Fish and Wildlife Advisory News - May 2003

Recent Advisory News

Current Events, News and Journal Articles

• State Sues 16 Restaurant Chains; Attorney General Alleges Failure to Warn Diners of Mercury in Seafood. (California) - The State Of California has sued companies that own 15 of the nation’s best-known restaurant chains for allegedly failing to advise customers that some seafood they sell contains potentially harmful levels of mercury. Restaurants named in the suit include; Red Lobster and Olive Garden; Chili's, Macaroni Grill and Little Italy; Outback and Roy's; Chart House; Bennigan's; Cheesecake Factory; Claim Jumper; and P.F. Chang's China Bistro. The suit alleges that the restaurants had not abided by Proposition 65, which requires businesses to post warnings when they expose people to carcinogens. The suit states that the restaurants serve fresh or frozen shark, tuna, and swordfish, which contain enough mercury to trigger the law's provisions.

  Source: Reiterman, Tim. April 11, 2003. State Sues 16 Restaurant Chains; Attorney General Alleges Failure to Warn Diners of Mercury in Seafood (California). Los Angeles Times, pB-7.

• FDA Seeks Action on Mercury-Laden Fish - In order to reduce the number of fetuses harmed by mercury, FDA health officials are studying the types of fish and consumption rates of fish by women of childbearing age. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention studies have shown that 8 percent of U.S. women of childbearing age have enough mercury in their blood to put a fetus at risk. This number could drop to about 1 percent if women followed FDA's existing advice on avoiding fish - shark, swordfish, tilefish, and king mackerel that contain high levels of mercury. Consumer activists criticized that warning for omitting tuna. Because tuna is the nation's most popular seafood, tuna may be consumed in large enough amounts by women to produce potentially hazardous mercury levels in their bodies. FDA is about to begin a study of what types of fish these at-risk women actually eat, and the quantity of the fish consumed.

  Source: April 9, 2003. FDA Seeks Action on Mercury-Laden Fish. The Associated Press.

• Methyl Mercury and Inorganic Mercury in Swedish Pregnant Women and in Cord Blood: Influence of Fish Consumption - The authors studied exposure to methyl mercury (MeHg) in Swedish pregnant women (total mercury [T-Hg] in hair) and their fetuses (MeHg in cord blood) in relation to fish consumption. Women were recruited at antenatal care clinics in late pregnancy to participate in an exposure study of environmental pollutants. Food frequency questionnaires were used to evaluate fish consumption. On average, the women consumed fish (all types) 6.7 times/month (range 0-25 times/month) during the year they became pregnant, but reported less consumption of freshwater fish--species that might contain high MeHg concentrations -- during, than before pregnancy. T-Hg in maternal hair was significantly associated with MeHg in cord blood. Both hair T-Hg and cord blood MeHg increased with increasing seafood consumption.

  Source: Bjornberg, K. A., M. Vahter, K. Petersson-Grawe, A. Glynn, S. Cnattingius, P.O. Darnerud, S. Atuma, M. Atuma, W. Becker, and M. Berglund. 2003. Methyl Mercury and Inorganic Mercury in Swedish Pregnant Women and in Cord Blood: Influence of Fish Consumption. Environmental Health Perspectives 111(4):637-41.

• Mercury Levels in High-End Consumers of Fish - Consumption of food containing mercury has been identified as a human health risk. The U.S. EPA and the National Academy of Sciences recommend maintaining the whole blood mercury level < 5.0 micro g/L or the hair level < 1.0 micro g/g. This corresponds to a reference dose (RfD) of 0.1 micro g/kg body weight per day. All patients (n=720) who came for an office visit to a private internal medicine practice in San Francisco, CA over a one-year period were evaluated for mercury using the current RfD. Of all patients 123 patients were tested (93 females, 30 males). Mercury blood levels ranged from 2.0 to 89.5 micro g/L for the 89 subjects. The mean for 66 women was 15 micro g/L, and for 23 men was 13 micro g/L ; 89% had mercury levels exceeding the RfD. The test subjects consumed 30 different forms or types of fish. Swordfish had the highest correlation with mercury level.

  Source: Hightower, J. M. and D. Moore. 2003. Mercury Levels in High-End Consumers of Fish. Environmental Health Perspectives 111(4):604-8.

• Elements in Fish of Malibu Creek and Malibu Lagoon near Los Angeles, California - The authors wanted to assess whether past discharges from a wastewater treatment plant increased metal pollutant concentrations in mobile species evaluated in a one-day baseline sampling study in a coastal wetland. Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) were collected from Malibu Creek, and California killifish (Fundulus parvipinnis), and arroyo chub (Gila orcutti) were sampled from Malibu Lagoon near Los Angeles, California. Fish species from each sampling area were pooled by length, and were analyzed for 27 elements. Lagoon killifish 2.0-3.5 cm long contained levels of arsenic and lead above the levels for 95% of all California fish, the EDL95. Black bullhead upstream of the wastewater discharge contained elevated levels of As, Cr and Se. Young mosquitofish upstream of the discharge exhibited different patterns in the order of abundance of the accumulated elements relative to larger mosquitofish as well as to other fish species.

  Source: Moeller, A., S.D. MacNeil, R.F. Ambrose, and S. S. Que Hee. 2003. Elements in Fish of Malibu Creek and Malibu Lagoon near Los Angeles, California. Mar Pollution Bulletin 46(4): 424-9.

• Plasma-Associated Halogenated Phenolic Contaminants in Benthic and Pelagic Fish Species from the Detroit River - Halogenated phenolic contaminants (HPCs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and other organochlorine (OC) contaminants (DDTs, chlordanes, HCH, and octachlorostyrene (OCS)) were determined (ng/g, wet wt basis) in the blood plasma of six piscivorous/pelagic- and seven benthic-feeding fish species from the Detroit River. Seven to twelve hydroxylated (OH) PCB congeners with pentachloro- to nonachloro-substitution, pentachlorophenol (PCP) and 4-OH-heptachlorostyrene (4-OH-HpCS), as well as several unidentified HPCs, were detected in all fish species studied. The authors’ findings indicate that metabolic biotransformation is a factor in the bioaccumulation, pharmacokinetics, and fate of OCS and highly chlorinated PCB congeners that are generally more recalcitrant in fish.

  Source: Li, H., K.G. Drouillard, E. Bennett, G. D. Haffner, and R.J. Letcher. 2003. Plasma-Associated Halogenated Phenolic Contaminants in Benthic and Pelagic Fish Species from the Detroit River. Environmental Science Technology 37 (5): 832-9.

• Characterizing Latino Anglers' Environmental Risk Perceptions, Sport Fish Consumption, and Advisory Awareness - Great Lakes sport fish advisories advise limiting consumption of fish taken from the Great Lakes and their tributaries because of chemical contamination. Apparently, minority anglers are less aware of these advisories and also consume larger amounts of sport fish than white anglers. The authors conducted focus groups in western New York State with Latino anglers and partners of anglers to explore these differences. Analysis showed that older anglers believed local waters were of good quality and that it was safe to consume sport fish. In contrast, younger Latinos believed that area waters were highly polluted because of industrial effluents. For all Latino anglers, however, state-sponsored advisories were minimally effective because of their limited distribution and complex wording.

  Source: Beehler, G. P., B.M. McGuinness, and J.E. Vena. 2003. Characterizing Latino Anglers' Environmental Risk Perceptions, Sport Fish Consumption, and Advisory Awareness. Medical Anthropology Q 17(1):99-116.

• Liming as a Method to Remedy Lakes Contaminated by Radiostrontium - This study identifies the characteristics regulating lake sensitivity to 90Sr-contamination, why certain lakes are more likely to respond positively to lake liming (Ca-treatment), and when liming would not be a feasible or economic remedial measure to lower 90Sr-levels in fish. Results demonstrate that liming works best in (1) small, (2) low-productive, (3) oligohumic, (4) acid lakes with (5) low initial calcium concentrations. The author reports that it is important to start the liming as soon as possible after the Sr fallout. The liming model described can be used to calculate the changes in lake calcium concentrations and the duration of the liming. The Sr-model can be used to calculate changes in Sr-levels in water, sediment, and fish tissue. These simulation models indicate that it is realistic to expect that lake liming can reduce peak levels of 90Sr in fish by 25-40%.

  Source: Hakanson L. 2003. Liming as a Method to Remedy Lakes Contaminated by Radiostrontium. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 65 (1):47-75.

• How Much Fish is Too Much? - The authors claim that pregnant patients eating 4 cans of tuna per week could be ingesting the equivalent of 2 servings of fresh tuna per week or one serving of swordfish per week. This is based on residue data showing that mercury levels found by the US FDA in 248 canned tuna samples ranged from “none detected (ND)” to 0.75 ppm, (mean 0.17 ppm). This compares with a range of ND to 1.30 ppm, (mean 0.32 ppm), for 191 fresh and frozen tuna samples, and a range of 0.10 to 3.22 ppm, (mean 1.00 ppm), for 598 swordfish samples. The authors believe these results show a limit to the amount of canned tuna that should be consumed by those in high-risk groups. The authors believe there should be a guideline on the number of cans per month.

  Source: Bray RI, Kerr KJ, Sanborn MD. 2003. How Much Fish is Too Much?. Canadian Family Physician. 49:141-2.

• Relationships Between Fish Parasitism and Pollution Exposure in the White Croaker, (Genyonemus lineatus) from Los Angeles Harbor, Southern California - White croaker, (Genyonemus lineatus), occur in degraded habitats like Los Angeles Harbor and have been used extensively as a target species for pollution monitoring studies in the Southern California Bight area. Croaker from several sites within Los Angeles Harbor and a control site, Dana Point, were collected to assess the relationship between endohelminth parasitism and pollution in this fish host. Prevalence of parasites, Anisakis sp., Stephanostomum spp., and Lacistorhynchus dollfusi varied significantly by site. Only for Anisakis sp.was the mean intensity significantly different between the less polluted site, Dana Point, and the contaminated site in Los Angeles Harbor closest to the outfall pipe of a sewage treatment plant. The Anisakis sp. appears to be potentially useful as an indicator of pollution exposure in white croaker populations.

  Source: Hogue C. C. and J.S. Peng. 2003. Relationships Between Fish Parasitism and Pollution Exposure in the White Croaker, (Genyonemus lineatus) from Los Angeles Harbor, Southern California. Comparative Parasitology 70 (1):84-87.

• Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers in Influents, Suspended Particulate Matter, Sediments, Sewage Treatment Plant and Effluents and Biota from the Netherlands - Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been analyzed in 133 samples of suspended particulate matter (SPM), sediments, sewage treatment plant (STP) influents and effluents, fish, and mussels from various locations in the Netherlands. This is part of a large Dutch national study on estrogenic contaminants in the aquatic environment. In the current study, PBDEs were included because indications of long-term effects on the balance of endocrine systems were reported in the literature. High concentrations of decaBDE (up to 4600 ppb dry weight) were found in SPM from the Western Scheldt. These concentrations are possibly related to upstream spillage in Belgium during use of PBDEs in industries. The authors found that SPM was an important carrier for higher brominated diphenyl ethers in the aquatic environment. In flounder, bream, and mussels, decaBDE was not found at detectable levels. Bioaccumulation of decaBDE in these fish and shellfish is apparently limited. The authors concluded that at least a small amount of PBDE could pass through STPs.

  Source: de Boer, J., P.G. Wester, A. van der Horst, and E.G. Pim. 2003. Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers in Influents, Suspended Particulate Matter, Sediments, Sewage Treatment Plant and Effluents and Biota from the Netherlands. Environmental Pollution 122 (1): 63-74.

• Organotin Antifouling Paints and their Alternatives - Since the early 1960s, tributyltin and triphenyltin compounds have been used as paint on all vessels in the world because of their excellent biocidal properties. Contrary to expectations, triorganotins are exceptionally stable in the sediment or in dark places in the deep ocean. Because triorganotins do not decompose rapidly in seawater, many incidences of deformities in some shellfish have been linked to their presence, even at extremely low concentrations. Alternative tin-free antifoulants containing other biocides, such as copper compounds and organic compounds, have been developed and used since the late 1980s. Internationally, some countries have already banned the use of organotin antifouling compounds for small vessels, and in 2001 the International Maritime Organization decided to ban completely the use of organotin compounds after 2003. As a result, economical and environmentally better antifoulants need to be developed.

  Source: Iwao, O. 2003. Organotin Antifouling Paints and their Alternatives. Applied Organometallic Chemistry 17(2): 81-105.

• Speciation Analysis of Mercury in Seafood by using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography On-line Coupled with Cold-vapor Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry via a Post Column Microwave Digestion. - The authors propose the use of an automatic system for the speciation analysis of four mercury compounds. The system is based on the on-line coupling of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separation, post column microwave digestion, and cold-vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CVAFS) detection. Post column microwave digestion, in the presence of potassium persulfate (in HCl), was applied in the system to improve conversion efficiency of three organic mercury compounds into inorganic mercury. Parameters influencing the on-line digestion efficiency and the separation effect were optimized. Four mercury species including inorganic mercury chloride (MC), methylmercury chloride (MMC), ethylmercury chloride (EMC) and phenylmercury chloride (PMC) were separated within 13 minutes. Seafood samples, composed of three gastropod species and two bivalve species from Yantai port, China, have been analyzed by the proposed method. The method’s accuracy was verified with dogfish muscle (and the result was in agreement with the certified value.

  Source: Liang Li-Na, L., J. Gui-bin, L. Jing-Fu, and H. Jing-Tian. 2003. Speciation Analysis of Mercury in Seafood by using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography On-line Coupled with Cold-vapor Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry via a Post Column Microwave Digestion. Analytica Chimica Acta 477 (1): 131-137.

• Uptake and Accumulation of Mercury from Dental Amalgam in the Common Goldfish, Carassius Auratus The bioavailability and accumulation of mercury from external environmental exposure to mixed, cured, milled, sieved, and proportioned dental amalgam was examined in the common goldfish, Carassius auratus. Fish were exposed to dental amalgam (<0.10 to 3.15 mm) in order to represent the particle size and distribution present within the typical dental office wastewater discharge stream. Experimental amalgam water loadings were 0 ppm, 0.5 ppm and 1 ppm in glass aquaria at 15C for 28 days. Fish tissues were sampled at 5 minutes and 28 days of exposure, and liver, brain, muscle, and whole body analyzed for total mercury were conducted. Mercury was detected in several tissues and generally increased with exposure to higher concentrations of dental amalgam. The highest concentrations were found in the whole body (17.68mug/g) followed by the liver (0.80 mug/g) and muscle (0.47mug/g). The lowest concentrations were seen in the brain (0.28 mug/g). The authors found that that mercury from an environmental exposure representative of dental amalgam concentrations typically found within the dental wastewater discharge stream is bioavailable to fish and may accumulate in internal tissues.

  Source: Kennedy, C.J. 2003. Uptake and Accumulation of Mercury from Dental Amalgam in the Common Goldfish, Carassius Auratus. Environmental Pollution 121(3): 321-326.

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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.