg or 33 parts per billion (ppb).

One last point is in regards to large numbers of fish whose gender (m/F) is not stated. The majority clearly are marked male or female but many common carp and white suckers are not designated as one or the other. Is this in error or are these symptoms of reproductive problems common in species affected by Dioxins and PCBs?

Here are a sampling of the results found in 2014 and 2015 in fish in the Canagagigue Creek:

Carp: Total TEQ ie. Dioxins/Furans & PCB equivalents item # 68.....3.74856 pg/g or ppt.
.....Also..item # 671....4.58208 pg/g or ppt.


White Sucker: Total TEQ Dioxins/Furans & PCB equivalents ........ .716911 pg/g or ppt.
.....Also..... .93998 pg/g or ppt.

Common Shiners: Total TEQ Dioxins/Furans & PCB equivalents ....... 2.77891 pg/g or ppt.
.....Also..... 3.26229 pg/g or ppt.

Bluntnose Minnows: Total TEQ Dioxins/Furans & PCB equivalents .......1.28431 pg/g or ppt.


DDT & Metabolytes: Criteria is 14 ppb. Common Shiners have multiple results of 120, 130, 150, 200 and 220 ng/g or ppb.


Mercury the criteria is 33 ppb. Common Shiner results are routinely between 20 and 30 parts per billion (ppb).


This is but a tiny sampling of the M.O.E.s data recently released. As fully expected the fish in the creek have uptaken toxic contaminants known to be in the sediments for decades; at levels well above guideline levels or criteria. Clearly without serious remediation fish and higher predators will continue to bioaccumulate these POPs causing reproductive problems, growth delay, increased mortality and other health effects. This includes the top predator namely human beings. This past four to five years has simply been the big stall once again. Stop talking, monitoring, testing, writing reports and start cleaning up Uniroyal/Chemtura's mess!

ADDENDUM- 11.20 am. I'm still reading hundreds of pages of raw data...Mercury upstream in the Canagagigue Creek for Carp 80 ppb-430 ppb. Mercury upstream for white suckers...40-70 ppb. all well above the criteria of 33 ppb.