Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

    • Environmental Topics
    • Air
    • Bed Bugs
    • Cancer
    • Chemicals, Toxics, and Pesticide
    • Emergency Response
    • Environmental Information by Location
    • Health
    • Land, Waste, and Cleanup
    • Lead
    • Mold
    • Radon
    • Research
    • Science Topics
    • Water Topics
    • A-Z Topic Index
    • Laws & Regulations
    • By Business Sector
    • By Topic
    • Compliance
    • Enforcement
    • Laws and Executive Orders
    • Regulations
    • Report a Violation
    • Environmental Violations
    • Fraud, Waste or Abuse
    • About EPA
    • Our Mission and What We Do
    • Headquarters Offices
    • Regional Offices
    • Labs and Research Centers
    • Planning, Budget, and Results
    • Organization Chart
    • EPA History

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Choose Fish and Shellfish Wisely

Studies of Fish Tissue Contamination

Environmental monitoring provides crucial data for describing the condition of the environment and for assessing the effectiveness of pollution control activities. The EPA has been collecting and analyzing fish tissue for contaminants since the 1990s. The EPA collaborates with federal agencies, states, Tribes, and other partners to conduct freshwater fish contamination studies. Several of the studies are part of a series of statistically based surveys to produce information on the condition of lakes, streams, rivers, and coastal waters in the United States. These studies provide data on the concentrations and frequency of occurrence of a variety of chemicals that are found in fish tissue.

  • National Rivers and Streams Assessment (NRSA) - Fish Tissue Studies
  • National Coastal Condition Assessment (NCCA) - Great Lakes Human Health Fish Tissue Studies
  • National Lakes Assessment (NLA) - Fish Tissue Study
  • National Study of Chemical Residues in Lake Fish Tissue (National Lake Fish Tissue Study)
  • Targeted EPA Fish Tissue Contamination Studies

Choose Fish and Shellfish Wisely

  • Should I Be Concerned about Eating Fish and Shellfish?
  • EPA-FDA Advice about Eating Fish and Shellfish
  • Eat Fish and Shellfish in a Healthy Way
  • How Do I Know if a Fish I Caught is Contaminated?
  • What the EPA Does to Protect You From Contaminated Fish and Shellfish
  • Technical Resources and Studies
  • Building Fish and Shellfish Advisory Programs
    • Designing a Fish and Shellfish Contaminant Monitoring Program
      • Integrated Approach Monitoring Strategy
      • Multi-phase Approach Monitoring Strategy
      • Sampling Sites
      • Target Species and Size Classes
      • Target Contaminants
      • Sampling Times and Frequency
      • Fish Sample Types
      • Shellfish Sample Types
      • Quality Assurance and Quality Control
      • Sample Analysis
    • In the Field - Collecting and Handling Samples
      • Sample Collection
      • Sample Handling
    • In the Lab - Processing and Analyzing Samples
      • Receiving Samples
      • Processing Samples
      • Analytical Methods
      • Quality Assurance and Quality Control
      • Data Verification, Reporting and Validation
    • Analyzing Data and Calculating the Consumption Limits
    • Developing a Fish and/or Shellfish Advisory
Contact Us about Fish and Shellfish Consumption
Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on August 29, 2024
  • Assistance
  • Spanish
  • Arabic
  • Chinese (simplified)
  • Chinese (traditional)
  • French
  • Haitian Creole
  • Korean
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Tagalog
  • Vietnamese
United States Environmental Protection Agency

Discover.

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Budget & Performance
  • Contracting
  • EPA www Web Snapshot
  • Grants
  • No FEAR Act Data
  • Plain Writing
  • Privacy
  • Privacy and Security Notice

Connect.

  • Data
  • Inspector General
  • Jobs
  • Newsroom
  • Regulations.gov
  • Subscribe
  • USA.gov
  • White House

Ask.

  • Contact EPA
  • EPA Disclaimers
  • Hotlines
  • FOIA Requests
  • Frequent Questions
  • Site Feedback

Follow.