One fish, two fish. Red fish, polluted fish.

The EPA recently announced one in three lakes and 25 percent of rivers are polluted by mercury and other harmful substances. So much so that the government issued a warning to children and pregnant women that serious health problems can come from eating too much fish.

The warning level is the highest ever reported by the EPA, partly as a result of more measures taken to monitor for mercury. A 2003 survey found contamination evident in 14 million acres of lakes and 850,000 miles of rivers, the latter being up by 65 percent since 2002.

The EPA said the warning does not apply to grocery stores and restaurant fish because such a small percentage of it is caught from inland bodies of water. The problem also is not associated with deep-sea fish.

In other words, an official said trout is more likely to be a problem than tuna.

The alert is aimed at expectant mothers and small children. Normal adults rarely develop health issues from eating mercury-laden fish, but high amounts of mercury can cause serious damage to young nervous systems, especially those of children and fetuses.

Nearly 20 states have issued fish warnings to children and women of childbearing age. Many states advise that both groups should avoid fish from heavily contaminated lakes and rivers, which are listed on state Web sites. In Minnesota and Michigan the warnings apply only to lakes and in Indiana only to rivers. Another 23 states advise that fish caught in some fresh water areas could be contaminated.

Depending on the state and level of contamination, recommended consumption could range from once a week to once every two months. Utah, Wyoming, Iowa, Oklahoma, Hawaii and Alaska have issued no mercury warnings.

Well-known bodies of water have been listed as contaminated, including:

• Lake Champlain
• Lake Michigan
• San Francisco Bay
• Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest

Incinerators and power plants that burn coal cause mercury to pollute the air and water.

The EPA said it plans to publish rules restricting mercury from power plants by mid-2005. Some environmentalists say the preliminary draft of those rules does not go far enough.

The statistics are based on EPA data collected for 2003. Individual states are responsible for issuing warnings about local fish.

USA Today August 25, 2004

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Fifty years ago, fish was probably the healthiest meat you could eat. Unfortunately, burning coal for electricity over the past five decades released hundreds of millions of tons of mercury into the nation's water bodies, thus casting a dark cloud over the nutritional value of fish. Those toxins have become a part of our fish supply and have been a contributor to severe health issues, including: Autism Nervous System problems Alzheimer's Disease Autoimmunity Kidney dysfunction Infertility Neurotransmitter imbalances Multiple sclerosis Thyroid problems Omega-3, which is found in fish, is essential for human health. However, the typical American doesn't consume nearly enough Omega-3s in his diet to reap the benefits of it. So, here is my recommendation: Avoid eating fish unless you know it has been laboratory-tested and proven to be free from mercury and other toxins. Almost all fish has some level of mercury that will absolutely compromise your health. The apparent exceptions are very small fish like sardines or anchovies that haven't been in the ocean long enough to accumulate much mercury, and toxin-free Vital Choice Salmon. Most fish oil supplements, like the Carlson brand of fish oil/cod liver oil which I highly recommend and offer on this site, go through a molecular distillation process to clean out the mercury. The Carlson brand also is routinely tested using standard international protocols in an independent, FDA registered laboratory; this testing not only ensures freedom from detectable levels of mercury, but also cadmium, lead, PCBs and 28 other contaminants. If you are using a brand besides Carlson, you should definitely contact the manufacturer to confirm they go through this process and testing. Another reason I specifically recommend Carlson fish oil/cod liver oil is that I have seen clear and often substantial improvements in my patients who use it. For instance, the Carlson brand has helped them get high cholesterol back to appropriate levels, and it has also shown particularly positive benefits in those with rheumatoid arthritis, Raynaud's and Scleroderma. You can find the Carlson fish oil/cod liver oil in my "Recommended Products" section; your local health food store may also carry Carlson. Related Articles: Mercury Detoxification Protocol Mercury Toxicity and Systemic Elimination Agents High Levels of Toxic Mercury Found in Fish-Eaters Update on Mercury Poisoning from Vaccine