Several of our investigations have detected hepatic neoplasms in bottcxn- 
fish species frcm Puget Sound (Malins et al. 1984, 1985a, 1985b; McCain 
et al, 1982) The highest prevalences of hepatic neoplasms were found in 
English sole from the lower Duwamish Waterway in Elliott Bay (16.8%, 
n=215; Malins et al. 1984) and Eagle Harbor (18.4%, n=14; Malins et al. 
1985a) (Figure 8). Somewhat lower prevalences of hepatic neoplasms in 
English sole were found in Everett Harbor, near Makilteo, and in the 
Hylebos Waterway in Commencement Bay; they ranged fron 5 to 9% (Malins et 
al. 1984, 1985b). With respect to hepatic neoplasms in rock sole 
( Lepidopsetta bilineata ), the areas having the highest lesion prevalences 
v^re the Everett Harbor (4.7%, n=43) and Ccmmencement Bay's Hylebos 
Waterway (2.5%, n=159) (Malins et al. 1984). Hepatic neoplasms were 
found in rock sole from all of the urban embayments at prevalences from 
0.7 to 4.7%. Pacific staghorn sculpin ( Leptocottus armatus ) with hepatic 
neoplasms were found only in Commencement Bay (1.7%, n=116) (Malins et 
al. 1984). Starry flounder ( Platichthys stellatus ) with hepatic neoplasms 
have been detected only in fish from the EXiwamish Waterway (1.1%, n=262) 
(McCain et al. 1982). In early studies (Malins et al. 1984, McCain et 
al. 1982), hepatic neoplasms were not found in English sole (n=282) from 
any nonurban areas studied (e.g.. Case Inlet, Port Madison, and McAllister 
Creek). However, in subsequent studies conducted in 1984 and 1985, we 
detected liver neoplasms in English sole from Case Inlet and Port Madison 
(Figure 8) (Malins et al. 1986). The tumor-bearing individuals found at 
the two reference sites tended to be older (>^5 years) fish. 
The other types of urban-associated liver lesions were also found in the 
highest prevalences in sole from areas near Seattle, Tacoma, and Everett, 
and in other highly contaminated areas, including Eagle Harbor. Prevalen¬ 
ces of "preneoplastic" liver lesions in sole from these areas ranged fron 
10-36% (Figure 10). Low prevalences (0.8 to 3.9%) of this lesion type 
have been detected in sole frcm the reference sites (e.g. Case Inlet and 
Port Madison). The prevalences of specific degeneration necrosis at 
urban/industrial sites ranged from 19.4% (n=222) in the Hylebos Waterway 
to 65.9% (n=141) in Eagle Harbor (Figure 11). This lesion type was 
detected in only 0.8 and 3.1% of the English sole frcm Case Inlet and 
Port Madison, respectively. 
Studies of the Etiology of Pathological Conditions 
Because of the consistent association of liver neoplasms in English sole 
with chanically contaminated environments in Puget Sound, we investigated 
the relationships between prevalences of liver neoplasms and concentra¬ 
tions of certain groups of chemicals in bottom sediments and fish tissues 
(Malins et al. 1984). In order to simplify the complex data set on sedi¬ 
ment concentrations of 28 metals and 36 AHs and chlorinated hydrocarbons 
(CHs) from 40 sampling stations at which both fish and sediment vere 
collected, we perfonned factor analysis. This mathematical method sorted 
into groups those chemicals whose concentrations in sediments correlate 
positively with each other, and yielded four major factors (groups) which 
accounted for 75% of the variance in the concentrations of chemicals 
among the stations. Group 1 was dominated by the AHs, Group 2 by the 
iTBtals, Group 3 by PCBs and selected metals, and Group 4 by CHs. 
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