Question for California Doctor

[Chuck7]

Doc,

I have a question for you. In the last 10 years there have been warnings about consuming fish from certain lakes where high levels of mercury has been detected. I release all the bass I catch but would it be safe to eat a few chain pickeral out of them about once a month?
Thanks, Chuck

[Californiadoctor]

Chuck, like bass, pickeral are high on the food-chain predators and would probably have the same concentration of mercury in their flesh as the bass in that location. Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that accumulates over time in body tissues and that is why a warning is issued whenever fish with high mercury levels are detected. An adult such as yourself who has a mature nervous system could probably safely eat one or two fish a month but children and pregnant woman should abstain completely from eating fish where there is any possibility of mercury contamination. Hope this helps

Caldoc

[Chuck7]

You were very helpful. I believe I will throw them all back. It's mostly a trophy bass lake anyway. I will just sick with the bluegills in some of my local lakes where no mercury has been detected. Thanks for the reply.
Chuck

[Chuck7]

Doc,
Here is something interesting about the mercury.

Key findings include the following:

"¢ All of the fish samples EPA tested in Florida, and nationwide, were contaminated with mercury.

"¢ In Florida, 63% of the fish samples contained mercury levels that exceed EPA"™s "œsafe"� limit for women of average weight who eat fish twice per week.

"¢ The average mercury concentration of the composite samples from Florida lakes was 0.26 ppm, or twice the level that EPA considers safe (The EPA "œsafe"� limit for women of average weight who eat fish twice per week is 0.13 ppm).

"¢ 92% of largemouth bass tested in Florida had mercury levels that exceed that EPA"™s "œsafe"� limit.

"¢ Nationwide, 55 % of the fish samples exceeded the safe mercury limit for women and 76 % exceeded the safe limit for children of average weight under age three who eat fish twice a week.

"The "œReel Danger"� report clearly shows why, according to a recent poll of Florida anglers, 85 percent support implementing the strongest possible controls for mercury from smokestacks. The Bush administration's weak mercury rule would sentence another generation of Florida anglers to fishing under the cloud of mercury consumption advisories," said Jerry Karnas, Florida organizer with National Wildlife Action.


"œRather than take action to solve this serious public health problem, the Bush administration is putting off for at least 10 years what they should do today,"� stated Binns.


Mercury is toxic to the developing brain, and exposure in the womb can cause learning disabilities, developmental delays, and other serious health problems in children. EPA estimates that one in six women of childbearing age has enough mercury in her blood to put her child at risk. Eating contaminated fish is the primary way people are exposed to mercury.