Abstract  The majority of the participants had fished in the Everglades for years. However, they reported relatively low intake of fish and had low hair mercury levels compared with similar populations in prior studies. Although 71 percent of the participants knew of the State Health Advisories concerning the ingestion of mercury contaminated fish, this did not change their consumption habits. Statistical analysis revealed that recent (within six months) fish and wildlife consumption was not associated with hair mercury level. The second phase, due to a small number of participants, was unrevealing but provided a useful protocol for evaluating subclinical neurologic effects.

Abstract  The third report reviews the dietary and nutritional status of the U.S. population, as well as the factors that determine status, based on the data available through the National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Program (NNMRRP) by June 1994. The NNMRRP includes surveys, surveillance systems, and other monitoring activities that provide information about the dietary, nutritional, and nutrition-related health status of Americans; the relationship between diet and health; and the factors that influence dietary and nutritional status. The program was established by the U.S. Congress in the National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-445). The act specified that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) jointly implement and coordinate the activities of the NNMRRP. The legislation further specified that the agencies 'contract with a scientific body, such as the National Academy of Sciences or the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, to interpret available data analyses, and publish ... a report on the dietary, nutritional, and health-related status of the people of the United States and the nutritional quality (including the nutritive and nonnutritive content) of food consumed in the United States ... at least once every five years.'

Abstract  This report presents the results of a 1980 survey in the Los Angeles metropolitan area to assess the consumption rates of potentially hazardous marine fish and shellfish by local, non-professional fishermen; to identify population subgroups having a significantly large consumption rate; and to estimate the size of the population potentially exposed to harmful pollutants. The results of this study represent the first phase in the evaluation of the potential hazard to humans by consumption of marine fish and shellfish from polluted water in the harbor and coastal regions of Los Angeles County.

Abstract  Sport or subsistence fishermen sometimes underestimate the risks from eating local fish and distrust authorities regarding potential hazards from fish. We report on lead, cadmium, selenium, and mercury levels in snook, locally called robalo (Centropomus spp.), consumed by local fishermen in Puerto Rico, who ate up to 23 fish/wk. Median levels (in ppb, dry weight) for muscle, adipose, and liver ranged from 683 to 780 for lead, 37 to 600 for cadmium, 50 to 146 for mercury, and 361 to 3986 for selenium. Lead levels were similar in all tissues, and selenium and cadmium levels were highest in the liver. Mercury was higher in muscle than in liver. Computing exposure via ingestion for the average fisherman indicated that if one were to consume robalo throughout the year one would be exposed in excess of the EPA Reference Dose (RfD) for mercury. Using a widely accepted maximum consumption of 200 g/d for fishermen yielded hazard indices (daily consumption/RfD) below 1 for all four metals, with a value approaching 1 for mercury in adults, and over 1 for 16-kg children. The possibility that in certain localities and cultures sport or subsistence fishermen may consume fish at levels substantially above 200 g/d should be investigated in performing risk assessments, particularly outside the continental United States.

Abstract  Risk perception studies show that individuals tend to underestimate significant risks, overestimate negligible ones, and distrust authorities. They also rely on a variety of strategies or heuristics to reach decisions regarding their risk-taking behavior. We report on a survey of fishermen and crabbers engaged in recreational and substance fishing in a Puerto Rican estuary (near Humacao), which has been declared a "Superfund site" because of suspected contamination by mercury, and at ecologically similar control sites. Nearly everyone interviewed at the Humacao site was aware of the mercury contamination, but either denied its importance, believed the contamination was restricted to a distant part of the estuary, or assumed that the estuary would be closed by the authorities if the threat was real. All site-users consumed the fish and crabs they caught. At Humacao, the average catch was 7 fish per fishermen (mostly tilapia, Tilapia mossambica, and tarpon, Megalops atlantica) and 13 crabs per crabber (all blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus). On average, the site-users returned to the lagoons about 3-4 times per month. At control sites, fewer fish were eaten. The worst case consumption of tarpon, a species which concentrated mercury at Eastern Puerto Rico, provided an exposure exceeding the EPA reference dose, whereas consumption of one tarpon per week did not entail excess exposure. Fortunately, few individuals caught tarpon exclusively. Unlike counterparts in the northeastern United States, they trusted authorities and indicated that they would have heeded warnings of mercury contamination posted where they fished.

Abstract  Since ingestion of foods is considered a major source of pollutant intake by man, the knowledge of detailed food consumption patterns is necessary to determine health risks and compliance with regulatory standards. As currently-available literature lacks data necessary for complete evaluation of aquatic foods via human consumption of fish and shellfish, a review of recent surveys of fish consumption in the U.S. was performed. The data in these surveys were subjected to statistical analysis to determine percentage distributions of individuals eating different quantities of marine and freshwater fish and shellfish. Included are surveys on consumption of sportfish from the Columbia River (Ho71) and Lake Michigan areas (Hu78) and a comprehensive study of fish consumption in the nine census regions of the U.S. (Na73–74). The results of these studies indicate that the quantity, as reported, of each type of fish eaten increases as a function of the age of consumers. Regional differences are most apparent in the use of shellfish and freshwater fish. About 94% of children and 96–100% of adults eat some kind of fish with a per capita average of 4.97 kg/yr. Since this quantity is on an actual consumption basis, as opposed to “as purchased”, the per capita consumption rate is lower than usually reported in the literature.

Abstract  This paper describes the productivity and geographic distribution of subsistence harvests in Alaska during the 1980s. Subsistence harvests of a statewide sample of 98 communities are presented, analyzed by size, composition, and locations. The analysis indicates that subsistence harvests of fish, land mammals, marine mammals, and other wild resources are making substantial contributions to the economies of most rural communities in Alaska. Community harvest levels tend to increase in areas away from urban centers, not connected by roads to urban areas, with lower degrees of settlement entry and with lower mean personal incomes. These relationships suggest that certain types of economic development can create conditions which diminish subsistence productivity. Construction of roads and settlement entry into roaded areas produce changes associated with lower subsistence harvests, including increased competition for wild resources, increased habitat alteration, and changing community economic orientations away from mixed, subsistence-market adaptations. By recognizing the substantial contributions subsistence harvests make to the state's regional economies, economic development might be planned in ways which enhance, rather than erode, the state's rural subsistence base.

Abstract  In deriving water quality standards and appropriate restoration levels for contaminated surface waters, the potential for human exposure is often the most important factor to be considered. For certain persistent compounds, like 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TODD) or mixtures of polychlorinated biphenyls, a primary pathway of human exposure is through ingestion offish obtained from affected waters. Pending water quality regulation for TCDD in Maine required that estimates be made of the rate of consumption of freshwater fish obtained from rivers that receive TCDD discharges. Because commercial freshwater fishers do not exist on Maine rivers, any freshwater fish that are eaten have been caught by anglers. A statewide mail survey of Maine's licensed anglers was undertaken to characterize rates offish consumption from rivers and streams in Maine. The survey was mailed to 2,500 licensed resident anglers who were randomly selected from state license files. The response rate of 70% (based on deliverable surveys) resulted in a usable sample of 1,612 anglers. Results ofthis study indicated that, if fish are shared with other fish eaters in the household, the annual average consumption of freshwater river fish per consuming angler in Maine is 3.7 g/d. Comparisons of findings of this study and of studies in other regions of the United States show considerable variations in fish consumption rates, supporting the use of state- or region-specific estimates of fish consumption in establishing water quality regulations for persistent, biologically accumulative compounds.

Abstract  Below is a summary of the recommendations reached by the Methodological Subcommittee of the HNIS/NCHS Analytic Working Group on the issues of variance estimation and statistical reporting standards. Specific recommendations are underlined, whereas suggested practices are italicized. The implementation of these recommendations and suggestions will vary from survey to survey and, perhaps, from estimate to estimate. Nevertheless, official agency publications should contain a "statistical notes" section describing the variance estimation and statistical reporting standards used therein. The design-based approach to the estimation and analysis of survey data is assumed here. Unlike model-dependent alternatives, the design-based approach makes few assumptions about the nature of the data being summarized and/or analyzed. Two aspects of the sampling design must be taken into account when using this approach: the sample weights and the complex sample design (stratified, multi-stage sampling). Weights are used in the this approach when estimating mean, medians, and other descriptive statistics as well as analytical statistics like regression coefficients. Both weights and indicators of stratum and primary sampling unit (PSU) membership are used when estimating variances and testing for statistical significance. In general, using statistical weights that reflect the probability of selection and propensity of response for sampled individuals will affect parameter estimates, while incorporating the attributes of the complex sample design (i.e., clustering and stratification) will affect estimated standard errors and thereby test statistics and confidence intervals. The recommendations for presentation of statistical data that follow arise from the issue of sampling variability, and reflect the random way (in the rigorous statistical sense) in which the sample was selected. Although beyond the scope of this report, a consideration of nonsampling issues such as measurement error, nonresponse bias, and other methodological biases are necessary for any thorough interpretation and evaluation of the validity of survey findings.

Abstract  EPA guidance recommends that 30 grams per day be used to represent the consumption rate of fish caught from large bodies of water by a typical angler (EPA, 1989a). This estimate is based on the combined results of the Pierce et al. (1981) and Puffer et al. (1981) surveys of marine and estuarine anglers. An examination of these surveys demonstrates that the method used in both studies - creel survey - oversamples frequent anglers and produces a distribution of consumption rates that overestimates intake rates of the total angler population using the surveyed waterbodies. Weighting the individual survey responses by the inverse of the angler self-reported fishing frequency corrects this bias and produces a more accurate characterization of the total population of anglers using the surveyed waterbodies. This approach is an extension of the methodology used by both Puffer et al. (1981) and Pierce et al. (1981) to estimate the size of the total angler populations. The results of the reanalysis of the Pierce et al. (1981) survey indicate that the median consumption rate for the total angler population is 1.0 g/d. The results of the Puffer et al. (1981) reanalysis indicate a median consumption rate for total angler population of 2.9 g/d. The recalculated distributions of consumption rates were found to be consistent with the results of other angler surveys that use survey methods that do not oversample frequent anglers. The angler intake rate of 30 g/d corresponds to roughly the 90th and 95th percentiles of the total angler populations in the Pierce et al. (1981) and Puffer et al. (1981) surveys, respectively. The results of this paper indicate that the current estimate of 30 g/d significantly overestimates consumption for typical marine and estuarine anglers.

Abstract  Fish consumption rates derived from national surveys may not accurately reflect consumption rates in a particular population such as recreational anglers. Many state and local health agencies in the United States have conducted area-specific surveys to study fish consumption patterns in local populations, assess exposure to environmental contaminants, or evaluate compliance with fish advisories. The National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) of the Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) Office of Research and Development (ORD) has conducted an analysis of data from fish consumption surveys from the states of Connecticut, Florida, Minnesota, and North Dakota. The primary objective of the analysis was to identify populations within these state that consume more fish and shellfish than either the states or the Nations general population and thus may be at higher risk from exposure to contaminants in fish. EPA was particularly interested in estimating each states fish and shellfish consumption for recreational anglers, low income populations, children, and ethnic groups. The report provides distribution of fish consumption rates for different age cohorts, ethnic groups, socioeconomic status, fish types (i.e., freshwater, marine, estuarine), and fish sources (i.e., store-bought versus self-caught).

Abstract  During the fall and winter of 1991-I 992, a survey was conducted among Columbia River Basin Indian tribes to determine the level and nature of fish consumption among individual tribal members. The survey was initiated to test the hypotheses that Indians in that region consume more fish than non-Indians, that the national fish consumption rate of 6.5 grams per day (gpd) used by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to develop human health based water quality criteria might not be applicable to tribal members, and that a human health risk might exist among tribal members from exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (dioxin) and other waterborne toxic contaminants. We also wished to consider whether water quality standards based on the estimated national fish consumption rate and adopted for waters in the Columbia River Basin were appropriate with regard to the findings of the survey. The survey consisted of interviews made at four Columbia River Basin tribal reservations (Nez Perce, Warm Springs, Yakama and Umatilla) and was based on a stratified random sampling design. A total of 513 tribal members at least 18 years old were directly surveyed. These respondents also provided information for 204 children age 5 or younger. Information obtained included a breakdown of consumption by age group, season, species consumed, parts of the fish consumed, preparation methods, and changes in patterns of consumption over time and during ceremonies and festivals. Survey respondents aged 18 and older consumed an average of 58.7 gpd while children aged 5 and younger consumed an average of 19.6 gpd. These rates are respectively, approximately nine times and three times higher than the estimated national fish consumption rate and seriously call into question the applicability and adequacy of using a national fish consumption rate to protect tribal members’ health. Both adults and children consumed salmon and resident trout more than any other fish species. The fish fillet and skin were, overall, the two most consumed fish parts but respondents also consumed the head, eggs, bones and organs of almost all fish species consumed. Although this consumption data signals a potential increased health risk to tribal members, consumption data alone does not tell us the extent to which tribal members are exposed to waterborne toxics. Consequently, as phase two of this project, information in this report will be combined with data on fish tissue contaminant levels in fish collected and consumed from Columbia River Basin tribal fisheries.

Abstract  The hypothesis that there are gender differences in consumption patterns of self-caught fish and wild game in the meat and fish diet was examined for 415 people attending the Palmetto Sportsmen's Classic in Columbia, South Carolina. Women were less likely to eat most types of wild fish and game than were men, although there were no gender differences in the percentage eating beef, chicken, pork, and restaurant and store-bought fish. Similarly, women consumed significantly fewer meals of wild-caught fish and game than did men, although the number of meals of most store-bought foods did not differ. Both men and women who ate more meals of fish ate a higher percentage of wild-caught fish than either store-bought or restaurant fish. People with low number of fish and meat meals ate mainly fish; people eating over 30 meals of meat and fish a month ate mainly meat. Only about 9% of those interviewed said that they changed their fish consumption patterns when they, or their spouse, were pregnant. These gender-specific data on protein consumption can be used for exposure assessment and risk management decisions regarding consumption advisories for wild-caught fish and game.