SECTION 8 



MONITORING CONTAMINANT RESIDUES IN FRESHWATER FISHES IN THE 

 UNITED STATES: THE NATIONAL PESTICIDE MONITORING PROGRAM 



J. Larry Ludke and C.J. Schmitt^ 



INTRODUCTION 



The National Pesticide Monitoring Program (NPMP) originated in the mid 

 1960's as a cooperative effort by members of national agencies of the 

 Federal Committee on Pest Control. In 1972 the overall responsibility for 

 NPMP activities was given to the United States Environmental Protection 

 Agency (EPA). EPA then developed a comprehensive National Monitoring Plan 

 for Pesticides, which describes and sets broad guidelines for various other 

 federal agencies cooperating in monitoring pesticide trends in soil, water, 

 air, man, plants and animals (Table 1). Each participating agency monitors 

 chemical residues in the one or more segments of the environment which it is 

 charged with protecting or regulating. In recent years chemical contami- 

 nants other than pesticides, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have 

 been added to the list of chemical residues that are routinely analyzed. 



For the purposes of the NPMP, monitoring can be defined as the repeti- 

 tive observation of one or more segments of the environment according to a 

 prearranged schedule in space and time. The overriding objective of the 

 NPMP is to ascertain on a nationwide basis, the levels and temporal trends 

 of selected contaminants in the environment. 



A secondary objective of the NPMP is to identify areas where unusually 

 high residues may occur (i.e., problem areas) and which therefore may re- 

 quire more intensive study to determine potential contaminant sources and 

 possible detrimental effects. Data may also be used to initiate or evalu- 

 ate management and regulatory actions. 



U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE SUBPROGRAMS 



The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for the fish and wild- 

 life subprogram of the NPMP, the primary objective of which is to ascertain 



^Columbia National Fisheries Research Laboratory, U.S. Department of the 

 Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Route #1, Columbia, Missouri 65201. 



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