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Fish Consumption Advisory for Coors Lake
Advisories: Fishing and Fish Consumption Advisories
Feb 13, 2003
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Contacts:
For questions about
human health:
Patrick Gibbons, Communications Director: (602)
771-2215
Sina Matthes, Media Relations Assistant: (602) 771-4142
For
questions about sport-fish and lake health:
Larry Riley, (602)
789-3258
Marc Dahlberg (623) 236-7260
Biologists, Arizona Game and Fish
Department.
- Coors Lake Advisory
FAQ's [PDF,
77kb] |
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PHOENIX - Arizona Department of Environmental
Quality Director Steve Owens announced today that the departments of
Environmental Quality, Game and Fish and Health Services are recommending that
people not eat certain fish caught from Coors Lake, located in the town of
Bagdad in Yavapai County.
ADEQ recently discovered unhealthful levels of
mercury in fish caught at those lakes. The advisory
recommends that people limit consumption of largemouth bass as
follows:
Children under the age of six: No
consumption
Women of child bearing age: One 8 oz. fish meal per month
All
other adult women Three 8 oz. fish meals per month
Adult men: Four 8 oz. fish
meals per month
No consumption limits are
expected to be set for bluegill or black crappie caught from the
lake.
Mercury is a toxic pollutant that has been
identified as causing numerous health problems when ingested, most notably its
toxicity to the central nervous system. Infants and pregnant or nursing mothers
are considered most at risk to possible health effects.
"Consuming fish
contaminated with mercury is the most common method of human exposure," Owens
said. "While we continue our efforts to eliminate the introduction of mercury
into the environment, these advisories serve as a first line of defense for
protecting public health."
The advisory does not limit use of the lakes
for fishing, bird watching, swimming or other recreational uses. Mercury is
quickly absorbed by bacteria in sediments and passed along via the food chain to
living organisms. Typically, very little mercury remains in the water.
The problem of fish contaminated by high levels of mercury occurs when
larger fish absorb mercury from smaller fish and insects which have become
contaminated, a process called bioaccumulation. Average concentrations of 0.3 -
0.6 milligrams per kilogram (mg/Kg) found throughout a lake will typically
result in a fish consumption advisory being issued for the water body.
Fish consumption advisories remain in place for 12 lakes throughout the
state, including recent additions. Other lakes under advisory include Upper and
Lower Lake Mary, Lyman Lake, Pena Blanca Lake, Soldier Lake, Soldier Annex and
Long Lake.
ADEQ officials are continuing to test the lake to identify
the source of contamination.
The advisories will remain in effect until
further notice. |
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