Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
November 26, 2008
4. Water Quality –
Mercury makes bass unsafe to eat at Big Bear
(11-26) 04:00 PST Big Bear Lake,
The mercury levels in tissue samples from about a dozen bass taken from 2001 to 2005 ranged from 0.2 part per million to 0.6 part per million, according to state and federal documents cited Tuesday by the Riverside Press-Enterprise.
No new testing has been done but it is unlikely that the mercury levels have changed, said Robert Brodberg, senior toxicologist for the state Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.
The agency says fish with a mercury level of 0.44 part per million or higher should not be eaten by minors and women of child-bearing age. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says people should limit the amount of fish they eat that have a mercury level of 0.3 part per million.
"It could be harmful to fish, birds and humans if they consume too many of the affected fish. That's why we're concerned about the levels we've seen," said Hope Smythe, senior environmental scientist at the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board.
Trout and carp from the lake did not have excessive levels of mercury.
Water testing earlier this year found no detectable mercury in the lake, according to state documents.
"The concentrations are not high enough to be of a concern on human consumption for drinking water," said Scott Heule, the Big Bear water district's general manager.#
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/26/BA6G14CA0R.DTL
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