Purdue News

July 30, 1999 Many face potential health risks from consuming sport fish WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Despite warnings about the potential hazards of eating fish caught in the wild, up to 10 percent of Indiana's 5.9 million residents may be at risk from exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls in fish, according to a survey by researchers at Purdue University. "Women and children are most susceptible to the problems of PCB contamination," said Charles Santerre, a Purdue Cooperative Extension Service specialist and associate professor of foods and nutrition. PCBs may cause developmental delays in children and fetuses. "Of the Hoosiers at risk, about 16,000 may be exposed in the womb, and an estimated 290,000 are children under the age of 18," he said. The 1999 Indiana Fish Consumption Advisory says there are some wild fish in the state that no one should ever eat. It also suggests that adult males and females should limit their consumption to one meal per week of any fish caught in Indiana, and it sets that limit at one meal per month for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, women who plan to have children, and children under the age of 15. However, based on the Purdue survey, 38 percent of anglers across the state are either unaware of the consumption advisories or choose not to follow them. "People should not stop eating fish -- but they should make wise choices about how often and what kinds of fish they consume," Santerre said. "Generally, 80 percent or more of the fish annually tested by the state register detectable levels of PCBs. Just because PCBs are detected doesn't mean the fish are unsafe to eat, but people should consult the advisories before consuming wild fish." Research shows that farm-raised fish can contain extremely low levels of contaminants, but Santerre acknowledged it's not always easy to determine where fish come from when purchased at a store or restaurant. "For instance, most grocery-store catfish are farm-raised and contain very low levels of contaminants," he said. The recent Purdue survey, conducted for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, asked sport fishermen to describe their fishing activity and the amount of fish they caught and consumed. Graduate students Amy Sheaffer of Palmyra, Pa., and Becky Williams of Hightstown, N.J., conducted the study under the direction of Joseph T. O'Leary, a professor of forestry and natural resources. Sheaffer said this was the first time that Indiana had tried to collect statewide fish consumption data. "Other states, including Michigan and Wisconsin, already keep track of wild fish consumption," she said. Through mail-in questionnaires and on-site surveys, 2,700 fishermen were queried over the summers of 1997 and 1998. The surveys reached both licensed and non-licensed anglers. Santerre, who studies the contaminants in wild fish, used the survey results to calculate the population at risk from PCB consumption based on state census figures. An estimated 19 percent of the state's citizens age 16 and older are anglers, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "If 38 percent of fishermen do not follow consumption guidelines, that translates into 325,000 anglers," Santerre said. "When you add in the estimated spouses and children who are also eating the fish, you come up with more than 600,000 people, or a little more than 10 percent of the state's population that may be at risk." Santerre said he believes that part of the problem may be a misunderstanding about where fish with high levels of PCB contamination live. Indiana has 17 land areas recognized by the federal government as Superfund cleanup sites with high PCB levels. "However, because of how water travels, fish containing PCBs are found all over the state, not just near contaminated sites," he said. And although federal agencies warn that fish in the Great Lakes region contain higher levels of PCBs than those in most areas of the country, Hoosiers may wrongly assume that the warning applies only to fish caught in Lake Michigan or the other Great Lakes. "The Great Lakes region includes all of Indiana's waterways," Santerre said. Copies of the state fish consumption advisory are available from the Indiana State Department of Health and the departments of environmental management and natural resources. The guidelines are also available on the Web at http://www.state.in.us/isdh/dataandstats/fish/fish_99/fish_cvr.htm. This year's advisory lists several species of fish found in Indiana lakes, rivers and streams. Across the state, samples of tissue were analyzed from bottom-feeding fish, top-feeding fish and other fish species. The fish were tested for PCBs, pesticides and heavy metals. The advisory specifies how many meals one should eat from fish caught in various areas. That ranges from unrestricted amounts to no consumption at all. PCBs were used for many years in electrical, hydraulic and other equipment because of their fire-resistance and thermal stability. However, because of the compound's persistent and toxic nature, production of PCBs was banned in the United States in 1979. The effects of PCBs in the body may last for years, so state health advisories recommend that women planning to become pregnant within six years be cautious about their PCB intake. Sources: Charles Santerre, (765) 496-3443, santerre@cfs.purdue.edu Amy Sheaffer, (765) 494-3628 Writer: Beth Forbes, (765) 494-9723; beth_forbes@purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page