Major Contaminants in Wisconsin Fish

Kodey FeinerAriana RadkeTrista Payne

Two Major Contaminants

• PCB– Poly Chlorinated

Biphenyls

• Mercury (Hg)

PCB

• Man-made substances used to manufacture electrical transformers, carbonless papers, cutting oils, and hydraulic fluids

• Banned in the US in 1977• Slow to break down in the environment

PCB cont.

• Mostly in Great Lakes and rivers that had high industrial use

• PCB is absorbed into fat of the fish• Amount of PCB found in fish depends on

species, age, size, fat content, and diet– Larger and older fish will contain more PCB– Fatty fish like carp or catfish will contain more

PCB

PCB – Effect on Human Health

• Women of child bearing age and children under 15 are at higher risk for:– Lower birth weights– Delays in physical development and learning

• PCBs may affect reproductive function and the immune system

• Also associated with cancer risk

Mercury (Hg)

• Naturally in the environment– Released into the air when rocks

erode,volcanoes erupt and soils decompose• Released into the air when power plants

burn coal and incinerators burn mercury-containing waste

• Airborne mercury enters lakes and rivers by means of rain, snow and runoff.

Mercury cont.

• Found everywhere• Lakes and wetland areas contain bacteria

which changes the mercury into a form that is more easily absorbed by fish

• Found in walleye, and other large, predatory fish

• Fish absorb the Hg from water passing over their gills

Hg – Effect on Human Health

• Fetuses and children under 15 are most sensitive

• Poses a short term health risk to those who eat fish frequently– Human body can eliminate Hg, so you must

space out time in between eating these fish. • Hg affects nervous system

– Damages to developing brains and ability to learn, as well as behaviour.

Ways to Avoid (reduce) Eating Contaminated Fish

• Use following advisory– Determine the fish species that you’ve caught.– Measure your fish from the tip of the nose to

the end of the tail.– Determine the eating advice for the fish from

the following table.

Questions?

References

• http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water/fhp/fish/pages/consumption/choosewisely05.pdf

• www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water/fhp/fish/