Recent Advisory News

• Alaska Issues Advice Regarding Fish Consumption and National Mercury Advisories - In June the Alaska Division of Public Health issued a statement recommending that all Alaskans continue unrestricted consumption of fish from Alaskan waters. This statement is in response to the EPA and FDA national advisories, issued in January, recommending women who are or may become pregnant, nursing mothers, and children restrict consumption of some commercial and recreationally caught fish from all waters of the U.S. Alaska chose to issue this statement based on a number of factors. "The FDA has acknowledged that mercury levels in Alaska fish are far below the average levels upon which the FDA issued their advisory," the statement explains. In addition, the Alaska Division of Public Health conducted a review of available data on mercury levels in Alaskan fish and humans and found that levels "are very low in the most frequently consumed fish from Alaska, such as salmon, cod, halibut, pollock, sole, and herring." Based on these factors and weighing the known benefits of fish consumption, including health, social, and cultural benefits, the state issued Recommendations for Fish Consumption in Alaska.

Source: Alaska Epidemiology Bulletin No. 6, June 15, 2001. Recommendations for Fish Consumption in Alaska.

• Missouri Issues Statewide Mercury Advisory - On July 9 Missouri issued statewide advice for women who are or may become pregnant, nursing mothers, and children under 12 to avoid consumption of largemouth bass larger than 12 inches. The state cites "new information from international health studies and new, more conservative risk numbers developed by the U.S. EPA" as the impetus for issuing this new advisory. Read more about the Missouri advisory at Missouri's Fish Advisory Web Page. The state has also removed an advisory for chlordane, which had recommended people eat no more than one meal a week of catfish, carp, buffalo, drum, suckers and paddlefish from areas outside the Ozark region of the state.
• American Academy of Pediatrics Issues Advice on Fish Consumption - USA Today reported on July 3 that the academy has issued advice mirroring the FDA advice for pregnant or nursing women and children to limit their consumption of shark, king mackerel, swordfish and tilefish. The article quotes EPA's Kathryn Mahaffey who explains that in the US, 10% of women of childbearing age (16 to 44) have mercury levels above what is considered a safe level. "That means almost 400,000 newborns a year may face some risk from mercury because their mothers have levels higher than we believe is safe," says Mahaffey. She also stressed the importance of eating fish low in mercury for nutritional benefits. The academy's statement also includes advice to parents and pediatricians to avoid using mercury thermometers, which can break and expose children to unhealthy mercury vapors. Read the article online at USA Today.

• Mississippi Issues Press Release Regarding Delta Fish and DDT - Results of a fish safety study in Mississippi found reason for awareness, but not alarm, according to a press release from the state dated June 26. The study, funded in part by EPA, found that elevated levels of DDT and toxaphene are found mainly in certain species of fish that live in the the Delta region east of the Misissippi River levee and west of the bluff hills area. These findings led to the issuance of a new fish advisory for a large part of the Delta region. The new advisory recommends eating not more than 2 meals/month of buffalo, carp, gar, or catfish greater than 22 inches. The press release also includes information about areas of the state where fish contamination was not found at levels of human health concern, and as a result 2 fish advisories were rescinded in these areas. The state also makes it clear that farm-raised catfish are safe to eat and have been repeatedly tested, showing these fish to be free of significant levels of pesticides. Read the state's press release at the Mississippi Fish Advisory Web Site.

Current Events, News and Journal Articles

• Fish Consumption May Reduce Risk of Prostate Cancer - A study of 6,272 Swedish men found that the men who ate no fish had a two to three times greater frequency of prostate cancer than the men who ate moderate or high amounts of fish. These results were obtained during 30 years of follow-up with the study subjects, all of whom were twin pairs born between 1886 and 1925. The more fish in a subject's diet, the less likely he was to have prostate cancer, even after adjustments for age and other risk factors. The authors of the study suggest that fatty fish consumption may lower the risk of prostate cancer due to the presence of omega-3 fatty acids, which are present in high levels in fish species from Northern waters (such as salmon, herring, and mackerel).

  Source: Paul, T., P. Lichtenstein, M. Feychting, A. Ahlbom, A. Wolk. 2001. Fatty fish consumption and risk of prostate cancer. Lancet 357 (9270), pp. 1764-7.

• Will Threat of Mercury Lessen the Demand for Shark Fins? - The non-profit group WildAid conducted random tests in May on shark fins sold in Bangkok and found that 70% of the fins were contaminated with mercury - one fin contained 42 times the amount of mercury that is considered acceptable for human health risk, the group says. WildAid plans to run ads in Asian newspapers stating that shark fins may contain mercury, in an attempt to protect consumer health and reduce demand for shark fins. The shark fin trade is a major factor contributing to decline of shark populations worldwide.

  Source: Study says sharks deadly, even in soup. USA Today. July 8, 2001. Page 8D.

• Seasonal Variation of Mercury Levels in Amazonian Diets - Studies of populations in the Amazonian Basin have shown that riverine populations are exposed to methylmercury through fish consumption. It has been hypothesized that seasonal variations in hair mercury levels observed through sequential analyses may be related to changes in fish species ingested seasonally by the local communities. The present study investigated the relationship between fish-eating practices and seasonal variation in mercury exposure in a group of 36 women from a village located along the Tapajos River, a major tributary of the Amazon. An interview-administered questionnaire was used to query individuals on socio-demographic characteristics, fish-eating practices, and other relevant information. The women provided hair samples at least 24 cm in length for mercury analysis. Hair total and inorganic mercury concentrations were measured . Trigonometric regression analysis was performed to assess the seasonal variation of total mercury levels. The results indicated that hair mercury levels varied with the season. Higher mercury levels were observed in months corresponding to the dry season, with lower levels in the rainy season. During the dry season herbivorous fish predominated the diet for 47.2% of the women, but this rose to 72.2% during the rainy season. Individuals who reported eating fish daily had higher mercury hair concentrations compared to those who only ate fish a few times per week. Retrospective mercury analyses, evaluated by the quantity of mercury present in each centimeter of hair, indicate that the percentage of inorganic mercury over the total mercury in hair increased towards the extremities of the hair strand. Typically, higher percentages of inorganic mercury were found for the group who ate more fish (on a daily consumption basis). Results support the hypothesis that there are seasonal variations in methylmercury exposure and a relationship between types of fish species consumed and resulting hair mercury concentrations.

  Source: Dolbec J., Mergler D., Larribe F., Roulet M., Lebel J., Lucotte M. 2001. Sequential analysis of hair mercury levels in relation to fish diet of an Amazonian population, Brazil. Science of the Total Environment (Netherlands) 271(1-3): 87-97.

• Chlorinated Hydrocarbon Contamination and Reproductive Success of Wading Birds in Texas - Reproductive success in colonial water birds nesting in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV), Texas was evaluated in 1997, and was correlated with concentrations of contaminants in eggs. Authors also measured steroid hormones and gonadosomatic index (GSI) as biomarkers of endocrine effects in common carp. Nest and fledging success of great egrets and green herons were similar to those found in other parts of the U.S. and Canada; however, nesting success of black-crowned night-herons was lower, due to flooding of the nesting area. All chlorinated pesticides in bird eggs were low and not of concern for negative effects on any of the three species tested, except for DDE and toxaphene. DDE concentrations were highest in green heron eggs and seemed to increase along a geographic gradient from west to east, and those at Los Indios contained the highest concentrations (11,000 ppb wet weight) at or above the threshold for reproductive impairment. DDE concentrations in great egrets and black-crowned night-herons were below those that are associated with reproductive impairment. Mean DDE concentrations in carp at some locations were above the threshold level suggested for predator protection. Toxaphene was detected in 20% of the samples with high levels observed in green heron eggs (mean = 4,402 ppb wet weight). These are the highest toxaphene levels reported in bird eggs in the LRGV. Toxaphene concentrations in fish tissue ranged from 90 and 312 ppb wet weight. Generally, PCBs in bird eggs and fish tissue were low and at levels not of concern for reproductive effects. The greatest concentrations of testosterone and 11-ketotestosterone were detected in fish from a site with the greatest concentrations of DDE. Increased androgen production and gonad development in fish at this site could be possibly associated with endocrine disrupting effects of p,p'-DDE, DDE, toxaphene, and PCBs.

  Source: Wainwright, SE, M.A. Mora, J.L. Sericano, P. Thomas. 2001. Chlorinated hydrocarbons and biomarkers of exposure in wading birds and fish of the lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. 40(1):101-11.

• High PCB Levels Associated With Adult Memory and Learning Impairments - Results of a new study show that adults (over age 49) who regularly had eaten sport-caught fish contaminated with PCBs from Lake Michigan may have suffered learning and memory impairments as a result of their high exposure to PCBs. The researchers conducted standard tests with these individuals (who ate more than 24 lbs/year of lake fish) and found that they had difficulty recalling a story told 30 minutes earlier, and did not perform as well as their less-exposed peers on a learning test. The study subjects also had elevated levels of mercury, lead, and DDE, but the negative learning and memory effects were linked only to the level of PCBs in their blood. While the focus has generally been on the health risks posed to children and fetuses by PCB exposure, this study suggests that PCB levels in adults can also pose health risks. Link directly to the study or Link to the BBC article about the study.

  Source: S. L. Schantz, D. M. Gasior, E. Polverejan, R. J. McCaffrey, A. M. Sweeney, H. E. B. Humphrey, and J. C. Gardiner. 2001. Impairments of Memory and Learning in Older Adults Exposed to Polychlorinated Biphenyls Via Consumption of Great Lakes Fish. Environmental Health Perspectives 109(6) June 2001.

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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 July, 2001