Mercury and fish consumption

For most people, the main source of mercury exposure is fish consumption. Methylmercury (or organic mercury) is readily absorbed by the
human digestive system. It is then carried through the blood to all organs in the body. The highest concentrations are found in the liver,
kidneys and brain. It takes from 50 to 70 days to eliminate half the methylmercury ingested. During pregnancy, methylmercury present in the
mother's blood passes through the placenta and into the bloodstream of the unborn child.

Exposure revealed by the hair

Methylmercury is measured in the hair and blood. Hair analysis is an excellent way to determine a person's exposure to mercury throughout
an entire year or a fishing season. Mercury is deposited at the roots of the hair, where it becomes permanently fixed. Because hair grows at a
rate of about one centimetre a month, the mercury concentration measured for one centimetre of hair reflects the average concentration over
that month. Therefore, a long strand of hair can be analyzed to obtain a record of a person's mercury exposure over several months or years.

Health risk
As with any chemical, the health risk of mercury depends on its concentration in the organism. All people have a little mercury in their bodies,
but the concentrations are generally very low and consequently do not pose any health risk. At higher doses, however, the nervous system, in
particular, may be affected by methylmercury.
Most of the studies conducted to date have not reported any health effects associated with methylmercury in individuals who have been
exposed over a long period of time and have hair mercury concentrations of less than 14 ppm. Developmental effects could be observed in
children born to mothers who had more than 14 ppm of mercury in their hair during pregnancy. However, at levels close to this value, the
impact on the child's health appears marginal. In adults, 50 ppm in the hair is the threshold at which symptoms could begin to appear in the
most sensitive individuals. The earliest symptom commonly reported is a sensation of numbness in the fingers and toes.

Correspondence between hair mercury

concentrations and health effects observed
Hair mercury
concentration
(ppm)

Health effects observed

< 14

No significant effect on the child

15 to 50

No clinical effects
(subclinical effects not confirmed)

50 to 200

Threshold for appearance of the

earliest symptoms in adults
(paresthesia)

200 to 1,000

Increase in frequency of
neurological effects

> 1,000

Serious neurological effects leading

to death

Safe exposure in Eastern Canada

In Qubec, even the highest fish mercury concentrations are not enough to cause symptoms of mercury intoxication, considering the usual low
fish consumption. In the vast majority of cases, mercury concentrations measured in Qubec fish consumers are well below levels that lead to
health effects in adults or unborn children.
The latest data for Eastern Canada, including those collected in 2002 and 2003 by the Collaborative Mercury Research Network (COMERN)
among anglers in Lac Saint-Pierre and the Abitibi region as well as among the Labrador Innu, shows that the average exposure is generally
around 1 ppm in the hair (see the following table). This value is well below the threshold at which the earliest mercury-related effects would
begin to appear in unborn children; according to the available studies, such effects would occur at 10 to 15 ppm in the mothers hair.

Methylmercury exposure levels in the Qubec

population
Population

Number of
participants

Hair mercury
concentration
Average Maximum
(ppm)
(ppm)

Sept-les Innu

83

0.9

4.2

Labrador Innu

162

0.4

8.1

Innus of
Ekuanitshit

36

0.5

2.0

Havre-SaintPierre

94

0.9

4.1

Sept-les

56

0.8

2.6

1,109

0.3

3.7

218

1.6

13.9

Nemaska

97

0.9

8.8

Wemindji

188

1.0

13.8

Eastmain

80

1.6

7.4

Qubec
OujBougoumou

Methylmercury exposure levels in Qubec

recreational anglers
Anglers

Number of
participants

Hair mercury
concentration
Average Maximum
(ppm)
(ppm)

Lac SaintPierre

130

0.7

5.8

Montral*

58

0.2

4.1

Montral*

40

0.5

4.4

Abitibi

130

0.8

16.1

Matagami

174

2.1

14.6

Baie James

88

3.6

16.4

* Two studies are available for Montral

Recommendations of public health authorities

Public health authorities are responsible for ensuring that fish consumers do not exceed the
mercury exposure level deemed safe for their health. On the basis of the findings of recent
epidemiological studies, they recommend a specific maximum number of fish meals per
month according to fish mercury levels and catch locations.

A safe process
The following table illustrates the process used by public health authorities to establish their
fish consumption recommendations, taking those of the World Health Organization (WHO) as
an example.

Process for determining fish consumption recommendations

Step

Value adopted by the WHO

Determination of exposure
threshold

14 ppm in the hair

Calculation of daily intake

1.5 g Hg/kg/d

Application of a safety factor

6.4 (from 4.5 to 10, depending on the institution)

Calculation of tolerable daily

intake (TDI)

0.23 g Hg/kg/d

Number of meals per month

Depending on mercury level (Hg), body weight and

portion consumed

Public health authorities determine an exposure threshold at which the earliest symptoms of
mercury intoxication would begin to appear, based on their analysis of recent
epidemiological studies. In the example chosen, this threshold is 14 ppm, or micrograms
(g) of mercury (Hg) per gram (g) of hair, in the mother's hair.
Next, the daily intake of mercury is calculated; this is the amount the mother must
assimilate on a regular basis to reach the exposure threshold. To reach 14 ppm, the daily
intake is 1.5 g of mercury per kilogram of body weight.
A safety factor is then applied to be absolutely certain to avoid any health risk. The WHO
applied a safety factor of 6.4, which takes into account individual variabilities in the rate of
mercury assimilation and in the efficiency of its transfer from the blood to the hair.
The tolerable daily intake (TDI) for mercury, that is, the daily intake that should not be
exceeded, is then obtained by dividing the daily intake by the safety factor chosen. To
protect the unborn child, the WHO recommends that the mother not exceed a daily intake of
0.23 g of mercury per kilogram of body weight.
The number of fish meals per month that the mother can safely eat is based on the following
criteria:

a tolerable daily intake of 0.23 g/Hg/kg of body weight

a body weight of 60 kg

a portion of 230 g of fish (uncooked)

For the majority of mothers, abiding by this consumption frequency will lead to a very safe
exposure level of about 2 ppm in the hair, which is about 6.4 times lower than the 14-ppm
exposure threshold at which the earliest symptoms would begin to appear.
The 14-ppm exposure threshold protects unborn children and is intended in particular for
women who are pregnant or nursing, or planning to become pregnant, as well as for
children, whose nervous systems are still developing. For other adults, the WHO considers
that intakes of up to twice the TDI, or as much as 0.46 g of mercury per kilogram of body
weight, would not pose any risk of neurological effects.

Health Canada
Although its interpretation of the findings of the epidemiological studies differs slightly from
the WHO's, Health Canada obtains essentially the same tolerable daily intakes for mercury
by applying the same process:
For adults

exposure threshold of 50 ppm, at which the earliest symptoms would begin to appear

daily intake corresponding to 3 to 7 g of mercury per kilogram of body weight

safety factor of 10

tolerable daily intake of 0.47 g of mercury per kilogram of body weight

To protect the unborn child

exposure threshold of 10 ppm in the mother's hair, at which the earliest symptoms
would begin to appear in the unborn child

daily intake of 1 g of mercury per kilogram of body weight

safety factor of 5

tolerable daily intake of 0.20 g of mercury per kilogram of body weight

Health Canada therefore recommends a tolerable daily intake of 0.20 g/Hg/kg of body
weight for women of childbearing age and for children, and 0.47 g/Hg/kg of body weight for
other adults.

Fish on the menu

Despite the presence of small quantities of methylmercury, fish is excellent for health. Among other things, it contains high-quality fatty acids,
called omega-3, that are not found in red meat. These fats have a beneficial effect on the development of the unborn child and help prevent
cardiovascular disease.
All it takes to avoid any mercury-related risk is to follow the consumption recommendations issued according to fish mercury levels and the
tolerable daily intakes determined by Health Canada and the WHO.

Communication tools
A team effort
Because of the potential health risk which the marked but temporary increase in fish mercury levels caused by hydroelectric developments
poses to fish consumers, Hydro-Qubec works together with public health authorities in the regions where its projects are built.

While responsibility for monitoring mercury levels lies with Hydro-Qubec, managing the health of recreational anglers and subsistence
fishermen is the responsibility of Qubec's regional health and social services agencies. As part of this team effort, Hydro-Qubec supplies the
data on fish mercury levels. The company is also involved in producing consumption guides based on the tolerable daily intakes recommended
by the World Health Organization and Health Canada.

Recommendations regarding the number of fish

mealsThis table show color-coded
recommendations regarding the number of fish
meals to be consumed per month based on
mercury levels.
Mercury level in
fish
in ppm* (mg/kg)

Maximum number of meals

recommended per month

0.00 to
0.29

No restriction

0.30 to
0.49

8 meals per month

0.50 to
0.99

4 meals per month

1.00 to
1.99

2 meals per month

2.00 to
3.75

1 meal per month

*parts per million

Natural lakes
Lake whitefish
500 mm (20 in.)

Speckled trout
300 mm (12 in.)

Landlocked
salmon
500 mm (20 in.)

Pike
800 mm (32 in.)

Lake trout
600 mm (24 in.)