Table 3.4.4. Concentrations of metals (pg/g wet weight) and organic compounds 
(ng/g wet weight) measured in tissue composites of fish collected from 60 
stations in the 2003 FRAM survey. Frequency of detection is the number of 
stations (among 60) where the parameter was detected at a level above the 
minimum detection limit (MDL) in flatfish. An asterisk indicates that the low level 
of the health risk guidelines range was exceeded in at least one fish composite 
sample. 
Contaminant 
Mean 
Maximum 
Minimum 
Frequency 
of 
Detection 
Health Risk 
Guideline 
Range 
Metals (pig/g): 
Inorganic 
Arsenic 
0.1 
0.2 
0.0 
60/60 
3.5-7.0 
Cadmium* 
0.2 
1.5* 
0.0 
45/60 
0.35-0.70 
Chromium 
0.2 
1.0 
0.0 
34/60 
- 
Copper 
0.5 
2.6 
0.0 
47/60 
- 
Lead 
0.0 
0.1 
0.0 
4/60 
- 
Mercury 
0.0 
0.1 
0.0 
52/60 
0.12-0.23 
Selenium 
0.4 
1.8 
0.0 
44/60 
5.9-12.0 
Silver 
0.0 
0.0 
0.0 
1/60 
- 
Zinc 
10.0 
13.8 
6.5 
60/60 
- 
Organics (ng/g): 
Total PCB 
0.3 
3.8 
0.0 
11/60 
23-47 
Total DDT 
5.0 
30.4 
0.0 
41/60 
59-120 
4,4"-DDE 
5.0 
30.4 
0.0 
41/60 
- 
Other 
Pesticides* 
0.0 
0.3 
0.0 
1/60 
_ 
The State of Washington measured metals and organics in fillets offish 
separately from the remains (whole fish minus fillets). This procedure provides 
some data for estimating filet levels of contaminants from measurements of 
contaminant levels in whole fish from California and Oregon. Cadmium levels 
were undetectable in all fish fillets, suggesting that the levels reported for whole 
fish might not be accurate for fillets, and levels of cadmium in fish fillets from fish 
sampled in this study might be below EPA health-risk guidance values. For other 
metals, the ratio of mean values in fillets to mean values in remains was variable, 
ranging from 0.30 to 1.35 (Table 3.4.5). Total PCBs at one station were 
undetectable in remains, but measured 2.8 ng/g in fillets. At other stations, the 
ratio of levels in fillets vs. remains averaged 0.24. For total DDT, the ratio of 
levels in fillets vs. remains averaged 0.98. 
78 
