The MPCA’s Environmental Bulletin series is designed to highlight environmental outcomes and results of scientific studies the MPCA and its partners conduct in air, water and waste management. The abstract and a description of the study's methods, results, conclusions and references, are included in each issue of the bulletin.

In this issue, within the context of new Minnesota policies and programs aimed at enhancing protection for infants and children, we examine information on fish consumption patterns for children for use in developing Water Quality Standards (WQSs). Fish consumption is an important beneficial use of Minnesota’s lakes and streams. Currently WQSs are based on an adult recreational fish consumption rate of 30 g/day that for some pollutants, may not be sufficiently protective for children from age one through five. Fish consumption rates, adjusted for body weight, are highest for children in this age range and decline as they grow older. This indicates that WQSs may need to use a higher fish consumption rate to ensure protection to children at the youngest age they begin to eat adult food.

Four fish consumption surveys conducted from 1989-2000 were reviewed and compared to estimate an 80th percentile consumption rate for children ages one through five. Comparing child to adult consumption, adjusted for body weight, indicates that children in this range eat about twice as much fish as adults. Twice the established adult rate of 30 g/day or 0.43 g/kg-day on a per body-weight basis equals a consumption rate of 0.86 g/kg-day, or about 14 g/day (using a mean children’s body weight of 16.2 kg) of fish consumed for children ages one through five. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) will include this rate to set human health-based standards that will enhance protection of the youngest children and children in families that eat fish often.

More Information

For more information or a hard copy of an Environmental Bulletin, contact any of the following MPCA staff of the Environmental and Information Reporting Unit:

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Past issues of Environmental Bulletin are available on the Environmental Bulletin Archives page.