Interviews were scheduled so as to provide coverage of different seasons, 
days of the week, and times of day. A form describing weather and tidal 
conditions, number of anglers present, type of fishing activity, etc., was 
completed at the beginning of each survey period. 
All interviews were conducted anonymously, that is, names and addresses of 
anglers were not recorded. Demographic characteristics such as age, sex, 
race, ethnicity, occupation, and educational background were noted. To 
estimate fishing frequency, anglers were asked how often they fished in 
a given area and what type of fish they caught. To estimate consumption, 
each angler's catch was enumerated, the organisms were taxonomically 
identified (to species), and their length was measured. The anglers were 
asked whether they planned to consume their catch. If the answer was 
positive, they were asked which portions of the body would be eaten, how 
the tissue would be prepared, and whether other people would partake of it. 
Interview data were entered into and analyzed on the PRIME computer of 
the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services epidemiology 
laboratories, using SPSS Version 7.3 (Nie et al., 1975). Statistical tests 
used a two-tailed significance level of 0.05. 
Sample collection for chemical analysis . Based on interview data, several 
marine species commonly caught by urban anglers were selected for chemical 
analysis. The organisms were sampled off the piers and at other locations 
where interviews were conducted. The specimens were either caught with 
hook and line by the interviewers, were obtained from anglers, or were 
collected by trawling and beach seining. To prevent contamination of the 
samples, collectors avoided excess handling and unnecessary contact of the 
specimens with plastic bags, buckets, rags, docks, fishing piers, etc. 
The organisms were placed into glass jars which had been precleaned with 
detergent, acid rinsed, rinsed with dichloromethane and dried at 200 C. 
The lids were sealed with a Teflon lining. The specimens were kept cool 
on ice and transported to the University of Washington. Upon arrival in 
the laboratory, the jars were drained of excess water and placed in a 
freezer until dissection and analysis. 
Sample preparation for chemical analysis . At the time of analysis, the 
samples were thawed in their original glass jars and then transferred to 
solvent-rinsed aluminum foil. After species confirmation, the weight in 
grams and total length in centimeters were recorded along with any other 
pertinent information. 
The fish skin was cut with a solvent-rinsed scalpel blade and pulled back 
with forceps to expose the muscle tissue. To avoid contamination, a new 
scalpel blade and forceps were used to remove approximately 30 g of tissue. 
Since the specimens varied greatly in size and conformation, specific body 
sites were chosen to be dissected for each species. Approximately 10-30 g 
of muscle tissue were used for trace organic analysis, while two subsamples 
(7 g) were obtained for trace metal analysis and for calculating the 
wet/dry ratio. All samples and subsamples were stored frozen in solvent- 
113 
