Relationship between Body Contaminants and Bone Development in East-Coast Striped Bass

Chemical contaminants and bone development were investigated in young-of-year striped bass collected in spring, summer, and fall from the Nanticoke, Potomac, and Hudson rivers and Edenton National Fish Hatchery, North Carolina. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) were the most prevalent organic contaminants found in striped bass; relatively lesser amounts of DDT, DDD, DDE, and chlordane were detected. Among the four locations, striped bass from the Hudson River contained the greatest amount of PCB; concentrations significantly increased with collection date in fish from the Hudson and Potomac rivers. Total organochlorine residues in striped bass from the Edenton Hatchery and the Nanticoke River were less than those from the Hudson and Potomac rivers, and the contaminants did not increase significantly with collection date. Arsenic, lead, cadmium, and selenium were the major inorganic contaminants in striped bass in the Hudson, Nanticoke, and Potomac rivers. Cadmium in fish from the Hudson River, and ...