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Children's Health and Mercury
"Fish For Your Health" magnets now available! This magnet provides the EPA Fish Advisories website address and a message on the risks and benefits of fish consumption. You can order these complimentary magnets from the National Center for Environmental Publications (ncepimal@one.net) or call (800) 490-9198. Specify document #EPA-823-E-05-003 when ordering.
National Links
- EPA's Mercury Web site
General information about mercury, EPA actions related to mercury, fish advisories, and technical and research documents. - Fish Advisories in your state
Fish Advisory Resources
- Fish Advisories
- What You Need to Know about Mercury in Fish and Shellfish
- Should I Eat the Fish I Catch?
(PDF, 2-page color brochure)
On this page:
- Overview
- Mercury in: Arizona, California, Nevada
- Additional Resources
Overview
Methylmercury, the form of mercury which accumulates in the food chain, is highly toxic. The developing human fetus is acutely sensitive to the effects of mercury, so women of child-bearing age are the population of greatest concern. Children of women exposed to relatively high levels of methylmercury during pregnancy are at greater risk for a variety of developmental and learning disorders. Women can accumulate methylmercury in their blood as a result of eating fish containing high levels of methylmercury.
An important part of reducing methylmercury exposure is keeping the public informed. These pages are intended to provide information about fish advisories within Pacific Southwestern states, general information about reducing exposure to mercury, and highlight some key programs and studies underway in the Pacific Southwest.
Arizona
Arizona
Game and Fish: Public advisories 
Provides fish advisories for Arizona.
California
Mercury in Fish
California’s
Proposition 65
Proposition 65 was enacted as a ballot initiative in November 1986. The Proposition
was intended to protect California citizens and the State's drinking water
sources from chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive
harm, and to inform citizens about exposures to such chemicals. The law prohibits
businesses from discharging such chemicals into sources of drinking water,
and requires that warnings be given to individuals exposed to them. Proposition
65 requires the Governor to publish, at least annually, a list of chemicals
known the state to cancer or reproductive toxicity.
Mercury was added to the Proposition 65 list in 1990 based on its developmental effects. Recently, California’s Attorney General, Bill Lockyer, sued a number of California grocery stores for selling or distributing fresh or frozen swordfish, ahi (yellowfin) tuna, albacore tuna, and shark. These types of fish contain mercury and methylmerucy compounds, which are ingested by persons eating them.
The California Environmental
Health Tracking Program (CEHTP)
CEHTP was created in response to a state legislative mandate, Senate Bill 702.
The focus of this effort is improving collection, integration and analysis
of both environmental hazards and health outcomes in the State of California.
This project is in its earlier stages, but mercury has been identified as one
of many environmental contaminants of interest. More information about this
effort is available at
California
Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA): Mercury
in Fish
EHHA has a number of resources related to mercury in fish.
OEHHA provides specific consumption advice for fish
taken in areas where high levels of chemicals have been found in fish.
However, because contamination levels are unknown for many locations,
OEHHA also provides general advice on how to reduce exposure to chemicals
in noncommercial fish, referred to as sport
fish.
California
Department of Health Services Environmental Health Investigations
Branch (EHIB)
This site contains fact sheets about mercury in fish, a description of the
San Francisco Bay fish consumption study, and local contact information.
Nevada
Nevada
State Health Division: health advisories
General information about mercury in fish and updates of fish advisories in Nevada.
Additional Resources
Fish advisories for mercury for all states in the nation
Mercury
In Schools
A number of mercury resources specific to EPA Region 9. General information,
fish advisories, mercury deposition maps and additional mercury resources are
available.