Michigan Fish Contaminant Monitoring
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Issue Date
2002
Authors
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality-Water Division
Subject
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality-Water Division ; 2002 ; Michigan ; fish ; watershed
Abstract
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality-Water Division (MDEQ-WD) has analyzed
nearly 15,000 fish tissue samples collected since 1980. The MDEQ-WD conducts fish
contaminant monitoring to address four goals. The first goal is to support the development of
the Michigan Department of Community Health’s (MDCH’s) Michigan Fish Advisory.
Edible-portion sample results are used by the MDCH to issue general and specific advisories
against eating certain sport fish from Michigan’s surface waters. The second goal is to support
the regulation of commercial fisheries in the waters of the state. The Michigan Department of
Agriculture (MDA) uses edible-portion monitoring results to regulate sales of the commercial
catch. The third goal of the fish contaminant monitoring is to identify spatial differences and
temporal trends in the quality of Michigan’s surface waters. Temporal trends and spatial
differences are examined by collecting whole-fish and caged-fish samples in addition to the
edible-portion samples. Finally, the fourth goal of the fish contaminant monitoring is to evaluate
whether existing pollution prevention, regulatory, and remedial programs are effectively
reducing chemical contamination in the aquatic environment. To achieve this goal, fish tissue
samples are used to identify waters that are attaining or not attaining the designated uses
described in Michigan's Water Quality Standards (MWQS), identify sources of pollutants, and
track the effectiveness of remedial actions. Fish contaminant analyses are limited to chemicals
with high bioaccumulation potential in fish tissue. The presence of even extremely low
concentrations of some bioaccumulative pollutants in surface water can result in fish tissue
concentrations that pose a human or wildlife health risk.
Description
Partial OCR done. 194 pages total.