The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said last week that number of U.S. lakes and rivers contaminated with mercury, a highly toxic metal that poses health risks for pregnant women and young children, continues to rise despite the fact that U.S. emissions of mercury have declined by almost 50 percent since 1990.

In 2003, 48 states, the District of Columbia and American Samoa issued 3,094 fish advisories, 280 more than the previous year. States issue fish consumption advisories if elevated concentrations of chemicals such as mercury or dioxin are found in local fish. As new waters are tested and results added to previous years’ findings, the number of fish advisories continues to rise.

The EPA said with the additions of last year, 35 percent of the total lake acres and 24 percent of the river miles in the nation are now under advisory. Since 2002, the number of lake acres under an advisory increased by two percent, river miles by nine percent and coastline by four percent. A large part of the increase in lake acres and river miles under advisory occurred because Montana and Washington issued statewide advisories for all their lakes and rivers in 2003 and Hawaii issued a statewide advisory for its entire coastline, the EPA said in a statement.

“More and more of our waters are being tested, and that’s protective for children and pregnant women,’ said Administrator Mike Leavitt. “Emissions are down, and emissions will continue to go down as the Bush Administration takes the first-ever steps to regulate mercury from coal-fired power plants.”

For most people, the risk from mercury by eating fish and shellfish is not a health concern, the EPA said. Yet, some fish and shellfish contain higher levels of mercury that may harm an unborn baby or young child’s developing nervous system. Therefore, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the EPA recently advised women who may become pregnant, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young children to avoid some types of fish and eat fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury.

(via U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)