Oct. 24--Fish is good for you, except when it's loaded with neurotoxic mercury.
That's the message that the state Department of Public Health and the Connecticut Food Association want consumers to understand.
So shoppers will soon see red, yellow and green advisory placards at fish counters, along with take-home mercury guides.
"We didn't want to scare people away from eating fish. It took us 12 months to design the signs. It's a very complicated message," said Brian Toal, epidemiologist with the state Health Department.
"As public health practitioners, we encourage people to eat more fish for the heart-healthy benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, but we also urge people to limit eating some specific fish species because of the risk of toxins, such as mercury," said state Deputy Public Health Commissioner Norma D. Gayle.
Women of child-bearing age, pregnant women, and children should be particularly careful about types and amount of fish they consume, according to state guidelines.
This is because methyl mercury attacks the central nervous system, interfering with brain development, lowering IQ and causing behavior and learning problems, Toal said.
There is no way to cook or cut mercury out of fish.
The toxic metal is likely to remain at worrisome levels in certain fish because it is emitted from coal-burning, and some oilfired, power plants.
The metallic mercury drifts down into water and then sinks to the bottom, where bacteria convert it into organic methyl mercury.
Methyl mercury then travels up the food chain, becoming concentrated in larger fish. Smaller fish are eaten by bigger fish, until they are consumed by swordfish, sharks, striped bass, king mackerel, tilefish, and other species at the apex of the food chain.
Consequently, smaller fish and farm-raised fish tend to have lower levels of mercury.
The same mechanism gathers small amounts of polychlorinated biphenyls and deposits them in larger fish.
PCBs, which were once widely used in paints, hydraulic fluid and electrical transformers, are fat soluble, meaning people can reduce their consumption by trimming away skin and fat from fish, Toal said.
PCBs interfere with fetal brain development. PCBs also usually contain small amounts of highly toxic dioxins.
Stan Sorkin, executive director of the Connecticut Food Association, said posting the signs is voluntary.
According to the new signs, wild salmon, sole, cod, haddock, perch, flounder and several other species can be safely eaten twice a week. The same applies to oysters, shrimp, clams, scallops and lobster. If tuna steak, halibut, red snapper or catfish are eaten, it should only be done once a week.
The fish to avoid are swordfish, sharks, striped bass, tilefish and king mackerel.
Toal said mercury in fish is a worldwide problem, and that fish from all over the world can land in local stores.
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