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[cool][#0000ff]Another article in the Tribune this morning about Utah Lake PCBs. The early buzz was about the PCBs in carp, but inquiring minds wanted to know...what about the other fish?[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][url "http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_4565782"]LINK TO ARTICLE[/url][/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Seems that the tests on some of the other species are due out soon. Suspicions are that all the fish will have the stuff to some extent. But, as I have advised fish lovers, if you skin the fish and cook them well (or smoke them), much of the oil in the fish that contains the accumulated PCBs will be removed.[/#0000ff]
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Thanks for the update. It will be interesting to see what they come up with. A couple months ago, I was talking with a friend, (that is a DWR biologist) working on the June sucker project, and she said that they fully expect that there will be advisories on the other species as well. The big question in their mind is how strict the advisories will be regarding the recommended consumption guidelines.
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[cool][#0000ff]I have also talked with several folks who are knowledgeable of the PCB problem in Utah Lake. There is a general consensus of opinion that some of the top end predators are likely to have even higher concentrations of PCB than carp...especially the oily fleshed ones like catfish.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]In trying to find more information on the internet, I have been largely disappointed in the definitive info available...as it pertains to concentrations in fish and the REAL health hazards. It seems that most of the studies involve laboratory animals and there are not many case studies on the actual affects on humans.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I fully expect to see the test results look bad and the recommendations to be harsh...like one serving per year or something like that. However, most of us anglers know people (even entire families) that have eaten large quantities of Utah Lake fish for many years with no identifiable health problems attributable to PCB ingestion. That does not mean there haven't been any. It's just that nothing has been directly traced to eating fish with PCB in it.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I remember some tests that were done on DDT tainted fish many years ago. DDT also concentrates in the oily tissues. Lab folks used several ways of preparing the affected fish flesh and tested the quantities before and after cooking. As I recall, it was found that simply skinning the fish removed much of the surface fat/oil/DDT. After that, grilling and broiling further reduced the bad stuff, as did deep frying and then discarding the oil the fish were cooked in. Smoking was another fad reduction method that helped drip off the oil. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In short, some of the more effective cooking methods brought the levels of DDT down to within tolerable levels. Hopefully that will be something we can use to offset the potential hazards, for those of us who still want to keep and consume.[/#0000ff]
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[reply]
[#0000ff]most of us anglers know people (even entire families) that have eaten large quantities of Utah Lake fish for many years with no identifiable health problems attributable to PCB ingestion. That does not mean there haven't been any. It's just that nothing has been directly traced to eating fish with PCB in it.[/#0000ff] [/reply]
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