v"/
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Environmental Research
Laboratory
Corvallis OR 97333
Research and Development
EPA-600/S3-82-070 Jan. 1983
Project Summary
Consumption Rates of
Potentially Hazardous Marine
Fish Caught in the Metropolitan
Los Angeles Area
Harold W. Puffer, Stanley P. Azen, Marysia J. Duda, and
David R. Young
In 1978, the California Department
of Fish and Game carried out a major
independent sportfishing survey in
Southern California.1 Results
indicated that considerable fishing
effort was expended (one million
angler-trip hours per year), that 75%
of the catch was composed of 20
species, and that one in three fish
caught was a white croaker. White
croaker has been shown to contain
large amounts of DDT (average = 39
jug/g)2 and polychlorinated biphenyl
(PCB). Concentrations of PCBs have
been reported that range from 0.6
Aig/g within the Los Angeles Harbor3
to 2.8 fjg/g near the White Point
sewage outfall.2 The survey also
reported some catches of shellfish.
Shellfish have been shown to be
contaminated with heavy metals as
well as the carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene.
No data were obtained, however, to
indicate that the fishermen consumed
the fish or shellfish.
This report presents the results of a
1980 survey to assess the consump-
tion rates of potentially hazardous
marine fish and shellfish by nonpro-
fessional anglers in the Los Angeles
metropolitan area; to identify popula-
tion subgroups with a significant
consumption rate; and to estimate the
size of the population potentially
exposed to harmful pollutants.
This Project Summary was devel-
oped by EPA's Environmental Re-
search Laboratory. Corvallis, OR. to
announce key findings of the research
project that is fully documented in a
separata report of the same title (see
Project Report ordering information at
back).
Introduction
During the period of October to
December 1979, a questionnaire on
sportfishing and catch consumption
was designed to obtain information
from fishermen in the Los Angeles
Metropolitan area: (a) demographic
characteristics of the fishermen and
their family/living group; (b) patterns of
fishing activity; (c) species, numbers,
and weights of fish caught; and (d) char-
acteristics of fish consumption in the
family/living group. Distinction was
made between those fishermen who
caught fish for consumption and those
who caught fish for other purposes (for
example, pet food or fertilizer).
Location of Survey Sites
Numerous fishing locations in the
harbor and coastal areas of Los Angeles
were evaluated as possible survey sites
and 12 representative locations were
identified. The California Department of
Fish and Game confirmed that these
sites (Figures 1 a and 1b) were fished
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Figure 1 a. Location of survey sites. (Team 1).
frequently and contained abundant
marine life. In addition, the sites were
affected by varying degrees of pollution.
Two of the sites (sites 7 and 8) were
near sewage outfalls. The major Los
Angeles County piers were included in
the survey (sites 1, 5, and 8-11). Party
boats (sites 6 and 12) were included
because many sportfishermen do not
fish from piers, shore, or breakwater
areas. Fishermen using private boats
were excluded from the study because
their fishing sites were too random,
ranging from areas of pollution impact
to pristine waters, and covered too
broad an area to be surveyed
adequately with the resources available.
Surveying Procedures
Four surveyors visited each of the 12
sites, usually in teams of two. Attempts
were made to survey each site
approximately three times/month on
different days of the week and different
times of the day.
The survey period was January 1
through December 31,1980; 400 visits
were made to the 12 sites. On each visit,
surveyors recorded the number of
fishermen at the site, their sex, race,
and approximate age. All fishermen
were counted; however, only those with
fish were interviewed. No fisherman
was interviewed more than once during
the study. When more than 20
fishermen at a site had fish, a
systematic sampling approach was
used.
Results
From January 1 to December 31,
1980 a total of 1,059 interviews were
conducted from an estimated sportfish-
ing population of at least 31,351. About
60% of the interviews were done during
the week, 40% on the weekend. Nearly
two-thirds of the survey days were
sunny. During January, mid-February,
and March, heavy rains caused a
reduction in the number of interviews.
Heavy erosion and landslide conditions
closed Abalone Cove (site 7) from late
March until November; consequently,
Point Vicente was substituted as a
survey site (see Figures 1a and 1b). In
early spring, quarantines of about ten
days were imposed in Santa Monica
Bay and Los Angeles/Long Beach
harbors due to heavy sewage overflow.
During that period, interviews could not
be obtained. Also, Gerald Desmond
Bridge (site 3) was closed in March and
from mid-September to December.
Illegal disposal of chemicals caused
closure of sites 9-11 from December 9
to 17.
Demographic characteristics of the
interviewed sportfishermen and their
family/living groups indicate the
majority of those interviewed were
male, Caucasian, 18 to 40 years old,
employed, and living with three or more
persons.
Youths (<17 years) who fished with
their parents were under-represented
in the interviewed sample since, in
most cases, the adult was interviewed
7 1 Santa Monica Pier
12 Party Boat^
10 Venice^
9 Marina del Ray
Outfall^
8 Manhattan Beach/
8 Hermosa Beach I
8 Redondo Beach f-
Palos Verdes
Peninsula
7 Abalone
Cove\
Los Angeles*
County Outfalls^
7 Pt. Fermih\
7 White Pt.
El
Segundo
Figure 1b. Location of survey sites.
(Team 2).
as the representative family member.
Also, Orientals (especially Samoans)
and Mexican-Americans may have
been under-represented since many did
not speak English and therefore could
not be interviewed.
Approximately half of the fishermen
fished one or more times per week, and
more than half had been fishing four or
more hours at the time of the interview.
The frequency of eating fish was
generally the same as or larger than the
frequency of fishing.
White croaker were by far the most
common fish caught. Shellfish,
primarily crabs and mussells, constit-
uted only 3% of the catch.
The majority of fishermen
interviewed consumed the fish they
caught, and the most common
preparation method was pan frying.
Although few fishermen primarily ate
raw fish, 8% said they ate it
occasionally. Of the rawf ish consumed,
16% were white croaker, 32% were
bonito, and 1 2% were Pacific mackerel.
The median amount consumed was
37 g/day/person, with the 90th
percentile at 225 g/day/person (i.e.,
10% of the fishermen consumed more
than this amount) -- much higher than
the average fish consumption for the
United States population as a whole
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(estimated at about 18.7 g/day).4
Although shoreline fishermen are
shown to consume fish at rates consid-
erably above the national average, it
must be remembered that: (a) these data
are biased toward frequent fishermen
since they are more likely to be
interviewed at any given time; (b) these
data do not take into account
consumption of store-bought fish or
dietary sources which might be
displaced by eating locally caught fish;
and (c) the recorded catch may
represent a fraction of the entire catch.
There were significantly larger
consumption rates among senior
citizens (65 years or older) and among
the Oriental/Samoan subgroup (P <
0.001). Also, more fish were consumed
from catches taken at site 8 (P <
0.001), a site likely to be influenced by
waste discharge.
Frequent fishermen tended to be
older, Caucasian, and lived either alone
or in a smaller family group.
Logbook data were used to estimate
the size of the population of sport-
fishermen at each of the 10 sites,
excluding party boats. Party boats were
not included since no data were
obtained on the number and size of all
party boats in the Los Angeles coastal
area. Estimates were based on
fishermen counts obtained from the
logbook data. Distinction was made
between weekday and weekend counts.
The results of this study show that
there exists a regular fishing
population along the Southern
California shoreline (14% fish 3 to 7
times/week), even at sites likely to be
influenced by waste discharges (sites 7
and 8). Fish caught by frequent as well
as infrequent fishermen are generally
shared and consumed among at least
101,000 family members (Table 1).
The catches are dominated by a few
species (Table 2) including two, white
croaker and Pacific bonito, which
accumulate trace organics including
polychlormated biphenyls. PCBs have
long been shown to produce toxic
effects in prolonged industrial
exposure5'7 and affect children born to
mothers exposed to oil contaminated by
PCB.8 They have also been found in the
milk of nursing mothers in Michigan.9
Table 3 shows the estimated 50th
percentile (median) and 90th percentile
consumption levels of PCB for the white
croaker and Pacific bonito. Data on PCB
concentrations for bonito were obtained
in 1975-77 by trawl in the relative area
Table 1a and 1b. Size of Population of Sportfishermen in Survey Sites.
a. Total Number of Fishermen Per Year by Frequency of Fishing
Frequency of Fishing
Infrequent (< 1 mo)
1 - 3 times/month
1 - 2 times/week
3 - 4 times/week
5 - 7 times/week
Number of Fish- Number of Fish-
% ermen per Day Coefficient ermen per Year
28
23
35
9
5
155
128
194
50
28
365/2
365/24
365/72
365/182
365/312
28,288
1,947
983
100
33
Total 100
555
31,351
b. Total Number of Family Members Who Are Fish Eaters
Number of Family
Fish Eaters
Total Number
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7-20
2
20
26
13
14
11
6
8
0
6,270
16,303
12,227
17,557
1.7.243
1 1,286
20,064
Total 100
100,950
Table 2. Description of Primary Fish Kept by Sportfishermen
(n = 7,055;
Species
White Croaker
Pacific Mackerel
Pacific Bonito
Queenfish
Jacksmelt
Walleye Perch
Shiner Perch
Opaleye
Black Perch
Kelp Bass
California Halibut
Shellfish*
Percent of
Fishermen
Who Caught
34%
25%
18%
17%
13%
10%
7%
6%
5%
5%
4%
3%
Median Number
(range)
4 (1. 40)
4 (1. 56}
2 (1, 55)
2 (1, 100+)
1 (1, 30)
2(1,21)
2 (1, 29)
2 (1, 13)
2(1, 17)
1 (1, 7)
1 d, 4)
3 (1, 84)
Average (± semj
Weight (g)
153 ±3
334 ±9
717 ±26
143 ±5
223+8
115 ±5
54 ±5
307 ± 38
196 ± 14
440 ± 61
1752± 144
421 ± 124
Crab (spider, red, yellow, rock), mussels.abalone.
of this survey.2 Data on PCB
concentrations for white croaker were
recently reported by Young et a/.3 from
fish taken in the outer Los Angeles
harbor region of Cabrillo Beach. Based
on these data, which may not be
accurate for fish consumed in the
present study, the annual median level
of PCBs for white croaker consumption
would be 3.2 mg (14.8 g x 0.6 //g/g x
365 days). Similarly, the annual median
level of PCBs for bonito consumption
would be 7.2 mg (63.6 g x 0.31 /ug/g x
365 days). However, if one considers
the population of heavy fish eaters at
the 90th percentile, the annual
consumption of PCBs would be 18.7 mg
for white croaker and 37.8 mg for
bonito.
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Recommendations
Despite what is known about the
toxicity of PCBs, it is not yet possible to
assign with any certainty a critical risk
threshold. Therefore, the long-range
public health significance of PCB
contamination in humans remains
unknown. We do feel, however, that
sufficient data exist to warrant further
studies. In particular, analyses of the
twelve most prevalent fish being
consumed should be undertaken to
identify and quantify possible
contaminants. The effect of cooking
methods on PCB consumption level
should also be examined. In addition,
further work is needed to determine
potential subpopulations at risk such as
raw fish consumers, individuals over 65
years, Orientals and Samoans, and
frequent fishermen at Site 8. In-depth
health assessments of these
subpopulations should then be
conducted.
References
1. Wine, V. 1979. Southern California
Independent Sport Fishing Survey,
Annual Report #3, July 1, 1977 to
June 30, 1978. Marine Resources
Region, Administrative Report 79-3.
2. Young, D. R., T. C. Heesen, M. D.
Moore, et al. 1975-1979. DDT and
PCB contamination of seafood off
Los Angeles. SCCWRP Unpublished
manuscript.
3. Young, D. R., A. J. Mearns, H. W.
Puffer, and K. L Duncan. 1979.
Pollutant Flow Through the Food
Web of Los Angeles Harbor-Pilot
Study. Final Report to Sea Grant
#0471584113.
4. Cordle, F., P. Corneliussen, C.
Jelinek, et al. Human exposure to
PCBs and PBBs. Environ. Health
Perspect. 1978: 24, 157-172.
5. Schwartz, L. Dermatitis from
synthetic resins and waxes. Am. J.
Public Health. 1936:26, 586-592.
6. Ouw, H.K., G.R.Simpson, and D.S.
Sigali. The use and health effects of
Aroclor 1242, a polychlorinated
biphenyl, in an electrical industry.
Arch. Environ. Health. 1976:31,
189-194.
7. Lloyd, J. W., K. M. Moore, B. S. Woolf,
et al. Polychlorinated biphenyls.
J. Occup. Med. 1976:18, 109-113.
8. Yoshimura, T. Epidemiological study
on Yusho babies born to mothers
who had consumed oil contamin-
ated by PCB. Fukuoka Acta Med.
1974:65, 74-80.
Table 3a and 3b. Estimated Annual Consumption of PCB (mgj*
a. 50th Percentile
Species
Consumption Concentration
Rate of
(g/day/person) PCB (fig/gt
Annual
Consumption Dose**
of PCB (mgj (jg/kg/day
White Croaker
14.8
Bonito 63.6
b. 90th Percentile
0.60
0.31
3.2
7.2
0.13
0.28
Species
White Croaker
Consumption
Rate
(g/ 'day '/person)
85.2
Concentration
of
PCB (ug/g)
0.60
Annual
Consumption
of PCB (mg)
18.7
Dose**
/jg/kg/day
0.73
Bonito
334.0
0.31
37.8
1.48
* Data are given for edible portion.
** Calculated as annual consumption x 1000/70 kilograms where 70 kg is the average
adult weight.
9. Wickizer, T. M., L. B. Brilliant,
R. Copeland, et al. Polychlorinated
biphenyl contamination of nursing
mothers' milk in Michigan. Am. J.
Public Health. 1981:71, 132-137.
Harold W. Puffer, Stanley P. Azen, MarysiaJ. Duda, and David R. Young are with
the University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
90033.
Robert Brice is the EPA Project Officer (see belowj.
The complete report, entitled "Consumption Rates of Potentially Hazardous
Marine Fish Caught in the Metropolitan Los Angeles Area," (Order No. PB
82-229 493; Cost: $7.50, subject to change) will be available only from:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Telephone: 703-487-4650
The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at:
Environmental Research Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Corvallis, OR 97333
•fr U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1983/659-095/573
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Agency
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