Record Details

Title Element Content of Rainbow Trout and Sacramento Sucker in Streams of The Geysers Region, CA
Authors Brown, R. James; Jordan, William P.
Year 1989
Conference Geothermal Resources Council Transactions
Keywords Environmental; USA; California; Lake; Sonoma; The Geysers; Water Quality; Priority Metals; Case Studies; Biological Impacts; Chemical; Mercury; Lead; Zinc; Copper
Abstract Element Analysis was conducted on rainbow trout and Sacramento sucker muscle tissue from two streams in the Geysers area, California. Specimens were collected June 1984 in Big Sulphur Creek from site down stream and upstream of geothermal power facilities and in the Little Sulphur Creek which as no nearby geothermal development. IN comparison to freshwater fish from other geographic locations, those in the Geysers area show high levels of the potentially toxic elements Hg, Pb, Zn and Cu (up to 0.7, 9.5, 47.3 and 3.1 ppm, respectively). In general, the data suggest that elevated element levels are characteristic of both Little Sulphur Creek and Big Sulphur Creek, however, Zn, Cu and Pb are statistically higher in suckers collected down stream of geothermal development.
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