Selenium-induced developmental effects among fishes in selected West Virginia waters

In respect to the USEPA’s draft whole fish tissue body burden criterion for selenium—7.91 mg/kg dry weight (USEPA, 2004), potentially revised to 11.1 mg/kg dry weight (USEPA, 2008)—the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) has studied selenium bioaccumulation among fishes residing in the State’s lakes and streams since 2005. Additionally, due to concern regarding fish population health at locations subjected to elevated selenium inputs, particularly during the more sensitive developmental life stages of fishes (e.g. yolk-sac larvae), the WVDEP has collected and examined bluegill sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus, larvae (ichthyoplankton) from selected waterbodies since 2007. Also, in 2009, WVDEP began acquiring data about selenium concentrations within fish eggs, which is often used as a predictor of larval deformity rates (Lemly, 1997; Holm et al., 2005; Muscatello et al., 2006). Certain developmental deformities may also be observed among individuals surviving to later life stages (Nagano et al., 2007); consequently, WVDEP has conducted deformity surveys of adult fishes in selenium enriched waters as well as at reference locations since 2008. We plan to discuss the results of these studies.