The Texas Department of State Health Service (DSHS) has issued a health advisory related to eating certain fish found in Lake Livingston and the Trinity River.
Species affected are blue catfish, flathead catfish, freshwater drum, gar, smallmouth buffalo, striped bass and white bass. Other species are considered safe at this time.
The advisory is for the Trinity River from the US 287 bridge near the Anderson-Freestone county line to the US 90 bridge in Liberty County. Because the Trinity River runs through Lake Livingston, the lake is impacted as well.
Another DSHS advisory, which includes all species of fish, extends further upstream from the US 287 bridge to Lake Worth and Benbrook Lake in Tarrant County.
Recent testing of the impacted fish species from those bodies of water has found high levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxin, which carry risks to humans, particularly women of child-bearing age, their unborn infants and small children.
“The issue with PCBs and dioxins is that they are persistent in the environment. They stick around for a while. They can accumulate in the bodies of fish and be passed on to humans through consumption,” said DSHS spokesman Chris Van Deusen. “They tend to collect in the fatty tissues of fish. It’s not in the water itself but in the sediment so it is not an issue for other animals who might drink the water.”
The presence of PCBs and dioxin in the lake and river is not the result of recent flooding.
“This is not a short-term issue. This is something that has built up in the environment over time. It’s not associated with weather or meteorological reasons,” Van Deusen said.
Instead the chemicals were released into the environment by spills and leaks, or improper disposal or storage, he said.
PCBs, which can be found in hydraulic, coolant and cutting fluids, are known cancer-causing carcinogens. Longtime exposure can impact the liver and the immune, endocrine and reproductive systems.
Dioxins, according to DSHS reports, are the byproduct of chemical and pesticide manufacturing, and pulp and paper bleaching.
“They can cause damage to the immune system and a developing nervous system. The developing fetus is most susceptible and newborns as well,” Van Deusen said.
There is no set time on how long the advisories will be in effect.
“We will go back and survey the fish again but it could be years before we do that,” he said.
For now and well into the future, DSHS is recommending the following guidelines:
• Blue catfish — Women of childbearing years and children 12 and under: do not eat; women past childbearing years and adult men can have blue catfish once a month.
• Flathead catfish — Women of childbearing years and children 12 and under: do not eat; women past childbearing years and adult men can have flathead catfish once a month.
• Freshwater drum — Women of childbearing years and children 12 and under: do not eat; women past childbearing years and adult men can have freshwater drum twice a month.
• Gar (all species) — Not recommended for all age groups and sexes.
• Smallmouth buffalo — Women of childbearing years and children 12 and under: do not eat; women past childbearing years and adult men can have smallmouth buffalo once a month.
• Striped bass — Women of childbearing years and children 12 and under: once a month; women past childbearing years and adult men can have striped bass three times per month.
• White bass — Women of childbearing years and children 12 and under: once a month; women past childbearing years and adult men can have white bass three times per month.
In order to stay within the recommended guidelines, the meal size for children 12 and under is four ounces of fish; for all others, it is eight ounces of fish.
The advisory is not meant to hamper recreation activities, according to Van Deusen.
“This is not an issue with fishing itself. It’s just the eating of fish. People can still catch and release the impacted species, and enjoy recreation on the lake,” he said. “Just don’t eat the fish that are restricted.”
