National Mercury Concentrations in Fish Tissue Survey 1990-1995

EPA's first nationwide compilation of mercury concentrations in fish tissue aggregated state monitoring data from 1990 to 1995. The Environmental Protection Agency organized this database to support future analysis of contamination levels and sampling frequency across the United States. This foundational dataset was compiled in 1995 from state and federal agency sources.

Use Cases

• Calculate descriptive statistics on mercury concentrations in fish tissue using the compiled concentration measurements.
• Determine the number and frequency of fish tissue samples analyzed by state using the monitoring records.
• Derive estimates of average tissue concentrations for specific fish species or water bodies.
• Identify geographic patterns in mercury contamination by analyzing data aggregated from state monitoring efforts.

Strengths

• Nationwide coverage aggregating data from multiple state and federal agencies.
• Five-year temporal coverage from 1990 to 1995 providing a historical snapshot.

Limitations

• Data is over 25 years old, limiting relevance to current environmental conditions.
• Specific sample size, row count, and column details are unknown.
• Potential for inconsistent measurement methods across different state monitoring programs.

Provenance

Source

United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Collection Method

Compilation of state monitoring data and results from relevant agencies.

Time Range

1990-1995

Freshness

Static dataset last updated in 1995.

Geography

United States (nationwide).