POPs in Salmonids and Macroinvertebrates from Glacier Bay, Alaska

A 2007 pilot study by the University of Alaska Southeast determined baseline levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and total mercury in juvenile coho salmon from streams near Glacier National Park. Concentrations of POPs were relatively low (< 10 ng/g, wet weight), but salmon from streams with higher spawner density showed increased levels of banned chlorinated pesticides. A follow-up study in 2015 analyzed POPs in resident salmonids and benthic macroinvertebrates from five streams using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

Use Cases

• Analyze contaminant concentration patterns based on salmon spawning density mentioned in the description
• Compare pollutant levels in fish collected above and below barriers to determine transport mechanisms
• Study the relationship between percent lipid content and pollutant accumulation in biological samples
• Establish baseline levels of banned chlorinated pesticides like alpha-chlordane and DDT derivatives in Alaskan streams

Strengths

• Data includes specific pollutant concentrations (< 10 ng/g, wet weight) for juvenile coho salmon
• Study design compares samples from streams with varying salmon spawning densities
• Analytical method is specified: gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS)

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the Glacier Bay region

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Field collection and laboratory analysis using GC/MS

Time Range

2007 pilot study and 2015 follow-up study

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-14 22:52:06.337264; freshness should be verified

Geography

Streams in and near Glacier National Park, Alaska