Palos Verdes Fish/DDT Contamination

[pavlov0032]

Hi!

I came across this site dedicated to contamination of PV fish/bottom sediment with DDT
Heal the Bay | Eating Fish from the Bay


they talk about white croaker alot, but imho all other fish prob. contaminated also..


Alex

 

[Oldsarge]

If the fish were so contaminated that they posed a threat to human health, you can be sure that our rather nanny government would close the fishing. They close the beaches regularly. Those if us that live here eat fish a lot, especially white sea bass. These are genetically a croaker but much larger and they aren't bottom feeders.

 

[pavlov0032]

If the fish were so contaminated that they posed a threat to human health, you can be sure that our rather nanny government would close the fishing. They close the beaches regularly. Those if us that live here eat fish a lot, especially white sea bass. These are genetically a croaker but much larger and they aren't bottom feeders.

"nanny government" allowed montrose chemical plant to produce DDT in torrance for over 40 years, read the info in the link. It also says that there over 110 tons of DDT in the sediment around PV penninsula.


Palos Verdes DDT Hotspot Along the coast of LA and Orange Counties, the highest levels of DDT in ocean sediment are found about one to three miles off shore of the Palos Verdes Peninsula (map).

This DDT was manufactured by the Montrose Chemical Corporation at its former chemical plant in Torrance, California from the 1940s until the 1980s. During this time, the company released wastewater containing DDT to the Carson Sewage Treatment Plant which was not able to remove the chemical. The sewage effluent containing the DDT was then sent to the ocean through the sewer outfalls off the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

This DDT settled into the ocean floor sediments about one to three miles off shore of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. More than110 tons of DDT (along with 11 tons of PCBs) are in the sediments comprising a 17 square mile "DDT hotspot" at a depth ranging from 100-200 feet.
To address this DDT hotspot, a lawsuit was brought by the U.S. Federal government and the State against the polluters which was settled in 2001 for $130 million. In addition, the area is now a designated Superfund site. The funds will be used to restore coastal bald eagle and peregrine falcon populations, which were decimated by DDT. The money will also be used deal with the contaminated sediments off of Palos Verdes, and to fund education and enforcement programs to ensure that the public will no longer eat fish contaminated with DDT (note: commercial fishing for white croaker is banned in the DDT hotspot area. In general, fish sold in local stores should not come from this affected area).

 

[jimqpublic]

"Nanny government" has banned commercial fishing of several species and has spent a lot of money on public outreach about the issue- especially the White Croaker posters. They're also doing a lot of monitoring of the seabed and fish. Also spot checking local fish markets.

But it is also true that the actual toxic dose has not been determined. Also while DDT seems to be a carcinogen in rats, and is similar to some human carcinogens, no conclusive link between consumption of contaminated fish and cancer in humans has been shown.

1 in 100,000 cancer risk fades into the background noise.

While a White Sea Bass may be part of the croaker family, because it is migratory the fish survey in 2002 showed the tested WSB to be very low in DDT.

I was trying to find more info on the whole subject since I just recently decided to start hunting- by the end of the weekend I'll have a polespear and two spearguns. Several agencies are involved in the study and management of the DDT contamination- It's a federal Superfund site, LA County Sanitation District's pipe delivered it, California EPA it involved, California DFG is concerned with the fish and birds, etc. There was a very extensive survey of a few thousand fish in 2002 but I can't find the results. Also LA County has been doing some annual monitoring and a vague reference I just read seemed to indicate that the levels have started to drop off.

Pardon me while I go diving at PV tomorrow.

 

[Rollout]

This is from the Department of fish and game website (circa 2004) which breaks down consumption by species and location:

Ocean Fish Consumption Advisories

[FONT=arial, helvetica][SIZE=-1][FONT=arial, helvetica][SIZE=-1]*Note* Consumption recommendation is for all the listed species combined.[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]

 

[jimqpublic]

One note- the consumption suggestions are based on consuming at a constant rate for 30 years out of a 70 year lifespan. If you only fish a few months of the year you could eat more during that time and still stay under the total intake number.

 

[pavlov0032]

Southern District
Southern California Locations Between Point Dume and Dana Point Twenty-four locations in this area of southern California have been tested. No consumption advisories based on chemicals were issued for the following locations: Santa Monica Pier, Venice Pier, Venice Beach, Marine del Rey, Redondo Beach, Emma/Eva oil platforms, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, Fourteen Mile Bank, Catalina (Twin Harbor), and Dana Point. Consumption advice for certain species of sport fish was issued for the other locations because of elevated DDT and PCB levels, as listed below. One meal is about six ounces. (See also "Important Note No. 3" above.)

Ocean Fish Consumption Advisories