U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological Survey

Contaminants of Concern in Larval and Adult Pacific LampreyElena Nilsen, U.S. Geological SurveyBrian McIlraith, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish CommissionBob Mueller and Tim Linley, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Pacific Lamprey Contaminants

Cl

Cl

ClCl

Cl

O

BrnBrm

(Cl)n(Cl)n 56

4

2 3

65

4

3 2

Ammocoetelarvae

Reproductionin streams

Migrationto ocean

Parasiticstage

in ocean

Metamorphosis

Lamprey stages and contaminant exposure

3-7 years

2-3 years

Nilsen et al. 2015, Env. Poll.

larger suite of I/PCPs were analyzed. This larger suite of I/PCPs wasfurther classified into fragrances, plasticizers, surfactants, sterols,and I/PCP other. CUPs and I/PCPs are considered to be contaminantsof emerging concern (CECs). Appendices B2 and B3 include a full listof compounds and classifications.

2.3. Quality assurance/quality control

The analytical method and results for the environmental sam-ples were validated against a comprehensive set of performance-based quality control parameters including laboratory blanks andspikes, matrix spikes, replicate samples, and surrogate recoveries.Laboratory blanks for both tissue runs (N ¼ 4) and sediment runs(N ¼ 4) consisted of reagent grade sand carried through theextraction, cleanup, and analysis steps. Recoveries for laboratoryreagent spikes for tissues (N ¼ 4) and sediments (N ¼ 2) are re-ported in Appendix B4. For the blanks and spikes, the mean re-coveries of the surrogates dibromooctafluorobiphenyl, DDT-d8, andPCB 202-13C12 were 90%, 116%, and 80% for tissues and 74%, 118%,and 74% for bed sediment, respectively. Thirteen percent of tissuesamples and 16% of sediment samples were collected and analyzedin replicate. Relative standard deviations (RSDs) for the majorcompound classes in the replicate samples were determined fordetections at or above the method reporting limits for bothmatrices. Tissue replicate samples had RSDs of 18.5% for pesticides,and 21.7% for PBDEs. PCB detections were few, and all were wellbelow the method quantification limits and thus highly variable.Sediment replicate samples had RSDs of 14.2% for pesticides. Therewere few detections of PBDEs and PCBs in sediments, and all were

well below quantification limits and thus highly variable. Refer toNilsen et al. (2014b) for assessment of method performance fordetections at or near reporting limits for these compound classes.

Equivalent blanks, matrix spikes, and all other laboratory QCprocedures were followed in both years. Information on blank de-tections is reported in Appendix A. Method detection limits (MDLs)and method reporting limits (MRLs) are reported in Appendix B5.

3. Results

3.1. Site comparisons of contaminants

3.1.1. SedimentsThe most prevalent contaminant classes detected in sediments

were PAHs and industrial/personal care products (I/PCP). Differentspatial patterns were observed for different classes of contaminantsdetected in surface sediments. For example, PAHs and surfactantcompounds were relatively high at only a few sites, whereasfragrance compounds were more widely distributed (Fig. 2, toppanel). Legacy pesticides were detected at the majority of the sites(Appendix B2), but currently used pesticides were generally foundat higher concentrations than legacy pesticides (Fig. 2, bottompanel). Legacy and currently used pesticides did not always co-occur. Mill Creek and Roza Canal generally had the highest con-centrations (Appendix B). Mill Creek and the Yakima River Basinsites had the highest number of compounds detected in sediments.An unidentified source of domestic wastewater to Mill Creek wasrecently implicated in higher than average counts of the fecalbacteria indicator Escherichia coli (Hanson, 2013) and may account

Fig. 1. Site map showing all sites sampled for larval lamprey and sediment in 2011e2012 and adult lamprey sampled as part of the most recent previous study (OHA EPH, 2012).

E.B. Nilsen et al. / Environmental Pollution 201 (2015) 121e130 123Site Map – 27 sites in 7 rivers

WASHINGTON

OREGON

27 sites

concentrations in larval tissues than legacy pesticides. The mostnotable exception was at Fifteenmile Creek Site 1, where much ofthe high pesticide concentration detected in larval lamprey wasfrom oxyfluorfen, the active ingredient of the herbicide Goal®,which was spilled near the site in 2000. Of the currently usedpesticides, oxyfluorfen and chlorpyrifos were detected the mostfrequently and at the highest concentrations (Appendix B2). Oxy-fluorfen was detected in tissues from the mid-Columbia subbasinsand Pudding River, while chlorpyrifos was detected mostfrequently in theWillamette and Yakima River Basins. Compared toother subbasins, the Deschutes had relatively low concentrations ofpesticides in larval tissues. Pesticide concentrations in tissues werealso relatively low at the Willamette River Basin sites, except at thePudding River and at the two lower Willamette River sites. Many ofthe PCB congeners were also detected in larval tissues at the twolower Willamette sites.

HFRs were detected in tissues at most sites (Appendix B2). BDE47 and BDE 99were detected at the highest concentrations and BDE100was also frequently detected, but at lower concentrations. HFRsin tissues were generally highest at sites downstream in subbasinsor sites with larger drainage areas. PCBs were rarely detected inlarval lamprey, except at the two lower Willamette River sites.Concentrations of DDTs, HFRs and PCBs in adult lamprey tissueswere slightly lower than those recently measured in resident

largescale sucker (Catostomus macrocheilus), while concentrationsof PCBs in larval lamprey tissues were substantially lower thanthose recently measured in largescale suckers in the lowerColumbia River (Nilsen et al., 2014b). It is likely that PCBs are bio-accumulated through the parasitic diet of mature lampreys. How-ever, since PCBs were present in larvae at two sites, it is alsopossible that if PCBs were present at higher concentrations insediments, they would also bioaccumulate in larvae. Mercury is notshown in Fig. 3 since it was analyzed only in the samples collectedin 2012, but, where analyzed, mercury concentrations were higherthan those of the other compounds (Appendix B2). Mercury washighest in larvae from Yakima and Willamette Rivers, DDTs werehighest in larvae from Umatilla and Hood Rivers, and other legacypesticides were highest in larvae from Mill Creek.

4. Discussion

4.1. Sediment-tissue contaminant comparisons

Halogenated contaminants and some currently used pesticideswere analyzed in both tissues and sediments. Concentrations ofseveral flame retardants and pesticides were several hundred timeshigher in larval tissues than in the paired sediment samples (Fig. 4).Because it is unknown how long larvae stay in specific stream

Fig. 3. Map of the study area with pie charts for presence and relative proportions of compound classes detected in larval lamprey tissues. Larger pie charts indicate higherconcentrations. Contaminant classes include flame retardants (FR), polychlorinated phenyls (PCBs), currently used pesticides (CUPs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and itsdegradates (DDTs), and other legacy pesticides (LP_Other).

E.B. Nilsen et al. / Environmental Pollution 201 (2015) 121e130 125

Contaminants in Larval Tissues

Pacific Ocean

Concentrations and Detection Frequencies in Larval Tissues

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Unpublished data from USGS and PNNL; do not cite or release

Results Summary§ Pesticides, mercury, flame

retardants abundant in tissues and sediment; PCBs low at larval stage

§ Concentrations exceeded guidance levels

§ Also exceeded effects levels for salmonids

§ Contaminants may play a role in Pacific lamprey declines

Acknowledgements• Study design and sampling

– Andrew Wildbill, Matt Fox, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs (CTWS)

– Aaron Jackson, Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR)

– Ralph Lampman, Patrick Luke, Yakama Nation

– Lance Wyss, Oregon State University (OSU)

– Gabe Sheoships, CRITFC/OSU• Funding: CRITFC and USGS

Cooperative Water Program• More information:

http://or.water.usgs.gov/proj/lampreys/ and http://or.water.usgs.gov/projs_dir/lampreys_phase2/index.html