Major Contaminants in Wisconsin Fish Kodey Feiner Ariana

Major Contaminants in Wisconsin Fish Kodey Feiner Ariana Radke Trista 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 mercurycontaining 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/fis h/pages/consumption/choosewisely 05. pdf • www. dnr. state. wi. us/org/water/fhp/fish/