Fish Consumption Warning Issued For Galveston Bay
POSTED: Tuesday, July 8, 2008
HOUSTON -- The Texas Department of State Health Services issued a warning Tuesday that people should limit their consumption of some fish caught in Galveston Bay, KPRC Local 2 reported.
Officials said a two-year study showed that spotted seatrout and catfish in the area have elevated levels of dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls, also known at PCB.
Dioxins are formed as unintentional by-products of many industrial and chemical production processes and incomplete combustion. They can cause skin rashes, liver damage, weight loss, reproductive damage and may increase the risk of cancer.
Long-term consumption of PCBs may cause cancer and reproductive, immune system, developmental and liver problems.
Adults were advised to not eat more than one 8-ounce meal of the fish within a month. Women who are nursing, pregnant or may become pregnant were advised to not eat the fish at all, as were children.
Officials said other species of fish, such as red drum, black drum and flounder were also tested and determined to be safe to eat.
The same advisory was also issued for spotted seatrout and catfish caught in Chocolate Bay, East Bay, West Bay, Trinity Bay and contiguous waters.
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