CATALOG DOCUMENTATION REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT PROGRAM - REGION 1 1993-1994 FISH TISSUE CONTAMINATION IN MAINE LAKES FISH TISSUE METAL CONCENTRATIONS BY LAKE DATA TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. DATA SET IDENTIFICATION 2. INVESTIGATOR INFORMATION 3. DATA SET ABSTRACT 4. OBJECTIVES AND INTRODUCTION 5. DATA ACQUISITION AND PROCESSING METHODS 6. DATA MANIPULATIONS 7. DATA DESCRIPTION 8. GEOGRAPHIC AND SPATIAL INFORMATION 9. QUALITY CONTROL/QUALITY ASSURANCE 10. DATA ACCESS 11. REFERENCES 12. TABLE OF ACRONYMS 13. PERSONNEL INFORMATION 1. DATA SET IDENTIFICATION 1.1 Title of Catalog document Regional Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program - Region 1 1993-94 Fish Tissue Contamination in Maine Lakes Fish Tissue Metal Concentrations by Lake Data Set 1.2 Author of the Catalog entry Melissa Hughes, OAO Corporation 1.3 Catalog revision date 12 March 1998 1.4 Data set name ALFISHME 1.5 Task Group Region 1 1.6 Data set identification code 000012 ------- 1.7 Version 001 1.8 Requested Acknowledgment If you plan to publish these data in any way, EPA requires a standard statement for work it has supported: "Although the data described in this article have been funded wholly or in part by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency through its Regional EMAP program, it has not been subjected to Agency review, and therefore does not necessarily reflect the views of the Agency and no official endorsement should be inferred." 2. INVESTIGATOR INFORMATION 2.1 Principal Investigators Barry Mower Jeanne DiFranco Linda Bacon David Courtemanch State of Maine Department of Environmental Protection 2.2 Investigation Participant-Sample Collection Not applicable 3. DATA SET ABSTRACT 3.1 Abstract of the Data Set The R-EMAP Region 1 Fish Tissue Metal Concentrations by Lake data set presents the results of chemical analyses on all composites of fish tissue collected from each lake. Lead, cadmium and mercury results are reported for the following composites: predator whole fish, predator fillet and omnivore whole fish. Quality assurance issues are flagged. 3.2 Keywords for the Data Set Lake, Maine, fish, fish tissue, mercury, lead, cadmium 4. OBJECTIVES AND INTRODUCTION 4.1 Program and Project Objectives 4.1.1 Program Objective Regional Environmental Assessment and Monitoring Program (R-EMAP) was initiated to test the applicability of the EMAP approach to answer questions about ecological conditions at regional and local scales. Using EMAP's statistical design and indicator concepts, R-EMAP conducts projects at smaller geographic scales and in shorter time frames. 4.1.2 Project Objective The primary goal of this study was to estimate the levels of contamination in fish populations, and the risk these levels pose to human and wildlife consumers. The primary objective was to determine concentrations of cadmium, lead, mercury, PCBs and selected pesticides in fish collected from Maine lakes. ------- 4.2 Data Set Objective Inorganic compound concentrations from fish tissue homogenates are presented to characterize the relationships among the following factors: fish community and age structure, trophic level and contaminant distribution. 4.3 Data Set Background Discussion Because high levels of contaminants have been found in Maine fish since the early 1970's, studies were begun to assess the relationship of these findings to low bald eagle reproduction rates. These studies revealed high mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) levels in nesting eaglets, while studies in other states have continued to report high levels of these and other contaminants in fish. These findings led the Maine DEP to initiate this study to measure levels of contamination in fish populations in the State's lakes and ponds, in order to determine the potential risks to both ecological and human health. 4.4 Summary of Data Set Parameters The concentration of three inorganic compounds (lead, cadmium and mercury) are presented for each fish tissue composite; Quality Assurance problems are flagged, as necessary. 5. DATA ACQUISITION AND PROCESSING METHODS 5.1 Data Acqui si ti on 5.1.1 Sampling Objective Target fish specimen collection based on size, trophic level, distribution and desirability as game fish. 5.1.2 Sample Collection Methods Summary Fish were collected by various methods to accumulate ten predators and five omnivores of the same species from each lake. Samples were extracted for age analysis. Fish were rinsed in lake water, and wrapped in aluminum foil and kept on ice in a cooler. 5.1.3 Sampling Start Date June 1993 September 1994 5.1.4 Sampling End Date September 1993 September 1994 5.1.5 Platform Not applicable. 5.1.6 Sampling Equipment fishing rods, gill nets, trap nets, dip nets and beach seines 5.1.7 Manufacturer of Sampling Equipment Not known ------- 5.1.8 Key Vari ables Data are based on analytical measurements. 5.1.9 Sampling Method Calibration Not applicable. 5.1.10 Sample Collection Quality Control Care was taken to keep fish clean and free of contamination. 5.1.11 Sample Collection Method Reference Maine Department of Environmental Protection et. al., 1993. Project Work/Quality Assurance Plan, Fish Tissue Contamination in the State of Maine. December 20, 1993. 5.2 Data Preparation and Sample Processing Specimens were frozen upon return from the field. Whole predator fish, predator fillets and whole omnivore fish samples from the same lake were ground, combined into a composite and homogenized. An aliquot was extracted for analysis. 6. DATA MANIPULATIONS 6.1 Name of new or modified values Not applicable 6.2 Data Manipulation Description Not applicable 6.3 Data Manipulation Examples Not applicable 7. DATA DESCRIPTION 7.1 Description of Parameters CONTENTS Data Set Name: ALFISHME Observations: 125 Engine: V612 Variables: 22 Parameter Data Parameter # SAS Name Type Len Format Label 1 LAKE Char 12 $12. Lake name 2 TOWN Char 25 $25 Town 3 MIDAS Char 11 $11. Lake identification number 4 SP1 Char 5 $5. Predator fillet species 5 NUM1 Num 8 5. Predator fillet composite (# fish) 6 HG FIL Num 8 7.2 Mercury (ppm)in predator fillet 7 SP2 Char 5 $5. Predator whole fish species 8 NUM2 Num 8 5. Predator whole fish composite (# fish) 9 HG_WH1 Num 8 8.3 Mercury (ppm)in predator whole fish composite 10 HGQ.1 Char 5 $5. Flag for mercury (ppm) in predator whole fish composite ------- 7.1 Description of Parameters, continued Parameter Data Parameter # SAS Name Type Len Format Label 11 CD_PPM1 Num 8 9.3 Cadmium (ppm) in predator whole fish composite 12 CDQl Char 5 $5. Flag for cadmium (ppm) in predator whole fish composite 13 PB_PPM1 Num 8 9.3 Lead (ppm)in predator whole fish composite 14 PBQl Char 5 $5. Flag for lead (ppm) in predator whole fish composite 15 SP3 Char 5 $5. Omnivore whole fish species 16 NUM3 Num 8 5. Omnivore whole fish composite (# fi 17 HG_WH2 Num 8 8.3 Mercury (ppm)in omnivore whole fish composite 18 HGQ2 Char 6 $6. Flag for mercury (ppm)in omnivore whole fish composite 19 CD_PPM2 Num 8 10.3 Cadmium (ppm)in omnivore whole fish composite 20 CDQ2 Char 6 $6. Flag for cadmium (ppm)in omnivore whole fish composite 21 PB_PPM2 Num 8 9.3 Lead (ppm)in omnivore whole fish composite 22 pbq.2 Char 8 $8. Flag for lead (ppm)in omnivore whole fish composite 7.1.6 Precision to which values are reported Data were reported to the number of decimal places noted in 7.1. 7.1.7 Minimum values in data set Variable Minimum NUM1 0 HG FIL 0.02 NUM2 0 HG WH1 0.064 CD PPM1 0.010 PB PPM1 0.020 NUM3 0 HG WH2 0.002 CD PPM2 0.009 PB PPM2 0.027 7.1.8 Maximum values in data set Variable Maximum NUM1 5 HG FIL 2.50 NUM2 5 HG WH1 1.800 CD PPM1 0.240 PB PPM1 0.310 NUM3 5 HG WH2 1.200 CD PPM2 0.600 PB PPM2 0.640 ------- 7.2 Data Record Example 7.2.1 Column Names for Example Records LAKE;TOWN;MIDAS;SP1;NUM1;HG_FIL;SP2;NUM2;HG_WH1;HGQ1;CD_PPM1;CDQ1;PB_PPM1;PBQ.1 ; SP3;NUM3;HG_WH2;HGQ2;CD_PPM2;CDQ2;PB_PPM2;PBQ2; 7.2.2 Example Data Records LAKE;TOWN;MIDAS;SP1;NUM1;HG_FIL;SP2;NUM2;HG_WH1;HGQ1;CD_PPM1;CDQ1;PB_PPM1;PBQl ;SP3; NUM3 ; HG_WH2 ; HGQ2; CD_PPM2; CDQ2 ; PB_PPM2 ; PBQ2; BRANCH P (UPPER MID);AUR0RA AURORA AURORA;4492;LLS;3;0.43;LLS;3;0.320; ; 0 .022 ; ; 0.023; ;WHS;5;0.150; ;0.140; ;0.077; ; SANDY RIVER P (MID);SANDY RIVER PLT;3566;BKT;5;0.37;BKT;5;0.330; ;0.024; ;0.024; ; WHS;5;0.120; ; 0.039; ; 0.058; ; SYMMES P;NEWFIELD;3892;YLP;5;0.18;YLP;5;0.210; ;0.019;ND;0.100; ; ;0;9.999; ; 9.999; ;9.999; ; BRACKETT L;WESTON;1068;SMB;5;0.31;SMB;5;0.260; ;0.028; ;0.050; ;WHS;5;0.083; ; 0.082; ;0.160; ; OTTER P;PARMACHENEE TWP;3972;BKT;3;0.13;BKT;3;0.390; ;0.019;ND;0.045; ;WHS;5; 0.590; ;0.019;ND;0.170; ; 8. GEOGRAPHIC AND SPATIAL INFORMATION 8.1 Minimum Longitude -71 Degrees 00 Minutes 47 Decimal Seconds 8.2 Maximum Longitude -67 Degrees 10 Minutes 30 Decimal Seconds 8.3 Minimum Latitude 43 Degrees 15 Minutes 21 Decimal Seconds 8.4 Maximum Latitude 47 Degrees 07 Minutes 11 Decimal Seconds 8.5 Name of area or region EPA Region 1 The sampling area included the entire state of Maine. 9. QUALITY CONTROL AND QUALITY ASSURANCE 9.1 Data Quality Objectives The data quality objective was to have less than 50% relative percent difference for all split samples. 9.2 Data Quality Assurance Procedures The following is a list of QA samples analyzed: split samples between laboratories and duplicate, spiked and reference samples analyzed in one laboratory. These procedures are detailed in the documents listed under 11. REFERENCES. ------- 10. DATA ACCESS 10.1 Data Access Procedures Data can be downloaded from the WWW site or contact personnel listed in Section 10.3. 10.2 Data Access Restrictions Not Applicable 10.3 Data Access Contact Persons Linda C. Bacon State of Maine Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Land and Water Quality Division of Environmental Assessment State House Station 17 Augusta, ME 04333 Linda.C.Bacon@state.me.us Data Librarian EMAP-Information Management U.S. EPA NHEERL-AED (401) 782-3184 (Tele) (401) 782-3030 (FAX) hughes.melissa@epa.gov 10.4 Data Set Format Data files are in ASCII semi-colon delimited format. 10.5 Information Concerning Anonymous FTP Data cannot be accessed via ftp. 10.6 Information Concerning WWW Data can be downloaded from the WWW site. 10.7 EMAP CD-ROM Containing the Data Set Data are not available on CD-ROM 11. REFERENCES DiFranco et. al., 1995. Fish Tissue Contamination in Maine Lakes. Data Report. State of Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Land and Water Quality, Division of Environmental Assessment. September 1995. Maine Department of Environmental Protection et. al., 1993. Project Work/Quality Assurance Plan, Fish Tissue Contamination in the State of Maine. Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and U.S. EPA Region 1 Environmental Services Division. December 20, 1993. 12. TABLE OF ACRONYMS ACRONYM DESCRIPTION DEP Maine Department of Environmental Protection DIFW Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife ------- EMAP Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program EPA Environmental Protection Agency HetL Maine Department of Human Services Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory MIDAS Maine Information Display Analysis System - unique number assigned to each Maine lake PCBs polychlorinated biphenyls QA Quality Assurance QA/QC Quality Assurance/Quality Control REMAP Regional Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program UMO National Biological Survey and Sawyer Environmental Chemistry Laboratories at the University of Maine at Orono 13. PERSONNEL INFORMATION Jeanne DiFranco Linda Bacon David Courtemanch Barry Mower State of Maine Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Land and Water Quality Division of Environmental Assessment State House Station 17 Augusta, ME 04333 (207) 287-3901 Barry.F.Mower@state.me.us Jeanne.L.Difrance@state.me.us Linda.C.Bacon@state.me.us Dave.L.Courtemanch@state.me.us Melissa M. Hughes EMAP-Information Management 0A0 Corp. c/o U.S. EPA NHEERL-AED 27 Tarzwell Drive Narragansett, RI 02882-1197 (401) 782-3184 (Tele) (401) 782-3030 (FAX) hughes.melissa@epa.gov Ray Thompson U.S. EPA - Region 1 Environmental Services Division 60 Westview Street Lexington, MA 02173 (781) 860-4300 (Tele) thompson.ray@epa.gov ------- |