Chemicals of Emerging Concern (CECs), including endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), in marine and freshwater fish in King County
SWSIL NTA_2018-0518
Local fish are exposed to many chemicals that may impact their health and survival, but data on CECs in local fish are extremely limited. Very few studies have evaluated CECs in fish tissue in the Puget Sound Region, and none have included freshwater fish. The current King County tissue monitoring program includes annual collection and analysis of a wide range of freshwater fish species (from major lakes/rivers) and marine fish/shellfish species from Puget Sound, but does not include CEC analysis. The proposed NTA will add CEC analysis to the existing program for 2 years to provide a cost-effective way to establish a baseline to track CECs in fish and the effectiveness of management efforts to control CEC exposure. This effort will be paired with a literature review of CEC toxicity to provide context for evaluating potential impacts these chemicals may have on local species and human health. The data can be used to prioritize future monitoring and actions related to CECs.