Fish from Missouri's lead belt: To eat or not to eat

Data collected over the past four years indicate that filets of suckers and some species of sunfish taken from certain sites in Missouri's Old Lead Belt consistently contain elevated lead concentrations which exceed the limit of 0.3 μg/g suggested by the World Health Organization. The problem exists in bottom-feeding species taken from some sites along the Big River affected by erosion from abandoned lead tailings piles. Fish from many other sites within the Old Lead Belt and the New Lead Belt, including current wastewater treatment systems, are within the acceptable limits for lead in food. Public health implications are discussed relative to observed lead concentrations and available data regarding lead toxicity to humans.