Why isn’t there just one fish consumption advisory for all of Minnesota?
Certain characteristics of lakes, such as the run-off area, acidity or alklalinity, adjacent wetlands, and biological activity in the lake all affect the level of methylmercury contamination in the lakes’ fish. The Minnesota Department of Health believes that fish consumption guidelines should take into consideration the data available on fish contamination, since the fish from two lakes very near each other may have very different levels of methylmercury contamination. Levels of contaminants, including mercury and other PBTs, in Minnesota fish are measured by the Minnesota’s Fish Contaminant Monitoring Program. In addition, people who eat sport-caught fish only while on vacation or during a particular season don’t need to follow the same consumption guidelines as those who eat such fish frequently all year. And consumption-advisory limits are more restrictive for children and women of child-bearing age.
