SEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
4305
EPA-823-F-02-007
May 2002
Of
Summary
The 2001 offish is now available from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA). States, tribes, and territories report that 109 new advisories were issued in 2001 and that currently 28% of lake acres and almost
14% of river miles in the United States are under advisory. Although the total number of advisories decreased from 2,838 in 2000 to
2,618 in 2001, the number of lake acres and river miles under advisory continued to increase as they have since 1993. The decrease
in the total number of advisories is largely due to the removal of advisories in Wisconsin and North Dakota. Both states recently issued
statewide advice, prompting the removal of several hundred waterbody-specific advisories that are now covered under a single statewide
advisory in each jurisdiction. The 2% increase in lake acres and 3.5% increase in river miles under advisory primarily resulted from issuance
of statewide mercury advisories for all lakes and rivers by four states (Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota, and Pennsylvania) in 2001.
Alaska also issued statewide advice to inform the public that fish caught in Alaska are safe for all people to eat with no restrictions.
Although the number of advisories decreased, the size of waters under advisory (excluding the size of No Restriction advisories) increased
substantially from 2000 to 2001. The number of lakes acres under advisory increased from 28% in 2000 to almost 28% in 2001
(11,277,276 acres), a total of 79,119 individual lakes, and the number of river miles under advisory increased from 10.5% in 2000 to
14% in 2001 (a total of 485,205 river miles). In addition, 100% of the Great Lakes and their connecting waters and 71% of all coastal
waters of the contiguous 48 states were under advisory in 2001.
The national listing is available on the Internet at: http://wnww.epa.goy/waterscience/fish/
Background
The states, territories, and Native American tribes (hereafter
referred to as states) have primary responsibility for protecting
residents from the health risks of eating contaminated fish and
wildlife. If high concentrations of chemicals, such as mercury
or PCBs, are found in local fish and wildlife, then a state may
issue a consumption advisory for the general population,
including recreational and subsistence fishers, as well as for
sensitive subpopulations (such as pregnant women, nursing
mothers, and children), A consumption advisory may include
recommendations to limit or avoid eating certain fish and
wildlife species caught from specific waterbodies or, in some
cases, from specific waterbody types (e.g., all lakes). Similarly,
in Canada, the provinces and territories have primary responsi-
bility for issuing fish consumption advisories for their residents.
States typically issue five major types of advisories and
bans to protect both the general population and specific
subpopulations.
No-consumption advisory for the general population -
Issued when levels of chemical contamination in fish
or wildlife pose a health risk to the general public. The
general population is advised to avoid eating certain types
of locally caught fish or wildlife.
No-consumption advisory for sensitive subpopulations -
Issued when contaminant levels in fish or wildlife pose a
health risk to sensitive subpopulations (such as children
and pregnant women). Sensitive subpopulations are advised
to avoid eating certain types of locally caught fish or
wildlife.
Restricted consumption advisory for the general
population - Issued when contaminant levels in fish or
wildlife may pose a health risk if too much fish or wildlife is
consumed. The general population is advised to limit eating
certain types of locally caught fish or wildlife.
Restricted consumption advisory for sensitive sub-
populations - Issued when contaminant levels in fish or
wildlife may pose a health risk if too much fish or wildlife
is consumed. Sensitive subpopulations are advised to limit
eating certain types of locally caught fish or wildlife.
Commercial fishing ban - Issued when high levels of
contamination are found in fish caught for commercial
purposes. These bans prohibit the commercial harvest
and sale of fish, shellfish, and/or wildlife species from a
designated waterbody.
In addition to the five major types of advisories, states are
increasingly issuing notices of no restriction or statewide advi-
sories. A No Restriction advisory is issued to inform the pub-
lic that fish from specific waterbodies have been tested for
chemical contaminants, and the results have shown that spe-
cific species of fish from these waters contain very low levels
and are thus safe to eat without consumption restrictions. In
contrast, a Statewide advisory is issued to warn the public of
the potential human health risks from widespread chemical
contamination of certain fish species or of species from certain
types of waterbodies (e.g., lakes, rivers, and/or coastal waters)
within the state. It should be noted that an advisory for each
waterbody name or type of waterbody may be listed as one
advisory regardless of the number of fish or wildlife species
affected or the number of chemical contaminants detected.
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2001 National Listing of Fish and Wildlife
Advisories Web Site
The 2001 NFLWA web site lists 2,618 advisories in 49 states,
the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Territory of American
Samoa. The web site includes
Information on species and size of fish or wildlife
under advisory
Chemical contaminants identified in the advisory
Geographic location of the waterbody
Lake acreage or river miles under advisory
Population for whom the advisory was issued
Fish tissue residue data for 45 states
State and tribal contact information.
The web site can generate national, regional, and state maps
that summarize advisory information. Also included on the
web site are the names of each state and tribal contact, a
phone number, fax number, and e-mail address. Comparable
advisory information (excluding tissue residue data) and con-
tact information for 1997 are provided for each Canadian
province or territory.
Advisory Trends
In past years, EPA has reported fish advisories based on the
number of advisories in effect; however, this does not provide
any indication about the geographic extent of the contamina-
tion. For example, a waterbody-specific advisory may be
issued to cover a single waterbody (e.g., a 20-acre lake), while
a single statewide lake advisory can represent all lake acres
within the state's jurisdiction (up to 12,787,200 acres in one
state). Because of the dramatic range in the geographic size of
lake acres and river miles affected by chemical contaminants
that may be contained under a single advisory, the number
of advisories is not as accurate a measure of the degree of
contamination as is the geographic extent. Thus, EPA is pro-
viding information on the total lake acres and total river miles
where advisories are currently in effect.
The reason for this change is clearly illustrated by results
obtained for the 2001 advisory data. Although the number
of advisories has increased overall by 107% since 1993, the
number of advisories actually decreased by 8% between 2000
and 2001 (Figure 1). Over the same period between 2000
and 2001, the percentage of the nation's lake acres and river
miles under advisory increased. The percentage of total lake
acres and river miles under advisory has also increased from
1993 to 2001 (Figure 2). Currently, the 2,618 advisories in the
national listing represent almost 28% of the nation's total lake
acreage and 14% of the nation's total river miles. Approxi-
mately 79,119 lakes (11,277,276 lake acres) and 485,205
river miles were under advisory in 2001, compared to 14,962
lakes and 74,505 river miles under advisory in 1993. The
percentages of lake acres and river miles under advisory in
2001 in each state are shown in Figure 3. In addition, 100%
of the Great Lakes and their connecting waters are also under
advisory (Table 1). The Great Lakes and their connecting
Figure 1
Total of Consumption - 2001
Rl = 3
T= 13
NJ = 49 ((
DE = 20 (C
D Advisories exist for specific waterbodies only
E3 Statewide lakes only advisory included in count
0 Statewide rivers only advisory included in count
E3 Statewide rivers and lakes advisory included in count
Statewide coastal advisory included in count
D No advisories
AS =1
GU =0
D VI = 0 (0) D
D PR = 0 (0) D
NH = 9(+1)
MA = 113 (+6)
Note: A statewide
advisory is issued to
MD - ?0 (+1P) warn the public of the
, . potential for wide-
Uw = I (UJ H spread contamination
of specific species in
certain types of water-
bodies. State advisory
data should not be
used for characterizing
geographic distribution
of chemical contami-
nants or for making
interstate comparisons.
"Alaska's statewide
advice places no
restrictions on
consumption of
fish or wildlife.
2000 Total = 2,838
2001 Total = 2,618
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waters are considered separately from other waters and are
not included in the above calculations of total lake acres or
river miles.
The increase in the total size of waters under advisory is in
part due to an increase in the number of assessments of
Figure 2
Percentage of River Miles and Lake Acres Under Advisory
1993-2001
Percent of Total Acres or Miles
* » NJ hJ U
5 <-f> o m o in C
O River Miles
" Lake Acres
1
rl
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
Year
Table 1 . Fish Advisories Issued for the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
Lake Superior
Lake Michigan
PCBs Dioxins
« *
* *
Mercury
*
*
Chlordane
*
*
Lake Huron
Lake Erie
* *
Lake Ontario
Figure 3
Percentage of Lake Acres/River Miles
Currently Under Advisory
'"- _ 1000 1000 (NH) -
f~ ~ ^ '- -^ '" * - 100 0/100 0 fVTli 100Q/
V J56/ i "'-;"7--
" ' ~ ~l 1300 10°0/' '
0 j oo; L _ _ , -^"2 : \<"j ---,1 '"""Tv* oooe(Ri)
00 ' '^ Q1/ ^'^ ^> ^4-^*t 10QO/ (.^' 1000/1000
W2' -, nn - ~ MOHO ', lOOQ,^.,'1 (CT!
11' ,j / TOO 0 100 0
100 G/y^ -*> (MA)
10001-1
1 3
Eighteen states have 100% of their lake acres under fish advisories
(including those with statewide advisories), 10% to 50% of lake acres
in 8 states are under advisories, 17 states have <10% of their lake acres
under advisories, and 12 states have no lake acres under advisories.
Sixteen states have 100% of their river miles under fish advisories (states
with statewide advisories), 4 states have 10% to 50% of their miles under
advisories, 24 states have <10% of their river miles under advisories, and
11 states have no river miles under advisories.
chemical contaminants in fish and wildlife tissues and the
states' increasing use of statewide advisories,
A statewide advisory is issued to warn the public of the poten-
tial for widespread contamination of specific species offish or
wildlife (e.g., moose or waterfowl) in certain types of water-
bodies (e.g., lakes, rivers, or coastal waters). Twenty-eight
states currently have statewide advisories {see Table 2). Four
states issued statewide advisories in 2001: Maryland, Missouri,
North Dakota, and Pennsylvania each added statewide mer-
cury advice for all lakes and rivers. Also in 2001, Alaska issued
statewide No Restriction advice, to inform the public that all
of Alaska's fish are safe to eat without restriction. Alaska's
advisory is not included in the waterbody size calculations
for chemically contaminated lakes or rivers.
Table 2. Summary of Statewide Ad₯isories by Waterbody Type
State
Alaska*
Alabama
Connecticut
Dist. of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Indiana
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Texas
Vermont
Wisconsin
Lake
N/A
Mercury
PCBs
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
PCBs
Chlordane
Mirex
DDT
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
River
N/A
Mercury
PCBs
Mercury
PCBs
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
PCBs
Chlordane
Mirex
DDT
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Coastal Waters
Mercury
PCBs
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Dioxins
Mercury
PCBs
PCBs
Mercury
PCBs
PCBs
Cadmium
Dioxins
Cadmium
Dioxins
Mercury
PCBs
Mercury
Mercury
^Alaska's statewide advice places no restrictions on consumption of fish or wildlife.
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In addition to the Great Lakes, many other Great Waters
of the United States are currently under fish advisories for a
variety of pollutants. The Great Waters include not only the
Great Lakes, but also Lake Champlain {PCBs and mercury), the
Chesapeake Bay, 20 National Estuary Program (NEP) sites, and
14 National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) sites
(see Table 3). Although the Chesapeake Bay is not under any
advisories, the Potomac, James, Back, and Anacostia Rivers,
which connect to it, are all under advisories. All of these rivers,
Table 3. Fish Consumption Ac
Sites - 2001
Waterbody
Casco Bay, ME *
Wells, ME #
Great Bay, NH #
Great Bay, Little Bay,
and Hampton Harbor, NH
Massachusetts Bay, MA *
Buzzards Bay, MA *
Waquoit Bay, MA #
Narragansett, Rl * #
Long Island Sound, NY/CT *
Peconic Bay, NY *
Hudson River, IMY #
New York/New Jersey Harbor *
Barnegat Bay, NJ *
Jacques Cousteau-Great Bay
and Mullica River, NJ #
Delaware Estuary, DE/NJ/PA * #
Albernarle-Pamlico Sounds, NC *
North Carolina sites #
Ashepoo-Combahee-
Edisto Basin, SC #
North Inlet/Winjah Bay, SC #
Sapelo Island, GA #
Indian River Lagoon, FL *
Charlotte Harbor, FL *
Rookery Bay, Fl #
Sarasota Bay, FL *
Tampa Bay, FL *
Apalachicola Bay, FL #
Mobile Bay, AL *
Weeks Bay, AL #
Galveston Bay, TX *
Puget Sound, WA *
Columbia River, OR/WA *
San Francisco Bay, CA *
visori
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was issued. Although the total number of mercury advisories
declined in 2001, the geographic extent of the contamination
in number of lake acres (10,179,247) and river miles (414,973)
under mercury advisories increased by almost 7% and 48%,
respectively, over 2000 (Figures 4 and 5). The rapid increase
in number of lake acres and river miles under advisory has
resulted from the issuance of statewide mercury advisories.
Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota, and Pennsylvania all issued
statewide advisories for mercury in 2001,
Currently, 17 states (Connecticut, Kentucky, Indiana, Maine,
Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota,
Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Wisconsin) have issued
statewide advisories for mercury in freshwater lakes and/or
rivers. Another nine states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia,
Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina,
and Texas) have statewide advisories for mercury in their
coastal waters. Although the total number of mercury advi-
sories declined, 16 states issued new mercury advisories
in 2001. Seven states (Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan,
New York, Ohio, South Carolina, and Wisconsin) account for
the majority (70%) of the number of mercury advisories that
were added.
PCBs
Advisories for PCBs increased 5% from 2000 to 2001 (from
726 to 764) and increased 139% from 1993 to 2000 (319
Figure 4
Trends in Number of Lake Acres Under
Advisory for Various Pollutants
PCBs
Chlordane
Dsoxins
DDT
Others
m
ill_
s
2001
12000
H1999
D1998
H1997
D1996
D1995
01994
D1993
Figure 5
o CM » to co o CM
Number of Lake Acres Under Advisory (In Millions)
Trends in Number of River Miles Under
Advisory for Various Pollutants
Mercury
PCBs
Chlordane
Dioxins
DDT
Others
2001
2000
H1999
01998
H1997
D 1996
01995
D 1994
D 1993
o
o
o
o
CM
o
LO
CM
o
o
o
o
o
o
Number of River Miles Under Advisory (in Thousands)
to 764). The number of states that have issued PCB advisories
remained at 38 states (including American Samoa) in 2001,
up from 31 states in 1993 and 36 states in 1998. Four states
(Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin) added
a total of 9 new advisories for PCBs in 2001; however, the
increase in advisories for PCBs is primarily due to states where
PCBs were added as a contaminant to a preexisting advisory.
Alabama, California, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachu-
setts, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia each
added advice concerning PCBs to existing advisories. In con-
trast to the increase in the number of PCB advisories nation-
ally, the total number of lake acres (1,740,834) and river miles
(115,623) under PCB advisories decreased by 13% and 26%,
respectively, from 2000 to 2001. This decrease was due in
large part to the rescinding of a regional PCB advisory in
Missouri (Figures 4 and 5). Three states (District of Columbia,
Indiana, and New York) have issued statewide freshwater
advisories (river and/or lake) advisories for PCBs. Six other
states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire,
New Jersey, and Rhode Island) have issued PCB advisories for
all of their coastal marine waters.
Chlordane
Many advisories for the pesticide Chlordane have been
rescinded in recent years, primarily because all uses of chlor-
dane were banned in the United States in 1988 and the
compound continues to degrade in the environment. The
number of Chlordane advisories decreased nationwide from
101 advisories in 2000 to 99 advisories in 2001. Similarly, the
number of lake acres (863,897) and river miles (54,563)
declined 23.5% and 42.5%, respectively, from 2000. These
declines were primarily due to the rescinding of a regional
PCB advisory in Missouri. From 1994 (when Missouri and New
York first issued statewide Chlordane advisories) until 2000,
the extent of Chlordane contamination nationwide remained
relatively constant. In 2001, Missouri, Texas, and West Virginia
each rescinded Chlordane advisories, while Michigan added
one advisory.
Dioxins
The total number of advisories for dioxins decreased from 76
in 2000 to 75 in 2001, a drop of 1%. Similarly, the total lake
acres (2,326) and river miles (1,946) under advisory for dioxin
in 2001 declined by 6% and 2%, respectively, over 2000. The
number of lake acres and river miles under advisory for dioxins
have remained below 2604 acres and 2064 miles, respectively,
since 1993. Although dioxins are one of the five major con-
taminants that have resulted in the issuance of health advi-
sories, the geographic extent of the contamination (only 0.4%
of all waters under advisory) is extremely limited compared to
that for the other four major contaminants. This is due in part
to the limited monitoring of dioxins resulting from the high
cost of chemical analysis and in part because dioxin contami-
nation has been associated primarily with pulp and paper
plants using a bleach kraft process and other specific types
of chemical manufacturing facilities or incineration facilities.
In 2001, North Carolina added one advisory for dioxins and
rescinded one, while Mississippi also rescinded an advisory.
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Dioxins are one of several chemical contaminants for which
advisories have been rescinded in recent years, in part because
pulp and paper mills have changed their chemical processes,
DDT
Although the use of DDT, an organochiorine pesticide, has
been banned since 1975, the total number of advisories cur-
rently in effect for DDT (and its degradation products, DDE
and ODD) increased from 44 advisories in 2000 to 48 advisories
in 2001. In addition to the increase in advisory number, the
total number of lake acres (868,486) and river miles (56,544)
increased by 6% and 7%, respectively, above previous years.
This increase was due primarily to the issuance of a regional
DDT advisory in Mississippi in 2001 (Figures 4 and 5, respec-
tively). California had the greatest number of DDT advisories
active in 2001 (14), followed by New York (4), and Texas (4),
while Mississippi added 2 new DDT advisories. New York is
currently the only state with a statewide advisory for DDT.
Other Pollutants
Although the five major pollutants account for 96% of the
total number of advisories, the remaining 4% of all fish advi-
sories are caused by a variety of other groups of chemicals.
These include heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, chromium,
copper, lead, selenium, and zinc), organochiorine pesticides
(aldrin, dieldrin, heptachior epoxide, kepone, lindane, mirex,
and toxaphene), as well as a myriad of other chemical com-
pounds including creosote, polyaromatic hydrocarbons
(PAHs), hexachlorobenzene, pentachlorophenol, and vinyl
chloride to name just a few. While these other chemical con-
taminants represent only 4% of the total number of advisories,
the extent of the contamination they cause slightly exceeds
the lake acres and river miles under advisory for DDT. In 2001,
the total number of lake acres (1,130,267) and river miles
(67,454) under these advisories increased by 6.5% and 17%,
respectively, over 2000. This increase was the result of the
issuance of a regional advisory in Mississippi for toxaphene.
The majority of lake acres and river miles under advisory for
other chemical contaminants is a result of a statewide advisory
in New York for mirex.
Wildlife Advisories
In addition to advisories for fish and shellfish, the web site also
contains several wildlife advisories. Four states have issued
consumption advisories for turtles: Arizona (3), Massachusetts
(1), Minnesota (8), and New York (statewide advisory). One
state (Massachusetts) has an advisory for frogs. New York has
a statewide advisory for waterfowl (including mergansers).
Arkansas has an advisory for wood ducks. Utah has an advi-
sory for American coot and ducks. Maine issued a statewide
advisory for moose liver and kidneys due to cadmium.
Summary of Canadian Advisories
No new information was collected about fish advisories in
Canada for 2001. Beginning in 1996, EPA contacted health
and environmental officials in the 12 Canadian provinces and
territories to obtain narrative and geographic information sys-
tem (CIS) information on advisories throughout Canada. The
number of Canadian advisories in effect in 1997 was 2,625.
Provincewide advisories for mercury were also in effect in
1997 for Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. With respect to
chemical contaminants, advisories in Canada have been issued
for a total of five bioaccumulative chemical contaminants
including mercury (2,572), dioxins/furans (68), PCBs (59),
toxaphene (16), and mirex (9). More than 97% of all
Canadian advisories have been issued for mercury.
For More Information
For more information on specific advisories within a state,
contact the appropriate state agency listed on the NLFWA
web site at www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish. This is particularly
important for advisories that recommend consumers restrict
their consumption of fish from certain waterbodies. State
health departments provide more specific information for
restricted consumption advisories on the appropriate meal size
and meal frequency (number of meals per week or month)
that is considered safe to eat.
The data available on the national listing web site may also be
used to assist the public in making informed decisions about
the waterbodies where they choose to fish or harvest wildlife,
and the species and size of fish they choose to eat. The
NLFWA web site includes advisory information for all states
through December 2001. For some states, the web site
includes data on advisories issued in 2002.
For more information on how to properly clean fish to reduce
exposure, consult EPA's brochure "Should I Eat the Fish I
Catch," available in several languages on EPA's fish advisory
web site: vmw.epa.gov/waterscience/fish.
For more information on the National Fish and Wildlife
Contamination Program, contact:
Jeff Bigler
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Science and Technology
National Fish and Wildlife Contamination Program (4305T)
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20460
Phone 202-566-0400
e-mail bigler.jeff@epa.gov
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