April
19, 2016
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OREGON
HEALTH AUTHORITY (OHA) ISSUES STATEWIDE ADVISORY RECOMMENDING LIMITED
BASS CONSUMPTION
*Elevated
mercury levels found in fish tissue from many state water bodies*
The
Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is issuing a statewide advisory for
bass due to elevated levels of mercury found in fish tissue sampled
from a number of water bodies across the state.
The
fish consumption advisory affects bass in all water bodies statewide,
including river systems.
"Fish
are an important part of a healthy diet, especially migratory fish
like salmon, steelhead and trout," said Dave Farrer, Ph.D.,
toxicologist in the Environmental Public Health Section at the OHA
Public Health Division. "The elevated mercury levels we're
talking about in bass are of concern to us, but there are some simple
steps people can take to reduce their exposure to mercury when
consuming bass."
Bass
is the focus of the advisory because it is a resident species--it
lives in one place its entire life--and is considered a top predator,
eating other mercury-contaminated fish within an ecosystem. The
longer bass live, the more mercury they accumulate. In addition, bass
are found across the state in many popular fishing waters, and the
amount of data the state has for this species is adequate to warrant
a statewide advisory.
OHA
recommends the following monthly meal allowances for bass from all
water bodies across the state, including river systems:
*
General population--Limit consumption to no more than six meals per
month.
*
At-risk populations--Limit consumption to no more than two meals per
month.
Mercury
was found at levels above established screening values. This means it
is high enough to be of concern to human health if fish contaminated
with mercury are not eaten in moderation. For reference, the
screening values used by OHA when determining if the concentration of
mercury found in fish tissue is a health risk are 0.2 mg/kg for
at-risk populations (infants, children, and pregnant or breastfeeding
women), and 0.6 mg/kg for the general public. Average total
concentrations found in fish tissue from across the state ranged from
0.08 mg/kg to 0.86 mg/kg of mercury.
Tissue
samples were taken from 62 bass from 11 water bodies across the
state, including eight rivers, two reservoirs and one lake covering
each region of the state, from 2008 through 2014.
The
statewide advisory and recommended meal allowances cover those water
bodies that do not currently have an individual advisory in place for
resident fish, including bass. For a list of water bodies with an
existing advisory, see the advisory table at
HealthOregon.org/fishadv. People should follow the recommended meal
allowances for fish from these individual water bodies, rather than
the statewide meal allowance of six and two.
A
meal is about the size and thickness of your hand; for children, a
meal is about the size and thickness of a child's hand.
People
who eat too much fish contaminated with mercury can suffer negative
health effects over time, such as damage to organs, the nervous
system and reproductive system. Fetuses, babies and small children
are most vulnerable to the health effects of mercury and, if exposed
to high levels, can suffer life-long learning and behavior problems.
For this reason, OHA recommends that pregnant and nursing women, and
women of childbearing age (18 to 45), follow the consumption
recommendations closely. Anglers also should not give bass to others
unless the recipients are aware of the mercury contamination issue
and they understand the recommendations in the fish advisory.
Fish
consumption advisories are issued when fish tissue data collected and
analyzed verifies that a particular contaminant is over Oregon's
established screening value for that contaminant. OHA has several
advisories currently in place for mercury in resident fish including
bass, although fish tissue in many water bodies has not been sampled
and analyzed.
Because
data for mercury in fish tissue is available for some, but not all,
lakes across the state, and because environmental conditions are such
that mercury is present in recreational waters and can accumulate in
the fish that live there, OHA believes it is necessary to issue a
statewide advisory to protect public health.
Issuing
a statewide advisory helps prevent confusion and reduces the public's
exposure to mercury when consuming bass from non-monitored water
bodies.
The
advisory is expected to remain in place for the foreseeable future
because mercury can come from both natural and human-made sources,
and is transported globally through air pollution. The monthly meal
allowances represent the most consistent health protective
recommendations possible based on available fish tissue data. Should
more mercury data become available, OHA will evaluate those data and
update this and other advisories as practical and necessary.
By
issuing the advisory, health officials hope to increase the public's
awareness of fish species they should avoid or limit consumption of,
and those they can keep eating. While it is important for people to
know about contaminants in fish, it is equally important to keep fish
on the table. Health officials continue to encourage people,
including pregnant women, to eat a variety of fish as part of a
healthy diet. Migratory fish such as salmon and steelhead are an
essential source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients,
and are low in contaminants.
Visit
HealthOregon.org/fishadv to learn more about why fish is good for
you, and for other fish-related topics.
Florence
Pourtal-Stevens, Public Health Administrator
1975
McPherson Avenue, North Bend, OR 97459
Crisis
Line: 541-751-2550
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County is an Affirmative Action/EEO TTY Relay: 7-1-1
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Clerk: Patty Scott