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Spokane River: Contaminants and Health

Spokane River: Contaminants and Health. Public Health Risks. Chemicals and Heavy Metals PCBs PBDEs Dioxins/Furans Metals Biological Hazards. 1. PCBs (Polychlorinated Biphenyls). Spokane River does not meet WA human health criteria for PCBs in edible fish tissue

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Spokane River: Contaminants and Health

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  1. Spokane River: Contaminants and Health

  2. Public Health Risks • Chemicals and Heavy Metals • PCBs • PBDEs • Dioxins/Furans • Metals • Biological Hazards

  3. 1. PCBs (Polychlorinated Biphenyls) • Spokane River does not meet WA human health criteria for PCBs in edible fish tissue • Sources and pathways to the Spokane River • City of Spokane stormwater (44%) • municipal and industrial discharges (20%) • and Little Spokane River (6%) • PCB loading from Idaho at the state line (30%)

  4. 2. PBDEs(Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers) • Chemical additives used in everyday household products as flame retardants • Sources and pathways to the Spokane River • Can leach out of manufactured items and enter the air, soil and water • Has been detected in sediment, storm water, and sewage from residential and industrial sources

  5. 3. Dioxins/Furans • Can be released into the air, soil, and water. Fish tissue sampling in the Spokane River showed elevated levels • Sources and pathways to the Spokane River • Byproduct of burning municipal waste, sludge, medical waste, and wood and cement kilns • Byproduct of manufacturing herbicides and pulp/paper products

  6. 4. Metals • Lead, arsenic, cadmium and zinc are released as part of mining, milling and ore processing • Sources and pathways to the Spokane River • An estimated 100 million tons of mine wastes released in river from the Upper Coeur d’Alene Basin in Idaho. • Contaminants traveled downstream, moved through Lake Coeur d’Alene and deposited in the Spokane River.

  7. Intestinal Microorganisms Shown to cause gastroenteritis from recreational water *reportable • Giardia* • Cryptosporidium* • Shigella* • Salmonella* • Hepatitis A* • Coxackie A and B • Norwalk virus • E.coli 0157:H7* (also Leptospirosis)

  8. Other Microorganisms Found in the environment which cause infections or diseases *reportable • Pseudomonas aeruginosa • Schistosome cercarial • Staphylococcus sp. • Legionella sp.* • Naegleria fowleri • Mycobacterium sp. • Vibrio sp.*

  9. Spokane River Clean Up and Restoration Completed sites Pending sites Completed PCB Sites

  10. Environmental Public Health 1101 West College Avenue, Spokane (509) 324-1560 | TDD 324-1464 Michael LaScuola 324-1574 mlascuola@spokanecounty.org www.srhd.org

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