Portland,-Multnomah County and Oregon Health Services officials today issued an advisory about eating carp and black crappie from the lower Columbia Slough. The advisory was based on an analysis that detected polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a probable cancer-causing chemical in the fish tissue. The fish sampling survey was conducted by Metro and the state Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and involved a small sample of fish taken from a three-mile stretch of the lower Columbia Sough near the St. Johns Landfill.

Based on the findings, health officials advise the public to avoid or limit consumption of carp and black crappie from the lower Slough area. Dr. Gary Oxman, Multnomah County Health Officer, said, "Those who do eat fish from the Slough should take safety precautions such as trimming fat and discarding internal organs before cooking." He warned that the health advisory is especially directed at pregnant women, nursing mothers and children.

Catherine Neumann, the state toxicologist who did the health assessment, cautioned that the advisory is based on limited data and pertains to a limited section of the Slough. According to Neumann, PCBs were detected in each of 10 carp and six of the nine black crappie collected for the survey.

Neumann said the presence of PCBs is cause for concern, but further study is needed to define the full extent and severity of fish contamination throughout the entire Slough.

Under a consent order recently signed between DEQ and the City of Portland, an assessment will be conducted over the entire Slough next spring and summer, with results expected in the Fall, to determine the types of fish people are eating and the extent of the contamination.

PCB's are oily mixtures containing a number of individual compounds that in the past were widely used as coolants in electrical equipment before being banned in 1977, according to Neumann.

A number of state and local agencies share concerns about pollution that exists in the water and sediments of the Slough and the potential for harmful effects to human health and the environment. Agencies working on Slough issues include DEQ, the State Health Services, the City of Portland, Metro, the Sate Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Multnomah County Health Department.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Ways to reduce exposure to PCBs from eating fish:

• Eat fish less often
• Keep and eat smaller, younger fish
• Eat smaller portions
• Discard all internal organs
• Thoroughly trim and fillet fish before eating;

- remove all skin
- cut away the dark fat on top off fish along its backbone

- slice off fat belly meat along the bottom of fish
- cut away the dark, V-shaped wedge of fat located along the lateral line on each side of the fish

- do not eat raw fish
- bake or broil skinned, trimmed fish on a rack or grill so more fat drips off. Discard any drippings

- thoroughly clean and trim fish if making stew or soup.