RED CLIFF FISH CONSUMPTION STUDY - ABBREVATED FINAL REPORT

Abstract

Great Lakes fish are contaminated with numerous persistent environmental xenobiotics including methylmercury (meHg) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB). The Great Lakes states and Canadian officials have issued fish consumption advisories to protect human consumers from reproductive, neurobehavioral, and other effects.

Eighty.nine Ojibwa people from Northern Wisconsin were sampled to determine their consumption habits and body burdens of contaminants. Additional epidemiology information including age, gender, education, reported fish consumption frequencies and preferences, and number of dental amalgams were recorded. A clinical psychologist tested the behavioral capabilities of the subjects and determined that grooved pegboard performance was mildly affected and correlated to blood total PCB levels.