Association of fish consumption and mercury exposure during pregnancy with metabolic health and inflammatory biomarkers in children.Disclaimer: Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links we will earn a commision, at no additional cost to you, if you make a purchase through one of our links.

State, territory and tribe fish advisory contacts.Impact of dietary mercury intake during pregnancy on the health of neonates and children: a systematic review. Questions & answers from the FDA/EPA advice on what pregnant women and parents should know about eating fish.Mercury poisoning linked to skin products.Health effects of exposures to mercury.Human health risk assessment of exposure to indoor mercury vapour in a Ghanaian artisanal small-scale gold mining community. Fish and shellfish advisories and safe eating guidelines.You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. If toxicity is linked to your environment or workplace, you might need to take steps to remove yourself from the area to prevent further effects of poisoning. If you eat a lot of mercury-containing seafood, a doctor may caution you to stop immediately. The best way to treat mercury poisoning is to limit your exposure to the metal. Long term, you may need continuing treatment to manage the effects of mercury poisoning, such as neurological effects. Other attempts to reduce the amount of mercury in your body and gastrointestinal (GI) tract may be performed. Chelating agents are drugs that remove the metal from your organs and help your body dispose of them. If your mercury levels reach a certain point, a healthcare professional may have you do chelation therapy. You may be placed on an IV or given oxygen. It’s best to be aware of these advisories before consuming fish caught by yourself, your family, or your friends.ĭepending on the level of mercury poisoning, treatment may involve decontamination. These serving sizes include:Ĭertain states, territories, and tribes in the US may also have specific advisories about water sources where fish are caught that may be contaminated with mercury. The FDA also recommends that children ages 11 and under eat 2 servings or less per week of fish or seafood with the lowest mercury levels. However, participants who ate fish two or more times a week had dangerously high levels of fetal mercury exposure. Though these options contain less mercury, you’ll want to take care in how much you eat.Īccording to the FDA, if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, you should restrict your consumption to 2 to 3 servings of 4 ounces of fish and seafood with the lowest mercury levels per week, or one 4-ounce serving of fish and seafood with moderate mercury levels per week.Ī 2020 study found that, for study participants, eating fish less than one time a week had little effect. The FDA states that in small amounts, certain types of fish with lower mercury levels may be okay for adults to eat once or twice per week.įish and seafood with the lowest mercury levels can include: It’s also possible to develop mercury poisoning from eating too much seafood, even if the varieties have lower levels of mercury. The concentration of mercury concentrations in fish and seafood may be 1 to 10 million times that of the concentration in the surrounding water.įish with the highest levels of mercury can include: Larger types of fish can have higher amounts of mercury because they prey on other fish that contain mercury too. All types of fish contain some amount of mercury. eating certain types of mercury-containing fishįish get mercury from the water they live in.Methylmercury (organic mercury) poisoning is largely linked to eating seafood, mainly fish. Causes of mercury poisoning Mercury poisoning from fish and seafood

List of symptoms of mercury poisoning