Louisiana Sheephead
For
more information
about mercury,
visit the below Web sites:
www.cfsan.fda.gov
www.nfi.org
For
your state advisory, go to: www.epa.gov/ost/fish
More
Health Stories:
"The
Head Bones Connected to the Fish Bone"
"Belly
Up to the Raw Bar"
"Simply,
the Perfect Food"
"Gulf
Oyster Project Update"
"What do Oyster Eaters Know about Vibrio?"
"New Advisory on Mercury and Fish"
"Pressurized Oysters May Boost Industry"
"Taste
& Consumer Acceptance of Post Harvest Processed Gulf Oysters"
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FOCUS
ON FISH
& MERCURY
By
Sara Ann Harris, Louisiana Seafood Board
Health experts highly
recommend eating fish and seafood: sources of lean, nutritious, quality
protein. When it comes to mercury levels, the FDA reports that in
America's favorite seafoods (which makes up 80% of our seafood intake)
there is no health risk. A quick Q&A.
Is there a health risk to the general public linked to eating fish?
According to the FDA, no.
Is there an at-risk group? Yes. Unborn babies and children
under seven.
Are pregnant women, mothers of young children, and women who
plan to have children advised to stop eating/serving all fish to protect
their babies? No. However the
FDA advises them to avoid shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tile
fish. These long-lived fish are most likely to have higher levels
of mercury.
The FDA also encourages these women to limit other fish to two meals
weekly, or two six-ounce servings.
Are there mercury hot spots that may effect other fish?
Yes. State agencies post advisories on local waterbodies. Sports
fishermen are advised to check these.
What is the risk? Babies may suffer neurological
damage: birth defects, difficulties learning.
Also, if individuals eat particularly large quantities of overexposed
fish over a long period, they may experience tingling in extremities
and problems with vision and hearing. Studies show fish-lovers recover
from these symptoms in six months when they stop eating overexposed
fish.
What is large quantities? On average, Americans eat
one serving (six ounces) of fish and seafood weekly. Could a daily
serving of fish be considered a large quantity? Perhaps.
What is a long time? 3 years? 10 years? Investigators
continue to probe for these and other answers.
What is overexposed fish? Mercury levels are measured
in parts per million, ppm. The tolerable level is under debate by
federal agencies, hence the conflicting advice in the press. FDA scientists
set it at 1.0 ppm -- ten times lower than the lowest level ever found
to effect humans.
Since 1994, overexposed fish have been outlawed in interstate commerce.
What is mercury? Mercury is a heavy metal expelled
from soil and rock. Coal-fired power plants have significantly increased
the release of mercury into the atmosphere. These emissions drop back
to lakes and rivers in rain. There, bacteria can transform mercury
into methylmercury, a form potentially toxic to humans. Methylmercury
is ingested by fish up the food chain where the oldest fish store
the highest concentrations. |
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