Fish consumption still safe despite initial fears over mercury levels

Mercury exposure in people may be low even when it is sometimes present in elevated levels in traditional foods. The benefits of consuming traditional foods tend to outweigh the risks of possible mercury contamination, according to a recent study. The research, which was part of a larger biomonitoring project to address community concerns about environmental contaminants in traditional foods, such as fish, also found that mercury exposure in people may be low even when it is sometimes present in elevated levels. Additionally, the researchers discovered that mercury levels in people in northern regions vary by season and region. "Previously, elevated levels of mercury were found in some fish species in some lakes and therefore, communities wanted to know if these sometimes-elevated levels in fish also meant they were elevated in people," said Sara Packull-McCormick, a PhD candidate at the University of Waterloo's School of Public Health Sciences. "The good news is that generally, the exposure in communities we studied was low. It means the benefits of consuming these foods tend to outweigh the risks, which is important for these communities since fish consumption has nutritional, cultural and economic benefits." In conducting the study, the researchers obtained 443 blood samples and 276 hair samples to determine mercury levels present in the body.