Non-Point Mercury in Our Waters

Transcription

1 Non-Point Mercury in Our Waters John Whitehead & Patrick Barickman Utah Department of Environmental Quality

2 Government, industry need to do more to resolve mercury issue Mercury too high in Utah test fish Toxic mercury lurking in Great Salt Lake Activists say Utah should test its waters for mercury It's raining mercury Salt Lake Tribune Mercury a worry for duck hunters A poison wind: Toxic mercury blows into Utah from Nevada

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4 Why is Mercury an Issue? Bio-accumulates in the Environment

5 The Mercury Cycle

6 Methylmercury Levels are higher in long-lived predator fish Some fish may have higher levels based on regional environmental pollution Many health departments issue health advisories on consumption of sport fish Small fish, mollusks and crustaceans have low levels unless in polluted t

7 Mercury Toxicity - Chronic Effects Birth defects Visual problems, convulsions, cerebral palsy Mood and mental disorders Nervous system damage Memory loss Allergies Gum deterioration Hallucinations Skin irritation

8 Infants & Children Vulnerability to Methylmercury Why are unborn infants, nursing infants and young children at risk? Methylmercury easily passes from the mother s bloodstream to the fetus Methylmercury has been found in mother s breast milk Young children < 4-6 years of age: Rapidly absorb nutrients, inorganics from the stomach Have rapidly developing neurological systems

9 Mercury Issues: A National Perspective 46 states have issued mercury fish advisories Mercury deposition from air pollution an increasing concern Areas with no mercury sources are being impacted CDC estimates 1 in 6 U.S. women have high mercury levels 600,000 infants/year at risk Fish Consumption Advisories for Mercury NOTE: This map depicts the presence and type of fish advisories issued by the states for mercury as of December Because only selected waterbodies are monitored, this map does not reflect the full extent of chemical contamination of fish tissues in each state or province. National Fish and Wildlife Contamination Program Source: 2003 National Listing of Fish and Wildlife Advisories

10 Summary of All Data To Date Total samples to date 1,171 Total locations sampled Rivers/streams 54 Lakes/reservoirs 125 Samples above 0.3 mg/kg (11%)

11 Utah Mercury Fish Advisories ( as of April 2007) County Site Fish Species Emery Garfield Grand Iron Morgan Uintah / Carbon Wasatch Washington Washington Joes Valley Reservoir Calf CK above Campground Mill Creek Newcastle Reservoir Weber River below Morgan Lagoons Green River in Desolation Canyon Jordanelle Reservoir Upper Enterprise Reservoir Gunlock Reservoir Splake Trout Brown Trout Brown Trout Rainbow Trout Brown Trout Channel Catfish Brown Trout Rainbow Trout Large Mouth Bass

12 Weber River Waterfowl - GSL Jordanelle Res. Green River Joe s Valley Res. Mill Creek Calf Creek Newcastle Res. Upper Enterprise Res. Gunlock Res.

13 Fish Collection using Electro-shocker

14 Sample Preparation and Analysis

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16 Salt Lake County Total Samples sites Jordan 3 locations 123 rd South 5400 Bluffdale City Creek Big Cottonwood Creek No Values above.3 ppm

17 Surrounding Counties Morgan,Summit, Wasatch, Weber, Utah locations 26 samples above 0.3 ppm Approx. 6% above 0.3 ppm

18 Great Salt Lake Issues Very high mercury in deep brine layer Extremely high methyl mercury values Waterfowl mercury in tissue Sources???

19 Duck Advisories Northern Shoveler Common Goldeneye Cinnamon Teal

20 Great Salt Lake Study Funding $66,000 from DEQ Restricted Account One time FY2008 appropriation $87,000 from EPA grant $6,900 match from USGS $160,000 Total to Date Workplan includes sediment, water, waterfowl food-chain analysis Four Primary Focus Areas Waterfowl Sites Project Team: DNR, DEQ, USU, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

21 Utah Statewide Mercury Workgroup 19 Members representing Fishing & Waterfowl Groups Environmental Advocacy Groups State, Federal, & Local Agencies Utah Medical Association Tribal Interests Providing Forum for Information Sharing & Input on Mercury Issues

22 Further Information on Hg in Utah DEQ Web page www. deq.utah.gov Division of Water Quality Web page Dept. of Health Web page

23 What does this all mean to me personally?

24 National Health Advisory for Women of Child-bearing Age and Young Children 1. Do not eat swordfish, shark, king mackerel or tile fish 2. Eat up to 12 oz./week of fish that are lower in mercury: shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock and catfish. Albacore ( white ) has higher levels of mercury; consume only 6 oz./week 3. If no advisory is available, eat up to 6 oz./week (1 average meal) but don t consume any other fish during that week

25 Store Bought Fish in Utah Hg Values in Locally Purchased Swordfish Hg ppm EPA Screening Value = 0.3 mg/kg

26 Store Bought Fish in Utah Hg Values in Locally Purchased Salmon Hg ppm EPA Screening Value = 0.3 mg/kg

27 38 lb Striper from Lake Powell (Hg 1.01 mg/kg)

28 Do Benefits of Seafood Outweigh the Risks? Benefits of Fish Consumption Omega 3 Fatty Acids Great for the Heart Health Risks of Fish Consumption Mercury toxicity issues

29 American Heart Association We recommend eating fish (particularly fatty fish) at least two times a week. Fish is a good source of protein and doesn t have the high saturated fat that fatty meat products do. Fatty fish like mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon are high in two kinds of omega- 3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

30 Further Information on Mercury in Utah DEQ Web page tm Fish Advisories Web Page Duck Advisories Web Page htm

31 Where is all this Mercury Coming From? Before It Touches The Ground, Or Water Elemental Mercury In the air, also in 2 Key Forms Stable Long range effects Global cycle Reactive Local effects Potential hot spots

32 Where is all this Mercury Coming From? Utah 2002 Mercury Emissions (lbs/yr) Coal Fired electric generating units Incinerators Electric Arc Furnaces Cement/Lime Plants Industrial Boilers Landfills Other Approximately 0.6 Tons/Year

33 2003 US Mercury Inventory = 70 Tons/Year US = 2.4% of Global Emissions Global Re-Emissions (Legacy, continually cycled) = 16%

34 Where is all this Mercury Coming From?

35 Sources of Mercury in Utah Coal Fired Power Plants (coal) Cement & Lime Plants (coal, ore) Incinerators (batteries, fluorescent lamps, thermometers, electronics) Electric Arc Furnace (Hg in scrap metal) Landfills (same as incinerators) Other Sources i.e. Crematoriums (dental amalgam)

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37 Problems with Inventories Measuring Very Low Concentrations Emission Factors Are Based on Limited Testing Estimates Vary by Inventory Air Inventory vs. Toxics Release Inventory (different calcs.) Large degree of uncertainty in estimates

38 Solutions to Addressing Mercury Reduce Emissions and Deposition Regulatory Pollution Prevention Remove Hg Before it enters Waste Stream

39 Eliminating Mercury at the Source (Removal from a power plant)

40 Eliminating Mercury at the Source

41 Steel Recycling/Electric Arc Furnaces Utah Mercury Switch Bounty Program Recyclers Will Get $5.00 per Switch

42 Relating the source of Mercury to its Deposition or Destination Atmospheric Deposition Models are Very Complex After the Models are run, the challenge is to trace the pathway back to the source

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45 Actual Rainfall Modeled Rainfall

46 Next Steps: Scientific Study to Link Sourceareas to Mercury in Snow Fall

47 Next Steps Monitor Deposition to define hot spots Work to Refine and Verify Modeling Continue to Work with the State of Nevada to Reduce Emissions at Gold Mines