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Pulp Mill Impact Studies at Port Alberni and Port Mellon, B. C.

1980; Japan Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry; Volume: 34; Issue: 9 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2524/jtappij.34.9_604

1881-1000

Ian K. Birtwell, Rick Harbo,

Environmental Toxicology and Ecotoxicology

The discharge of pulp and paper mill effluent into the Somass estuary, Port Alberni, did not significantly affect nearshore utilization by juvenile chinook salmon. However, major changes occured in the diet of fish captured close to the discharge. In-situ bioassays, preference-avoidance experiments and gill net data revealed that salmonids could only utilize the estuarine surface waters and not the deeper waters containing low levels of dissolved oxygen. At Port Mellon, the discharge of pulp mill effluent affected the use of nearshore areas by fish. In-situ experimentation determined that the surface waters proximal to the pulp mill outfalls were acutely toxic to juvenile salmonids which effected avoidance reactions.