## Eat Fish, Be Smart, Choose Wisely Human Health Assessment of Puget Sound Fish Washington State Department of Health Joan Hardy Toxicologist Office of Environmental Health, Safety and Toxicology 2009 National Forum on Contaminants in Fish Portland, Oregon November 2, 2009



## Department of Health (DOH) Background • Office of Environmental Health, Safety and

TOXicology (OEHST) • What does OEHST do? • Technical assistance to Local Health

Jurisdictions • Food safety • Zoonotic diseases • Human health assessments 

# Puget Sound • History of chemical contamination • Urban embayments



# Puget Sound Puget Sound Assessment and Monitoring Program (PSAMP) • Began in 1988 • Purpose • Monitor long-term contaminant trends • Biological Resources • Physical Environment and Habitat • Nutrients and Pathogens • ToxicContaminants**fi~** 

### ii"lt); ENGLISH SOLE

.. '" STATIONS 

# PSAMP - Fish

• Rockfish • Brown rockfish • Copper rockfish • Quillback rockfish • Yelloweye rockfish 

## • English sale • Salmon • Chinook salmon • Coho salmon



# Contaminant Screening 

# Step 1 Determine contaminant concentrations in Puget Sound fish



# Contaminants of Concern Human Health • Mercury • PCBs

- Arsenic

- Benzyl Alcohol

- Bis(2ethylhexyl)phthalate

- Chlordane

- Copper

- DDD DDE DDT

# Hg 

# and PCBs in PS fish Hg (ppm) 

# I**~~~~ ~~~oc;**  AGE- Hg**.~-** 0.287 55.3 Length is not a good predictor of age Rockfish Anglersrarely target a single species Urban 0.368 134 Speciesmay be difficult to identify Near-urban 0.225 45.1 _.- ----- 

### _.-**--~.** -- LOCATION - PCBs Non-urban 0.218 S.8 EnglishSole 0.060 38.6 LOCATION- PCBs Urban 0.072 73.6 - Urban Ne"-u;ban 0.053 17.2 - Near-Urban

- Non-Urban Non-urban 0.051 9.3 Chinook - HiM!lr**~l>I!taminant** values -----".- Chinook 0.093 54.0 Higher trophic level**~-""-** In-river 0.096 50.2 Diet/life history/age 

### -_._- Fat content Manne 0,082 73.2 ---. 31.8 coho- Lowercontaminant levels Coho 0.039**--~-~"-** 31.1 Trophic level /n'fiver 0.038 Fat content**._~----** Marine 0.051 34.4 Age/life history 

# Step 2 Estimate the amount of Puget Sound fish eaten by public



# Step 3 Estimate exposure doses to contaminants from eating various Puget Sound fish PCB levels in Puget Sound Chinook vs Washington coast, Alaska, Oregon, and British Columbia (solid bars)



# Consumption Surveys • Tribes • Suquamish • Tulalip • Squaxin Island 

## • Recreational • Asian & 

## Pacific Islanders



# Step 4 Determine if exposure dose exceeds reference dose (l.e. "safe" dose) or results in unacceptable cancer risk

## Rockfish Meal Limit Calculations 

# How Do We Develop a Fish Advisory?

• Calculate meal limits • 8-oz meals per month or week • Based on PCBs, Hg, and additive

endpoints 

## • Consider benefits of eating fish • Create a clear message**~----~---_.** --._- -**A\'er~~e A""ra~e**  rcB Cnlrulnled CHI,'"lnl.,1 CMlwl"le,l Location Merrue,. ron«nlr"lloll 

### I

### ","""':~:',:,, ",""I'PH meal. l,n ron.rnl,."llon (pl'b) Il,,,,,thh,,•• d 1II0"lhb",,<1

(1'1'1lI) OllmertUr, onl'Clh otl",hlilin endpolnl Non-urban 0.218 5Jl 3.7 28 3.4 locutions**~._-- -"_.".,-~--,.** **_.~._--_. ----~**  

# t--,.,-- f--.---- Nenr-urhan 0,225 45.J 3,6 :Hl locutions

--



## PugetSound Rockfish RoeJ<J\ffi ((IIK1Mlptkm itdv1o.>11 butd QlI**(Of1t~mlnllll** le...**~llln** blown, qummnj(,**~ftd (op!Wrro<~rntlflo/llPllfJ&tSQ(md.** **~Iadditlon** to**«lrn.arnln~!Il** concems, non·ulbal harveno!**~loweyeaod(anaryro(k1Hhl1prohlb1ttdror** CQnleIYatloopurpOllJi 

## English Sale & 

## Other Flatfish TM fj)jktwin9&\h1ro aoones to omwrnpUon of PIIQet Soundflaln>hl!ldlHllnq[l1qllltl$O!e,ltOJlryflollndet,**~1\d** tu<kwlt, Ho retlt1c\lol\\ ml!Jm**~I ,.m~at**  1 t03 mlMhperwjfflk,

# Estimated PCB Levels • No data for Bellingham Bay, Budd Inlet,

Everett Harbor, and Port Angeles. [mPCB] 

# = e1.64*[sPCB]O.35*I<U3*Age Where: • mPCB ;:;:: concentration of PCBs in muscle as sum of 3

Aroclors, ng/g, wet wt., • sPCB :::: concentration of PCBs in sediments as sum of 3

Aroclors, ng/g, dry wr., • Age == fish age in years, 

### Estimated PCB Levels in E. sole based on Matched PCB Sediment Concentrations

S,dIUll'UI)'Cll I' .. dlel,d K.mi. ."" ... nlnllnn(l'ph. ""nct'lllrdlnll(l'l'b, ...rt M•• hller L"rall"n S"dlmmtN ,ll')'w!.) ...1.) ""'!llh BellinghamBIIY 45 14' 29,') 5 _._----- 13'

Budd Inlet 

# , 2<),] 5**~~~-~_** ... ,_. Everett Harbor 33 355 91.0 2**-,-~-~--** Pol'! Angeles 22 127 28.1 (,



# PugetSound Salmon Chinook Salmon Recommendations • Puget Sound Chinook salmon may be

consumed once (eight ounces) per week. • Anglers who catch resident Chinook salmon

(blackmouth). in the Puqet Sound winter fishery should limit their consumption to two eightounce meals per month.



# Consumption Advice for All Fish • General advice • Choose fish with lower contaminant

levels • Grill, bake or broil! remove skin • Choose a variety of species 

# Make Better Choices

# Risk Communication • Media • Signs • Internet • Printed

materials • Health care providers • Tribes and local health jurisdictions • Community groups



# Outreach to anglers

# Data Gaps • Obtain contaminant data in crab,

shrimp, and bivalves • Confirm levels in chum, pink and

sockeye • Obtain dloxln/furan data in PS species • Assess PBDE levels in fish species • Conduct a "market basket" survey of

PCBs



# Eat Fish • American Heart Association - 2



## meals/wk • Eat a variety of fish, especially oily fish • Benefits • Reduces cardiovascular disease risk • Beneficial effects on fetal development 

# Puget Sound Partnership • A community effort of citizens,

governments, tribes, scientists and businesses working together to restore and protect the Sound • Goal is to make p.s. healthy again. • Roadmap to get it done is the "Action

Agenda"



# Resources • State of Washington • http://www.doh.wa.gov/fish • http://www.doh.wa.gov/fiillLoehas/fish/ps.htm