Field and laboratory investigations to assess impacts to fish health from oil sands wastewater releases (Part 1)

A combined field and laboratory investigation was conducted during 1995 to evaluate the health of fish which were exposed to wastewaters from Suncor Inc., Oil Sands Group's operation. This investigation was designed to: assess effects on major trophic components of aquatic ecosystems; assess effects on the general condition and health of fish; and relate chemical characteristics to measured responses. A suite of indicators was examined at several levels of biological organization: biochemical, physiological, whole-organisms, population and community. This comprehensive approach was followed because stress effects on fish cannot be adequately evaluated by measuring a single indicator at a single level of organization. Fish health data for walleye (Stizostedion vitreum), goldeye (Hiodon alosoides) and longnose sucker (Catostomus catostomus) showed that there were no adverse effects on fish health at any level of organization. The laboratory investigations comprised 7 and 28 exposures to wastewater and showed that no observed effect levels (NOELs) and lowest observed effect levels (LOELs) were greater than 10% for biochemical and physiological and whole-organism endpoints