EPA, FDA Ready First-Time Advice On Minimum Fish Consumption Rates

摘要

The long-awaited joint advisory from EPA and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to include not only the maximum amount offish that women of child-bearing years should consume to avoid harm from mercury exposure but also a first-time minimum amount they should eat to gain the health benefits of the lean protein source. But the advisory will not address any contaminants in fish beyond mercury, an EPA staffer told members of the agency's Children's Health Protection Advisory Committee (CHPAC) last week, drawing concerns from the group that has long urged officials to also consider the risks of other bioaccumulative chemicals, including PCBs and flame retardants. They said addressing the issue is essential because fish that are low in mercury can have higher levels of other contaminants.