Fishing Advisories and Fish Contaminants

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Fishing Advisories and Fish Contaminants

• EEES 4730
• Amanda Wendzicki

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Objective

• To discuss the purpose of fish advisories, the
  effects and origins of the contaminants, and
  propose possible solutions

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Fishing Advisory

• A warning put out by governing bodies that people
  limit or avoid eating certain species of fish
  from certain bodies of water.
• May coincide with commercial fishing bans

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• Due to the level of contaminants within a body of
  water.
• May be targeted toward specific demographics
• Largely, women who are pregnant or who may become
  pregnant and small children

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Cause for concern

• Many contaminants end up within water bodies by
  means of runoff from improper containment or
  disposal practices, or straight discharge from
  industry.
• Many harmful compounds are long lasting within
  the aquatic environment.
• Bioaccumulation causes for an increased
  concentration of the contaminants within
  predatory species.
• Many also lend to developmental problems in
  humans as well as wildlife.

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Contaminants

• Long lasting in sediments
• Accumulate in bottom-dwellers
• Become more concentrated in fish by
  bioaccumulation as you move up the trophic levels

• 5 primary contaminants
• Mercury
• PCBs
• Chlordane
• Dioxins
• DDT

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Mercury

• Much of the mercury originates with coal-burning
  power plants

• Particularly of concern due to developmental
  consequences for
• Women who are or may become pregnant
• Nursing mothers
• Young children

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Minamata Disaster

• Kyushu Japan, 1950s, Chisso Corporation (petro
  chemical company)
• Discharge of mercury laden waste water into local
  waters
• As of march 2001, 2265 victims

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PCBs

• (Polychlorinate Biphenyl)
• Common coolant
• Most commonly observed health affects
• Skin conditions
• Indicators of liver damage

• Yusho disease
• Kyushu Japan, 1968
• Rice bran oil became contaminated
• Got into chicken feed

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Chlordane
Dioxins

• Sold in US until 1983 as an insecticide
• Associated with testicular and prostate cancer
  among other cancers

• By-products of various industrial processes
• Effect on humans relatively unstudied
• Expected adult reactions
• Liver damage
• Diabetes
• Immunological effects
• Developmental issues believed to be greater
• Effecting sexual development

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DDT

• Synthetic insecticide
• 1962 Silent Spring
• Raised public awareness of effects
• Persistent organic pollutant
• Known for eggshell thinning of predatory birds
• Linked to broad developmental problems in humans

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Possible solutions

• Those contaminants that have been pesticides have
  since largely been discontinued within the US and
  replaced with safer alternatives.
• They still remain an issue in developing
  countries due to their relative cost and
  effectiveness
• For those that are industry born, stricter
  regulation and enforcement could aid in the
  prevention of these contaminants reaching aquatic
  habitats.
• Only discontinued use could end new
  contamination, and little can be done to remove
  current contamination once it has been bio
  accumulated

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National Lake Fish Tissue Study

• Statistically based surveys conducted by EPA
  since late 1990s
• Randomly selected lakes and reservoirs in lower
  48 states
• Divided into 6 size categories

• Collected composites of one predator species and
  bottom-dwelling species
• 5 adults
• Analyzed each composite for 268 chemicals

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• Created to provide baseline information to track
  future changes
• Mercury and PCBs were present in every fish
  sample
• 49 of entire sample population exceeded EPAs
  quality criteria of 0.3ppm of mercury
• 43 of 268 chemicals tested for not detected

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• "Water Fish Advisories." Home Water US EPA.
  Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 03 Nov.
  2011. lthttp//water.epa.govgt.
• The National Study of Chemical Residues in Lake
  Fish Tissue. Washington, DC United States
  Environmental Protection Agency, Office of
  Water, Office of Science and Technology, 2009.
  Print.
• "Human Health Fish Consumption -- Critical
  Contaminants." Great Lakes Information Network.
  Web. 03 Nov. 2011. lthttp//www.great- lakes.net/h
  umanhealth/fish/critical.htmlgt.