Abstract
This report presents the results of a contaminant monitoring
survey conducted annually by the Missouri Department
of Conservation to examine the levels of selected elemental
contaminants in fish fillets, fish muscle plugs, and crayfish.
Fillet samples of yellow bullhead (Ameiurus natalis), golden
redhorse (Moxostoma erythrurum), longear sunfish (Lepomis
megalotis), and channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) were
collected from six sites as part of the Missouri Department of
Conservation’s Fish Contaminant Monitoring Program. Fish
dorsal muscle plugs were collected from largemouth bass
(Micropterus salmoides) at eight of the sites, and crayfish from
two sites. Following preparation and analysis of the samples,
highlights of the data were as follows: cadmium and lead
residues were most elevated in crayfish tissue samples from
the Big River at Cherokee Landing, with 1 to 8 micrograms
per gram dry weight and 22 to 45 micrograms per gram dry
weight, respectively. Some dorsal muscle plugs from largemouth
bass collected from Clearwater Lake, Lake St. Louis,
Noblett Lake, Hazel Creek Lake, and Harrison County Lake
contained mercury residues (1.7 to 4.7 micrograms per gram
dry weight) that exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency Water Quality Criterion of 1.5 micrograms per gram
dry weight of fish tissue (equivalent to 0.30 micrograms per
gram wet weight).
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First posted January 23, 2013
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