Fish and mercury

If you catch fish from the wild, chances are good that they have mercury in their systems.

Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey sampled 291 streams across the country. Every fish sampled in every stream was contaminated with mercury. About one quarter of them contained the metal at levels exceeding health standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Mercury, a neurotoxin, is "one of the most serious contaminants threatening our nation's waters," the USGS said.

Some of the highest levels of mercury in fish were found in the tea-colored or "blackwater" streams in North and South Carolina,Georgia, Florida and Louisiana. High levels of mercury were also found in fish in relatively undeveloped watersheds in the Northeast and the Upper Midwest.

Scientists stopped short of saying that all waters are contaminated with mercury. But they pointed out that all 50 states have mercury monitoring programs, and 48 states issued fish-consumption advisories for mercury in 2006, the most recent year of national-scale reportingto the EPA.

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Fish and shellfish are an important part of a healthy diet. Fish and shellfish contain high-quality protein and other essential nutrients, are low in saturated fat, and contain omega-3 fatty acids. A well-balanced diet that includes a variety of fish and shellfish can contribute to heart health and children's proper growth and development. So, women and young children in particular should include fish or shellfish in their diets due to the many nutritional benefits.

However, nearly all fish and shellfish contain traces of mercury. For most people, the risk from mercury by eating fish and shellfish is not a health concern. Yet, some fish and shellfish contain higher levels of mercury that may harm an unborn baby or young child's developing nervous system. The risks from mercury in fish and shellfish depend on the amount of fish and shellfish eaten and the levels of mercury in the fish and shellfish. Therefore, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are advising women who may become pregnant, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young children to avoid some types of fish and eat fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury.

By following these three recommendations for selecting and eating fish or shellfish, women and young children will receive the benefits of eating fish and shellfish and be confident that they have reduced their exposure to the harmful effects of mercury.

   1. Do not eat Shark, Swordfish, King Mackerel, or Tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury.
   2. Eat up to 12 ounces (2 average meals) a week of a variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury.
          * Five of the most commonly eaten fish that are low in mercury are shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish.
          * Another commonly eaten fish, albacore ("white") tuna has more mercury than canned light tuna. So, when choosing your two meals of fish and shellfish, you may eat up to 6 ounces (one average meal) of albacore tuna per week.
   3. Check local advisories about the safety of fish caught by family and friends in your local lakes, rivers, and coastal areas. If no advice is available, eat up to 6 ounces (one average meal) per week of fish you catch from local waters, but don't consume any other fish during that week.

Mercury occurs naturally in the environment and can also be released into the air through industrial pollution. Mercury falls from the air and can accumulate in streams and oceans and is turned into methylmercury in the water. It is this type of mercury that can be harmful to your unborn baby and young child. Fish absorb the methylmercury as they feed in these waters and so it builds up in them. It builds up more in some types of fish and shellfish than others, depending on what the fish eat, which is why the levels vary.
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