Does mercury matter? Experts debate the big fish question: What to eat?
– A recent article in the New York Times discussed the benefits and risks of eating fish. While experts agree that fish is good for you, many studies- though not all- have concluded that low levels of mercury found in fish can have subtle negative effects if certain fish are a major part of the diet. The article mentions that both the FDA and EPA have advised that the most sensitive populations (women of childbearing age and young children) restrict their consumption of certain fish. The FDA oversees fish sold in supermarkets, fish markets, and restaurants, and advises that 12 ounces a week of various kinds of fish is safe for women and children. The EPA, which is concerned with freshwater fish that anglers catch and eat, advises this same group to eat no more than six ounces week for adults, or two ounces a week for children. According to the article, the FDA has come under criticism from activist groups like the Mercury Policy Project for using a reference dose of 0.4 micrograms per
