State: Some Saginaw River fish unsafe to eat
By Tony Lascari, Midland Daily News
02/15/2008

Eating some dioxin-contaminated fish from the Saginaw River represents a public health hazard, according to a final public health consultation completed by the Michigan Department of Community Health.

At a public meeting last week in Saginaw Township, officials from the state urged people to pay attention to fish advisories, which among other recommendations state that people should not eat carp, catfish or white bass from the river.

Kory Groetsch, of the MDCH, said a recent survey examining fish consumption patterns on the Saginaw River found there were a surprising number of people eating fish listed in the advisories.

"We would strongly urge people to follow the fish consumption advisories," he said.

The level of contamination varies by the type of fish, with bottom dwellers such as catfish generally containing a higher level. A concern is that minorities tend to eat more catfish from the Saginaw River, and tend to be less aware of the advisories, Groetsch said.

He said the survey shows half of minority fishermen reported never hearing of the advisories, while 12 percent of white fishermen had not heard of them.

The survey shows about 80 percent of people who consume the fish they catch on the Saginaw River share the food with their family members, including young children.

"You can't blame them for going ahead and still eating the catfish when they don't know they're contaminated," Groetsch said.

What that tells the state is that there is a real need to reach people with the message about fish safety, Groetsch said. He said while the study has been reviewed by other government agencies, it has not yet been submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.

Deb McKenzie-Taylor, of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, said exposure to dioxin comes primarily from consuming the fish and game in the area, followed by incidental ingestion while gardening or from livestock raised in the floodplain.

The Dow Chemical Co. is responsible for the dioxin and furan contamination in the Tittabawassee River, which joins the Saginaw River on its way to Saginaw Bay. Dow has paid for signs at public parks warning against consuming fish.

An MDCH statement this week said that the findings of the public health consultation emphasize that people should closely follow the Michigan interim fish consumption advisory for the Saginaw River, which states:

* No one should eat carp, catfish, or white bass;

* Women of childbearing age and children under the age of 15 should not eat smallmouth bass;

* All other people are advised to eat no more than one meal of smallmouth bass per week;

* Women of childbearing age and children under the age of 15 should eat no more than one meal per month of walleye less than 22 inches in length and six meals per year of larger walleye;

* All other people are advised that walleye smaller than 22 inches may be eaten in unlimited quantities, but larger walleye should be eaten no more often than once per week; and

* For all other species of fish caught in the Saginaw River, women of childbearing age and children under the age of 15 should eat no more than one meal per month and all other people may eat these fish one meal per week.

With new data on chemical levels in Saginaw River fish expected, the fish consumption advisory will be updated this year.

For a copy of the Saginaw River Health Consultation or to obtain the Michigan Family Fish Consumption Guide, go to www.michigan.gov/mdch  or call (800) 648-6942.

©Midland Daily News 2008
 

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