Fish Advisory

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Fish Advisory

• Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish and
  Shellfish

Michael K Murphy, DO, FACOFP Professor of Family
Medicine, PCSOM
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Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish

• Goal
• To advise the healthcare provider with the
  current facts on the benefits and possible
  dangers of fish and shellfish consumption so that
  they may adequately inform and discuss their
  patients of potential health effects.

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Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish

• Objectives
• Understand the benefits of fish and shellfish
  consumption
• To be knowledgeable about who should be concerned
  about Mercury consumption
• Identify the types of fish and shellfish that may
  cause problems
• Provide sources for additional state information
  and advisories

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Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish
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Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish
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Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish

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

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Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish

• Concerns
• 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.
• 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.

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Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish

• Sources of Mercury
• Mercury is a naturally occurring element that is
  present throughout the environment. Human
  activity can release some of that mercury into
  the air, water and soil. In the U.S., coal-fired
  power plants are the biggest source of mercury
  emissions to the air.

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Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish
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Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish

• Exposure to Mercury
• Mercury is a naturally occurring element that is
  present throughout the environment. Human
  activity can release some of that mercury into
  the air, water and soil. In the U.S., coal-fired
  power plants are the biggest source of mercury
  emissions to the air.
• Mercury concentrations in air are usually low and
  of little direct concern. But when mercury enters
  water, biological processes transform it to a
  highly toxic form that builds up in fish and
  animals that eat fish. People are exposed to
  mercury primarily by eating fish.

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Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish

• What the Risk is
• Research shows that most people's fish
  consumption does not cause a health concern.
  However, high levels of mercury in the
  bloodstream of unborn babies and young children
  may harm the developing nervous system. With this
  in mind, FDA and EPA designed an advisory that if
  followed should keep an individual's mercury
  consumption below levels that have been shown to
  cause harm. By following the advisory parents can
  be confident of reducing their unborn or young
  child's exposure to the harmful effects of
  mercury, while at the same time maintaining a
  healthy diet that includes the nutritional
  benefits of fish and shellfish

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Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish
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Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish

• 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.

14
Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish

• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the
  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Recommends 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.
• Do not eat Shark, Swordfish, King Mackerel, or
  Tilefish because they contain high levels of
  mercury.

15
Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish

• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the
  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Recommends 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.
• Eat up to 12 ounces (2 average meals) a week of
  a variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in
  mercury.

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Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish

• Five of the most commonly eaten fish that are
  low in mercury are
• shrimp
• canned light tuna
• salmon
• pollock
• catfish

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Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish

• 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.

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Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish

• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the
  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Recommends 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.
• 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.

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Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish

• Frequently Asked Questions about Mercury in Fish
  and Shellfish
• What is mercury and methylmercury?
• 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.
• The methylmercury described in the advisory is
  not the same type of mercury found in some
  thermometers or in dental amalgam

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Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish

• Frequently Asked Questions about Mercury in Fish
  and Shellfish
• Women who could have children but not pregnant,
  should they be concerned about methylmercury?
• If they regularly eat types of fish that are
  high in methylmercury, it can accumulate in their
  blood stream over time. Methylmercury is removed
  from the body naturally, but it may take over a
  year for the levels to drop significantly. Thus,
  it may be present in a woman even before she
  becomes pregnant. This is the reason why women
  who are trying to become pregnant should also
  avoid eating certain types of fish.

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Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish

• Frequently Asked Questions about Mercury in Fish
  and Shellfish
• What about fish sticks and fast food sandwiches?
• Fish sticks and "fast-food" sandwiches are
  commonly made from fish that are low in mercury.

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Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish

• Frequently Asked Questions about Mercury in Fish
  and Shellfish
• What if I eat more than the recommended amount
  of fish and shellfish in a week?
• One week's consumption of fish does not change
  the level of methylmercury in the body much at
  all. If you eat a lot of fish one week, you can
  cut back for the next week or two. Just make sure
  you average the recommended amount per week.

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Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish

• Fish Consumption Advisories in Kentucky
• Fish consumption advisories remain in effect in
  Kentucky for the Mud River and Town Branch in
  Logan, Butler, and Muhlenberg counties, the West
  Fork of Drakes Creek in Simpson and Warren
  counties, Green River Lake and Little Bayou Creek
  in McCracken County, all locations because of PCB
  contamination.

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Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish

• Fish Consumption Advisories in Kentucky
• Five ponds on the West Kentucky Wildlife
  Management Area (McCracken County) are also under
  a fish consumption advisory because of mercury
  from unknown sources.

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Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish

• Fish Consumption Advisories in Kentucky
• A statewide fish consumption advisory was issued
  on April 11, 2000, because of low levels of
  organic mercury found in samples of fish from
  Kentucky waters

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Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish

• Fish Consumption Advisories in Kentucky
• For More Information Contact
• Maleva Chamberlain
• 14 Reilly Road
• Frankfort, KY 40601
• Phone [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• E-mail maleva.chamberlain_at_ky.gov

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Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish

• Ohio EPA, Division of Surface Water
• 122 South Front Street
• Columbus, OH
• http//web.epa.state.oh.us/dsw/fishadvisory/mercur
  y.html

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Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish

• Virginia Department of Health
• P.O. Box 2448
• 109 Governor Street, 3rd FloorRichmond 23219
• rhoffma_at_vdh.state.vt.us

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Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish

• Tennessee DEC
• Division of Water Pollution Control
• 7th Floor LC Annex
• 401 Church StreetNashville 37243-1534
• gregory.denton_at_state.tn.us

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Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish

• West Virginia Bureau for Public Health,
  Environmental Engineering Division
• 815 Quarrier Street
• Suite 418Charleston 25301
• wtoomey_at_wvdhhr.org

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Joint Federal Advisory for Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish

• 2004 EPA and FDA Advice forWomen Who Might
  Become PregnantWomen Who are PregnantNursing
  MothersYoung Children
• http//www.epa.gov/waterscience/fishadvice/advice.
  html