Urban anglers' perception of risk from contaminated fish

Recreational users' perceptions of coastal water quality in Rhode Island (USA): Implications for policy development and management

Stakeholders' understanding of water quality influences how they approach water policy problems and their support for potential solutions. This study explores how resource policy in the United States accounts for different water quality meanings held by recreational users. In-person surveys were conducted along the shoreline in Rhode Island (USA) to examine how recreational users make sense of coastal water quality. Findings indicate that recreational users' understanding of water quality is constructed from an array of environmental conditions (e.g., chl a, phosphates) and attitudinal factors (e.g., perceived problems associated with sewage, algae, or trash), and the meanings ascribed to water quality extend beyond the biophysical indicators typically employed by water resource managers. Potential management strategies based on these findings include expanding current definitions of water quality and monitoring a broader suite of factors, conducting research that captures nuanced meanings of water quality held by different users, and developing outreach programs that clarify the potential impacts of water quality components on human health and well-being.

Targeted risk assessment of mercury exposure of recreational fishers: Are nephrops fishers in Norway at risk?

Recreational fishers often consume their catch, which may expose them to environmental contaminants. However, targeted risk assessment for exceeding the tolerable weekly intake (TWI) of a specific contaminant is often lacking, as specific data on the extent of fishing, consumption rates, and contamination of the caught seafood is needed. This study examined recreational fishing for nephrops (Nephrops norvegicus) at several different locations in Western Norway to identify important risk factors. The combination of a field survey to examine actual catches, interviews of recreational fishers about their seafood eating habits, and the analysis of total mercury (Hg, as a proxy for methylmercury (MeHg)) in recreationally captured nephrops allowed to conduct a targeted risk assessment. Recreational fishers consumed on average seven nephrops per meal, and 73% of the fishers ate nephrops once a month or more. The average Hg concentrations in nephrops were below the legal maximum level (100 ± 50 μg/kg wet weight (mean ± SD)). Hg concentrations in female nephrops were significantly higher than in males at the same size, and differed significantly between locations. The recreational fishers in this study were not at risk of exceeding the TWI for MeHg from consuming nephrops only; however, there is a general risk of exceeding TWI for MeHg as 70% of the fishers reported a frequent consumption of fish for dinner. Targeted risk assessments on recreational fishers may reveal particularly vulnerable populations where national dietary surveys may miss the highest seafood consumers.

Evaluation of an Educational Campaign to Improve the Conscious Consumption of Recreationally Caught Fish

Consumption guidelines are a common way of improving conscious consumption behaviors in areas where game fish are known to contain contaminants. However, guideline information can be difficult to distribute, and effectiveness difficult to measure. To increase the distribution and effectiveness of guideline information for the Detroit River, an educational campaign was launched in 2010, which included distribution of pamphlets with consumption information, posting of permanent signs at popular fishing locations, and hiring River Walkers to personally communicate with anglers. In 2013 and 2015, we conducted in-person surveys of active shoreline anglers to determine the effectiveness of education and outreach efforts. Results from the survey indicated that 55% of anglers were aware of the guidelines in 2013, and by 2015 36% had communicated the information to family or friends. However, anglers were often unwilling to reduce consumption of popular game species, despite high contaminant levels. Encouragingly, black anglers were most likely to supplement their diet with species lower in contaminants. Our results suggest that utilizing multiple educational strategies including reaching out directly to individual anglers may improve conscious consumption behavior among the targeted population, providing a template for educational campaigns to successfully target vulnerable populations.

Fishing in greener waters: Understanding the impact of harmful algal blooms on Lake Erie anglers and the potential for adoption of a forecast model

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) pose public health risks worldwide, because of the toxins that they can produce. Researchers have explored the impact of HABs on local economies, but know relatively little about the decision-making that informs these behaviors that lead to financial losses. Understanding the factors that inform this decision-making is critical to developing mitigative solutions. This study seeks to understand how HABs in Western Lake Erie affect angler decision-making, before evaluating a possible decision-support tool-a harmful algal bloom forecast known as the Experimental Lake Erie HAB Tracker. The HAB Tracker provides a nowcast and five-day forecast of the spatial distribution and transport of Microcystis, the predominant species of harmful algae in Western Lake Erie. Data collected using focus groups and surveys were coded to identify key themes that influence angler decision-making. The theory of the diffusion of innovations provides an analytical framework to evaluate the potential for widespread adoption of the HAB forecast among Lake Erie anglers. Analysis of emerging themes revealed that Lake Erie anglers face three key decision-points when fishing in HABs: whether to fish, where to fish, and whether to eat the fish. Five primary variables factored into angler decisions on where and whether to fish including 1) perceptions of HAB aesthetics, 2) perceptions of the impact of HABs on angler health, 3) perceptions of the impact of HABs on fish, 4) communication methods, 5) perceptions of HABs by customers of charter captains. Most participants in this study sought to avoid fishing in HABs primarily for aesthetic reasons. Recreational anglers are more likely than charter captains to adopt the HAB Tracker as a decision-support tool, because it is compatible with their information needs and provides a relative advantage over existing sources of information. Charter captains are less likely to adopt the HAB Tracker, because they rely on their existing knowledge and social network for HAB information. If researchers can reduce the complexity of forecast information while increasing its accessibility and reliability, then all anglers will be more likely to adopt a HAB forecast as a decision-support tool while fishing in Lake Erie during bloom season.

Effects of an Advisory Brochure on Fish Consumption of Urban Anglers in the Great Lakes Region

Past research has suggested that urban anglers are a group at high risk of being exposed to contaminants from fish consumption. Fish consumption advisories have been used in many regions to encourage healthy fish-eating behaviors, but few studies have been designed to assess whether these advisories actually influence behavior as intended. We conducted a large-scale, randomized experiment to test the influence of an advisory brochure on urban anglers' fish consumption. We collected detailed information on anglers' fish consumption in three urban counties in the Great Lakes region in the summers of 2014 and 2015. We provided a treatment group with fish consumption guidelines in an advisory brochure before the summer of 2015 and compared their change in fish consumption to a control group. The brochure led to a reduction in fish consumption for anglers who ate the most fish; these anglers reduced their consumption of high-contaminant purchased fish (by ≥0.2 meals/summer for those in 72nd percentile of fish consumption or above), high-contaminant sport-caught fish (by ≥0.4 meals/summer for those in 87th percentile and above), and low-contaminant sport-caught fish (by ≥0.3 meals/summer by those in 76th percentile and above). The brochure also reduced sport-caught fish consumption among those anglers who exceeded the advisories in 2014 (by 2.0 meals/summer). In addition, the brochure led to small increases in sport-caught fish consumption (0.4-0.6 meals/summer) in urban anglers who ate very little sport-caught fish (≤1 meal/summer).

Environmental health risks perception, attitude, and avoidance behaviour toward municipal solid waste incinerator

This study aims to assess the relationship between risk perception, attitude, and avoidance among residents toward an urban incinerator in Taichung, Taiwan. A cross-sectional study was conducted and three schools were enrolled. The case group was composed of 514 residents who live near an incinerator. The control group was composed of 264 people nearly the same age and who have lived in that area basically the same period of time. All participants were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Results of this study showed that there was no significant difference between the exposure group and the control group in risk perception and attitude regarding the incinerator. However, the exposure group showed a significantly higher desire to move within one year or move sometime in the future than the control group. Therefore, these people should encourage the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) to do everything it can to make sure that the incinerator operates safely.

Consumption of Contaminated Seafood in an Environmental Justice Community: A Qualitative and Spatial Analysis of Fishing Controls

New Bedford Harbor (NBH) in Massachusetts was listed as a Superfund site in 1983 due to extensive contamination with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from industrial pollution. Since 1999, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has posted signage and fencing in areas around NBH to discourage fishing activity, along with distributing consumption advisories locally. This exploratory study combined qualitative and geographic information system methods to assess fishing activity, signage, and awareness of the PCB contamination and consumption advisories among people fishing at NBH. We conducted interviews with fishermen along a portion of NBH (n = 12), and we recorded and geocoded observations and locations of fishing activity (n = 54) and fishing related signage (n = 53). Despite our limited sample size, our findings are similar to those of larger quantitative studies: advisories are not reaching vulnerable fishing populations. While all participants stated that their reasons for fishing were recreational, two-thirds reported that their catch was eaten. People who ate or shared their catch for consumption were less aware of signage, the advisory, and the contamination than nonconsumers. Most signage lacked visuals, the consumption messaging was not consistent, and was limited to English, Spanish, and Portuguese, which may not be sufficient to reach newer immigrants. This pilot study identified successes and shortcomings of the current efforts by EPA to reduce consumption of PCB contaminated seafood in this environmental justice community. Finally, we offer lessons learned and suggestions for future research on a larger scale.

Urban anglers in the Great Lakes region: Fish consumption patterns, influences, and responses to advisory messages

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and many state advisory programs consider urban anglers at high risk of being exposed to contaminants through fish consumption because the urban poor may be dependent on fish they catch for food and lack access to non-contaminated fishing sites. Past research has supported this characterization of urban anglers, but most studies have been site-specific and limited to subsets of urban anglers. We used a mail survey and focus groups to (a) explore how urban anglers living in the Great Lakes region of the United States differed from rural and suburban anglers and (b) characterize their fishing patterns, fish consumption, factors influencing their fish consumption, and response to fish consumption advisory messages. Although we detected some differences between licensed urban, suburban, and rural anglers, their magnitude was not striking. Lower income urban anglers tended to consume less purchased and sport-caught fish than higher income urban anglers and were not at high risk as a group. Nevertheless, focus group data suggested there may be subpopulations of urban anglers, particularly from immigrant populations, that consume higher amounts of potentially contaminated fish. Although urban anglers in general may not require a special approach for communicating fish consumption advice, subpopulations within this group may be best targeted by using community-based programs to communicate fish consumption advice.

Evaluation of the role of risk perception in stakeholder engagement to prevent lead exposure in an urban setting

Stakeholder engagement is a vital sustainable remediation practice for obtaining useful feedback and identifying societal needs. Evaluating and integrating risk perception of stakeholders into remediation and outreach efforts allows for greater insight, increases the likelihood of success and ultimately, benefits the community by protecting its members from environmental hazards. In this study, we identified risk perception factors that influenced residents' level of concern for mitigating their exposure to elevated concentrations of lead in household paint and historic fill material. Risk perception factors were assessed by an in-person survey conducted in public green spaces. The analysis of survey participants' responses indicated that their perception of risk to exposed lead was mostly influenced by the presence of hazardous materials in close proximity to their residence, the ability to address pollution, and awareness, interest, and individual accountability in mitigating environmental risks. Responses also revealed that residents considered risk of lead and soil pollution as less menacing than the presence of more immediate and perceptible risks posed by factors such as air and water pollution. In addition, the community seemed to exhibit "optimism bias" and did not identify itself at high risk to susceptible and immediate hazards, including lead exposure. This lack of concern over lead exposure created a significant obstacle to community participation in state-led education and outreach programs. By integrating risk perception analysis and increasing stakeholder engagement, we can bring more attention to this issue, educate the public about the threat of lead pollution, and efficiently use financial resources to implement a more sustainable solution.

Fish Consumption Patterns and Mercury Advisory Knowledge Among Fishers in the Haw River Basin

BACKGROUND

Fish consumption has numerous health benefits, with fish providing a source of protein as well as omega-3 fatty acids. However, some fish also contain contaminants that can impair human health. In North Carolina, the Department of Health and Human Services has issued fish consumption advisories due to methylmercury contamination in fish. Little is known about local fishers' consumption patterns and advisory adherence in North Carolina.

METHODS

We surveyed a consecutive sample of 50 fishers (74.6% positive response rate) who reported eating fish caught from the Haw River Basin or Jordan Lake. They provided information on demographic characteristics, species caught, and the frequency of local fish consumption. Additionally, fishers provided information on their knowledge of fish consumption advisories and the impact of those advisories on their fishing and fish consumption patterns.

RESULTS

The majority of participants were male (n = 44) and reported living in central North Carolina. Catfish, crappie, sunfish, and large-mouth bass were consumed more frequently than other species of fish. Of the fishers surveyed, 8 reported eating more than 1 fish meal high in mercury per week, which exceeds the North Carolina advisory recommendation. Most participants (n = 32) had no knowledge of local fish advisories, and only 4 fishers reported that advisories impacted their fishing practices.

LIMITATIONS

We sampled 50 fishers at 11 locations. There is no enumeration of the dynamic population of fishers and no way to assess the representativeness of this sample.

CONCLUSIONS

Additional outreach is needed to make local fishers aware of fish consumption advisories and the potential health impacts of eating high-mercury fish, which may also contain other persistent and bioaccumulative toxins.

Using Theory to Identify Beliefs Associated with Intentions to Follow Fish Consumption Advisories Among Anglers Living in the Great Lakes Region

Fish consumption advisories are issued by states, tribes, and federal agencies to provide guidance to consumers about eating sport-caught fish potentially affected by chemical contaminants. Previous work has found that while anglers report being aware that advisories are available, awareness and use of specific advisory recommendations is low. This study uses the Integrative Model of Behavioral Prediction (IMBP) to identify beliefs with potential to increase intentions to follow fish consumption advisories in Great Lakes states. We conducted a mail survey of 1,712 licensed anglers in seven of eight Great Lakes states (excluding Ohio) to gauge advisory awareness, cognitive factors influencing fish consumption behaviors (informed by the IMBP), and sociodemographic characteristics. Results show that most anglers reported being generally or vaguely aware of fish consumption advisories and try to follow them, but far fewer report being aware of specific advice needed to decide whether or not to consume different types of sport-caught fish. Informed by the IMBP, we also identify several behavioral, normative, and control beliefs that have sufficient room to change, strong associations with intentions to follow the advisories, and potential to be modified if targeted with strategic risk messages. Targeting these beliefs with strategic communication holds potential to increase the proportion of anglers intending to follow fish consumption advisory recommendations in choosing which fish to eat.

Need for improved risk communication of fish consumption advisories to protect maternal and child health: influence of primary informants

Fish consumption has established benefits, including the promotion of cardiovascular health and pre- and neonatal brain and eye development, but local freshwater fish may be a source of contaminants that are especially harmful to fetuses and young children, such as the neurotoxic and developmentally toxic methylmercury and polychlorinated biphenyls. Fish consumption advisories may be issued by state health departments to limit human exposure to these and other toxicants. This study examined the efficacy of a sign designed by the North Carolina Division of Public Health that was posted along a reservoir (Badin Lake) in central North Carolina, USA, for increasing anglers’ awareness of a fish consumption advisory, with a special focus on anglers who share their catch with women and children. In this study, 109 anglers were interviewed about their awareness of fish consumption advisories in general and their knowledge of the Badin Lake fish advisory in particular. Shore anglers were significantly less likely to be aware of the term “fish consumption advisory” and of the specific advisory for Badin Lake than boat anglers. Although a significant increase in knowledge of the specific fish consumption advisory was found for the entire sample of study participants after the sign intervention, a commensurate increase in knowledge was not found for a subsample of anglers who reported sharing their catch with women and children. Study findings underscore differences in fish consumption advisory awareness among subpopulations. Specifically, the study revealed the importance of characterizing the communication needs of shore anglers and anglers who share their catch with sensitive subpopulations (e.g., women and children) for the creation of more targeted communications of fish consumption advisories.

Stakeholder participation in research design and decisions: scientists, fishers, and mercury in saltwater fish

Individuals who fish and eat self-caught fish make decisions about where to fish, the type to eat, and the quantity to eat. Federal and state agencies often issue consumption advisories for some fish with high mercury (Hg) concentrations, but seldom provide either the actual metal levels to the general public, or identify the fish that have low contaminant levels. Community participatory research is of growing importance in defining, studying, and resolving complex exposure and risk issues, and this paper is at the intersection of traditional stakeholder approaches and community-based participatory research. The objective of this paper is to describe the process whereby stakeholders (fishers), were involved in directing and refining research questions to address their particular informational needs about mercury levels in fish, potential risks, and methods to maintain health, by balancing the risks and benefits of fish consumption. A range of stakeholders, mainly individual fishers, fishing organizations, and other scientists, were involved at nearly every stage. Community participants influenced many aspects of the design and implementation of the research, in the determination of which fish species to sample, in the collection of the samples, and in the final analyses and synthesis, as well as the communication of results and implications of the research through their fishing club publications, talks and gatherings. By involving the most interested and affected communities, the data and conclusions are relevant to their needs because the fish examined were those they ate and wanted information about, and directly address concerns about the risk from consuming self-caught fish. Although mercury levels in fish presumed to be high in mercury are known, little information was available to the fishermen on mercury levels in fish that were low and thus provided little risk to their families. While community participatory research is more time-consuming and expensive than traditional scientific research, both the process and results are better scientifically in terms of community relevance.

Consumption patterns and risk assessment of crab consumers from the Newark Bay Complex, New Jersey, USA

The Newark Bay Complex (NBC) is a significant historical repository of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDDs) and dioxin-like compounds. Detection of high levels of 2,3,7,8 tetrachloro-dibenzodioxins (TCDD) and its toxicological equivalents in blue crabs in the early 1990's led to a ban on the taking and distribution of crabs from the NBC. Despite this ban and ongoing communication outreach, surveys of crabbers in 1995, 2002 and 2005 by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) showed that crabbing for recreational purposes and for significant dietary supplementation was continuing. At the time they were surveyed, the crabbers had been consuming these crabs for an average of 37% of their lives. Thus, exposure can be considered chronic. The surveys provided data on the duration, frequency and amount of NBC crab consumption. In 2004, the NJDEP sampled blue crabs in the NBC and analyzed the edible portions for 2,3,7,8 TCDD toxicity equivalent (TEQ) concentration. We have combined the survey-based exposure data and the 2,3,7,8 TCDD TEQ concentration data to produce an estimate of the lifetime cancer risk to NBC crabbers from dioxin-like compounds. We employed a point-estimate approach using discrete lower, central tendency and reasonable maximum exposure (RME) estimates of exposure factors and a probabilistic approach to exposure factors. Both approaches show central tendency lifetime cancer risk of greater than one-in-a-thousand (10(-3)) and an upper percentile/RME risk of approximately one-in-a-hundred (10(-2)). Little extrapolation is involved in applying the 2,3,7,8-TCDD TEQ concentration data in crabs to risk estimates in the population consuming those crabs. The ongoing and frequent nature of the crab collection minimizes the uncertainty often inherent in food recall surveys. These estimates point to the continued risk posed to NBC crab consumers and to the continuing importance of this resource which, with proper remediation, could provide ongoing benefit to the surrounding community.

Awake at the switch: improving fish consumption advisories for at-risk women

Eating fish provides health benefits; however, nearly all fish contain at least some methylmercury which can impair human health. While government agencies have been issuing fish consumption advisories for 40 years, recent evaluation efforts highlight their poor performance. The benefit of an advisory can be measured by its ability to inform consumers as to both the positive and negative attributes of their potential choices, leading to appropriate changes in behavior. Because of the health benefits, fish advisories should not reduce fish consumption, even among at-risk individuals, but should lead consumers to switch away from highly contaminated fish toward those less contaminated. Although studies document how advisories reduce fish consumption (a negative outcome), no study indicates whether they lead to switching behavior (a positive outcome). We explore the effects of Maine Center of Disease Control and Prevention's advisory aimed at informing women who may become pregnant, nursing mothers and pregnant women about the benefits and risks of fish consumption. We examine how the advisory changes consumption, especially related to switching behavior. We demonstrate such changes in behavior both during and after pregnancy and compare the advisory-induced changes with those induced by other information sources. Although we find the advisory reduced some women's consumption of fish, we find the decrease is short-lived. Most importantly, the advisory induced appropriate switching behavior; women reading the advisory decreased their consumption of high-risk fish and increased their consumption of low-risk fish. We conclude a well-designed advisory can successfully transform a complex risk/benefit message into one that leads to appropriate knowledge and behavioral changes.

Communicating fish consumption advisories in California: what works, what doesn't

State agencies face many challenges in creating sport fish consumption advisories that can be readily understood by diverse populations. In this study, our objectives were to identify barriers to understanding consumption advisories and recommend more effective approaches for communicating advisory concepts. We conducted key informant interviews with demographically diverse consumers of sport fish from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta watershed in California to explore how intended audiences perceive consumption advisories and identify factors that influence comprehension. Some barriers to communication included the use of portion sizes that departed from commonly consumed amounts, poorly understood terminology, misleading category headings, and ineffective visual tools. Comprehension was enhanced when advisory information did not contradict existing beliefs about fish or fish consumption, and when advisories provided information about contaminant levels in specific kinds of fish. Using certain methods, such as portion sizes that reflect commonly consumed amounts, mercury meters to convey contaminant levels, three advice categories (e.g., high, medium, low), and population definitions that identify specific age ranges, improved the clarity of advisory concepts for intended audiences.

Comment on Urban et al. "Assessment of human health risks posed by consumption of fish from the Lower Passaic River (LPR), New Jersey" (2009, doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2009.03.004)

Urban et al. (2009) presented a human health risk assessment for the Lower Passaic River that very narrowly defines fish consumption, ignores crab consumption, and is not consistent with current NJ or EPA risk assessment procedures and guidance. The restrictively defined consumption then leads to inappropriate conclusions on the risk of eating fish from this highly contaminated estuarine river. The paper underestimates angler exposure to contaminated fish, does not evaluate exposure to contaminated crab, and underestimates the cancer risks and non-cancer health hazards associated with these exposure pathways. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection along with the NJ Department of Health and Senior Services issues fish and crab consumption advisories for all state waters; these advisories should be followed for the Passaic River and surrounding waters: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/dsr/FishSmartEatSmartNJ.org.

Assessment of human health risks posed by consumption of fish from the Lower Passaic River, New Jersey

The Lower Passaic River (LPR) in New Jersey has been impacted by variety of human activities over the course of the last two centuries. In this risk assessment, we assessed potential human health risks associated with consumption of fish from the LPR, the human exposure pathway of greatest concern when addressing contaminated sediments. Our risk assessment incorporates fish consumption information gathered during a year-long, intercept-style creel angler survey and representative fish tissue concentrations for 156 chemicals of potential concern (COPCs) obtained from USEPA's public database (OurPassaic website: http://www.ourpassaic.org/projectsites/premis_public/index.cfm?fuseaction=contaminants). Due to the large number of COPCs investigated, this risk assessment was divided into two phases: (1) identification of COPCs that contribute to the majority of overall excess cancer risk and hazard estimates using deterministic and probabilistic methods, and (2) probabilistic characterization of risk using distributions of chemical concentration and cooking loss for those compounds identified in Phase 1. Phase 1 relied on point estimates of COPC concentrations and demonstrated that PCDD/Fs and PCBs (dioxin-like and non-dioxin-like) are the greatest contributors to cancer risk, while non-dioxin-like PCBs are the primary contributors to non-cancer hazard estimates. Total excess cancer risks for adult and child and receptors estimated in Phase 1 were within USEPA's acceptable excess cancer risk range, with the exception of RME child (3.0 x 10(-4) and 1.3 x 10(-4) for deterministic and probabilistic approaches, respectively). Phase 2 focused on PCDD, PCDF, and PCBs and used distributions of chemical concentrations in fish. The results showed that all excess cancer risk estimates were within the acceptable risk range, although non-cancer hazard estimates for PCBs slightly exceeded a Hazard Index of 1. This HHRA of LPR fish ingestion represents the most comprehensive evaluation conducted to date, and demonstrates that measured concentrations of COPCs are not likely to pose a health risk to people who currently consume fish from the LPR.

To eat or not to eat an endangered species: views of local residents and physicians on the safety of sea turtle consumption in northwestern Mexico

Sea turtles have historically been an important food resource for many coastal inhabitants of Mexico. Today, the consumption of sea turtle meat and eggs continues in northwestern Mexico despite well-documented legal protection and market conditions providing easier access to other more reliable protein sources. Although there is growing evidence that consuming sea turtles may be harmful to human health due to biotoxins, environmental contaminants, viruses, parasites, and bacteria, many at-risk individuals, trusted information sources, and risk communicators may be unaware of this information. Therefore, we interviewed 134 residents and 37 physicians in a region with high rates of sea turtle consumption to: (1) examine their knowledge and perceptions concerning these risks, as a function of sex, age, occupation, education and location; (2) document the occurrence of illness resulting from consumption; and (3) identify information needs for effective risk communication. We found that 32% of physicians reported having treated patients who were sickened from sea turtle consumption. Although physicians believed sea turtles were an unhealthy food source, they were largely unaware of specific health hazards found in regional sea turtles, regardless of location. By contrast, residents believed that sea turtles were a healthy food source, regardless of sex, age, occupation, and education, and they were largely unaware of specific health hazards found in regional sea turtles, regardless of age, occupation, and education. Although most residents indicated that they would cease consumption if their physician told them it was unhealthy, women were significantly more likely to do so than men. These results suggest that residents may lack the necessary knowledge to make informed dietary decisions and physicians do not have enough accurate information to effectively communicate risks with their patients.

Fish and shellfish consumption estimates and perceptions of risk in a cohort of occupational and recreational fishers of the Chesapeake Bay

Exposure to persistent, bioaccumulating substances, through the consumption of contaminated fish is of concern in human populations. Consumption may be particularly high for subsistence, commercial, and recreational fishers, so it is important to obtain accurate consumption estimates to assess risks in these groups. The objectives of the work reported here were: to obtain estimates of fish and shellfish consumption (meals and portion size) in an occupational cohort; to determine what percentage of the consumption was from local fish; to evaluate reliability of two methods of reporting fish and shellfish consumption; and to examine risk perceptions in relation to consumption. Subjects included 99 recreational and occupational fishers in the Chesapeake Bay area, Virginia, who were recruited for a cohort study of estuary-associated syndrome. Subjects reported average fish and shellfish consumption (all species) on a weekly, monthly or yearly basis, and were asked species-specific information, which was summed. The median number of fish meals consumed a year was significantly different depending on the method used, 52 (interquartile range, IQR:24-104) (average method) and 65 (IQR:30-117) (sum of species-specific), respectively. Shellfish estimates were 24 (IQR:12-52) (average) and 47 (IQR:31-84) (sum) meals a year. Of those who consumed fish, participants reported an average meal size of 8.9+/-3.38 oz. (median 8 oz, range 4-16) with close to 70% of fish consumed self-caught and 50% from Virginia waters. Using multiple regression, occupation, and risk perceptions were found to be significantly correlated with fish consumption levels, and consumption of fish from locations under advisory.

Fishing, fish consumption, and awareness about warnings in a university community in central New Jersey in 2007, and comparisons with 2004

Fish are a healthy source of protein, but the risks from consuming fish have become a national concern. Over the past 7 years, there have been a number of national advisories regarding saltwater fish. Fish consumption patterns and public knowledge about advisories and warnings have been examined for at-risk populations, but there is little information about the latter for a general population, or of temporal trends in such information acquisition. Information about the benefits and health risks of consuming fish, health warnings from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the Food and Drug Administration, belief in these warnings, and trust in different sources of information were examined in a sample of 460 people within a university community in central New Jersey in 2007. The null hypothesis of no differences in fishing, consumption, and knowledge about advisories as a function of age, gender, ethnicity, and education was tested. In 2007, only 30% of the study population fished, and 83% of the study population ate fish, either commercial or self-caught. There were differences in fishing behavior, consumption patterns, and awareness of advisories as a function of gender, ethnicity, age, and education. Most notably, nearly twice as many men as women fished, Whites fished more and Blacks and Indian/Pakistanis fished less than other ethnic groups, and people aged 23-35 fished more than did others. About 8% of fish meals were from self-caught fish, 32% were eaten in restaurants, and 60% were of fish bought in stores and cooked at home. Men ate more meals of self-caught fish than did females, and Asians ate more meals of fish in restaurants, and Blacks ate more meals of store-bought fish than other ethnic groups. The total number of fish meals consumed per month increased significantly with age. Overall, more people had heard about the benefits (92%) than the risks (78%) of fish consumption. When asked whom they trust for information about health benefits and risks from eating fish, doctors were rated the highest, followed by professors; friends and fishermen were rated the lowest. We then examined whether there were any changes from 2004 to 2007 in the knowledge of the health benefits and warnings about fish consumption, and the trustworthiness of different sources of information. In other words, have communication efforts of the state and federal agencies resulted in any appreciable increase in overall awareness of the benefits or risks of fish consumption. The greatest change in the parameters examined from 2004 to 2007 was an overall decrease in fish consumption from an average of 7.9 meals per month in 2004 to about six meals per month in 2007. This suggests that the unintended effect of some of the warnings and advisories is to decrease overall fish consumption, rather than to switch from fish species with high levels of contaminants to those with low levels.

A survey methodology for collecting fish consumption data in urban and industrial water bodies (part 1)

The potential human health risks associated with consuming fish containing hazardous substances are related to the frequency, duration, and magnitude of exposure. Because these risk factors are often site specific, they require site-specific data. In anticipation of performing a risk assessment of the lower 6 miles of the Passaic River in New Jersey (Study Area), a year-long creel/angler survey collected such site-specific data. The lower Passaic River is urbanized and industrialized, and its site conditions present unique survey design and sampling challenges. For example, the combined population of the municipalities surrounding the Study Area is nearly 330,000, but because the Study Area is tidal, state law does not require fishing licenses for anglers to fish or crab in the Study Area. The sampling challenges posed by the lack of licensing are exacerbated by the industrialization and lack of public access in the lower half of the Study Area. This article presents a survey methodology designed to overcome these challenges to provide data for accurately estimating the Study Area's angling population and the fish and crabs they catch, keep, and eat. In addition to addressing the challenges posed by an urban and industrial setting, the survey methodology also addresses the issues of coverage, avidity, and deterrence, issues necessary for collecting a representative sample of the Study Area's anglers. This article is a companion to two other articles. The first companion article describes the analytical methodology designed to process the data collected during the survey. The second presents, validates, and interprets the survey results relating to human exposure factors for the lower Passaic River.

Ethnic differences in ecological concerns: Spanish-speaking Hispanics are more concerned than others

We postulated that environmental concern encompasses a wide range of different issues, often lumping pollution with habitat loss (or land use) and ecological resources (fish and wildlife). In this paper, we compare perceptions about a range of environmental and ecological resource issues, and explore ethnic/racial differences. We surveyed 1513 residents of New Jersey about "environmental concerns", using both general environmental questions (two questions: How serious are environmental problems in New Jersey? Are you concerned about the loss of open space?) and ecological resource questions (12 questions: e.g., how important is planting trees in your neighborhood, how concerned are you about loss of breeding and feeding habitat for fish and birds?) in New Jersey. Not all concerns were rated equally. For the ecological questions, there were no ethnic differences in concerns over preserving areas around water supplies, loss of places to hunt and fish, and loss of places for quiet walks and cycling, but there were for the other 9 ecological concerns. For eight of these nine concerns, Spanish-speaking Hispanics were more concerned than others (including English-speaking Hispanics). We divided the ecological resources into three categories: ecological services (clean water and safety), ecological resources (fish and wildlife), and recreational services. The strongest correlates of people's association with enlarging and enhancing recreational services were Spanish-speaking Hispanics, who are supportive of regulations and believe local government is not doing enough for environmental problems. People concerned about the loss of ecological resources and open space believe the federal government and the state are not doing enough for the environment, were non-Hispanic White, want continued environmental regulations, were longer-term residents, were high school graduates, and were older (45-54 years). People interested in ecological services were college-educated, non-White, not rich, females that did not trust DEP's environmental actions, and thought the state was not doing enough environmentally. There was a high correlation between general environmental concern and the ecological resource variables for the population overall, and for each ethnic group. Overall, only 39% of the subjects were very concerned about the seriousness of environmental problems in New Jersey, yet from 36% to 81% of the people were very concerned about 11 of 12 ecological issues. This indicates that people respond different to the term "environmental problems" compared to specific "ecological resource" issues. The greatest concern (81%) was for preserving areas around water supplies and cleaning up garbage in the parks, and the least concern was for the loss of places to hunt and fish (26%). Our results indicate that people distinguish between general environmental concern and ecological concerns, as well as distinguishing ecological services from ecological resources.

A framework and information needs for the management of the risks from consumption of self-caught fish

Governmental agencies deal with the potential risk from consuming fish contaminated with toxic chemicals by issuing fish consumption advisories. Yet such advisories are often ignored by the general public, who continue to fish and consume self-caught fish that are the subject of advisories and are from contaminated waters. Further, people are often unaware of specific warnings (which species to avoid, who is vulnerable, when they are vulnerable). In this paper we propose a more inclusive framework for examining consumption behavior of self-caught fish and identify information needs for effective communication. We include not only the usual variables that are used for calculating risk from fish consumption (meal frequency, meal size, contaminant levels) but also other aspects of behavior that contribute to risk. These include attitudes (trust, risk aversion, environmental concerns), behavior (sources of information, cultural mores, personal preferences), exposure (physical proximity, ingestion rates, bioavailability, target tissues), contaminant levels, individual host differences, and hazards (levels of contaminants). We suggest that attitudes and behavior shape risk as much as exposure and hazards and that all four of these factors must be considered in risk management. Factors such as gender, age, pregnancy status, and nutrition all influence who is at risk, while other consumption factors affect these at-risk populations, including meals/week, meal size, cooking method, fish species and sizes eaten, and years of fish consumption. Similarly, contaminant levels in fish vary by fish species, fish size and age, part of the fish, and collection location. Elucidating the risk to individual consumers involves integrating this range of factors, and managing the risk likewise involves incorporating these factors. We suggest that development of appropriate advisories and compliance with advisories will occur only if managers, risk assessors, and public policy makers consider this whole range of factors and not just the traditional fish consumption rate (often underestimated) and contaminant levels in fish (often undersampled). Merely informing the public of contaminant levels or the risk from contaminants will not ensure a public that has enough information to make informed decision, or to be in compliance with consumption advisories, or to effect changes in consumption behavior where public health is at risk.

Body burdens of mercury in lower Hudson River area anglers

The Hudson River has been a federally designated Superfund site for over 20 years. Discharges of industrial waste and of treated and untreated sewage and atmospheric deposition have introduced mercury and other persistent pollutants to the Hudson River ecosystem. Despite New York and New Jersey health advisories, many local anglers and their family members continue to consume fish caught from the river. To evaluate associations between body burden of mercury and local fish consumption, we conducted a cross-sectional study of 191 anglers recruited from piers and fishing clubs. Participants were administered a questionnaire to obtain information on local fish consumption, and 65% (124 individuals) provided a blood sample used to determine mercury levels. Mercury levels ranged from below the limit of detection (0.75 ng/mL) to 24.0 ng/mL. Participants who reported eating locally caught fish had significantly higher levels of mercury (mean (M)=2.4 ng/mL, standard error (SE)=1.2) than anglers who never ate locally caught fish (M=1.3 ng/mL, SE=1.1). A positive dose-response pattern was also observed, where participants who reported eating locally caught fish more than once a week had higher mercury levels (M=2.6 ng/mL, SE=1.1) than anglers eating fish less frequently (M=2.0 ng/mL, SE=1.2) or never at all (M=1.3 ng/mL, SE=1.1). These findings indicate that consumption of fish caught from the lower Hudson River area is a route of human exposure to mercury for the angling community.

Fishing, fish consumption, and knowledge about advisories in college students and others in central New Jersey

Risks to humans and other organisms from consuming fish have become a national concern. Over the past 3 years there have been a number of national advisories regarding saltwater fish. Although information on fishing, consumption patterns, and public knowledge about advisories has been examined for at-risk populations, there is little information about the latter for a general population. Overall knowledge about advisories, ratings for information about the risks and benefits of eating fish, and the relationship between fishing, consumption patterns, and knowledge about advisories was examined in a sample of 180 college students and others residing in central New Jersey, USA. The null hypothesis of no differences in fishing, consumption, and knowledge about advisories as a function of age, gender, ethnicity, and education was tested. A significantly higher proportion of men fished compared to women, and significantly fewer Blacks and Asians fished than did Whites or Hispanics. More Asians who fished did so in salt water, compared to others. There were no gender differences in consumption patterns, and few age or ethnic differences, mainly due to low sample sizes in some ethnic groups. Significantly fewer young people and fewer Asians ate fish compared to others. Overall, more people knew about the benefits of eating fish than the risks. Half as many people had heard about advisories concerning tuna, and less than a third knew about advisories concerning shark and swordfish than had heard general warnings. There were no gender differences in knowing about advisories, but there were several ethnic differences: a lower percentage of Asians generally knew that there were advisories, and fewer Blacks knew that there were benefits from eating fish than others. People in the age group 21-45 years were less aware of both the benefits and the risks from eating fish compared to older people. These data suggest that risk managers need to target younger people for information about the risks and benefits of consuming fish, particularly given that this is the population that will become pregnant over the next few years. Contrary to some previous research, subjects trusted family, friends, and other fishermen less for knowledge about the risks and benefits of fish consumption than other sources, such as doctors, governmental officials, and university professors. Even with this limited sample size, it is clear that people have heard more about the benefits of fish consumption than the risks, and a relatively low percentage have heard about the recent US Food and Drug Administration warnings about swordfish and shark.

Perceptions of general environmental problems, willingness to expend federal funds on these problems, and concerns regarding the Los Alamos National Laboratory: Hispanics are more concerned than Whites

Perceptions about general environmental problems, governmental spending for these problems, and major concerns about the US Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) were examined by interviewing 356 people attending a gun show in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The hypothesis that there are differences in these three areas as a function of ethnicity was examined. We predicted that if differences existed, they would exist for all three evaluations (general environmental problems, government spending, and environmental concerns about LANL). However, this was not the case; there were fewer ethnic differences concerning LANL. Hispanics rated most general environmental problems higher than Whites and rated their willingness to expend federal funds higher than Whites, although all groups gave a lower score on willingness than on concern. Further, the congruence between these two types of ratings was higher for Hispanics than for others. In general, the concerns expressed by subjects about LANL showed few ethnic differences, and everyone was most concerned about contamination. These data indicate that Hispanics attending a gun show are equally or more concerned than others about environmental problems generally but are not more concerned about LANL. The data can be useful for developing future research and stewardship plans and for understanding general environmental problems and their relationship to concerns about LANL. More generally, they indicate that the attitudes and perceptions of Hispanics deserve increased study in a general population.

Evaluating risk communication about fish consumption advisories: efficacy of a brochure versus a classroom lesson in Spanish and English

Presentation format can influence the way target audiences understand risk-related information. Brochures or fish fact sheets are the methods traditionally used by state agencies to inform the public about fish consumption advisories and the risks from consuming fish. This study examines the efficacy of presenting information about the risks from consuming contaminated fish and shellfish in two different formats: a brochure and classroom presentation. The two instruments were developed and tested in Spanish and English, reflecting the local ethnic composition in the Newark Bay Complex. The instruments were tested on women of child-bearing age at the Women, Infants, and Children Center in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Detailed diagrams were used in both presentations, including contaminated fish species, fish preparation methods, and food chain bioaccumulation and transmission to the fetus. There were few language-related differences in the efficacy of the classroom lesson, and the main ideas were understood by both groups. Where there were significant differences in understanding about the risks from consuming fish or crabs from the contaminated waters of Newark Bay, in all cases the women exposed to the classroom lesson had a better understanding than those who read the brochure. Ninety-six percent of the women who heard the lesson understood that it was unsafe to eat fish from the port, compared to 72% of those reading the brochure. Both formats succeeded in imparting information to most women about the area under advisories, the fish species under advisories, and transmission of toxins to the fetus. Information on fish preparation was recalled less clearly, partly because women were asked to relate methods to reduce the risk from consuming fish from 11 presented, and most recalled only two or three of the list. The advantages and disadvantages of conducting short classes to women of child-bearing age are discussed.

Development of a public participation and communication protocol for establishing fish consumption advisories

Enabling people to make an informed choice on whether to change consumption behavior is ultimately the objective of any fish consumption advisory. This will occur only if people are aware of the advisory, know and understand the advisory information, and believe the information to be true. Interactive, meaningful communication and the opportunity to participate in the process to develop and review advisories are key to achieving these attributes. A case study was undertaken in a community in Alberta, Canada (where an existing advisory was under consideration for review) to determine public awareness, knowledge, compliance, communication effectiveness, information needs, and desire for involvement related to the advisory. The information obtained from this case study was used to develop 14 guiding principles as a foundation for the incorporation of public participation and risk communication into the process of developing and reviewing fish consumption advisories.

Perceptions of recreational fishing boat captains: knowledge and effects of fish consumption advisories

The impacts of fish consumption advisories on recreational and subsistence fishing, particularly in fresh waters, have been examined extensively. By contrast, little attention has focused on organized recreational fishing, such as from party and charter boats, and particularly for salt water fish. We interviewed 93 New Jersey boat captains to determine their knowledge about fish consumption advisories, and whether, in their opinion, clients knew of fish consumption advisories, and whether they thought advisories had an effect on recreational fishing and their businesses. Advisories were ranked by captains as a moderate influence on the success of their business, less so than number of fish caught, strength of the economy, overfishing by commercial boats, and management regulations. Only one boat captain had not heard warnings about eating fish, but what captains said they had heard was mixed in its accuracy and completeness. Clients expect captains to know about fish, and about half of boat captains said clients had asked about the safety of eating fish. Captains who felt advisories were affecting their businesses tended to fish for species without high levels of mercury (except for bluefish) or PCBs, the primary contaminants of concern for state advisories and federal advice. However, these captains worked closer to areas (e.g., Raritan Bay complex and New York Harbor) subject to advisories than did other captains, and were more prone to say that management regulations (e.g., fish size, creel limits, seasons) and marketing and advertising by the industry or state were strong influences on the success of their seasons. Comparing captains who thought advisories had some or great effect (60%) versus those reporting "no effect" (40%), there was no difference in the mean percentage of trips targeting high mercury species such as swordfish and shark. Many captains said they would or might post advisories, but 42% of the boat captains said they would not post consumption warnings if the state provided them. The significant portion (at least 15%) of saltwater fishing supported by these businesses suggests that these captains are an important conduit for future risk communication.

Fishing along the Clinch River arm of Watts Bar reservoir adjacent to the Oak Ridge Reservation, Tennessee: behavior, knowledge and risk perception

Catching and eating fish is usually viewed as a fun, healthy and safe activity. However, with continuing increases in fish consumption advisories due to the contamination of our environment, anglers have to decide whether or not to eat the fish they catch. The Clinch River arm of Watts Bar Reservoir is under a fish consumption advisory because of elevated PCB concentrations in striped bass (Morone saxatilis), catfish (Ictalurus spp.) and sauger (Stizostedion canadense) due in part from contaminants released from the US Department of Energy's (USDOE's) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) in East Tennessee. To obtain information about the demographics, fishing behavior, knowledge, fish consumption and risk perception of anglers, a survey was conducted of 202 people actively fishing either on land or by boat along the Clinch River arm of Watts Bar Reservoir adjacent to the ORR from Melton Hill Dam to the Poplar Creek confluence or on Poplar Creek within ORR boundaries from mid-March to early November 2001. Even though 81% of people interviewed knew about the fish consumption advisories for the study area, 48% of them thought the fish were safe to eat, while 38% ate the fish that they caught from the study area. Approximately 36% of anglers who had knowledge of the fish consumption warnings ate fish from the study area. Providing confirmation that people fish for many reasons, 35% of anglers interviewed did not eat fish at all. The majority of anglers interviewed knew about the fish consumption advisories because of the signs posted throughout the study area. However, few people knew the correct fish advisories. Significantly fewer blacks had knowledge of the fish consumption warnings than whites. Information resulting from this study could be used to design a program with the objective of reaching the people who may be most at risk from eating fish caught from the Clinch River arm of Watts Bar Reservoir.

Consumption patterns and why people fish

Recreational and subsistence fishing play major roles in the lives of many people, although their importance in urban areas is often underestimated. There are fish and shellfish consumption advisories in the New York-New Jersey harbor estuary, particularly in the waters of the Newark Bay Complex. This paper examines fishing behavior, consumption patterns, and the reasons that people fish in the Newark Bay Complex. I test the null hypotheses that there are no differences among Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites in consumption patterns for fish and crabs and in the reasons that they fish or crab. Most people either fished or crabbed, but not both. People who fish and crab ate more grams of crab than fish in a given meal; people who crab only consumed more grams of crab at a meal than those who fish only consumed of fish. Although 30% or more of the people who fished and crabbed in the Newark Bay Complex did not eat their self-caught fish or crabs 8-25% of the people ate more than 1500 g/month. Some people angling in the Newark Bay Complex are eating crabs at a rate well over 1500 g/month, and about 70% are eating crabs even though there is a total ban on both harvest and consumption because of the health risks from dioxin. Consumption patterns were negatively correlated with mean income and positively correlated with mean age. Most people rated relaxation and being outdoors the highest reasons for angling, although on an open-ended question they usually listed recreation. There were no ethnic differences in reasons for angling, although other studies have shown ethnic differences in consumption. Obtaining fish or crabs to eat, give away, trade, or sell were rated low, suggesting that consumption advisories fail partly because people are not primarily fishing for food.

Identification of sport fish consumption patterns in families of recreational anglers through factor analysis

This paper reports on the identification of sport fish consumption patterns in angler families through the factor analysis technique. New York State recreational anglers and their spouses or partners were surveyed in 1991 about their consumption of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie sport fish. Respondents were surveyed again in 1997 to report the number of sport fish consumed by their children aged 5-10 years. Parental report revealed that 60% of children had consumed at least one sport fish meal over their lifetime. Anglers', partners', and children's variables were entered into three separate factor analysis models to assess consumption patterns. Factors for anglers and partners accounted for 65 and 59% of variance in consumption scores, respectively. Factors dealing with trout and salmon consumption accounted for the most variance. Children's factors accounted for 82% of variance in consumption scores, showing separation in relation to type of fish, body of water, and age at consumption. Children's factors were then used as dependent measures of separate multiple regression runs in which parental factors were entered stepwise as predictors. Significant associations between parental and children's factors were noted, suggesting that sport fish consumption patterns in parents are predictive of similar consumption patterns in children. Results suggest that sport fish consumption advisories do not fully prevent consumption of contaminated sport fish during childhood. Therefore, risk communicators may need to modify the current strategy of informing anglers and their families about sport fish consumption recommendations.