Recent Advisory News

• Maryland Issues Statewide Advisory - Maryland recently issued updated advice for the consumption of recreationally caught fish in all of the state's rivers and streams and most lakes and impoundments. Smallmouth and largemouth bass and bluegill are covered under the statewide advisory for mercury, with different meal frequencies suggested for different segments of the population. Waterbody-specific advisories for other contaminants were also updated as part of the new advisory release. The state emphasizes that the contaminant levels observed in Maryland fish have not changed, but that the updated EPA guidance was used to re-evaluate risks to residents, especially pregnant or nursing women and children. The advisory does not include the Chesapeake Bay - a contaminant study is still underway for the bay and results will be known next year. Find out more at Maryland's website or the Washington Post Metro section. The Baltimore Sun also published an article about the new advisory.

Current Events, News and Journal Articles

• Potential Health Risks of Recreational Fishing in New York City - Fish in the rivers around the New York City area are contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) that have been associated with neurodevelopmental adnormalities. The New York City Health Department recommends that no one eat more than 1 meal of fish per month and that pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children less than 15 years of age should not eat any fish from these waters. The authors conducted a survey of anglers at Manhattan fishing sites over a 3-month period which included 160 anglers. The authors report than 80 percent of the anglers were unaware of the fish advisory and that most anglers ate the fish they caught. Of the 73 percent of anglers who said they took the fish home, 18 percent reported that children regularly ate the fish and 15 percent reported that pregnant women ate the catch.

  Source: Ramos, A.M. and E.F. Crain. 2001. Potential Health Risks of Recreational Fishing in New York City Ambulatory Pediatrics 1(5): 252-255. September 2001

• State trial set in PCBs pollution case against Solutia - 3,540 people are suing Monsanto (now called Solutia Inc.), in an environmental pollution case in Anniston, Alabama. For nearly 40 years, Monsanto routinely discharged toxic waste into a local creek and dumped millions of pounds of PCBs into open-pit landfills. Confidential company documents recently discovered show that, in 1969, the company tested fish in a nearby creek and found 7,500 times the "legal" level of PCBs in fish tissue, according to an article in the Washington Post. Solutia is currently negotiating a final Anniston cleanup plan, and EPA officials say the company has been generally cooperative. Solutia has already spent $40 million cleaning up PCB contamination around Anniston, and it claims there is no proof that the chemicals caused the health problems that the plaintiffs claim. The trial was set to begin January 7.

  Source: Stories have recently appeared in many places, including The Washington Post and the Environmental News Network

• Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether Flame Retardants in Virginia Fish - Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) concentrations were analyzed in fish fillets collected from two Virginia watersheds. The study emphasis was on tetra- to hexabrominated congeners since these congeners exhibit the greatest bioaccumulation and toxicological potentials. These congeners are the predominant constituents of Penta-, a commercial PBDE product used as a flame retardant in polyurethane foam. North America accounted for 98% of global Penta- demand during 1999. Total tetra- to hexabrominated congener concentrations in fillets ranged from <5 to 47,900 mug/kg (lipid basis). One of the two major constituents of Penta-, BDE-47, was detected in 89% of samples and contributed 40-70% of the total PBDEs. Concentrations of BDE-99, the second major constituent of Penta- commercial mixtures, were much lower in fish. Although differences in PBDE profiles between fish species were evident, the dominant congeners were consistent with those in surficial sediments from the Virginia sites and recently published data for U.S. air samples. PCB and PBDE fish concentrations were generally associated which point to exposure from nonpoint sources. The Virginia study site was historically a center for furniture and textile manufacturing, although polyurethane foam production here has not minimal.

  Source: Hale R. C., M. J. La Guardia, E.P. Harvey, T.M. Mainor, W.H. Duff, and M. O. Gaylor. 2001. Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether Flame Retardants in Virginia Freshwater Fishes. Environmental Science & Technology Vol. 35(23): 4585-4591, December 2001

• Mercury Levels in Swordfish and Bluefin Tuna from the Mediterranean - Current total mercury concentrations in muscle tissue of swordfish (Xiphias gladius) and bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) caught in the Mediterranean Sea were determined. The authors hoped to ascertain whether the mercury tissue concentrations exceeded the maximum concentration established by the relevant European Commission Decision. In addition, specimens of each species were divided into different weight ranges to investigate the effects of total body weight on mercury accumulation. The authors hoped these results would provide data upon which commercial fishing strategies and marketing of swordfish and bluefin tuna could be based. Higher mean concentrations of total mercury were found in bluefin tuna (1.02 ppm wet weight) than in swordfish (0.49 ppm wet weight). In 4.3% of the swordfish and in 44.3% of the bluefin tuna analyzed, total mercury concentrations exceeded the maximum permissible level fixed by the European Commission Decision (1 ppm wet weight). In addition, variability of the total mercury concentration observed due to size, suggested to the authors that there should be greater regulatory control by the authorities.

  Source: Storelli, M. M. and G.O. Marcotrigiano. 2001. Total Mercury Levels in Muscle Tissue of Swordfish (Xiphias gladius) and Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thyunnus) from the Mediterranean Sea (Italy). Journal of Food Protection Vol. 64(7): 1058-1061.

• Radionuclides in Peconic River Fish, Mussels, and Sediments - Fish, mussels, and sediments were analyzed for radionuclides from the Peconic River on Long Island, NY, downstream of the Brookhaven National Laboratory and from control locations. Analyses were conducted for photon-emitting radionuclides (notably 60Co and 137Cs), americium, uranium, and plutonium. Sediments were cored to a depth of 0.37 meters, whole fish were analyzed, and mussels were separated into flesh and shells. Radioisotopes of all of the cited elements were detected in sediment core samples, some of the fish samples contained 137Cs, 241Am, and uranium, and mussel tissue sample contained 137Cs and uranium. All of the 60Co, 233U, enriched uranium, and some of the 137Cs and 241Am, can be attributed to releases from the Brookhaven National Laboratory. The other radionuclides (and some of the 137Cs and 241Am) are thought to have their origin either from fallout or from nature. The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) evaluated the radiological data in terms of adverse health implications resulting from consumption of contaminated fish. The NYSDOH determined that the addition radiation doses likely to result from eating fish are a small fraction of the radiation dose that normally results from radionuclides present in the body from natural sources.

  Source: Rapiejko, A., R. Rosson, J. Lahr, R. Garcia, and B. Kahn. 2001. Radionuclides in Peconic River Fish, Mussels, and Sediments. Health Physics Vol. 81 (6): 698-703.

• Mercury Contamination and Growth Rate in Two Piscivore Populations - Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) collected from Moosehead Lake, ME, and smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) collected from Carlton Pond, ME, were analyzed for mercury tissue concentrations. A bioenergetics model, which is outlined in the paper, was used to examine the relative sensitivity of growth rate and dietary variations in influencing fish tissue mercury concentrations. No relationship was found between mercury concentration and growth rate in lake trout, but an inverse relationship was found in smallmouth bass. Mercury tissue concentrations appeared to be more responsive to dietary mercury intake than to growth rate.

  Source: Stafford, C.P. and T.A. Haines. 2001. Mercury Contamination and Growth Rate in Two Piscivore Populations. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Vol 20 (9): 2099-102 September 2001.

• Effect of Cooking Temperatures on Chemical Changes in Species of Organic Arsenic in Seafood - The concentrations of arsenobetaine (AB), tetramethylarsonium ion (TMA+) and trimethylarsine oxide (TMAO) were determined in fish samples of sole, dory, hake, and sardine, both raw and after being subjected to cooking processes (baking, frying and grilling) at various temperatures. In all cases, the temperature attained inside the fish during cooking was measured. The arsenic species extracted from samples with methanol/water were separated using a column switching technique with PRP-X100 and PRP-X200 columns. AB was detected by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS), whereas TMA+ and TMAO were detected by hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectroscopy. In all the fish samples studied, results showed that TMA+ appeared after cooking, possibly because the heating process facilitated decarboxylation of AB to TMA+.

  Source: Devesa, V., A. Martinez, M. A. Suner, D. Velez, C. Almela, and R. Montoro. 2001. Effect of Cooking Temperatures on Chemical Changes in Species of Organic Arsenic in Seafood. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry Vol. 49(5): 2272-2276.

• Determination of Mercury Using Electrothermal Atomic Absorption Spectrometry - The authors proposed electrothermal atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) as a method for mercury determination in infant foods and seafoods. Tissue samples were prepared as slurries, and fast-program methodology was used to avoid mercury volatilization losses. Suspensions were prepared in a medium containing 0.1% (m/v) Triton X-100, 3% (v/v) concentrations of nitric acid, 2% (m/v) potassium permanganate and 4% (m/v) silver nitrate, and introduced into a furnace. Calibrations were performed using aqueous standards. The characteristic mass was 61 pg with a detection limit of 59 pg. Method reliability was checked by comparing results with those using microwave-oven sample digestion, and by analysis of two certified reference materials (dogfish shark meat and liver). Maximum mercury concentrations were found in fish liver tissue.

  Source: Vinas,P., M. Pardo-Martinez, I. Lopez-Garcia, M. Hernandez-Cordoba. 2001. Determination of Mercury in Baby Food and Seafood Samples Using Electrothermal Atomic Absorption Spectrometry and Slurry Atomization. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry Vol. 16(6): 633-637.

• Minnesota Nonprofit Organizations Team Up to Rid State of Mercury in Cars - State vehicles in Minnesota will become mercury free as a result of the Clean Car Campaign. In all state vehicles, the state is replacing light switches containing mercury with mercury-free switches. In return for the state’s commitment to prevent mercury releases from fleet vehicles and thereby protect consumers and the environment, the Clean Car Campaign donated replacement switches costing about 20 cents each. Campaign organizers have challenged carmakers to develop a national program to recover mercury from vehicles and to build future cars and trucks with mercury-free switches. Unless carmakers offer a safe and effective program to collect these switches, more than 215 million existing switches still in vehicles in the US will leak mercury into the environment when the cars are scrapped. Minnesota is moving rapidly toward purchasing only mercury-free state vehicles.

  Source: Clean Car Campaign.

• Results of Mercury Study on Alaskan Salmon - Total mercury and methylmercury concentrations in four Alaskan salmon species (Chum, Coho, Chinook, and Sockeye salmon) were determined in muscle and liver tissues from fish collected in four rivers (Yukon, Kuskokwim, Nushagak, and Kvichak) draining into the Eastern Bering Sea. The authors reported that the arithmetic mean concentrations of total mercury in salmon muscle for the species sampled ranged from 0.034 to 0.096 ppm wet weight and in liver tissue ranged from 0.054 to 0.112 ppm. Difference in the total mercury and methylmercury concentrations between species were statistically significant, however the differences between species in the same river system were not significant except for chinook salmon. The authors also reported that in salmon muscle samples, total mercury and methylmercury concentrations were correlated, and the mean methylmercury concentrations were lower than the total mercury concentrations (p=0.001). This contrasts with the evidence for some freshwater species where there was little difference between the total mercury and methylmercury concentrations. For salmon, methylmercury levels were 78% and 63% of total mercury levels for muscle and liver tissue, respectively. The authors also reported that total mercury levels in slamon increased with fish lengths. Based on their data, the authors estimated a bioconcentration factor ranged from 2.5 x 104 and varied 2-fold between the species tested. Despite the estimated BCF factor, the authors point out that Alaskan salmon did not exceed critical human health values (0.200 ppm) and therefore do not pose a risk for salmon food consumers. In conclusion, the authors point out that most of the body burden of mercury accumulated in the ocean is returned to the spawning areas in the form of methylmercury which is a readily bioavailable form. This mercury can then become a much more concentrated source of methylmercury to surface waters than atmospheric deposition. The authors estimate using numbers of fish returning to spawn and the levels of mercury in the fish that for the Kvichak River, 0.1 kg of methylmercury was added to the surface waters in one year. This amount is equivalent to approximately 0.02% of mercury released in the United States. The authors further estimated a 20-year total mass loading for methylmercury of 21 kg to the Bristol Bay drainage area (consisting of 8 river systems) could be transported from the ocean via migrating salmon.

  Source: Zhang, X., A.S. Naidu, J.J. Kelley, S.C. Jewett, D.Dasher, and L.K. Duffy. Baseline Concentrations of Total Mercury and Methylmercury in Salmon Returning Via the Bering Sea (1999-2000). Marine Pollution Bulletin 42 (10):993-997.

Meetings and Conferences

For More Information

For more information on EPA's Fish and Wildlife Contamination Program, contact: Jeffrey Bigler at US EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW (4305), Washington, DC 20460; email: bigler.jeff@epa.gov.

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Revised January, 2002