Fish, human health advisories

Mirex contamination has triggered the issuance of several human health advisories nationwide. As of September 1993, mirex was identified as the causative pollutant in eight fish consumption advisories in three different states. This information is summarized below (RTI 1993) ... 

Human Health Advisories for Fish Mercury, PCBs, and other PBTs... 

Gile et al. 1982 Wild et al. 1992). However, in some areas ofthe United States, fish consumption advisories have been issued based on elevated concentrations of PAHs found in locally caught fish or shellfish (see Section 5.6) (RT11993). Additional information is needed on levels of PAHs in aquatic organisms that are of concern for human health. 

The EPA standard for PCBs in drinking water is 0.5 parts of PCBs per billion parts (ppb) of water. For the protection of human health from the possible effects of drinking the water or eating the fish or shellfish from lakes and streams that are contaminated with PCBs, the EPA regulates that the level of PCBs in these waters be no greater than 0.17 parts of PCBs per trillion parts (ppt) of water. States with fish and wildlife consumption advisories for PCBs are identified in Chapter 6 (Section 6.7) and Chapter 8. 

Relevance. A key criterion in the selection of biological indicators is relevance to human and ecological health and to the development of policy. Fish are directly relevant, for example, given that consumption of fish is the primary pathway for exposure to MeHg. The concentration of MeHg in fish is also a key variable in the issuance of fish-consumption advisories. 

More recently, several authors studied the possible association between fish consumption and levels of PFCs in human blood [138], as well as the evaluation of the risk associated with fish consumption [73, 139]. In recognition of the potential for human exposure to PFCs via fish consumption, the Minnesota Department of Health has issued fish consumption advisories for contaminated sections of the Mississippi River (Minnesota Department of Health 2007). This advisory suggests that people limit their intake of fish to no more than one meal a week if PFOS levels in fillet exceed 38 ng/g. 

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