9543

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9543
• Author: DeForest, D. K., K. V. Brix and W. J. Adams
• Title: Critical Review of Proposed Residue-Based Selenium Toxicity Thresholds for Freshwater Fish
• USFW Year: 1999
• USFW - Doc Type: Human and Ecological Risk Assessment
• Copyright Material: YES

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Debate/Commentary

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lines at this time is the limited number of fish species for which there are
residue-effects data. The vast majority of the data are for rainbow trout,
chinook salmon, fathead minnows, and blucgill. AdditionalIy, the lack of
mate mal transfcr data for nonanadromous coldwater species represents a
significant uncertainty given that the whole body residuc data suggest that
coldwater species arc more sensitive.
In summary, the gnidelines recommended by Lemly (l993a) and Skorupa
et ai, (1996) arc generally not supported by our rcview of the scientific lilera-
lUre, particularly for warmwater !ish. In some cases the tissue concentrations
associatcd with Loxic effects are based on non-cnvironmenLalIy relevant expo-
sure pathways, while inothers the interpreLations of the toxic tissue concen-
trations appear unsubstantiated by the data presented in the original studies,
The tissue concentrations we recommend as guidelines, compared with those
recommended by Lemly (1993a) and Skorupa et ai, (1996), arc presented in
Table 5. Based on the tissue residue selenium data reported in the scientific
literature, we believe our recommended tissue guidelines provide a defensible
set of values for use in bioaccumulation models for conducting risk assess-
ments or deriving site-specilic water quality criteria. Based on the guidelines
recommended by Lemly (1993a) and Skorupa et aL (1996), fish populations
at many locations across the U.S. might be predicted as being at risk from
selenosis. Our review snggests that selcnium risks to !ish populations is not as
common as somc helicvc, but further studics are needed to confirm the
sensitivities of fish 10 selcniulJI, particularly cold water species.

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Table 5. Comparison of our recommended thresholds (mg/kg dw) to
those of Lemly (1993a) and Skorupa et aI. (1996).

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Tissue Our Review Lemly (I 993a) Skorupul 01, (1996)
Fish ovaries 11 10 1-13
Fish whole body 6 (coldwaler anadromous fish) " 4-6
9 (wannwaler fish)
Fish die. II (coldwaler anadromous !ish) 3-8
to (wannwaler fish)

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors thank Kennecott Utah Copper for sponsoring this review and
analysis, Steve McKay for perlorming QA/QC, Robin Reash, SCOll Ogle, and
Raymond Al'llold for reviewing an earlier draft of this manuscript, and Debbie
Fetherston for hcr assistance in preparing the manuscript.

1111111. Ecol. Risk Assess. Vol. 5, No, 6, 1999

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