Contaminant Exposure among Women of Childbearing Age Who Eat St. Lawrence River Sport Fish

Abstract

Little information is available concerning the level of consumption and degree of contaminant exposure for North American women of childbearing age who eat sport fish. The authors reanalyzed a 1995–1996 study of Montreal-area (Canada) sport fishers. The authors focused on women sport fishers of childbearing age and male sport fishers who had spouses of childbearing age. The primary research involved an on-site questionnaire about fish consumption, with follow-up assessment of sport fishers estimated to have either the highest or lowest levels of fish-based contaminant exposure. Among the 1,654 interviewees were 100 women less than 45 yr of age who had eaten sport fish for an average of 11 yr; 45% ate fish less than once a month. From the follow-up subsample of high- and low-level consumers, the authors identified 17 women less than 45 yr of age and 25 males whose spouses who were less than 45 yr of age and who consumed similar quantities of sport fish. Among this group of 42, the high-exposure women differed from the low-exposure women with respect to their yearly consumption of freshwater fish, blood mercury levels (median = 6.4 vs. 1.4 μg/l), and plasma polychlorinated biphenyl congener 99 (median = 10.5 vs. 5.9 μg/kg plasma lipids). Few Montreal-area women of childbearing age consume local sport fish frequently or for extended periods. However, among the small proportion that consumes sport fish frequently or for extended periods, blood mercury concentrations approach levels off concern for fetal protection.

Key Words:

• consumption
• DDE
• exposure
• methylmercury
• mirex
• organochlorines
• PCB
• St. Lawrence River
• sport fish
• surrogates
• women