Cadmium and aluminum in yellow perch, Perca flavescens (Mitchill), from Presque Isle Bay, Lake Erie, Pennsylvania

We examined the relationship between the amounts of aluminum and cadmium in Cascade Creek with those found in yellow perch from Presque Isle Bay near Erie, Pennsylvania. Cascade Creek flows through a major portion of Erie and is subject to street runoffs, sewage and industrial effluents. Yellow perch ages 0+ to 3+ and water samples were collected at five sites within Presque Isle Bay and from Edinboro Lake. Water samples were also taken from five sites along Cascade Creek on the last mile of its flow into the bay. Edinboro Lake, about 15 miles south of Erie, was used for baseline comparisons because it lacks significant effluent contamination. Two-factor, unbalanced ANOVA found significant age class, and site-and-age class interaction in the perch cadmium concentrations. Single-factor, unbalanced analysis of variance (ANOVA) found significant relationships between cadmium concentration and age for three of the five bay sites. Two-factor, unbalanced ANOVA found significant site, age class, and site-and-age class interaction in the perch aluminum concentrations. Single-factor, unbalanced ANOVAs found significant relationships between aluminum concentration and age for three of the five sites in Presque isle Bay. The data indicate elevated concentrations of aluminum and cadmium in the tissues of yellow perch, and that metal concentration is often correlated with capture site and age.