Concern about protecting the public from possible health exposure to mercury from eating

fish led to the issuance of several new fish consumption advisories for bodies of water in

Alabama. The quality of water, based upon the levels of contaminants in fish from the

waters in Alabama, generally continues improvements made in recent years.

 

The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) annually updates fish consumption

advisories based on data collected the preceding fall by the Alabama Department of

Environmental Management (ADEM).

 

ADEM collected samples of specific fish species for analysis from various waterbodies

throughout the state during the fall of 2009. ADPH assessed the analytical results to

determine whether any of the tested contaminants in the fish may give rise to potential

human health effects.

 

Fish consumption advisories are issued for specific waterbodies and specific species taken from those areas. In reservoirs, advisories apply to waters as far as a boat can be taken upstream in a tributary, that is, to full pool elevations.

 

Beginning with the 2007 advisories, ADPH adopted a contaminant level for mercury in fish

that would protect those who might consider eating more than one fish meal per week. The

new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards are four times more protective than Food and Drug Administration (FDA) levels previously used. After the lower, more protective limit was adopted in 2007, an increasing number of waterbodies around the state received advisories for mercury in fish as they were tested. Newly issued advisories will be represented as the safe number of meals of that species of fish that can be eaten in a given period of time, such as meals per week, meals per month or no consumption. A meal portion consists of 6 ounces of cooked fish or 8 ounces of raw fish.

 

All advisories previously issued using FDA guidelines remain in effect for this year (2010)

and other advisories have been updated to reflect the EPA consumption levels for mercury contaminated fish.