News Coverage
In the fish we eat, mercury rising
Published February 13, 2004
Children whose mothers eat fish high in mercury while pregnant can suffer irreparable brain damage, according to a new study.
Some estimate that one in 6 babies are born with - potentially - unsafe levels of mercury in their blood -- double the number previously thought at risk.
There are conflicting studies over just how much damage mercury in the blood of a fetus or a young child can do. But some studies show it can lead to learning disabilities, lower intelligence and overall sluggishness. And that has pregnant women swearing off fish.
Along with the growing excitement of motherhood, Michelle Dean is finding a growing number of things not to do as a pregnant woman -- like limiting the fish she eats.
"We're big anglers, it's a hobby of ours," she says. "It was a shock to have to consciously limit my fish intake."
Jeffrey Lane, an obstetrician from East Lyme, says preganant women should be concerned about mercury.
"We have evidence that mercury exposure in utero and in young children can cause brain and neurologic damage," Lane says. "So we have to worry about women who are pregnant and getting pregnant.
Another 'at risk' group is children under the age of six.
The FDA says they should never eat swordfish, shark, king mackerel and tilefish, since larger fish build up higher levels of mercury.
The mercury in fish comes from the mercury levels in the water of rivers, lakes and oceans. Pollution, mostly from power plants that burn coal are the cause of mercury in the water.
But how much is in the fish you buy?
We bought fresh tuna in East Hartford, shark in Wallingford, Swordfish in West Hartford, and, since kids eat a lot of them, fish sticks in Bristol.
We took the fish from those grocery stores to Northeast Laboratories in Kensington to test the levels of mercury.
"Certainly taking in any heavy metal for a child or pregnant woman is not a good thing," said Dr. William Ullman of Northeast Laboratories;"
The government considers 1 part per million too high for 'at risk' groups.
The fish sticks we bought were lowest with .42 parts per million. Our tuna steak measured .58.
But our other two samples exceeded the limit. The swordfish had 1.16 parts per million of mercury and the shark was at an eye-popping 3.8.
Not sure which fish are safe, Michelle stopped eating it altogether, which isn't necessary. Her obstetrician advises moderation for now.
There are fish that have no detectable levels of mercury and we have those on our website WFSB.com. We'll also link you to advisories on Connecticut's fresh water fish and to a group that thinks more fish should be avoided.