TANANA CHIEFS CONFERENCE, INC.
122 FIRST AVENUE, SUITE 600
FAIRBANKS, ALASKA 99701

Mercury and Selenium Concentrations In Fish Tissue and Surface
Waters of the Northern Unit of the Innoko National Wildlife Refuge
(Kaiyuh Flats), West Central Alaska, 1993

By
Paul G. Headlee
Wildlife and Parks Program

Water Resources Report No. 96-3

May 1996

AUTHOR: Paul G. Headlee is an Aquatic Biologist employed by the Tanana Chiefs Conference, Inc. in Fairbanks, Alaska.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Tanana Chiefs Conference, Inc. (TCC) would like to thank Mr. Victor Alexie, Sr. for his knowledge and boat charter services provided within the Kaiyuh Flats. Mr. George Yaska, TCC Director of Wildlife & Parks Program and Mr. Clyde Peter, TCC Realty Services provided important input concerning the Kaiyuh Flats and surrounding villages. Dr. Elaine Snyder-Conn, United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and Dr. Phyllis Weber Scannell, Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) Habitat Division provided guidance concerning sample collection methods and draft report review. Dr. Elizabeth Andrews and Mr. David Andersen, ADF&G Subsistence Division, provided harvest rate information. Dr. Pamela Schubat, Minnesota Department of Health, and Dr. David Dourson, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, provided information and guidance regarding fish consumption advisories. The TCC Wildlife & Parks Program thanks Mr. Robert Sattler, TCC, for his technical review of the preliminary summary of this report.

This report may be cited as follows:

Headlee, P.G. 1996. Mercury and selenium concentrations in fish tissue and surface waters of the Northern Unit of the Innoko National Wildlife Refuge (Kaiyuh Flats), west central Alaska, 1993. Tanana Chiefs Conference, Inc. Fairbanks, AK. Water Resources Report 96-3.

ABSTRACT

Five (5) surface water samples and forty-eight (48) northern pike (Esox lucius) were collected from specific drainages within the Northern Unit of the Innoko National Wildlife Refuge located in west central Alaska between August 23-27, 1993. Two of the drainages had prior placer and lode ore mining activities. The remaining three (3) drainages had no prior placer or lode mining activities. Surface water samples were analyzed for total mercury (Hg), total selenium (Se), and water quality parameters. Northern pike dorsal muscle tissue samples were analyzed for total mercury and total selenium. Mercury and selenium were both not detectable in surface water samples at minimum limits of detection (LOD) of 0.0002 ppm and 0.005 ppm, respectively. Selenium was not detectable in fish muscle tissues at the LOD of 0.400 ppm. Mercury was detected in all forty-eight (48) fish tissue samples at a LOD of 0.005 ppm. Total mercury in fish muscle tissue ranged from 0.091 ppm wet weight to 0.832 ppm wet weight (mean=0.438 ppm), n=48. Fork length of fish ranged from 301 mm to 1010 mm (mean=625 mm). No samples exceeded the Food and Drug Administration "action level" of 1.0 ppm of mercury in fish tissue. Pearson correlation coefficients for total mercury ppm wet weight vs. age of fish, and vs. fork length of fish are r= 0.737 and r= 0.816, respectively. Total mercury concentrations correlated strongly with length and age of the fish at all sample sites. Water quality parameters measured were below the Alaska Water Quality Standards 18 AAC 70. For all sample sites, surface water temperature ranged from 6.5 C^o to 11.0> C^o, (mean= 8.5 ^o C^o). pH ranged from 6.85 to 8.08, (median=7.68 pH). Turbidity ranged from 0.31 NTU to 1.23 NTU (mean=0.77 NTU). Conductivity ranged from 62 umhos/cm to 260 umhos/cm (mean= 141.4 umhos/cm). Hardness ranged from 27 ppm CaCO₃ to 152 ppm CaCO₃ (mean= 73.4 ppm).
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