Table 12. Mean heavy metal concentrations (mg/kg) in the soft tissue of freshwater mussels and edible fish tissue in the Bourbeuse River watershed collected by MDC, 1980-83. 1Collected by MDC in 1997.
Water Body Location County Species N Lead Cadmium
Bourbeuse River Union Franklin Pocketbook 8 0.12 .090
Bourbeuse River Reiker Ford Access Franklin Northern hog sucker 10 0.04 <.030
Bourbeuse River Reiker Ford Access Franklin Black redhorse 1 .009 < .030
Bourbeuse River Reiker Ford Access Franklin Smallmouth bass 6 .004
Bourbeuse River Reiker Ford Access Franklin Longear sunfish 6 < .005
Bourbeuse1 River Union Access Franklin Carp - < .010 .0031
Bourbeuse1 River Union Access Franklin Bass species - .010 .0015
Bourbeuse1 River Union Access Franklin Redhorse species - < .010 .0037

FDA and the World Health Organization (WHO) have identified action levels for lead as 0.3 mg/kg, cadmium as not
determined, mercury as 1 mg/kg, and PCBs as 1 mg/kg.

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