Recent Advisory News

• Health Officials in North Carolina Consolidate Fish Advice - State health officials are reissuing advice on mercury-contaminated fish in a new format designed to cover all state waters affected and list the fish that are safe to eat. Previously, fish consumption advisories were issued for specific rivers and ocean areas and for specific species of fish. The new format combines and simplifies the advice. For women aged 15 to 44, pregnant and nursing women, and children under 15 years, the advisory states - “Do not eat shark, swordfish, tilefish, king Mackerel or blackfish (bowfin), largemouth bass, or jack fish (chain pickerel) caught in NC waters in the area south and east of Interstate 85. These fish are likely to be high in mercury.” The advice limits the same fish for adult men and women and children over 15 years to one meal a week. The state health official also identified several species as having lower mercury levels. These include cod, whitefish, Pollock, mahi-mahi, ocean perch, halibut, flounder, croaker, herring, canned tuna, and other fish. Acceptable freshwater species include trout, crappie, sunfish, white perch, yellow perch, bream and salmon. Farm raised fish and shellfish including shrimp, crab, lobster, clams, oysters, and scallops are also recommended as being lower in mercury.

  Source: Health Officials Consolidate Advice. Raleigh News & Observer. April 17, 2002.

• Illinois Issues Fish Advisory - A brief article in the New York Times on April 4 summarized new advisory information from Illinois. Health officials in Illinois issued an advisory against eating locally caught Illinois fish more than once a week. This warning was directed particularly at children younger than 15 and women who are pregnant, nursing or of childbearing age. The advisory was issued because new studies suggest that methylmercury in fish is more toxic than previously thought.

  Source: New York Times; New York, N.Y.; Apr 4, 2002; National Briefing Midwest: Illinois: Warning On Eating Fish

• FDA Issues Advisory Due to Toxin in Puffer Fish - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning to consumers to avoid eating puffer fish harvested from the Titusville area of northern Florida because they may contain a naturally occurring toxin that can cause serious illness or death. The toxin is likely a byproduct of a marine alga. Three New Jersey residents became ill after eating puffer fish, harvested near Titusville, Fla. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have reported that there have been additional reports of similar illnesses in Florida and Virginia. More information is available at FDA's website.
• California Issues Seafood Warning Due To Toxin - The California Department of Health Services is advising Californian residents to avoid eating shellfish, crabs, sardines and anchovies caught in Morro Bay because these fish and shellfish may be contaminated with domoic acid, a naturally occurring toxin that can cause illness or death. Scientists detected elevated concentrations of domoic acid, which is produced by microscopic marine algae, in the bay waters. A similar advisory remains in effect for fish caught in Monterey Bay. Symptoms of mild domoic acid poisoning may include headaches, vomiting, dizziness, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea; however, the symptoms usually dissapate in a few days.

  Source: Los Angeles Times, April 15, 2002

Current Events, News and Journal Articles

• Fish Oils May Reduce Risk of Heart Disease in Women - The Journal of the American Medical Association published an article in April that found that women can significantly reduce their risk of heart disease by eating fish at least twice a week. These health benefits are similar to those previously observed in men. The study of almost 85,000 women found those who ate fish two to four times weekly cut their risk of heart disease by 30 percent, compared with women who rarely ate fish. Women who ate fish five or more times weekly reduced their risk 34 percent. A study in 2001 found that women who ate fish two to four times weekly cut their risk of clot-related strokes by 48 percent. Past studies showed similar benefits for men, but this was the first to confirm beneficial effects of fish to women. The results add to growing evidence of the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, which are especially plentiful in dark, oily fish such as mackerel, salmon and sardines. In addition to preventing clotting - much as aspirin can - omega-3 fatty acids help prevent irregular heartbeats, which can lead to sudden death.

  Source: Tammy Webber. Fish Oil May Help Your Heart. Source: Associated Press Online, 04/09/2002

  Source: Frank B. Hu, MD, et al. Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acid Intake and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Women. Journal of the American Medical Association Vol. 287 No. 14, April 10, 2002. Click here to read the abstract

• Mussel Watch: Distribution of Chemical Concentrations in Mussels and Oysters - Since 1986, the NOAA National Status and Trends (NS&T) Mussel Watch Program has monitored concentrations of chemicals in coastal U.S. waters by sampling oysters, mussels, and sediment. The current paper centers on chemical concentrations in bivalve mollusks at 263 sites nationwide and provides a perspective on concentration ranges and geographic distributions. For most organic chemicals and lead, residue levels in the bivalves vary in proportion to numbers of people living near a sampling site. For elements other than lead, high residue levels in bivalves may be due more to natural factors than to human activities. PAH tissue concentrations of mussels from urban areas are within the range reported to exert biological responses.

  Source: O'Connor, T. P. National distribution of chemical concentrations in mussels and oysters in the USA. 2002. Marine Environmental Research; Volume 53(2): 117-143. Click here to read the abstract.

• Influence of Natural Sources on Mercury in Water, Sediment and Aquatic Biota - The Leviathan mine site, a known source of acid mine drainage, and numerous small prospects and mineralized areas, some of which are enriched in mercury, is located in the East Fork of the Upper Carson River (EFUCR) drainage basin. In 1999, a study was initiated to monitor total mercury concentrations in water, sediment, and whole aquatic macroinvertebrates from seven tributaries of the EFUCR watershed on a seasonal time step. In the fall, methylmercury in water, sediment and stoneflies was determined for three sites. Both total and dissolved mercury in water at all sites, not impacted by acid mine drainage, exhibited a seasonal trend with the lowest residues occurring in the winter, higher residues in the summer, and the highest residues recorded in the fall. Winter samples were collected during a period of ice melt. The authors hypothesized that the high fall concentrations were due to elevated mercury concentrations in groundwater, which was recharging the stream under base flow conditions and had interacted with substrate naturally enriched in mercury. Leviathan Creek mercury levels were elevated when acid mine drainage was being discharged directly into the Creek. Mercury concentrations in stoneflies collected from specific stream reaches were similar, and methylmercury and total mercury residues in macroinvertebrate tissue were roughly equivalent.

  Source: Fischer, P., and G M Sexauer. Influence of natural sources on mercury in water, sediment and aquatic biota in seven tributary streams of the East Fork of the Upper Carson River, California. 2002. Water Air and Soil Pollution Volume 133(1-4): 283-295.

• Trophic Level and Accumulation Patterns of Arsenic Compounds in Marine Fish - The authors investigated the accumulation and distribution of arsenic compounds in marine fish species in relation to their trophic position. Arsenic compounds were analyzed in eight tissues of three marine fish species: mullet (detritivore), luderick (herbivore), and tailor (carnivore) by high performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. The majority of arsenic in the tailor tissues was present primarily as arsenobetaine (86-94%). Mullet and luderick also contained moderate to high amounts of arsenobetaine in all tissues (62-98% and 59-100% respectively) except the intestines (20% and 24% respectively). Appreciable amounts of dimethylarsinic acid (1-39%), arsenate (2-38%), arsenite (1-9%) and trimethylarsine oxide (2-8%) were also identified in mullet and luderick tissues. Small amounts of arsenocholine (1-3%), methylarsonic acid (1-3%) and tetramethylarsonium ion (1-2%) were found in tissues of each of the three species. A phosphate arsenoriboside was identified in mullet intestine (4%) and from all tissues of luderick (1-6%) except muscle. The authors found that pelagic carnivore fish species are exposed mainly to arsenobetaine in their diet and accumulate the majority of arsenic in their tissues as arsenobetaine. In contrast, detritivore and herbivore fish species also accumulate arsenobetaine from their diet, but with quantities of other inorganic and organic arsenic compounds. These compounds may be accumulated from ingestion of food and sediment, degradation products (e.g. arsenobetaine to trimethylarsine oxide; arsenoribosides to dimethylarsinic acid), conversion (e.g. arsenate to dimethylarsinic acid and trimethylarsine oxide by bacterial action in digestive tissues) and/or in situ enzymatic activity in liver tissue.

  Source: Kirby J. and W. Maher. Tissue accumulation and distribution of arsenic compounds in three marine fish species: Relationship to trophic position. 2002. Applied Organometallic Chemistry Volume 16(2):108-115.

• Exposure of South Carolinians to Commercial Meats and Fish - The public's exposure to a variety of contaminants through the consumption of wild fish and game is of considerable interest, yet there is little information on consumption of commercial meats and fish, or the relationship between commercial and self-caught fish. The authors conducted a dietary survey in 1999 to estimate exposure levels of 464 people attending the Palmetto Sportsmen's Classic. Mean consumption was similar for beef, chicken/turkey, and wild-caught fish, but was much lower for pork and store-bought fish, and still lower for restaurant fish. No ethnic differences in the consumption of most commercial fish and meats were found, although the differences for chicken approached significance. Significant ethnic differences were found in consumption of wild-caught fish. Women ate significantly less of all meat types, except store-bought fish. People over 45 ate less beef than younger people, and people younger than 32 ate significantly more chicken than others. No significant differences in consumption patterns as a function of income were found, except for chicken and wild-caught fish. Consumers with higher incomes ate more chicken than others, and people with lower incomes ate more wild-caught fish than others. When all wild-caught and commercial fish and meats were considered, there were significant differences only for ethnicity and gender. Blacks consumed significantly more fish than Whites, and men consumed significantly more than women.

  Source: Burger J, S Boring , C Dixon, C Lord, M McMahon, R Ramos, S Shukla, C Jeitner and M Gochfeld. 2002. Exposure of South Carolinians to commercial meats and fish within their meat and fish diet. Science of the Total Environment. Volume 287(1-2): 71-81.

• Increased Selenium Threat as a Result of Invasion of Exotic Bivalve - (Note: The journal Aquatic Toxicology had a special issue in April dedicated to Selenium Aquatic Criteria. Go to the Aquatic Toxicology website for more information on the papers appearing in the special issue.)

  Selenium contamination in the benthic food web increased in the San Francisco Bay-Delta in 1986 following the aggressive invasion of the bivalve, Potamocorbula amurensis. Concentrations in this exotic introduced bivalve in North Bay were three times higher in 1995-1997 than in earlier studies, and 1990 concentrations in benthic predators (sturgeon and diving ducks) were also higher than in 1986. Contamination was widespread, varied seasonally, and was greater in P. amurensis than in co-occurring and transplanted species. Selenium levels in the water column of the Bay were enriched relative to the Sacramento River, but were not as high as in many contaminated aquatic environments. Transplanted bivalves (oysters, mussels or clams) were not effective indicators of either the magnitude of Se contamination in P. amurensis or of the seasonal increases in Se levels in the resident benthos. Se is a potent environmental toxin that threatens higher trophic level species because of its reproductive toxicity and efficient food web transfer. The authors show that while changes in ecological structure and function are well known responses to exotic species invasions, that changes in cycling and effects of contaminants can accompany such invasions.

  Source: Linville RG; SN Luoma; L Cutter, and GA Cutter. 2002. Increased selenium threat as a result of invasion of the exotic bivalve Potamocorbula amurensis into the San Francisco Bay-Delta. Aquatic Toxicology Volume 57 (1-2): 51-64.

• EPA Plan Would Stem Toxins That Flow Into Newport Bay - Homeowners and nurseries probably will have to restrict or eliminate their use of several pesticides under a new EPA plan that seeks to reduce the flow of 14 toxic pollutants into Newport Bay. Restrictions against swimming and shellfish harvesting have been in effect in portions of Newport Bay for nearly 30 years. Officials hope this plan will help to reopen the bay to swimming by 2013 and to harvesting of shellfish by 2019. The plan outlines the quantity of each pollutant the bay can handle, and then allocates quotas to various sources, such as nurseries, streets and residential areas. These pollution limits are a direct result of Newport Beach-based Defend the Bay's lawsuit against the EPA. Another 1,000 such plans are pending throughout the state.

  Source: Seema Mehta. Los Angeles Times, April 13, 2002 pB-8. EPA Plan Would Stem Toxins That Flow Into Newport Bay.

• Pulp, Paper Discharge Limits Upheld - An appeals court upheld government limitations on pulp and paper mill discharges into waterways, rejecting an environmental group's demands for tougher regulations and improved technology. Existing EPA limitations require pulp and paper mills to decrease chlorine levels used in the bleaching process incrementally. Some environmental groups contend this process is too slow and too dangerous. The EPA contends that its existing limitations are reducing poisonous discharges substantially and that eventually this will result in the cleanup of more than 70 rivers and streams nationwide. Over time, the EPA contends this rule will virtually eliminate fish advisories resulting from dioxin contamination resulting from pulp and paper mill effluent discharges.

  Source: The Associated Press, Friday April 19, 2002. Pulp, Paper Discharge Limits Upheld.

• Pesticide Use in California to be Reviewed - The Environmental Protection Agency will review how 18 commonly used pesticides may affect endangered salmon and woodland plants. The pesticides are currently used in fields, forests, orchards, and to control weeds along highways and irrigation canals. Several million pounds of these pesticides are used each year, mainly in the Central Valley and along the Pacific coast. The EPA, working in conjunction with the Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service, will analyze the pesticides' effects on 33 endangered forest plants and 7 salmon species. The EPA has also agreed to find ways to minimize the pesticides' effects. Three of the pesticides - carbonyl, chlorpyrifos and diazinon - have been measured in waterways at concentrations that can be toxic to fish.

  Source: Don Thompson, Associated Press Online, 04/19/2002. EPA Settles Pesticide Lawsuit.

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 May, 2002