Study returns positive report

An Albany Port Authority study released last week has reported no danger of selenium contamination in King George Sound, contradicting the findings of a community monitoring program earlier this year.

The port’s study of selenium concentrations in sediments and pilchards caught in King George Sound found there was “no apparent risk to the environment or to human health from elevated selenium concentrations that warrants further substantive investigation at this time.”

The report compared pilchards caught in Albany, Esperance and Bremer Bay, and found pilchards caught in Esperance contained the highest mean selenium concentration, not pilchards caught in Albany.

The study also sampled sediment throughout the proposed King George Sound dredge path but selenium was not detected in significant amounts, leading the report to conclude no further investigation was warranted.

Port chief executive Brad Williamson said the findings confirmed the port’s initial assessment of the claims about elevated selenium levels.

“It’s not unexpected these sorts of claims are made during the dredging process, as we have seen in Fremantle and Melbourne,” he said.

“But the results show it is safe to continue dredging…in Albany.”

Selenium is a naturally occurring non-metallic trace element which bio-accumulates in the food chain, which in extreme levels can cause adverse health affects.

In May, an independent community monitoring report undertaken by the Albany Dredging Environment Network found there were elevated levels of selenium contaminating pilchards caught in King George Sound, Oyster Harbour and Princess Royal Harbour.

A second Conservation Council of WA study into the moulted feathers of Little Penguins sampled on %Mistaken Island also found higher concentrations of selenium than% in feathers sampled from other known Little Penguin grounds around WA.

Got a story? Email katherine.mountain@albanyadvertiser.com