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Teratogenic effects and monetary cost of selenium poisoning of fish in Lake Sutton, North Carolina

Formally Refereed

Abstract

Selenium pollution from coal ash waste water was investigated in Lake Sutton, NC. This lake has been continuously used as a cooling pond for a coal-fired power plant since 1972. Historic and recent levels of contamination in fish tissues (14–105 µg Se/g dry weight in liver, 24–127 in eggs, 4–23 in muscle,7–38 in whole-body) exceeded toxic thresholds and teratogenic effects were observed in fish collected in 2013. A high proportion (28.9 percent) of juvenile Lepomis spp. exhibited spin a land craniofacial malformations that were consistent with selenium poisoning. Teratogenic Deformity Index values indicated population-level impacts on the fishery. The partially monetized cost of resultant fishery losses was calculated at over $US 8. 6 million annually, and over $US 217 million for the entire period of damage, which dates back to 1987 when chemical and biological monitoring began.

Keywords

Selenium, Coal ash, Fish deformities, Terata, Damaged value, Damage cost

Citation

Lemly, A. Dennis. 2014. Teratogenic effects and monetary cost of selenium poisoning of fish in Lake Sutton, North Carolina. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. 104: 160-167.
Citations
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/46475