9420.pdf

3.2.2 Fish Processing Facilities in British Columbia
Wastewater characteristics from fish processing facilities in B. C., with respect to
conventional contaminant concentrations and loadings are summarized in Tables 3.6
and 3.7, respectively. The tables are a summary of monitoring data of fish processing
plant effluents obtained from MOELP, the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD),,
City of Vancouver, and NovaTec and EVS, 1994.
BOD, COD, and TSS effluent concentrations from salmon processing at B.C. fish
processing facilities are typically in the range reported in the literature for these
contaminants (Table 3.3). Oil and grease concentrations are generally lower than’
concentrations reported in the literature. Wastewaters from herring, groundfish, and
salmon/groundfish processing plants in B.C. generally have lower BOD, COD, TSS, and
oil and grease concentrations than reported in the literature (Table 3.3). However,
European experience shows that contaminant loading can be significantly reduced if
measures discussed in Sections 5.2.4 and 6.3 are applied. Significantly lower levels of
BOD and TSS are recorded at B.C. herring processing facilities in comparison with levels
reported in the literature (Table 3.3). Wide range of fecal coliform concentrations in fish
processing effluent was reported by NovaTec and EVS (1994) and Environment Canada
(1993) (Table 3.6). High fecal coliform counts maybe partly due to bird droppings and/or
scavenging animals (NovaTec and EVS, 1994 and Environment Canada, 1993).
Limited data is available for effluent toxicity, heavy metals and ammonia concentrations,
as these parameters are generally not determined as part of regular effluent monitoring.
A detailed study of effluent from fish processing plants discharging into the Fraser River
was conducted during the salmon season of 1993 (NovaTec Consultants and EVS
Environment Consultants, 1994). For this study the metals and ammonia concentrations
in effluents from four plants (see Table 3.8) and the toxicity of the effluent samples of
three plants were determined (see Table 3.9). The metals were analyzed by atomic
emission spectroscopy using an inductively coupled plasma as excitation source, With
the exception of copper and zinc (concentration ranges 0.013-0.159 mg/L and
0.072-0.433 mg/L, respectively) no other heavy metals were detected by this method.
These two metals are believed to be present in tap water in the concentration ranges
measured in the effluents due to the low pH of drinking water in the Greater Vancouver
area which causes copper and zinc to dissolve in copper piping.
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