Mercury in fish from the narrows in Parlby Creek-Buffalo Lake

AECV95-R3

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in 2016

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Canadian

28

MERCURY IN FISH FROM THE NARROWS IN PARLEY CREEK-BUFFALO LAKE

by

S. Wu, Ph.D.

Y. Zhao, B.Sc.
D. Lucyk, B.Sc.
F.P. Dieken, Ph.D,

Environmental Chemistry
Alberta Environmental Centre

MAY 1995

This publication may be cited as:

Wu S. et al., 1995. Mercury in Fish from the Narrows in Parlby Creek-Buffalo Lake. Alberta
Environmental Centre, Vegreville, AB. AECV95-R3. 17 pp.

ISBN 07732-1692-8

11

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE

LIST OF TABLES iv

LIST OF FIGURES iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v

SUMMARY vi

1 INTRODUCTION 1

2 GENERAL BACKGROUND ON MERCURY ACCUMULATION IN FISH 3

3 CONDUCT OF THE STUDY 4

3.1 Sampling 4

3.2 Analysis for Total Mercury 4

3.3 Quality Control of Mercury Analyses 5

4 RESULTS 6

5 DISCUSSION 6

6 LITERATURE CITED 14

Appendix A. Mercury Concentrations in Fish Muscle Tissues From The Narrows in

Parlby Creek-Buffalo Lake 17

111

LIST OF TABLES

PAGE

Table 1. Quality control results for total mercury analyses 7

Table 2. Summary of total mercury concentrations in fish muscle tissue (wet

weight) from The Narrows in Parlby Creek-Buffalo Lake in 1993 10

Table 3. Summary of total mercury and organic mercury concentrations in fish
muscle tissue (wet weight) from the Red Deer River below the Dickson

Dam sampled in 1983 12

Table 4. Summary of total mercury and organic mercury concentrations in fish
muscle tissue (wet weight) from Pine and Gleniffer lakes sampled in

1984 13

Table 5. Comparison of mean value of total mercury concentrations in northern pike

muscle tissue in nearby aquatic systems 14

LIST OF FIGURES

PAGE

Figure 1. Parlby Creek-Buffalo Lake Water Management Project Layout 3

Figure 2. Regression of total mercury levels in northern pike muscle tissue upon (A)

fork length, (B) weight and (C) age 9

iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Sampling and fish age determinations performed by personnel from Fisheries Management
Section of Alberta Fish and Wildlife, Central Region, Red Deer are greatly appreciated.

V

SUMMARY

Mercury analysis of fish collected from "The Narrows" in Parlby Creek-Buffalo Lake was
conducted in June 1993. Of the 15 northern pike {Esox Indus), 3 longnose sucker {Catostomus
catostomus) and 1 white sucker {Catostoms commersoni) collected, none contained mercury levels
exceeding the 0.5 mg kg‘^ Canadian Federal Guideline for commercially-marketed fish. The
range of total mercury concentrations in fish muscle tissue (based on wet weight) was 0.077 to
0.269 mg kg'^ with a mean value of 0.150 mg kg ^ Regression analysis for northern pike
revealed that fork length, age and weight linearly correlated with total mercury concentration with
r^ values of 0.45, 0.46 and 0.34, respectively. The mean mercury level of northern pike sampled
in this study is considered similar to, or lower than, that sampled in 1983-1985 in nearby Pine
Lake, Red Deer River, and Gleniffer Lake.

VI

1 INTRODUCTION

The Parlby Creek-Buffalo Lake Water Management Project is an ongoing project started
in 1985 by Alberta Environment (now Alberta Environmental Protection). The project objectives
include controlling flooding of agricultural lands, enhancing fish and wildlife habitat, securing
municipal water supply and stabilizing water levels in Buffalo Lake for recreational purposes.
The proposed lake stabilization component of this project involves diverting water from the Red
Deer River, increasing flow through Parlby Creek, and raising the current level of the lake to
maintain an elevation between 780.5 and 781.0 m (Environmental Management Associates, 1991).

This project has caused concern regarding the elevation of mercury levels in fish tissue.
Raising the water level of a lake or increasing the flow of a creek could increase the methylation
rate of mercury in the aquatic system, by increased activities of methylating bacteria and other
microorganisms in freshly-inundated or eroded soil. Since organisms tend to accumulate
methylated mercury efficiently, mercury levels in fish tissue and other aquatic species may
increase. Increased mercury levels in fish have been reported in several impoundments in Canada
and elsewhere (Jackson et al., 1991; Jackson, 1991; Green, 1990; Bodaly et al., 1984;
Abernathy and Cumbie, 1977). However, based upon a five-year study, elevation of mercury
levels did not occur in the newly-formed Dickson Dam Reservoir (Gleniffer Lake) in Alberta
(Alberta Environmental Centre, 1989). In addition, mercury concentrations in water close to or
exceeding the Freshwater Aquatic Life Canadian Water Quality Guideline of 0.1 pg/L were
observed occasionally in the Red Deer River but not in Buffalo Lake and Parlby Creek.

To allow future evaluation of the impact of the Parlby Creek-Buffalo Lake Water
Management Project on the aquatic system, background information on mercury levels in fish
muscle tissue was required. The Water Analysis Laboratory (WAL) at the Alberta Environmental
Centre (AEC) was contracted by the Buffalo Lake Management Team, Alberta Environment
Protection, to provide fish mercury analysis and data interpretation.

It was agreed that sampling would be performed at "The Narrows" by personnel from the
Fisheries Management Section of Alberta Fish and Wildlife, Central Region, Red Deer. The
Narrows is a popular angling site located at the west side of Buffalo Lake, connecting Hindleg
Bay and Parlby Bay (the outlet of Parlby Creek) (Fig. 1). It is known that northern pike {Esox
lucius), burbot {Lota lota), longnose sucker {Catostomus catostomus) and white sucker

2

Figure L Parlby Creek-Buffalo Lake Water Management Project Layout (taken from Fig. 2 in Environmental Management
Associates, 1991)

3

{Catostomus commersoni) traditionally inhabit The Narrows waterway. It was also agreed that
the sample size would be 7-15 samples for each of the four species mentioned above. If
additional species were captured, they would be selected for study.

2 GENERAL BACKGROUND ON MERCURY ACCUMULATION IN FISH

Mercury levels in fish are determined by a dynamic relationship between mercury uptake
and clearance rates. Uptake rates are a function of the absorption of mercury directly from the
water or indirectly via the food chain (Fagerstorm et al., 1974; Stokes and Wren, 1987). The
relative importance of these two uptake processes has not been clearly established, even under
laboratory conditions, and is probably species and site specific.

Characteristics of fish and the environment both influence mercury accumulation in fish.
Fish characteristics include the level of the species in the aquatic food chain, food consumption
rates, food conversion efficiencies, growth rates, mercury elimination rates and the efficiency of
mercury uptake (Stokes and Wren, 1987; Mathers and Johansen, 1985).

Environmental characteristics include water temperature, general trophic or nutrient
conditions, as well as water and sediment chemistry (Reinert et. al., 1974; Bodaly et. al., 1986,
Wright and Hamilton, 1982; Rudd and Turner, 1983; Jackson, 1991). Among the water and
sediment chemistry factors which are particularly important in determining mercury uptake, the
concentration of mercury and bioavailable mercury (mainly methylmercury) in water and
sediment, pH, concentration of dissolved calcium, redox potential of sediment, oxygen content,
quantity and type of suspended and sedimentary Hg-binding substances such as organic matter,
clay minerals, hydrous Mn and Fe oxides, sulphide and selenium, etc. are the key factors
(Jackson et. al., 1991; Grieb et. al., 1990; Jackson, 1988; Wren and MacCrimmon, 1983; Rodgers
and Beamish, 1983; Speyer, 1980). The higher the amounts of sulphide, selenium and hydrous
Mn and Fe oxides in sediments and the higher the redox potential, the lower the amount of easily
solubilized, exchangeable forms of inorganic mercury existing in the sediment, and hence, the
lower are the methylmercury levels in bottom sediments and the water column. Also, higher
temperatures, pH ranges of 6.0-7.5, and a combination of adequate oxygen amount with large,
but suitable, amounts of organic matter may favour a higher microbial methylation/demethylation
ratio from water and/or sediments. Nevertheless, methylation occurs within a wide range of

4

trophic conditions, redox potentials and pH, indicating that methylation is carried out by different
kinds of microbes, each differing in its ecological requirements (Environment Canada, Manitoba,
1987; Jackson, 1991).

3 CONDUCT OF THE STUDY

3.1 Sampling

Sampling was conducted on June 14, 1993 at The Narrows by personnel from the
Fisheries Management Section of Alberta Fish and Wildlife, Central Region, Red Deer, while
performing netting tests.

One gang of gill nets totalling 229.5 metres in length were used. It consisted of 91.4 m
of 6.4 cm stretched mesh, 91.4 m of 8.9 cm stretched mesh and 46.7 m of 11.4 cm stretched
mesh set at 10:00 hrs and lifted at 12:00 hrs and 14:00 hr. Fifteen northern pike, one white
sucker and three longnose sucker were captured and retained in coolers.

On the same day in the field laboratory, fork lengths and weights of all fish were
measured. Field sample numbers were assigned to northern pike and sex was determined. The
cleithra were removed from northern pike for aging purposes. All of the fish were stored in
plastic bags, 4 or 5 fish per bag, and frozen at -20°C within five hours of capture. The next day
the frozen fish were packed in ice in a cooler and sent to AFC; they were received that same
day.

At AFC, the fish were kept frozen at -20°C. They were taken out for thawing 16 hrs
before fileting. Fileting was performed according to documented procedures (Water Analysis
Laboratory, 1993). Before fileting, the fish fork length and weight were measured and recorded.
Fish muscle tissue taken from the front, left side of each fish was analyzed for mercury content.

3.2 Analysis for Total Mercury

To determine total mercury in fish tissue the sample is digested with a mixture of
sulphuric and nitric acids to solublize the tissue and to oxidize all forms of mercury in the
biological tissue to its divalent ionic form. Mercury ions (Hg^"^) are then reduced by stannous

5

chloride solution to their elemental form (Hg°), determined by the traditional cold vapour atomic
absorption spectrometry (Water Analysis Laboratory, 1993).

3.3 Quality Control of Mercury Analyses

Analytical data quality was controlled using established protocols which are summarized

below.

An analytical system is defined as the combined contributions of the instrument,
established and documented method, and analyst. For fish mercury determination, analytical
system performance is monitored by including four types of Quality Control (QC) samples with
each batch of test samples:

I. QC standard solutions QCA(^), QCB(fi) and QCBLK(^) with known mercury
concentrations to evaluate the accuracy and precision of the analytical system for
standard solutions, where (C) denotes liquid.

II. In-house prepared defatted dry QC fish samples QCA(s) and QCB(s) to evaluate
relative accuracy and precision of the analytical system for fish samples, where
(s) denotes solid.

III. Certified Reference Material (CRM) DORM-1, (dried dogfish muscle tissue)
obtained from the National Research Council of Canada, to evaluate the accuracy
of the analytical system for a CRM fish sample.

IV. Three randomly selected duplicate sub-samples of fish tissue in each batch of
analyses to evaluate the precision of the analytical system for fish samples.

The analytical results for the QC Samples are compared to the design values, historical
means, or certified values, as appropriate, and expressed in terms of percentage recovery to
evaluate the accuracy. The results of QCA, QCB, QCA+QCB, QCA-QCB, and the difference
between the duplicates are statistically compared with the lower and/or upper warning and control
limits derived from WAL’s historical performance information on these materials at the 95% and
99% confidence level, respectively.

An analysis is considered unacceptable if any QC result exceeds the lower or upper
control limits. An out-of-control result of QCA+QCB indicates the existence of systematic error
in the analytical system. An out-of-control result of QCA-QCB indicates poor precision. If the

6

difference between the duplicate results exceeds the control limit, the reproducibility of the
analytical procedure is in question. If the QC samples indicate the analytical system is out-of-
control, all of the fish tissue analyses for that run/batch are repeated, after the cause of the system
failure is identified and corrected.

The quality control results observed during analyses of fish from The Narrows are
presented in Table 1. All QC data are within the prescribed corresponding control limits. The
recoveries of QC samples are within 97-104%. The recovery of CRM DORM-i is 97%. These
data demonstrate the acceptable performance of the analytical mercury measurement system, and
consequently the quality of the fish mercury concentration results reported in this study are
judged to be satisfactory.

4 RESULTS

Summarized and individual fish mercury results are presented in Table 2 and Appendix
A, respectively. None of the fish sampled at The Narrows from Parlby Creek-Buffalo Lake
contained a total mercury concentration exceeding the 0.5 mg kg"^ Canadian Federal Guideline
for commercially-consumable fish (Health and Welfare Canada, 1990). The concentration range
of total mercury is 0.077 - 0.269 mg kg'^ with a mean value of 0.15 mg kg‘^ for all fish species.

Regression analyses of total mercury concentration in northern pike versus field fork
length, age and weight. Fig. 2, indicate significant correlations with r^ values of 0.45, 0.46, and
0.34, respectively.

5 DISCUSSION

The major fish species sampled in this study is northern pike. Northern pike is a
piscivorous species at the top of the food chain. Laboratory experimental studies, conducted at
18°C, have shown that northern pike assimilate about 20% of the mercury contained in prey fish
which they ingest (Phillips and Gregory, 1979). The half-life of mercury in northern pike may
be as long as two years (Lockhart et al., 1972; Uthe, 1972). The correlation of mercury content
in northern pike with changes in environmental factors has been reported as being relatively poor
(Jackson, 1991). Since it is a popular species for sport fishing at The Narrows, monitoring
mercury levels in northern pike is an important relevant human health protection measure.

7

Table 1. Quality control results for total mercury analyses

I. Quality Control Standard Solutions (jag per 25 mL)

Date

Sample Name*

Design

Value

Warning Limit

Control Limit

Measured

Value

%

Recovery

Acceptable

Lower

Upper

Lower

Upper

June 24, 93

QCA({)

0.375

0.361

0.389

0.355

0.396

0.375

100

yes

June 24, 93

QCB({)

0.125

0.116

0.134

0.112

0.138

0.130

104

yes

June 24, 93

QCBIK(«)

0.000

-0.006

0.006

-0.009

0.0019

0.001

NA

yes

June 24, 93

QCA(«)+QCB(fi)

0.500

0.481

0.519

0.471

0.529

0.505

101

yes

June 24, 93

QCA(«)-QCB(«)

0.250

0.237

0.263

0.231

0.269

0.245

98

yes

II. Quality Control In-House Defatted Dry Fish Samples (mg kg’^)

Date

Sample Name*

Historical

Warning Limit

Control Limit

Measured

value

%

Recovery

Acceptable

Mean

n

Lower

Upper

Lower

Upper

June 24, 93

QCA(s)

3.779

51

3.460

4.098

3.301

4.257

3.854

102

yes

June 24, 93

QCB(s)

1.392

48

1.284

1.520

1.225

1.579

1.414

102

yes

June 24, 93

QCA(s)+QCB(s)

5.162

48

4.777

5.580

4.577

5.781

5.260

103

yes

June 24, 93

QCA(s)-QCB(s)

2.376

48

2.115

2.635

1.985

2.765

2.440

103

yes

III. Certified Reference Material (mg kg‘^)

Date

Sample Name

Certified Value

Measured Value

% Recovery

June 24, 93

NRC DORM-1

0.798 ± 0.074

0.74

97

IV. Duplicates (mg kg'^)

Date

Sample #

Original

Duplicate

Difference

Acceptable

Measured

Warning

Limit

Control

Limit

June 24, 93

9303762

0.180

0.178

0.002

0.018

0.025

yes

June 24, 93

9303769

0.109

0.104

0.005

0.018

0.025

yes

June 24, 93

9303771

0.209

0.219

0.010

0.018

0.025

yes

* (C) = liquid; (s) = solid

8

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S

to t

C 3
(U O

X

s

cn

d

+

00

00

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o

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II

>-

H s

O o ^

II V

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^ T3
u3 D

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CJ »-i
on

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e ^

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e

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ti

o

v5 :2

w -5

regression; symbols represent individual data points.

Table 2. Summary of total mercury concentrations in fish muscle tissue (wet weight) from The Narrows in Parlby Creek-Buffalo
Lake in 1993

9

10

For comparison purposes, fish mercury levels in the nearby Red Deer River below
Dickson Dam and in nearby Pine Lake and Gleniffer Lake sampled in 1983 or 1984 (Alberta
Environmental Centre, 1984; 1986) are summarized in Tables 3 and 4. In Table 5, mercury
levels for northern pike from these sites are compared to those from The Narrows. The mean
total mercury level of northern pike in this study was similar to that found 9 years ago in Pine
Lake but lower than that found 9-10 years ago in the Red Deer River and Gleniffer Lake (Tables
3-5). It should be mentioned that fish mercury level determinations performed at or by the
Alberta Environmental Centre during 1983-1985 were done using different methods in different
laboratories.

The background mercury level identified in this study is significantly below the Canadian
human health consumption guideline value of 0.5 mg kg‘^ (Health and Welfare Canada, 1990).
Full interpretation of the mercury level and its comparison with that in nearby aquatic systems
measured 9-10 years ago (Table 5) would require further information on both fish and
environmental characteristics as presented in section 2.

From a human health standpoint, organic mercury levels (mainly methylmercury) are of
more interest than total mercury, because methylmercury is much more toxic and may affect the
central nervous system of consumers (Merian, 1991). However, for this study it was decided that
costly organic mercury analysis would be performed only on fish samples which contained total
mercury concentrations close to or exceeding the 0.5 mg kg'^ Canadian Guidelines. This strategy
is a reasonable one since organic mercury comprises 80-95% of total mercury in fish muscle
tissue (Bloom, 1992; May et. al., 1987; Westoo, 1967 and 1973; WHO, 1990). Since no fish
contained high mercury levels, organic mercury analysis was not performed on any samples.

11

00

ON

c

<u

U

* 4—

:j: Scientific name: Stizostedion canadense

§ Scientific name: Hiodon alosoides

** Scientific name: Moxostoma macrolepidotum

Table 4. Summary of total mercury and organic mercury concentrations in fish muscle tissue (wet weight) from Pine and
Gleniffer lakes sampled in 1984*

12

Total Mercury
(mg kg *)

Range

0.153-0.460

0.076-0.286

0.176-0.376

0.090-0.357

0.189-0.449 1

0.091-0.187

0.076-0.449

Mean

0.276

99 TO

0.269

0.187

00

d

0.137

0.201

Organic Mercury
(mg kg'*)

Range

0.060-0.376

0.037-0.248

0.146-0.339

0.065-0.285

0.143-0.405

0.026-0.157

0.026-0.405

Mean

o

d

0.133

0.231

0.155

0.242

9600

0.165

Weight

(kg)

Range

0.800-5.204

0.053-0.388

0.067-1.135

0.126-0.816

0.643-1.670

0.244-0.970

0.053-1.670

Mean

2.103

0.133

0.717

0.567

1.115

0.528

0.602

Fork Length
(cm)

Range

46.0-82.0

16.4-31.6

23.5-57.0

21.1-38.9

43.5-55.0

26.2-39.9

16.4-57.0

Mean

57.8

22.6

46.6

34.0

49.9

32.5

36.2

Sample

Size

so

20

-

20

20

20

ON

Year

1984

1984

1984

1984

1984

1984

1984

Species

Northern Pike

Rocky Mountain Whitefishf

Burbot

Longnose Sucker

Northern Pike

White Sucker

All Species

Lake

Pine

Gleniffer

VO

00

as

c

D

U

c

I

I

>

a

W

cd

t:

<D

X

X

c

cd

•S 0-(

X ^
(D w

Q

* 4—

Table 5. Comparison of mean value of total mercury concentrations in northern pike muscle tissue in nearby aquatic systems

13

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14

6 LITERATURE CITED

Abernathy, A.R., and P.M. Cumbie. 1977. Mercury accumulation by largemouth bass
{Micropterus salmoides) in recently impounded reservoirs. Bull. Environ. Contam.
Toxicol. 17:595-602.

Alberta Environmental Centre. 1984. Mercury in fish from six rivers in southern Alberta.
Alberta Environmental Centre, Vegreville, AB. AECV84-R2. 74 pp.

Alberta Environmental Centre. 1986. Mercury residues in fish from twenty-four lakes and rivers
in Alberta. Alberta Environmental Centre, Vegreville, AB. AECV86-R4. 93 pp.

Alberta Environmental Centre. 1989. A five year study of mercury in fish from a newly formed
reservoir (Gleniffer Lake, Alberta). Alberta Environmental Centre, Vegreville, AB.
AECV89-R4. 24 pp.

Bloom, N. 1992. On the chemical form of mercury in edible fish and marine invertebrate tissue.
Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 49:1010-1017.

Bodaly, R.A., R.E. Hecky, and R.J.P. Fudge. 1984. Increases in fish mercury levels in lakes
flooded by the Churchill River diversion, northern Manitoba. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci.
41:682-691.

Bodaly, R.A., R.E. Hecky and P.S. Ramlal. 1987. Mercury availability, mobilization and
methylation in the Churchill River Diversion area. Appendix 3, Technical appendices to
the summary report - Canada-Manitoba Agreement on the Study and Monitoring of
Mercury in the Churchill River Diversion. Hull, Quebec. 26pp.

Environment Canada, Manitoba: Environment and Workplace Safety and Health. 1987.

Summary Report - Canada-Manitoba Agreement on the study and monitoring mercury
in the Churchill River Diversion. Hull, Quebec. 75 pp.

Environmental Management Associates. 1991. Parlby Creek-Buffalo Lake Development Project:
Environmental Impact Assessment, Vol. 1 - Summary report, Calgary, Alberta. 50 pp.

Fagerstrom, T., B. Asell and A. Jemelov. 1974. Model for accumulation of methylmercury in
northern pike {Esox lucius). Oikos 25:14-20.

Green, D.J. 1990. Updated summary of fish mercury data collected from six lakes on the Rat-
Bumtwood and Nelson River system, 1983-1989. Manitoba Natural Resources, Fisheries
Branch Man. Rep. No. 90-10, Winnipeg, MA. 277 pp.

Grieb, T.M., C.T. Driscoll, S.P. Gloss, C.L. Schofield, G.L. Bowie and D.B. Porcella. 1990.
Factors affecting mercury accumulation in fish in the upper Michigan Peninsula.
Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 9:919-930.

15

Health and Welfare Canada. 1990. Food chemical contaminants: assessing health risks. Health
Protection Branch, Ottawa, ON.

Jackson, T.A. 1988. Accumulation of mercury by plankton and benthic invertebrates in riverine
lakes of northern Manitoba (Canada): importance of regionally and seasonally varying
environmental factors. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 45:1744-1757.

Jackson, T.A. 1991. Biological and environmental control of mercury accumulation by fish in
lakes and reservoirs of northern Manitoba, Canada. Can. J. Fish Aquat. Sci., 48:2449-
2470.

Jackson, T.A., R.A. Bodaly and J.A. Mathias. 1991. Predicting fish mercury levels from
physical characteristics of boreal reservoirs. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci., 48:1468-1475.

Lockhart, W.L., J.F. Uthe, A.R. Kenney and P.M. Mehrle. 1972. Methylmercury in northern
pike {Esox Indus): distribution, elimination and some biochemical characteristics of
contaminated fish. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 29:1519-1523.

May, K., M. Stoeppler and K. Reisinger. 1987. Studies in the ratio total mercury/methylmercury
in the aquatic food chain. Toxicol. Environ. Chem., 13:153-159.

Mathers, R.A. and P.H. Johansen. 1985. The effects of feeding ecology on mercury
accumulation in walleye {Stizostedion vitreum) and pike {Esox Indus) in Lake Simcoe.
Can. J. Zool. 63:2006-2012.

Merian, E., editor. 1991. Metals and their compounds in the environment, VCH.
Verlagsgesellschaft, Cambridge.

Phillips, G.R. and R.W. Gregory. 1979. Assimilation efficiency of dietary methylmercury by
northern pike. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 36:1516-1519.

Reinert, R.E., L.J. Stone and W.A. Wilford. 1974. Effects of temperature on accumulation of
methylmercuric chloride and P,P’DDT by rainbow trout. J. Fish. Res. Board Can.
31:1649-1652.

Rodgers, D.W. and F.W.H. Beamish. 1981. Uptake of waterborne methylmercury by rainbow
trout in relation to oxygen consumption and methylmercury concentrations. Can. J. Fish.
Aquat. Sci. 38:1309-1315.

Rudd, J.W.M. and M.A. Turner. 1983. The English- Wabigoon River System: V. Mercury and
selenium bioaccumulation as a function of aquatic primary productivity. Can. J. Fish.
Aquat. Sci. 40:251-2259.

Speyer, M.R. 1980. Mercury and selenium concentration in fish, sediments and water of two
northwestern Quebec lakes. Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 24:427-432.

16

Stokes, P.M. and C.D. Wren. 1987. Bioaccumulation of Mercury of Aquatic Biota in
Hydroelectric Reservoirs. A review and consideration of mechanisms". In: Lead,
Mercury, Cadmium and Arsenic in the Environment. T.C. Hutchinson and K.M. Meema,
editors, John Wiley & Sons, New York.

Water Analysis Laboratory. 1993. Total mercury in fish tissue (draft). In: Method Manual for
Chemical Analysis of Water and Wastes, Alberta Environmental Centre, Vegreville, AB.

20 pp.

Westdd, G. 1967. Determination of methylmercury in foodstuffs. Acta Chem. Scand. 21:1790-
1800.

Westoo, G. 1973. Methylmercury as percentage of total mercury in flesh and viscera of salmon
and sea trout of various ages. Science. 181:567-568.

WHO. 1990. Environmental health criteria 101: methylmercury. World Health Organization,
Geneva. 144 pp.

Wren, C.D. and H.R. MacCrimmon. 1983. Mercury levels in the sunfish, Lepomis gibbosus,
relative to pH and other environmental variables of Precambrian Shield lakes. Can. J.
Fish. Aquat. Sci. 40:1737-1744.

Wright, D.R. and R.D. Hamilton. 1982. Release of methyl mercury from sediments: effects of
mercury concentration, low temperature and nutrient addition. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci.
39:1459-1466.

17

Appendix A. Mercury Concentrations in Fish Muscle Tissues From The Narrows in Parlby
Creek-Buffalo Lake

Sample Number

Species

Sex

Fork Length (cm)

Weight (kg)

Age

(Year)

Total
Mercury
(mg kg b

Field

Lab

Field

Lab

Field

Lab

11

9303760

Northern Pike

female

44.0

43.6

0.685

0.665

3

0.170

12

9303759

Northern Pike

male

51.4

51.1

1.030

1.007

5

0.225

13

9303761

Northern Pike

male

41.0

41.2

0.545

0.552

3

0.132

14

9303762

Northern Pike

female

50.9

50.7

0.945

0.925

5

0.178

15

9303758

Northern Pike

male

44.1

43.6

0.695

0.684

3

0.079

16

9303766

Northern Pike

female

50.6

50.1

0.950

0.838

3

0.177

17

9303765

Northern Pike

male

53.2

52.9

1.250

1.231

4

0.185

18

9303764

Northern Pike

male

47.4

46.6

0.900

0.793

4

0.161

19

9303763

Northern Pike

male

38.9

38.6

0.500

0.493

3

0.105

20

9303767

Northern Pike

male

49.8

48.8

0.890

0.870

6

0.269

21

9303770

Northern Pike

male

46.8

46.4

0.775

0.761

3

0.193

22

9303771

Northern Pike

female

46.6

46.3

0.770

0.758

5

0.219

23

9303772

Northern Pike

female

52.2

51.5

1.130

1.125

6

0.158

24

9303769

Northern Pike

male

42.2

41.2

0.535

0.519

3

0.104

25

9303768

Northern Pike

male

40.8

40.0

0.500

0.498

3

0.105

NA

9303754

White Sucker

-

35.5

-

0.676

-

0.077

NA

9303755

Longnose Sucker

-

41.7

-

0.997

-

0.089

NA

9303756

Longnose Sucker

-

40.8

-

1.035

-

0.109

NA

9303757

Longnose Sucker

-

41.2

-

1.100

-

0.114

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