For Minnesotans who like to eat the fish they catch from the state’s lakes and rivers, mercury remains the contaminant that poses the greatest health risk, according to the Minnesota Department of Health’s annual fish consumption advisory and two new national studies. Released each spring, the advisory provides guidelines on how much fish people can safely consume while minimizing their risks from contaminant’s like mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). “Fish can be an important part of a healthy diet. By taking a few simple precautions and placing a few limits on your fish consumption, you can still go fishing and safely consume your catch,” said Minnesota Com-missioner of Health Dianne Mandernach. In Minnesota, more than 90 percent of the advisories to limit consumption are based on levels of mercury, according to MDH Environmental Scientist Patricia McCann. “All fish tested in Minnesota have mercury,” McCann said. “In fact, all fish, whether store bought or sport caught, have some mercury. The amount depends on what the fish feed on, how old the fish are and to some degree the water they live in.” According to results from an ongoing study by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, Minnesota fish are low in most contaminant’s tested, except for mercury. The EPA’s four-year National Fish Tissue Study measures contaminant’s in fish from lakes across the U. S. Results from the first two years of the study were recently released to participating state and tribal agencies. More on the EPA study can be found at www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish study . The chief concern with mercury in fish is its potential ability to adversely affect the central nervous system, particularly in developing fetuses and children under age 15. Methylmercury is the form of mercury in fish. A developing nervous system is more sensitive to the effects from exposure to methylmercury. People are exposed to methylmercury mainly through eating fish. The MDH fish consumption advisory provides special precautions for women of child bearing age who are pregnant or are planning to be pregnant, and for children under age 15. “While most mercury exposure is below a level of concern, some groups of people may be exposed to more mercury than is considered safe,” McCann said. Recently published results from the Centers for Disease Control National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey included measurements of mercury levels in the U.S. population. Approximately eight percent of women age 16 to 49 had mercury levels higher than recommended as safe by the EPA. “This estimate is based on sampling the general population and does not characterize subgroups of people who may eat a lot of fish – so there may be people in Minnesota who are eating more fish than the people in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey sample,” McCann said. Despite concerns over mercury and other contaminant’s, people should not be discouraged from going fishing or eating their catch, health officials say. Fish is a low-fat, high-quality protein food source and may reduce risk of some chronic illnesses. For most people, one to two meals of fish per week are generally considered optimal for balancing the health benefits and the health risk from contaminant’s in fish. “Choosing which fish to eat for those meals is important to minimize exposure to mercury and other chemicals in fish. Following the guidelines in the MDH fish advisory can keep your exposure to a safe level,” McCann said. The fish advisory is now available in an eight-page brochure, “Eat Fish Often?” That brochure is available by calling MDH toll free at (800) 657-3908. MDH also has a separate publication that provides additional information for pregnant women. “An Expectant Mother’s Guide to Eating Minnesota Fish.” Both “Eat Fish Often?” and the “Expectant Mother’s Guide” are also available online at www.health.state.mn.us/ divs/eh/fish/orders/materials. More detailed, site-specific recommendations are available online at www.health.state. mn.us/divs/eh/fish/index . Detailed recommendations are also available in the Lake Survey Reports produced by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The Lake Survey Reports are also available online at www.dnr.state.mn.us/lakefind/ index .
