Fish Consumption Advisory Issued for Lake Norman

CHARLOTTE, NC -- North Carolina health officials have issued a fish consumption advisory for Lake Norman after elevated levels of a man-made chemical were found in hybrid striped bass.

The Aug. 2 warning from North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services extended the advisory to Mecklenburg, Iredell, Catawba and Lincoln counties after elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, were found in fish tissue.

PCBs are man-made chemicals that are most commonly used in applications such as electrical applications or hydraulic fluids, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health, which reports that more than half of the PCBs produced have ended up in the environment.

(Sign up for our free daily newsletters and Breaking News Alerts for the Charlotte Patch. iPhone users can download the Patch app in the App Store. Plus, like Charlotte Patch on Facebook.)

According to North Carolina health officials, increased PCB consumption can put an individual at increased risks for immune system or liver effects.

“Because of PCB contamination in the hybrid bass, it is recommended that people not eat more than two meals per week of hybrid striped bass from Lake Norman,” DHHS said. “The PCB fish contamination does not present a known health risk for persons engaging in recreational activities such as wading, swimming, boating, handling fish or touching the water.”

Photo via Pixabay