263791 Safe levels of mercury in selected fish from grocery stores in the Inland Empire, California

Monday, October 29, 2012

Anuja Shah, MPH , Department of Environmental Health and Geoinformatic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Public Health, Loma Linda, CA
Padma Tadi Uppala, PhD , Department of Environmental Health and Geoinformatic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Public Health, Loma Linda, CA
Larry Beeson, DrPH , Department of Epidemiology & Stats, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA
Angelique Petrosyan, BS , Environmental Laboratories, ES BABCOCK & Sons, Inc, Riverside, CA
Peter Soliman, BA , Department of Environmental Health and Geoinformatic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Public Health, Loma Linda, CA
Background/problem: Fish is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids that benefit the heart of healthy people and those at high risk of cardiovascular disease. However, most fish are contaminated with methylmercury, the organic form of mercury (Hg) which impairs neurological development in fetuses and exhibits toxic effects in adults, posing a challenge to public health. The purpose of this study was to examine if commercially sold fish in the Inland Empire have safe levels of methylmercury, as deemed by the USEPA. Methods/Design: Twenty-four fish, including two samples of four species were obtained from three grocery stores in the Inland Empire. Species included tilapia, catfish, salmon, mackerel, and swordfish. Samples were tested at the E.S. Babcock & Sons Inc. Environmental Laboratories in Riverside, CA. USEPA Method 7471A Mercury Cold Vapor Technique was used. Homogenous mixture of 0.5 g of fish sample was used for analysis. Data Analysis: Means and associated variance levels of Hg were estimated along with 95% CI and compared to USEPA standard reference doses. Results: Tilapia, catfish and salmon had Hg concentrations lower than the USEPA standards. Mackerel and swordfish had higher concentrations of Hg. The average Hg concentration found in fish samples in ppm was 0.00618, in tilapia; 0.01131 in salmon; 0.00132 in catfish and 0.2868 in swordfish and mackerel. Conclusion/Recommendations: Our pilot data suggests that tilapia, salmon and catfish from grocery stores in the Inland Empire are within the USEPA advisories for mercury levels and safe for consumption.

Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Environmental health sciences
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines

Learning Objectives:
1. Identify fish from the Inland Empire grocery stores that are within the USEPA advisories for mercury levels and safe for consumption.

Keywords: Food Safety, Toxicants

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to be the abstract author on the content because I had proposed and designed the project with the help of my mentor for my culminating activity for my MPH degree and successfully completed the degree
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.