Appendix F 



Estimation of Fish/Shellfish Consumption 



from a National Database 



The EPA Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) has evaluated com- 

 prehensive data on dietary consumption offish and shellfish within the 

 conterminous United States. Selected consumption rate data for the 

 U.S. population were used to provide an overview of potential ex- 

 posure of humans to toxic chemicals associated with the consumption 

 of contaminated fish and shellfish. Many surveys and reports were 

 examined to determine probable sources for data on patterns of fish 

 and shellfish consumption. Some economic reports are useful only for 

 estimating average fish and seafood consumption. In contrast, polls 

 have the potential to provide estimates of individual consumption 

 trends by consumer, ethnic, or geographical subgroup (Table 1). 



Based on sample size and relevance to recent trends in fish consump- 

 tion, OPP concluded that the most reliable database for average daily 

 consumption of fish and shellfish was the U.S. Department of Agricul- 

 ture (USDA) Nationwide Food Consumption Survey of 1977-1978. In 

 addition to being relatively recent, the USDA survey had a weighted 

 sample size of 36,000 individuals. The consumption values listed in this 

 survey are based on 3 days of individual consumption (from a 1-day 

 recall and a 2-day diary) gathered by interviewers over the course of 1 

 year. Although the USDA 1977-1978 National Food Consumption 

 Survey is an excellent source of fish consumption data, this survey was 

 conducted 9-10 years ago. Fish consumption in the United States has 

 been rising slowly for several years. Based upon the USDA 1977-1978 

 survey and their National Food Consumption Survey CSFII Report No. 

 85-3, the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Services estimated that 



Development of a 

 National Database 



