Thompson River fish survey : mercury, cadmium, copper and zinc content of rainbow trout and mountain whitefish / by G. Derksen.: En40-240-1/86-09E-PDF

"Mercury, cadmium, copper and zinc content of muscle and liver tissue was measured from rainbow trout and mountain whitefish collected from the Thompson River system. Higher mean concentrations of mercury and copper were found in the muscle tissue of South and Lower Thompson River rainbow trout compared to North Thompson River rainbow trout. Albeit the liver tissue sample size was small, these differences were not reflected by liver tissue. Liver tissue samples are considered to better reflect environmental contamination of water with heavy metals. The lower level of mercury in the North Thompson River rainbow trout may reflect the smaller size of fish sampled. Muscle tissue copper content was also higher in Lower Thompson River mountain whitefish than North Thompson River mountain whitefish. There were no apparent differences between rivers for either muscle or liver tissue zinc levels. Liver tissue cadmium levels were higher in North Thompson River rainbow trout and mountain whitefish compared to either the South or Lower Thompson River fish. Muscle tissue cadmium levels were below detectable levels in all cases. The metal content of muscle tissue was well below any reference levels reported for fish for human consumption. The observed differences could reflect mineralogical differences of the drainages"--Abstract, page i.

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