Women living near coasts have higher mercury levels

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Women living near coasts have higher mercury levels

By t Eilperin

WASHINGTON POST

WASHINGTON - Women in coastal communities have twice as much mercury

in their blood as those living inland, according to an analysis by an

Environmental Protection Agency scientist.

The preliminary findings, based on a survey of 3,600 women conducted

by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 1999 to 2002,

provide fresh evidence of the link between fish consumption and

concentrations of methylmercury, a neurotoxin that causes

developmental problems in young children.

The study focused on the 10 percent of women with the highest mercury

levels, and in that group, it found that inland residents had an

average level of 2.4 parts per billion, compared with 5.9 parts per

billion for coastal residents.

EPA guidelines hold that mercury levels higher than 3.5 parts per

billion pose a possible health threat.

Mercury, spewed into the air in emissions from power plants and other

sources, ends up in water and accumulates in predator fish such as

tuna and swordfish.

In pregnant women with high levels, methylmercury crosses the placenta

and can affect the developing brain of the fetus.

" What's evident in these data is there's a real difference between the

coastal and noncoastal " women, said Mahaffey, who conducted

the analysis as director of the EPA's division of exposure assessment,

coordination and policy.

" The message is people need to eat a variety of foods and, when

choosing fish species, they need to choose more than one type of fish. "

The EPA recommends that women of childbearing age limit their albacore

tuna consumption to six ounces, or an average meal, a week.

The agency suggests that women eat as much as 12 ounces a week of fish

or shellfish that are lower in mercury, such as salmon, shrimp and trout.

Mahaffey said agency scientists did not obtain a detailed diet

breakdown from the women, but they assumed that those living in

coastal areas ate more fish.

A study published this year found that French women living on the

coast consume three times as much fish as those living inland.

American women living on the Atlantic Coast had much higher mercury

levels than those living on the Pacific or Gulf coasts. Atlantic Coast

residents had average levels of 7.7 parts per billion, while women on

the Pacific had levels of 4.7 and women on the Gulf Coast had 3.2

parts per billion.

Mahaffey said she could not account for the discrepancy, adding, " Fish

are just not all the same. "

The study, obtained by the Washington Post from the nonprofit Natural

Resources News Service, also indicated that wealthier women were more

likely than poor women to have elevated mercury levels.

Women earning less than $20,000 annually had an average level of 2.8

parts per billion, while women earning more than $20,000 had 3.9 parts

per billion.

Environmentalists said the survey -- along with another this week in

the journal Environmental Health Perspectives that showed Asian,

Pacific Islander and Native American women have higher mercury levels

than women from other backgrounds -- should remind Americans of the

health dangers contaminated fish can pose.

" It reaffirms there's a strong connection to ocean fish, but that's

not to say noncoastal residents are safe, " said Jackie Savitz, who

directs the seafood contamination campaign at Oceana, an advocacy

group. " Alarms should really be sounded for everyone. "

Oceana has lobbied grocery store chains -- including Safeway, Wal-Mart

and Whole Foods -- to post signs identifying which fish are high in

mercury.