Assessing Fish Consumption BUI at Thunder Bay and St. Marys River Areas of Concern

Session: Poster session

Don Jackson, University of Toronto, [email protected]
Nilima Gandhi, Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, [email protected]
Satyendra Bhavsar, Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, [email protected]

Abstract

Historical industrial activities around the Great Lakes resulted in elevated levels of contaminants in various matrices including sediment and fish.  In the 1980s, 43 local areas within the Great Lakes were designated as Areas of Concern (AOCs) mainly due to the contamination issue.  Fourteen beneficial uses were defined to evaluate status of the AOCs.  Assessing whether fish consumption beneficial use is still impaired or not remains an important step for delisting of the AOCs where this use was deemed impaired due to elevated contaminants.  This presentation will discuss fish contaminant monitoring data for Lake Superior, which is the largest of the five Great Lakes, and investigate if two AOCs of the lake (Thunder Bay and St. Marys River) have recovered from the various risk assessment and management perspectives.  The observations will be presented in light of various other factors that can contribute in understanding the environmental conditions.  The findings of this study will help in addressing challenges involved in evaluating fish consumption beneficial use impairment at the AOCs and path forward towards a re-designation.

1. Keyword
fish toxins

2. Keyword
human health

3. Keyword
Lake Superior

4. Additional Keyword
AOC

5. Additional Keyword
BUI

6. Additional Keyword
Environmental Health