A summary of all existing information collected since 1980 on contaminants in tilapia from the Salton Sea is presented and risks to humans and fish-eating birds assessed. Of the 17 trace elements, 42 organic pesticides and 48 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) analyzed in tilapia whole body and fillet samples, only selenium (Se), arsenic (As) and possibly dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDE) were found at levels high enough to be of concern for fish, birds or humans. Average current concentration of arsenic (As) was 0.7 lg g -1 wet weight (ww) in whole body samples and 1.2 lg g -1 ww in fillet samples, or 2.8 and 5.7 lg g -1 dry weight (dw), respectively. Inorganic As averaged 0.006 lg g -1 ww (0.03 lg g -1 dw) in fillet samples, which represented 0.3% of total As.

Selenium, arsenic, DDT and other contaminants in four fish species in the Salton Sea, California, their temporal trends, and their potential impact on human consumers and wildlife 537 recent analyses on whole fish, additional analyses would be deisrable. Rising salinity caused all these fish species except for tilapia to become extinct in the lake by 2003. If and when fish populations are reestablished, new asessements of contaminant levels and risks should be undertaken immediately.