title: Risk-benefit of consuming Lake Erie fish.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Consumption of fish is promoted as a healthy way to obtain essential fatty acids (EFA) in the diet, yet the risk of ingesting harmful contaminants remains a concern. A recent study concluded that the risk-benefit of consuming fish from the North American Laurentian Great Lakes, which sustain important commercial and recreational fisheries, is currently unclear. We report the fatty acid (FA) content in skin-off fillets of fifteen fish species from Lake Erie and assess whether recommended dietary requirements for two EFA (EPA and DHA) can be met by safely consuming Lake Erie fishes, as an example of a risk-benefit analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 146 samples were analyzed for FA and contaminant content. A simulated fish consumption advisory (maximum recommended number of meals per month, up to 32) was calculated for each sample, and used to calculate the maximum amount of EPA+DHA that would be consumed if the consumption advisory was followed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All fifteen species had nutritionally desirable PUFA:SAFA (>0.4) and n-3:n-6 (>1). Large, fatty species had the highest EPA+DHA content, but had the most restrictive consumption advisories due to high PCB concentrations. To minimize contaminant exposure while maximizing EPA+DHA intake, consumers should consider small lake whitefish and lake trout, small panfish species, and/or walleye. However, very few species had an EPA+DHA content sufficient to safely meet the highest dietary guidelines while following advisories.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Consumption of certain Lake Erie fish, an important recreational and commercial fishery, within the limits of our simulated fish consumption advisories, can be a good supplemental source of beneficial n-3 long chain PUFA.
authors.affiliation: Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Sport Fish Contaminant Monitoring Program, Environmental Monitoring and Reporting Branch, 125 Resources Road, Toronto, ON, Canada M9P 3V6. Electronic address: margaret.neff@ontario.ca.
authors.forename: Margaret R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Neff
authors.affiliation: Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Sport Fish Contaminant Monitoring Program, Environmental Monitoring and Reporting Branch, 125 Resources Road, Toronto, ON, Canada M9P 3V6; School of the Environment, University of Toronto, 33 Willcocks Street, Suite 1016V, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3E8; Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, ON, Canada, N9B 3P4. Electronic address: satyendra.bhavsar@ontario.ca.
authors.forename: Satyendra P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Bhavsar
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail Road, Toronto, ON, Canada, M1C 1A4. Electronic address: felicity.ni@utoronto.ca.
authors.forename: Felicity J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.affiliation: Institute for Health and the Environment, University at Albany, 5 University Place, Room A217, Rensselaer, NY, 12144, USA. Electronic address: carpent@uamail.albany.edu.
authors.forename: David O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Carpenter
authors.affiliation: Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, ON, Canada, N9B 3P4. Electronic address: kgd@uwindsor.ca.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Drouillard
authors.affiliation: Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, ON, Canada, N9B 3P4. Electronic address: afisk@uwindsor.ca.
authors.forename: Aaron T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Fisk
authors.affiliation: Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, ON, Canada, N9B 3P4; Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, ON, Canada M5B 2K3. Electronic address: michael.arts@ryerson.ca.
authors.forename: Michael T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Arts
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D060106:Lakes; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014873:Water Pollutants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014873:Water Pollutants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid
keywords: EPA and DHA; Essential fatty acids; Freshwater fish consumption; Great Lakes; Risk-benefit; Subsistence and recreational fishery