High levels of toxics in Lake Washington fish

[Firetiger]

A week or so ago an article appeared in the Seattle Times ranking Lake Washington Fish second in the State for toxics in fish we catch.

Seattle Times article summary

Fish in Lake Washington among state's most tainted

Toxic chemicals banned decades ago have created a witch's brew that is contaminating the food chain.

Full story: http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.c ... e=20070622

This article might have more substance to it than previous articles. This time, instead of grinding up the entire fish, it looks like the researchers tested fillets (with skin on). From Lake Washington, they sampled common carp, northern pikeminnow, and cutthroat trout. The results are not encouraging.

Link to a Dept. of Ecology publication called "Washington State Toxics Monitoring Program: Contaminants in Fish Tissue from Freshwater Environments in 2004 and 2005" (June 2007)

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/0703024.pdf

I would be interested in hearing comments from our members especially those who have expertise in fisheries science and/or medicine.

[The Quadfather]

That was a good post... thank you for sharing.

[Anglinarcher]

Sorry, not a medical scientist, just a structural engineer.

But I have one of those stories that make you want to scratch your head.

A few years ago, when you could still keep a single fish from the upper Spokane River, I caught a 4 # Brown Trout. Now, this is rare, and hearing of all of the toxins that were "in the fish", I set a "trap".

I took the liver, hart, and spine samples to the F & W and told them it came from a Brown out of Rock Lake. I asked them to test it and give me the results. They charged me a cool $100, and called me a few weeks later with a "all clean" result. Then I told them I made a mistake and the fish came out of the Spokane River.

I was told that I must be mistaken. Hmmmmmmmm

It would sure be nice to get a second opinion, a blind test, about the fish in Lake Washington.

A week or so ago an article appeared in the Seattle Times ranking Lake Washington Fish second in the State for toxics in fish we catch.

Seattle Times article summary

Fish in Lake Washington among state's most tainted

Toxic chemicals banned decades ago have created a witch's brew that is contaminating the food chain.

Full story: http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.c ... e=20070622

This article might have more substance to it than previous articles. This time, instead of grinding up the entire fish, it looks like the researchers tested fillets (with skin on). From Lake Washington, they sampled common carp, northern pikeminnow, and cutthroat trout. The results are not encouraging.

Link to a Dept. of Ecology publication called "Washington State Toxics Monitoring Program: Contaminants in Fish Tissue from Freshwater Environments in 2004 and 2005" (June 2007)

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/0703024.pdf

I would be interested in hearing comments from our members especially those who have expertise in fisheries science and/or medicine.

[fisherdane]

No matter what, I hope that USA or even just WA makes anti-fouling products utilizing toxic copper illegal, as they have in most of Europe. There are other great alternatives in this modern day.

[Derrick-k]

It's only the cutthroat and perch who's consumption need to be limited, bass and rainbows are still alright.

[littleriver]

For those who are prone to be concerned about these kinds of issues (and I think they are valid.. we need to be constantly monitoring this kind of thing) I would suggest that you go digging for the legal limits for various toxins in common foods that we purchase at the grocery store... it can be a real eyeopener...

for example... last I checked the legal limit for PCB's in milk is 2 PPM..... uhhhh. but that's quite a bit... and mothers routinely go to the shopping center and just pick up a container of mild and take it home for the kids to drink... who the heck would have thunk that that milk could have up to 2ppm of pcbs and that fact doesn't even have to be posted on the label..... the total quantities of bad stuff in the various produces and meats and vegetables we buy might surprise you.. and this includes "organic" foods......

to get a product certified organic you don't really test and validate everything that's in the product.. it's more a process of
"how you grow the food" not what's in it.............

once you are done with this exercise you may feel an urge to run out to the nearest lake with "fish consumption advisories" and catch a few and then take them home for dinner....


for some, this knowledge will make you feel better... for others it will make you feel worse.......

[zen leecher aka Bill W]

My advice would be to abstain from eating Lake WA squawfish.