![]() Elemental Mercury ExposureĪlthough regulations have tightened, elemental mercury can still be found in older types of batteries, electronic devices, light switches, thermostats, and washing machines. Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch is a terrific resource for checking which fish from which waters are the safest to eat. The route of exposure is through the umbilical cord, and also through breast milk. Even with no symptoms as a warning, mothers exposed to high levels of mercury have given birth to infants with debilitating health conditions. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, it is especially important to avoid eating fish high in mercury. The large predatory fish typically house the highest concentrations of methylmercury.Įxperts recommend that you eat fish with low levels of mercury, such as: Anchovies Levels of methylmercury in seafood depend on what the fish eat, as well as where they fall in the food chain. Mercury vapor infiltrates the air, and when it moves into the water, microorganisms transform it into methylmercury-in this way, it enters fish and shellfish. But how does methylmercury get into the fish and shellfish? The mercury in fish can indeed have effects on our bodies. The danger lies in eating fish and shellfish that are high in methylmercury. Our bodies might carry traces of methylmercury, but this trace amount does not affect our health. Methylmercury is a toxic organic compound, and it is the most common form of mercury exposure. People can get exposed to three forms of mercury: If you think you have mercury exposure, we recommend that you contact your doctor, who will investigate further to understand the degree of exposure and how to handle the situation. And coal-burning power plants release the highest amount of mercury into the air. ![]() ![]() ![]() Eating fish that contains methylmercury is the most common culprit of mercury poisoning in America, but there are also other carriers of mercury, such as a mercury thermometer that, when broken, emits elemental mercury into the air. Mercury has different forms, and people get exposed to it in a variety of ways. ![]()
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