How are bioaccumulation data used to protect human health in CA?

Overview

The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) is the lead state agency for the assessment of health risks posed by environmental contaminants; OEHHA uses our data to develop site specific and statewide fish advisories.

Advisories are developed through a multi-step process that includes:

Graphical linear workflow representing the five step OEHHA Fish Advisory Development Process. Each step is described in detail below.

Graphical representation of the OEHHA Fish Advisory Development Process

(1) Sample Collection

The majority of samples are collected by the Program with guidance from the STEW, according to the associated Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) and Monitoring Plan.

Additional samples are collected by water utilities, Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC) relicensing, and other governmental and non-governmental organizations.

(2) Sample Analysis

The samples collected by the Program with guidance from the STEW are generally analyzed by Moss Landing Marine Laboratories’ (MLML) Marine Pollution Studies Laboratory (MPSL) and/or contracted to other certified laboratories, according to the associated Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) and Monitoring Plan.

(3) Data Retrieval

OEHHA retrieves fish contaminant data from the California Environmental Data Exchange Network (CEDEN) database.

(4) Data Review, Analysis & Interpretation

Data Review

OEHHA reviews the data to ensure they meet criteria necessary for robust, consistent statewide fish advisory development. Criteria include: 

  1. size limits, which are as: greatest shell diameter for mollusks, carapace length for crustaceans, and total length for finfish unless indicated otherwise

  2. sample size, which varies by water body size and type:

Water Body Type

Water Body Size

(hectare)

 Minimum Number of Sampling Locations Minimum Number of Individuals per Species per Water Body
Lake/Reservoir < 500 1 9
500 - 1,000 2 10
1,000 - 5,000 2 - 4 10 - 20
> 5,000 2 - 4 10 - 20
Rivers/Creeks n/a 1 per 25-mile segment 3 - 9 per 25-mile segment
Estuaries/Enclosed Bays n/a Size dependent Size dependent
Open Coast n/a 3 blocks 10 per block

  1. data quality, which includes whether the dataset includes the minimum data necessary for fish consumption advisory development. Minimum data requirements include: Composite Sample ID, Composite Sample Date, Composite Common Name, Composite Scientific Name, Composite Project Name, Composite Latitude, Composite Longitude, Composite Station Name, Number of Fish per Composite, Composite Tissue Name (e.g., fillet), Composite Tissue Prep (e.g., skin off), Analytical Method, Analyte (including moisture and lipid), Unit (e.g., ng/g wet weight; %), Result (in wet weight), Method Detection Limit, Reporting Limit, Total Length, Minimum (millimeter, mm), Total Length, Maximum (mm), Total Length, Average (mm)

  2. water body priority. OEHHA is able to develop 9-12 advisories per year and updates the list of eligible priority water bodies annually. Feedback and requests from the bioaccumulation community can influence final priority decisions and is always welcome. It is recommended that individuals who would like to provide feedback on OEHHA priorities do so by emailing fish@oehha.ca.gov or during OEHHA presentations at STEW meetings.

Data Analysis

OEHHA uses the dataset to calculate a tissue concentration for each chemical in each species at a water body.

Data Interpretation

OEHHA compares the tissue concentration for each chemical in each species at a water body to a suite of factors to develop consumption advice that balance the risks and benefits from fish consumption. Factors considered include:

  • OEHHA Advisory Tissue Levels (ATLs)
  • Levels of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids
  • The distribution of contaminant levels
  • How to simplify communication

(5) Advisory Development & Posting

OEHHA develops a final report and corresponding poster(s) and distributes the information by:

  1. sending a press release to local news agencies
  2. sending a Fish Information and Alerts email to the OEHHA email list
  3. posting the information on social media (i.e. Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook) 

OEHHA provides all fish advisory posters in English and Spanish. OEHHA can provide fish advisory posters in the following additional languages: Arabic, Armenian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Farsi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Laotian, Punjabi, Russian, Samoan, Tagalog, Vietnamese

Local Health Officers are responsible for conspicuously posting fish advisories in areas where contaminated fish or shellfish may be caught, including piers, commercial passenger fishing vessels, and shore areas where fishing occurs. See Assembly Bill 762 (AB 762, 2019) for more information.

Additional Resources