Atmospheric Sources

Deposition to Georgia Basin of both locally generated and long-range transportPCBs and PBDEs is a potentially huge and unquantified source.

Collaboration between Fisheries and Oceans Canada and EnvironmentCanada to conduct rainwater, volatile gaseous and dryfall samples at twosites. For details see poster

:Analysis and interpretation of the 2004 sampling periodcontinued atmospheric sampling using passive collection devices

2004-2005:»

2005 +»»

P4 by Neil Dangerfield :et al. The pollutionshadow: characterizing "local" and "global" air pollution in the Strait ofGeorgia

Marine

Vancouver Island

Vancouver

Coast MountainsJohnstone Strait

Str. of Juan de Fuca

PugetSound

The Strait of Georgia is contiguous with the Pacific Ocean to the west and north,and has tidal exchange with Puget Sound through Admiralty Channel. Attemptswill be made to estimate the net transfer of contaminants.

Internal particle transport and deposition processes within the Strait stronglyaffect the transport of bound contaminants. Recent work at the Institute of OceanSciences with sediment traps, sediment cores and transmissometer data hassuggested that most of the particles entering the Strait of Georgia tend to staythere.

cores collected fromvarious sites in the strait areunderway. Additional sampling andanalysis of surficial sediments isplanned.

Analyses of PCBs and PBDEs insediment

Freshwater Inputs

Loadings from freshwater constitute the integrated contaminant signal fromlocal watershed releases and atmospheric deposition from distant sources.

Data from POPs measurements on alpine snowpack suggest thatmeltwater runoff could be a significant loading. As well, glacial

meltwater carries the legacy of past organochlorine use.

Characterization and estimate from theFraser River to the basin was undertaken. TheFraser contributes much of the total

. For sampling details seeplatform presentation

Additional loading estimates on other selectrivers draining to the .

2004-2005:»

2005-2008:»

loading

freshwaterto the Strait of Georgia

by

Strait of Georgia

F1.3 Mark Sekela et al.A novel approach to sample for river waterquality in the Fraser River estuary

Biota and Food Chain modelling

Suprisingly few contaminants data are available for any biota in theGeorgia area. As well, transfer through food chains and webs in the

region is doubtless an important mechanism of exposure.

:Development of a food chain accumulation model at Simon FraserUniversity. For details see poster

work by Donna Cullon at the University of Victoriacharacterizing POPs accumulation in marine mammals. For details seepresentation by

role of marine birds as reservoirs and vectors of contaminants. InGeorgia are large populations with elevated contaminant burdens.

For details see poster

possible biotic exchange of contaminants from both the open oceanand neighbouring Puget Sound

Straitof

synoptic sampling and analysis of shellfish in the Strait of Georgia byFisheries and Oceans Canada.

by

continued sampling and analysis of biota in the regionimportant

» Straitof

by

»

2004-2005:

2004 - 2007

»

»

»

»

P4 Colm Condon and FrankGobas:

P2 John Elliott et al.:

A marine food-web bioaccumulation model for PCBs andPBDEs in the Georgia Basin

Trends inpolybrominated diphenyl ethers in eggs of aquatic and marine birdsfrom British Columbia, Canada, 1979-2002

B3.1 Peter Ross et al.: Emerging concerns: flameretardants in the marine mammals of Puget Sound and Strait ofGeorgia

Other questions:

2004-2006:» Data relating to historical levels and loadings of PCBs and PBDEs to the Strait

of Georgia are being assembled and reviewed. The final data will beincorporated in a georeferenced database for subsequent addition, mappingand analysis.

Data Review and Assembly

EVolution of the Project

Publication by Ross of work showing localkiller whales to be the "most contaminated marine mammalson earth"

et al.

Interest in the issue grows. In particular, the possibility ofelucidating the relative importance of sources and transferto higher trophic levels.

SETAC PNW Chapter hosts an excellent workshop at U of WFriday Harbor Lab with the intent of setting the foundation fora model of PCBs in Puget Sound and Georgia Strait.

Much momentum, but no available funding.

Through the Georgia Basin Action Plan, funding is secured forboth atmospheric deposition studies and mass balance/modelling work in Georgia Strait. Workshop was held inDecember 2003 to develop partnerships in BC.

Photo by Graeme Ellis

2004 First year of data assembly/collection commences.

2008 End of Program

2000

2002

2003

Point-Source Discharges

Point-source discharges, including stormwater runoff, leaching from landfills, andindustrial and wastewater effluents all potentially contribute to the PCB and PBDEloading to the Strait of Georgia.

:Municipal wastewater effluent characterization programs were undertaken incollaboration with the Greater Vancouver Regional District (Vancouver) and theCapital Regional District (Victoria) with analysis by high-res GC/MS

» the Greater Vancouver Regional District is conducting retrospectiveanalyses of collected in 1996 for PBDE congeners to examine thetime-trend in loadings

Source identification and continued effluent characterization toestimate loadings

2004-2005»

2 0 0 5 +»

While regulatory bans and voluntary disuse of PCBs in British Columbia andWashington State have resulted in greatly decreased environmental concentrations,there is still cause for concern in some areas. For example, in the Strait of Georgiahigh PCB concentrations have been measured in killer whales, resident seals andreturning salmonids. PBDEs are similarly persistent and bioaccumulative, andunlike PCBs, their discharge remains relatively uncontrolled. We have embarked ona program to study the loading and fate of PCBs and PBDEs to the Georgia Basin.Through a combination of direct measurements and modelling we plan to develop acomprehensive picture of the loading, movement and fate of these contaminants inthe region.

The presentation here outlines some recent and proposed activities related to theproject.

Introduction

Understanding the Sources and Fate of PCBs and PBDEs in the Georgia BasinPatrick Shaw , Peter Ross , Sophia Johannessen , Robie Macdonald , Colm Condon , Frank Gobas

1 2 2 2 3 3

1 2 3Environment Canada, Vancouver, BC; Institute of Ocean Sciences, Sidney, BC; Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC

AcknowledgementsFunding is provided through the GeorgiaBasin Action Plan, Environment Canada.Special thanks to staff of both theCapital Regional District in Victoria and theGreater Vancouver Regional District in Vancouver

Photo by Peter Ross

Photo by Gail Moyle

pat.shaw@ec.gc.ca