vvEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
                                                             Office of Water
                                                             4305
EPA-823-F-07-003
July 2007
Fact  Sheet
2005/2006  National  Listing of Fish Advisories

Summary
Since 1993, EPA has made available to the public online an annual compendium of information on locally issued fish advisories
and safe eating guidelines (http://www.epa.gov/fishadvisories).  This information is provided to EPA by states, U.S. territories,
Indian tribes,  and local governments who issue fish consumption advisories and safe eating guidelines to inform people about
the recommended level of consumption for fish caught in local waters. Fish advisories are advice to limit or avoid eating certain
fish.  Safe  eating guidelines are designations of monitored waters  where there is no restriction on eating specified species of
fish.  The 2005/2006 National Listing of Fish Advisories1 database shows that the number offish advisories and the number
of safe eating guidelines issued continues to rise.  The increased number of new fish advisories issued is directly related to
enhanced monitoring and assessment efforts by States, U. S. territories, tribes, and local governments. Most new fish advisories
involve mercury and are believed to be the result of increased monitoring and assessment rather than increased U.S.  releases
of mercury, as U.S. mercury emissions have declined by almost 50% since 1990.


    The national  listing is available on the  Internet at http://www.epa.gov/fishadvisories
Background
The states, District of Columbia, U.S. territories, tribes, and local
governments (for  simplicity, hereafter referred  to  as states)
have primary responsibility for protecting their residents from
potential health risks from eating contaminated  fish caught in
local waters.  Forty-eight states, the District of  Columbia, the
U.S. territories of American Samoa and Guam, and five Indian
tribes  have fish consumption advisories  in place.  The states
have developed their own fish advisory  programs over the
years, and there is variability among  states  in the  scope and
extent of monitoring, in how frequently previously tested waters
are sampled again, in how decisions are made to place waters
under advisory, and in the specific advice that is provided when
contaminated fish  are found.  Because of this variability,  it is
difficult to  draw national conclusions  or  to establish  national
trends in fish advisories; however, through this Technical Fact
Sheet,  EPA  provides a  summary of fish advisory  information
submitted by states.

Consumption advisories  may include recommendations to  limit
or avoid eating certain fish and water-dependent wildlife species
caught from specific waterbodies or, in  some cases, from
specific waterbody types (e.g., all lakes) due to contamination
by one or  more chemical contaminants.  An advisory may be
issued for the general population (i.e., general public), including
recreational  and  subsistence fishers, or it  may  be  issued
specifically  for sensitive subpopulations,  such  as pregnant
women,  nursing   mothers,  and  children.    A  consumption
advisory  is  not   a regulation,   but   rather   a  voluntary
recommendation issued to help protect public health.

States  typically  issue five  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 offish and shellfish from a designated waterbody.

                                     In  addition to the  five types of advisories, states  are also
                                     increasingly issuing  notices of statewide  advisories and safe
                                     eating guidelines. A statewide advisory is issued to warn the
                                     public of the  potential human health  risks from widespread
                                     chemical contamination of certain species  offish from particular
                                     types of waterbodies (e.g.,  lakes,  rivers, and/or coastal waters)
                                     within the state.  An advisory for each waterbody name or type
                                     of waterbody may be listed as one advisory, regardless of the
                                     number of fish affected or the number of chemical contaminants
                                     detected.  In contrast, a safe eating guideline is issued to inform
                                     the public that fish from specific waterbodies have been tested
1 The National Listing of Fish Advisories Fact Sheet was produced annually through the 2004 report. In 2005, USEPA decided to release subsequent
fact sheets on a bi-annual basis due to nominal changes in data from year to year.  This fact sheet discusses changes in data for both the 2005 and
2006  data reporting cycles.

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for  chemical  contaminants, and  the  results  have shown that
specific species of fish from these waters are safe to eat without
consumption  restrictions.   As states  increase their monitoring
activities, so does the quantity of information available to better
protect the public health.
National Listing of Fish Advisories Web Site
As of the end of 2006, the National Listing of Fish Advisories
Web site lists 3,852 advisories in 48 of the 50 states, the District
of Columbia,  2 of the 4 territories, and five Indian  tribes. The
Web site (http://www.epa.qov/fishadvisories) includes:

Information on species  and size of fish or water-dependent
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
Meal size  and meal frequency (number of meals per week or
month) by advisory
Data on the concentrations of contaminants in fish tissue for 46
states and the District of Columbia
State and tribal contact information.

The  user can generate national, regional, and state maps that
summarize advisory information  on the Web site. The site also
includes the names of each  state contact,  a phone number, a
fax number, and an e-mail address.


Synopsis  of 2005 and 2006 National Listing of
Fish Advisories
This  fact sheet provides a summary of data included  in the 2005
and 2006 updates to the National Listing  of Fish Advisories. In
past  years, EPA reported fish advisories  based on the number
of advisories  in effect at the end of that year, but this does not
provide an indication of the geographic extent of the advisory.
For example, a waterbody-specific advisory may  be issued to
cover a single waterbody (e.g., a 20-acre lake),  whereas a
single statewide lake advisory can cover 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 a single advisory, the number
of advisories does not tell the full story of the geographic extent
of waters  subject  to  state advice to  limit fish consumption.
Therefore, EPA now provides information  on the total lake acres
and total river miles where  advisories are  currently in  effect.
This  fact sheet presents and discusses data for both 2005 and
2006, but the 2006  data  summary reflects the  most  recent
updates to the online database.

The EPA 2005 National Listing of Fish Advisories indicates that
states reported issuing 158 new fish advisories in 2005 and that
162  previous  advisories were reactivated, bringing the  total
number of active advisories in effect to 3,373 in 2005 (Figure 1).
The 3,373 advisories in the national listing at the end of 2005
represented 38% of the nation's total lake acreage and 26% of
the nation's  total river miles. Approximately 15,202,580 lake
acres and 930,097 river miles were under advisory in  2005.
This  represented a 3% increase in the number of lake  acres
and a 2% increase in river miles under advisory from 2004 to
2005.
The EPA 2006 National Listing of Fish Advisories indicates that
states reported issuing 534 new fish advisories in 2006 and that
122  previous advisories  were reactivated,  bringing the total
number of advisories in effect to 3,852 in 2006 (Figure 2). The
3,852 advisories in the national listing at the end of 2006 still
represent 38% of the nation's total lake acreage and 26% of the
nation's  total  river  miles.  These   percentages   represent
approximately 15,368,036 lake acres and 930,938  river  miles
under advisory in 2006.

In  2005  and 2006,  22  states and the District  of  Columbia
reported that 100% of their lake acres and river miles  were
under advisory  for one  or  more contaminants:  Connecticut,
District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine,
Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire,
New  Jersey,  New  York,  North   Dakota,  Ohio,  Oklahoma,
Pennsylvania,  Rhode  Island, Vermont,  Washington,  West
Virginia, and  Wisconsin.  The percentages  of  lake  acres and
river miles under advisory in 2005 and 2006 for the  remaining
states are shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Percentage of Lake Acres and River Miles Under
Advisory by State
State
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Delaware
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Iowa
Kansas
Louisiana
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Nebraska
Nevada
New Mexico
North Carolina
Oregon
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Virginia
% Lake acres under
advisory
2005
0.1%
1.2%
0.7%
19.5%
12.0%
2.4%
1 1 .0%
0.0%
21 .9%
0.1%
0.0%
1.4%
100.0%
100.0%
7.2%
3.8%
0.0%
19.5%
0.1%
2.6%
4.0%
1.4%
9.2%
12.2%
0.0%
8.5%
2006
0.1%
1.2%
0.7%
1 9.7%
1 6.5%
8.9%
1 1 .2%
0.0%
29.8%
0.2%
0.0%
3.5%
100.0%
100.0%
7.2%
3.9%
0.0%
1 9.5%
0.1%
2.6%
1 6.7%
1.4%
9.2%
1 2.5%
0.0%
9.3%
% River miles under
advisory
2005
0.6%
0.1%
0.3%
0.1%
0.0%
20.0%
3.7%
16.2%
0.0%
0.0%
0.1%
1.2%
3.5%
3.5%
0.3%
0.8%
0.4%
0.1%
0.1%
0.5%
5.2%
0.0%
0.6%
0.1%
0.1%
4.7%
2006
0.7%
0.1%
0.3%
0.1%
0.0%
24.3%
4.2%
1 6.2%
0.0%
0.2%
0.1%
1.2%
3.5%
3.5%
0.3%
0.9%
0.4%
0.1%
0.2%
0.5%
5.2%
0.0%
0.6%
0.1%
0.1%
4.7%

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                   Figure 1.  Total Number of Fish Consumption Advisories in 2005.
                                                                                                                 NH = 9

                                                                                                              MA =152
 D Advisories exist for specific waterbodies only
 E3 Statewide lakes only advisory included in count
 E3 Statewide rivers and lakes advisory included in count
 • Statewide coastal advisory included in count
 • Statewide advisory for marine fish included in count
 D No advisories for chemical contaminants
AS  = 1  D   VI   = 0 D
GU =  2  D   PR  = 0 D
  a -Inc ludes U) advisory from the C heyenne River Sioux Tribe
  b -Includes (16) advisories from (he Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC)
    and the Minnesota Chippewa Tribes
  c -Includes (70} advisories from the (GLIFWQ
  d -Includes U0> advisories from the (GLIFWO
  e -Includes (1) advisory from the Si, Regis Mohawk Tribe
  f -Includes (2) advisories from the Aroostook Band of Mjcmacs
                                       2005 Total = 3,373
                   Figure 2.  Total Number of Fish Consumption Advisories in 2006
n Advisories exist for specific waterbodies only
£3 Statewide lakes only advisory included in count
H Statewide rivers and lakes advisory included in count
• Statewide coastal advisory included in count
B Statewide advisory for marine fish included in count
D No advisories for  chemical contaminants

a -Includes) 1) advisory from the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe
b -Includes (28) advisories from the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWO
  and the Minnesota Chippewa Tribes
c -Includes (297) advisories from the (GUFWC)
d -Includes (JO) advisories from ihe (GLIFWC)
e -Includes (1) advisory from the Si. Regis Mohawk Tribe
T -Includes (2) advisories from the Aroostook Band of Micmacs
         D   VI   = 0  n
         D   PR   = 0  D
                                        2006 Total = 3,852

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All (100%) of the Great Lakes and their connecting waters were
under advisory for at least one contaminant in 2005 and 2006
(Table 2). The Great Lakes  and their connecting waters  are
considered separately from other waters and are not included in
the above calculations of total lake acres or river miles.
Table 2. Fish Advisories Issued for the Great Lakes
Great
Lakes
Lake
Superior
Lake
Michigan
Lake Huron
Lake Erie
Lake
Ontario
PCBs
•
•
•
•
•
Dioxins
•
•
•
•
•
Mercury
•
•
•
•

Chlordane
•
•
•


Mirex




•
DDT

•



The  number  of lake acres and  river miles under advisory is
related to the number of assessments of chemical contaminants
in  fish and  water-dependent wildlife  tissues,  as well  as the
states' use of statewide advisories.

A statewide advisory is issued to warn the public of potential
contamination of  specific  species of  fish  or water-dependent
wildlife (e.g., turtles or waterfowl) in certain types of waterbodies
(e.g., lakes,  rivers, or coastal waters) across the state. Thirty-
three states had statewide  advisories in effect in 2005 (Table 3).
Oklahoma and West Virginia reported new  statewide advisories
for lakes and rivers in 2005.  There were no  changes to the
number of statewide advisories in 2006.

In addition to the  Great Lakes, other large lakes and estuaries
are currently  under  advisory for a variety of contaminants. For
example,  the  main stem  of the Chesapeake Bay  is  under
advisory. The Potomac, James,  Back, Anacostia, Piankatank,
and  Patapsco  rivers  that connect  to the Chesapeake  Bay
continue  to  be under advisory. Baltimore  Harbor, which also
connects  to  the  Chesapeake  Bay,  is   under advisory for
chlordane and  PCS  contamination  in fish  and blue crabs.
Portions of the  upper bay  of New York Harbor, Delaware  Bay
and  River, and portions of  Puget Sound have also been placed
under advisory in the last two years.

Fifteen states have issued  fish advisories for all of their coastal
waters (Table 3). Almost  65% of the coastline  of the United
States (excluding  Alaska, which has no advisories) continues to
remain under advisory. Based on coastal  size estimates from
the National Oceanic and  Atmospheric Administration, 92% of
the Atlantic  coast and  100% of the Gulf coast were  under
advisory in 2005 and 2006. The Atlantic coast  advisories  have
been issued for  a  wide  variety  of chemical  contaminants
including mercury, PCBs, dioxins, and  cadmium. All of the Gulf
coast advisories  have  been issued for  mercury.  No Pacific
coast state  has  issued a statewide  advisory  for any  of its
coastal waters, although several local areas along the Pacific
coast are under  advisory. Hawaii  still maintains a statewide
advisory for mercury in several marine fish species.
Table 3. Summary of Statewide Advisories by Waterbody Type and
Year Issued
State
Alabama
Connecticut
Dist. of
Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Illinois
Indiana
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
New
Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Texas
Vermont
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Lake

Mercury
PCBs
Mercury


Mercury
Mercury
Mercury

Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
PCBs

Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
PCBs
Chlordane
Mirex
DDT

Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury


Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Issued

1996
1993
2002


2002
2004
2000

1994
2001
1996
1993
1999

2001
2003
1995
1995
1994

2001
1997
2005
2001
2002


1995
2003
2005
2000
River

Mercury
PCBs
Mercury


Mercury
Mercury
PCBs
Mercury

Mercury
Mercury
Mercury



Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
PCBs
Chlordane
Mirex
DDT

Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury


Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Issued

1996
1993
2002


2002
1996
2000

1994
2004
1996



2001
2003
1995
1995
1994

2001
1997
2005
2001
2002


1995
2003
2005
2000
Coastal
Waters
Mercury
PCBs

Mercury
Mercury
Mercury*



Mercury
Dioxins
Mercury
PCBs

PCBs
Mercury


Mercury


PCBs
Mercury
Dioxin
PCBs
Dioxins
Cadmium
Dioxins
PCBs
Mercury




PCBs
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury




Issued
1996
1993

1993
2000
2003



1997
1994

1994


1998


1994
1993
1995
2000




1993
2001
1997




* Hawaii has a statewide advisory for mercury in marine fish.


 Safe Eating Guidelines
 EPA  encourages states to issue  safe  eating guidelines when
 providing advisory information.  In addition to issuing statewide
 advisories warning the public about chemical contaminants  in
 fish tissue,  states are increasingly  issuing safe eating guidelines
 to inform the public that fish from specific waterbodies or certain
 species offish have been tested for chemical contaminants and
 have  been shown to contain very low  levels of contaminants.
 By issuing safe  eating  guidelines,  the states are  identifying
 monitored waters or species for the public where no restrictions

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on  eating  fish apply,  as  well  as promoting  enjoyment of
recreational fishing.

In 1993, the first year that the National Listing of Fish Advisories
collected data on safe eating  guidelines, there  were only 20
such guidelines in effect.  This number  increased slowly  until
2004,  when  three states  reported  827  new  safe  eating
guidelines,  bringing the 2004 total to 1,213.  The total number of
safe eating guidelines dropped slightly to  1,193  in 2005, but
rose to 1,247 in 2006.  Table 4 shows the trend in the issuance
of safe eating guidelines since 1993.  As of December 31, 2006,
22  states have  issued  safe  eating guidelines.   The largest
numbers of  safe eating  guidelines  have  been  issued in
Minnesota (834), Georgia (171), Texas (46) and South Carolina
(43).   Alabama  doubled  their total number of safe  eating
guidelines from 16 to 32  between 2005 and 2006. Washington
added  20 new safe eating guidelines.  No tribes have issued
safe eating  guidelines.

Five states have  issued statewide  safe  eating guidelines.  In
2001, Alaska issued a statewide guideline to inform the public
that all of Alaska's fish are safe to  eat without restrictions. In
2002, Wisconsin issued a safe eating guideline for bluegill and
other sunfish, yellow  perch, white and black  crappie,  and
bullheads in all lakes  statewide.  Minnesota  issued a similar
guideline for panfish statewide.  Connecticut and Vermont  also
have species-specific statewide safe eating guidelines for lakes
and rivers.  There are a few waterbody-specific  exceptions to
the  safe eating guidelines,  so consumers are advised to review
waterbody-specific information on state Web sites.
Table 4. Total Safe Eating Guidelines Issued Since 1993
Year Issued
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
New Advisories
20
12
35
10
2
25
44
7
20
164
47
827
-20
54
Cumulative Advisories
20
32
67
77
79
104
148
155
175
339
386
1,213
1,193
1,247
In  2006, 3% of river  miles and 18% of lake acres in the
conterminous United States  had safe  eating guidelines for at
least one fish species.   Approximately 96,625 river miles and
5,285,923 lake acres  had  safe  eating  guidelines  in  2006.
Between 2004 and  2006 the area for which there were safe
eating  guidelines increased by 20,556  river  miles  and  by
238,002 lake acres.  The number of these  guidelines is likely to
grow as more states identify safe fishing waters or species
(e.g., sunfish and other panfish)  that do not tend to accumulate
chemical contaminants  in their tissues to  the same extent as
long-lived  predatory species (e.g.,  largemouth  bass, walleye,
northern pike,  catfish).   These  guidelines will help direct the
public  toward  making   more informed decisions  about the
waterbodies  in which they  fish,  as well  as healthier choices
about the species that they choose to eat.
Bioaccumulative Contaminants
Although there are  advisories  in  the  United  States for  44
different chemical contaminants, 88% of all advisories in effect
in  2006 involved five bioaccumulative chemical contaminants:
mercury, PCBs, chlordane, dioxins,  and DDT. Bioaccumulative
chemical contaminants accumulate in the tissues  of aquatic
organisms   at   concentrations   many  times   higher  than
concentrations in the water. They can persist for relatively long
periods in sediments, where bottom-dwelling organisms that are
low in the food  chain can accumulate them and pass them up
the food chain to  fish.   Concentrations  of bioaccumulative
contaminants in the tissues of aquatic organisms may increase
at  each level of the food chain.  As a result, top predators  in a
food chain,  such  as largemouth bass or  walleye,  may have
concentrations of bioaccumulative contaminants in their tissues
a  million times higher than the concentrations found in  the
waterbodies.

Mercury
The  total number  of advisories for  mercury increased  from
2,436 in 2004, to 2,682 in 2005 and 3,080 in 2006.  Forty-eight
states, 1  territory, and 2 tribes have issued  mercury  advisories.
Eighty percent of all advisories  have been issued,  at least  in
part,  because  of  mercury. The increase  in  the  number  of
mercury advisories in 2005 and 2006 can  be attributed to the
issuance of new mercury advisories by 25 states, and American
Samoa.  Most of the new mercury advisories issued in 2005
and 2006 were in  Wisconsin  (293), Michigan (46),  New York
(36)  and Minnesota (32). In 2005,  American Samoa, Kansas,
Oklahoma and Utah issued mercury advisories for the first time,
and Iowa did the same in 2006.

A total of 14,035,676 lake acres and  882,428 river  miles were
under advisory  for mercury in 2005.  In 2006, these  numbers
increased to  14,177,175  lake acres and 882,963 river miles.
This represents an increase of 993,427 lake  acres  (+8%)  and
117,564 river miles (+15%) under advisory between 2004  and
2006. The increases in area and miles are primarily  due to new
statewide advisories for mercury in Oklahoma and West Virginia
in  2005,  along with new advisories issued  in Louisiana, Idaho
and New York in 2006.

Currently, 23 states  (Connecticut, Florida,  Illinois,  Indiana,
Kentucky,   Maine,  Maryland,   Massachusetts,    Michigan,
Minnesota,  Missouri, Montana, New  Hampshire,  New Jersey,
North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma,  Pennsylvania,  Rhode Island,
Vermont, Washington,  Wisconsin  and West Virginia) have
issued statewide  advisories for  mercury  in  freshwater lakes
and/or  rivers.  Twelve  states  (Alabama,  Florida,  Georgia,
Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire,
North Carolina,  Rhode Island,  South Carolina, and Texas) have
statewide advisories for mercury in their coastal waters. Hawaii
has  a statewide advisory for mercury in  marine  fish.  The
Micmac tribe of Maine  has two reservation-wide advisories  in
effect for mercury  in freshwater and marine  fish  (including
lobster).  In addition, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe has  one
reservation-wide advisory for mercury  in rivers, lakes, and stock
ponds.

PCBs
In  2005, there were 953 advisories in place for PCBs, with 38
states, American  Samoa,  Guam and the  St. Regis  Mohawk
Tribe reporting  PCS advisories  in 2005.   In 2006,  there were
1,023 advisories in place for PCBs.  Between 2004 and 2006,
the number  of  PCS advisories  increased  from 873 to 1,023.
Ten  states added  new advisories  for PCBs  in 2005,  and  13

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states added new advisories in 2006.  New Mexico issued new
PCS advisories for the first time.  There were 4,652,648 lake
acres and 118,904 river miles under advisory for PCBs in 2005,
and  4,699,936 lake  acres  and  132,228 river  miles  under
advisory  in 2006.  Four states (District of Columbia, Indiana,
Minnesota, and  New  York) have statewide  freshwater (river
and/or  lake)  advisories for PCBs,  and  seven  other  states
(Connecticut,   Maine,  Massachusetts,  New Hampshire,  New
Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island) have PCS advisories for
all of their coastal  marine waters.

Chlordane
All uses of the pesticide chlordane were banned in the United
States in 1988 and the compound continues to degrade in the
environment.  However, due in part to increased monitoring, the
number of chlordane advisories has risen  slightly from 2004 to
2006.  In 2005 there were 101 fish advisories for chlordane in
effect and in 2006 the total increased to 105.  The states adding
new chlordane advisories in  2006 were  South Carolina  (1),
Massachusetts (1) and Delaware (2). The chlordane advisories
covered 847,771  lake acres and  58,668  river miles in 2006,
which represents an increase of 529 lake acres and 4,536 river
miles since 2004.

Dioxins
The number of dioxin advisories rose from 106 in 2004 to 111 in
2005, and 125  in 2006. A total of 38,181 lake acres and 13,231
river miles were under advisory for dioxin in 2006.  Although
dioxins are one  of the  five major contaminants that have
resulted in the issuance  of health advisories, the geographic
extent of dioxin advisories is extremely limited compared to that
for the other four major contaminants.  This is due in part to the
limited  monitoring  of  dioxins  because  of  the  high costs
associated with laboratory analysis.  Also, dioxins have been
associated primarily with specific locations near some pulp and
paper plants that use  a bleach  kraft process, as well  as with
other types of chemical manufacturing facilities or incineration
facilities.

DDT
Although  the  use of  DDT, an  organochlorine pesticide,  has
been banned  in the U.S. since 1975, the total number  of DDT
advisories (or  its  degradation products, DDE and  ODD)  has
risen from 67  in  2004 to  73 in 2005 and 84 in 2006.  The
majority of new DDT advisories were  issued by Delaware and
Texas.   In 2006,  858,920 lake acres  and 53,468 river miles
were under advisory for DDT, which represents an 8% increase
in  lake acres  and essentially no  change in  river  miles since
2004.

Other Contaminants
Although   the   previously  discussed  five   bioaccumulative
contaminant groups account for 88%  of  the  total number of
advisories, the remaining  12% of all fish advisories are  caused
by  other  contaminants.    These  include   organochlorine
pesticides (i.e., dieldrin, heptachlor epoxide, kepone, mirex, and
toxaphene), heavy metals (e.g., arsenic, cadmium, chromium,
copper, lead, selenium, and zinc),  as well  as a myriad of other
chemical  compounds,  including creosote,  polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAHs),  hexachlorobenzene, pentachlorophenol,
and diethylphthalate.

In  2005,  five   states   issued  27 new  advisories  for other
contaminants:  Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas,  and  Texas.
Florida issued  one advisory for Saxitoxin. Georgia and  Indiana
issued  new advisories for  contaminants  not  specified, while
Kansas issued new advisories for lead and cadmium and Texas
for zinc, arsenic and cadmium.  In 2005, 2,483,466 lake acres
and 102,212 river miles were estimated to be under advisory for
other contaminants.

In  2006,  eleven states  issued 69  new  advisories  for other
contaminants: Alabama, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia,
Maryland,  Nebraska,  New Jersey, New York,  South Carolina,
and Washington.  In 2006,  2,873,349 lake acres  and 126,323
river miles were under advisory for other contaminants.

Although  these other chemical  contaminants  represent only
12% of the total number  of advisories, the extent of the area
under advisory for these  contaminants exceeds both the lake
acres and  river miles under advisory for Chlordane, Dioxins and
DDT combined.   The majority of lake acres  and river miles
under advisory for other chemical contaminants are the result of
a statewide  advisory in Maine for cadmium, and  a statewide
advisory in New York for Mirex.

Wildlife Advisories
In  addition to advisories  for fish, the National  Listing  of Fish
Advisories Web  site also  contains  several  water-dependent
wildlife advisories.  In 2005, no new advisories were issued  for
water-dependent wildlife, but Washington issued an advisory for
seaweed.   In 2006, Utah issued an advisory  for mercury in
ducks.  States have issued wildlife advisories in previous years
that are still in  effect.   Four states  have  issued  consumption
advisories for turtles: Massachusetts (1),  Minnesota (6),  New
York (statewide advisory), and Rhode Island  (1). In addition,
Massachusetts  has  an advisory for  frogs;  New York has a
statewide  advisory for waterfowl; Utah  has an  advisory  for
American  coot  and  ducks, and  Maine  issued  a statewide
advisory for cadmium in moose liver and kidneys.

National Advice Concerning Mercury in Fish
In 2004, EPA and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
issued  advice for women  who might  become pregnant,  women
who are pregnant, nursing mothers,  and young children.  The
national advice is not included in the  statistics presented in this
fact sheet. The following advice is still in effect:

"Fish and shellfish are an  important part of a healthy diet. Fish
and shellfish contain high-quality protein  and  other essential
nutrients, are low in saturated fat, and contain omega-3 fatty
acids. A well-balanced diet that includes a variety of fish and
shellfish can  contribute to heart health and children's proper
growth and development;  therefore, women and young children
in particular should include fish or shellfish in their diets due to
the many nutritional benefits.

Nearly all fish and shellfish, however,  contain traces of mercury.
For most people, the  risk from mercury from eating fish and
shellfish is not a health concern. Yet some fish  and  shellfish
contain higher levels of mercury that may harm an unborn  baby
or young child's developing nervous system. The risks  from
mercury in fish and shellfish depend  on the amount of fish and
shellfish eaten  and the  levels  of  mercury  in the fish and
shellfish. Therefore, the FDA and EPA are  advising women who
may become pregnant, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and
young children to avoid some types of fish and  to only  eat fish
and shellfish that are lower in mercury."

By  following the three  recommendations listed  below  for
selecting and eating fish or shellfish, women and young children
will receive  the benefits  of eating fish and  shellfish and  be
confident that they have reduced their exposure to the  harmful
effects of mercury.

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•   Do  not eat shark,  swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish
    because they contain high levels of mercury.

•   Eat up to 12 ounces (2 average meals) a week of a variety
    offish and shellfish that are lower in mercury.

   -  Five of the most commonly consumed fish that are low in
      mercury are shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock,
      and catfish.

   -  Another commonly eaten fish, albacore ("white") tuna
      has more mercury than canned  light tuna.  Eat up to 6
      ounces (one average meal) of albacore tuna per week.

•   Check local advisories about  the safety  of fish caught by
    family and friends in local lakes, rivers, and coastal areas.
    If no advice is  available, eat up to 6 ounces (one average
    meal) per week offish caught  from local waters, but do not
    consume any other fish during that week.

Follow these same  recommendations when including  fish  and
shellfish in a young child's diet, but serve smaller portions. More
information  on  the  joint federal advisory  is  available   at
www.epa.gov/fishadvisories.
For More Information

For more information on  specific advisories within  a state,
contact  the  appropriate state  agency  listed on  the  National
Listing of Fish  Advisories Web  site  at  http://www.epa.gov/
fishadvisories.    For  restricted consumption  advisories,  state
health departments provide  specific  information  on the  meal
size and  meal frequency (number of meals per week or month)
that is considered safe to eat.

For more information on how to reduce exposure, consult EPA's
brochure What  You Need  to Know About Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish, available  in several languages on EPA's fish advisory
Web site: http://www.epa.gov/fishadvisories.

For more information on the National Listing of Fish Advisories,
contact:

Erica Fleisig
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Science and Technology (4305T)
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20460
Phone 202-566-1057
E-mail fleisiq.erica@.epa.qov

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