Selenium, arsenic, DDT and other contaminants in four fish species in the Salton Sea, California, their temporal trends, and their potential impact on human consumers and wildlife

A summary of all existing information gathered since 1980 on contaminants in bairdiella (Bairdiella icistia), orangemouth corvina (Cynoscion xanthulus), and sargo (Anisotremus davidsonii) living in the Salton Sea is presented. Comparisons are made with an earlier analysis of contaminants in tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus x O. urolepis hornorum hybrid). Risks are assessed for humans and piscivorous birds consuming these fish and for the health of the fish populations themselves. Of the 17 trace elements, 42 organic pesticides and 48 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) sampled in whole-body and fillet samples of fish collected from the Salton Sea, only arsenic (As), selenium (Se), total DDT (tDDT), and total PCBs (tPCBs) were determined to be of potential concern for the health of human consumers. Recent average concentrations of total As in fillet tissue are 1.3 μg g−1 wet weight (ww) for bairdiella and 1.2 μg g−1 ww for corvina and tilapia, respectively, with the inorganic As fraction representing...